Crimson Tied

Tyler has always been a good source of "classics with a twist."

When they were just starting, I'd often go there for their tailored pieces and easy fabrics. What I liked about Tyler's clothes was the fact that there would always be a nice detail. Whether it's a hidden pin tuck or a slight drape - it always added character to the garment.

After it was acquired by a big fashion company, I noticed that their clothes became more mainstream and commercial, and I didn't drop by as often as I did before. (Even though they have more branches now.)

But I'd still drop by occasionally, in the hopes of finding a piece that's classic Tyler. And when I did yesterday, I was rewarded with this great find.

It was a classic, well-tailored shirt dress in a bright, crimson hue. The top was cut close to the body, and the skirt had a lot of body and flounce. It was a fashionable and flattering combination.

What made it even more striking was this large ribbon tied in front. It elevated the dress from the usual to more chic!

Ate Bullet is a big fan of shirt dresses, and I'm sure she'll be glad to have this in her closet.

FMM: O Captain (and Tennille), my Captain (and Tennille.)

Captain and Tennille was a major music force back in the 70s and 80s.

The duo was best known of their monster hits such as "Do that to me one more time," and "Love will keep us together." Songs that we know and often sing in videoke joints.

What I didn't know was that they had their own version of "Happy Together." Yes, that classic song by The Turtles.



The arrangement is very different - thanks to that touch of electronica and pop - but it's still fun to listen to. And the video, can you say cinematically psychedelic? Hahaha.

I think I'll put this song on repeat for a few hours.

Dessert-ation

Last week, when we went out Ikebukuro station, this stall automatically caught my eye.

I'm used to seeing "Cold Stone Creamery" in Manila, but it was the first time to encounter a "Cold Stone Ice Candy" store.

By the way, "Ice Candy" in Japan means popsicles. And boy, did they have popsicles in every make and flavor. Some were simple and refreshing, while others were elaborate and rich.

Mark and I pored through the menu for a few minutes before buying our ice candies. He went for a milk concoction with toppings that can rival a cake, while I chose the grapefruit-lychee sherbet popsicle. How me!

We were happy campers after this little dessert detour. If we had the time and appetite, we would've probably gone with another order. But I had a flight to catch that evening, so we'll just go back here some other time.

Lemaire at it!

After poring through the lookbook of the Lemaire x Uniqlo collection, methinks this dress is the key piece.

It has a very easy-going, laid-back yet luxe and modern vibe to it, which is what Lemaire is all about.

The question is, will this collection be available in Manila?

We shall see.

Greeking out

Since Creamy Delight is the account of one of our sister companies, I decided to try it out.

And I'm sure glad that I did! This is really, really, really good yogurt! It has the right level of sweetness, and the consistency is so creamy, much like soft serve.

Initially, I thought I wouldn't like it because it didn't have fruit bits, or any bits for that matter. But it was definitely a surprise. A creamy, delightful surprise.

Meals with Mark: D.I.Y. - Dinner It Yourself

Mark knows that I'm a frustrated cook. I'd like to do D.I.Y. dishes, that's why I like places such as Slappy Cakes and Project Pie. That's also why I always take on the role of breakfast cook whenever I'm in Tokyo.

On this trip, he told me that we're going to a restaurant that I'll surely enjoy.

What restaurant was this? A D.I.Y. Okonomiyaki restaurant, of course!

Tucked away in a part of Harajuku, the place was packed on a Friday night. The entire restaurant was filled with a cacophony of chatter, laughter, and sizzling grills. You could order ingredients for Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba and Monjayaki, and we went for the first two.

The cooking process was a bit trickier than it looked. You had to do a lot of stirring and flipping to make sure the ingredients won't be overcooked. At one point, the waitress helped me out because she thought my okonomiyaki was too big.

By the end of the night, our dinner was a success! We were able to enjoy Seafood Okonomiyaki and Squid Ink Yakisoba. And the best part was, I got to cook it myself!

Lost in Translation

Last Friday, Mark and I dropped by Flying Tiger in Odaiba to check out some cool stuff. 

Apparently, they're into the whole adult coloring book craze, too. There were a few coloring books at the shop, and even the name itself is, uhm, adult. Harhar.

And here's another book that will outdo anything beside it.

The Danish language and Tagalog will definitely make strange bedfellows. Harhar.

Hello Cocoa!

Yes, one of the things I had to do while I'm in Tokyo is to buy my favorite cocoa drink.

This is going to be a good weekend in Japan.

FMM: Color of the day

Today's shoe choice is the inspiration for my Friday Magic Madness song.

Time to cue in one of Coldplay's most popular songs - "Yellow."



These yellow shoes took Mark and I to a lot of places today. And it's going to take us to a few more this weekend.

Let's fly!

Made it to the airport with some time to rest, grab a snack, and log on for this entry.

See in you in a few, Tokyo!

Packing a pantry, part deux

You know my trip to Tokyo will be a short weekend trip when my bag looks like this:

But yes, there are a few pieces of clothes underneath all that food I'm bringing to Mark.

Whether it'll be filled with clothes on my way back... that remains to be seen.

In the Mix

Unlike "American Idol" who produced successful singers such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, "X-Factor USA" hasn't really proven its mettle in producing musical stars.

In contrast, its original version, "X-Factor UK," has produced some international calibre artists. Its 3rd winner, Leona Lewis, has had considerable success worldwide. So did the 2013 winner, Sam Bailey. Of course, she's best known as "the prison guard who could."

Then, there's the most famous non-winner of the program, 2010's 3rd placer - One Direction.

But when it comes to winners, my favorite one from "X-Factor UK" so far is the 2011 champion. They're a girl group who auditioned individually - but failed. When they banded together as a group, they went all the way to the winner's circle.

The group I'm talking about is "Little Mix."

They've already released a good number of songs, most of which have been hits and LSS-inducing ditties. And my current LSS is their 2012 hit, "Wings."



This group has the makings of pop success. They've done it in the UK, and they're gaining a bit of headway in the US. And since we haven't really had a cool all-girl pop group in a while, I hope this group does what their song says and fly.

CousCous Confusion

Last night, I dropped by SM Supermarket in Cubao to buy CousCous for Mark. The last time he requested me to bring CousCous, I was able to get a few boxes at SM Supermarket in Megamall, so I figured they'd have it in Cubao, too.

So, I walked up to the guy who was refilling the shelves and our conversation went:

ME: Excuse me, meron po ba kayong CousCous?
HIM: Meron, sir! Dito po tayo sa shelf number 23.

He accompanies me to the shelf. When we get there, what do I see?

Steel wool and sponges.

STEEL WOOL AND SPONGES!!!

Breathing a sigh of frustration, I asked what these were.

ME: Uhm, ano 'to?
HIM: Pang-kuskos, sir!

Apparently, they don't know what CousCous is in Cubao.

Sheesh!

Let's see how this goes...

Finally, the beep card system for the LRT is in limited operation. Stress on the "limited" since you can only use it on LRT and on the Southbound line of LRT 1.

This is supposed to ease congestion and speed up the train riding process. But with the learning curve on how to buy it and how to use it, I'm expecting some major lines when they do implement this on the MRT. People will have to learn how to use the self-service ticket kiosks, and I can imagine the confusion there.

But it's a good first step to improving our train system. I just hope it works as well as they think it will.

(P.S. So now I have 4 train cards from 4 different countries: HKG, SG, JPN and now, PH.)

Because we don't eat our friends...

There was a facebook post about this eat-all-you-can Asian buffet at a restaurant in Pasig. And while the food selection is very eye-catching, another thing in their promo caught my eye.

They have "stir-friend" noodles!

In the immortal quote from Finding Nemo, "We don't eat our friends." Harhar.

Proofreader, please.

FMM: That's Hat

One of my favorite Cyndi Lauper songs is this very beautiful and quiet song from her 1992 album. It's not as mainstream as her other hits, but it's a big hit in my playlist. Both then and now.



After hearing "Hat full of Stars" again, I wish Cyndi Lauper would go back to Manila and have a concert, too.

Dolce Doppelganger

A few seasons back, Dolce and Gabbana send a series of red lace dresses down the runway.

The color red and lace. Now that's a killer sartorial combination.

Now, the trickle effect is in full-force. There are a lot of red lace dresses in fast fashion places, and I found an uber pretty one in SM Department Store.

Since it's from SM, it was a very affordable dress. (LFLTAT material actually, but I haven't found shoes to make it a legit outfit.) And the lace is top notch, in terms of color and fabrication. Even the edges were super pretty. For the price I got it, this is practically a steal.

This dress is so much like the Dolce & Gabbana, it's enough to make the wearer feel like she's living La Dolce Vita!

Train your patience

One of the nice things about working in Ortigas is the fact that I don't need to take the MRT to work.

When I was still a denizen of Makati, I lived and re-lived all the horror stories of MRT commuters who had to contend with kilometric lines, uber packed trains and unreliable service.

Tonight, I had the misfortune of taking the MRT home from Makati. It was past 8pm, so I thought the crowd would've dissipated and the ride wouldn't be as difficult.

Well, I thought wrong.

Gosh! I almost lost my patience because it took me more than 30 minutes in line just to get inside the platform. And there was another 10 minute wait since the trains that passed by were also full.

I admire the people who have the patience to go through this cray-crayness everyday.

Strange Sale

Aren't you supposed to pay a lesser amount whenever you buy an item on sale?

Someone please tell that to the people at H&M in SM North EDSA. Harhar.

Strange indeed.

Lip service

"Limited Edition."

These two words are enough to get products flying off the shelves. Thus was the case with the L'Oreal "Collection Star" lipstick line.

I recall these lipsticks being on the shelves as early as June. It was a collection that was inspired by the women of L'Oreal, including Blake Lively, Freida Pinto, Julianne Moore, etc. They were readily available back then, and I even bought one for Ate Bullet to use for the ball she was attending.

Then, around mid-July, there were advertorials for the same line of lipsticks, and they repositioned them as the "Limited Editon Matte Reds line."

And suddenly, they were out of stock. People were buying them like they were the most precious thing on Earth.

I was trying to buy another tube of Pure Garnet for Ate Lissa, and it was out of stock for almost a month! But since I came back so often, the nice cosmetic counter girl kept a stash for me when the new stocks arrived.

Thus, I was able to get an almost-full line of the "Limited Edition Matte Reds line." Also known as "Collection Star which people didn't pay too much attention to when it was called such."

Oh the difference the name makes.

Hello there, My neighbor.

So it's confirmed. H&M's next branch is right here in Cubao!

They've finally put their billboards all over the boarded-up part of Gateway Mall. While there were already talks that they were taking over that area, we still had to wait for confirmation. And this is it!

This is so cool! Dangerous in terms of shopping, but still so cool!

Double Double

Today is an auspicious day for the Chinese.

August 8, or 8/8, is doubly lucky. The number 8 is the luckiest number for the Chinese, and having two of it doubles everyone's luck today.

But that's not the only double today. There's also a double birthday!

Two of my cousins - Cristy and Harold - both celebrate their birthdays on 8/8.

Happy Birthday Prima y Primo! Here's to double luck and happiness to both of you!

FMM: Wait up

Back in the 80s, Deniece Williams had a lot of hit songs. Surprisingly, though, this one wasn't one of them.



"I can't wait" didn't hit the stratospheric success levels of "Let's Hear it for the Boy" or "Healing," but it had its share of airplay back in the 80s.

I liked this song the first time I heard it. That's why it's still on my playlist until now. And since it's Friday, I couldn't wait and had to play this song.

White lace and promises

Nope, this isn't a post about that very famous song by The Carpenters. That's more of Friday Magic Madness fodder. 

Then again, The Carpenters can be enjoyed any day of the week, so here it goes:

This post is actually about a piece of lace fabric that I found while fixing "The Stash" this week. The original intent was to fix how everything was folded and make space for some newly bought fabrics. While digging through yards and yards of silk, jersey, chiffon and dupioni, I discovered a few yards of white lace at the bottom of the pile.

It was a few years old, but thanks to the magic of black plastic bags, it still looked pristine and very useable. This was guipure lace, and it had this floral motif which is once again very much in vogue.

While double checking the fabric's overall condition, I thought that it was about time for it to be made into something. After all, fabrics like these shouldn't be left stuck at the bottom of a pile, wrapped in a black plastic bag.

I have an initial idea of what this will come out as. But I think I'll hold on to it for a few more days and find a place where there's room for it to grow. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself from making that Carpenter reference. Harhar.)

Color me interested

Was finally able to download the Colorfy App on my phone. And since we're in an editing session, I had a lot of time to spare and started coloring some animal photos.

Now, there's something more interesting to do during downtime.

Circle of Friendsters

Yes, our monicker puts a date our friendship.

We got together during that time when "Friendster" was the social networking site du jour. We did the whole Friendster thing - invited each other, wrote each other testimonials - cheese and all. Eventually, we started hanging out, having impromptu dinners, going on road trips, and other things friends would do.

But we weren't just friends, we were "Superfriendsters." I don't remember who came up with that monicker, but it stuck. And it's stuck with us until now - two marriages, three kids, and several job jumps after.

So while the social networking site "Friendster" might be gone, the "Superfriendsters" are still very much around.

And still even more Florties!

It was during a meeting in BGC last week when I wandered off into some random shop inside Bonifacio High Street. From afar, a print on the rack caught my eye and drew me in. Turns out that the print was a floral print on a 40s-style neoprene dress.

That sealed the deal for me. And the dress went home to Ate Bullet.

To keep that 40s vibe going, Ate paired it with red mary janes, also a hark back to that era.

The total look might be 40s-inspired, but it definitely looks very current.

Aldo it!

Today, we welcomed my newest Godson to the Christian world!

Welcome, Aldo! You're such an adorable and nice little baby! No wonder your Mother Lyli can't get enough of you.

I can't wait to spend more time with you and your Kuya Rafa.

Juice mio! Part deux.

Presenting the Tamarind variant of the new juice drink brand I talked about a few days ago.

This one doesn't disappoint. It has the real, rich flavor of tamarind that I've grown to know and love. And when you chill it until it's really, really, really cold, gosh! It's sublime!

I'm still waiting for the Mangosteen flavor to come out, though.

FMM: Making the rounds

In honor of Spandau Ballet's upcoming Manila concert, may I present one of my all time favorite Spandau songs.

While the song was awesome on its own, the MTV was also a visual and conceptual treat. I remember being a kid and mesmerized by the story of this video. It made me want to go to the U.S. and be a student there. Harhar.

You just have to love the 80s.

Hello there 80s

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Madonna is bringing her "Rebel Heart Tour" to Manila. And so far it's the only South East Asian country where she'll be performing. 

Needless to say, the response to the concert has been kuh-ray-zee. Tickets were sold-out a few hours after they started selling it.

And today, the news about Spandau Ballet's concert in Manila just came out. Mind you, this is the whole, original band. And not the usual "Tony Hadley - lead singer of Spandau Ballet" concert.

Yes, the 80s are back. Hooray for us!

Catty comments

A nice tee is the perfect thing to wear on lazy days. All the fast fashion brands have their own armada of tees, but they usually vary in fabric quality and design. Among the lot, Uniqlo has the best tees so far. The cotton they use is soft and sturdy (I still wear my Uniqlo tees from 7 years back) and the designs have that Japanese creative aesthetic. 

Another underrated source of tees is Surplus Shop. All you need to do is step inside a store and you'll be treated to racks upon racks of great tees. That's why whenever there's a need for weekend wear, this is one of the default destinations.

While browsing the ladies' tee section, this soft, heather gray shirt caught my eye. It had a nice cut, and an even nicer fabric. The cotton felt so plush and soft.

The print, though, made me stop and think whether I should get it for the Ates. While it's tongue-in-cheek and supposed to be funny, I think it's a bit demeaning to single folks and perpetuates the stereotype of the "single cat lady."

Bad print notwithstanding, the fabric and style is really nice and worth buying. So the question remains, should I?

Tour de Four-ce

Flashback to 8 years ago. I was still living in HKG, and one fine day, I decided to watch the film "The Fantastic Four." It was super duper ultra cheese!

In a few weeks, they're finally coming out with the reboot of the same franchise. Totally different actors, costumes, and - based on the trailer - approach to the film.

It looks more compelling and less cheesy than the 2007 version. Then again, that's what I thought when I saw the trailer of the first one.

We'll see.

Lacy days and Mondays

Whenever there's a need for lace, the usual go-to places are Carolina's and Fabric Warehouse. They have an impressive selection of lace - particularly Carolina's. After all, the company exports lace fabric to fashion houses such as Armani.

If you have a penchant for adventure and don't mind crowds, Divisoria is another good source. There's a place in 168 that I frequent, and they have nice Prada lace that's 50% cheaper compared to mall stores.

Yesterday, another lace source presented itself. While looking for buttons for my old suit in Cubao, I chanced upon this fabric store that specializes in jersey and sports fabrics. But in one corner, they had a few bolts of lace. And they were really, really, really, really nice lace.

Of course, I couldn't resist to buy a few yards for future use. Particularly, this rose gold lace with a very elegant design.

This is going to make an equally elegant dress.

Simply Jesse

Today was an extra special day because we had an extra adorable and extra special guest.

Baby Jesse!

Baby Jesse is Mark's nephew and he dropped by Dexter's with his parents after getting his vaccination. Aside from being super duper adorable, he's a very nice baby. He didn't complain when I carried him, neither when Ate Bullet carried him as well. He was smiling a lot, and he'd laugh when you made googly sounds.

All that adorableness at less than 5 months old!

This visit really made my Sunday.

Photo finish fashion

It's well-established that I'm a huge fan of photo prints in fashion. That's why Mary Katrantzou is one of the designers I always look out for because she's a master in blending photorealism and fashion.

Seeing that level of quality and craftsmanship isn't something you'd normally expect in the Philippines, but trust Plains and Prints to defy expectations.

This weekend, they previewed their 20th anniversary collection which they dubbed as "Photography x Fashion." They worked with 2 great photographers (both of which I'm lucky to have worked with) - Wig Tysmans and Mark Nicdao.

They translated their best photographs into fabric, and designed a collection around it. Needless to say, the results are breathtaking.

This is one of the best-sellers during the preview sale. The manager said that it flew off the racks the moment they opened, and I was lucky to get a pair for my sisters.

It's composed of a blouse with a print of a museum in Jaipur called "Albert Hall."

Then, a skirt with a photo print of a palace, also in Jaipur.

The print was done beautifully, and the fabric gave it enough volume and body for the print to stand out.

In my opinion, this is the best collaboration they've ever had.

FMM: Very Perri

Back when I was a junior copywriter, we'd work overtime quite often. Those sessions would usually last until the wee hours of the morning, and sometimes, the stress level would elevate.

When that happens, we'd always have a repertoire of relaxing music to keep everyone relaxed.

My contribution to that playlist was this favorite song from an awesome yet underrated group called "Perri."



This song has been around for decades, but it still sounds as relaxing as the first time I heard it.

Juice mio

There's nothing like great packaging to draw you into a product. 

While I was in 7-11, I chanced upon this uber eye-catching packaging for juice. It was a bottle with a very young and modern label. Based on the packaging alone, I had to buy it!

It was a new local juice brand produced by NutriAsia. Aptly called "Locally," it's a juice drink that features Pinoy flavors. There's the standard Dalandan, and the more exotic Tamarind and Kamias.

The Kamias juice is good, although I was looking for a bit of that sour and bitter flavor. The Tamarind juice, though, was excellent.

They have a 4th flavor - Mangosteen - but it's still coming soon. And when it does, I'll definitely try that out, too.

Insta-reunion!

Sometimes the best plan is to have no plan at all!

It started when I found out that my former student - Yin - works at Riot. This is the production house where we're currently finishing the commercial we shot.

After talking to her, she told me that one of her classmates, Quinlin, worked in the next building. So, I asked her to set up a lunch get-together with the 3 of us.

Suddenly, lunch became dinner, and the 3 of us turned into 8. This was around 1/3 of my advertising class in 2013-2014!

It was so good to see - and hang around - my students again. It reminded me of how blessed I am to be given this opportunity to teach.

Here's to more reunions - instant or otherwise!

Trap-eeek!

I don't know why, but traffic seems to have gone from worse to worst!

Last Thursday, it took us 1 hour and 10 minutes to go from Pasong Tamo to Ayala.

Tonight, it took my officemates almost 4 hours to get from Makati to Ortigas.

Someone should do something about this soon!

(This post reminds me of the documentary we did for our broadcasting class during my M.A. days. It was about traffic, and the title above was the title of our documentary.)