The art of friendship

Had a meeting at the Philippine Stock Exchange building last week, and had to take a snap of this.

It's Ovvian's sculpture!

There's a welling feeling of pride every time I see Ovvian's work. She's gotten her talent in metal sculpting from her dad, and it's always a joy seeing her work.

I'm so fortunate to have such a creative and talented friend.

Face the wall

Another Monday, another cute cat.

This time, it's this cutie cattater who might have been mischievous.

That's the only explanation in my mind as to why he's facing the wall.

Either way, this cat is cure. And also a good visualisation of our Monday mood.

Fam-meal-ia

Nothing beats the feeling of a hearty meal shared with the family.

What makes it even more special is the fact that we're with Biboy and Liz, both who just flew in from the US.

We should really have more of this.

Blackstar

No, this isn't about the 80s cartoon featuring John Blackstar. But make no mistake, that was one of my favourite childhood programs.

This is about another favourite - black outfits!

Just like this one. 

It's a outfit that's culled from different countries. The very classic, black, boatneck sleeveless top is from Bocu, a local clothing brand. The skirt was from Luck Rack in Tokyo, and was one of the best finds during that trip. And the shoes were from SG, Pull & Bear, if I'm not mistaken.

This is the perfect example of black that isn't boring. The sheer details on the skirt and the silver stud on the shoes elevate the black into something elevated.

It's an outfit that has star quality.

FMM: Smooth!

No, this isn't a Santana post. Though that would've been appropriate for a Friday Magic Madness post.

But this is a Friday Magic Madness post.

Someone at the office suddenly played Sade, and my mind went: "Why don't I feature her as often as she should?"

Et voila!

"Smooth Operator" is probably one of her biggest hits. It came out in 1984 and was ubiquitous back then. And even until now.

This song is just so smooth!

Oh No! (Brand!)

It's closing season.

After M&S, here's another international brand that's closing in the Philippines.

Yup, No brand is no more.

Part of me really isn't surprised. They don't have stand-alone stores this big in Korea, so I'm surprised that they had it here. At first, it looked promising, but when they started populating the store with non-No Brand items, it looked like they were losing focus.

What they should do is follow the Korean model of selling the brand inside Robinsons supermarkets. (They sell it inside Emart in Korea.) At least, we won't completely miss out on these no brand goodies.

Slim pickings

Oh, I miss the days when there were rows upon rows upon rows of beautiful gift wrappers at National Bookstore.

As the distributor of Hallmark products, they had the best and most varied selections of gift wrappers. They had a wrapper for every vibe, every occasion, every aesthetic. But now, they have this:

It's kinda sad to see how much they've downscaled their gift wrapping area. Even sadder is the fact that the designs are becoming bland and repetitive. Even their gift tags are blah.

Is it time to find another source of wrapping papers?

I took a picture, I took a picture

Because we're turning Japanese!

The Creative Team was the host for this month's birthday cocktails. We had several themes in mind, but knowing that this month is the Sakura season in Japan, we thought of bringing a bit of Japan to Ortigas.

Thanks to the team, we were able to transform the CAI Cafe into our little piece of Ueno park.

Sugoi ne!

Black, white and red...

...but make it a cat edition.

That was the first thing that came to mind after seeing this:

Yup, it's another cute cat Monday post. 

We know we'll never get tired of that.

Back in the box

Or, "midterms, but make it yummy."

That pretty much sums up my midterm exam for my copywriting class.

Instead of just a piece of paper, they got this:

And to inspire them to write, they got this:

Yup, they actually get to touch and taste the products they're making advertising copy for.

Who says exams should be daunting or boring?

The Difference of a D

Yet another example of how 1 letter can make a world of difference.

Instead of being a sign that tells you the establishment is closed, it now looks like an apology to a person who doesn't want you to be close to them.

Proofreader, please!

FMM: That's crazy

It's kinda wild whenever people refer to 90s songs as "old."

Saw this reel on FB when people were asked to listen to "old songs from the 90s." In my mind, I'm like, "Really? That's already considered old?"

One good thing about watching that video, though, is that it brought back songs and memories from 2 decades back. And this song rom 1999 is what made me excited the most.

"Butterfly" by Crazy Town was such as ubiquitous song back then. It was played all over - radios, parties, discos - wherever you went, you could hear it.

But what makes this song memorable for me is the fact that one of my nephews loved to sing it. I'm not sure if it was Carl or Miguel, but whenever this song came on and they'd play the chorus, he'd sing the part that went "Sugar... baby..."

It's crazy how one song can bring so much awesome memories.

Having a ball(pen)

Back then, you could only start using a ballpen when you were able to write in cursive and you were in grade 4. 

Gosh, I looked forward to that day so much.

And when that time came, my only request was that my ballpen be Kilometrico.

It was one of the most famous pens back then, thanks to their commercials that had a jingle and the tagline: "Writes thousand and thousands of words."

My Kilometrico collection was composed of all 3 colours, and in multiples. Couldn't risk not having one of these precious pens in my pencil box or bag.

Why am I recalling all these today? It's because of this:

Yes, Kilometrico is still very much around.

Excuse me while I go to National Bookstore to buy one.

Meals with Mark: Two in a row

When Mark and I saw the poster for Chili's burger day a week ago, we said that our experience last year was enough and we don't need to repeat the experience this year.

Or so we thought.

We passed by Chili's in Galleria and saw a long line of people waiting for their turn to avail of the promo. We though, "what the heck!" So, we lined up, we got a table immediately, and enjoyed our 50% off burgers.

That's 2 years in a row. 

Maybe this will be a tradition.

Pop goes Zagu

One of the secrets to Zagu's longevity is the fact that they always introduce something new and interesting.

While their pearl shakes are more than 20 years old now, they keep themselves from being stagnant by having seasonal flavours that will pique people's interest.

Heck, my interest was piqued after seeing this:

Popcorn in a pearl shake? Interesting.

And yes, it's good!

You go, curl!

It might be the universe telling me that there hasn't been a Monday cat post for a while.

This greeted me on my way to 7-11 this morning.

It's safe to say that everyone just wants to curl up like this on a Monday.

2 good 2 pass up

The more trailers they drop, the more appealing this film is.

It looks like "The Devil Wears Prada 2" will be a line-fest aside from being a fashion fest. That line by Emily Blunt has all the makings of a classic line:

"May the bridges I burn light my way."

If this is a preview of what's to come, you know it's going to be SO good!

The cat who can't be moved

Yes, this post is inspired by that hit song from "The Script."

But instead of a man who can't be moved, this post is about this.

Yes, the cat was on top of the stairs, and no once could get him to move. So, everyone had to walk around him.

The cat must've had the chorus "I'm not moving..." playing in his head the entire time.

FMM: Madness!

Yes, today's Friday Magic Madness song is about madness. How's that for a coincidence.

"Beauty and Madness" by Fra Lippo Lippi suddenly came to mind because of this youtube reel that keeps popping up on my feed. It's about a music teacher who asks people to guess a song based on a few notes that he plays on his keyboards.

One of the song he plays most often is this Fra Lippo Lippi hit song from 1987. And surprisingly, no one gets it right! Gosh. How can they not know this iconic song.

Madness!

Half hazard

Last year, Mark and I went to Chili's One Ayala and caught their half-price burger promo. 

It was such a busy time! Getting a table was a challenge. People were lined up outside constantly. Servers were rushing back and forth with trays of burgers. But everyone was served efficiently and on-time, including us.

Can't believe that was almost a year ago. Because they're going at it again.

After seeing this sign, we asked ourselves if we'd do the whole half-price burger craziness again. And we thought, "maybe not."

Rabbit in!

Looks like Target is going into overdrive with their collaborations.

Aside from Rifle Paper Co., their simultaneously launching a collaboration with Roller Rabbit.

Of course, Roller Rabbit is known for their fun and whimsical prints. The brand has this joie de vivre that's perfect for summer.

Looks like people are going to start hopping to Target because of this.

Hello Milo!

Just when you thought you couldn't have any more Milo options in your life.

Now, 7-11 has Milo in their range of Gulp drinks!

Right now, this is the cheapest among all the Milo options I've tried. It's P59 for a large cup like this. And while it's not as rich and creamy tasting as the others in my rotation, (places like PickUp and Cocopan put milk and syrup in their Milo drinks) this one still hits the spot.

Looks like I'll be in 7-11 more often these days.

Ohayo Ootoya!

Ootoya will always have a special place in my heart. 

This Japanese restaurant chain was one of the first places where Mark and I ate in Tokyo. And it also became one of our regulars.

During our last 2 or 3 trips to Japan, though, we weren't able to go there.

But now, we don't even have to go to Japan!

Ootoya is now open in BGC!

Sugoi ne!

Ultimate cuteness!

Can't get over how cute this photo of Sab is!

Asked if she was praying when this photo was shot. Apparently not:

"She was pooping."

Gosh. That makes it even cuter!

An officer and a gentleman

Today is Lolo Iking's birthday. It's his 116th birth anniversary, and his 37th birthday in heaven. 

The family continues to miss Lolo dearly, and this post made by Kuya Marv really sums up who our Lolo was, and how we feel about him.

He truly was an officer and a gentleman, and while today isn't a Friday Magic Madness day, it's just fitting that we bring back this 1982 hit song. 

"Up where we belong," was a hit from Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes, and was used in the film "An Officer and a Gentleman." And that makes this song even more apt and meaningful.

Happy heavenly birthday, Lolo Iking!

FMM: That's cold

I'm not sure why, but it seems like Paula Abdul's "Cold Hearted" is making a resurgence on-line. I've been seeing it popping up on my feed in different iterations. Some posts are about the actual video, some are about the iconic lip-sync at RuPaul's Drag Race, and some feature Paula herself.

That's a sign. This song deserves to be on today's Friday Magic Madness.

The MTV is so slick and cool. It feels like an homage to the audition scene in "Flashdance." The song itself is iconic! From the catchy beat to the shift the the orchestra. And of course, Paula's fast rap was the chef's kiss of the song. Overall, it still feels fresh and current, despite the fact that it's a 37 year old song.

Because of all these reasons, it's with a full heart that I'm playing this song over and over again today.

Rife for Rifle

As a gift wrapper junkie, one of my most visited sites is Rifle Paper Co.

It's actually one of my black holes. Once I'm in the site and start browsing their excellent selection of gift wrapper prints, time will pass by in a flash, and I'll be in the site or an hour without noticing.

Imagine my thrill upon learning that they're going to have a collaboration with Target!

Upon closer scrutiny, though, they won't carry the gift wrapping and stationary line at Target. What they'll do is take their iconic prints and translate them into home ware and a few apparel pieces.

Not as expected, but I'm sure this is still worthy of being checked out.

Diana would be proud

Look Ms. Ross, I've found "The Boss."

And that's today's cat cuteness post.

Elephant in the room. The mall, rather.

Apparently, South Korea's other fave eyewear brand is also in the Philippines.

Passed through Glorietta on my way to the 4As meeting and spotted this Blue Elephant kiosk in Glorietta 2. 

Aside from Gentle Monster, this is the other brand that Pinoys hoard whenever they go to Seoul.

There's some controversy surrounding these 2 brands, though. There was a time when Gentle Monster was suing Blue Elephant for copying their designs and selling it cheaper. Not sure what happened to that, but the fact that Blue Elephant is still around might be an indicator.

Guess they acknowledged the elephant in the room.

Peace in a cup

The world is really starting to become a scary place.

Countries attacking each other. Governments taking up arms and striking at one another. Talks that these little wars might escalate to a big one.

Gosh! It's safe to say that the only thing that the people of the world want right now is peace.

And while it's hard to imagine that in the current state of global affairs, this store in Ali Mall was able to capture the sentiment in a cup.

If it were only this easy.

False Alarm?

After the huge hullabaloo caused by the news of Marks & Spencers' exit in the Philippines, this piece of news comes out.

So, should we stop hoarding lotions and digestives?

We shall see.