Style Mousse

As it is customary, the fam dresses up and welcomes the New Year with Pantone's Colour of the Year.

So, we all had different style iterations and hues of Mocha Mousse during tonight's New Year's Eve festivities.

Ready for the coming year in 3...2...

Stay foot

Some words of wisdom as we usher in the New Year.

Let's all start 2025 on the right foot, shall we?

Back to Becky's

Here's another Christmas tradition that resumed this year:

Becky's Kitchen!

We missed having their brownies, food for the gods and Swiss Chocolate Cake on our Noche Buena table. So, having it again this year made the festivities much sweeter.

What's black, white and red...

It's this year's Christmas wrapping theme!

Not that it was inspired by that popular riddle among journalists.

The theme was actually inspired by these ribbons. 

These black and white plaid ribbons have been in "the stash" for more than 5 years. Truth it, I've forgotten about these, until that fateful day that I stumbled upon them while looking for something.

With that colour in mind, I immediately knew that black and white gift wrappers were the perfect accompaniment to the ribbon. Enter these 4 designs - all discovered and purchased on -line.

To give it a pop of colour, and to keep the spirit of Christmas, enter these candy canes!

Since there's a touch of red, why not make the cards red as well?

And together, here's this year's black, white and red theme!

It's a great combination of tradition and non-traditional.

Merry Chistmas!

FMM: Season of Love

Christmas is undoubtedly a season of love.

So, it's natural that today's Friday Magic Madness song is about that.

And no, it's not "Give love on Christmas day" by Jackson 5.

It's this 1978 classic from John Paul Young.

"Love is in the air" is such an apt song to play. It really sums up all the love that's been going around.

So, aside from a "Merry Christmas," may everyone have a love-filled Christmas!

Gold Standard

Mark's Christmas gift this year is a much deserved sequel to his gift last year.

It's this gold photo album!

Just as gold is valuable, so are the contents of this album.

It's more of our shared memories - from trips to time spent with friends - each photo has a story and meaning that's a joy to review and remember.

This gift is definitely worth its weight in gold.

Celebrating all-over

Even if we're currently in different parts of the world, the family is together in celebrating everyone a Blessed Christmas season.

This is our version of "Christmas across the miles."

It's Christmas all over again!

And we're happier and more blessed for it!

I'm board

Aside from my usual fruit salad - which I amped up this year - here's another thing I made for our Christmas dinner:

A charcuterie board!

It had the Christmas classics: Excelente Ham, Marca Pato quezo de bola, red globe grapes, and some crackers on the side.

This was fun.

So fun, I'll probably include it in my Christmas traditions next year.

Taking the cake

It's always great to discover foodie gems from other parts of the country.

Through Becky, one of my former students - Maila, sent a box of pastries from a shop in Nueva Ecija called "Edna's Cakeland."

Their pastries are yummers! Their empandaditas have this yema filling that's not too sweet or overpowering. Their brownies and caramel bars have the right amount of firmness and sweetness. And they had sampaloc! 

Nest time I'm in that area (which isn't soon, boo!) I'll definitely take the cake at Edna's Cakeland.

Kaya pala!

It's official.

Ya Kun Kaya toast is now open in Gateway 2!

Now, it's going to be even easier and more convenient to satisfy my Kaya Toast cravings.

Partying day to night

That pretty much sums up today.

In the morning, we had our institutional Christmas Party at SSC. It was great to see the whole Scholastican community together. I'm always amazed at how big we are, and despite the size, it feels like an intimate family.

It was great to catch-up with co-faculty who I haven't seen in a while.

Then, it was off to Richard's house for our annual Thanksgiving toast.

Gosh! The parties just go on and on. (And I'm all for it!)

FMM: Boney's Boy

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is brought to you by Richard.

During our Christmas Party last Tuesday, he encouraged everyone to join in a community singing of a classic holiday song. It was a song from Boney M.

"Mary's Boy Child" was such a hit in 1978 and throughout the 80s. I'd hear it non-stop on radio and on TV shows, which was proof of how much a classic this song is.

This is a fitting song as Christmas is just 5 days away.

A Feast of Creativity

Food is one of the things that everyone in the creative team has in common.

So, it's just about correct to spend our last working day feasting on Japanese food.

Merry Christmas from our creative team!

Here's to more creativity and meals in the coming year!

One skirt, two ways: Black Bubble

This skirt at Surplus Shop instantly caught me eye:

It's a black skirt with pleated details in front, and a bubble hem. This skirt looks like a replica of a Uniqlo x Marni collection for a few years back. But they didn't have it in this colour.

There were also 2 interesting tops that would look great with the skirt. And when you can't choose, just buy both, right?

The first top is a textured blouse with an oversized silhouette. But the hem is gathered, which echoes the bubble shape of the skirt.

The second top is this boxy black and white blouse. It's relaxed silhouette complements the relaxed feel of the bubble skirt. 

Amazing how many fashionable outfits you can get in one Surplus Shop branch.

Flying Coach-ella

And the parties continue.

Tonight we had our office Christmas party! 

Since there are a lot of Gen Z-ers in the agency, we thought of a theme that's both relevant and appealing to them.

Yup, we had a Coachella Christmas party. We brought the music festival vibes and reminisced about concerts we attended and festivals we want to catch in the future.

Thanks to our Admin and the ChrisComm for making the 2nd to the last party of the year very festive.

O Come

It's the first day of Simbang Gabi today.

One of the songs that's most sung during the Simbang Gabi mass is a classic song entitled "Emanuel."

Every time they sing this song, it makes me reminisce about the beautiful story of Mama Mary and Jesus. The song captures the narrative so beautifully, both in words and music.

It's 9 days before Christmas comes. And the world is excited for it.

Ray of Sunshine

Taking a break from K-dramas and J-dramas, opted to watch this Chinese drama or C-drama on Netflix.

"My Sunshine" is your typical romantic dramedy about finding lost loves and prevailing despite the challenges. While the main plot itself isn't new, the little twists and details in the story make it interesting and entertaining.

And engaging! Was planning to watch just 1 or 2 episodes, but ended up watching more than 5 in one sitting.

With 32 episodes, it looks like this will be my daily dose of sunshine.

What's the Bus?

I'm so fortunate to work with and be surrounded by very creative people.

On a daily basis, they showcase their creativity with the amount and kind of ideas they come up with and present. But in special occasions, they show off their creativity even more.

Just like during our anniversary parties.

The team conceptualised, designed, executed and set-up with Mardi Gras bus. And it was the centerpiece of the celebration.

People were amazed at the scale of this installation. They couldn't resist taking photos with and in it, which is understandable.

You can really find creativity everywhere!

FMM: Happy thoughts

Was talking to some of my younger colleagues about music. Which is timely because today is Friday Magic Madness day.

There's this song that's playing on repeat in my head, then asked them about it. In my mind, this song was about a decade old, but after mentioning it to the young 'uns, they made a surprising revelation.

The song is actually 23 years old already!

That song is "Happy" by Square Heads.

This song is such a joy to listen to. After playing it, "can't you see I'm happy now."

Festival Feels

It's been more than a year since this single dropped, but I'm still so into it.

"Festival" was one of Sandara Park's solo projects. It's a catchy, upbeat, KPop tune which is easy-to-listen to and easy to love. She even references her Filipino roots with her "In or Out" line.

But what makes this even more special is the appearance of Uhm Jung Hwa. 

Yes, Doctor Cha!

"Festival" is just what the doctor ordered.

When icons meet

That would be the best description for this collaboration.

Oreo and Coke might sound like an odd combination, but it works! It smells like Coke, there's an initial kick of Coke, but the filling is all Oreo.

Props to whoever thought of this.

So, do we dunk to Coke in Oreo?

They haven't folded

We were just talking about this a few weeks ago.

We were wondering what happened to Folded & Hung.

This clothing brand was the rage in the 00s to 10s. They had a lot of edgy, fashion-forward clothes that teens and young adults used as their fashion uniform.

They also had collaborations with designers, as well as campaigns fronted by huge celebrities.

They had stores in all the major malls, with some stores being bigger than the more entrenched local fast fashion brands. So, it was clearly a success.

Oh, and proof of its success can be seen in the origins of the store. It started out in a dental clinic, and the dentist would bring out clothes and show them to his patients right after their treatment. Yup, it's a true story - the dentist/owner is a friend of my sister's. And she experienced this first hand.

Then, the stores started to dwindle. And the stores I'd frequent started to close one-by-one.

So, we thought the brand was completely gone.

Apparently not:

They still have this kiosk inside The Landmark in Makati.

Glad to know that they haven't folded just yet.

Immaculate!

Yesterday was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. But since it fell on a Sunday, it's celebrated the day after, which is today!

Until now, the Immaculate Mother song is still one of my all-time favourite songs. From grade school to high school to college to the present day, when they play this and we sing it, there's a well of joy and hope in my heart.

Happy Feast Day, Mama Mary!

Top notch!

Finally! Top Ten is in the Philippines, and it's in our neighbourhood.

Now, I'll be shuttling between this store and Uniqlo to get my minimalist, fast-fashion fix.

Can someone bring SPAO here, too? Please.

Ex-colleagues, Assemble!

Yesterday's ASC Christmas Party was fun.

Not only did we get to dress-up and see other people in their own interpretations of Marvel characters ,it was also a time to reconnect with old industry friends, as well as former colleagues.

Maya, Flor and I were all part of the Colgate-Palmolive team at Y&R. Onel was also there, but he wasn't part of the picture.

Just like the Avengers, this was our opportunity to Assemble!

FMM: Feeling Mighty

Inspired by tonight's Marvel-themed ASC Christmas party, our Friday Magic Madness song for today takes us back to the 1960s.

The opening credits of "Mighty Thor" is so old school and cool. From the lyrics to the visuals, it brings me back to the days when cartoons were simple and straightforward. But fascinating nonetheless.

That's how mighty these old cartoons were.

Soba so good

One of the shocking things that happened during my last trip to Tokyo with Mark was the fact that Komoro Soba in Roppongi was closed!

Yup, that small, hole-in-the-wall shop where they sell super affordable Japanese fare is no more. 

Thankfully, Komoro Soba is still around in Megamall! And because of my Zaru Soba cravings, this is today's lunch place.

As usual, it's good as it is affordable.

Don't go anywhere, Komoro Soba!

High on "Gras"

After 4 years of absence, our Annual Anniversary party is back!

This year, our theme is "Mardi Gras," so everyone dressed up in their best NOLA attire.

We missed dressing up. We missed partying. We missed getting together with clients, partners and industry friends. 

We missed this!

And we're on a high because we finally get to continue this tradition.

December to remember

Woohoo! The December issue of Vogue USA is here!

Thanks to Ate Lissa who bought it, and Kuya Marv who brought it from the US.

Holding this issue feels bittersweet. Although it's great that I'm holding and reading the latest issue of US Vogue, the issue now is so different from the December issues of yore. 

Aside from the fact that it's super thin - maybe 1/3rd or 1/4th the thickness of the usual December issues, even the paper where the magazine is printed feels different.

Still, I'm glad to have this copy. And even gladder that Vogue is still around.

Bikenapper

Let's start the week with this cute cat sighting:

Being a bike driver must be very exhausting for him.

And so it begins...

Today is the first Sunday of advent. Thus, the Advent wreath is up at Sagrada Familia. And the congregation is ready and happy to begin the new Liturgical Calendar.

To quote a famous Christmas carol:

"It's the most wonderful time of the year."

It's a "Stil"

After doing many a videos on the ubiquitous "pastil," today was the day when I actually get to try it!

Saw this Pastil place in Cubao, and they served Tuyo Pastil. And being a Tuyo stan, this was a no-brainer.

It's actually good. No frills, full of flavour, and it's just P55!

This 'stil is a steal!

FMM: Go to Geils

Okay, let's push this model idea another day.

Back in 1981, The J. Geils Band had this huge hit. The song was about a model, although it's a model appearing in an adult men's magazine. 

"Centerfold" tells the story of a guy who had this high school crush. The girl was a very wholesome, almost angel character. But one day, he discovers that she's the centerfold of a men's magazine that he purchased.

It's a upbeat and happy song, but the lyrics are actually kind of melancholic. It's that counterpoint that makes this song fun to listen to.

So, let me listen to it again.

WATN: Great Deyn

Speaking of models, I'm missing the quintessential model of the 00s, Agyness Deyn!

This English actress and model was the epitome of the androgynous look. From her short, blonde locks to her versatile features - she was literally a chameleon who can shift into the different roles that the fashion world gave her.

As a fan of Greek Mythology, it was also such a thrill to watch her play Aphrodite n the "Clash of the Titans" reboot. That further upped her cool points for me.

It's been a while since I've seen her on-screen or in magazines. 

It would be great to see her back.

Gerber, baby!

Kaia Gerber is fronting the December 2024 issue of American Vogue!

First of all, can we just marvel at the fact that she looks so much like her Mom! 

Then, the clothes are just divine! It's playful, but it's high fashion. Only Marc Jacobs can pull-off something like this.

Why isn't anyone carrying American Vogue in the Philippines anymore? This issue needs to be here, stat!

Once a King

A decade ago, CD-R King was THE go-to store.

Back when CDs were useful and essential, this store had in in all colours, sizes and designs.

Then, they diversified into anything and everything electronic. From USBs to phone chargers to phone cases. Taking it further, they started selling small appliances, even scooters!

And just when you thought their trajectory was on the up and up, suddenly they started dwindling and disappearing.

Last Sunday, was in Robinsons Magnolia and was surprised to see this:

Not sure if it's still open or permanently closed. But seeing it made me reminisce on the brand and how big it once was.

Found in Translation

Here's an example when you ask AI or a computer program to translate text from one language to another.

Reading it, you know what the essence is. But the way it was translated to Tagalog was so mechanical and artificial. You look at it and think: "heck, no one talks this way."

Really, nothing compares to the human touch.

Putting the "fab" in "fabric"

Textured fabrics never fail to catch my attention. Whether it's a patch, a weave or a embossed detail, little grace notes like these really elevate a fabric.

Just like this one.

It grabbed me by the collar and let me to it the moment I saw it from afar. The fabric looks so luxe and rich, thanks to all the details it had.

The fabric was from a Stella full skirt. It''s so gorgeous! Since the fabric is already a showstopper, the design of the skirt is very simple and classic.

Because there's a lot going on with the skirt, the top had to be simple, but with a twist. This Kashieca blouse was just that. It's a knit blouse with speckles of gold that are so subtle, but they shimmer when the light hits it.

This is yet another fab holiday outfit idea.

A perfect foil

As Christmas nears and parties are starting to kick-off, the need for holiday outfits is once again upon us. Well, upon my sister, to be exact.

Since the holidays are all about sparkle and shine, those are the elements that I'm looking for when looking for a holiday outfit.

Two weeks ago, Mark and I had lunch with Patrick at Alabang Town Center. Passed through Metro Department Store and found this gold, foil skirt. 

It doesn't look like it in the photo, but it's actually gold foil. It's also light and pleated, so it moves very gracefully.

In the same store, there was this knit top in beige, which was a good pair for the skirt. The boat neckline, extended sleeves and material make it classic and muted enough to match with the brightness of the skirt.

It's a perfect outfit for a casual yet chic Christmas party.

FMM: Good Garbage

Call it a hangover from that talk about trash.

Back in the 90s, one of the CDs that I'd often play and replay was from "Garbage." The band - headlined by Shirley Manson - was the epitome of 90s angst. Their sound was a good mix of rock and grunge, which made it head-bang-y without being too heavy.

Their 1998 album, "Version 2.0" had a lot of great songs. But this has to be my most replayed one:

"I think I'm paranoid," has that right amount of energy. This was our go-to OT song when the teams would burn the midnight oil for campaigns.

I think I'm enjoying this again.

Cap it off

Oh, the things you find when you rummage your old stuff.

It gave me such a thrill to find this:

My McDonald's cap!

This was my cap during my crew days at McDonald's Commonwealth in college. It still has a lot of the pins I collected from contests, milestones, awards, and the like. Back then, collecting pins were all the rage, and it's so great to see that my pin collection (some of it, at least) is still there.

This re-ignited my wish to be a crew for the day, yet again.

Keep off the grass

In another edition of "This is why we don't deserve nice things."

Grass and greenery are supposed to make you feel relaxed. But seriously, how can you relax if you see this:

Unfortunately, a lot of people still don't have that discipline of disposing trash properly. Gosh! How difficult is it to hold on to a bottle until you find a garbage bin?

It's disappointing how a lot of people still have this trash mentality.

All decked out

It took longer than usual this year, but finally, our Christmas tree is up!

Of course, the accompanying accoutrements have to be there. The dancing Santa has been with the family for more than a decade, and it's still singing and dancing as if it were his first day.

All that missing now are gifts under the tree. After that, we've decked the halls for the holidays!