LFLTAT: Swingapore

My trip to SG this February was very short, and most of the time was spent showing Kai around my usual haunts, and some "Crazy Rich Asian" spots that she wanted to see.

But somehow, I found time to squeeze in a super short visit to 2 of my favorite haunts in SG. A visit that yielded a nice Look For Less Than A Thousand.

First up, a swingy top from one of my favorite local brands - Iora! Since the last Iora store in MNL closed last year, I had to check the brand out while I was in SG.

Then, when we dropped by Ion Orchard, I was able to pass by Bershka and get this pair of belted jeans. On sale! Like, super sale! It had a nice, dark wash and a loose silhouette. Much like culottes, but full length.

The yield is a relaxed and outfit cost around P950 when converted.

Not a bad haul for a quick swing by.

Booking Mrs. Herrera

One of the highlights of my 2016 was when I got to see the Carolina Herrera retrospective exhibit at SCAD in Atlanta.

During that exhibit, they were selling a book which chronicled her 35 years in fashion. It was a beautifully art directed and photographed coffee table book, and I wanted to get a copy.

Unfortunately, I started packing and immediately knew that I wouldn't have space for it in my luggage. Aside from the book being quite large, it was also heavy. So, there was a problem both in space and weight.

This weekend, I dropped by National Bookstore, and lo and behold!

It's the same book I wanted to buy!

Not only was it available at National Bookstore, it was at 90% off! Seriously, it was less than P500!

It might have come 2 years later, but it's worth it! (Literally and figuratively.)

The Marvelous Ms. Bening!

Apart from Brie Larson, here's another reason why I'm so psyched to see "Captain Marvel."

Annette Bening!

I'm always excited to see her on screen, and the thought of seeing her in a superhero film raises the excitement exponentially!

Let's go, March 6!

Regina is king!

I've always been a huge fan of Regina King.

She has such versatility that she just disappears into her characters. She does it so well, whether it's for a comedy like "Miss Congeniality 2," or an action flick like "Enemy of the State," or feel good flicks like "Daddy Day Care," or girl-power movies like "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

So it's such a thrill to see her walk away with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "If Beale Street Could Talk."

What made me a bigger fan is her speech, and how she ended it with "God is Good, All the Time!"

A King-maker indeed.

The Comeback Kids

Back in the 90s, I had 2 go-to places when I craved for good, comfort food.

One was Little Caesar's Pizza.

The other was Popeye's Chicken.

Little Caesar's was known for it's "Pizza, Pizza" promise, which was 2 pizzas for the price of one. That was always a hit during our get togethers and whenever we worked overtime. And aside from their yummy pizza, they had awesome garlic sticks.

Popeye's, on the other hand, was a former client. And they had really good fried chicken and biscuits. There were very few fast food joints that sold biscuits, so it was very novel and delicious!

Sometime in the mid-2000s, these 2 restaurants disappeared.

But guess what, they're both making a comeback!

Little Caesar's opened its first store in Manila. And Popeye's is getting ready for its return!

Happy (tummy) days are here again!

Singing the blues

From reds to blues.

This is what all these sales can do.

Yup, it's a stash of blue jeans - in different washes and colors. Each one has an interesting detail - pearls, pleats, distressed edges, asymmetrical buttons - you name it, it's there.

Best part is, they're all on sale. Some pairs I got as low as P300!

See. The blues can make you happy, too.

FMM: Get Reddy

Just because I'm still enamoured by the red shade of yesterday's LFLTAT shoe, let me go back to the 70s for today's Friday Magic Madness song.

It's Helen Reddy!



One of her iconic hits is this song: "I can't say goodbye to you." And it sounds as good now as it did then.

Get Reddy for it!

LFLTAT: Lady Luxe

Looks like there's a sale everywhere in the metro.

From department stores, high street brands, local brands - they're all on overdrive to get rid of last season's stocks. And I'm not complaining.

Thanks to the sales, I was able to pull together a very luxe look.

The dress is from the brand Peppermint, which is available in SM Department Store. It's not obvious, but this dress is made of lace. A beautiful combination of blue and red, with a leaf pattern. And the sleeve is tres interesting.

Then, this pair of pointy flats from Stradivarius. I love the crimson shade and the pointy shape. Super chic!

These two items combined creates a very luxurious look.

And who would have thought it costs less than a thousand pesos!

A fashionable end

Fashion lost another one of its brightest and longest shining stars.

Karl Lagerfeld - Creative Director of Chanel and Fendi - has just taken a bow and made his catwalk to the fashion house up there.

Until his passing, he was still very active - designing collections, season after season, not just for Chanel and Fendi, but for his namesake brand as well.

He was such a huge influence that the fashion world will definitely feel the void of his passing.

Back to the Best

Yes, Julia Roberts didn't get the guy, (the injustice!), but I think "My Best Friend's Wedding" is still one of Julia's best films.

And just like that, it's been more than 20 years since the film came out!

And now, there's a reunion!



Just like the movie, I can watch this over and over again.

Back Masking

When I was in SG, I caught the re-run of this new game show in the U.S. called "The Masked Singer."

The show has an interesting premise. Singers are fully disguised, and they compete against each other. The judges eliminate a contestant per week, and they do this based on their singing performance. After they're eliminated, that's the only time they reveal who they are.

When I found out the names behind the masks, I was impressed. They had LaToya Jackson, Ricki Lake, Tori Spelling, Terry Bradshaw, among others.

After that re-run, I've only managed to watch the show twice.

Looks like I have to back watch a few more episodes to catch up.

Birthday (Bi)boy!

It's been a while since we last celebrated Biboy's birthday as a family, and in Manila, that's why today's lunch was special.

Biboy is in Manila for a week long trip, and fortunately, it coincided with this birthday. So, it was off to a sumptuous, Pinoy lunch to celebrate the occasion.

Happy Birthday, Bibs! Glad you're here to celebrate this day with us.

There's the rub!

Will Smith is "The Genie"!



Off hand, he's giving me a bit of Eddie Murphy as "The Dragon" in Mulan.

Still, count me in for this film!

FMM: The Cool Edge

As a kid, my teachers were surprised at my musical knowledge. Particularly with old songs and singers.

My response to their query was always the same: it was my Dad's cassette tape collection. At a young age, I became familiar with Richard Clayderman, Ferrante and Teicher, Ray Connif, Shirley Bassey, and the like.

One of the tapes I'd often listen to was one by Rita Coolidge. She was a huge deal in the 70s, and had a string of hits. My Friday Magic Madness song for today is one of those hits:



"We're all alone," is one of her biggest hits, and it's also a song known that was made popular by several artists, including Frankie Valli and Boz Scaggs. Incidentally, Scaggs was the composer and his version is equally popular.

But I still prefer Rita Coolidge's version. That's why I'm going to listen to this on repeat today.

Of steel and sky

I've been to Gardens by the Bay several times already, but there's something about this visit that made me appreciate it more.

For something man-made, this is a natural wonder.

Ad-ons

I like this local brand of accessories in SG.

I like it because it feels like an inside joke that only Ad folk will understand.

Soak it up!

Since my niece cringes at the thought of doing the touristy SG pose of being drenched by water via the Merlion - (true story: I hate it, too) - I decided to take my own version.

Glad we were able to soak up a lot of sites on our quick SG tour.

Lucky Lourdesian

I feel super fortunate to be able to hear mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in SG, on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes!

No matter where in the world I go, I'll always be a Lourdesian.

Hello Old friend!

One thing's for sure.

I'll never leave SG without having my Old Chang Kee fix!

They're Curry-Os are the bomb!

Virtually clean

Of late, I noticed that SG is trying to make their airports more automated.

In T4, they've replace immigration officers with automated immigration gates. Even during boarding, they've removed the staff and replaced them with machines.

Now, they've taken it to another level! Gone are the people cleaning the airports, and in place, they have these:

Where my people at?

FMM: Give me Kachangs!

I've been to SG several times last year, but strangely, I skipped having Ice Kachang during those visits.

Maybe it was because they were short and busy trips that I wasn't able to drop by Hawker Centers. Or in case I did drop by Hawker Centers, I must've ordered something else.

Well, I'll make sure that it won't happen this weekend.

And, paraphrasing the immortal words of Ric Segreto in the 80s, you just gotta give me kachangs!



Such an appropriate Friday Magic Madness song, eh?

F & F

Nope, not the clothing line.

It's the latest commercial project we did.

The time between the prep, shooting and editing was less than 2 weeks. Yup, that fast.

But since we were working with friends who feel like family, it was definitely fun.

Fast and Fun. That's a great combination.

Eytys Enough

Quietly, H&M launched a collaboration early this year, and it was with a brand that I wasn't familiar with.

Early this January, they launched the Eytys x H&M collaboration. It turns out that Eytys is another iconic Swedish brand - just like H&M - and it's known for its streetwear.

This made me curious and I ended up browsing their site. Their aesthetic is very 80s and 90s street, especially the jeans.

Their collaboration with H&M is packed with the items that the brand is known for - sneakers, jeans and funky shirts.

They're all interesting. They're just not for me.

Do you see what I See's?

Yes! There's a See's pop-up store in Shangrila Mall!

The chocoholic in me is super thrilled!

Coton Bud

We met this super adorable little dog during our shoot last Friday.

He's a dog whose breed I haven't heard of before. He's a Coton de Tulear, and he's 1000% adorable.

Actually, his breed best describes him. He's white, fluffy and oh so soft!

What an apt name indeed.

Teaching generosity

Upon reaching my desk in school yesterday, I was surprised by these nice things.

They're Teacher's Day gifts from the school's administration and some fellow teachers.

Yet another reward for educating the future generation.

February First Fun

This alliteration is brought to you by our first shoot of the year!

It's the first of many to come.

FMM: Song du jour

This classic 80s song from Starship is the most apt song for today's Friday Magic Madness.



This really puts the "star" in "Starship."