About me and this blog

I’m Gail Dela Cruz – Villanueva, Filipino and proud. I’m a full-time web designer and a part-time blogger, a dog-lover, owner of a variety of animals (7 dogs, 2 chickens and 1 turtle), WordPress aficionado, writer/blogger, graphic artist, and a photographer wannabe. I turn a year older every 8th of October (gifts are welcome!). Although I haven’t reached the point of lying about my age, I still don’t feel like 30. More like 18, in fact.

I’m married to bestest best friend in the world (my dogs come in second). Though I’m still finding it hard to balance design work with household chores, I think I’m getting the hang of it. Well, maybe except for the laundry. I hate doing the laundry.

I also come from a family of artists (every one in my immediate family has some artsy specialty), and went into web design because I just couldn’t draw realistic stuff even if my life depended on it. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I started designing graphics and web sites in 1999 (it wasn’t easy making drop shadows during that time).

Well, after that, I was hooked. I would have turned out to be a total nerd if I didn’t have some aptitude in sports as well. I was part of the Track team and the basketball team in elementary and high school (I just played basketball with the boys in college). I was a jock, and a closet geek. But now, I think it’s the other way around.

What else?

I love animals. But the doggies are my favorite. Before Shantee, Sheero (yeah, we named our design business after her) was the apple of my eye until she passed away last October 2007. She still is; thinking about her still breaks my heart. Life goes on, but I would never forget the little white Japanese Spitz – Shih Tzu mix who was probably the most loyal dog I ever had.

I don’t watch TV that much, but when I do, you’ll most likely catch me watching the Disney Channel, HBO, or the Discovery Channel (my husband and I just love watching Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe and American Chopper). I’m not much of a TV series person, but I do like CSI: New York, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, House M.D., and Supernatural. I don’t like CSI: Miami for the simple reason that I don’t like David Carusso.

I just love eating and cooking Italian food.

I hate going to the dentist (who likes going to the dentist anyway?) and I have an unreasonable fear of snakes and needles. I’m claustrophobic too. Don’t bring me to an enclosed area unless you’re strong enough to carry me when I faint.

I’m pretty fond of traveling around the islands of the Philippines. No special reason really—I guess I just wanted to have a little fun traveling before I became a stay-at-home mom.

Oh, I’m also one of the top 10 Gails in the world according Google. Yay.

Other than that, there really isn’t much to tell you about me. Really. I’m pretty much just an average Joe—with boobies.

If you want to know how this blog came to be, just read the post I wrote about it. I’m too lazy to repost.

Interviews:

• Homemade: Web Design
  By Paul Imbong, Entrepreneur Philippines, July 2010 issue
• Angking Yaman: Gail Villanueva, Cutey Kutitots
  By Jose Illenberger, Philweavers Network, 6 February 2007
• Blog-o-Rama: Kutitots: The Web Designer’s Blog
  By Annalyn Jusay, Manila Bulletin, 13 November 2006
• Designing Handmade Cards
  By Katrina Tan, Entrepreneur Philippines, September 2006 issue
• Kutitots is not her name, it is her domain – The Gail Dela Cruz Interview
  By Benj Arriola, PinoyWordPress.Com, 26 May 2006
• Interview with Gail Dela Cruz
  By Errol Villavieja, Pixelbureau.Com, November 2004

Speaking Engagements:
Speaker, WordCamp Philippines 2010, “Add Muscle to your WordPress Web Site” (October 2, 2010)
Speaker, WordCamp Philippines 2009, “WP Magic with Custom Fields and Conditional Tags” (September 19, 2009)
Speaker, Form Function & Class, “The Business of Web Design” (July 19, 2009)
Speaker, WordCamp Philippines 2008, “Creating WordPress Themes and CSS Power” (September 4, 2008)
Speaker, iBlog3: Third Philippine Blogging Summit (April 14, 2007)
Guest Speaker, ADMU En11 “How to Blog” mini seminar (July 6, 2005)
Featured Speaker, iBlog: First Philippine Blogging Summit (May 7, 2005)
Guest Speaker, Ateneo ACOMM Becoming series (February 9, 2005)
Guest Lecturer, Ayala-Intel Macromedia Flash Seminar (February 22, 2003)
Speaker, CS179.3 Macromedia Flash Seminar (September 30-October 4, 2002)
Speaker, TheGUIDON Graphic Design Seminar (October 2000, November 2001)