Double Denim week: Turn it up

This blog is a witness to this observation: Stella is such an underrated fashion brand.

I've been buying Stella for more than a decade, and I've been consistently amazed with the type of clothes they churn out. Of course, there are some misses, but mostly they've been hits.

Riding on the denim trend, they have a lot of very nice denim pieces on their racks today. And this double denim ensemble caught my eye instantaneously.

It's a skirt and top combination. The top is cute because it's designed like an inverted denim jean. The skirt is made from the same material, but it has this turned up detail that gives it an edge.

I'm excited to see Ate turn up in this denim ensemble.

Double Denim week: Blowing bubbles

 No, this isn't a post about that popular 90s clothing brand. But that begs the question, "What happened to Blowing Bubbles?"

But that's not what this post is about.

We're on day 2 of Double Denim week, and today, we have this outfit that's centred on a bubble skirt.

The skirt is from Penshoppe, and was on-sale! Then, the top is from SM Woman, and it was also on-sale at 50% off.  

This outfit is another example of "classic with a twist." The top is a classic looking button down, but the bubble skirt is the twist part of the story.

And now that I"m realising that this is also an LFLTAT outfit, I'm blown away!

Double Denim week: Out of the Boxy

There are so many nice denim pieces out there these days, you can actually dedicate a week for double denim pieces.

And that's exactly what I'm doing.

First up is this denim duo that has a very relaxed and boxy fit.

The top is from the RAF x Nicolo collection. It's a tie back top made of medium wash denim. It has a boxy silhouette which gives it a modern edge. The belted, wide-legged pants are from The SM Store, and the shape gives it a super easy-breezy vibe.

If a nonchalant, cool-girl went out in a double denim ensemble, this would be it

What's cooking?

Better yet, who's cooking?

And the answer? 

Me.

Got home from the office quite early last Thursday, so I decided to cook dinner. Mom was already preparing to cook Camaron Rebosado, but I thought of levelling it up and made this Camaron Rebosado x Tempura hybrid.

See? I can be useful in the kitchen, too.

Has it begun?

I'm not sure if this is early or late, but this product is already in 7-11.

It's either this is a product from December that hasn't been removed yet, or it's really a Christmas product that they decided to display as early as May.

Mysteries never cease.

FMM: Cell la vie

My taste in music has always been eclectic.

That's because my parents listened to so many different types and genres of music, and we'd listen to those along with them. We could be listening to Richard Clayderman one day, then Village People the next day. One day, we'd listen to jazz, and the next day, we'd listen to synth-pop.

One of the synth-pop groups that I grew up listening to is a group called Soft Cell. They're an English band who had a number of hits in the 80s, the biggest being this song:

"Tainted Love," has the 80s vibe down pat. It must be the synth aspect of it, but this song was and is a joy to listen to. And each time I'm listening to it, I can't help but be transported back to the 80s. 

Interesting trivia is the fact that this song is actually a remake of a 1964 song by Gloria Jones. It was popular back then, but it never reached the same popularity as the Soft Cell version.

I've listened to both, and admittedly, I'm more sold on this version.

When misspellings are sweet

Yes, the difference a letter makes.

They might not have the spelling correct, but the recipe is on-point. 

I'll try this one of these days.

The recipe. Not the misspelling.

Sweet Devotion

Reading the story behind Ferrero Rocher made me love the brand even more.

The brand's founder - Michele Ferrero - is a devout Catholic and a firm devotee of Our Lady of Lourdes. In fact, the word "Rocher" means "rock," and it refers to the grotto in Lourdes where our Lady appeared.

This makes the story of this chocolate even sweeter.

Bake it 'til you make it!

Baking is a part of our family - even at a very young age. Back in my grade school days, I'd buy those pre-packed Devil's Food Cake mixes and try to make it at home. Some would succeed, others would look like burnt cakes on the outside but liquid inside. 

The interest came from my Mom who's a good baker. She'd make apple pie and empanadas for merienda when we were kids. And they were spectacular! Ate Lissa is also a good baker, and her specialty back then was macaroons. 

There was a book at home called "Cooking it up with Nora," written by the legendary Nora Daza. It had a section on cakes and baking, and I'd find myself reading the recipes and imagining that I'd make them.

When I was in high school, my interest in baking was still there. And around that time, I was determined to make that interest something real. So, with money saved from my allowance, I bought my first baking cook book.

And that cook book is still with me until now - 35 years after I bought it.

This book helped me become more confident in my skills. Through this book. I made my first Caramel Butter Tarts (which later became my specialty), my first Mud Pie, and my first attempt at making Dark Fruit Cake. 

Opening the pages of this book brought back so many fond and fun memories. More than that, it made me want to try making these recipes again.

One of these days, I'm going to make those Caramel Butter Tarts again.

Decisions, Decisions

To eat or to sleep? That's the pressing issue today's Monday cat is facing.

Looks like sleep won.