Color Story: Children of the Cornflower

Saw a cornflower blue knit top at Memo, and it was on sale!

Of course, I had to buy it.

Next task was to find items to pair it with. That's when I remembered that there were a few light denim items in the stash that looks like cornflower.

Et voila!

The pants are from The SM store, and the vest is from the Plains & Prints x Marc Nicdao collaboration.

Feeling Rich

Pete Rich, that is.

His latest collaboration with Plains & Prints already dropped, and it's a lot of fun.

The polo shirt has a very soft fabric, an interesting zipper detail, and a cute embroidered detail of a taho vendor. This taho vendor detail is also echoed in the tote bag, which I also got.

Plains & Prints has another winner here.

Fun with fusion

With no bias whatsoever, Toni's latest creation - the Bibingka Cheesecake - has to be one of the best cheesecakes I've tried.

Ever!

Amazing how a little bit of fusion - adding a Pinoy twist to a Basque Cheesecake - can make a world of difference.

I'm going to make a bee line at Toni's next bazaar just for this.

FMM: The first Noel

Nope, this isn't a Christmas Carol post.

But considering that it's almost Christmas, that's not too far fetched.

The "Noel" I'm referring to is Noel Harrison.

While his name might not be familiar for many, the song that he sang surely is.

"The Windmills of your Mind" is a 1968 song that was used in the original "Thomas Crowne Affair" film. Even as a kid, I've been fascinated by this song. 

Aside from the melody and the heartfelt rendition of Noel Harrison, the lyrics are so beautifully written. It's poetic, it's storytelling, and it's the reason why the music of back then is sorely missed.

Bruce Clues

Look! Monday Bruce finally has an officemate!

These blind boxes are dangerously addictive.

SM is So Marvelous

When it comes to Christmas displays, SM is top tier.

They pull out all the stops and don't hold back in terms of ideas and execution.

Their display at SM North EDSA - The Block is a testament to that.

The castle is even functional. You can go inside and watch a shot video.

Marvelous. Just marvelous!

Hog Wild

Apparently, Cat Cafes are old news in Tokyo.

Walk through Takeshita Dori, and you'll see an array of animal cafes that are far from the usual.

And one of the bigger hits in the area? A pig cafe!

Judging by the lines, it's popular among locals and tourists alike.

While novel, methinks a concept like this won't work in Manila.

People might steal the pigs and turn them into cochinillo.

Pretty little Jinbei-by

Immediately thought of Baby Sabers after seeing a Jinbei at Donki.

Eventually bought it as pasalubong.

And seeing this confirmed my hunch that it was the right decision.

So much cuteness in one photo!

New View

Despite the fact that I've visited Harajuku quite a number of times already, this is my first time to visit the building at the corner with this view.

This is at the 6th floor of a building that has a vertical garden outside. The 5th and 6th floors have food courts, and t his is where we had lunch. Was intrigued by the place called "Falafel Guys" and eventually bought my food there.

The food was good. The view was even better.

Dots perfect

When Joanne - the Plains & Prints Ali Mall manager - told me about the Plains & Prints x Vania Romoff x Mark Bumgarner collab, my excitement went through the roof.

After all, Vania and Mark are accomplished designers who both embrace the "simple but elegant" aesthetic, so putting their heads together for one collab has all the makings of a home run.

When the collection dropped, my excitement dropped notches lower. Overall, a lot of the pieces looked more like party wear rather than every day wear. Even the 2 dresses - the pieces that I had very high hopes for - were just okay.

But there were 3 pieces that stood out and immediately went to my "must buy" list. And yes, I was able to buy them.

First is this skirt and sleeveless top made in a polka dot fabric that's SO Vania Romoff. 

Among the pieces, these 2 are the ones that look like they came straight out of Vania's core line. The simplicity of the cut, the full skirt, the minimalist aesthetic - they all came together beautifully. And if you think that's the end of it, check out the back of the top:

Now THAT is a chic detail.

The nice thing about the skirt is that it can also be paired with the other pieces from the collection. So, along with these 2 pieces, ended up buying their black & white polka dot top with puffed sleeves and an empire waist.

And as you can see, the top pairs perfectly with the skirt.

Now, that's simple, elegant and versatile fashion!