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: 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!

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.

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.

Shell Shocked

During my last trip to Cebu in 2019, there was an on-going trade fair at Ayala Center Cebu featuring locally made accessories.

At that trade fair, there was a booth that sold locally-made minaudieres. They were beautifully made using different types of shells. One particular design caught my eye, and it was of tortoise shell. Was planning to buy it, but ran out of time and wasn't able to go back to mall.

So, it was a missed purchase.

Fast forward to today. Was at The SM Store in SM Megamall, and spotted this:

While it's not the exact design, it's very, very close to the minaudiere that caught my eye. From the shape, to the material, to the size - it gave me a fashion flashback. And that flashback made me buy it!

Imagine my shock when it turned out to be on sale! The price of this was around 70% of the price of the one in Cebu.

Looks like this minaudiere was meant to be.

Bad for Business

You'd think that "business" is a simple word to spell.

Apparently not.

Proofreader, please!

Sneaky!

I went to Cebu last week, and this is what I ended up buying:

Sneakers!

I know it's Random, but the designs were so cute and they were so affordable.

Plus, I don’t see this in Manila, so it’s all good.

Blessed!

Yup, it was hectic. And yes, it rained a lot. But I'm so glad I was able to take the parents, aunts and uncles around Cebu.

Especially to the Sto. Nino Basilica which is such a special place.

Family time is awesome!

Heart to Heart

Whenever I visit Cebu, I usually hear mass at the Cebu Capitol Church, or Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.

That was my plan last Saturday, so I hopped on a cab and told the driver "Sacred Heart."

As the trip went along, I noticed he was taking some unfamiliar roads, and was actually going farther than he should. So, I began to wonder what was happening.

After a few minutes, I found myself in the Shrine of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, also in Cebu!

It's such a beautiful, modern church with some Art Deco elements. It was both massive and cozy, and the presider had such an awesome homily.

So now, I have another church to frequent when I'm in Cebu.

Love is in the air. And on the bed.

This surprise greeted Mom and Dad when they went back to the hotel room today.

It was such a nice gesture. And the housekeeping boy even had a handwritten note to accompany the swans and heart made of towels.

Well played, Seda. Well played.

Boom!

And suddenly, my parents, aunts and uncle are all in Cebu for the weekend!

This is going to be fun.

Yo!

Looks like Yobob is turning out to be a go-to eating place in Cebu.

In my last 4 visits to Cebu, we ate here three times!

It's going to be one of our consistent food places. Which is great because they're food is consistently good, too.

Traveling in (sando) style

So, it turns out that there's a scissor inside my backpack. They asked me to check it in, leaving me without a hand carried luggage.

After scrounging around the bag for something to use as an alternative bag, this was all I could find:

Yes, I'm the most stylish traveler in Mactan Airport. My iPad, boarding pass, book, and other travel accoutrements are inside a sando bag from Taboan Market.

Classy.

Capitol City

In all my visits to Cebu City this year, there's one place I never fail to visit:

Cebu Capitol Church, or as I know it more, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church.

I was first introduced to this church during Lu-Ann's wedding. Since then, I've been drawn to its simplicity and solemnity. And even if it's been renovated and the interiors are a bit more modern, it was still able to keep its vibe.

Good thing that some things never change.

Product Placement

The first place I visit on this weekend trip to Cebu was a convenience store. And what do I see?

It's our product!

This is a good sign.

Let Sleeping Cats of the South Lie

In this edition of "Let sleeping cats lie," a cute, sleeping feline in Cebu!

No matter where in the country they are, they're still unbearably cute!

Let the Children's laughter...

Among the things that Alejandra wanted to accomplish while she was in Cebu was to visit and orphanage and spend time with kids.

Thanks to the speedy efforts of Kevin, he was able to coordinate with The Little Sisters of Christ The King - an orphanage and shelter being run by Franciscan Nuns in Talamban.

Both Ale and Kevin pooled their resources to buy lunch for the kids, as well as supplies that was much needed by orphanage. Since they're not funded by the government, they need all the help they can get for their daily living. Sister was saying that the rice, sugar, canned goods and other goodies will go a long way in helping them help the 24 kids under their care.

All the 24 kids introduced themselves and shared their dreams for the future. In the room, there were aspiring doctors, teachers, lawyers, flight attendants, accountants, chefs and journalists. Amazingly, their dreams were aligned with who we were, and this was a source of thrill for the kids.

Then, they had a dance number which was all about love and sharing love. It was so apt for the company and the prevalent feeling in the room that morning.

This was followed by lunch, and almost an hour of just talking to and interacting with the kids. It was so gratifying to hear the children laugh and enjoy the time they spent with us.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was time for us to go back to the city. Our flight was in a few hours and we still had to fix our stuff. 

It was bittersweet because we all wanted to spend more time with the kids of The Little Sisters. But as I promised one of the girls I spoke to, we'll be back soon.

Southern Comfort

There's always a warm, comfy feeling when you get together with relatives in a different place.

Then, when those relatives are awesome folks who you're meeting for the first time in your life, there's an added feeling of wonder and delight.

That's the feeling we got last Saturday when we met our Cebu-based relatives. Dad has been long trying to arrange this meeting, and with Alejandra in town, we thought it was the best time to do it. Not only will we meet them, they'll also get to meet their granddaughter from BCN.

Needless to say, the evening was filled with great, home cooked food, and even wonderful conversation. It was such a thrill to meet Titos, cousins and nieces for the first time! I didn't know we had uber cool relatives in Cebu!

There's always a warm, comfy feeling when you get together with relatives for the first time in a different place. And I'm sure this won't be the last.

At the heart of it all

My visit to Cebu is never complete without hearing mass at Sacred Heart Parish. The same parish where LuAnn and Mads got married almost 7 years ago.

Some places really feel like home.

From BCN to MNL to CEB

This weekend is going to be epic!

My niece from Barcelona is in Cebu as a medical volunteer, and my nephew who's currently based in Cebu met up with her. Then, my sister and I flew in from Manila to join the fun.

Family really doesn't know any boundaries.