One shoe, two ways: Mary me

Since Ate Bullet is always on the look out for cool Mary Janes, this pair caught my eye.

Spotted it during my weekend mall run. This pretty patent Mary Janes in a rich, oxblood hue is such a stunner. From the material to the style to the straps, it's definitely a statement shoe.

Styling a pair like this is easy. So easy, here are 2 examples of how to rock it.

WAY # 1: Short order

To highlight the shoe, you can wear shorts to maximise its exposure. But not just any pair of shorts, but these shorts with an interesting pleated overlay from Incerun. Then, a knit top from Plains & Prints that echoes the colour of the shoe.

WAY # 2: Khaki classics

The colour khaki is also a good way to make the shoe stand out. So, got this khaki pair of trousers from Incerun, and the front pleats give it an oomph. The top is from a collab at Robinsons Department Store (more on that later) which has a touch of red that matches the shoe.

This shoe is truly a shoo-in for best sheo.

Plush points

After a few months of wondering what it's all about, they finally opened this store named KKV in Gareway 2.

Apparently, it's like Mini-so on steroids. It's this huge store with knick-knacks and bric-a-bracs of different shapes, sizes and types.

They have home essentials, food, beauty products, toys and everything in between. But what caught my attention the most is their plushie selection.

(Apparently, kids these days call "stuffed toys" "plushies.")

Just made a quick scan around the place since we were about to have lunch already.

I'll just make it a point to drop by the next time I'm bored and in the area.

Gimme More(no)

There's a lack of fashion retrospectives and exhibits in the country.

This was one of my observations that was shared with Jo a few years ago during a visit to SG.

I've seen quite a number of fashion exhibits in SG. One of my personal faves was the Christian Lacroix exhibit from more than a decade ago. Then, there's the Issey Miyake exhibit in Japan. And of course, the Carolina Herrera exhibit in SCAD.

When I read that there was a Pitoy Moreno fashion exhibit at the MET, the first thought in my mind was "finally!"

Went there yesterday, and it was such a joy to be there. 

His work from different eras were all represented. From his time as costume designer for the Bayanihan Dance Troupe, to his love for the terno, to the gowns of first ladies, to the wedding suite, to his beautiful reinvention of the Japanese obi - they were all there to be enjoyed.

It's awesome to see his work up close, and some of these pieces I've only seen in books or in magazines. No question, Pitoy's work is truly wearable art.

Bonus points for the fact that they capped off the exhibit with this iconic line from "Bongga ka 'day."

And as the exhibit name says, it's truly Timeless.

We should have more exhibits like this.

Meals with Mark: Sharing secrets

Yesterday's Friday Magic Madness song was subconsciously driven by Friday's lunch with Mark.

We've been trying restaurants under The Bistro Group, and on today's agenda was Secret Recipe.

It's an Asian fusion cafe, and as Asian foodies, this place was definitely on our radar. Another plus point was the fact that they also had the "All for me" menu.

Our orders were a "best-of-Asia' scenario.

We had the Roti, Laksa, Chicken Chop and Salad. As expected, everything was good, and the value was even better. We got to share each other's meal, so we had better variety.

This Secret is definitely out.

FMM: Secrets

One of Madonna's more underrated songs is also one of my favourite ones.

It's a song from 1994, and it's a slow song but not exactly a ballad. It still has a catchy beat, but the melody itself is laid back and relaxing. 

Yup, that song is no other than "Secret." Can't believe this song is more than 30 years old already!

It's no secret why this ditty is today's Friday Magic Madness song.

Sukiya Shocker

As a country that's known for their safety and adherence to the highest sanitary and health standards, this piece of news really comes as a shock.

Sukiya is one of Japan's most famous beef bowl restaurants. Mark and I would eat the their branch just above Higashi-Koenji station, and this brand brings back a lot of good memories of our meals there. So, I'm hoping that this issue is resolved and they won't have to make any drastic measures.

Hopefully, the next time Mark and I are in Japan, Sukiya will be back on its feet and we'll be able to dine in there again.

Let this be our prayer

Nope, this isn't a post about that super popular song - "The Prayer."

But it's still about a prayer.

When we were kids, I'd often read the classified ads and look for the printed prayers. 

Seeing this reminded me of those times.

Nowadays, classified pages are a rarity, so venues for printing prayers like this are rare as well.

Hope they bring it back.

Take me to the Studio

Saw some articles that feature Zac Posen's collection from Gap Studio, and they're fire!

This denim collection is the epitome of elevated denim. The button details - very simple, if you think about it - is very successful in giving these denim pieces a fashion edge.

It's a long shot, but I'm hoping that they'll carry this studio collection here in MNL.

The graduate

What?!

It's been 11 years since Migs graduated from high school? 

This feels just like yesterday. 

Cue in "I'm getting old" feels.

Takis (not) cheap

So, it's true that they're finally carrying this Mexican classic in Robinsons Supermarket.

Got to check it out, and was surprised at the price. A big bag is around P450! Gosh, this just cost around $1 (both in Mexico and the US), so this price is a bit surprising.

Much as I'm into Takis, I'm not sure if I'll bite.