FMM: Anggun-a get you!

Last night, during Mona's Rockeoke party, we went up on stage to sing a group song for the Birthday girl.

As we were going up, the host started calling members of D' Frendz by different names. She called Rona "Janet Jackson" because he felt that she gave out that vibe. When Prichy went up on stage, the host said: "Aba, at nandito si Anggun!"

Well, Prichy is Malaysian and Anggun is Indonesian, so there might be a connection there. But my initial reaction after hearing his wisecrack was:

"Gosh! Anggun! That's a name I haven't heard of in a while!"

Good thing it's Friday today. I can turn back the musical clock and listen to Anggun's biggest international hit again.



This makes me wonder where Anggun is now. She should be making more music like this.

Oh snap!

There have been a number of events the past week that I've wanted to write and post photos about.

One would be Ate Bullet's pictorial last Saturday, my first round of gift wrapping, the birthdays of Mona and Ate Bullet, and a host of other mini-events.

Unfortunately, since I haven't cleaned up my picasa just yet, I haven't been able to do add snapshots to my posts.

I have to fix this soon.

Ultimate joy

It's actually quite strange. I really enjoy organizing surprises (much to the chagrin of Mark,) but I don't like getting surprises.

In the past few years, I've been successful in organizing a number of surprises. Among them were my parents' surprise 40th anniversary wedding, Dad's surprise 70th birthday party, Ate Lissa's surprise 40th birthday party, my surprise trips to Japan to surprise Mark, as well as the surprise birthday parties of Bonique and Rona.

So it comes as no surprise that one of my favorite shows on-line is yahoo's Ultimate Surprises. It's a wonderful program featuring real people getting real surprises that change their lives. Some lives change that moment, and some change for a lifetime. And for some, it's both!

(video courtesy of youtube.com)

I remember when I went to Tokyo last June for another surprise visit to Mark. We were looking for something to watch on the computer and I told him that I wanted to watch Ultimate Surprises. He just rolled his eyes and said: "Seriously. Ultimate Surprises?" Harhar.

Why am I not surprised at that reaction.

Bloody good humour

There's something about British humour that appeals to me.

Even as a kid, I'd watch British shows more than American or Filipino shows. I'd even watch The Benny Hill show - even if I was too young too watch it. (It was full of green jokes, so I'm not sure how I got away watching that show. Harhar.)

Among the more current crop of comedy shows from the UK, one of my favorites has to be "Little Britain." I got to watch it a lot when I was living in HKG, but now, I don't get to watch it that often. It's not available in any local channel, nor can I find it on cable.

Good thing there's youtube.



One of the great things about Little Britain is how they bring in big named stars to do cameos in their sketches. This one with Robbie Williams is just one. They also had Elton John and George Michael in other sketches. Same as Catherine Tate - the star of the other British comedy show that I love.

I wonder if they have British shows in St. Francis Square. There's a long weekend coming up, so it might be a good opportunity to catch up and get my fill of dry humour.

The kid who almost made me cry

Saturday, 8:40pm.

I was outside Dexter's Bakeshop waiting for someone to open the locked gate.

While waiting, a little kid on a bike arrived. He was a scavenger, and the side car of his bike had black bags that were filled with odds and ends that he could sell. From my estimate, the kid looked like he was less than 10 years old. He was scrawny, had a harelip, was shirtless and wore a pair of shorts that looked like it belonged to his Dad.

Carefully, he started opening the big, black trash bags which were left outside by Dexter's. One by one, he sifted through the trash and started setting aside things that he could sell. Plastic bottles, soda cans, discarded boxes - he was bringing to life the adage "one man's trash is another man's treasure."

He glanced at me once and proceeded to collect more trash from the big, black bags. That's when I had the opportunity to strike a small conversation with him.

ME: Kumain ka na ba?
HIM: Hindi pa po.
ME: Late na, ha. Bakit hindi ka pa kumakain?
HIM: Mamaya na lang po, tatapusin ko muna ito. Para makadami din ho.

At that point, tears were welling in my eyes. Part of me admired his hard work and the fact that he'd forego dinner just to gather as much trash to sell. Part of me felt sad because it's almost 9pm and he hasn't eaten dinner yet. Then I thought, when was his last meal? Was he able to eat lunch?

Suddenly, I saw the lady who was about to unlock the gate so I could go in. Before she arrived, I instinctively took my wallet and handed over some money to him. He look surprised and a bit baffled, and I told him:

ME:  Pagkatapos niyan, kain ka muna, ha.
HIM: (eyes wide and with a smile) Salamat po, Kuya.

Then, I left to meet Ate Bullet, and the kid continued to gather as much useful trash as he could.

While walking away, my mind was racing, asking myself if there's anything more I could do for this kid. If only Dexter's was still open, or if there was a nearby restaurant, I would've bought him dinner myself. I'm sure he was hungry after pushing his bike and going from store to store, opening each trash bag and looking for something of value.

But I wasn't able to. And I'm just hoping that the money I gave him was enough for him to buy a good, warm dinner.

It's the least a hardworking kid like that deserves.

Spaced Out

As I was about to upload some photos from Ate Bullet's photo shoot, I came face to face with a surprising reality.

I'm out of photo space!

According to blogger, I've reached the 1GB free photo space on my blog.

So now, I've got 2 options. Start cleaning my picasa and removing some photos, or try to buy additional space.

What to do, what to do.

The Nutty Professor

Yes, sometimes I feel like a nut for keeping the kind of schedule I have every Saturday. Much more so today!

There's class the whole morning, then a meet-and-greet with parents the whole afternoon, then it was off to the yearbook meeting and photo shoot in the evening. 

It was fun to see the editorial team of Pax all geeked-out for our group photo. Actually, I was in such a hurry that I wasn't able to see the shots, but thanks to my students Maica and Ai, I have outtakes!

(Ai and I looking like a nerdy father-and-daughter team. Digging the matching shirt and ties.)

(Maica, our tireless and enthusiastic Editor-in-Chief)

Yes, it's a nutty schedule. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

FMM: Styx and Stones

Bands were big in the 80s. Music lovers were spoilt for choice since there was a band for almost every genre.

One of the bands who defined and dominated the 80s was Styx. What made them distinct was their versatility, and the fact that their lead singer had a kick-ass voice! Dennis De Young was an awesome lead vocalist, and it was no surprise that he had a successful solo career. He sang "Desert Moon" which  was my FMM a few weeks ago.

Styx had a lot of hit songs, like these iconic ballads "Babe" and "Don't let it end." But their iconic song has to be this awesome electronica-pop song which was an anthem in all of the parties of the 80s. The song that gave birth to the ubiquitous "robot dance."



Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto. Now, I can't help but do the robot dance all over again.

The Magic of Fashion

Recently, Barneys New York got into a little fashion fracas when it launched their holiday ads which featured "model-lified" Disney characters. They made over some of our favorite Disney characters and changed their proportions from cartoonish to chic.

A lot of people were up in arms saying that it was a travesty to turn these icons of childhood into these unreal and unreachable characters. It's not as if we don't have enough dysmorphic problems with adults, and now they're going to affect kids as well.

Some fashion insiders went on the defense saying: "fashion is fantasy, and this is just a fantasy in the minds of the Disney characters." I totally agree with them. Fashion is supposed to have a touch of fantasy and whimsy. Disney is all about fantasy and whimsy. So, why can't we combine these two together.

After seeing the promotional video of Barneys New York which features this concept, it's obvious that these two can blend together seamlessly.



See, it isn't as bad as people thought it would be. And again, it's just fantasy! Who wouldn't be thrilled to see Minnie Mouse in Lanvin and Daisy Duck in D&G.

Disney and fashion are two of the most magical things in this world. It was just a matter of time that they'd come together.

Resting on her Lauras

The fact of the matter is that ANTM lost me at "British Invasion." After hearing about that cycle, I kinda lost interest in the whole thing. Unlike cycles 6 to 17 where I watched at least half of the cycle, I never bothered to watch one episode of cycle 18, and only caught 2 episodes of cycle 19.

Although, in those 2 episodes of cycle 19, I already had an inkling of how it would all unfold. In my mind, it would be Laura and Leila as the final 2, with Laura eventually taking the title. My prediction was close, but not accurate, as Leila only made it as far as top 3. Kiara was the surprise runner up of the cycle.

But as I expected, Laura is America's Next Top Model.

How can't she be? She's tall and statuesque, she's fun and all-American, she's calm and drama-free, and of course, she has pedigree. Imagine, she has a former Miss World runner-up and model for a Mom, and her Dad is a famous soap opera star. She can get by on her parents' laurels alone.

But as ANTM will tell you, she won on her own merits. And that's the truth. She really made a big first impression, and she was able to take that all the way to that fierce finish line.

(Another interesting thing about "Laura" and ANTM is that she's the first "Laura" to actually win the title. Previous to her win, 2 "Lauras" had to settle for 1st runner up positions. First was Laura Kirkpatrick of Cycle 13 and then there was Laura LaFrate of Cycle 18.)

Bursting with goodness!

Way, way before Sugus and Fruit tella, there was Starburst. In the US, Starburst was one of the most popular fruit chews and delivered what it promised - a burst of fruity goodness with every chew. I remember how Lolo Doring and Lola Pining would send us Starburst from the US, and it was such a thrill and joy whenever they did.

Unfortunately, Starburst isn't readily available in the Philippines. The only place I'd see them would be at S&R or in duty free stores in Subic. But that changed today when I found out that they also sold Starburst in Greenhills, and in different variants, too.

Today, I picked up a box of FaveREDs, which is a collection of their berry flavors.

Cherry and Fruit punch in one box! Gosh, my heart almost burst in joy when I found this!

Awesome Frendz

While in the middle of lunch at Isabelo's, Audrey came over and gave me a gift bag and ever-so-meekly said: "Happy Birthday, Tito Lester."

When I opened the gift bag at home, I was delighted by what I saw:

They gave me 3 white v-neck shirts!

Just a week back, I lost 3 white v-neck shirts in that strange MRT experience. Apparently, Bonique read about it and got these as replacement. My reaction to this was the same as Mark's reaction when I told him about this gift. He said: "Awww... Sweet."

Yup, I definitely have the most awesome Frendz!

Garden of delights

Another Sunday, and another get together with D' Frendz. Last week's brunch was courtesy of Grace, and for today, it was my turn to treat everyone.

I told them that we'd go off the beaten track and go somewhere they haven't been to before. I've been to Isabelo's Garden Restaurant a couple of times, and surprisingly, none of them have. So, it was the perfect opportunity to bring them somewhere nice and new.

Isabelo's recently opened their brunch service called "Rustic Mornings at Isabelo's." They sent me the menu and I was sold! After quickly whipping up and invite, we found ourselves in this delightful venue on a nice and sunny Sunday.

Rustic is the best way to describe the newly opened dining area of Isabelo's. It was the ultimate in shabby chic! Ornate mosaic tiles, beautiful wooden furniture, homey paintings - all these elements came together in one homey and cozy atmosphere.

The blue and white motif was carried everywhere, all the way to the place mats. Everything was so beautifully put together, which isn't a surprise because Isabelo's is known for that.

Their breakfast/brunch menu is extensive and impressive. Mona was the first one to order, so we had the chance take photos of her breakfast fare. It was something we weren't able to do with the food we ordered, basically because we were famished!

Here's the crispy waffle with strawberries. True to its name, it was delightfully crispy and buttery. Portia said it was one of their best sellers, and I can see why.

Here's another best seller, the crispy tawilis plate. The wansoy salad was awesome! I wish the tawilis was crispier, though. I'm sort of used to the ultra crunch tawilis that they serve at home.

One by one, D' Frendz arrived, and everyone started to enjoy the food.

Here's Maricar showing us her Michael Jackson shoulder action.

We also learned that Audrey is now in a "photographer" phase. She prefers to take photos instead of being in them. Cuteness overload!

There were so many cameras around that day that we had to take one shot 4 or 5 times. You can imagine how many photos came out that day. But bar none, my favorite photo has to be this one! It's the "Hi, I'm Lucas and this is my party" shot.

By the time the afternoon rolled in, everyone was stuffed and happy. I was glad to find out that everyone was completely satisfied with the Isabelo's experience, and everyone swore that they'd be back soon. I told them I'd be back sooner because we're planning to spend Mom's birthday here.

Delightful venue. Delightful food. And delightful company. It was really a delightful Sunday with D' Frendz and Isabelo's Garden Restaurant.

There's a fruit cake for everybody...

For as long as I can remember, there's a long running joke about fruit cake and Christmas. Some people say that fruit cake is the "gift that keeps on giving." That's basically because if you give someone fruit cake, chances are they'll give it away to another person.

Fruit cake is also said to taste better as it ages - which isn't a bad thing. That's basically because it's going to be stuck in the freezer for who knows how many years!

Needless to say, everybody seems to be shying away from fruit cake during Christmas.

Everybody except me, of course. I just adore fruit cake! Especially the one that Dexter's makes! (And I'm not just saying this because Raymond and Ate Bullet makes these fruit cakes.) 

I still remember the first time I tasted Dexter's fruit cake. It was in 1990, and Raymond was just courting Ate Bullet that time. Raymond brought fruit cake at home, and when I tried it -- divine! The texture was very dense, there was fruit and nut with every bite, and there were a lot - a whole lot - of cherries. And as everyone knows, I'm a big fan of cherries.

It's been 22 years since I tried this fruit cake, and I still like it as much now as I did back then. That's a good gauge of how awesome Dexter's fruit cake is.

Everybody should try it!

FMM: Cole me maybe

Successful father-and-daughter singing tandems are quite rare. Most of the time, when a daughter follows her father's footsteps in front of a microphone, she doesn't reach the same level of success that her father did.

Nancy Sinatra had a couple of hits, including my favorite "These boots were made for walkin'," but she didn't quite become as legendary as Frank. Carnie and Wendy Wilson made worldwide hits as member of Wilson Philips. But their father, Brian Wilson, was a global phenomenon as member of The Beach Boys.

There's one exception to this rule that I know of, though. She's one of my favorite singers from the 80s, and until now. And yes, she's the daughter of a famous singer as well.

She's Natalie Cole.

Like her uber famous father, Nat King Cole, she's been singing since she was young, she's churned out hit after hit, she's famous globally, and her career has longevity. I think it's been more than 3 decades, and she's still singing and entertaining audiences worldwide. In addition, her songs have become "anthems" of sorts, and they're still being sung and used today.

Among my favorite Natalie Cole songs include this fun and soulful song that she did when she was still quite young. "This Will be" has to be one of the most upbeat (and most difficult to sing) songs I've heard:


In the 80s, when I was in grade school, I remember hearing this song on the radio as we were driven to school. It's funny because our car that time was this big, gold Buick we dubbed "The Batmobile," and inside the car, we'd be listening to Pink Cadillac.


Then, there's her "signature song," which has been used in movies both here and abroad. It's also a favorite song in videoke joints.

Apart from these 3 Natalie Cole songs that I really like, she had dozens of more hits that are part of our popular culture. And that makes her someone that both Natalie and Nat King Cole have described aptly through song.

She's "Unforgettable."

Color Story: Neon na 'yon

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Stabilo boss. These were the highlighters that most students used to highlight their books and notes. They usually came in 5 colors: neon pink, neon orange, neon blue, neon yellow and neon green.

Being the imaginative kid I was, my Stabilo was used for jobs other than those academic in nature. In fact, I used to color my coloring books using my Stabilo stash, and this made for a very bright and distracting coloring book. But what can I say? Neon colors are my thing.

Today, I went to Regina's to buy some special Skittles. As anyone familiar with Greenhills knows, Regina's is a wasteland! It's a place where you go to buy one thing, but end up staying in the store for hours and buying things that you initially hadn't planned on buying. Just like what I did.

And what were those items I bought? 

Stabilo Boss colored t-shirts!

Yup, the colors that I enjoyed as a kid are now on shirts! They're shirts for girls, though, so I bought a couple for my sisters. Then again, even if these shirts were for guys, I don't think I'd buy them for myself.

This first one registers neon orange on camera. But it's actually neon pink!

There's neon green as well.

And finally, a happy neon yellow shirt.

Because I bought them at Regina's, they're uber affordable, too. They cost less than P200.00 each!

Not only are these shirts comfy, I'm sure they'll brighten the day of the person wearing it.

Neon colors can definitely do that.

Scary close

Yesterday night, Kevin came home and told us that one of his batch mates in UST committed suicide within the campus area. Apparently, he was distraught due to the passing of him father, the ailment of his mother, and the fact that he was failing his subjects. At that point, the only thing he felt he could do was jump off a building, which he did.

This morning, just as I entered our office building, I heard an eerie scream from outside. It turns out that a woman leapt off the 27th floor of the building beside ours. People began running towards Garnet road and my colleague dragged me to the area. That's where we saw the victim's body, covered by a tarpaulin, obviously mangled.

News like these are scary enough on its own. But when it happens within close proximity, it just gets even scarier.

Of florals and pastels

The abundance of floral prints and pastel colors in department stores nowadays makes it feel like Spring rather than Fall. Then again, we don't have the Fall season here in Manila, so maybe it's Spring in our 2-season calendar. 

This floral and pastel combination might be too frou-frou for some, but there's something refreshing about pairing a bold, floral shell with light colored pants.

What's nice about this floral rendition is the bold, thick lines that are used to draw the flowers. It makes it more graphic and less girly and sweet. The interplay of neon and citrus colors also make it stand out while still being cool to the eyes.

The salmon color of the pants echo some of the petals on the shell. This brings the look together and makes it look more cohesive.

This is such a nice combination and will definitely make the person wearing it bloom.

D' Frendz of Decades

Some people still find it amazing whenever I tell them that my friends from my freshman year of college are the same people I hang out with today. 

Within the Block I-1 circle, I still see about half of my batch mates regularly. There's the "academic circle" composed of Prichy, Wowie and Dyra. There's the "barkada circle" which is also composed of Prichy, Wowie, with the addition of Kitel and Lhorie. There's the "Hong Kong/China circle" composed of Shash, Ovvian and Darryl. Then, of course, there's "circle of D' Frendz," composed of Grace, Mona, Rona, Tintin - all of whom were the first people I met in UP.

There are times when our lives feel like a slow-mo montage that you often see in Hollywood movies. 

It would start during our first day in UP and our first group pictorial in front of Quezon Hall. Then, it would transition to our days as classmates in Journ 101 all the way to Journ 199. Fade in to our Journ club days when we'd have a cake raffle to raise funds to buy - of all things - linoleum! This would then lead to our graduation day, then our first jobs, birthdays, weddings, baptisms, and so many fun and memorable moments.

A wonderful reminder of those days came in the form of a box full of old photos that Grace brought yesterday. And one particular photo that caught my eye was a photo of myself with Grace and Lezyl which was taken during one of the D' Frendz celebrations after college.

We looked at the photos and saw how much we've changed, and how much we've stayed the same. To prove that point, we decided to do this:

While some of us have less cheeks and more facial hair (me), more hair and more face powder (Grace), less curls and more decibels (Lezyl), it's nice to know that at the core of it all, we're the same people we were decades ago.

Happy Frou-frou to you!

Grace and I usually celebrate our birthdays together. Whether we're in Manila or abroad, we always activate our Wonder-twin powers on the 6th of November so everything will be twice the fun.

This year, though, since Grace is celebrating her big 4-0, she decided to go stag and celebrate it in a way that's uniquely hers. That simply means her celebration is undeniably Frou-frou!

She masterfully transformed one area of Sweet Pea restaurant into a pink and perfect world. Complete with pink pinwheels and sweet treats in brown paper packages. (Not tied up with strings, though.)

Yes, there were flowers everywhere. That's Grace's signature. Way back in college, and even until today.

There were sweets inside the bag, and there were sweet quotes outside. In true frou-frou fashion, all the messages were handwritten by Grace. That curly-cursive writing is undeniably her own.

And because she requested that everyone come in something sweet, we saw a lot of bright and happy spring colors and cute prints. From Rona's light blue garden dress, to Audrey's pink polka dot frock, to Becca's Lanvin-inspired dress to Alfie's watercolor print top, to Maricar's sunshine yellow skirt - everyone was in theme.

Plus, almost everyone was there. The only one missing was Mark, and his stand-in in this photo is Tito Fidel. Harhar.

Sweet birthday girl. Sweet pea. Sweet smiles from everyone. It doesn't get any sweeter than this!

Happy and Frou-frou birthday to you, Gracie Lou! Enjoy your "life begins" moment!

Strangest. Saturday. Ever.

On my way home from school, I dropped by The Landmark in Makati to buy white inner shirts. They've got this great brand in their bazaar section . The white, v-neck shirts are comfy, fit well, and they're just P119.75 per piece. I ended up buying 3.

Since it was a Saturday, I didn't think the MRT was uber crowded, so that's what I took going home.

Boy, was I wrong. It was packed to the rafters. But since I was in front of the line, I was able to ride the first train that arrived. With my backpack and plastic bag from The Landmark in my hand, I found myself inside the crowded train.

By the time packed train arrived in Guadalupe, there was a sea of people rushing in and pressing against everyone else. Because of that volume of people, my body was being pushed and contorted too much that it felt like they were turning me into a pretzel. My arm was outstretched and extended to my side, while my body was twisted the other way.

When the train reached Ortigas, the door opened and people started rushing out. This was the only time I was able to get my body in the normal position. That's when the strangest thing happened. When my arm was able to reach the proper position, I checked my hand carrying the plastic bag from The Landmark and this is what I saw:

(Ta-daaahhhh!)

Yes, the force and impact of the people in the trained ripped the plastic bag in my hand and it was nowhere to be found. Actually, when most of the people got off at Cubao station, I even stayed behind to check whether the plastic bag was stepped on or thrown off somewhere. But alas, the bag was gone. Along with my 3 v-neck white shirts.

(This is all that's left of my white shirts.)

Harrumph!

Honestly, (and maybe even naively), I thought that this was a freak accident. As freaky as my Freaky Friday last May. But while I was talking to Mark tonight, he told me that it was possible that someone stole the bag and its contents. And on hindsight, it is possible. I mean, the MRT has been witness to a lot of petty crimes, and this one definitely qualifies as one.

Strange, but true.

So, if ever it was stolen by another person, my only hope at this point is that he's a size medium, that he likes white V-neck shirts, and that he needs those shirts more than I do.

Just Deserts

Just like as it happened last Friday, I started the day by turning on the iPod Nano and listening to Friday Magic Madness. And just like what I did last Friday, I'm posting the first song I heard from the station.

Today's first song is a ballad that I haven't heard in ages, so it's great to wake up to it. It's "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung.



There's something bittersweet about this song. It's as if the lyrics are poetic and sad, but the music that it was set against was joyful and upbeat. For some strange reason, listening to it made me feel nostalgic. Suddenly, I felt like I was back in grade school. Or was it high school.

Some songs have that effect on me. Just like Desert Moon.

One week!

Over dinner and on the ride home last Tuesday, Bonique and I couldn't help but talk about Twilight Breaking Dawn part 2. (Yes, we're shallow that way. Hahaha.)

I've been bugging her for advanced screening tickets, and she sighed that even their Movieworld partners have been very secretive about the premiere and how to get tickets.

Well, at least it's just one more week before the conclusion of the saga finally hits the big screen.

I can't wait!

Raina in Manila!

Among the many would-be models that walked down ANTM's hallowed halls, there were two girls who I really rooted for and liked. The first was Melrose from Cycle 7, and Raina from Cycle 14. Both were excellent models, but strangely, both ended up as first runner up. 

They deserved to be winners in their respective batches, if you ask me.

As I was reading about Raina today, I found this photo of her:

Coolness!

I wonder if she's going to Trinoma like Allison and Dominique did. Because if she is, I'm going to rein myself and see Raina!

Direk to the point

My family surprised me with this cake on my birthday. While we were having dinner at City Buffet, the "Happy Birthday" song started to play and the staff came out with this cake. I was surprised because it was the 3rd time the "Happy Birthday" song was played and the singing group went to 3 other tables, so I thought I was safe.

So I thought. 

Being a Creative Director is sometimes hard to visualize. To my family, my provide is to give direction in making campaigns, so it's pretty much like a regular director. And the trimmings along the side of the cake makes me feel like a star! Harhar.

It was really a wonderful cake from my equally wonderful family. 

LFLTAT: Give Givenchy

One of the more iconic pieces from the Fall 2011 collection of Givenchy was the Panther dress. It was a simple dress with an elaborate scarf print comprised of orchids and a black panther.

Since it was launched, there were so many high profile celebrities and models who wore the dress.  It was such an easy dress to rock given the rock and roll quality of it all.

The original dress is worth around $1,200.00, but thanks to SM Department Store and The Landmark, you can get the look for less than a thousand.

Like so:

The mini-dress is from the SM Studio Collection and is a perfect replica of Givenchy. The dress was made with a soft yet structured material, and the print was spot on. This was on sale when I saw it, and it only cost P600.00.

See the panthers?

Since it was quite short and Ate Bullet is quite tall, I paired it with a simple pencil cut black skirt. This was scored at The Landmark for P249.75. So, this Givenchy inspired look only rings up to P849.75.

You got to give it to SM and The Landmark for letting people come up with looks like these.

Fashion Accent

During the long weekend, I was finally able to watch my DVD of Project Runway season 9. It's been on my shelf for quite sometime, but it was only yesterday and today that I got to watch it.

While the designers for season 9 weren't as fashion forward or experimental as the previous seasons (I think the best seasons were 4 and 5 with Christian and LeAnn respectively), there was one thing about this batch that stood out.

Their accents. In particular, the accents of Anya and Olivier.

It was fun watching these two contestants talk because their accents were so distinct. Olivier had this strange European accent which sounded so rich and regal. It was odd because he was born in the US and raised in Taiwan, so this accent comes from left field. Yes, he did study fashion in Italy for a few years, but I'm not sure if that's where it came from.

Anya's Caribbean/Trini accent was also so endearing. I couldn't help but imagine her saying "ey, mon" with every sentence. 

After completing the entire season, it turns out that Anya won season 9 as well. So, it's not just her accent that's a winner. She is, too.

Smoking Hot

One of fall's biggest trends in terms of footwear is the Smoking Slipper. 

If you're wondering where the name came from, the "Smoking Slipper" was part of the proper smoking attire for men. This often included a velvet robe and a pipe. If you need a visual peg, think Hugh Hefner in the Playboy mansion. Scary, but true.

Needless to say, the Smoking Slipper was initially made for men. But with the advent of the "boyfriend" trend, women got into the Smoking Slipper action by using them in lieu of the usual ballet flats. Which is quite cool, if you ask me.

In the Philippines, the best gauge whether a trend is going full steam is when it starts appearing on the shelves of SM Department Store. After all, they've got it all for you. Harhar.

Lo and behold, the Smoking Slipper has appeared in SM, and has arrived in my sisters' shoe racks. That's courtesy of Parisian, which comes in this new, snazzy box.

And it comes with a dust cover, too. Not bad for something worth P600.00!

Now, on to the main event. Presenting, the Smoking Slippers from SM! (Sounds like a cheesy B-movie title.)

The first pair is a Smoking Slipper in black suede. Now to keep it from looking too plain, it added an element that's also on-trend for fall - hardware!

These Smoking Slippers have silver studs with rounded edges. I actually saw a version of this with spikes instead of studs. While they look very attractive, it can also be very deadly. I kid you not.

The black pair is for Ate Bullet, while I got a teal blue pair for Ate Lissa. Between my two sisters, Ate Lissa is more adventurous in terms of color and aesthetic.

Initially, I wasn't too keen on the color. But the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me.

Finally, they have another ultra chic pair, and this time it has texture as detail.

If you look at it closely, it has the texture of snakeskin, which is made more luxe by the fact that it's done in black patent. This is so Audrey Hepburn-meets-Valentina! Harhar.

Ate Bullet liked her Smoking Slippers so much that she wore it on the spot along with her Kate Moss inspired look. And overall, I'd say the word to describe her is the same word to describe the slipper.

It's Smokin!



(Sorry, I couldn't help but add a Jim Carrey reference.)

FMM: Real Nice

Today started with me trying out the iPod nano that Mark sent.

Since I haven't loaded songs on to it yet, I used the radio function and tuned into - what else - Friday Magic Madness on 89.9!

And what's the first ever song that played on this gift from Mark? Cheryl Lynn's "Got to be real."



Yup, today has got to be real. Real nice.

I'm ready for this Jelly

Two years ago, I discovered Nips Jellies in the supermarket and was hooked on it. In fact, I even dedicated a class activity for the product. It was that good and addicting.

After a few months of my discovery, they were gone. Apparently, it was just one of those special edition products and the company opted to discontinue it. I was so disappointed to a point that I was telling Bonique to please ask the Gokongweis to bring it back.

Last Wednesday, I went to the supermarket and found this:

They're back! And I bought 6 packs! And I ate 4 packs in one sitting! And I'm ending each sentence with an exclamation point!

Yup, Nips Jellies has the tendency to excite me that way.