#LOL(O)

It's now official and legitimate!

I'm a Lolo!

Presenting my new grandson, Noah Edgardo. He's the first born of my eldest nephew, Jul.

Welcome to the family!

FMM: All Duked out

Some songs have this effect on you: it makes you stop whatever you're doing, relax, look into nothingness, and smile.

For me, this classic by George Duke is one of those songs:



"Sweet Baby" is one of the songs that I can listen to again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

Which is obviously what I'm doing now.

The Company we'd like to keep

The first time I encountered this SG clothing brand was in Ion Orchard. I stumbled upon in while in search of COS.

It was called "In Good Company," and while browsing their store, one realization was that it was very much like COS - modern, minimalist and very fashion forward.

After that, In Good Company became one of my stops during my SG trips.

Imagine my delight when I found out that they're now open in MNL!

Yup, their first store is in SM Makati, and it looks like they transplanted their SG store and brought it here. Way, way cool!

I'm definitely keep this store company.

The Man from Uncle

While we were still in HKG, we received the piece of sad news that our Uncle Coye passed away.

I always remember him as the gentle and quiet uncle who would look after us whenever we spent our summers in Malinao. His demeanor, just like his voice, was very calm and comforting. This was one of the many reasons why we enjoyed hanging around with Uncle Coye.

The last time we talked was in 2014, when we attended their golden wedding anniversary. And as per usual, he was his calm and comforting self.

And that's what I'll miss most about him.

Nets in Line

If you're an 80s and 90s kid, you'll know how significant this photo is:

Yes! Aqua Net is still very much around.

Question is: are the "tsunami" and "cobra" far behind?

Euphemisms

Before I flew back to Manila, I saw this sign at the HKIA branch of Zara.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed the jeans were shorter than usual.

Yes, we're short. But at least we're special.

Airy-port

There's something magical about empty airports.

Maybe it's because we're so used to seeing it so busy and frenetic that a quiet, empty one is a sight to behold.

Just like HKG airport when I arrived.

I was so entranced, I had to take a snap for posterity.

Hello again, HKG

That's 2 visits in less than a month.

Just like old times!

FMM: The PH-HKG connection

Since I'm spending the weekend with my niece in HKG, I thought that it would be apt to have a Friday Magic Madness song that brings together my former home with my homeland.

And that, of course, is the super popular 90s duet between Regine Velasquez and HKG's Jacky Cheung.



They should do another song. They make a great combination.

Everything's coming up (black) roses

Found this guipure lace with an interesting rose and web pattern.

And it's on sale! At Carolina's!

To buy, or not to buy.

Taste the Unicorn!

Yes, it's true! Dr. Pepper has a Limited Edition Unicorn soda.

Strange, but interesting. In a glittery, rainbow kind of way.

Parallel Universe

And our second commercial for Goya - featuring Miss Universe 2015 - is out!



What's great about this one is that we got to use her iconic line from the pageant.

We've got another winner here.

Mall right

I've been seeing the billboards for the new mall beside Trinoma, and I've always been curious to see how it looked like. That's why one weekend, I decided to check it out.





Called Vertis North Mall, it's part of the new development in the Quezon Avenue area. Because they built the space from scratch, they had more room to work around. Thus, the mall is very vast and airy.

The ceilings are high. There's a lot of open spaces and greens. And it feels very premium.

Plus, it has H&M. 'Nuff said.

This mall is all right. I'll probably drop by again sometime soon.

Mark the date

So, it's been a year since our double celebration in Tokyo.

That means, it's Mark's birthday again!

It's great that this year, we celebrated his big day in Manila. Nothing like spending your birthday at home.

Happy Birthday Mark!

Moore to see

Way back in 2006 and when I was still living in HKG, one of my favorite InStyle issues was the one with Julianne Moore on the cover.

In the accompanying article, she talked about how it felt to live alone for the first time. She talked about the thrill of independence and the fear of being home all by your lonesome. And this resonated with me so much. So much that I still have that issue on my bookshelf.

This October, she's back!

Well, I know she's fronted the cover several times after that 2006 issue, but somehow I'm excited to get my hands on this issue.

Who knows what Moore words of wisdom I'll pick up from her interview.

FMM: To dance or not to dance

When you go to The Landmark food court on weekends, it's common to see musicians playing there.

It's either a showband, or a brass band. In any case, it's a nice cacophony of catchy sounds to accompany you while you eat.

But take note, you should only listen to it. And they have a stern reminder about this:

This rule is very much against the philosophy that the Bee Gees wants to espouse. The same philosophy that inspired today's Friday Magic Madness song.



Personally, I agree with the Bee Gees. We should be dancing.

This restaurant is Cat-chy!

Speaking of old photos, it was pleasant to see some of the photos that we took from our lighting HKG visit a few weeks ago. Gosh! I forgot I even took all those photos.

This shot is from the restaurant at Best Western Plus Hotel. 

Their restaurant is called "Pasta Kitchen by Chef Gatto."

So, it's no surprise that their poster has a shot of their chef, the "Gatto" himself.

He looks grumpy in this shot, though. Despite that, this poster was enough to cat-ch our attention.

Smore than the usual

While trying to locate a photo in my phone's library, I saw this shot which was taken 2 weekends ago during our family dinner at the new food park in Cubao.

Yes! It's a Smores Milkshake.

Smores - I'm in!

Milkshake - I'm in!

So, if you put these 2 together, take my money. Please!

And yes, it tasted as great as it looked.

Time to be excited

This trailer just popped up while I was watching youtube.

I'm not familiar with the story or the narrative basis of the film, but judging by the trailer, I'm definitely going to watch out for this.



Aside from the fact that it's Disney, it's also an eye candy! There's a lot of mysticism and magic - which I love! Plus, you can't ignore the powerhouse cast. (Hello Oprah!)

Time to start counting down to when this film will be shown.

LFLTAT: Call me, Navy

In the continuing saga of why I just adore G.U.

When we were there a few weekends ago, they had some off-season items on-sale. The great thing was, those items were actually very season-less and versatile.

Like this crisp, white blouse with a non-traditional shape.

And this pair of high waisted and belted navy blue trousers.

Together, it's a very nautical look with a modern edge.

And together, it was less than a thousand pesos!

That's something worth calling out.

Oder in the court

You'd think that "order" is an easy word to spell, right?

Wrong.

Looks like 7-11 could use a proofreader.

Off-center

Call me a "print Nazi," but it really gets my goat when prints aren't properly aligned or done well, especially when it comes to dresses.

That's why I couldn't help myself from taking a photo of this dress from SM.

Come on! It's such a nice print. Couldn't you at least put it in the center? Geez.

This is a case of "when good prints happen to bad dresses."

FMM: Russell's brand

The 80s was a great decade for music. There was just so much diversity when you listen to the radio.

Staples back then were New Wave and Punk Rock, which made for great party music. But if you wanted something mellow, there were a lot of awesome balladeers, too.

Among my faves in this department was Brenda Russell. Her voice was both powerful and serene, and her songs showcased these qualities perfectly.

Case in point, one of her biggest hits, "Piano in the Dark" from 1988.

This song is so smooth and soothing, I can listen to it over and over again. (And that's what I'm doing right now.)

Block Party!

Heels are a sure way to elevate and outfit. Literally. It's a sure fire way to give an outfit an air of stature.

There was a time when Ate Bullet wore stilettos often. But she had to stop because of her vertigo. And flats became her best friend.

Then, she discovered the joys of the block heel. It's perfect because it gives her the right height, but it's also very sturdy and easy to walk in. After her first few pairs, she started wearing block heels to a lot of her events. (Frankly, it makes her look like a glamazon. See photo below. She was wearing a black, strappy block heel then.)

Serendipitously, SM came out with a lot of block heels in different shapes and styles. They were all so pretty, that I decided to get Ate a pair or two. (Fine, four.)

This is "The Classic." A shape that goes with any dress, and a color that's sure to pop out.

Then, there's "The Gladiator." While the color is very subtle and feminine, the straps give it strength.

Third, "The Disco Diva." That's the best way to describe this very 70s platform shoe.

Finally, "The Fashionista." The ribbon makes all the difference.

Now, Ate's definitely ready to party.

LFLTAT: Fit to be tied.

One of my colleagues is a huge Kamiseta fan. While she occasionally visits the big international fast fashion chains, she still swears by this local brand.

So, after office, I decided to swing by their branch in Robinson's Galleria and, lo and behold, they're on sale!

Frankly, it was slim pickings, but there were a few gems. Like this pretty floral blouse with a side tie.

It has a lot of things going for it. Nice fabric. Stunning print. A relaxed silhouette. And of course, it's less than P500!

Then, there's this pair of wide legged white pants from Uniqlo. Another steal at P390!

Together, it's an ensemble that ties together chic and relaxed. For less than a thousand!

That's a fitting way to spend the midweek.

Oodles of noodles

Among the dishes we ate during that HKG trip, this noodle dish from MX is the best for me.

It was oozing with chicken and veggies, and the noodles were firm yet tender. Well played and well cooked, MX.

As always, MX never disappoints.

Sweet potato

Even if I spent less than 2 days in HKG, I was able to cover a lot of ground and try a lot of new things. Especially from 7-11, which was just below the hotel.

My favorite discovery, this:

Yup, it's Butter Caramel potato chips. And it was really, really good!

Too bad I wasn't able to bring some home to Manila. But hopefully, it'll still be in stores when I fly back to HKG soon.

Looking for a signature

During last week's short trip to HKG, I found out that McDonald's had a special signature line of sandwiches!

Unlike their usual burgers, these ones were a bit Le Swank. Get this: Angus beef with champignons, a garden grilled chicken sandwich, and a buttermilk chicken sandwich with Jalapeno.

I decided to try it out at the airport, but as luck would have it, they were all out of stock.

Hopefully, they'll still be around when I go back this month.

Kitchen up, catching up

Tonight was some sort of despedida for Mom and Biboy who are both flying back to the U.S. As always, the family gathered for a night of catching up and filling up.

We're always looking for new places to eat, and tonight, Dad suggested a nearby food park. Yes, my Dad is into food parks.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in The Open Kitchen.

Having tried a number of food parks, I'd say the food selection at The Open Kitchen was pretty good. But of course, it was the company that was much, much, much more excellent.

FMM: Right on cue

As everyone anticipated, the first Christmas carol of the year played today, September 1. Good thing all carols are super duper old songs - they qualify as Friday Magic Madness songs.

In my case, the first one I heard was around 12:30am. Yes, they were that prompt.

The song? The quintessential countdown song to the holidays.



It's the first Friday of the Christmas countdown. Let the celebrations begin!