An award-winning, critically-acclaimed features writer in the last two decades of the 20th century, Gemma Luz Corotan Colb went on to become a successful real estate developer until she reinvented herself as the owner-manager of Casa Amara, a low-key boutique hotel-resort by a cliff in a secluded part of Laiya, Batangas.

Through it all, she would meet with challenges, including  a marriage that went sour, although she is grateful she and her late husband produced two sons who have turned out well, and natural disasters especially floods which recur in this part of Metro Manila, with the Marikina river aggravating the effects of strong typhoons.

Through it all, Gemma has remained steadfast — and to her sons' question on whether the family had lost everything to typhoon "Ondoy," she replied, "No, because our faith in God and the spirit of survival and courage to move forward even in times of adversity remain. And we have each other, inspired by love and loyalty, to face challenges together."

Thus, it was to meet the feisty Gemma and to see her home in Marikina Valley that we recently visited her one weekend.

Aware of her heartwarming, homey approach to decorating, the lifestyle section of the Daily Tribune wondered how Gemma had spruced up her sturdy place. Her home had gone through several incarnations and it had survived the worst of times. She, in turn, obliged us with a lunch invitation.

Indeed, this creation of hers not only affirms her eye for the beautiful and pleasant. She also surprised us with her gustatory masterpieces that included an original Ilocano pinakbet, salmon head with mango and ginger strips, adobong barako (flavored with a cup of kapeng barako), pako or fern salad, creamy tenderloin and litid dinuguan, and the sweetest watermelon.

In her own words, Gemma shared her family's story of living in this home where she, her husband and sons have lived since 2008 "when the kids were just this small and were excited by what Santa Claus would give them on Christmas Day."

"I am not all by myself in decorating for Christmas. I am fortunate to have a loyal stylist, Dennis Caballes.

"I choose and buy all the decor and accessories with a clear vision of how the house would look and he executes my ideas.

"Autumn is my favorite season so I wanted an Autumn Christmas tree. Winter in Europe is also very beautiful and I wanted another tree to reflect that so I bought a white tree. I wanted a combination of a tropical and western Christmas so I combined tropical plants and flowers cut from the garden.

"The garden was designed by the late artist Jerry Araos who wanted to create a garden that will thrive even in neglect. So, it's a wild garden allowed to just grow as it will and still look beautiful. It's not so much designed as 'arrived at' through natural evolution.

"The house also naturally and organically evolved through the years with what survived through three great floods and by making the most of what remained.

"Our house is an ode to resilience and refusing to go down despite disasters and hardships — rough and weather-beaten but still beautiful.

"I look forward to decorating for the holidays because Christmas always evokes family and togetherness, and if there is a prime motivation of my life, it is always love and family and creating a home where my family can feel loved and at peace.

"The house during the holidays is by itself a celebration of what we survived, both the worst of disasters and the pandemic, a very good reason to celebrate and be grateful."