Never grows Auld

It's probably the most popular New Year song, and it has had so many incarnations the past decades.

But for tonight, let's have the fun, pop and cheesy rendition of Auld Lang Syne from Mariah.



Happy New Year!

Frendz til the end

Before the year ends, it's time for the Frendz to get together for another night of riotous conversations and a chockfull of fun.

And my gosh, it seems like D' Frendz is growing year by year.

Here's to another year of Frendz-ship!

FMM: Closers

It's the last day of work, and there were 7 of us who stayed until the last minute.

And for us, the Friday Magic Madness song from the 90s which sums up our feeling at the office.



Yup, it was a good 2017, but in the meantime, it's closing time.

Nephews on the road

My 2 eldest nephews are named Jul and Carl. They're Ate Lissa's 2 boys who are both in the U.S.

(That's Carl on the left, and Jul on the right.)

Or are they?

Because I saw this vehicle on the road this afternoon.

Amazing coincidence, eh?

Flights of Fancy

Fact, I've always wanted to do a bird-themed wrapping for Christmas. But I've never found a wrapper that would fit the theme.

Until this year.

The moment I saw this black wrapper with bird prints, I knew it was the one. In fact, right then and there, I bought all their stocks - around 80 pieces or so.

After that, the search for the accoutrements was on. First stop, ribbons. Since the wrapper had touches of black, pink, yellow and green, I opted to choose one from that color family. The contrast between the sweetness of pink and the strength of black was tempting. And I gave in to the temptation.

Since the wrapper had bird prints, the accent had to be in theme. Enter this pink feather that was available en masse at SM. Finally, for the card, I had 4 bird themed borders printed.

With all the materials in place, it was time to wrap the gift.

First, the wrapper:

Then, the ribbon and accents:

And voila!

I love it when the concept in my mind really takes flight.

Big babies

No matter how big or old they get, to me, my nephews and nieces will always be our babies.

Hard to imagine that I once carried these teeners (and twenteener) in my arms at one point in my life.

*sniff*

Christmas means family

From the huge Regalado-Morales clan,

And the crazy Regalado-Morales siblings,

A wonderfully Merry Christmas to all!

The First Noah!

It's Baby Noah's first Christmas!

Can't wait to see this cutie pie this February!

Divisorry not divisorry

Yes, I've decided to brave Divisoria 2 days before Christmas day. This despite all the posts talking about the armageddon-esque situation in the area.

And it wasn't bad. Not bad at all.

Cheers to braving Divisoria!

FMM: Life in the concrete jungle

This artsy photo is brought to you by the our Tarlac shoot.

Amazing how life can emerge from even the roughest and toughest of places.

And while musing about life, enter Des'ree!



Profound!

You are gold!

Nope, it's not the Spandau Ballet song.

It's my sister who really is worth her weight in gold.

And she's celebrating her golden year today!

Happy Birthday Ate! May you have many more golden moments in life!

Victor's-ious!

When in Tarlac, you have to eat at Victor's!

Robert said that the lechon manok in this restaurant was one of the best he's ever tasted. And I agree! It's crispy and crunchy on the outside, but super tender and flavorful inside.

This deserves seconds! And thirds!

(Twin) Stars of Christmas!

Speaking of resurgence, the classic 80s characters from Sanrio are back!

Specifically, the cute Little Twin Stars! They're Ate Lissa's favorite Sanrio characters, ever!

Funny story. The name of the Twin Stars are Kiki and Lala. And when we were kids, we weren't allowed to mention their names because Lola thought it was lewd.

Makes me wonder if today's generation of kids still think the same way.

LFLTAT: Long and loose

These days, I've noticed a lot of loose, long-sleeved clothing in every department store and fast-fashion place. They vary from tops to knits to dresses to jumpsuits. I guess it's because of the December weather, or everyone just wants to be a bit more modest.

That's why today's "Look for Less than a Thousand" is inspired by this type of modesty. It's an ensemble that's covered up and chic.

The first piece is a denim top which I found in my Divisoria fashion haunt.

There are many things to like about this piece. First, the dark denim fabric is a classic. The puffed sleeve is very now. And it also carries this year's embroidery trend. It's a three-fer for a very small price!

Then, I paired it with this long and loose pair of khakis from Uniqlo. This was on sale and it was practically a steal at P390!

Together, this ensemble is super on-trend, and super affordable at below P650!

How's that for fashion for less?

Kippis be with you!

Speaking of holiday traditions, tonight marks the evening where we all gather at Richard's house for the traditional Finnish toast.

Things like these make this office feel less like work and more like family.

As they say in Finnish:

"Kippis!"

Terms of Old

Back in the 70s and 80s, if you wore something really casual, people would say: "Naka-rugged ka na naman." Apparently, casual = rugged back then.

Just when I thought that term was old and forgotten, voila!

Landmark does have a way of bringing back old things.

FMM: It's Christmas tradition time!

It's the first day of the anticipated Simbang Gabi here in Ortigas. Needless to say, my officemates and I were among the first in Ortigas Park to take part in this annual tradition.

And since we're in the subject of Christmas tradition, time to bring out another classic but modern holiday song from 1985. This one's from Sheena Easton, and it heralds the fact that it's Christmas all over the world.



Ten more days!

Light it up!

Folks in the Ayala area look forward to the annual lights show in Ayala Triangle. I've caught it a few times a few years ago, but I wasn't able to catch last year's edition.

Part of the reason why I miss it is that my office is in Ortigas, and opportunities to go to Ayala at night are few and far between. But this year, thanks to dinner with Mark and Kris, we were able to catch the show.

True to its name, it definitely lit up our spirits!

Out in the Cold

Saw this peculiar sign in the newly opened SM Supermarket at the newly-minted The Podium mall.

Maybe the person who made the sign had a cold. That's my only explanation why his "stores" became "stored."

Proofreader, please!

Matchy-matchy x Color Story: Blush hour

Most people equate blush pink with "bridal," but with the right pieces, it's actually a great color to wear on an everyday basis. Or to a casual event.

Just like this blush pink halter dress that I found at Surplus Shop. 

A few feet after, at SM Department Store, I chanced upon these blush pink ballet flats.

Together, it's a chic and refreshing ensemble that's nice for a daytime event or a casual party.

I think Ate will be tickled pink.

The ins and outs of Cibo at night

That's a fitting title for Dad's birthday celebration tonight.

We ate at Cibo for dinner, and Javier didn't want to go inside the restaurant since he found the music quite loud.

So, when it was time to have our photos taken, Dad and Mom took their spot inside, while we were all hamming it up outside the glass panels.

Yes, the things you do to get the perfect shot!

Happy Birthday Dad!

The ins and outs of Divisoria at 8am

Sounds like a title of a book. Or an indie film.

But it's actually my experience this morning.

I needed to go to Divisoria, but was expecting a "Train-to-Busan-esque" deluge. To avoid this, I decided to go really early. Like, 7:00am early, to make it to Divisoria by 8:00am.

The result, a productive and relatively stress-free shopping experience. There weren't as many people in the morning yet, so it was all good.

What's interesting was the contrast of Divisoria from the outside and inside.

Here's a view from out on the street.

And here are the shops inside.

I'm loving the contrast of all this.

Matchy-matchy x Color Story: Marooned!

Some fashion pundits will say that it's not chic to wear the same color from head-to-toe. Some others say that fashion rules were made to be broken. But I say, there are times where you can have a compromise and meet in the middle.

I'm known to suggest some matchy-matchy ensembles to my sisters and friends. Just like this snakeskin ensemble from 2013. This is an example of matching prints.

Sometimes, I also match colors, especially when it's a deep, bold color that really catches the eye.

For instance, this maroon dress with a pleated detail has always caught my eye. It's from Stella, Robinson's Department Store's house brand, which has a lot of beautifully tailored dresses.

A few days after I saw it, this pair of velvet, maroon heels presented itself at SM Department Store. It has the same, rich shade as the dress.

The result, a beautifully matchy-matchy cocktail ensemble! And while the color may be monochromatic, the skin that shows (both arms and legs) break the color and give the eye some breathing space.

It's an ensemble that's a match with Ate Bullet's personality.

FMM: Fly, Yvonne, Fly!

Time for Friday Magic Madness, and time to go back to the 70s!

During Mom and Ate's ballroom heyday, we got to listen to a lot of 70s hits. It ranged from fast, swing tunes, to slower, more relaxed dance ditties.

One of the songs that they'd play and I'd enjoy listening to a lot is this monster hit from Yvonne Elliman. Ask any 70s fan, and they'll know this one:



"If I can't have you," has such a relaxed and infectious vibe to it. A song you'd enjoy listening to while swaying and bobbing your head. Which, in some cases, can pass off as dancing.

No wonder this song soared.

You outta Noah!

Now that most of my nephews and nieces are all grown up, (and managers, pilots, sales heads, etc.), let me dote on my grandkids.

Yup, I'm a Lolo!

And seeing Noah's smile makes me glad that I'm now a doting grandad.

Cuteness overload!

Wonky!

Presenting, the 2017 Creative Department Christmas costume: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

(From left to right: Front, lying down: Oompa Loompa, Second row: Veruca, Augustus, Charlie, Willy Wonka, Violet and Mike. Third row: Veruca's Dad, the Golden Ticket, Charlie's Grandad, Augustus' Mom and Dad, Violet's Mom, Mike's Dad.)

They voted me as Willy Wonka, and thankfully most of the props I needed were just at home. (The wig, though, I had to buy. Nope, we don't have wigs lying around at home. Hahaha.)

Sweet!

Don't Shoe forget about me

Here are 4 good reasons why you should proceed with caution to SM Department Store during a shoe sale:

Really! These nice mules were all on sale and all on the cheap! It's unbelievable how much these pairs were. And that's why I ended up buying all of them.

(These are actually just 4 of more than 12 reasons. Harhar.)

Markle and Sparkle

Looks like the British Royals are serious about modernizing the image of the monarchy.

Prince Harry's bride-to-be is American, mixed race and was married once already. In the old ages, I'm sure the royal family would have none of that. But it's 2017, and changes are inevitable. Not only is she welcomed by the royal family with open arms, she's also as loved by the British public.

To them, she's like a sparkling beacon of change.

Here's to modernization!

Daywalkers

My brother-in-law, Raymond, has a good eye for visuals. And I really like this shot he took of us while we were in HKG.

He's able to take something as simple as walking and turn it into something interesting and intriguing.

It's a talent that he should run with.

Mom Magnet

Once again, the woman who brings the family together celebrates another year.

Happy Birthday Mom! We're so blessed to have you in our lives!

Wonder-ful film

Mark and I were finally able to catch "Justice League" yesterday - and we both enjoyed it!

Critical reviews and pans nonwithstanding, it was a great film. It had the right balance of fun, seriousness, action and crisp dialogues.

But I must say, Wonder Woman pretty much stole the film from everyone else.

With someone like Gal Gadot playing the role, it's really no wonder.