Cool Picole

Today, I made a cool discovery at SM Megamall - literally.



After passing through "Stick House", the spanking new popsicle store beside Surplus Shop, I saw this smaller popsicle store called "Picole" near Shakey's. "Picole" is popsicle in Lusofonia, and the small stall was packed with these iced treats.

What struck me initially was the presence of unusual but appetizing flavors. Among them were "Chili Tamarind" and "Green Mango." I tried them both, and they were so refreshing! I was able to finish those 2, and because they were light, I felt like I could eat one more.

The best part is, they're super affordable! The juicy pops are just P25 a pop, while the sugar free and more premium ones are still cheap at P45.

I think I found me new, cool, guilty pleasure.

Quick Chadwicks

There was a black and fuschia shift dress at the Haunt which immediately struck me when I saw it. The shape and draping was nice, and the fabric was like a soft brocade. After Mae told me it was the last piece, I quickly decided to buy it for Ate.

The brand was Chadwicks, and I was curious to see if it was part of their current collection. A quick check on their website revealed that the answer was "Yes!"



Not bad for a quick decision.

What the Zac?

A day after Target launched the Zac Posen collection on their website, I checked it out to see if my favorites were still in the on-line stock.

They were sold out! After a day! What the?!

Times like these, I wish I were in Atlanta where the Target store is just a walk away from Biboy's house.

Greenhills is a black hole

It's been a while since I last went to Greenhills, so it was a pleasant surprise to see how much it's changed.

The biggest surprise was the new Shoppesville. The stores and stalls are all organized and easy to maneuver. Plus, the all-white interiors is a welcome change. It makes shopping feel so light and easy.

But as expected, the highlight was the tiangge in the center of the mall. It's so easy to get sucked into that place with all the cool shops and uber cheap export overruns. It's like being in a bargain vortex! I was looking for something for Mom, but ended up buying things for my god daughters and sisters instead.

Among the finds were a lot of shorts (it's summer, after all), swimsuits, and this cool and relaxed capri from the Lauren Conrad collection.



When you're in Greenhills, it's so easy to lose track of time. I was there for more than 3 hours, but I swear it felt like 30 minutes. Shopping really has a way of bending the time-space continuum.

This is Seth!

Woohoo! Seth Aaron won Project Runway!



Deep in my heart, I wanted Seth Aaron to win. Part of me was sure that Emilio would win because of his confidence and bravado. Mila's collection was ok, but I expected her to be the first one to be "auf'd."

I like how he used a lot of structure in his collection. And it's refreshing to see him use colors that are bright and bold. After all, Seth Aaron - like Mila - was a very "black and white" kinda guy.



It's also nice how he mixed prints and made them look cohesive. It's like a graphic rendition of Etro.



One reality show down. Another one to go!

LSDisco

It started with Sheilah Marie's status which said: "Thunder na, lighthing pa."

This reminded me of this old song entitled "Knock on Wood," and youtube led me to the music video of the said song.



This is the first time I've seen this video, and all I can say is that the person who directed and edited this must've been high on LSD! It's so, so, SO psychedelic!

You just gotta love the 70s!

Miley is liquid

The liquid legging trend has been in HKG for more than a year now, and I'm surprised that it's hitting the US shores quite late. I swung by Surplus Shop and saw they had Miley Cyrus/Max Azria liquid leggings.



Despite it being "so two seasons ago", I find it adorable on Miley. Just goes to show that the "girl makes the clothes" more than the other way around.

Old's Cool

Looking at the top 3 contenders for Project Runway 7, you'd think they're a motley crew with nothing in common.

There's Seth Aaron, the rocker.

Mila, the Goth.

And Emilio, the guy next door.

But if you look at their bios, you'll see what common thread binds these 3 designers. They're "old."

"Old" because most of the finalists of Project Runway are in their early 20s to 30s. Christian Siriano was 22 when he won. Leanne and Irina were both 27. So they won during their "prime."

If you look at the top 3 designers this season, Seth Aaron is 37, Mila is 40 and Emilio is 43. So in "fashion years", they're actually over the hill.

But what this season of Project Runway is showing is that you're never too old to follow your dreams or accomplish what you've always desired. I think Mila said it well when she said: "I always knew that I'd have my own line. But I wanted it in my own time." And if her "time" is at 40, so be it.

The final runway show is on Thursday. No matter who wins (I'm rooting for Seth Aaron), I think this season's 3 designers have accomplished something bigger than what they imagined.

And they lived...

"Ever After" was tonight's Sunday night movie on ETC. Needless to say, I sat through the entire film.



Cinderella is one of the most retold tales of all time, and this film retells it wonderfully. I like the back story of Danielle's family and how she ended up in that situation. It's also great how "Cinderella" is feisty and spunky and not a "damsel in distress." Her banter with Prince Henry was also fun to watch. And of course, the love story aspect of the film was stellar.

Even if I've seen this film so, SO many times, I still find myself smiling at the same scenes, cheering after the Baroness finally got her just desserts, swooning when Danielle went to the ball wearing her fairy wings, and cheering her on when she confronted the Duke with her sword. It's adventure, romance, comedy and fantasy all in one. Rarely have I seen a movie that has all these elements and blended them perfectly.

And one of my favorites is the narrator's last line. I think it captures a very important aspect of life and living.

"And while they lived happily ever after, the point here Gentlemen is that, they lived."

So Pinoy!

They finally aired the 1st part of the Project Runway finale episode, and unfortunately, Jay Nicolas lost out to Mila. While it would've been cool to have a Pinoy in the top 3, having one in the top 4 ain't so bad.

While watching Jay's interaction with Tim, it's so easy to see how much of his Pinoy-ness he's retained even after living in the U.S. for a long time.



1. Jay's Pinoy wit - His banter with Tim was excellent. In particular, when Tim told him that his collection was "Cuckoo", his answer was, "It's Cuckoo Chanel, girl!" Fantastic!

2. Jay's Mom's reaction - When she was introduced to Tim Gunn, her first reaction was "I only see you on TV!" Which is a very Pinoy reaction when seeing celebrities.

3. Response to "How are you?" - Americans usually answer "I'm good." Pinoys would say: "I'm fine."

4. Pinoy food! - I'm so glad they cooked Pinoy food for Tim. And it looks like Tim enjoyed it.

Hearing the word "Philippines" and "Manila" in this episode was such a high. It wouldn't have made it there if Jay didn't make it this far. It's so heartening to see a Pinoy get this far on Project Runway. And I'm doubly heartened by the fact that Jay was proud of his heritage and roots.

For that, he's already a winner.

Go-to Gear

I once read a fashion article that said "no matter how many clothes you have, you'll only wear 5 to 10 pieces constantly." In my experience, there is veracity in that claim.

When I moved back to Manila from HKG, 4 of the boxes I shipped out were filled with clothes. Shirts, jeans, jackets, pull overs, shorts, shoes - everything and anything that could be worn. And those 4 boxes were already whittled down since I also gave a lot of clothes to the nearby church.

Needless to say, there's a huge pile of clothes at home. And if I were patient or industrious enough, I have the option to NOT wear the same shirt or jeans for a few months.

But I haven't been patient or industrious enough the past year. So I find myself adhering to the article and wearing 5 to 10 pieces constantly. These are my "go-to gear," or clothes to wear when you don't want to think about what to wear.

Three of my favorite go-to gears are things that I wear at least once a week. They can now qualify as "investment pieces" since they've WAY exceeded their cost-per-wear.

The first one is a blue Ralph Lauren polo that I had since early 2000.



The fit is excellent, the color is neutral, and it "breathes", so it feels comfortable even under the hot summer weather. Plus, it looks good with everything - jeans, khakis, even shorts.

The second one is an Old Navy ringer tee.



Ringer tees are great! And the Old Navy types are made of soft cotton that doesn't deform easily. This particular white ringer tee already has a hole, but that doesn't stop me from wearing it constantly. One of my students called this tee my "P.E. t-shirt" since it looks like SSC's P.E. shirt.

And lastly, whenever I'm in a hurry and can't decide which pair of shoes (or Chuck's) to wear, the go-to gear is a blue checkered pair of Chuck Taylor's that look similar to this.



Nope, it doesn't have that scribble on the bottom - but the checks are similar to this one.

It's actually a new pair - less than 6 months, if I remember correctly. But it already looks weather beaten since it's on my feet about 3 times a week. In fact, it recently replaced my red Chuck Taylors as my travel companion.

Thank goodness for these go-to gear. It makes dressing up so much easier.

In fact, I'm wearing two of these gears today.

An extra dollop of cheese, please

After listening to and singing this song in karaoke joints for years, I've finally come across the official music video for this iconic (and cheesy) song.



"Never been to me" is such a cult camp classic. It's one of the first songs who introduced the "narration within the song" style, and Charlene Duncan just does it flawlessly. (You know what truth is... It's a lie!)

I'm loving how cheesy the music video is. From the ancient castle, the flowing chiffon dress, the feathery hairdo, the grand piano, the "dream effect" during the narration, and yes, the "waving into nothingness" opening scene! Cheese at its finest!

No wonder this song - and video - is a classic!

Ex-Zac-tly

After a couple of "just ok" collaborations (I think the Proenza Schouler line was still the best), Target now manages to excite frugalista fashionistas with their newest capsule collection.



It's Zac Posen! And he brings to Target the femininity and edge that he's known for. He's got them in dresses, skirts and tops, plus he also designed swimwear since this is a summer collection. And one of the things they're bannering is the fact that Target and Zac Posen will come out with the store's first long gown.



This collaboration is exactly what Target needs to up their fashion credentials once more. And times like these, I wish there was a Target nearby.

Forever stylish

I've seen it for years now, but strangely, Forever 21 never really appealed to me.

Whenever I'd go to the U.S., China, Japan or Singapore, I wouldn't even take time to enter and browse the store. I guess I find the store too trendy - and not in a good way.

But when I decided to check out one of their stores this weekend (for the lack of a better way to spend idle time) I was surprised by their accessory line. Yes, the clothing line was still too trendy - and not in a good way - but their accessories are really stylish.

Among the ones that caught my eye was a necklace that had a very art deco pendant. It looks so industrial and 20s, and it was just so chic. This type of necklace would work well with a t-shirt just as well as it would work with a simple shift dress.



Then there was this gold cuff covered in grossgrain ribbon and punctuated with a pearl brooch. It was so Audrey Hepburn!



And true to Forever 21 form, the accessories were super cheap! They were around $10-$15, which isn't bad for designs like these.

Now I find myself logging on to the forever21 website to see what other stylish accessories they have.

A clash of its own

After much anticipation, we finally watched Clash of the Titans tonight.



Having seen both the original and the new version, I can't help but compare the two. And the fact that I'm a Greek mythology freak doesn't help since I also compare it to the original literary pieces. As a kid, I'd devour Edith Hamilton's "Mythology" and dream about Olympus and rubbing elbows with Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Demeter, Hestia, Ares, Dionysus, Demeter and Hades.

Comparing the two movies, the most obvious change is the technology that went into the 2010 version. Thanks to computer graphics, everything looks so real and tangible. From Pegasus to Medusa to the Kraken - it sure beats the stop motion animation that they used back in the 80s.

Although I often feel that technology takes away from the purity of the story. Now, we're bedazzled by the effects and sometimes forget the narrative that goes with the movie. That's why the older Clash of the Titans feels richer - story wise.

And speaking of the story, I missed some parts of the original. Like Booboo the owl, Tethys, Calivos, and even how Perseus ended up with Andromeda and not with Io.

They made up for it with new creatures and characters, though. The giant scorpions were new, and so were the wood-like creatures.

Parts of it were the same, and parts of it were different. So I guess the best thing to do is just stop comparing the two and look at each version as its own spin on the mythological tale. And if you're a mythology buff like me, both versions are excellent in their own ways.

Go for Brogue

My search for a pair of brogues for my sister was hitting a blank wall.

The one at Topshop didn't have her size. The one at River Island wasn't the right style. Aldo didn't have the pair on their posters yet. And the other shoe stores didn't have brouges in their selection.

Just as I was about to go home, I passed by an obscure corner to take a short cut.

And voila!



A pair of apricot and red brouges. Oxford style. Nice workmanship. And super cheap!

Yes, this trip wasn't for naught after all.

Pretty's first casualty

During her first 2 photo shoots, they've used the "p" word twice. That alone made me fear for her during eliminations.

And this week, the "p" curse has claimed another victim.



Simone is out of the running. And her hopes of America's Next Top Model has been dashed.

I hope the other pretty ones don't get booted out too soon.

Away on a Good Friday

Just as I thought I'd spend a quiet Holy Week in Manila. Now I find myself in a church in a foreign land, attending the stations of the cross surrounded by people of different races.

Traditionally - an unintentionally - I spend Holy Week outside the Philippines. I've spent in in Spain, Mexico, Singapore, Thailand, among other places. The only times I spent Holy Week in the Philippines were in 2006 and 2007 - and those were the years I was living in HKG. So, whenever I'm based in Manila, I'd go out, but if I'm in another country, I come home. It's a weird arrangement, but it works.

Makes me wonder where I'll end up next year.