Broke for the Holidays
My old high school barkada (Filipino for “clique” or “group of friends”) got together for our annual holiday dinner last night. It’s been getting harder and harder to schedule our gatherings, because everyone’s so busy these days. A couple of our friends weren’t able to make it, but we still had a great time just talking and catching up on each other’s lives.
Berns, me, Jo and Fatz
As we talked about what we’d been up to the past year, what our plans were for the near future and how silly we’d all been in high school, it hit me — we’re all grown up! When did that happen?! 
Anyway, we always get each other little tokens for Christmas, but since I’m dead broke (having recently spent all the allowance money I had saved over my last year in college on a brand-new, work-appropriate wardrobe) I had to be creative with my gift-giving this year. My solution? Custom wall calendars:
I simply modified one of the calendar templates from Microsoft Office Online, personalized it with my own artwork and had several copies printed on glossy poster paper for a few bucks each. I topped them off with matching gift tags and voila! Cute and inexpensive gifts! 
awww those look nice!
What a neat cute idea for a gift
Oh yey, new post and with pictures! You guys look like you had a great time! It makes me miss my high school barkada even more. We’re all so busy now leading separate lives, or so it feels.
And the gifts! Gives me ideas for gifts I can give my friends. I’m also dead broke having spent all my money on… um, food. Yeah, I never save any money at the end of the week. And if I did have money I’d spend it on clothes too!
Those are adorable! All I need now is a printer that works, and then I could make my boyfriend a cute Christmas gift. Oh well. Shopping time for me.
Nikki I want my gift to be made by you, too! You have to make me a new layout! Or even a wall calendar! *throws a tantrum*
Interesting gift idea.
If only I was a better artist. Hmm.
What’s a barkada? I’s presume it means friends, but I’m not too sure. It’s nice that your friends have a little annual dinner thing. It’s good to catch up.
Oh, those calendars are so cute. I love your illustrations, and might I add, a very ingenious gift idea?
I’m tempted to make some of my own.
Rafia, the closest translation is “clique” except without whatever negative connotations that word might have
Chrissa, of course!
Your other gift will be lovingly made by me LOL.