Shrowback Sunday!

Mark sent me photos of what we were doing 8 years ago on Halloween.

Back in October 31, 2013, we were having dinner at the Wolfgang Puck restaurant in Takeshita-Dori in Harajuku. Yes, it was this dinner.

But before that dinner, we did our usual routine in the morning which was to have breakfast at his home. It was one of my favourite things to do when I was in Tokyo. Cooking this:

Looking back at all these awesome memories, it just drives home the point that we should go back to Tokyo and make additional memories soon.

No tricks, all treats!

While there isn't an official Trick or Treat activity in our compound - and it's the 2nd year that we haven't had it - that doesn't stop us from putting together something for the neighbourhood kiddes.

The kids are actually regular visitors here at home. They drop by for lollipops and gummies from our snack pantry. And seeing them drop by brings joy to everyone here at home.

This is going to be a Halloween surprise for them, so they're in for a treat!

FMM: Love-ly Day

Nope, this is not a Mike Francis song.

This is more of a natural progression.

Because of yesterday's post on the bunny print, this automatically became my Friday Magic Madness song a day after.

Presenting this iconic song from 1976, courtesy of Queen and Freddy Mercury! Yes, the same song that Anne Hathaway performed with such aplomb in "Ella Enchanted."

Just like the bunny print, this song is equally lovely!

Printed Matter: Some bunny to love

The moment I saw this print of two bunnies dressed up in very proper Victorian-type dresses, it was love at first sight. It really looks like a work of art.

And because that print is in a dress, then it's a work of art that can be worn everyday!

Oh, the lovely things you find online!

Nuts about Hazelnuts!

In Oreo form, that is.

Yes! Another flavour of Oreo is gracing our snack pantry!

I can't wait to try this Chocolate Hazelnut Oreo! I just have to finish the Dark Chocolate Oreo first.

A play of contrasts

The nice thing about shopping on-line is that you see items that you normally wouldn't see in a mall.

Not that I've been to a mall in the past year and a half. But you get my drift.

One of my recent and interesting on-line purchases is this co-ords consisting of a top and skirt.

What caught my eye is the contrast of the 2 pieces. The top is voluminous while the skirt is slim. The top is cropped while the skirt is long.

It's that play of contrasts that make it such a unique and fashionable set.

Sentimental Station

Because Mark and I were talking about the Sukiya branch just outside the Higashi-Koenji Eki in Nakao, I suddenly missed this station that's part of our daily routine when Mark was still in IH2.

It was one of the 2 stations we'd go to when we'd walk from his dorm going to GRIPS. I've considered Higashi-Koenji station as the "back entrance." 

Going there, we'd pass through these side streets and we'd pass through a kindergarten, a playground, a fruit store, some vintage stores, the big corner supermarket, Bia Bia, the 2 AEON supas, among others.

Gosh, I remember this as if it were just yesterday!

It's really high time that we go back there.

State of Zen(daya)

Every year, one thing that I look forward to is the November cover girl of InStyle US Edition.

I've written about that for several years, and some of the women who headlined that issue include Taylor Swift, Tracee Ross-Ellis and Kristen Stewart.

And this November, it's her turn:

Zendaya is the cover girl for this November's "Best Dressed" issue.

Can't wait to see this magazine IRL. Just like I can't wait to see her in Dune.

Hey, Ya!

No, this isn't about an Outkast song. Although admittedly, that song is one of my go to happy songs.

Whenever Mark and I would take the subway and get down at the Higashi-Koenji station in Ueno, one of the things we see when we step out of the station is Sukiya.

A popular Gyudon chain in Japan, Sukiya is a fixture at it's easy to find one. It's pretty much like Yoshinoya in terms of set-up and food offering.

We ate at Sukiya's other branches during our earlier days in Tokyo. And for the branch outside the eki, I think we just ate there once. Looking back, my thought is that we weren't that impressed with the food that's why we didn't eat there as often as we should. Although I remember that I liked the Unagi set at Sukiya.

While browsing the net for upcoming restaurants, it turns out that Sukiya will be opening in Glorietta 2 soon!

When this opens, and when things go back to normal, Mark and I will give Sukiya a chance here in Manila. Maybe it will be a different experience.

FMM: Much to be Dan

There are a lot of awesome singers - old and new - named "Dan."

You've got "England Dan," "Dan Seals," "Dan Reynolds," among many others.

But there's one "Dan" who I gravitate towards, especially on Fridays. He's a "Dan" who has a great, soothing voice and writes songs with great lyrics.

He's a 70s music icon who wrote many iconic songs. One of which is today's FMM song, "Longer."

That "Dan" is "Dan Fogelberg."

I've been listening to this song as a kid. Yes! As a kid! And I'm still listening to it until now.

Guess I'm not Dan - I mean "done" - enjoying this song.

Rarely right

It's so simple. In fact, I've written about it on my blog gajillions of times.

It's "Sneak Peek." 

No, it's not:

Come on, proofreaders. This is so simple, please get it right. (Although in fairness, they got it right in the video graphic. It's the intro where they go it wrong, again.)

Proofreader, please!

Free Willy

It was during one of my random browsing on the Bench store in Lazada that I discovered this collaboration.

Actually, the first thing that caught my eye was the quality and design of the denim jeans. After clicking on the photo, it turned out that it was part of a designer collaboration between Bench and NY street wear designer, Willy Chavarria.

Considering that this collaboration was in 2019, I'm surprised that I didn't get wind of it. After doing some research, it turns out that it was launched around September, which explained a lot. But going through the look book online, it turns out that this collection had a lot of nice pieces.

Willy Chavarria is a big name in street wear in NYC, which explains his loose and comfortable silhouettes and use of denim and twill

Good thing that this collection was still available online. Was able to snag 3 pairs of pants from the collection!

So, I can now say "Whee" because of Willy!

From Sketch to Superb

As expected, Raymond took my Chicken-scratch sketch and turned it into a superb-looking cake creation.

This cake is just so pretty, I can look at it for days.

Superb work, as always!

Sketchy Stories: Cake in bloom

Because Tess is into gardening and her home is surrounded by beautiful blooms, "Garden" was the first thought that came to mind when sketching a cake for her birthday.

So, in just 1-minute, this sketch happened.

Yes, the sketch doesn't look like much, but I'm sure that after Ray does his magic on this, it'll look much, much, much more bloomingly beautiful!

Fashionable lines

The first time this top and skirt set popped up on my Shopee feed, it definitely caught my eye.

It has this vibrant combination of coloured lines, set against a neutral background.

Apart from the colour and print, the details were top notch as well.

The top had balloon sleeves, and the skirt was slim, then flaring out to an interesting mermaid silhouette.

Amazing what fashionable ensembles you can find on Shopee!

The (Apple) Cider House Rules

It's Apple picking time!

My Apple Cider Donut Oreo has arrived!

Oreo as excited as I am?

P.S. Happy Birthday Kuya Marv!

FMM: Here comes Maureen again

A few years ago, a trip to Clark in Pampanga inspired my Friday Magic Madness song.

It was a song from 1979, from the beautiful voice of Maureen McGovern.

Suddenly, her other song popped in my mind this week, so it's time to have her back on Friday! This song came a year after, in 1980, from the album of the same title.

"We could have it all again," is such a heartfelt song - both in the way it was written and sung.

That's why I'm listening to it. Again.

Back in the Barrio

From it playing in the background like white noise, I'm now indulging in the guilty pleasure that is...

Maria la del Barrio is shown on TV5 every afternoon. Yes, it's been more than a decade since it was first shown on RPN-9, but now it's back. And now, I find myself stopping what I'm doing to watch the show. 

And admittedly, it's still as engaging as ever.

I guess it's true. Once a Thalia fan, always a Thalia fan. 

Baker’s bunch

There was a bunch of overripe bananas on our fruit bowl.

Of course, this happened!

In between work and Zoom meetings, I was able to bake a few batches of Banana muffins! And to add a bit of oomph to the recipe, I added Nutella on top!

After seeing my handiwork, all I can think of is what to bake next.

Fab Four

A few weeks ago, this supremely cute and astonishingly smart little boy celebrated his 4th birthday!

Happy 4th Birthday, Noah! Hope to see you soon!

Pop-up!

Kids in our compound are just bonkers over the "Pop-It" toy.

So, let's give them what they want!

They'll be in for a treat this Halloween.

In Kahoots

Thanks to Fiesta who introduced us to "Kahoot," it's now part of my teaching repertoire!

Students just love playing Kahoot. We had one yesterday, and everyone was so into it!

Well, I think everyone is definitely into the game, considering that the office had a Zoom get together last Friday and we also had a round of Kahoot.

I won that, by the way!

The long and short of it

Here's another cool purchase from Zalora. 

This dress is from the New Essentials collection, which is basically a collaboration between Zalora and young designers. One of the dresses from this collection was this Dennis Lustico dress.

Now, this dress is also a collaboration between Zalora and Ivar Aseron. Just like Dennis Lustico, Ivar is one of the avant garde designers who made it big in the 2010s.

This easy dress has a loose silhouette that's very easy to wear - whether you're lounging at home or going out at night, it's can transition easily.

Ivar Aseron is known for thoughtful details, and this dress has one of those, too.

The hem of this dress is actually detachable. Just pull the strings and you can remove the lower part of the dress.

So, you can change from a midi-dress to a mini-one in a matter of minutes!

Long and short of it, this is a very creative and chic dress. 

FMM: The Big League

It's no secret that I'm an 80s geek!

Everything about the 80s is just so awesome. Especially the music.

I've said this before, but the music from the 80s aren't just musically superior, they have the best lyrics. Each song has a very engaging story, and it's not just a repetition of the same words over and over again. (Although some songs are, but that's another story.)

One of my favourite groups with songs that are very lyrical and has a narrative is Human League. 

This group brings back a lot of High School Memories, and this song is one of them.

"Don't you want me," is the story of two people from different side of the tracks, and it's one story told from 2 points of view. Again, this is such a clever take on a song and its lyrics.

The Human League is definitely in a league of their own.

Home-tel

As an avid traveler, one of the things I look forward to is checking into hotels in different countries around the world. 

One thing noticeable about hotels is that they have a distinct smell. 

The Hilton in Mexico smells distinctly different from NH Hotels in Spain. Stepping into Hotel Ibis in France, then the Hotel Accor in Germany, and you'll notice the scent is different. The Washington Hotel chain in Japan smells different from the Mandarin Orchard in Singapore.

Even in the Philippines, when we check in a Shangrila Hotel, The Peninsula Manila, The Marriott and Sofitel - each one feels and smells different.

Now, it's been a year and a half since we last travelled or checked-in a hotel, whether for a vacation or staycation. And it's one of the things that I personally miss - that distinct hotel smell.

But as they say, if you can't go to the hotel, bring the hotel to you.

Et voila!

One of my online discoveries - Hotel Scents! These babies can be used in a humidifier, or can be sprayed on linen, or used as an air freshener. 

We're currently using the Shangrila one, and it's legit! Suddenly, our home smells like the lobby of Shangrila Makati!

So, until we get to go on a vacation or staycation again, we'll make our home smell like a hotel first.

Side to Cider

I've been seeing this Apple Cider Donut Oreo on American grocery websites like Target and Krogers. 

From the colour to the flavour - I'm intrigued at how this cross between a donut and an Oreo will taste like.

And surprise, surprise! There's a local online seller that carries it.

We all know what'll happen next.

Planting Ruth's

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse was a go-to place of the office folks when I was still living in HKG.

Our bosses were huge steak fans, and Ruth's Chris was one of the best steakhouses on the island, bar none.

And while they would go there for the steaks, I'd go there for their desserts. Their cheesecakes and chocolate cake were simply divine! And since their sets always included dessert, I'd look forward to dessert more than the main course.

Imagine my thrill when this piece of news popped up on my feed:

They're in Manila!

Just thinking of their desserts makes me want to go there, stat!

A Channel of Peace

Today is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

Coming from a Franciscan and Capuchin School, we hold this feast day very close to our hearts. And the memories of feast days from Elementary to High School are still embedded in my mind and heart.

Just like the very meaningful and powerful prayer of St. Francis.

Happy Feast Day, St. Francis! I pray that you continue to make me - and more people - a Channel of your Peace.

Bateau, Bateau, Pick!

There's something very classic and elegant about a "bateau" or "boat" neckline.

One reason behind this is because of Audrey Hepburn. She's always been the epitome of class and elegance, and she would wear this neckline a lot - both in films and in real life.

Who can forget her LBD with the bateau neckline that she wore in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." In "Sabrina," she also wore this type of dress almost throughout the entire film. Guess that's why it's also known as the "Sabrina" neckline.

It then comes as no surprise that I'm also on the constant look-out for dresses and tops with this neckline type.

And yes, Kashieca had it!

This pretty dress is great for lounging around at home. It's made of cotton fabric with a classic heather grey and white stripe. The neckline is bateau, and it has extended sleeves. The design and print is so classic and chic, it's easy to wear it anywhere.

Now, if you're going out on an errand or a quick mall run, it's easy to dress it up with this jacket. Yes, it's the same Kashieca jacket that I wrote about a few days ago.

This combination is so fashionable, it's no wonder I picked it!

Get a Room!

A Room Scent, that is.

Somehow, this Penshoppe Antibacterial Room Scent became the talk of the online world. It was so hyped that people were hoarding it in the stores and started reselling it online for 3 times the original price!

Yes, it was THAT hyped!

Out of curiosity, I asked Kevin to check it out at the nearby Penshoppe store in Ali Mall, but as luck would have it - out of stock!

Then suddenly, it was available on the Penshoppe store online! Which is how I got my 2 cans.

And true to form, it was out of stock again a few hours after.

In fairness, though, the scent is really nice. So maybe, maybe, it is worth the hype.

FMM: Lovely Day

Today is the Feast Day of St. Therese de Lisieux, or better known to Catholic School kids as St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

We learned about the story of St. Therese during our 1st year High School Christian Living classes. After hearing it from our CL teacher, I learned that she was a lovely young woman with an astounding amount of faith. 

And as we celebrate her Feast Day this Friday, I thought of a Friday Magic Madness song that's as lovely as her.

Enter Stevie Wonder's 1976 iconic hit. A song so beautiful and meaningful, people still sing it today - 45 years after it was first heard on-air.

"Isn't she lovely, made of Love."

Yup, that sounds right for St. Therese de Lisieux.