Food finds!

Finally! After craving for these for quite some time, I finally found a bag of Flaming Hot Munchies and a box of Hostess Ding Dongs!

The great thing about it was the fact that I wasn't really looking for them. They just happened to be there during my quick supermarket run.

It's going to be a snack-happy weekend!

FMM: A different thrill

Yes, "Thriller" is such an obvious choice for a Friday Magic Madness song for Halloween. And yes, "Thriller" has been featured as my Friday Magic Madness song before.

But you haven't seen thriller like this!



It's one of my favorite dance scenes from a film, and this one is from "13 going on 30." It's such an adorable scene and Jennifer Garner was great as an awkward teen trapped in a grown woman's body.

I still get thrilled by this scene.

Fun with food

It's halloween once more, and as usual, we were trying to find ways to make our party food a bit more fun and in tune with the occasion.

Since this is a busy season at work, we all agreed to do something that's simple, but still fun. 

And here's what we came up with:

First, the "bat bite." We took toasted siopao, placed nacho chips as wings, and drew on a face using tomato catsup.

Second, the "pumpkinettes." Yes, this is supposed to be small pumpkins. These were fashioned from kwek-kwek and a pretzel.

At first, people wouldn't eat the food because they wanted to take photos and selfies with it. Thankfull, hunger got the better of them and they eventually devoured all the bats and pumpkins in sight.

And that was fun to watch.

Boo yeah!

Look! Our office building is all dressed up for Halloween!

And yes, my spidey sense is tingling!

This definitely makes coming to the office a tad bit more fun.

Tai me over!

Woohoo! Din Tai Fung is finally opening in Manila!

It seems just like yesterday when I would line up at the Din Tai Fung branch in Silvercord Center in HKG. I'd get inside quite fast since I'd often be there as a party of 1 or 2. But no matter how long the line was, the Xiao Long Bao made it worth the wait.

That said, I'll be waiting for this restaurant to open, too.

Picking flowers

In this concrete jungle, you can't really pick flowers. So what's the next best thing to do? Pick floral prints. From Zalora. Harhar.

Given that they have so, so, so, so many floral print dresses on their website, it's clear to see that this blooming trend isn't going away anytime soon. Which is perfectly fine because flowers lend a breath of fresh air to any ensemble.

And here are some of the fresh picks for the Ates.

First, this belted dress which is abloom with carnations.

Second is an elegant white neoprene dress with white English roses. This is so subtle and chic, and Ate Bullet loved it the moment she set her eyes on it.

Third is a fully floral printed frock with a deep-V back. Because skin is a good counterpoint to too many blooms.

With all these choices, I'm sure the Ates won't find it difficult to look blooming.

Rising up

For Catholic school kids like me, growing up watching Biblical films was the norm. Not only did we watch it in school, we were also asked to watch it as part of our homework. Thus, I grew up with a fondness for bible-themed films.

Needless to say, I relished Holy Week because it was 3 straight days of films like Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, Jesus of Nazareth, and so forth.

College came, and since UP didn't have a theology subject, I'd watch religious films on my own volition. Even the more controversial ones like "Last Temptation of Christ" was part of my viewing list.

Even now, it delights me whenever there's a new religious film in theaters. And today, I saw this trailer for a new film that talks about the resurrection through the eyes of a non-believer.



I hope they won't wait for Holy Week before showing this one in Manila.

Bal-listic

Yes, it's nice. Yes, it's ornate. And yes, it has the name Balmain on it.

But is it worth spending P19,990 on a dress?

Uhm, no.

FMM: Hanging out

After an extremely hectic week at work, I'm glad that I have a few hours to just hang out in my cubicle and review some papers and work that needs to be done next week.

And who better to accompany me in hanging out than George Benson, and his 80s classic:



Next week looks like another hectic one, so I'm glad to be able to just hang out before that comes along.

Seeing red

After finding that box of Hostess Twinkies in Taft, I decided to rekindle my childhood fascination with the brand by checking out their website. 

It was like opening a floodgate of memories after seeing the familiar names such as Ding Dongs, Hohos, Donesttes, and the snowballs.

But what really floored me was this!

Hostess has Red Velvet cupcakes! For real!

I need to ask my brother to bring home a few boxes of these. Stat!

The (big) money piece

With 3 weeks to go before it hits the stores, images from the Balmain x H&M collection have been flooding the internet.

After seeing the entire collection, I'd say 90% of the clothes are over-the-top. Then again, it's Balmain. So, that's expected. Pretty much like their collaborations with Versace or Anna Dello Russo.

If asked to choose a money piece from this collection, though, it has to be this dress:

It's a classic shape with an abundance of embellishments. Which is a good - and more wearable - trade off.

But if what I read on the net is true, you'll need a lot of money to get this money piece. Apparently, it'll retail for 5 figures here in Manila. (Yup, around P10,000+)

While it's nice, I don't think it's worth all that money.

Star Struck!

This. Is. It.

The 4th - and final - trailer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is finally out.



Slow clap.

I'm so, so, so, SOOOOOOO geeking out over this!

Material-ism

Less than 2 weeks after I found that interesting material, the final dress is finally finished.

Presenting Ate Bullet's wow dress!

The material was so rich and ornate, it didn't need a complicated design. Everything was kept to a minimum, and the result is this jewel-necked shift dress.

Wanting to keep the rich details of the fabric, the design was kept at the center, and I told the dressmaker not to put cuts or pintucks at the front and back. The result is a seamless pattern that makes it look oh so chic! We even kept the hem design intact, creating that irregular baroque shape.

Finally, I asked the dressmaker to ensure that the pattern at the back won't be disturbed or derailed by the zipper. And she did just that.

Ate Bullet loved the dress the moment she fit it. She said that the lace was so elegant! And I concur.

Now, all she needs is an event to wear the dress in.

Pack your bags, and go home...

Now, Tyra will be uttering those famous words... to her own show.

After 22 cycles, America's Next Top Model is going to be cancelled. That means there'll be no more smizing, no more boochin', and no more looks to e-le-vate!

That makes me curious about who this cycle's winner will be. She or he will have the distinction of being the last ANTM model.

Let's see who'll end up on top.

With the mostest!

Woot! I found Hostess Twinkies in a small store near school!

And to think I was just thinking of (and craving for) these golden cakes a few days ago.

This is going to be a good weekend.

FMM: Marv-elous day

Most people don't know this, but Billy Crystal had his turn as a singer.

Yes, it's true!

Back in the 80s, he came out with this hilarious, cheeky and catchy novelty song called "You look marvelous." And it came with an MTV, too. Equally hilarious, I must say.



He must've written this himself because there were so many comic gems. My favorite is "Dancing to me is like standing, only faster." Funny!

Why did I remember this song? Because today is the birthday of Kuya Marv! Marv... Marvelous... get it? Harhar.

Happy Birthday Kuya Marv! Have a marvelous day!

Let's start!

Yes, the gifts are bought early. But usually, it's the wrapping part that gives me the most backlog. That's why I find myself in a scurry to wrap gifts on December 24.

So I thought, "you should start wrapping earlier this year!"

And that's what I'm doing right now.

And Zalora makes three...

Ate Bullet really likes her Zalora dresses. She's been wearing them one after the other after the other!

Talk about tres chic!

Twice the fun!

Last Sunday, my adorable godson Aldo and his brother Rafa celebrated their birthdays. Since it was a joint celebration, I decided to make them a twofer of a cake.

It's funny how Rafa was so smitten by the cake. First, he couldn't wait to get his hands on the toys. Then, he started poking at and eating the icing.

I guess that means the cake was a success!

B-Red

Because I'm a fan of all things color red, I couldn't help but buy this bread from a neighborhood bakery.

It's "bread pudding", also known as "stale bread mashed together with some condensed milk."

Surprisingly, it's good!

As promised

Remember the white lace fabric from last August?

Here's how it came out!

Yup, it's not just one dress. But two!

This is how all-white can be all right.

Worth the wait

Finally, they released the 4th flavor in the "Locally" juice brand. Yup, they finally have the Mangosteen flavored juice at 7-11.

Since I've been waiting for it for months, I tried this drink with much anticipation and caution. After all,  it could've been all-hype and not too much goodness. (Just like their Kamias and Dalandan variants.) But still, I kept my hopes and standards high as I opened the bottle.

And it did not disappoint. It had that rich, tart mangosteen flavor that I love in the fruit. And now, it's in a juice!

I'm going to buy this one again. And again.

FMM: Show me some attitude!

Most often, Patti Labelle is known for her ballads and belting. After all, she's very good at both.

But people don't know that she has a groovy side, too. Just like her 80s disco ditty:



Now that's a new attitude for Patti.

Material world

Found this very interesting piece of material last weekend. It's a delightfully detailed fabric - a combination of tulle, lace embroidery and sequin. At first thought, this trifecta sounds like a recipe for gaudy excess, but as this fabric proves, they can work harmoniously. And chic-ly.

This material will be an awesome dress soon!

Get it on!

Since I don't listen to the radio that often, I'm usually late when it comes to new music.

A few days ago, while riding the van going to our set check, I heard this very catchy song with very clever lyrics. The refrain pretty much got me hooked. It said: "Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on."



As a big fan of Marvin Gaye, the fact that he was referenced in a song is a two-thumbs up for me.

Apparently, it's quite a popular song these days. And the guy who sang it recently had a show in Manila.

I guess I'm not the only one who got into this song.

Gift getting

Just like last year, I made a vow to avoid last-minute Christmas gift shopping this year. So, whenever I have free time, and see something interesting and gift-worthy, I snag it.

This weekend, I saw nice boxed sets of lotions from Watsons. It's something I'm sure our secretaries would love.

Six holiday gifts down. Much, much, much more to go.

What's in a name?

Some advertising and production folks know for a fact that I'm related to the Garcia siblings of showbusiness. 

I guess that's why they assumed that this is my family name.

Doesn't really have a celebrity ring to it, unlike Cheska or Patrick. Hahaha.

Dressed for excess part trois

Not surprisingly, the pieces from the Balmain x H&M collaboration isn't for the wallflower, nor the faint of heart. As seen from this image from their campaign, the pieces from this collection are loud, loud, LOUD!

The fuchsia long dress in the middle looks promising, but the rest are too disco, Studio 54 for my liking. They're the types of pieces that you wear once, and can't wear again.

I'm waiting for the full look book to come out. It would be interesting to see if there are pieces that aren't too excessive.

Cozy Chic

The past few days, the weather has been pleasantly cold. It's mainly because of the rainy days due to LPAs and tropical storms.

Pleasantly cold weather calls for an ensemble that's comfy and relaxed. And a recent Surplus Shop run yielded exactly that.

It starts off with this Gap shirt dress in chambray. The silhouette is loose, the fabric is easy, and that's the perfect equation for relaxation.

When the air starts to get chilly, then throw this Forever 21 cardigan over the dress. Don't forget to tuck in the sweater sleeve into the shirt dress sleeve and fold them. 

The combination is as laid-back as it is chic.

And to sum up the cozy vibe, wear this ensemble with a pair of gladiator flats. It's a very fashionable way to ground the outfit.

Now that's chic and cozy at the same time.

FMM: Angels brought me here

Today is the Feast of Guardian Angels, and the priest presider gave a very spirited, educational and insightful homily about angels. I like how he said that even if there are a billion people on this planet, God would still give each one his or her own guardian angel. That's because God's love is personalized, and He loves each one of us equally.

And since it's also Friday Magic Madness day, I'll pay tribute to angels by playing a few of my favorite "angel" songs. I've actually featured a couple of them already, so here are some others who I equally enjoy listening to.

First, here's Annie Lennox and Eurythmics with "There must be an Angel."



Then, Madonna's upbeat ditty, "Angel."



Angelic songs, aren't they?

Star student

It's always gratifying for teachers to see their students make a mark in the world.

That's why I was very, very, very happy to see one of my students on TV today. Krista was my student since she was in her 2nd year, and it was easy to see that she was going to accomplish great things. I still remember her first group report, as well as her mid-term exams, and I remembered them because I was impressed by her thought process and quality of work.

Now, she's on TV, talking about thanking teachers on National Teacher's Day. How awesome is that?