Upon unloading the stuff from my Straightforward haul, one thing stood out.
There's a colour story happening, and it's all about Clay.
It wasn't a conscious effort since these items were ordered and assessed individually. But maybe, subconsciously, that rich, terra cotta colour caught my eye, that's why I gravitated towards pieces of this hue.
So, come on, let's clay!
Since Ate Bullet and I were both "home alone" this weekend, we took it as an opportunity to change up our usual Sunday "eat in at the garage day."
Instead of eating in, we decided and have dinner outside. It was also an opportunity for me to introduce Ate to one of my go-to Korean restaurants, Jeongwon.
Since both of us watch K-drama, there was a lot of K-onversation revolving that, and life in general. It's been a while since brother and sister went out like this, so this was very welcome.
Eomcheongnan!
Chocolate Milk.
It's one thing that I've never outgrown.
As a kid, Choco-Vim was always a part of my snacks and school baon, thanks to the fact that Dad worked in San Miguel Corporation.
Later on, Choco-Vim became Magnolia Chocolait. Even if the name changed, the rich, choco taste didn't, that's why it was still my choco milk of choice.
During my travels abroad, one thing I'd keep my eyes open for were the "local" choco milk brands. I'd make it a point to scour the supermarkets and convenience stores in search of those.
Through this "obsession," I discovered Choco Lala in Mexico, Vita in Hong Kong, Seoul Milk in South Korea, Chocomel in The Netherlands, Cola Cao in Spain, and so on and so forth.
In the Philippines, Magnolia Chocolait is still my go-to brand. This is closely followed by Nestle Chuckie, Zesto Choc-O, Dutch Maid and Cosio.
Today, another brand was added to the mix.
During my supermarket run, I discovered Selecta Dolce:
As choco milks go, this brand is really good. It's rich and creamy, and the chocolate flavour is full and not watered down. It has that luxe Belgian Chocolate taste that's decadent yet not too overpowering.
Looks like this Dolce will now be part of my daily Vita.
Was going through the photos on my phone when I chanced upon a series of photos that were taken when Mark and I were in Seoul a few months back.
It's a series of photos of the different surfaces on the Sungnyemun Gate near the hotel where we were staying.
Each part of the gate - whether it was a wall or ceiling - was so ornately designed that it was truly a feast for the eye. And the great thing this place is the fact that it's free and open to the public.
If I were living in Seoul, I'd probably hang out at this gate and marvel at the different surfaces as often as I can.
In terms of her discography, it's common knowledge that "She's so Unusual" is what propelled Cyndi Lauper to pop stardom. After it was launched in 1983, the album churned out hit after hit after hit.
Being a fan of Cyndi, that album is what made me love her and her music.
But it was her 1993 album "Hat Full of Stars" that made me adore her.
Unlike her 80s sound, this album showcased more of Cyndi's depth and maturity as an artist. From the lyrics to the themes to the videos, it was great to see her grow so much as an artist.
I'm a fan of almost all the songs in that album, and the carrier single, "Hat Full of Stars" is today's Friday Magic Madness song:
It isn't hard to see why I'm star-struck over this.
Saw this shirt as part of H&M’s 2023 Summer Collection.
Looking at it closely, it’s a Solihiya pattern!
Yes, the local rattan weave that we often see in old furniture is crossing over to global fashion.
That’s how global our designs can be.
It's been 4 years since I've been to a Bath and Body Works Sale in person. The last time was in FLA and GA, both at outlets and mall stores.
Since then, all of my Bath and Body Works Sale loot were gathered and bought online. (Thanks Bibs and Ate Lissa!)
But that all changed yesterday.
Bath and Body Works is having their Semi-Annual Sale in their Megamall branch!
After seeing all the scents and products on sale, this is what I have to say:
Shop, shop and away!
Yes, when the word "summer" is mentioned, the images that are usually conjured up in the mind are all bright, happy and colourful. Think tropical prints, huge flowers, neons and pastels - that kind of vibe.
No one equates "black and white" with summer. Summer = Colour. That's the rule.
Then again, rules are made to be broken.
That's why this black and white ensemble is also summer worthy.
The dress is from the latest Ines dela Fressange collab at Uniqlo. It's a flowy dress with a plaid print that is reminiscent of picnic mats. Picnic = Summer.
The sandals are from Forme. These are very strappy, easy-going, and has that seaside vibe. Seaside = Summer.
So, it's as clear as black and white.
Black and white can be summer.
Nope, this isn't about the Taiwanese tea brand. I'm never that obvious.
This is about the Netflix K-drama that I've been watching, and incidentally, their last episode is today.
"Doctor Cha" was a joy to watch from the first episode to the last. The characters and characterisations, the plot and plot twists, the conflicts and resolutions - they all came together beautifully and gloriously at the last episode.
This is going on my "must re-watch list."
Whenever people ask me about my social media accounts, my perpetual answer would be a sheepish smile and a shaking of the head.
Because truth be told, there is none.
Except for this blog, and an FB account that my student once called "parang wala din", I've never opened any. So, I'm one of the very few people who don't have IG, TikTok, Twitter or any other account of that sort.
My niece - Toni - is popular on TikTok. She's the type who has more than a million followers and gets stopped on the street so people can take selfies with her.
Recently, we also worked with a popular TikToker for one of our commercials. She has a huge Mom following, which explains why I'm not familiar with who she is. On the last day of our shoot, she said that she'll be making TikTok content based on our shoot, and asked us to participate.
Of course, I'd normally say "no." But since the director, client and my colleagues were all game - what the heck.
So, whilst I'm not on TikTok, I can now say that I'm on TikTok.
Hey, having appeared in one video should count.
It's that time of the year again!
Time to seek out those dresses and other outfits that we missed out on. Once I see them and they're on sale at 50% off, we all know what happens after that.
No, this isn't about that super popular Taiwanese group in the 2000s.
This is about today's lunch time activity since Biboy and family are in MNL and we're trying to squeeze in as much family time as possible.
F # 1: Family
Our family isn't the picture-taking type of family. We often have get togethers, and don't have photos of it. We're happy with the memories created by those gatherings, and also get to engrossed in the moment that taking snaps is often an afterthought.
Good thing my sister-in-law is here since she's always reminding us to take a picture of the moment. Just like this shot where she said that told us that a family photo was in order since the 4 of us are here. Hopefully next time, Ate Lissa will also come and visit MNL and will be in the shot with us.
F # 2: Fresh
Eat Fresh is a long-time fave. I'd frequent their Banawe Branch often because of the Black and White Gulaman and claypot rice. When they opened a branch near our house, we always made it a point to eat there.
They have HKG style cuisine that's close to authentic - especially the claypot rice. Since both Kai and I were former HKG residents, we gladly reminisced our time there while enjoying the food. And yes, we ordered a lot of food.
I've always seen this signage at the Parc Chateau building which is just behind our office building.
Is the owner a Pinoy? If he or she is, does he or she not know the meaning of "Chaka." And if he or she does, is this a cheeky way of thumbing up their nose on this Pinoy slang word?
And more importantly, what do they sell?
One day, I'll go and visit this place to see whether it's "chaka" or not.
One of the things that Mark and I often ask each other is: "When are we going back to Japan."
Since the country has a lot of significance to us and is part of many of our happy memories, we always want to go back and visit again.
Hopefully, that'll happen soon. But while waiting for those travel plans to happen, let me take my taste buds on a trip to Japan first.
Onigiri and Marugotto in the house!
Sugoi ne!
Literally
As a kid, my fascination with dinosaurs was so intense that i’d buy anything that had a dinosaur print on it. It can be shirts, shorts, notebooks, toys, even random, not-dinosaur-related-products-with-a-dinosaur print.
Apparently, decades after, that habit hasn’t changed.
Proof?
Yup, I bought this pack of Champoy because of the dinosaur prints. It didn’t hurt that i’m a huge fan of Champoy, too.
Some things never change.
Just like many good brands, Stella constantly finds ways to sustain my interest and gives me more reasons to appreciate this brand even more.
It's been almost a decade since I discovered this in-house fashion brand of Robinsons Department Store. Back then, their designs have caught my eye. The designer of this brand has a good eye for fabrics, prints and details - elements that define a good piece of clothing.
Through the years, they've constantly innovated their designs. They've even upped their fashion ante by featuring collaborations with indie brands like KT Creations and Mode De Vie.
Now, they've introduced another relevant and fashionable concept - Sustainable Fashion.
Recently, they launched a collection of clothes that use flour sacks - or katsa - as material for their clothing. They took sacks from their own brand (URC is part of the Gokongwei group, just like RDS), as well as other competing flour brands. This added colour and variety to the desings.
The collection was made-up of dresses, pants and blouses, each having its own character because of the varied materials used.
From the collection, there were 3 items that ended up in my basked, and in Ate Bullet's closet. There was a peplum top, culottes, and this tiered summer dress.
Sustainable fashion is so on-trend!
Although not as popular and mainstream as K-dramas, J-dramas are equally entertaining and engaging. I've mentioned this several times, J-dramas came way ahead of K-dramas for me. Thanks to Hotaru no Hikari, of course.
That's why my watchlist on Netflix is a combination of both J-dramas and K-dramas. Fortunately, there are quite a number of good Japanese series on this streaming platform. I've written about "Atelier," and recently completed "Dearest."
Now, another J-drama is added to my binge-watch list. Finally finished the 10-episode romantic drama entitled "Why didn't I tell you a million times."
Aside from the story, the actors really make this series so engaging to watch. It's a powerhouse cast that includes Takeru Satoh from "Ruruoni Kenshin," Kenichi Matsuyama from "Death Note," and Mao Inoue from "The Snow White Murder Case."
Suddenly, I remembered the fact that I've seen Takeru Satoh in person when the cast of "Ruruoni Kenshin" went to Manila to promote their film in 2014. But I digress.
It just took me a few days to finish this series. That's how good it is.
And I can tell that I'll be re-watching this soon.
Makati is a haven for cats.
Strolling along Glorietta and Greenbelt, it's commonplace to see a lot of cutie cattaters just lazing around random areas. When the Spanish crew were here last March, they found these frolicking felines so cute that they'd randomly stop to take photos of them.
What's most cute for me is finding these cats napping peacefully. Just like this black and white ball of cuteness on the stairs of Glorietta 4.
While taking this photo, it was a conscious effort to make as little sound as possible so as not to disturb the catnap. After all, we should let sleeping cats lie.
This is why "take it easy on the Photoshop" is one of my often repeated comments to my art directors.
My suspicion is that they didn't have a photo of the New Balance shoe in the right orientation, so the artist just decided to flip the shot.
What he or she forgot to note was the "N" logo on the shoe. With the flipping, the logo was flipped as well.
This is yet another reason why today's artists should be more careful with their work.
Amazing how a single letter can really change how a sentence is constructed.
Frankly, I'm not "fine" with this. Harhar.
Proofreader, please!
Back when I'd frequent BKK - both for work and leisure trips - there were a few local places that were on my to-go-to list.
No matter how short or long my stay was, these were places that were not to be missed. It was a combination of malls like MBK, souvenir shops like Naraya, and Thai tea places like Cha Tra Mue.
It was at Cha Tra Mue where my appreciation for Thai Milk Tea started. And while there are stores in MNL that carried Thai Milk Tea, the original would always still be the best.
So, imagine my joy when they finally opened a Cha Tra Mue store in MNL! Not only that, they have Plum Green Tea in their menu.
Finally! No need to fly to BKK to get a chance to drink my fave Thai teas!
That’s exactly how it feels when Voltes V is finally a live action series.
Yes! Bolted V Legacy is finally on air after so much waiting and anticipation!
This brings me back to being 5 years old. And this is def worth the wait!
It's a niche perfume with an interesting name.
Etat Libre D'Orange, or ELDO, as some perfume lovers would call it.
The brand is considered a niche brand, and it's known for playful names and unusual scent profiles. They once had a scent called “Philippine Houseboy.” And given political correctness and cultural sensitivities, it was quickly pulled out of the shelves and the name was changed.
But that’s another story.
During my HKG trip last February, I chanced upon a bottle of ELDO's more popular scents called "You Or Someone Like You." Sprayed it on my wrist out of curiosity, not knowing what to expect. And you know how it goes when you're not expecting anything. It's when those pleasant surprises usually happen.
The scent was super fresh! The first spray was like a blast of mint, followed by citrus undertones, and it settles as a green, grassy scent. It reminds me of freshly cut grass, which is another scent that reminds me of my childhood days in Bicol.
Needless to say, it's a significant memory, which led me to bring a bottle from HKG to MNL.
I'll wear this and go back to my childhood days in Bacacay.
Nope, this isn’t about the street.
It’s about me enjoying 3 Ks in one go.
K#1: Sun Chips Garlic Baguette. Yes, the snack I discovered in Seoul is available at our neighborhood Korean Store.
K#2: Chilsung Cider. No explanation needed here.
K#3: A random KDrama on Netflix.
So, if you ask me how the weekend is going, my answer would be:
K, fine!
What better way to wrap up this week's "Pair-fect" week than with a classic 80s song about "a-pair."
Well, the song title has "affair," but it's close enough, right?
Rick Springfield is one of the biggest musical stars of the 80s. My sister was a big fan and she had Tiger Beat magazines with Rick on the cover. Not 100% sure about this, but she might even had a Rick Springfield poster in her room.
But Rick's popularity isn't surprising. He was churning out hit after hit after hit in the 80s. And his songs were commonplace in parties and discos during that decade.
One of his most popular songs is "Affair of the Heart."
This is a fitting close to this weekly pair affair.
Nope, this isn't about Bananarama's hit 80s song.
But make no mistake, that song is one of my most replayed songs.
This is about today's fashion pair, which is an ensemble from R.A.F. It's a venus-cut top and tapered pants in a neutral khaki color.
What's interesting about this pair is the top. It's not seen in the photo, but the back is longer and a lot more flowy than the front. This elevates the pair to something worth wearing to a semi-formal wedding or a dressy event.
I'm sure Ate will find an event to wear this.
Since last year, I've noticed that blazers are making a comeback.
Whether it's for a formal event or a casual weekend, whether it's a fast fashion brand or a high end designer label, the blazer has taken many iterations.
One of the blazer styles that I find really cool is the cropped blazer. The cut takes it from work wear to everyday fashion. The SM Store is one of those shops that harped on the cropped blazer trend, and further upped the fashion ante by pairing it with a wide legged, pleated pant in the same fabric.
This pair is a nice play of proportions. The blazer is cropped and cut close to the body, while the pants are loose and relaxed.
This makes this pair so blazing hot!
The second pair for this week is also from the Plains & Prints x Rosanna Ocampo collaboration. Seems like she had incorporated complete pairs in her collection.
This one is a very casual ensemble made with a light, knit fabric. What's interesting is that the fabric has this cable knit type of pattern that makes it visually interesting.
There are also fashionable details on the ensemble. These include the puffed sleeves and slits on the pants that open breezily with every stride.
No wonder this is a top pick among the items from this collection.
