Ball of cuteness

Starting the work week with this uber cute sight.

This adorable, curled up, sleeping cat was at the building across the office. This cutie cattater was unmindful of the people walking around. Yup, unbothered.

Just like Garfield, this cat must hate Mondays.

LFLTAT x Color Story: Black-buster

There's something very elegant and very expensive about an all-black outfit. It's a statement that's true, even if the actual outfit is less than a thousand pesos.

Just like this:

The dress was on sale at The SM Store, so, it was 50% off. The belt and shoes are both from The Landmark, both on sale, with an extra 10% on top.

With all those discounts, this outfit rang up to a few pesos shy of P1000!

It's a blockbuster deal!

Let there be peas

The buffet must be the most environment-friendly on that I've seen.

Come on, guys. "Peas" isn't such a hard word to spell.

Proofreader, peas.

I mean, please.

FMM: Love his music

For today's Friday Magic Madness, I'll pay tribute to Sergio Mendes.

It's been almost a month since he went up the great concert hall in the sky, but realised that I haven't written about that moment yet. 

The wonderful thing about singers - including Sergio - is that they leave behind beautiful music and memories that will live on after they're gone. And with his prolific work, there'll be a lot of songs to remind us of what a musical genius he was.

I've featured his songs many times before, and here's another one for today.

As he goes up in heaven, the lyrics of "Love City" resonates even more. 

"it's the only place he feels at home."

Southern Style: Say Pleats

This is one of my fave finds at Metro Gaisano in Cebu. It's an ensemble that's a combination of classy and artsy. 

It's a pleated pair! 

The top has that Issey Miyake vibe, and the pleated skirt has a painting that's reminiscent of Rome. So, it's Japan plus Rome by way of Cebu. Capping off the look is a pair of black and white slides from For Me. Cebu branch, of course.

Pleats are just so pretty!

Southern Style: Bluer than blues

This happened to me several times. I'd go to the Cebu branch of a brand that's also available in MNL, and would find items that are unique and items that they don't have here. It happened to me at Surplus Shop, Zara, Pull & Bear, H&M, among others.

Apparently, these brands have buyers in Cebu, and they would sometimes order items that their MNL counterparts won't. Which makes shopping there more fun.

The top of this ensemble is a good example of that:

It's a navy blue body suit from H&M. It's immediately caught my eye and got me to wondering why this was never in any of the stores here. If it were, I'd immediately gravitate towards it and buy it. The design is very classic, with its boat neck and long sleeves, it's giving Audrey Hepburn.

The skirt is from the Maco brand, yet again. This pleated skirt plays with different shades of blue to give the design more depth and texture.

You can say that this outfit is... Ceblue.

Southern Style: Keeping it Knit

Despite the fact that our Cebu trip was just an overnight one, the fact that our hotel was beside Ayala Center Cebu made up for it.

After our meetings, I'd hie off to Metro Gaisano Cebu. They have a good selection of clothes and textiles, and it's always a stop-over whenever my travels take me to Cebu City.

My lightning quick visit didn't disappoint. Was able to snag a couple of chic and unique looks - mostly from their house brands.

The first find was this ensemble with a knit skirt as the key piece.

It's this thick, knit skirt with a mixed houndstooth patterns. It has a fitted silhouette that flares at the bottom. The top is a black shell top with ribbons and buttons on the side. These are from Maco - the brand that's exclusive to Metro, and a brand that I'd buy often.

This is so neat!

Hopeful Day

Today is the feast day of St. Pio de Pietrelcina!

Thank you for the miracles and hope that you brought to my life and the lives of countless others. In this ever changing world, your words remain true:

Pray, Hope and Don't Worry.

Happy Feast Day!

Meals with Mark: State of the Art(ons)

For this year, we decided to celebrate Mark's birthday in Laguna.

When faced with the question of where to eat, we had a choice between our tradition (TGIFriday's) or something new. After all, it's not everyday that we're in Nuvali.

Eventually, the "something new" won. And our lunch was at this cozy Mexican restaurant called Arton's.

They serve a combination of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. As a fan of Mexico, this was an exciting proposition for me. Also, TGIFriday's fajitas are among the usual things we order, so maybe we can ry the fajitas here, too.

After browsing the menu, we ended up with the Queso Fundido, Baby back ribs and the Peruvian Seafood platter.

The food is really good. The service was a bit spotty, but overall, the experience was great. Especially since we're there for Mark's birthday.

Feliz Cumpleano, Mark!

Iba ang may pinagsamahan

This classic tagline from San Miguel Beer is so apt for our group.

Kin, Jing, LuAnn, Maricar and I were all part of the Corporate Affairs Office of San Miguel. It was during that short SMC stint that the friendship between us started and flourished. (Well, except for Maricar because we've been friends since college.)

Even after my departure from SMC, this group which we now affectionately call "JKLM," stuck together and the bonds of friendship grew even stronger. We've been to out-of-town trips to Pie's weekend home, out-of-the-country trips like HKG and SG, weddings like Lu's, among many others.

We've been planning to visit Jing at her home in QC, but we went a step further and eventually visited her at her home in Laguna. And as expected, it was an evening of catching up, reminiscing and laughing a lot.

So, like San Miguel Beer, I'd say that this friendship is "iba."

FMM: Riding a carousel

One of the artists that we'd often listen to on weekends is David Benoit.

His songs are very chill very relaxed and very soothing. His genre is jazz, which is one of my all-time faves.

Speaking of David Benoit faves, today's Friday Magic Madness is one of his most popular songs from 1982.

"Promise me a Carousel" is a collaboration between David Benoit and Mona Lisa Young. Their combination is impeccable -  his smooth instrumentation and her upbeat voice make this song such a joy to listen to.

That's why I'm listening to it again today. 

And tomorrow. And the day after. And...

Heart. Health.

En route to our hotel, Noel told me that it was his first time in Cebu. Being a frequent traveler there, it became a goal to show him a glimpse of Cebu in our very short, overnight trip.

That's why for dinner on our 1st night, we went to Larsian. It's been 5 years since my last visit there, and the place has improved a lot in terms of the set-up. The food, of course, is consistently good. Since Noel and I are both non-lechon eaters, we went for grilled seafood, and a bit of chorizo de Cebu.

Of course, we could not not order the classics. Like puso:

And lato salad.

Not only did it taste good, it felt good that what we ate was healthy.

Feeling Grand

Granduncle, that is. 

Last Monday, Kavin and Yrish had their 1st born, Baby Saab! And today, we got to meet her in person.

She's now the 4th baby to join the 4th generation.

Welcome, Baby Saab!

Retablo Revisited

One place that I've always visited in Cebu is the Sto. Nino Shrine.

From my younger years until today, this place is a must-visit. No matter how short the trip is, I'd always try to visit this place.

This is one of the reasons why:

Their retablo at the altar is truly a masterpiece! Everything about it is just so beautiful and solemn. From the actual retablo, to the uniform look of the saints inside, to the lighting that beautifully illuminates each one - they all come together to create this breathtaking sight.

Wish they had more retablos like this in MNL.

Props to you!

 It's been a while since my last ride on a propeller plane.

While some people might find this small plane daunting, I'm one of the people who like how cozy this type of plane is.

Bonus,  I'm witnessing the landing gear coming out of the plane. Again, it's been ages since then.

Now this is a "flight of fancy."

Bring me Bahru

Okay, Gateway 2. You're giving me more and more reasons to be impressed.

Look what's opening here soon.

Tiong Bahru!

More and more, this nearby mall is becoming the place to be.

Subtle grandeur

While waiting for Mark to finish his presentation last Wednesday, I took the time to drop by Greenbelt Chapel.

It's been around 3 years since my last visit inside the chapel. While I've been there and heard mass there the past year or so, I'd always stay outside the chapel. After all, social distancing and avoiding crowds were the norm.

So, imagine my pleasant surprise to see what the chapel looks like now.

They renovated! 

The renovations were very subtle. They added the ceiling treatment, and they changed the altar. And while the changes were subtle, it added a sense of grandeur to Greenbelt Chapel. The gold details were glorious, and the altar, especially the Mother & Child statue, was divine.

Time to hear mass here more often.

FMM: Romantics, isn't it?

Yes, this Friday Magic Madness song is a hangover from the post about Romantic Baboy.

In the 80s, there was a super popular rock band called "The Romantics.."

If you listen to their songs, it's like a cross between rock and new wave. It's heavy on the percussions, but not too overbearing. Their songs make you want to dance, but in a way that's very subdued and low key.

One of their biggest hits that I'd listen to as a kid was "Talking in your sleep." It was one of their biggest hits and came out in 1983.

This song reminds me of how my sisters would perform this song during dance programs in Bicol. It was always well-received, and was always a crowd pleaser. 

It was so good, we're still talking about it until now.

Color Story: Brown town

Brown and its different hues have found itself on this blog a few times already.

And given the myriad of fashion choices that use this colour, it doesn't show any signs of stopping.

This is an ensemble that plays with different shades of brown to create a fun, relaxed and chic look.

The chocolate brown top is a loose cropped shirt from Uniqlo. The khaki culottes (yes, it's not a skirt) is from Surplus Shop. The beige Fisherman's sandals are from The SM Store.

The colour palette makes this ensemble look very chic. And worthy of painting the town in.

Isn't it Romantic?

Whoa! 

There's a new Romatnic Baboy x 7-11 collaboration. 

They've taken familiar Korean flavours, and created Japanese Onigiri from that.

Looks like 7-11 is upping it's onigiri game.

Top Notch

Do my eyes deceive me?

Is one of my favourite Korean clothing brands really opening here in MNL? At at Gateway 2 to boot?

Apparently, no, and yes!

Top 10 is opening here in November!

And the countdown begins...

Of parents and grandparents

Yesterday, September 8, was a day of double celebrations.

On this day, we celebrate the birth of Mama Mary. That's why yesterday's mass and homily were centred on the role of Mama Mary in raising and nurturing Jesus Christ.

It's also grandparents day! So, we were also celebrating the role of grandparents - aka Mom and Dad - in raising and nurturing the 3rd generation of Moraleses. 

Having parents and grandparents is truly a blessing worth cherishing.

Here's the Issue

After what feels like ages, I finally bought a copy of Vogue's September Issue. The Philippine edition, that is.

It's actually been a while since my last magazine purchase. Which makes me miss the good old days when we'd regularly buy multiple titles a month. From local titles like Preview and Mega, to international magazines like InStyle and Vogue.

Whilst part of my wishes that there will be more printed issues of magazines, the dwindling readership issue is enough to keep that from happening.

From "in the classroom" to "In the industry"

There's a brimming feeling of pride whenever my former students succeed in the advertising industry.

It's the same feeling of pride that I felt last Thursday after running into Therease.

She's one of my former students in SSC. Even back then, it was easy to see that she'd succeed in the industry. She's very articulate, organised, strategic and decisive. These are qualities that you need as an ad agency person, and these are the qualities why she's continuing to succeed in the industry.

Moments like these make teaching much more rewarding.

FMM: A reminder

There are some songs that are so timeless, several artists from different decades do their own versions of the song.

One of my fave songs that fall under this category is "Always something there to remind me."

In 1963, Dionne Warwick did a very mellow, yet still head-bopping version of the song:

Two decades later, in 2983, Naked Eyes released the same song. This time, with a more new wave club approach to the ditty.

That's a double Friday Magic Madness feature that's a double reminder of how great songs can transcend time.

Back and White

A white t-shirt is a pice of clothing that I'm constantly on the look out for.

Whenever there's a white t-shirt with an interesting detail, I'm like likely to snag it. No questions asked.

Just like this one from Zara.

At the front, it looks like a typical oversized white tee. But once you turn around:

The back detail is so pretty and unique. It has a button down centre and an asymmetric cut.

It's going to make a person look so chic, whether coming or going.

Learning from friends

It's the 1st day of the ASC seminar on self-regulation in the advertising industry. It's a 2-day learning session which aims to broaden the knowledge of advertising practitioners on the importance of self-policing.

And as the seminar started, the opening video featured one of our good friends - Nonna! She's really one of the pillars in the Philippine ad industry.

With that as an opening salvo, looks like we have a very fruitful 2 days ahead.

Printed Matter: King of Pane

Yes, floral and botanical prints in vibrant colours are my jam. Ornate, Tromple L'oeil prints are also things that catch my attention.

But there are days when things that things that are quiet and muted are more up my alley. Just like this printed pair from Plains & Prints.

It's a skirt and blouse ensemble with a subtle window pane print. The base is this very light peach colour, which makes the print almost meld with the hue. 

Sometimes, subtlety is king.

Yeoh the one!

During her Oscars speech, Michelle Yeoh said: "Ladies, don't ever let anyone tell you you're past your prime."

And she continues to stay true to that.

At 62 years old, here she is fronting for Balenciaga.

Thanks to her, fashion is really ageless.

If you wanna (B)ride...

You know you're old when this announcement excites you:

Can't believe it's been more than 30 years since the 1st film came out.

Given the the 3 decade gap, I'm sure the situations and contexts have changed a lot.

But knowing Steve Martin, I'm sure it's still going to be so funny.