FMM: Having a (Whig)field day

Someone played this song at the creative department, and it triggered a shocking realization.

This song is already 30 years old.

Yes, "Close to you" by Whigfield now qualifies as an old, Friday Magic Madness worthy song.

Fie this under "another indicator that I'm old."

Hallowheeen!

It's trick or treat day at the office. And it looks like I've overpacked treat bags.

Packed 55 bags, an it turns out that there are only 20 kids doing the traiditon.

That just means one thing:

The adults are in for a treat!

(Har)vest bet

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Clover Chips.

The taste and crunch of their classic cheese flavour is so familiar and comforting. It was one of my go-to comfort food during my expat days in HKG.

Apart from flavours, there hasn't been anything super new about Clover Chips. 

Or is there?

Yup, there is! Clove rChops has this Cassava chips variant called "Harvest." And it has a sweet and sour flavour, too!

Tried it, and it's good! It has the same Clover texture, but there's a certain difference with the crunch. And while sweet and sour isn't a common flavour for snack food, this one works.

This is going to be part of my snack rotation, stat.

From spreads to jams

Another month, another party organised by the creative team.

Since it's October, we wanted to do something related to Oktoberfest, but not too obvious.

Thus, Oktober Jam.

It's probably the longest party we've had so far. It extended until after midnight ,which is testament to how much everyone enjoyed it.

This jam was a success!

Start spreading...

Not the news.

Just spreads.

Making spreads was my activity this weekend. Armed with stuff from the kitchen, was able to put together these 2 spreads.

The first one was the classic tuna spread, while the other is an herbed chicken spread.

Despite the fact that it's been a long while since my last spread making activity, these turned out to be good!

LFLTAT: Resort to this

Here's another yield from the SM Megamall sale.

And because it's a sale, you can be sure that it's a look for less than a thousand.

The dress is from Coco Cabana, which is The SM Store's resort wear line. Actually, they have a lot of nice clothes - both is style and in prints. Mom has a couple of Coco Cabana clothes in her closet.

But this particular dress is for Ate Bullet. It's a linen dress in an olive green hue, and the halter neckline is what makes it very interesting. The slides aren't from SM but from The Landmark. It's a brand called Shooz, and this jute slide fits the resort vibe of the dress perfectly.

All you need is a beach and this outfit is good to go.

LFLTAT x Color Story: Caramel Cool

There was a dress in The SM Store that caught my eye the moment it was brought out a few months ago. It was a caramel coloured shirt dress with an interesting pleated overskirt that ties in front. It was so classic and chic, and would add a touch of sass to any closet.

Strangely, though, I never got around to buying it. The dress magically disappeared from their shelves.

Now, I know why.

At the recent SM Megamall sale, the dress was back, and it was 70% off!

And after checking out Solemates, which is one of SM's house brands, saw a pair of caramel coloured flats what would look great with the dress.

Thus, today's cool outfit was born.

What' cooler is that this outfit added up to only P698!

You gotta love SM!

FMM: Sue me

The first time I heard the song "Turn the beat around," it was the Gloria Estefan version. Thought that she was the original artist, until a few years after. That's when the discovery happened - it was a remake.

The original was first published in 1976, by a talented singer named Vicki Sue Robinson.

Later on, this song would again be popular, thanks to "Pitch Perfect."

Yet more proof that a great beat is timeless.

Zimms familiar

Was at one of my haunts when a brown dress which had an embroidered, eyelet like pattern caught my eye.

The reason it caught my eye was the fact that it looked very, very, very familiar. Something it nm said" "You know this dress. You've seen in before."

After a little while, an epiphany happened and the mystery was solved.

This was the dress:

This is why it looked familiar.

It's a Zimmerman dress that passed by my feed after viewing the brand on Net-a-Porter.

And this has to be my best buy for the month.

Back it up!

This is my current favourite youtube video that's been playing on repeat.

And repeat.

And repeat.

It's so simple, clever and super funny!

Don't you dare walk away from this comedy gold.

(Gula)man of the hour

Since the afternoon merienda is now part of the daily routine of the Park Avenue seniors - with my Dad as enabler - thought of contributing something to their merienda spread.

And here it is!

Yup, made gulaman and sago. 

Happily, it was a hit.

Will do this again soon.

Hopia agree

Durng my trip to Divisoria, saw this small stall that sold hopia. 

What drew me to the hopia wasn't the product itself, but the packaging.

It's a beauty!

It has that very strong Chinese-retro vibe - from the paper colour, tot he ink, to the font style - it was so traditional. But because it was so traditional, it felt modern! The beauty of contrasts.

The hopia inside was bigger than the usual hopia, and each variant had a crunch which tasted like kundol.

While it won't dislodge Holand as my fave hopia, this is worthy of being part of the repertoire.

Meals with Mark: Holy Khao

Mark and I have a goal to try all the restaurants in One Ayala, and lately, we've been covering a lot of ground.

We've eaten at all the Bistro Group restaurants, we've done Chili's, we celebrated his birthday at Tong Yang, and we also did the rounds of the restaurants inside the mall like Stuff'd, Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Dalmoro.

So, when we had lunch yesterday, our question was: "Which resto haven't we tried yet?"

Then we realized that that we haven't eaten at Khao Khai, which is a Thai place. 

Since ti's been almost (or maybe a) decade since our last BKK trip together, we decided to give it a shot.

And it did not disappoint!

The Kra Paos were very flavourful and really had legit Thai flavours. Mark's only comment was that it could have been spicier. I would have agreed to the comment, but I ended up biting into a couple of small chillies. 

The Thai Iced Tea was also good, so was the crispy tofu.

Looks like this won't be the last time that we'll eat here.

Color Story x LFLTAT: Season of Grays

So, it's the SM Megamall 5-day sale, and it's obvious that there will be a lot of LFTATs that can be created from the finds in that sale.

True enough, was able to snag a look that wasn't only a "Look for less than a thousand," it also falls under a "Color Story" post. And here it is:

This is such a classic, chic, a bit British, a bit Thom Browne and all affordable. 

The pleated gray skirt is from Uniqlo, and the sweater top is from The SM Store. Together, this look just rang up to P989.

But yes, it looks much, much, much more expensive than that.

FMM: Waxing sentimental

There's an ad for a dance concert called "Legends," and it features iconic dance groups from the 70s to the 2000s. Among the headliners are Penthouse 7, The Aldeguer Sisters, Wea Dancers, Vicor Dancers, among others.

It makes me wonder if Beat Culture is going to be part of that concert. They were a popular dance group in the 80s, and their dancers were very young and hip (in the 80s, at least.) They would make the rounds of variety shows, they they were best known for their dance routine set against this 1986.

"Right between the eyes" by Wax was actually a very popular song back then. It had a lot of airplay, and it was a mainstay in parties and discos. I'm not sure if the song became popular because of Beat Culture, of if Beat Culture became popular because of Wax's song.

But whatever the case may be, this song continues to be as catchy and fun to listen to, even if it's almost 40 years old.

Berry intrigued

Apparently, Snickers has a berry option!

As a berry lover, this definitely caught my eye and eventually bought a few pieces to try.

Verdict: it's good, but the berry flavour could have been drummed up some more. If it had something like berry jam or berry bits inside, that would have made this Snickers berry good.

Very good, I mean.

Ikat it out

While browsing the on-line shop of Lovito (which I really shouldn't do very often), I came across this nice denim dress.

It's made of a dark wash denim, but the denim itself was light and falls beautifully. There's a lot of seaming action in front, which gives it a nice shape. But looking at it for an extended period of time, it felt like the dress could use a little something to lift it.

That's when this Ikat belt came in.

I've always been a fan of Ikat prints. And this belt was a purchase from years ago. It's been sitting in the stash for a time, and this was the perfect opportunity to bring it out.

And with that, this look is officially lifted.

Fresh(ness) in my mind

Yes. I'm old enough to know that Freshness Burger was once here in the Philippines.

Their first shop was near Makati Cinema Square, which was fitting because it was where all the legit Japanese restaurants were. 

Then, they opened a branch at the 6th floor of Shangrila Mall, and I used to eat there with Mark if we wanted a legit Japanese burger.

Quietly, it disappeared. Maybe the concept was ahead of its time.

So, I'm hoping that with Mos Burger and Masajiro Burger in MNL already, they'll follow suit and reopen here.

That's a fresh idea.

Masajiro lies in you...

The Japanese brand invasion continues in MNL.

Another iconic burger brand just opened its first store in Glorietta 2.

Yup, Masajiro burger is here.

With Mos Burger and Masajiro Burger now in the Philippines, the triumvirate of good Japanese burgers is almost within reach.

Hopefully, Freshness Burger goes back to the country soon. That way, the trio will really be complete.

Hall of Fame

Annie Hall remains to be one of the most fashionable and most iconic characters in Hollywood.

And only Diane Keaton had the personality, style and gravitas to pull this character off.

She has so many films that are on my fave list. Who can forget her other Annie - from the "First Wives Club," and Erica from "Something's gotta give." Diane gave these characters both depth, humanity and humour - qualities that made them unforgettable.

Now that she's gone up to the Hollywood in heaven, that's what she'll continue to be.

Unforgettable.

Cat Calling

Here's one of the reasons why going to school on Saturdays is a lot of fun.

These 2 cute cattaters - sometimes more - are always hanging outside the faculty area. They're usually there, just looking cute. 

Seeing them is a great way to start the day.

FMM: In the Flesh

Let's go alternative rock for today's Friday Magic Madness song.

They weren't wildly popular, nor were they a household name. But in our household, they would often play this 1987 hit from the British band called "Flesh for Lulu."

This song, entitled "I go crazy" was a mainstay in dance parties in the 80s. There was something about the song that made it so easy to sway to. 

Actually, I'm swaying now just listening to it.

Coat me on that: Feeling Phillip

Something about this coat reminds me of Phillip Lim.

It might be the vibrant colours and joyful prints. Or it might be the fact that the print reminds me of his collaboration with Target.

Whatever it is, this coat is enough to make a statement.

Coat me on that: Coming up roses

Everything's coming up roses.

Particularly this coat.

I'm actually surprised that they have a coat this chic and cheap at The SM Store. 

The material is neoprene, which is why the coat holds its shape. There's a bit of flounce on the hem, and the sleeves have this bubble detail. So much chic-ness in one outerwear.

Coats like these make me wish that the weather in the Philippines be more coat-appropriate.

Coat me on that

Here's something that you don't normally find at The SM Store.

Coats!

But surprisingly, they have a couple of nice coats in a section where you won't expect to find them. At their house brand section.

Actually, there were a lot of nice coats and it was difficult to choose which one to buy. But after much thought, the list was narrowed down.

First up, this cocoon coat.

The shape of this coat has a nice arc. The sleeves follow the shape, it's also curved. This combination of curves and arcs is that makes it distinct. And what balances it out is the fact that the fabric and colour are very classic.

This is sure to elevate any outfit.

More and more Monday Moods

Another Monday, another cat that captures the vibe.

Why can't we all just be like this cat?

When live gives you (finger) lemons

This is my current snack obsession.

Julie's Finger Lemon Sandwich!

No kidding, this biscuit is SO GOOD! It has the right blend of sweet, tart and creamy.

Gotta stock up on these at home.

Eek!

For the Nth time, it's "Sneak Peek" and not "Sneak Peak."

Proofreader, please!

FMM: Hair ye! Hair ye!

"Hair" is one of those old musicals that produced so many iconic songs. 

My awakening to this musical came in high school when our choir master - Sir Jun Ortega - asked us to perform "Aquarius." Before teaching us the song, he gave us a background on the song and musical, and from then on, the choir peeps would have listening sessions dedicated to the songs from there.

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is from "Hair." But what makes it special is that it's not the original artist, but a rendition made by a Filipina singer.

This version was performed by Sahlee Quizon, who is one of Dolphy's daughters. In 1971, she did her own rendition of "Good Morning Starshine." The first time I heard this song was in a CD entitled "Hits from Yesterday" by Vicor Records. The songs in that CD were so fun, memorable and cheesy - which made me buy it and love it even more.

So, this Friday morning is a good morning, thanks to this song.

The Boss

Nope, this isn't a Diana Ross post. Though I've posted about that iconic song of hers already.

This is about one of the shows I've been binge-watching on youtube recently. An inspirational series that chronicles work life in the US and the challenges that workers face. The company's bosses work undercover to get to know employees and their stories, and the employees get a surprise for their hard work.

The show is called "Undercover Boss."

I've watched full episodes, and I've watched condensed ones like this. Whether it's long or short, there's always a feel-good feeling after watching it.

Thank goodness there are shows - and bosses - like this.

Foods for thought

For the Nth thousandth time, people. Adding "s" doesn't make "food" plural.

Proofreader, please.