(Mis)quote of the day

While walking along the bridgeway going to Landmark, there were two girls in front of me and they were talking as if they were spaced 10 feet away from each other. I think everyone within a 2 mile radius could hear their conversation, and since I was just behind them, I heard their conversation clearly.

Very clearly.

And my favorite line from this conversation? The girl said, in an exasperated tone:

"Hay naku. Hindi ka na nasanay. Eh alam mo namang selfish-centered ang boyfriend mo!"

Now he's Gun

It's so sad to hear that Leslie Nielsen has now gone up to the big comedy club in the sky. I'm a big fan of his films. From Airplane (a movie that I was forbidden to watch because I was too young and it was too "green") to the Naked Gun series. I rarely miss Leslie's movies, even the bad ones like "Repossesed."

I'm sure he'll make the angels roll in laughter in heaven.

Lanvin Looking

While most of the world was going crazy over the Lanvin X H&M collection, (I heard the reception was lukewarm in Japan and some parts of Europe) I had a Lanvin-esqe project of my own.

Bonique is attending a wedding on December 9, and it's one of the 4 weddings she needs to attend in a span of 6 weeks. Since these weddings are spaced closely to each other, and she's going to bump into the same people in every wedding, she needed to be styled differently for each wedding. She asked if my sister had pieces from their wardrobe that would suit her, and if she could borrow them.

And given my sisters' vast wardrobe selection, of course she can.

Since Audrey looks like Suri Cruise, it was but natural that I got inspiration from Audrey/Suri's Mom, Katie Holmes.



Here, she wears an asymmetrical Lanvin jersey gown in nude, with matching nude pumps. Simple and super chic.

For Bonique, I took out Ate Bullet's aubergine one shouldered jersey gown, which was the same style as this one that Katie's wearing. Then I paired it with black, open toe 'D Orsay pumps. Finally, for the final styling touch, I got a black, vintage style bangle and a black mock-croc structured clutch.

Bonique was very happy with the look and everything fits her well. So, she'll be debuting this style on the 9th of December.

I have to remember to ask for pictures so I can create a "side by side" post of the original and the reinterpreted Lanvin look.

Voices Carrie

Once again, my all-time favorite American Idol winner is on the cover of InStyle Magazine!



According to a Forbes article, Carrie Underwood is THE most successful Idol winner and she's found success musically, as well as commercially. Not only does Carrie have an awesome voice, she has such a bubbly, vibrant and youthful personality that makes her SO adorable. (Although I think she looks a bit too mature in this cover.)

Her number of magazine covers and hit records is a testament to that. I knew from the moment I watched her on A.I. last 2005 that this girl will really go places. And indeed she is.

Really, really, really catchy beat

The past few days, I've been listening to "You can't stop the beat" over and over and over and over again. I've been listening to it around 20 times a day, (I kid you not) and it's a good thing that I wear headphones at work. If not, my colleagues would probably be throwing books at me for playing the same song a million times.

Yup, this catchy beat is officially my LSS.

H&M means Happy Manufacturers

As expected, the H&M Lanvin Collaboration was a hit. I asked my friend in Hong Kong, and she said that the lines started forming at 9pm. THE NIGHT BEFORE!!! I kid you not! People brought sleeping bags and really camped out at the Elements, Silvercord and Central branches. Same thing in Europe. My friend in Amsterdam said that most of the items on the on-line store were sold out a few hours after the collection went on-line. And as Kin expected, ebay is now flooded with Lanvin x H&M items. Including the hangers and garment bags. That's how crazy people are for this collaboration. Somewhere in Sweden, the owners and stockholders are sitting, grinning ear to ear. They're indeed, very, very happy.

Framed

Whenever a friend of mine celebrates a milestone - birthday, wedding, baptismal, dedication, etc. - I get excited because it allows me to engage in my other creative outlet.

I've been sketching cakes since I was in college, but was interested in baking even as early as high school. Maybe it's because my parents are good cooks and my Mom liked to bake stuff from scratch. I still remember how she'd make empanada from scratch. And when there's a birthday, she'd make chocolate cake instead of buying one from Goldilock's.

But since Raymond and Ate Bullet are cake experts, the exercise is easier for me now. All I need to do is show them the sketch, discuss whether it's feasible, then watch them create magic.

Last Saturday, Ivy and LJ's daughter had her dedication. A few days before that, Ivy asked me if I could design a cake for Lluvy, so I quickly took a pencil and paper, then whipped up this design:



Lluvy is such an adorable girl, so I wanted to put her prominently on the cake. My idea was to use frames all over the cake and show off her different facets. And to make the cake more festive, baby icons were also incorporated into the design.

After sending the design to Ivy, she liked it a lot, so it was a go. Next step was to give it to Raymond and Ate, so they can work their magic.

And magical it was! Here's how the finished product looked like.



Yesterday, Ivy texted to say the cake was so cute and that they liked it a lot. Ah yes, another successful creative cake project completed!

Now, off to Grace's wedding cake.

Spotted!

Leopard print - as well as other animal prints - is supposed to be a trend. But I've noticed that it's a regular fixture in fashion for the past few years, and it's almost like a recurring theme.

The November issue of InStyle has a feature on it. Other fashion magazines also have editorials on feline fashion, and that only means that it's here to stay.

While going around the mall, I noticed that a lot of the fast fashion brands have it on their shelves as well. Zara and Mango have a few items - mostly skirts and jackets. Details also has a couple of leopard print jersey dresses.

One piece of item that caught my eye was a dress at one of my haunts. It was a dress that looked like Eva Mendes' red, leopard print dress.



The one I saw is more wearable and can work for everyday use. It was a sleeveless shift made of red, leopard print silk. It also had an exposed zipper at the back, similar to Eva's gown. It would make a great day to night piece, and it's cheap, too.

Too bad the store was about to close, I wasn't able to look at it closely. I'll just try to spot it the next time I'm there.

Catchy Beat

One of my pet peeves is when people are playing their iPods so loud that the music spills out of their earphones and can be heard within a radius of a few feet. It's bad enough that I have to contend with the cheesy ads on the MRT, now I have to bear with bad music as well.

That was what happened to me last night. The girl standing beside me had her volume so high, everyone around her could hear the music. Normally, this would irritate me. But the song she was listening to was actually catchy, and later on I found myself enjoying it and couldn't stop listening to it.

The song? It's aptly entitled: "You can't stop the beat."

Oh Schutz!

Tyler in Glorietta has a great deal on Schutz shoes! And they had a few pairs on display by the window, and I could almost hear them imploring: "Buy us! Buy us!"

Must. Stay. Away.

Seeing Green!

The trailer for the new Green Lantern movie is AWE to the SOME!!!



I'm definitely watching this film. (If only for Blake Lively. As Star Sapphire!)

A wedding planner's dream

It's confirmed! HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton are finally engaged!



I'm sure that every wedding planner, designer, caterer, florist, printer and cake maker is praying that they'll be chosen to be part of the action. After all, this is the biggest wedding in England since Princess Diana's wedding in 1981. And it's the biggest wedding of the 2000s.

This just might be the wedding of the century! Let's see how grand this grand spectacle will be.

Reunions

We were supposed to meet up with Bennet today. He's in town for a few days, and the Superfriendster decided to "borrow" him for a few hours.
Unfortunately, he had to cancel at the last minute due to some family and personal matters. So our reunion fell through.

Just as I was about to go home, I ran into another group of friends who I haven't seen in a decade!



Emin and Tine were my best buds when we were working at McDonald's Commonwealth. We were members of a tight group of 6 crew members, including Kuya Totti, Ate Ces and Kuya Dave. The last time I saw Emin was almost 10 years ago. Tine and I were supposed to meet in Hong Kong a few years back, but we weren't able to. So, this is the first time I'm seeing them in a long, long, LONG time!

And it so happened that they were with Mely, a cotillion-mate during Emin's debut almost 2 decades back. That was also the last time I saw her, so this is a reunion that's 20 years in the making. And it happened without even planning it.

Three cheers to reunions!

Present-ing

With around 40 days to go before Christmas, the hunt for Christmas presents is intensifying. Nowadays, whenever I see something tres interesting, my first question is: "Can I give this as a gift? Who can I give it to?"

Good thing that I'm in constant contact with my godchildren's parents. At least I can get a "wish list" from them.

One thing I learned from them is that my godchildren have very "mature" tastes when it comes to presents. One godson likes to collect books and DVDs on the 2nd World War. Another goddaughter is into ancient Egypt, and wants to collect National Geographic DVDs on the aforementioned subject. Whatever happened to Barbie dolls and toy soldiers?

And one breakthrough in my present shopping is the fact that I already have a gift for one of my nieces. Family is always the most difficult people to buy presents for, and I usually find myself in a last minute scramble to find gifts for them. The fact that I already have one for a family member - in the middle of November - is a sign that I'm gaining ground.

Hopefully, I'll cross out half of my Christmas list before this month ends. That way, I can start deciding the theme for my Christmas wrapping this year.

Not a hot mess

Surprise, surprise! The Christian Siriano for Payless collection is now available at the Payless Shoe Source stores here in Manila! It was a limited selection - a few satin flats, a ruffled d' orsay, some animal print pumps and a couple of bags - but each piece has Christian's aesthetic on it.





I wonder when they'll bring in Isabel Toledo's collection.

Christmas reed-ings

Last year, I bought a reed diffuser for my room. It was a mixed berry scent and it was always great to enter a room with a hint of berries in the air. After all, I'm a huge fan of berries of all kinds.



On my way home, I passed by a shop that sold reed diffusers in a variety of interesting scents. From vanilla to green tea to lotus. It was such a pleasant assault to my sense of smell! Aside from berries, vanilla is another favorite scent, so I ended up buying that one. Now my room has this nice, sweet, candy-like scent.

I'm so enjoying the reed diffuser experience that I'd like to share it with others.

Yes, I think I've found the perfect Christmas gift.

K-C at the bat

It's down to the final 4 on ANTM, and like the previous cycle, I'm happy with the finalists and would be happy to see any of them on the cover of Beauty in Vogue.



Tyra was right when she said that this season will be full of surprises. Unlike other cycles where you can almost see where it's headed, Cycle 15 is very unpredictable. But from what I've seen, I think the final 2 will be Kayla and Chelsey.

Kayla is a good model and she has a great attitude. She isn't bubbly like Raina was, but she's got spirit. Plus, if Kayla wins, it'll be another "first" for ANTM. As Kayla herself declares it, she wants to be the first lesbian winner of ANTM.



Chelsey, on the other hand, is the complete package. Tall, great body, fierce attitude - it's all there. The thing with Chelsey, though, is she's never gotten best photo yet. And if she wins, she'll be the first to win without getting first call out.



Then again, this season is unpredictable. Ann is "Ms. Best Picture", so she's also a shoo-in for top 2. Although I think the Cover Girl challenge will really be a challenge for her, seeing how she's not good with talking to other people or relating with others.

And of course, there's Jane. Nigel is right by saying that she's got one of the most beautiful faces this cycle. There's something about Jane that's so striking - but in a "sneaking-up-on-you" way rather than "in-your-face." Given the 4, she's clearly the dark horse, but who knows, the dark horse just might win the race.



Let's see what happens next Wednesday on the finale. I can't wait!

Gunn Laws

One of the gifts I received from Mark was this book by Tim Gunn.



Unlike his other books which are centered on style and make-overs, this is more of Tim's personal journey through life and the lessons he learned from all this experiences. It chronicles where his line "Make it Work" came from, as well as how he "made it work" for himself.

I've read 3 chapters already and the book is interesting as it is insightful. Part of my interest comes from all the juicy insider stories that Tim tells in the book. Some interesting tidbits include:

- Jay Nicolas Sario was the Kenley Collins of season 7. Although it wasn't shown on TV, it turns out that Jay was very rude to Tim in and out of the workroom.
- He once saw Andre Talley being fed grapes by his assistant.
- Irina's mom KNEW her daughter would win.

This is the kind of book that's so exciting, I'm trying to read it bit by bit to savor each chapter.

I just hope I have enough self control to do that.

My "F"-ing birthday

Nope, I'm not channeling Molly Ringwald in "Sixteen Candles", although I must say that's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. But my favorite quote from a Molly Ringwald film as to be the one from "For Keeps." They were in the middle of dinner and she was trying to find a way to tell her parents that she's knocked up. So while everyone was busy eating, she blurts out: "I'm pregnant, can you pass the turnips." Funny stuff!

But I digress...

My birthday was an "F" day, "F" meaning full. Although it was a Saturday, it was also the first day of classes, which leads me to the first "F"...

FACULTY!


I celebrated the morning of my birthday in school. Had my first class at 7:30, followed by my 10:30 class who gave me a cake from Becky's Kitchen. It was such a sweet gesture.

Then, it was off to a faculty meeting to talk about the activities for the coming semester. One of the highlights of that meeting was Mil's Smores Cake! Everyone was just fighting for a piece.

Then it was off to lunch for the next "F"...

FRENDZ!



It's customary for Grace and I to celebrate our birthday with our D' Frendz group on the day itself. Initially, we were thinking of moving it since Mona and Becca were in Baguio. Then, we thought of just having lunch with whoever was available, and suddenly we found everyone there!



It's been a while since we were able to gather so many Frendz in one venue! And it was great to see everyone again, especially Lezyl, who Tintin describes as our "artista."


(The birthday boy and girl with our artista guest!)

We wanted a change of venue this year, and since we were in the mood for nostalgia, we ended up in Manila. We had lunch at Artistocrat Roxas Boulevard - the original restaurant which has been there since the 1930s. Their Chicken Barbecue and Chicken Honey is still to die for!

Then, we moved to Harbour Square. We had a blast taking "touristy" photos and liked how photogenic Manila is from afar. Harhar.



The Starbucks branch in Harbour Square is surprisingly nice. Plus, it smells "imported."



After lunch and that long, leisurely chat by the bay, it was off to dinner and the 3rd "F" of the day...

FAMILY!

The family decided to have dinner at Isabelo's - a secret restaurant in Marikina. Mona and Bonique (both Marikina dwellers) mentioned this restaurant to me before, and I thought that my birthday would be a good time to try it out.



I'm glad I did! The food was AWESOME! The chef, Portia, was there to welcome us and walk us through the history of her restaurant. Then gave us a brief preview of what she cooked for us. My siblings were all raving about the food and how flavorful it was: from the Italian Paella to the pasta and the chicken, it was indeed a bountiful feast.

And since the place felt so rustic and had a lot of good kitsch mixed in, there was also a bounty of photos taken during that night:









It was one of the longest birthday celebrations that I had. Starting very early in the morning and wrapping up late at night. And there were so many other "F"s in between these 3 occasions, among them: Flowers, Food, Francis, Fidel, Father Michael Martin, and Feasting.

And all these added up to a birthday that's also "F"...

Fabulous, Fantastic and Fun.

That's a wrap!

This is so cool.

My Etro-inspired Christmas wrapping theme last year was featured on the facebook page of the wrapper company. (With credits to boot!)



The owner - a wrapping connoisseur - said my wrapping style is bold and edgy, which is the look I was going for.

Time to start working on this year's theme then.

Next Top ... Pirate?

We all know that China is famous for its "copy" industry.

There's the "copy bags" that litter Mong Kong. Then we have the "copy watch" that's being sold by those sometimes scary men along Nathan Road in TST. Then there's the "copy movie" or better known as "pirated DVDs" here in Manila.

But have you ever heard of "copy opening credits?" I haven't, until I stumbled onto this:

The opening credits of "China's Next Top Model Cycle 3"


And, the opening credits of "America's Next Top Model Cycle 14."


And yes, it's a bad copy. Harhar.

P.S. May I just say that Tyra is FIERCE!

Lanvin It!

It's here!!!

SEE THE LATEST VIDEO ABOUT THE H&M DESIGNER COLLABORATION.

And it's true. The Lanvin x H&M Collaboration is a re-creation of his famous dresses from seasons back. I recognize the one shouldered dress and the ballerina gown from 2007.

Let the countdown begin!

Counting down to the craze!

On November 2, H&M will finally premiere the Lanvin & H&M collaboration. This is clearly what every fast fashionista is waiting for and I can almost hear the collective bated breath as the big day approaches. In one of the short films, Alber Elbaz said that he almost got a panic attack after seeing the samples since H&M was able to re-create what it took him 9 years to create. When he said "re-create", my thinking was that the collection might be replicas of Lanvin dresses from previous seasons. When I saw some of the "sneak peek photos" floating around the net, it does look like dresses from 4 or 5 seasons past. But I'm sure that won't stop crazed fashionistas from flocking to and grabbing from the shelves of H&M.