It's another redesign of the logo. The first one was sometime in 2013, and back then, it wasn't as nice as the original.
As a user of Ivory products since my childhood, I've grown to love and grown attached to the brand and notice little changes like this.
I've said it before - their old logo was already great - simple, pure, no-frills. This new one doesn't have that same vibe. In fact, it feels a bit antiquated and old-fashioned. It also lost its sense of purity and simplicity.
Gosh! The bowl itself was so large that it looked like a basin. And they did not - DID NOT - scrimp on the toppings. And to think that this isn't their biggest bowl.
You'll need an extra large appetite to actually finish this.
Not to say that I'm not doing Christmas errands as early as now.
A few weeks ago, when we attended Tita Elvie's birthday bash at the gazebo, her kids treated everyone to a mini-concert. Yes, Tita Elvie's kids are all good singers.
And it was during that mini-concert, one of his sons sang this song:
Gosh! It's been ages since I last heard a Marco Sison song. And that song that he sung turned out to be one of his biggest hits, "Make Believe."
Just when you thought Uniqlo was slowing down on collabs, they come in with another one!
Passed by the Uniqlo store in SM Megamall and saw a rack that vibrant and eye catching prints. Upon approach, it turned out to be the Uniqlo x Francesco Risso collab which just dropped today!
Francesco Risso is an Italian designer who's best known for his work at Marni. With his eye for prints and a fun yet classic style, his work for Marni had a joie de vivre, but done in a very subdued and elegant way.
That aesthetic is evident in this collab. He has colourful and vibrant prints are on tailored dresses and sharp polos. And there's so many awesome items to choose from!
And that's my cue to go back and snag some pieces from his collection. Soon.
I've been binge-watching a series of real-life content on FB lately. And it's created by this awesome guy.
His name is Sam, and he goes to underrated but deserving restaurants in the US, creates content about them, and promotes them. And very often, his content draws people to those restaurants, saving and increasing their business.
Whenever I'd see his videos, the smiles (and almost tears) keep coming. It's so nice to see so much goodness in people, and in the world.
Bless you, Sam. May you help more people and keep on doing what you're doing.
When Toast Box was still open in MNL, Mark and I used to eat there. Usually, it would be with Ia who's a fan of Kaya Toast.
That's why during our trip to SG last week, we decided that one of our breakfasts should be at Toast Box. It would be good to relive our Toast Box days, right at the home base of the brand.
Of course, we both had the sets- the Chicken Floss toast set for me, and the Ham and Cheese toast set for Mark.
The Curry Puff is one of the snacks that's always a must-have every SG visit.
It's been written on this blog several times that Old Chang Kee is my curry puff of choice. Their Curry-O is da bomb!
But on this visit, Ka Wei brought me to a Hawker store in Chinatown and let me try 2 Michelin starred curry puffs.
They're both good and deserving of their stars. But if a choice has to be made, it's the Heritage Tanglin Curry Puff for me. It's flakier, and the filling is more flavourful.
Admittedly, though, Old Chang Kee is still my sentimental fave.
As a White Rabbit stan, this new place introduced to me by KaWei is a big check mark.
A White Rabbit store!
It's at the market behind Chinatown Point mall, and it's a small store with everything White Rabbit. Aside from candies in different flavours, they also have a lot of merch!
Walked out with loads of candies, a tote bag and stickers!
Will most likely hop on over to this place again during my next SG visit.
I've been to SG many times, but this trip was my first stay in Roberson Quay.
We stayed at Intercontinental Robertson Quay, and it was a quiet and quaint hotel. It's just across the river, so you get very nice views at night. Plus, there's a plethora of food and drink choices, thanks to The Quayside.
While it's off the beaten path, it's still accessible since there are 2 MRT stations near it. There's Clark Quay station which is about a 10 minute walk away, and Fort Caning Station which is relatively nearer.
The hotel is also near another notable SG place - The Warehouse Hotel.
Used to go here back in the 2000s where it was still a bar. And while the nature of the business has changed, the structure is still the same.
All this talk of Quays - which, by the way, is pronounced as "keys" - made me think of this David Benoit classic. And that's going to be today's Friday Magic Madness song.
Yes, this Robertson Quay entry is the impetus to "The Key to You." This is a 1988 classic which was such a ubiquitous song in radio stations, particularly City Lites 88.8 and 96.3 WRock.
This year's Purple Sale is a case of "quality over quantity."
While the haul might not be as plentiful as the past sales, the gems were really gems.
Just like this denim ensemble fro RAF.
It's a denim vest and skirt, made from the same dark denim material. What makes it interesting is the floral details scattered around the pieces. They're also made of denim, has frayed edges, and are all detachable! That's fashionable yet practical.
Just like flowers, this is a fresh take on the denim-on-denim trend.
I'm not sure if this is a case of "Johnny Come Lately" or "It's about time," but this once-iconic American fast fashion brand has finally opened its first store in the Philippines.
Yup, Abercrombie & Fitch.
This famous and infamous brand is known for their shirtless sales staff, dark store interiors, and love for unabashedly perfect models. Whenever I'd visit their stores in the US, and even in TYO, and once in SG, it was a bit of a daunting experience especially when their chiseled and near perfect staff would meet you at the door.
But I'd always find myself inside their store since I'm a huge fan of their jeans and polos. This blog is witness to that truth.
The SM MOA store doesn't look like the usual A&F store I'm used to. It looks bright and inviting, very different from the set-up I'm used to. Then again, these are just pictures. It would be interesting to go there personally and see how much the brand has evolved.
Today's Friday Magic Madness is an obvious choice.
The Philippines celebrates Independence Day today, so, let's play a song about Independence.
"State of Independence" is a 1982 hit by Donna Summer. People have always considered this song to be a heavyweight song because of the song's back-up choir. It featured legends like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and Lionel Richie! How's that for a back-up?
That's probably why after 44 years, this song is still in a very good state.
Human recently had a collaboration with another street wear brand named Hamu, and they had 1 piece that caught my eye.
It's this white cargo skirt with an interesting detail. It's an embroidery, but it looks like a kid's drawing of a flower. It's this simplicity and purity that drew me to it.
Speaking of simple and pure, this knit top, also from Human, was the perfect pair. It's simple, but the scalloped neckline (which isn't too visible) is what makes it elevated.
The sight of roast items hanging from a window always reminds me of HKG.
Spotted this when Mark and I had lunch at Hawker Chan in One Ayala, and it immediately brought me back to my old neighbourhood in Tak Hing Street. There were a few roast restos around my building, and I've tried them all.
And of course, there's Cafe de Coral who also had a set-up like this.
You know it's a trend when even kids clothes following it.
Thus is the case of the Chinoiserie that has been mentioned here a few days ago. During a routine visit to The SM Store, this super cute and super fashionable ensemble caught my eye.
The top is a Chinese-inspired denim polo from Just Kids. It''s actually a boy's polo, but it'll also work for little girls. I actually got this for my apo, Sab. Luckily, they had a skort made of a similar material, and that's what I got to pair it with.
This ensemble is a perfect example of "small in size, big in style."
An SG icon where I'd usually buy pasalubongs is now in MNL. It opened quietly, and without much fanfare. But the shop, the promise and the prices speaks volumes.
Valu$ is a grocery store in SG that sells items for much less compared to regular supermarkets. This is my go-to place if I'm buying chocolates, cookies and other pasalubongs.
It's a very no-frills place. Wooden shelves. Cardboard signs highlighting the offers. Red and yellow signs everywhere. And the great thing is, they brought all that here, so going inside the Valu$ store in Starmall feels like being in the Valu$ store in Bugis all over again.
From now on, this is going to be my destination for value buys.
After writing about fables, the word "imagination" suddenly came to mind. After all, you need a rich and vivid imagination to be able to come up with stories. Much more if you think up of fables.
And since today is Friday Magic Madness day, I'm digging up a song that I've written about more than a year ago. But it's such a nice song, it deserves a repeat.
"Pure Imagination" is a 1976 song from Lou Rawls. As kids, this song would be played a lot on cassette, whether it was at home or in the car.
True to its title, there's something very imaginative and fantastical about this song. It sounds so soothing, thanks to Lou Rawls' voice, and the lyrics were beautifully written.
So, as the song says: Come with me, and let's listen to this song again.
But as a kid, Aesop's Fables was one of the books that I'd devour.
What this post is about is this recent discovery.
After smelling Aesop HWYL, it was definitely a must-buy. It has this very green and earthy scent that's easy on the nose and not too overpowering. It also has good longevity and lasted more than 6 hours on my skin.
I'm not a big fan of perfumes, so this is a big deal.
File under: "The things you find when you're not looking."
Was walking along the concrete pavements of 13th Avenue, and chanced upon this beauty:
It's so refreshing to see so many flowers and so much vibrant colours in least expected places. It's a nice breather from all the hustle and bustle of city life.
Unprompted, this feature suddenly popped up on my FB reel.
What makes this reel special is that it features my cousin and their family restaurant in BCN.
Cristy is part of the 3rd generation of Bofarruls who are running Los Caracoles. And it's great to see how much they've embraced on-line marketing and advertising, but in a very authentic and organic way.
