FMM: Thrilled!

Not only is today a Friday, it's also Halloween. So, this old song is begging to be played!



I've always been thrilled by this music video. And aside from being thrilled, I was so scared of it, too. Especially the ending.

Happy Halloween!

We'll be back

Mark and I found this restaurant by accident in one of our trips in Tokyo. We didn't expect much, but it turned out that they had this really yummy chicken dish.

When I come back this weekend, we'll try to find this place again. It's so good, we have to come back.

Two times the pride

Seeing your former students succeed and receive accolades is one of the proudest moments for any educator. That's why I was doubly proud when two of my students - Meg and Anj - was chosen to be part of the CinePambata. They made a short film with the help of Mike, and it was shortlisted as one of the films to be viewed in Megamall. 

And today, I found out that they were one of the top 5, and won special jury prize!

Even way back in their sophomore year, these 2 girls were the brightest in my class. That's why it comes as no surprise that they got this award.

Congratulations, Meg and Anj!

Color story: Bloody nice

Red is one of my all-time favorite colors, and I gravitate towards anything with this hue.

Mom recently brought this pair of oxblood colored New Balance 574, and the shade of red is just stunning.

And yes, I spilled water and tea on my shoes before this shot was taken. Good thing it didn't hit the red part of the shoe.

Packaging is everything

When I ordered siopao at Chowking, I was expecting it to be served on a small melamine plate like they usually do. 

Surprisingly, it came in this faux dimsum basket. Faux because it was still made of melamine.

I think it's nice that Chowking thinks of small things like packaging. It adds to the "Chinese" fast food experience.

LSS: Lovin' Swift Syndrome

Some folks think that Taylor Swift shouldn't move too far away from her country roots. But after hearing "Shake it off," I'm glad that she did.



This song is everything! Catchy, happy, easy-to-groove-to, makes-you-want-to-stand-up-and-dance, and most importantly, LSS-inducing.

The last one is particularly true since I've been listening to this song - non-stop - the whole day! In fact, it's my anthem as I wrapped my first batch of Christmas gifts today.

Looks like I'm not going to shake off this song anytime soon.

Cara mia

Judging by its current choice of endorser, it looks like Penshoppe isn't taking the H&M invasion sitting down.

They upped their endorser ante by signing up fashion's current it-girl, Cara Delevingne.

Cara has the same I-can't-be-bothered-by-fashion and devil-may-care attitude that most of the H&M models do. Heck, if I didn't know this ad was for Penshoppe, I'd think it was for H&M. I don't know if that's a good thing, though.

I think Penshoppe should support this campaign with a lower price strategy. Imagine, if you can get the H&M look for less than H&M prices, I'm sure that'll be a hit.

FMM: Just Deserts

If there's one song that defined "Friday Magic Madness" for me, it's definitely this song.



"Sahara Nights" by F.R. David was always one of the first songs they'd play at the strike of midnight. It would usually come in after the DJ announces: "It's Friday Magic Madness!"

Listening to this song always brings back a sense of nostalgia. And that's what Friday is all about.

Bean there. Done that.

Probably due to the threat of Family Mart, 7-11 has been coming up with really good food items lately.

One super yummy item they recently added is this red bean bun. I tried it once, and have been coming back for it several times already.

The taste reminds me of the red bean buns in HKG, and every bite transports me back to the 7-11 store below my flat in Tak Hing Street.

This is a worthy addition to my snackers repertoire.

Adios, Oscar.

The lights on the fashion runway dimmed today as it lost one of its brightest stars.

Oscar dela Renta passed away last Monday, and not surprisingly, celebrities, fashion editors and fashion lovers were saddened by his passing. Aside from being a great designer, he was also a very nice, genteel man.

I saw snippets of him in "The September Issue," and he came across as a very calm, amiable person. No wonder a lot of people are saying that he'll be missed.

Crazy good

When we joined last month's office bowling tournament, we already knew that we weren't the strong team. So, we decided to be the crazy team.

Every game, we were the rowdiest group. We'd scream, hoot and trash talk our opponents, and even ourselves. And that made the entire 3-week tournament a blast each time.

After the final scores were tallied, we ended as the 2nd highest in our group, and 5th overall in a group of 12 teams.

I guess aside from being crazy, we're good as well.

Tres chic!

It's easy to tell if Ate Bullet likes the dress you give her. The surest indicator is when she wears it. If she wears it the next day after you give it to her, that means she really, really, really, really likes it. (That's channeling Sally Field's Oscars speech, by the way.)

As it turns out, that's how she felt about the Altuzarra x Target collection. 

She wore these 3 dresses just days after I gave them to her. In fact, she wore the dresses just a day apart from each other. She wore one to work, the other to church, and the ruby one to a hotel function. Her choices were so appropriate, and she looked so chic for each occasion.

There's one more dress from the collection that she's yet to wear. I wonder when that'll be.

Sundays with Sister

Suor Cristina has just released her new single.

And it's "Like a Virgin."



It might be a controversial choice for a first single, but I must say, she sang it beautifully.

So I say, hey Sister, go Sister!

Two times the Taylor

Call it fashion deja vu, but Taylor Swift is on the cover of InStyle in the same month, one year apart.

Here she is in last year's November issue.

And she once again graces the cover on the same month of this year.

She must have that November vibe.

FMM: Liking Lisa

Another artist who made it big in the 90s was Lisa Stansfield.

All my colleagues had her CD and our OTs were always accompanied by her songs. Whenever our energy level would dip, someone would play "This is the right time" on full blast. If everyone's on edge and we just want to chill out, we'd skip to "Change" and "All around the world."

And during those times when we just want to pause from work, sit down, and bob our heads, this would be the perfect song for that.

I've lost track of Lisa Stansfield's career, and I should check out what kind of music she's been doing.

She's the real thing, after all.

How professional

Just when I was beginning to think that advertising people are the only ones who seriously proofread nowadays. (That's what I've been doing the past week.)

I saw this poster for an advertising event and was genuinely interested in it.

Then this happened.

Come on, I don't think "professional" is a difficult word to spell.

Proofreader please.

A cat above the rest

Today's cuteness is brought to you by this big, black cat which I found in front of the ATM machine in BDO-Emerald Avenue.

He (or she) was lying comfortably in front of the ATM machine and simply couldn't be bothered. I tried to shoo the cat away several times, but the adorable critter wouldn't have any of it. Despite numerous attempts, the cat just slumped lazily on the floor, occasionally looking at me with that "And what?" look.

Good thing my torso is long. It allowed me to bend far enough to withdraw without disturbing the cat.

As they say, you should let sleeping cats lie.

What the heel?

In the continuing saga of "Where are the proofreaders?"

This one comes from stylebible, and they had an article about how to spot a fake Louboutin.

The article looked perfectly normal until...

Yes, you have to check the "hell" of the shoe to see if it's a fake or not.

Seriously, get a proofreader.

Little Miss Princess

While I was watching "Princess Diaries 2," (yes, I was watching Princess Diaries 2) there was a little girl in the crowd who looked very familiar.

It's Abigail Breslin! At this time in her career, she played a "girl in the crowd named Carolina."

I'm assuming this is way before she hit it big in "Little Miss Sunshine." But given how small her role was, she was still able to shine in it.

Ahhh... Altuzarra!

When news of the Altuzarra x Target collaboration came out last May, I reacted with restrained excitement.

Excited, because it's Joseph Altuzarra at Target prices! Come on! Restrained, because I knew for a fact that it would be virtually impossible to snag pieces from the collection. First of all, the demand is high, so the items will most likely be snapped within hours. (Hello, Missoni x Target!) Second, there's no Target anywhere in Asia! Although I've tried to ask Biboy to check out Target stuff in GA, he's not really a Target type of guy. He's more Macy's. After all, he was able to get stuff from the Macy's collaborations with Doo Ri and Giambattisa Valli.

Just as I was about to give up and just admire the collection from afar, I found out that Mom was flying back to Manila this October! So, I checked if she had luggage space for a few dresses, and she did! And her arrival yesterday also heralded the arrival of this Altuzarra x Target haul.

The first dress was the flouncy python print dress. The print was more vibrant in person rather than in the photo. The classic silhouette was a good foil to the trendy print. It had the right amount of sheen, and it's good for a casual night out or a dressy event.

The second dress was the 70s, Bianca Jagger-esque dress in red. I read a number of negative reviews about this on the web, but it was surprisingly beautiful in actuality. It has a nice color, and even nicer draping. What they said about the neckline was true, though. Ate Bullet said that she has to pin the neckline when she wears this next week. Yup, she liked it so much, she already scheduled it for an appearance.

Another coveted piece from the collection is this third dress - the tuxedo dress with the crane print. And it's here! Again, classic with a fashion twist. The crane embroidery, exposed side zipper and thigh high slit elevate this LBD to new heights.

Finally, the fourth piece is the two-fer. The dress that looks like separates, but is actually one-piece. True to the reviews, the python print-banker stripe combo is very unusual, but it works! The shape is also very flattering.

Ate loved it so much, that she decided to wear it today. (Mere hours after I gave it to her.) 

Most of the reviews I read had the same complaint. The Altuzarra x Target collection has weird sizing and might have been built with models in mind. Surprisingly, they all fit Ate Bullet perfectly. So I guess that means she has a model's physique. Well, she was a model after all.

This has to be the best collaboration this year. And I'm delighted that I was able to get all the best pieces from it.

Post-production

I've been working with this production team for many years now, and each project with them is a joy to do. Not only are they fun people, they're also very efficient, creative and they can really translate into film the ideas we have in our minds.

But even if we've worked together for years, this was the first time I got to hang out with the gang after the commercial production wrapped. And it was a lot of fun.

Our new commercial is airing this weekend, and I couldn't be happier.

Here's the the next production. And post-production party!

FMM: The Real Thing

I'm helping out some students on their thesis about Coca-Cola ads, and in the process of research, I found this gem of an ad that they produced in 1987.



Watching this commercial again after a long time was such a great trip back memory lane. It actually gave me goosebumps.

Now that's a real great ad.

LFLTAT: Ines for less

True to its advertising, Ines De La Fressange's collection for Uniqlo is the epitome of Parisian chic. The pieces are very laid back, very classic, and very fashionable. Particularly this look:

It's made up of four key pieces, two of which aren't weather appropriate for the Philippines. I mean, who needs a down jacket and heavy cardigan at this time?

But the two other pieces are fashion staples:

A pair of khaki chinos.

A denim shirt.

While Uniqlo is known for its low prices, you can get the same look for less than a thousand. Just head off to Surplus Shop.

They have this pair of khaki chinos for P499.75.

And this chambray shirt, also for P499.75.

Combined, these two pieces cost P999.50, just P0.50 away from a thousand.

It's chic and cheapness that would make Ines proud.

The Badge

During my last visit to The SM Store in Makati, I saw that they carried Badgley Mischka shoes in their shoe section. My initial reaction was: "Whoa! Talk about leveling-up!"

That sight reminded me of this Badgley Mischka dress which I scored for Ate Bullet 8 years ago. It was a dress that I stumbled upon at the Lane Crawford outlet, and upon seeing that it's in her size, I automatically snapped it up.

There are many elegant elements on this shift dress. The most noticeable being the subtle beadwork on the bodice. It's a graphic floral pattern created out of silver glass beads.

Turn around and the beadwork continues, and the back plunges to a new low.

Finally, the fabric itself is very chic. It's a jacquard fabric that has silver threads.

Maybe there's a Badgley Mischka shoe at SM that will match this dress.

Tip(ton) of the Iceberg

On my list of all-time favorite ANTM contestants is Analeigh Tipton. During her cycle, I was rooting for her, along with Marjorie and McKey. She eventually finished third, with McKey winning that cycle.

Although she didn't finish on top, she's made quite a post-ANTM career as an actress. I've seen her in several films, including "Crazy, Stupid, Love,"and "Warm Bodies." Now, she's headlining her own solo film with indie-favorite Miles Teller.

I'm not surprised that she got this lead role. She's a very effective comedienne and a joy to watch. And I have a feeling we'll be watching more of her soon.

Coming up roses

A nice gift wrapper is one thing that's always on my radar whenever I go to a bookstore. Especially now that Christmas is a few months away, I'm always keeping my eyes peeled for the next possible holiday theme.

This month, National Book Store's gift wrapping section is awash with great looking wrappers. I've picked up some, and used them to wrap birthday gifts. It's almost like a dry run to see whether it's festive enough for the holidays.

The first wrapper I tried out is this black wrapper with oversized rose prints. It reminds me of fabrics used by designers like Oscar dela Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Diane Von Furstenberg. 

The bright red of the rose is echoed by the bright red ribbon around the gift. Since the prints were big, I decided to use a bigger ribbon for this idea. The overall look is very festive and fashionable, so this is a contender in this year's holiday theme derby.

On a side note, this particular gift was for Chonabelle's birthday. Because nice things come in threes, the gift I gave her came in threes as well. They're three outfits - one for different occasions - labelled accordingly. Initially, I was supposed to make the labels on my computer, but I missed writing freehand, ergo the script writing on the labels.

Buying, wrapping and giving gifts is one of the coolest things to do.

To teach his own

I've said this countless of times, and I won't tire of saying it again, teaching is its own reward.

No matter how hectic and tiring it is, seeing my students learn and grow makes all the hardwork worth it. And when I read notes from former students - like the one above - it makes it worth 100x more.

Happy Teacher's Day to all the hardworking teachers out there.

Tahari was targetted

Because of the massive hype created by the Altuzarra for Target collaboration, people overlooked the fact that Kohl's was collaborating with a top designer at the same time. 

That included me. I only found out yesterday that Elie Tahari was this fall's Design Nation collaborator. 

He chose NYC as this design destination, and he came up with a very urban collection featuring sporty outfits that have New York motifs translated in prints and silhouettes.

This sweater and jogger pants combination is very now.

And this dress with a skyline print is subtle and chic.

Poring through the internet, there were very few mentions or articles written about this collaboration. Which I feel bad about since Elie Tahari is an awesome designer. It was just a bit of bad timing as he was in the firing line of Target.

FMM: A song from Sonia

In the last 80s and early 90s, there was a British invasion in the international airwaves. What used to be dominated by American artists was now infiltrated by British singers.

I had a lot of favorites from U.K., and one of them was a petite singer who never failed to come up with upbeat, dance worthy and LSS inducing songs.

Her name is Sonia, and here's one of her most famous songs which happens to be my favorite.



As her song so aptly says, you'll never stop me from loving this song.

Triple Treat

During a recent shoot, I was talking to the stylist and asking her what her considerations are when buying a dress. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that we look for the same three things:

1. A classic silhouette

2. A vibrant print

3. Nice draping

With so many brands to choose from, it's easy to find dresses that fall under these three items. But once in a while, you find a dress that doesn't just have one or two, but all three.

Such as this winner of a dress.

1. It has a classic shift silhouette. The neckline is a modified boat neckline. The length of the hem and sleeves are both very flattering.

2. It has this vibrant firework print that looks slightly abstract. From a certain distance, it looks like a galactic print.

3. You'll notice that both the bodice and skirt are draped. It makes the dress fall nicely on the body, flattering what needs to be flattered and hides what needs to be hidden.

Finding this dress was definitely a treat.

Kurt-y Birthday

Talk about time moving so fast. Suddenly, it's October. And the first of October is a red letter day because it's Kurt's birthday!

While going through my blog, I found a photo of Kurt 7 years ago.

And here he is now!

He's grown up a lot, but he'll still be Kurt Pa-turt to me.