Plain Insane

Going to Plains and Prints during a sale is a dangerous thing. You walk in casually, without any intention of getting anything, then BANG! It hits you. Not only are their clothes nicely designed and well-made, they're also ridiculously cheap. So cheap that you end up walking out with these.



Yup, talk about a mother lode. Then again, it's also the store's fault. If they had bigger bags, people wouldn't look like they emptied the stores of all their contents.

But with a word like this, how can't you.



Among the local brands, I find Plains & Prints as the brand that tends to experiment more when it comes to cut, material and embellishments. They take the trends and tone them down to make it wearable for everyday. So while it isn't as generic as Kamiseta, it also isn't too "out there."




Among the great buys from this lot (which means there's another one in the offing) are these beauties:

A classic black shift with a skirt that's a cross between a tulip and a bubble.



A printed halter with just the right sheen.



And a black eyelet and swiss cotton blend jumpsuit. Playful, but still elegant.



After this round of finds, I'm beginning to think that the Plains & Prints sale is Manila's answer to the H&M and Zara sales in HKG.

Labels I love

Nope, I'm not talking about brands. I'm literally talking about labels.

There are two local brands that aren't really that big - unlike Bench, Bayo, Kamiseta or Plains and Prints. Although they aren't that popular, they do have some interesting items in store. I've gotten items there once or twice, and that's when I noticed their labels were something else.

Exhibit A: Kisses and Co.



Not only are they "Made in the Philippines," they're made in "Glamorous Philippines." I can imagine the people making these clothes as 20-something women wearing stilletos, dark nail polish and leather gloves to protect their hands from all that manual labor.

Exhibit B: The Flower Collection.

This brand has been a mainstay at Robinson's Galleria, and I'm glad it's doing well. They've got pretty ok stuff - although not stellar. But once in a while, they come up with gems of pieces.



One look at the label and it looks like your cookie-cutter variety. But if you flip it over, you'll be greeted by something pleasant.



Yup, it's a reminder for all the girls wearing their dresses that someone there loves them and looks out for them.

After looking at these two labels, I wonder why international brands prefer to outsource their clothes in China. They should have all their products here. Not only are they made by Glamorous people, they'll also be loved after wearing them. Now that's something you don't usually get from clothes.

Unless they're Made in the Philippines.

Seeing Double: Jamie, Jamie, Jennifer and Ginnifer

These 2 sets of Hollywood actresses never fail to leave me "destraido." Maybe it's because their physical features are quite similar, but they're awfully confusing. Whenever I see them in a movie, my first reaction would be: "So is that Jamie? Or is that Jamie?"


This is Jamie King.


This is Jamie Pressley.

Movies featuring either of them require me to sit through the credits just to make sure I'm getting the right Jaime. And if my recollection is correct, Jamie Pressly is the girl from "My Name is Earl" and "Not another Teen Movie" while Jamie King appeared in "Pearl Harbor" and "Bulletproof Monk."

Another set of actresses that have confused me of late are the two "Jennifers."


This is Ginnifer Goodwin.


This is Jennifer Morrison.

When I saw the preview of "Big Stan" last year, my first reaction was: "What? Ginnifer Goodwin is doing a slapstick? That's a big jump down from her brilliance in 'Big Love'." But upon seeing the movie poster and reading the cast list, it turned out to be Jennifer Morrison. But again, Jennifer did look like Ginnifer in that movie. Just like Ginnifer looked like Jennifer in the trailer of another movie.

Gosh. I'm getting confused again.

Good 'ole Bill

When the lady at Plains & Prints gave me my change, I was delighted with what she gave me.



A ten peso bill! Gosh! It's been ages since I've last seen one of these bills. And methinks that they've stopped producing them, too. So being given one is actually a good thing for me.

I know I have a two-peso and five-peso bill somewhere in my room. Maybe I should start looking for it so this bill will be in good company.

Good 'ole Movies

While waiting for the film "Bedtime Stories" to start, we saw part of the trailer of the new Disney action/adventure flick "Race to Witch Mountain." I'm not sure if this is a sequel or related to the old movie "Escape to Witch Mountain" - a film that I used to watch on TV as a little boy.



Based on the trailer, it has all the elements of a great, kid-adventure movie. Aliens, super powers, villains on hot pursuit, and a mystical mountain where unlimited powers come from. It's a story that I used to write in my head when I was in Grade School. And for that reason, this movie will definitely be on my "must not miss list."

And speaking of old movies, I also found out that they have a remake (or re-telling) of the old slasher flick, "My Bloody Valentine."



This is an uber memorable film for me. When we were kids, we watched this horror film on the betamax (yes, Betamax) over at the Aves' place. The whole film spooked the living daylights out of me, as in! After watching it, I couldn't even go to the bathroom alone. I recall how I'd ask our maids to stand by the door while I peed, and I'd yell every 2 seconds to check if she was still there.

What spooked me most about this film was the last frame. A haunting voice came from the mineshaft saying: "Sarah... be my bloody valentine..." Spooky!

Now that I'm older and no longer spooked by slasher flicks, maybe I should catch this film as well. Maybe, but it'll definitely won't be on my list.

Scary Carrie

No, this isn't about my favorite - and often written about - singer, Carrie Underwood.

Since I've been hooked on the song "I never dreamed someone like you would want someone like me", I couldn't help but remember the film where the song came from.

"Carrie" must've been one of the scariest films of its time. If you watch it from the beginning, it feels like one of those "odd girl out" films like "Mean Girls" and "Pretty in Pink." But once the horror factor of the movie kicks in, the chills follow en masse. And the crescendo, the final "prom night" scene.



And if you think the horror stops there, leave it to De Palma to add a bit more haunting scenes in the end of the film.



This film had a sequel of sorts in 2002. I remember because I was handling the UIP account back then and "Carrie 2" was one of the projects I worked on.

Despite the wealth of visual effects of the sequel, it still doesn't compare to the bare bones, simple yet stunning horror storytelling of the first one.

Hongkie-fied

The past month or so, I've noticed that the similarities between Manila and Hong Kong are increasing in number. This leads me to the observation that we're slowly being Hongkie-fied.

Maybe it's because of the proximity, or maybe it's because a lot of Filipinos are able to fly in and out of Hong Kong, but a lot of familiar sights and attitudes from that shopping mecca have been manifesting themselves here.

Among them are:
- Clothes disappearing from stores within a few hours. There was this article of clothing at The Landmark which I saw at night but didn't buy. When I came back for it in the afternoon of the next day, it was gone!
- People mobbing Zara and Mango the same day the SALE sign has been put up. When I dropped by Zara a couple of days ago, it looked like there was a mob war inside.
- Brands that Pinoys go to HKG to buy are now in Manila. Among them are Royce, Giordano Concepts, BlueStar Exchange, and even Foccacino! (The little Italian place that I frequented in Miramar Complex apparently has a branch in MOA.)
- When I passed through Megamall Atrium a few days ago, I also saw this:


This was one of my favorite clothes brands when I was starting out in HKG. They've got a lot of Japanese-inspired streetwear at prices that are on the cheap.

Now that HKG brands are on a roll here in good ole' Manila, I wonder who and when they'll bring in Cafe de Coral and MX? If that day comes, I'll definitely be first in line when they open.

Traveling back in time in Tagaytay

Yesterday, we went to Tagaytay to do oculars for a wedding I'm organizing this year. It was a tres interesting trip and we got to see new and interesting wedding reception venues like Balai Taal (which was modern and expensive) and Moon Garden (which was rustic and creepy.)

It was also great to see Hacienda Isabella again after a long time. It's such a wonderful chill out place that I told Mark that we should go there with D' Frendz one of these weekends.

While the places we've seen and the food we ate were great, one thing that I enjoyed about this Tagaytay trip was the music. The radio station that we were tuned in to was playing a lot of old music - ditties from the 80s to the early 90s. Clearly, this was my type of music and for that reason, I was singing at some point of the trip.

Among the lot, two of my favorite songs from the trip were songs that I haven't heard in a-g-e-s! First was this Maria Vidal classic, "Body Rock." Obviously, this song was a hit when breakdance and grafitti walls were in vogue. Makes me wonder if this song was ever in the soundtrack of the movie "Breakdance."



And of course, one of the 80s anthems that was sung by one of the bands that really made the 80s an awesome decade. Starship's "We Built this City." (Uy! How 80s!)



This is one of my all-time favorite songs. And even if the Rage sorta ruined this song at a gig we watched a few years back, it hasn't tarnished the image of this song for me. Gosh! Dig the video! Acid trip! Hahaha!

Now that makes the "trip" in our Tagaytay trip a totally different thing.

Homecomings, Leaps of Faith and Taking Charge

Like I proclaimed 2 years ago, one of my favorite jobs before was making the San Miguel “Year-in-Review” videos. And if I were to make a 2008 year-in-review, that would probably be the title.

“Homecomings” would be the top story of last year. After 3 years of living in HKG (and 2.5 years of asking myself “Why the heck am I here?”) I finally decided to pack my bags and head back home.


This was my last “official picture” in HKG, taken a few hours before my flight back to MNL. I arrived in 2005 with 2 bags – the black carry-on and my Samsonite laptop bag. When I left, I had 3 bags, and 10 boxes. Harhar.

As early December 2007, I knew it was time to go home. Most of my friends and batch mates at work resigned, some headed home and others headed to places with better “working conditions.” A few months after I quit, I found out that even our Managing Director packed his bags and decided to go back to his motherland. I knew that without these folks, working wouldn’t be as fun as it used to. And when work ceases to be fun, it’s the surest sign that it’s time to push the eject button.

Last November, when I had lunch with my former colleagues, they told me how I looked so relaxed and glowing. They also told me that 3 more of my friends quit their jobs. That made me even gladder that I decided to eject.

Aside from myself, a lot of people I know came home to Manila this year. Mark and the gang came home from Japan, Rommel and Lola O came back from Vietnam, and a lot of friends returned from Dubai, Guam and the U.S. Just yesterday, I found out that Gigi – my culinary partner in crime in HKG – also decided to finally come home after 3 years. Looks like birds of the same feather do come home together.

For me, homecoming meant more than just coming home. It meant coming back to people, places and things that I love. Among them was returning to the academe. After resettling, one of the first things I did was go back to school. By the 2nd semester, I found myself teaching again. The amazing thing was, it felt like I never left. It was like an old friendship that felt familiar even if we’ve been apart for years.

The only new thing in school is the fact that my former boss is now part of my faculty. So now, he calls me “boss”. Harhar.

“Leaps of Faith” would be another segment because this was pretty much what I did last year. Whenever an advertising person resigns from his or her job, you can be 98% sure that there’s a plan B or a next step. In fact, when I was CD at Adformatix and my creatives would resign, my first question would be: “So, saan ka lilipat?”

This year, I decided I wouldn’t move to another agency just yet. After those 3 years in HKG, I felt it was time for a sabbatical – a real one. When my “International friends” asked me what I planned to do after, my standard reply was: “I’m planning to just rest and do the things that I’m passionate about.”

Thanks to God’s good graces, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing the past months. Aside from teaching, I’ve been lucky enough to get a lot of good advertising projects in China. The nice thing about this is the fact that I can work from home, and only need to fly to Shanghai or Guangzhou for big projects. The neat thing about it is that I get to choose the projects I like and am passionate about.

On my trip to SHG last October, I was leafing through the in-flight magazine of CX and found that one of the ads during my sabbatical was already being run. The feeling upon seeing the ad was that of pleasant surprise, and it was the same feeling I got after seeing my very, very, VERY first print ad decades ago. (My very first print ad was for Finch Paints – is that brand still alive?)



Another ad that I did while I was in China was apparently picked up by the New York office. They were so impressed with the print piece that they decided to put it on the global website. Meanwhile – back in Manila – I’ve been given the opportunity to write for one of my dream accounts. In addition, I went back to writing lifestyle/business stories for SMC, another thing I missed doing.

All these combined make me feel so productive – yet relaxed. I’m so thankful that God has opened a lot of windows, each one with a spectacular view.

Homecoming and Leaps of Faith are both results of re-learning one important lesson this 2008 – “Taking Charge.”

So that’s what I did, I took charge of my life and did things I wanted to do, things I’m passionate about, and things I’ve always planned to do but was always “too busy” to accomplish. I wrote more, taught more, created more, planned more, and traveled more. In fact, I’ve even traveled with my Dad and Sister this year – something we haven’t done in a long time.





And of course, I shopped more. Let’s not forget that.

While this already sounds like belaboring the point, it’s actually just a small part of what made 2008 a great year. The other highlights of the year are floating in my head, and it’ll be better to list them down to put a bit of organization to the exercise.

That exercise, of course, will deserve another post.

Happy New Year!

The first day of the new year was spent at home, hanging out with family, making paninis for everyone (I'm SO getting into the panini groove, thanks to D' Frendz who gave me the panini maker and Mark who gave me this cookbook, along with other deli and cheeses.)



Another thing that makes this New Year special is the fact that I'm not dreading the end of the holiday season. The past few years, when I was still based in HKG, I'd dread the coming of January 1 because that meant I'd be flying back to cold, gray HKG in a few days. But now that I'm home, I can face 2009 more relaxed and without any feeling of stress at all.

Relaxed, happy, surrounded by family and loved ones - now THAT'S the perfect way to start a new year.

Another reason why everyday should be a holiday...

It's amazing how quiet the world gets during the Christmas holiday season. Maybe it's because everyone's out of town - probably celebrating in the province or out of town. Even the malls - notoriously crowded starting November - are now quieter. Went to Greenhills yesterday to have our annual Christmas dinner, and I was actually able to walk around without being pushed around by a throng of people.

On my way to Makati to meet Mark, the taxi driver was raving about how the roads have been so easy to navigate the past few days. He concluded that we really need to lessen the number of cars in order to fix the traffic situation in the metro.

Even in our neighborhood, the atmosphere is very quiet. The entire stretch of 20th Avenue is rid of the usual hustle and bustle, which makes it a joy to walk to Daily Supermarket.

I'm liking this sense of peace and quiet. It makes me want to wish for that popular Christmas saying: Sana araw-araw ay pasko.

The Circus is in town

Woohoo! Thanks to Princess Shashie Friend, I have a copy of Britney's new album!

Now I've got this song looped on my iPod. As well as on Markbook. And I've seen the "Making of the Album" DVD 3 times since I got it this afternoon. Too bad the video of "Circus" isn't on the DVD. If it were, I'd probably be locked on the screen just watching it over and over. (Dig the Bvlgari product placement! Hahaha.)



Britney's back!

This one's for Arnie

Back when we were still office mates at DY&R, Arnie and I would often talk about our passions: Advertising, Pop Culture and Shopping. Since we were working in an Advertising Agency, we tried to avoid "talking shop" during our leisure time. So what else would we talk about?

Shopping, of course.

Arnie and I both enjoy looking for new things and great buys. We both enjoy bargain hunting, and find that the "hunt" is one of the most exciting parts of the exercise. When I was still in HKG, I'd often SMS her whenever each time a fabulous find comes my way. Like this, this and this

In one of our many conversations about shopping and bargain hunting, we talked about putting up a website that would feature chic finds at cheap prices. We'd brainstorm on the different contents of the website, how we'd maintain it, the different features and where to get materials. In our heads, we knew what we wanted our website to look like, unfortunately, we didn't know HTML that time. (Blogging and Multiply weren't that big yet back then.)

Eventually, we both left DY&R and our website was left behind. Although whenever we'd see each other - whether in MNL, HKG or at the airport en route to a Northwest flight - we'd talk about the website and how we still look forward to putting it up and seeing it on the web.

The reason I'm remembering this now is because of an incident this afternoon. After our D' Frendz Christmas get together, the group went to Gateway and did a bit of Christmas gift shopping. (Yes, it never ends.) While in Bayo, I saw this particular garment that reminded me of a similar garment in a high-end fashion website.

Two similar items with two very different price points - this was one of the sections that our website was supposed to have.

When I got home, I immediately opened Markbook, worked on these two images on photoshop and came up with this:



This could've very well be one of the pages of our website. And knowing our expertise in finding high-end looks at low-end prices, I'm sure Arnie and I won't run out of materials for a section like this.

I miss collaborating with Arnie, who's now in NYC taking up fashion at FIT. Hey Arnie, when will you be back in Manila? With that degree under your belt, let's continue collaborating and brainstorming. Who knows? We might make good with that vision of becoming this country's Proenza Schouler? Harhar.

Going Banana

It was during one of those "Christmas gift hunts" that I found this awesome piece of clothing in the most unexpected of places. Every bit of this dress spells out "elegant holidays," and since this is the holiday season, and my sister is elegant, I decided to get it for her.

The piece is a metallic shift in heavy silk. The dress is peppered with details that make it wonderful to look at.



First, there's an asymmetrical slit in front, which is high enough to make a statement but low enough to not be skanky.



The bodice has diagonal folds that are "origami-esque." Although I've already had origami overload (largely because ALL of the clothes in the region now have a touch of origami somewhere), I found this interesting and novel.





The back was low, but in an elegant way.



Saw this dress on the Banana Republic website, and it's still part of their current stock. (Along with the other dresses I saw in that hole-in-the-wall shop in Makati.) The great thing about it is the Philippine price is about 80% less of the web price. And that alone is a good reason to go ape over this Banana Republic dress.

Merry Christmas!

It doesn't get more classic than Ray Conniff playing in the background during Christmas!



This song reminds me of Christmases in Tomas Morato with the entire Morales clan. And considering that the entire family hasn't been together for the holidays in 4 or 5 years, it makes me miss them more.

To my family in Georgia, California and Barcelona:

Merry Christmas!

Last (Minute) Christmas

True to tradition, I spent the last hours leading to Christmas at the mall. Scampering around for Christmas gifts!

Went to Makati to hear pre-Christmas mass and have pre-Holiday lunch with Mark. Then, we went to 2 stores to try and score some gifts. Went to the Spa, and found out they were closed! (Who closes on the 24th?) Then, it was off to Music One where I scored great gifts for my nephews and nieces. (And Mark gave me an equally cool and great gift as well. Thanks, Mark!)

Got home around 6pm and immediately proceeded to wrap gifts. Considering that I finished before 8pm, I'm actually earlier this year compared to previous years.

It's funny how I always tell myself - year after year - that I won't let this last minute situation happen again. But still it does. Then again, it adds to the holiday cheer - in a manic, frantic way. Harhar.

Maybe I won't let this happen again next year.

Or maybe not.

If Bram Stroker went to Sweet Valley High...

Mark and I finally watched "Twilight" this weekend. It's a really nice film - if you're 16 years old. I swear, I could feel the collective swooning of the audience at Glorietta whenever Bella and Edward would have scenes together.

What's interesting about the film is that it's really a teen flick/chick flick whose lead characters happen to be Vampires. All the ingredients of a high school movie are there: the school cliques, the overprotective parents, the disapproving sister, two guys after the same girl, forbidden love - this could've been "Pretty in Pink" with Dracula thrown into the mix.

Despite being older than the "target market", I liked the film. As Bonique said, it's a cute, romantic story with a lot of "kilig moments" embedded throughout the 2 hour film. Hey, you can never go wrong with romantic movies.

My only beef in this film was: Why does Edward Cullen look like he's perpetually constipated?

Professors gone wild...

Once upon a time, I ran into a student at Shangri-La Mall and the first thing she told me was:

"Sir, you're in a mall. Nag-ma-mall din pala ang mga professors."

Yes Virginia, professors do more than just stand in front of a classroom and teach. And if your professors are from Mass Comm, you'd be surprised that the things we do are wilder, wackier and more insane than what you do.

A good example would be our annual faculty Christmas party. We had it last Friday, and as expected, there was a lot of insanity and wackiness that people wouldn't expect from Professors. Ask Sheryll Lou, she was there to take snaps of the party. (Thanks for the photos, She. I stole them from your site. Harhar.)

Wowie and I were this year's organizers, and here we are doing some very last minute organizing.



It was a "hat party" and everyone came in their hats from all occupations and nations. John (the guy wearing the construction hat) was named best hat of the night.





Meanwhile, Becky's hat from Pakistan was the most coveted.



John thinks up of the most absurd games and he succeeds in making everyone else look - well - absurd. Here are the respected professors playing "Samson-Delilah-Lion", and I must say that everyone was really, REALLY into it.



We also played "White Elephant" and Lito took the Elephant's share of the gifts. At this point, Liz and Becky both haven't won anything yet, thus the faces of disapproval as I try to tell them there's always a chance that they'd win something.



But at the end of the day, they didn't. So here are the "Loooozzzzers" of the night. Harhar.



Another year, another fun night with the "highly-esteemed" Professors of Mass Comm. Good thing we only do this once a year.

And today's winning conversation is...

...between a guard and a mall goer.

I overheard this while shopping for game prizes this afternoon.

MALL GOER: Excuse me, saan ba dito 'yung Hush Puppies?

GUARD: Hush Puppies?

MALL GOER: Oho. Saan yon? Magkikita kasi kami ng mga kaibigan ko doon, eh nandoon na daw sila.

GUARD: Nandoon na pala sila eh. Bakit hindi mo na lang itanong sa mga kaibigan mo kung saan yon?

And my thought balloon read:

"Oo nga naman. Hindi mo naisip yon."

Wrap me in Ribbons

Grace and Lezyl were looking for cheap and one-of-a-kind gifts, and I was looking for Fruit Cocktail for our Christmas salad. And yesterday, our search brought us to

*drum roll please*

Clark!

Yup, Lezyl was telling us about the Duty Free stores there, so we decided to check it out. True enough, there were a lot of goodies there that you can't find in Manila. I got cans and cans (and cans) of Fruit Cocktail and its other incarnations (like Chunky Mixed Fruit and Very Cherry), as well as interesting chocolates that aren't anywhere in Manila. (There was a Cherry Cordial Kisses variant. Yum!)

Most of all, I was able to find this body wash that I've been searching for the past 2 months.



I first tried the Olay with Ribbons in Shanghai last October. I bought two bottles to bring to Manila, but realized that I forgot them in the bathroom of Holiday Inn after arriving at the airport. Tried looking for them in HKG - and even if I searched high and low, it turned out they didn't carry them there.

Went around supermarkets, department stores and other specialty stores here in Manila, but to no avail. Just as I was about to give up, this came along. Good thing they come in huge, huge bottles. One bottle is all I need and its good enough for a few months.

And when it runs out, I know exactly where to get it.

Oks na Oxfords

I've finally taken snaps of those cool Oxfords I got at The Landmark.





Ain't they mighty cool?

Que Rico

I don't know who Rico Salandanan is. What I do know is he makes fashionable clothes. His brand has been one of the housebrands of The Landmark for the longest time, and it's hard to miss his stuff.

Arnie and I would usually talk about how fashion forward he is. Whenever you pass by Landmark and pass by his corner, you're likely to find the current trends and fabrics displayed there. At times, he picks up on the trends earlier than other designers or department stores.

One recent acquisition illustrates his discerning eye for what's new and hot. This LBD screamed at me when I passed through the RS section last weekend.



The fabric is a soft, black brocade and the style has a lot of subtle detailing. The highlight of the dress is a stylized standing collar which frames the face perfectly. But it doesn't stop there. You can actually detach the collar just by unhooking it from the buttons.



And voila! A new dress. Ate Bullet tried this dress on and the sabrina neckline falls on all the right places. The waist detail also emphasizes the waist, and there are side pockets, too. It looks like every dress the past few seasons is fitted with pockets.



Then there's this other black shift that I got for Ate Lissa. It's a simple black dress made of the same brocade fabric. The silhoutte has this Balenciaga feel to it - reminding me of that short, floral shift that Jennifery Connely wore a few months back.



The dress has nice sleeves and a keyhole detail on the neck. Again, subtle details like these add a lot of character to the dress.



These 2 LBDs are just a sampler of his new collection. He also has an entire line of pretty plaids, some belted, high-waisted skirts, and a slew of shirts and dresses that have men's wear influences.

For someone who makes really great clothes, it makes me wonder why this guy isn't as "visible" in the industry. No big press releases or fashion spreads. No runway shows or mall shows. He's pretty quiet and low key for a person in a very loud and attention-hungry industry.

Maybe he's one of those quiet geniuses, like Alber Elbaz. Well, if he starts churning out Lanvin-esque type clothes, that'll be another story. Or blog entry.

A fashionable Landmark

The interiors are a bit dated, the posters are hand made and silk screened using textile paint, and yes, the counter signs are made of styrofoam. But despite all these little details that are enough to ring the tacky alarm, it's amazing how The Landmark can house so many fashionable items.



Arnie, Ginger and I have always been Landmark afficionados. Even before they opened their Trinoma branch (the one that looks more high-end), I've always been a Landmark shopper. They've always had a great knit selection, and the cheapest I've seen from a department store. Their shoes and accessories are fashion forward but priced like they were stuck in 2005. And the clothes are pretty good.

Yes, there can be a lot of tackiness scattered around, (Auntie Baby blouses, anyone?) but in between those racks are a lot of gems. From export overruns, to unbranded beauties, to surprisingly modern designs from their in-house brand Details -- fashionistas are spoilt for choice here.

One of my recent finds at The Landmark was a peep toe, banana heeled, black lace-up Oxfords which looked like it was peeled off the latest issue of InStyle. I saw similar shoes at The Ramp and they were going for around P1,500 to P2,000. But these ones were less than P1,000! You can buy 3 different colors and probably spend less than if you'd buy something like that at The Ramp. Or Mango. Or Zara. (Yup, they're comparable.)

I can go to Landmark every week and find something new each time. Each find would be better than the last one. Gosh! I'm starting to sound like a testimonial for their department store.

Then again, if they do need one, I'll probably sign up.

That's what friends are for.

Overheard at Cinderella in Ayala Center this afternoon.

GIRL 1: I like this dress sana kaso nakakataba kasi yung style niya.

GIRL 2: Anong style? Hindi yung style ang nakakataba. Mataba ka lang talaga!

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

When is it coming to town?

I swear, I'm buying Britney's new album once it drops in Manila. Last year, I went and bought "Blackout" on the day it was released in HKG. Last week, they didn't have posters of "Circus" on HMV stores, so I'm not sure if they'll release it the same time as the North American release.



When, oh when will it get here. I'm excited to join the circus.

Two ladies and a birthday

Today is my Mom's birthday! Happy birthday, Mom!

I also found out this morning that another little lady is celebrating her birthday today. And really, she was just born today!



Welcome Baby Audrey! And congratulations Bonique and Vince for a healthy and heavy baby girl.

This year's theme is...

...inspired by my trips to Japan.


I've finished wrapping my first Christmas present and my theme this year is Japanese. This theme came to fruition thanks to Mark who looked for the wrapping paper with Japanese patterns when we were in Japan.

I still remember that in June and July, we went from one supermarket, bookstore and department store to another in search of these. Eventually, we got 5 different designs - all distinctly Nihon.

Using a plain, dark colored paper as base, I turned the paper into an "obi belt" of sorts, and added a cord as accent. It's like a kimono translated into a box. I think it works, and I'm liking the color combination.



There will be 5 "versions" of the wrapper, with the obi belt changing. If I'm able to find the same plain material in aubergine and black, the color of the base will change, too.





One gift down, a lot more to go.