I AM KABBIE.

Don't you just hate it when...

2012-01-11T22:29:00.000+08:00

... you slather your face with soap and then suddenly there's no water coming out from the faucet? then you have to go down from the third floor with your eyes semi-closed (because the soap stings) just so you can finish washing your face?

... you end up paying for something that isn't your fault to begin with? plus you have credit cards bills to pay so you really need the money?

... someone tells you they're on their way and then arrives two hours later?

... you want to save money so you ask the maid to cook your baon and she tells you "naglalaba ako, bumili ka nalang." ?

... you bought a new printer so you can finally print colored stuff and your laptop just can't recognize it after installing everything and following what's on the manual?

... you decide to shoo the bad vibes away by just looking through Pinterest and the god damn website takes a loooonnng time to load that you end up cursing?

... you give the cab driver a 100-peso bill for your P82 fare, and he says he doesn't have change, and you don't have a 2-peso coin so he can give you P20, so you end up paying P100?

The story of my week, folks. And it's only Wednesday.

*scratches head*

I seriously need a drink.

The Proposal

2011-11-12T00:39:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Heto na ang kinasasabikang kilig story of the week! Hahaha! Okay, let's start from the very beginning.

Nov 9, 2011 was our shoot day for OK! Magazine's annual Christmas team photo. Part of my job is to produce this shoot, and that meant doing all the nitty gritty details--from booking the location, prod team (photog, makeup, hair), transportation, down to pulling out outfits for the whole staff. Whenever I'm producing a shoot, my brain works 10 times faster than everyone else because if anything goes wrong, my ass is on the line. So basically, WORK MODE is plastered on my forehead.

I did the pullouts the day before and because I had no assistant (she's currently on vacay), doble yung pagod. I was so tired that I called Mitor hoping that he can visit me at home and bring me Chatime's Roasted Milk Tea but he was at a party so he can't. So I just slept and woke up at 6AM to put together the outfits, packed them in a suitcase, then hurriedly took a bath to make it to our 9AM call time.

First on the beauty chair!

That's hairstylist Marie Tan doing her thing

Right after hair and makeup, I'm off to the clothes rack!

Studying combos and who should wear what.

Can you guess what our theme is? :)

Our shoot location is at Cafe 1771, a very country chic restaurant in Ortigas. We arrived at around 2PM and started shooting 30 minutes later. Since we're used to the whole smiling/posing thing already, we were done with our group photo in 20 minutes. Yehesss, pro na pro lang. LOL. Because we had plenty of time left, we did our usual solo shots and played in front of the camera. In other words, fun-fun lang.

Red, Nikki, and Jay casting a spell with their knife wands

Wacky it is!

So in the middle of the fun, the waiter knocked. "Excuse me po, asan po si Kabbie? Pinapabigay po ito", he said. It was a cake with a smirk face. I was like, "Uy ang cute oh, yey may cake tayo!". All the while I thought it's from Bianca, Cafe 1771's PR. Then the whole team was like "Ooooh ang cute, dali pichuran din naten, hawakan mo lang, Kabbie." So hawak at ngiti naman ako.

Pichur-pichurrrrr!

Then after two minutes, the waiter knocked again. This time around, he was holding a rose. "May nagpapabigay po", he said again. I was a bit confused na at that time, coz I knew that Mitor was in Bataan. Frances even blurted out "Kanino kaya galing yan? Uyyy meron may crush kay Kabbie!" Hahaha. By then I knew wala namang ibang magpapa-cute ng ganun kundi si Mitor. Thing is, I'm kinda used to his pa-cute visits during my shoots (sometimes he brings me YanYan, Pocki Sticks, or Chatime and will just stay in the waiting area until I finish) so I was like, "Okaaaaaay Mitor you can come out now!". But he didn't. So I thought baka nahihiya lang yun kasi I'm currently shooting. So okay, shoot again with the rose naman!

Puzzled and kilig

A few seconds later, the waiter knocked for the third time, with a red soup pot on hand. "Ma'am Kabbie, masarap daw po yan sa cake", he said. So okay, I thought it was some caramel drizzle or whatever, so I placed it on the table, opened it, and inside was...

...a red box.

OH MY GAAAAAAAAWD. Those were the first three words that I blurted out. But in my mind, four other words were on loop--THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.

At that time, my hands were shaking and my heart was beating so fast but my mind was still in denial.

So I opened the box, and BULAGA! No ring.

But there was a note that says...

I just had to have it laminated! Mwahahahaha

So I looked outside...

AND THERE HE WAS.

Mitor entered the room with a HUGE bouquet of flowers and Chatime Roasted Milk Tea; slowly knelt down, and even before he popped the question, I was already nodding my head.

Then he took out the ring (OMG the ring is HUGE!) and asked the magic question, with tears in his eyes.

OF COURSE I SAID YES!!!

And then I looked around the room, and everyone had tears in their eyes, too. In my mind I was like "Oh shocks eto na ba dapat yung moment na iiyak ako?" Honestly, I was just stunned. Everything was a blur. I can't believe he caught me off guard! Just so you guys know, I always always always find out about Mitor's "plans" so he rarely surprises me. But this time, I was completely dumbfounded. Work mode nga kasi ako, diba? And you know what? THE WHOLE TEAM KNEW ABOUT IT!!! I seriously got Punk'd.

We're engaged!

Mitor and his lovely accomplices.

OK! Team Rocks!

At hindi pa diyan nagtatapos ang gulatan portion.

When I got home that night, he told me to go up to my room first because...

A bed of roses was waiting for me.

*happy sigh*

How's that, for a proposal, huh? Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. *kilig*

Thank you, Mitor, for that unbelievable day.

Yes, Yes, Yes, I will marry you, even a thousand times over.

To my friends and family, thank you for the happy vibes and well wishes. I am super happy, more than I can ever imagine.

Love,

Kabbie

P.S.

You can stop giving me flack for not shedding a single tear during that moment because now, as in right now as I'm typing... I can't stop crying.

GROUP HUG!!!

CREDITS:

*Photos by Mitch Mauricio and Elaine Natividad

*Makeup by Ria Gamboa and Cherry Pacheco

*Hair by Marie Tan and Pipo Santos

*Clothes courtesy of Forever 21

On my watchlist

2011-10-16T09:00:00.000+08:00

I'm not a TV addict but when I like a particular show, I'm very loyal, as in super. But the loyalty lasts until Season 3, except for Friends. So anyway, since our Features Editor a.k.a. Download Queen is super updated with all the TV shows in the US, I was able to score a few shows to watch. In fairness to me, ang dami nito!

AWKWARD

For some teeny-bopper comedy

I was able to finish Season 1 in two nights! It's that fun!

Can't wait for Season 2!

2 BROKE GIRLS

Because I miss Phoebe Buffay

HART OF DIXIE

My new version of One Tree Hill (drama, feel-good wise)

Plus, Rachel Bilson is so chica here!

THE NEW GIRL

Because I LOVE Zooey Deschanel

THE VAMPRIRE DIARIES Season 3

Para may fantasy/horror naman

Ops, season 3 na! Lapit na mabura sa loyalty list! Haha

Aaaaand ang hindi ko pinapalampas every night...

PURE LOVE!

This Koreanovela is one of the best love stories ever told! I looove this show!

How about you? What shows are you watching? Feel free to share!

*Photos from IMDb.com and squidoo.com

Dahil sayang naman ang photos

2011-10-15T16:38:00.000+08:00

This is super old news and I'm sure you've seen these from other sites, but I just wanna share my first ever Cosmo Bachelor Bash experience. I actually didn't know I was going (they don't just give away free tickets in the office) but when Ms. M found out that I haven't been to a single bash ever, I was able to score tickets the last minute. Weee!

So here are some snaps from the show. Enjoy!

Warning. Bawal ang bagets!

Men in Black...

...Now in white

They had fun games, too. Eto ang mga ganap:

Dukutan portion. Don't ask.

Haplusan at gilingan portion. Kinarir ni ate!

At kiss sa nips portion! Bwahahaha. Nagulat si model dun!

After the games, the show finally started.

Opening act: Jake Cuenca

My money shot.

Jabbawockeez ang peg. Pero nagka-capoeira

Surprise! Si Rafael Rosell pala yung isa

Pulis Pangkalawakan

Yehesss. May shower scene

Pero paglabas parang binagyo lang ang ganap. Haha, not sexy!

Eto hot! Aljur Abrenica

Towards the middle of the show... my battery died. *face palm*

So I had to turn off my camera for a while. Hence, I shall now bring you the finale photos. Haha

Brief encounters

Bye Fabio!

Bye Daniel!

Bye Rafael!

The End.

Realizations

2011-10-02T18:50:00.000+08:00

Things change,
friends leave,
and life doesn't stop
for anybody.

- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

Today, I realized that it's quite hard to find true, flat-out honest friends. Change is constant, we all know that, so you're lucky if you have a friend who you know you can always count on--no judgments, no mind games. Someone who will tell you if you did something wrong, because she cares. Someone who will not talk behind your back, because you don't deserve that. Someone who will fight for the friendship, because it means a lot to her and she thinks it's worth saving.

So if you have at least one, treasure him/her. Nurture the relationship and never hold back. Because amidst the changes, one should not leave their true friends behind.

The October Issue

2011-10-02T15:56:00.000+08:00

Have you seen OK! Magazine's latest issue, yet?

Buy my baby!

Unlike most glossies, October is our big fashion issue, which meant that I had more pages to fill than usual. Aside from that, it was my first time to do the cover blurbs which scared the shit out of me. Ha! That's why I looove this baby to bits!

Now, on to my much talked-about fashion story--the A-Z of Shoes. I'm super happy that a lot of people liked it! Really makes all the hard work super worth it. I don't remember how many pairs I borrowed for this ish, but let's just say it was quite a lot coz my mom freaked out when she saw all the shoe boxes in our guest room! Mwahahahaha.

So, how did I trim it down to 26 pairs? Here are behind-the-scene photos!

Group 'em all together!

My editor gave me 11 pages so I sorted the shoes per page. Had to consider the colors (they should look unified) and equal brand exposure.

Other pairs for back-up

Our Art Director, Red, wanted to insert legs for variety. So I booked a model to do...

...this!

Agnes with her long lean legs in focus.

Keri lang ang higa-higa sa sahig!

The finished product :)

Another feature to watch out for is our annual Best Dressed List. Check out the 10 stars who made the cut and learn how to cop their personal styles!

Hollywood Stylistas

Plus, we have The Vampire Diaries special, Nick and Vanessa's wedding, Orlando Bloom, and a whole lot more! Super sulit, promise! Go grab a copy, you guys!

Office fun: Miss Universe 2011

2011-09-19T02:03:00.000+08:00

September 13 was supposed to be just another typical work day. Clocked in right on time (yay!) and dragged my sleepy ass to my cube only to find out that there's a crowd in front of our TV area, all giddy and cheering like crazy. In my head I was like...it's not the Oscars today, right? Hahaha, lagot ako if it was the Oscars and I didn't know about it! For those who are clueless, I work in a Hollywood magazine, so Oscars is some kinda our version of Christmas.

So anyway, of course it was the Miss Universe pageant and we're actually winning, which explains why everyone was glued on the screen. And I mean everyone, even the guys! The energy was so palpable, and because of that fan meter thingie going up and down on the screen, the whole office was roaring! Something like this:

Host: Ms. China!

Office crowd: Down down down! Yay, ang baba!

Host: Ms. Philippines!

Office crowd: Woooo! Up up up up up... YAYYY!!!

Host: Ms. Angola!

Office crowd: DOWN DOWN DOWN DOWN... ayyyy, daya!

Bwahahahaha. Napaka-competitive ng audience! When the contestants were down to 5, I just knew I had to record this moment.

Congratulations, Shamcey Supsup! I super love your answer, because it's very personal, flat out honest and delivered with much conviction, with no intention to please anyone but yourself. You have my utmost respect and admiration. Thank you for making that morning super fun and exciting! :)

Mango x Nivea Glamboard Express Event

2011-09-04T22:06:00.000+08:00

About a month ago, I went to the Mango x Nivea Glamboard Express Launch held at Power Plant Mall. Glamboard Express is a Facebook app that works some kinda like Polyvore, where one can put together clothes to create a fashion mood board. Since the event called for something glam, here's the outfit I came up with:

Embellished button-down from The Ramp, Pleated palazzo pants from Seven Dials, Clutch and ring from Accessorize

I first saw those pleated palazzos in Topshop. It was around P3,700 (I think) then it went down to P1,900 during the mid-year sale. Was about to buy them but thanks to my very good hunting skills, I found a cheaper alternative in Crossings Dept. Store! I got those babies for around P900 and because I can't choose between black or gray, I bought 'em both! So parang di rin ako nakatipid! *facepalm*

Anyway, here are more photos from the event!

With OK!'s Frances and Elaine

A rep from Team Yehey giving us a walkthrough

The guests

Pleats, please!

With Cosmo's Beauty Ed Reggie, wearing the Topshop version! :)

Nivea Express Hydration Lotion

I SUPER LIKE!

Well, okay. I'm a lotion person. For me it's a sin to not apply after every bath. Among all the brands I've tried (and believe me, that's a lot), this particular variant stands out because of its one-of-a-kind formulation. It's ultra light, fast absorbing, and moisture lasts until the end of the day! Plus, it's not sticky (sweaty hands-friendly!) and has a subtle powdery/floral scent that I really like! Good job, Nivea!

* Nivea Express Hydration Lotion is available at all leading supermarkets and department stores nationwide

* Event photos courtesy of Nivea Philippines

Perfect staycation

2011-08-31T09:00:00.009+08:00

I spent the last day of the 4-day weekend at home. I wanted to make sure to prep my body for the upcoming crazy days ahead, so I planned my perfect chillax home package. Woke up at 9:30am, but went downstairs an hour later (snooze queen). And because I am really serious with my fitness goal, I skipped breakfast, readily wore my Vibrams, turned on the Wii and danced 6 songs straight. After that, did about 10 sets of crunches on the Ab Rocket. Phew. I wish I can find time to do this every day. An hour and buckets of sweat later, I was ready to take a bath.

Since we don't have a bath tub, bumawi nalang ako sa products. Used bath stuff that I don't use on a regular basis, like the hair mask I got from Pantene and the cranberry body scrub from The Body Shop. Now my hair's so soft and bouncy and my skin smells like Christmas! Haha!

Next was hand and feet pampering. Because I'm too lazy to go to Luxe, I booked a 1pm appointment with I Do Nails, instead. I love that they came on time! 10 minutes early pa nga, actually. Heard a lot of good things about this home service nail salon and they surely lived up to my expectations!

The set-up

Availed their Soothing Mind Package (P500) which includes:

I Do Nails Manicure (soak, shape, massage, paint) and

Creme de la Creme Pedicure (soak, scrub, mask, shape, massage, paint)

Happy customer

Golden girl. Me likey!

I got so sleepy after the whole thing so ano pa ba ang gagawin ko kundi...mag-siesta! ZzZzzzZzzzz

Woke up at 6pm, ate merienda, konting muni-muni, and by 7:30, dinner's ready. We celebrated Kathy's birthday, my Ate's best friend and our sister from anotha motha.

Birthday girl

Fluffy cake from the legendary Cakes & Bakes

Yellow Cab Pizza

My nephew Liam with his favorite playmate, Lolo

Next on the itenerary was to watch my fave TV shows--The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition and Pure Love. Pure love is sooo addicting! The plot is crazy! Even Mitor (a.k.a as the guy who only watches UFC and anime) got hooked already! Haha!

After TV-time came Internet-time, and I was able to update my blog. Yey! Read about my ramen post here. Capped off the day with another pa-beauty thing--a 15-minute face mask.

Raaaawr!

That's eeeet! I'm so game to go back to work!

How about you? How did you spend your 4-day vacay? :)

Ramen love.

2011-08-30T22:22:00.000+08:00

Ramen is my go-to comfort food. I love Japanese food so it's no surprise that I like it better than the usual wanton mami found in Chinese restos. I'm psyched to see that ramen joints are starting to pop all over the metro, and here are two places I've tried so far:

Ajisen prides itself with using the best ingredients possible for our ramen. It all starts with Ajisen Oil, which enhances the taste of our unique Kyushu style white pork broth. Okinawa Natural Seasalt is used which is rich with nutritional properties. Ajisen Powder which is composed of a thousand kinds of Japanese spices gives our ramen its unique flavor. And finally, our Ramen Noodles are made out of 100% whole wheat which is cooked to an al-dente texture. This amount of detail to our dishes makes our ramen special from the rest. Source

We ordered their signature Ajisen Ramen (P235). It has bbq pork, leek, boiled egg, cabbage, and fungus.

Noodles were served al dente! Yami!

My verdict: 4 of 5

Happy customers

Then last week, I was having a bad day and I needed ramen to cheer me up. Good thing Mitor was free that night so I asked him to pick me up from work and we went to Ukkokei Ramen Ron, another famous ramen place in Makati.

Gotta love this guy

Simple interiors

Butter Corn Miso Ramen = HEAVEN! (P300 I think)

Nom nom nom

Gyoza (P120). We likey!

Rating: 5 of 5

So far, so good! Can't wait to try the other ramen places featured on this list!

* Ajisen Ramen is located at Level 2 Northeast Square, Connecticut St, Greenhills

* Ukkokei Ramen Ron is located at Tesoro Bldg, 822 Arnaiz Ave, Makati City

Just dance.

2011-08-28T01:39:00.004+08:00

Ever since I gained weight and lost my firm, flat abs (huhuhu), I've been trying to get back in shape and stopped drinking soda. The soda part has been successful, by the way. I haven't been drinking carbonated drinks regularly for the past two months (hurray!). Now for the exercise part, I went back to my first love--dancing.

Feels great to be back home

I had my first formal hip-hop training at Orange Dance Studio (ODS). That was 2004. I've always loved dancing and I'm glad that I found the right place to nurture my love for the craft. I don't know why I don't have photos of that year, though. Boo.

And because I super enjoyed that summer workshop, it sorta became an annual thing.

Props Division - Summer 2005

Black Edition - Summer 2006

I'm the one wearing a hat

Then work happened. My hectic schedule just won't fit into theirs. At that time, their class schedules were more student-friendly than yuppy-friendly. So as an alternative, me and my dancemate Jo-e would join mini workshops from various dance studios every now and then. This is my fave routine taught by Jason Zamora of the Manouevers.

Meet the Tuesday Group! (Parang That's Entertainment lang)
Piece: Justin Timberlake's "My Love"
and Janet Jackson's "So Excited"
I'm the one in the salmon shirt. Ang payat ko lang dito! Hahaha

Then I took a loooong break. 2008-2009 was more of me and my search for the right career. So dancing took a backseat because for one, I couldn't afford it. Then came summer of 2010, and I was ready to go back. I tried All Stars Danceschool in Greenhills.

My profile photo for the show

Fast-forward to July 2011. After 7 months on the job, I was able to create a steady pace in my crazy work schedule. The crazy work sched resulted to stress eating, thus, the weight gain. I actually think that I look healthier now (dati kasi malnourished eh) but I just want to tone my body and get rid of the flabs. Since ODS is just a tricycle away from my office, I enrolled in their a twice-a-week workshop.

Back to ODS after 5 years of hiatus!

Dance outfit: Cropped tee from Topshop, Black tank from Forever 21, Harem pants from Oxygen, Sneaks from K-Swiss

Photo wall

Ang mga bagets. Tanda ko na talaga.

The workshop I signed-up for ends next week, just in time for this:

I'm performing one routine here!

Curious on what to expect on the show? WATCH THIS!

Orange Dance Core's Janet Jackson Tribute

Sobrang lupit nito!!!

You'll see that a A LOT MORE on 9.10.11!

So come on, you guys! Message me for tickets!

Ika nga sa Temptation Island... "Magsawayan nalang tayo!"

Meeting Paris Hilton

2011-08-27T17:29:00.004+08:00

Went to back-to-back press events for Paris Hilton last week. Well yeah, it was nice to see the heiress up close, although I wish we didn't have to wait for hours. I have low EQ, you know. Chos!

I decided to take my tiffany blue Banana Taipei for a spin, so here's the outfit I came up with:

Pastel power!

Pale pink blazer from Kashieca, Black tank and skirt from Forever 21

Pearl necklace from SM Accessories, Layered silver chains from Yhansy

Bag from Banana Taipei, bday gift of my BFF Aai

Ribbon connector ring from Accessorize, Purple sneaks from Lacoste Footwear

The press con was held at Manila Pen. Good thing I shared the table with the Cosmo girls, it made the waiting time a lot bearable.

With Cosmo's fiesty Cereb, my iTouch playmate

...and the queen of funny hirits, Irish

When Paris finally entered the room, the paparazzi got crazy!

Striking a pose

She really looks like Barbie

Wearing sky-high Louboutins

Meeting Isha, her #1 fan

I managed to record snippets from her interview. Watch it here.

The next day was her store opening in SM Megamall. Invite says to come at 2:30. We arrived at 3PM and Paris came out at 5pm. My gawd.

The stage

The bags, priced at 5k up

The crowd

Ganda!

Funny note: When Paris came on stage, Tim (the host), asked her how she feels about the massive support of her fans.

Her answer: "I need a real fan. It's so hot!" HAHAHA!

Bantayan snaps

2011-08-22T12:00:00.005+08:00

I know I said I'll talk more about the trip but I'm too lazy to write so photo essay ang drama naten ngayon. Game!

That's me in my usual airport outfit: Adidas jacket, The North Face backpack, Adidas shoulder bag, harem pants, and Tribu sandals

First afternoon by the beach

Ready to hop to Virgin Islands

Touchdown Virgin Islands

Beach girls

Happy girl

Happy stroll

Muni-muni mode

Early risers. Woke up at 6am for...

...THIS! Danggit love.

My first time to ride a motorcycle. Fresh air overload.

Magellan's Cross: CHECK!

The happy gang!

Photos from Tin and Binder.

Bantayan in Instagram

2011-08-15T03:31:00.000+08:00

Last July, I went to Bantayan, Cebu with my high school friends for our annual post summer getaway. If last year's CDO trip cost us P100 each for round trip tickets, this time around it's only P214, with check-in luggage courtesy of Air Philippines. Hanep, diba? Kudos to my friends who are super experts in sale flights! Kayo na! :-D

This trip happened right smack in the middle of my busy work week, so I didn't have that much time to pack properly. Well, I brought all that I needed--clothes, sunblock, chargers, sarong, dry bag and everything else you can possibly think of...except for my camera's memory card! *facepalm*

Thank goodness for Instagram, I was able to take a few photos.

The shore

Our cottage

Ceiling art at Marisqueila O Portugese Restaurant

Beach girls

Will talk more about the trip on my next post!

through thin and thick.

2011-06-29T00:00:00.003+08:00

Dear Mitor,

I can't believe it's been 5 years since I gave you my "yes muffins".

Surprise, surprise!

Ang saya mo lang, 'no? :P

And because today is a very special day, let's take a look back at old snaps, shall we?

July 2006, Tagaytay

June 2007, Zambales

July 2008, TF Batcave

July 2009, Tagaytay (again!)

July 2010, Camiguin

May 2011, Chatime

Thank you for the 5 years of bliss, Mr. Arnis. I love you, always always, no matter what the weighing scale says. HAHAHA

Happy Anniversary, Victor Miguel Alipio. My heart is yours forever.

Love,

Kabbie

My sexy shoes.

2011-06-27T09:00:00.005+08:00

Local shoe brand, CMG, launched their latest campaign called Oasis of Style last Tuesday.

Bongga ang bali pose mo, girl!

The collection features a bunch of lust-worthy pairs--from sky high heels with lots of sparkle, to stacked heels and wedges, down to brogues and loafers. I was able to score a pair and gave it a test run the very next day. Talk about excited! :D

So here's me, inside the Tod's store during the Moda Italia event while ze boss Frances was fighting the urge to buy a bag. Haha!

Outfit deets: Sheer top from Dorothy Perkins, Skirt from SM Dept. Store, Purse from Mulberry for Target

The shoes look like a simple black peep-toe from the front, but wait... there's more!

Ain't that sexy or what?

I LOVE IT!

Plus, it's surprisingly comfy and light. If you look closely, it's actually a wedge na may butas sa gitna. Hehehe. I bought Foot Petals just to make sure I won't slip.

It comes in other colors, too!

This particular style is part of the brand's luxe line, exclusively available in Power Plant Mall.

*CMG photos courtesy of Thinline

Plus one.

2011-06-26T09:00:00.007+08:00

Mitor's college friends, Noel and Camille, tied the knot last Saturday. It's been a while since I last went to a wedding as a guest and not as a makeup artist, so I kinda looked forward to dressing up for this event and be the boyf's plus one.

Outfit deets: Maxi dress from SM Dept. Store Teens (seriously!) Wear, Necklace from The Ramp, Purse from Mulberry for Target, Shoes from Stella Luna

Oo na, ikaw na ang may dimples

Guess what I'm doing?

Playing SCOOPS on my iTouch!

Mitor was trying to distract me coz I'm so good at this game! See my winning smirk? Haha!

Photo by Caleb

Best wishes, Noel and Camille! :)

My "Bossy" Outfit

2011-06-26T02:30:00.002+08:00

I was invited to the launch of SM Accessories a few weeks back. I missed looking corporate-y so here's what I ended up wearing:

Cape from The Ramp, Shift dress from Faith Hope Love,

Bag from Topshop, Pumps from Parisian

Funny how my teammate J commented on my outfit. And I quote, "I like your dress, pang boss." Yehesss.

The stage

Dahil ibang klase lume-vel up ang SM, it was a star-studded event despite the bad weather. At dahil chaka yung runway photos ko, please click here to see some snaps from the show.

A feature from The Philippine Star last June 22

And guess what?

My "bossy" outfit made it on paper! Achieve!

With Cosmo's Happy Lopez

Yes, the accessories were lovely and there were so many artistas who walked the runway but when these two came out, my heart leaped!

BUMBLEBEE!

IRON MAN!

My goodness, I'm such a kid. =P

Fab Find: Prada-ish dress

2011-06-21T09:00:00.003+08:00

Prada's bold and bright stripes were one of the biggest trends of S/S 2011.

Photo from Style.com

Hailee Steinfeld wore a longer version to the SAG Awards

Photo from here

Then Amanda Seyfried rocked the same dress on Elle's April ish

And now, you can wear one too! Well, sort of.

TA-DA!

Striped maxi dress from Dorothy Perkins

Around P3K only!

WAGI!

Fab Find: Darna bands

2011-06-20T15:33:00.004+08:00

I love wearing leather bands. I've got tons already and I still can't get enough. I like stuff with one-word boosters. Remember this post? It's funny how my friend Pia tagged them as "Darna bands". In a way, the Darna part kinda meshes well with the concept, don't you think? Words + Power = DARNA! Mwahahaha.

The latest from my stash is from The Bead Shop. Bought these two as a birthday present for myself.

"Inspire" because I live to inspire (Well, I try my best)

"Love Love Crazy Love" because Mitor and I love that song

The brand offers a lot of words to choose from. Best of all, you can even have one customized (ready for pick-up after 3 days) without extra charge!

Price range is P250-P350. Not bad, right?

I likey very much!

gossip boy

2011-06-19T23:55:00.001+08:00

I stopped watching Gossip Girl after I realized na every episode nalang may party. Hahaha. In other words, wala siyang sustansiya (my opinion, don't kill me), except for the fashion part. The styling in that show is ah-mazing! So when J told me that we were invited to Ed Westwick's presscon for Penshoppe, I got giddy not because I'm a GG fan, but because it's Chuck Bass--the only guy I know who can pull off those pink bow ties and make 'em look hot.

Here's a video clip of the event, with my 1-second appearance with my fellow OK! girls. LOL

Spot me at 0:22!

Here's a screen shot
That's me, caught in the act of munching chips. :P

P.S. Got that orange maxi dress from SM Dept Store Teens Wear!

XOXO :)

polka dots and other bday treats.

2011-06-19T23:01:00.002+08:00

Okay I know this is a super late follow-up to my previous post but anyway, here it is. A few days before my birthday, mom asked me what I wanted for my handa. I only asked for 2 things--a polka-dot (because its my fave Fall/Winter 2011 trend) cake with bubblegum icing from Cakes & Bakes and buttered garlic shrimps.

A little tidbit about Cakes & Bakes: This pastry shop has been around for ages and we've been their suki for years. Our family loves the bubblegum icing kasi (the marshmallowy texture) and I'm sure you're aware of the fact that most cake shops don't sell that anymore...puro butter icing and fondant nalang. As much as I love butter and appreciate the art that goes into the whole fondant icing thingamajig, nothing tastes better than soft, freshly baked cake topped with white, fluffy, and not-too-sweet icing.

Their bubblegum icing variety needs to be ordered at least 2 days in advance so the 'rents went there and told them about my polka-dot concept. Now, since the saleslady is kinda old, my mom had a hard time explaining the polka-dots. And I quote: "Ay nako Karen ang hirap i-explain yang polka-dots mo ha! Paulit-ulit kami nung tindera, di niya ma-gets ang tanda na kasi! Din-rowing ko na nga eh pero parang di pa rin niya naintindihan. So pag panget bahala na." That made me chuckle. What's so hard about drawing circles around the cake? *scratches head*

Anyway, here it is!

My polka-dot cake! :)

Making a wish with my nephew Liam

Buttered garlic shrimps. Nomnomnom.

Mom also added the usuals for everyone to enjoy:

Top: Pancit from Amber & Chicken lollipop

Bottom: Embotido & Pichi-pichi

Plus a tub of ice cream from Tita Cindy

The next day was my time to treat so I brought the fambam to CPK. Thank you Cash Cash Pinoy for the vouchers! Hahaha.

The Rodriguezes

What we ate:

Classic Ceasar salad

Garlic cheese foccacia with checca

Cheeseburger pizza

Garlic cream fettuccine with shrimps

Grilled sausage and pepper penne (I think)

That's it, pancit! BURPPPPP.

My 27th.

2011-06-07T11:47:00.001+08:00

Unlike last year, this year's birthday was far from grand. Well, I actually had "plans" but due to lack of funds, I decided to skip the party and spent the day all by myself.

My day kicked off pretty well as I woke up to a long list of notifications from my Facebook wall, all of which were birthday greetings from friends, family, and colleagues. I did not file a birthday leave because I needed to do some crucial pre-prod thing for my shoot scheduled on Monday. So I dressed up in my comfiest garb--over-sized button-down, skinny jeans, ballet flats--and headed off to work as usual. When I arrived, our row was empty, and I saw this on my monitor:

CH-CHECK it out! Haha, Lana you're so cute!

Chocolate cake from Starbucks!

I love you, my OK! fam! :)

Didn't get the chance to eat the cake with the team coz I had to rush to the malls for my pre-prod. Was hoping to finish early so I can get a massage and catch the 6PM mass. 7 cab rejections and 3 malls later, I was able to accomplish my tasks for the day. Next on the itenerary: The Spa.

Feels like heaven

The hallway

My room

The Rockwell branch has premier suites only, so rates are higher. The Swedish massage costs P1,600, which is around P900 if you go to the Boni High branch. Good thing I brought my Belle de Jour coupon, so I was able to get a 20% discount. So, ano ang meron sa premier suite na wala sa pang-commoners, you ask?

Solo accommodations, baby!

Own tub

I almost fell asleep here

Ghost chair

Own toiletries

And of course, the very famous ginger tea.
Pano ba magtimpla ng ganito?
Teach me and I will love you forever!

The room was so quiet so I played my own version of spa music--Jewel's Spirit album

Fresh na fresh.

Happy 27th to me!

My next post will be all about the food I ate so stay tuned! :)

PFW Series: My Outfits

2011-05-29T23:36:00.001+08:00

Here's what I wore for four days in a row. I wanted to incorporate S/S 2011 trends in every ensemble dahil malapit na ang transition period. So before summer's over, I gave them their much needed exposure.

DAY 1

S/S11 Trend: Florals

Me with ze boss Frances

Outfit deets: Vest-Seventeen, Black tank-Fab, Paperbag pants and bag-both from Topshop, Heeled oxfords-Forever 21

I had that floral vest since college. Actually, ni-resurrect ko lang siya. It was originally a long-sleeved bolero. When I gave it to the mananahi to have the sleeves removed, she said:

"Ma'am, sa anak mo ba 'to?"

Bwahahaha.

DAY 2

S/S11 Trend: Sheer & Cropped

With Frances at the Forever 21 show

Outfit deets: Sheer ruffled top-Love Jane at 50th Ave Rob Galleria, Harem pants-Topshop, Shoes-Michael Antonio

Photo op with Preview's Daryl Chang

Effort ang outfit na 'to ha, kelangan stomach-in round-the-clock!

DAY 3

S/S11 Trend: Animal print

Outfit deets: Dress and bag-both from Topshop, Military boots-Forever 21

I'm not much of an animal-print person, by the way. Di ko pa keri magsuot ng full-blown roaring print. So mga pakonti-konti lang, like this one, collar lang. Next time belt naman. Haha! Pakipot pa.

DAY 4

S/S11 Trend: Sheer (see-through nuong unang panahon) LOL

Outfit deets: Lace blouse and skirt-both from SM, Shoes-Stella Luna

This was taken at Bubble Tea, Greenhills. Nakakagutom yung cake background ko.

Which look is your favorite? :)

PFW Series: SM Holiday 2011

2011-05-29T17:18:00.000+08:00

SM just keeps getting better and better every year. Since we came in late, we were seated far from the runway and it made no sense to take photos. Anyway, here's my fave look:

Accordion pleats in hot pink! So chica!

Photo from Stylebible.ph

Click here for more

I super love Parisian's holiday collection! Check out the pairs I got:

Black glittery platform pumps with gold details

P1,299.75

Tribal print pumps

P1,299.75

The best part? I can wear my mini socks inside! Sweaty-feet-friendly! Wuhoo!

SM is LOVE. :)

PFW Series: Design Fusion/Visions & Trends

2011-05-29T16:25:00.000+08:00

This show was sponsored by Sony VAIO, featuring 13 designers. It was a Saturday so I asked the BF if he can be my date. This was his first fashion week experience (front row!) and I'm glad he enjoyed it. In fairness, hindi siya inantok. Mwahahaha.

The show was all about details, baby. Here are some that caught my eye:

Bo Parcon's embellished socks

Don Protacio's bone necklace

Enrico Carado's origami

Jan Garcia's pattern play...

...and roaring flowy skirts

...and buma-backless top

Kenneth Chua's Lego embellishments...

and Lego choker. Ang taray ni Ate!

Russell Villafuerte's pompom skirt

Oz Go's lightbulb(?) stockings

Xernan Orticio's crisp cuts

I can wear this

Aries Lagat's shark tale

And last but not the least...

Happy Andrada's pleats

Here's another one. Bet ko yung helmet!

Kabog na kabog ang collection ni Happy! Pang-ibang planeta! Chos!

FUN FUN FUN!

PFW Series: Luxe Wear Collection

2011-05-16T01:33:00.003+08:00

Last week was Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011. I watched several shows from Wednesday to Saturday which I shall write about in a series of posts. First, the Sony Cybershot Luxe Wear Collection.

To start off, here are the looks that I liked:

Edwin Uy

Very English ang appeal

Julius Tarog

Tailored to perfection

Melvin Lachica

So floaty and airy

And the winner eeees:

Ronaldo Arnaldo's ume-era piece!

Ganda lang, oh!

Dramatic.

And now, here are some interesting pieces that caught my attention:

Kat Corpus

The cut-outs reminded me of...

...pastillas ni Aling Luz!

Photo from here

John Guarnes

At first glance akala ko hanggang sahig yung earrings, hindi pala.

Hanggang bewang lang. Jejeje.

Nolie Vineza

Kung patchwork at beading lang ang pag-uusapan, siya na!

Nicky Martinez

Pleats kung pleats! Haaay, I miss my flat abs.

Julius Tarog

I want those cuffs

Roel Rosal

He brought sexy back

Ronaldo Arnaldo

Espada nalang ang kulang. So chica!

Edwin Uy

Pwede na pang Royal Wedding. Kung ganyan ba naman ang legs mo eh, why not?!

Aga Mulach, isdatchu?

Ooops! Time to sleep!
Goodnight, peeps!

Raket Science: Jacq and Mike Nuptials

2011-05-15T17:25:00.001+08:00

I had zero sleep during the night of the Royal Wedding because I had to prepare for a 3AM call time for a real wedding the next day. This particular makeup gig is very special to me because the bride is my long-time grade school bud, Jacq.

Friends forever!

Jacq and I go a long way back. She's one of my best friends growing up. I can still remember how we used to send each other letters (as in snail mail) in pretty stationery during summer vacation. Grabe, suddenly I feel so old! Haha! But then she moved to another school and then college happened so we kind of grew apart. Thanks to social networking--from Friendster, to Multiply, and Facebook--we were able to keep in touch.

I was beyond thrilled when she asked me to do her makeup for her wedding. And not just her makeup, by the way. As in the whole entourage! 12 heads! And that explains the 3AM call time. My sis-in-law, Kim, helped me out so we were able to finish everyone before the 9AM church time.

The lovely couple.

I used airbrush makeup on Jacq :)

Mike's song number. Too cute!

Pumipiyok-piyok pero keri lang! Hahaha!

Congratulations, Jacq and Mike! Wishing you all the love and happiness this world can bring. :)

The May Issue.

2011-05-15T16:17:00.001+08:00

I'm sure that you guys know what April 29 was all about. And if you're an avid OK! reader / Facebook liker, perhaps you have an idea on how crazy our lives have become since the Royal Wedding. For those of you who are not familiar with the magazine time frame, we produce an issue 2 months prior to its release. So as for the May issue, all the pages were turned over since March... except for the 22 pages we allotted for the Royal Wedding coverage. Target date of release? May 6.

And yes, it was born on May 6, right on schedule.

Say hello to our baby!

The proud parents

L-R: Frances, Lana, Me, Sonny, Elaine, Joanna

A Shu Uemura gift pack (courtesy of our EIC Frances) was up for grabs for those who will post a photo with our May issue. Actually, merong entry si Mitor eh. Hindi ko lang na-post.

With matching Sanrio background and cotton candy!

Mwahahahaha.

But wait, there's more! This issue also marks my first ever fashion editorial for our magazine! You see, the mannequin + product table + studio combo has always been my formula for OK!'s fashion pages since 2008. So doing something outdoors (on a beach!), with models, with a big time fashion photographer is a breath of fresh air.

The prod team

L-R: Art Director Sonny, my assistant Nene, Managing Editor Lana, Me, Makeup Artist Jasmine Mendiola, Hairstylist Marie Tan, Model Angelie, Model Larissa, Photographer Paolo Pineda

Reunited and it feels so good!

Meet Jasmine, the person behind my styling career. Haha!

Love you, Jas!

I don't have behind-the-scene photos to share so I shall leave you with teasers:

"Flower Child"

Sheer floaty florals with a boho flair

"Awesome Waves"

Boho hair ideas

And yes, there's more. I also did a feature on flip-flops, which required me to...

...go into the pool just to get the shot!

Ang lamig ng tubig, ha. This was around 8AM.

Photo by Elijah Mendoza

So c'mon, you guys! Go grab a copy of our super packed issue! It's our best issue to date! PROMISE!

green minded.

2011-04-10T19:47:00.000+08:00

The Cambridge Satchels finally arrived at Schu. Got mine yesterday and took it for a spin the very next day.

Sheer top and denim shorts from Tiendesitas bazaar

13-inch green Cambridge Satchel and Toms in silver glitter

I love my new baby! The color! The stitching! The smell! Aaaaah. Now I'm thinking of ordering one of those flouros, too. Hmmmm.

Anyhoo, dropped by Fully Booked (as always) because I wanted to buy another book but I had to stop myself because...my credit card bill will arrive this week! Afraid. Guess who's not eating in the next 5 days? Mwahahaha. Happy Sunday, everyone! :)

longest graduation ever.

2011-04-09T17:11:00.001+08:00

I accompanied the BF to Pampanga to attend his cousin's graduation. The last graduation I attended from start to finish was my very own, and that was 6 years ago. I kind of anticipated the long hours but man, this particular ceremony took 5 hours to finish! And get this, there were only 179 students! Oh my gulay. So okay, since I rarely talk about what I'm wearing (and I think I should start doing that), let me just show you my watching-graduation outfit. Haha.

Shades from Aldo Accessories. Top from Oxygen. Cropped pants from Space. Bag from Banana Taipei. Shoes from Anthology.

"Opulence" by Jeremy Scott for Swatch

"Blessed" cuff from DLSU Bazaar. Studded cuff from Forever 21.

I wear these two together all the time. Just a reminder that even if shit happens, I am still lucky.

I am so into this whole fabric loafers thingamajig. So comfy and hip!

Now, let me share a funny conversation:

M: Lagi mo suot yan ah, tignan mo madumi na yung isa.

K: Ano ka ba, hindi dumi yan, style niya yun.

M: Mas dark kaya yung isa!

K: Oo nga, ganun talaga kasi...

...alternate oh!

Mwahahahaha

Haaay, boys and fashion.

Anyway, after the mass, we headed by the fountain and brought out our anti-boredom gear.

Book for me

iPad for him

Sunset came and it was too dark to read. Then his iPad run out of battery. Boohoo. We got hungry, so we went out to check the food cart just outside the school gate.

This guy sells...

...the YUMMIEST. ISAW. EVER.

Breaded ala quek-quek style. Sarap!

Oh by the way, the graduation ended at 10PM. Ibang klase, diba? Yun lang. BOW.

leather and fiction.

2011-04-09T16:10:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago, I felt the urge to read again. I've been too swamped with work lately and I kind of wanted to get away from anything fashion/magazine/work-related. So I went to Fully Booked and bought this:

I don't know anything about this book, aside from the fact that it's one of the store's best sellers. No time to dilly-dally since the store was about to close so I went straight to the cashier. Spent a little time looking through the trinkets by the counter and a familiar face caught my eye:

Aklat Eklat's leather book jackets.

I was with my bff Aai when we first saw this at the Rockwell bazaar about 2 years ago. She bought one and I bought one as a Christmas gift for our friend, J. Didn't have the budget to get one for myself at that time and I kind of forgot about it already because again, I haven't read a decent book for a quite a while. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it again. Love!

I have this thing about good quality leather. The smell alone can make me giddy. I totally admire the craftsmanship that goes along with leather goods. It's just so... fascinating. I'm really not particular with brands. Basta quality leather, solb na ko. Now look at my pretty book!

Ganda lang.

And then I brought out this thingy I got from Saizen a long time ago:

What is this thing, you ask?

You use it for this!

Aminin mo, useful siya.

As of today, I'm on Chapter 15 and enjoying every single page with my leather-smelling book. Simple pleasures that I deserve.

Fun Find: Sucker Stand

2011-04-09T15:12:00.001+08:00

Do you love watching videos in your iTouch? Well, you'll prolly consider this as heaven sent!

The Sucker Stand

Looks like a toilet plunger, yes?

Just press it at the back...

Make it stand...

And voila!

Ain't that cool or what?!

*Available at Swell Stuff for only Php80.

Another Giveaway! Prada Wallet

2011-03-19T19:08:00.003+08:00

Simple click this and register!

Easy peasy! Let's do this!

Giveaway Alert: Cocomo

2011-03-19T15:13:00.007+08:00

Remember the Cocomo swimsuit I wore on my recent Boracay trip?

Sorry for the washed out photo, the BF played with the ISO. I checked my camera and I have no other photos wearing this. Haha, tamad na tamad lang mag-picture.

So para ma-appreciate niyo naman, here's a product shot:

Brooklyn.

Photo from Cocomo.

Well, my friend Tisha is giving away 3 Cocomo suits to celebrate her blog's anniversary! Click this and you might get lucky! I wanna win the Black Savannah! How about you? :)

twelve again.

2011-03-17T23:44:00.013+08:00

So who watched Taylor Swift's concert last February? I did!

Now, let me tell you about the major pain of free seating: lining up early.

The looooong line

Reminded me of the Forever 21 sale, but times two. Or three.

That's the crowd situation when we arrived. Time check: 2PM. Concert time: 8PM. Sucks, right? But we gotta do what we gotta do. We stood in line for about 4 freaking hours. Under the sun. With sweaty kids around. Suffocation 101.

This was not actually the first time I lined up for hours to watch a show. Remember these guys?

I cringe.

We were in first year highschool, I think. The Moffatts came to the Philippines to promote their new album, and of course, there was a mall show. SM Megamall Bldg A. My friends and I lined up at 10am. Show time: 4Pm. Yes, we were THAT pathetic. And when I look back now, all I can say is... sana sa Hanson nalang ako pumila! :D

But hey, the lining-up-early did pay off coz we ended up near the front row! So for our twelve-year old selves, it was a surreal moment and a huge accomplishment...even if one of us fainted in the middle of the show because of the wild crowd. Mwahahaha

So there, the lining-up-for-T.Swift wasn't such a new thing to me. You gotta work hard to get good seats, man. That's the curse of not being able to buy good tickets. Actually, when I found out that there were still Upperbox B tickets for sale, I was kinda reluctant, so I called the BF first.

K: Ui, may tickets pa sa Taylor!

M: Talaga?!!! Bili ka na baka maubos na naman

K: Eh kaya lang free seating eh, okay lang?

M: Yeah

K: Kahit na kelangan naten pumila ng sobrang aga? Kasi pag late na likod na lang ni Taylor makikita naten

M: Oo kahit gano pa kaaga crush ko yun eh

Seriously, those were his exact words. So okay lang pala ah. But after an hour of standing in line...

M: Baket nga ba ulit free seating yung tickets naten?

K: Kasi naubos agad yung Upperbox A. Pagod ka na 'no? *smirk*

M: Oo, ang tagal eh!

K: Welcome to the world of pop culture, babe.

M: O basta next time pag free seating wag na tayo manood, ha?

K: Kahit na crush mo?

M: Eh ang tagal eh!

Haha, panis si Mr. Arnis.

So when they finally opened the gates, it felt like heaven. Adrenalin kicked in pretty fast and we were scrambling with the kids to get the best seats. Hahaha! Kakahiya. Good thing my OK! teammate, Elaine, managed to get the finest seats in our level.

Gitna kung gitna! Wuhoo!

And the waiting part continues. But my iTouch came prepared. I think I was able to finish 2 episodes of The Vampire Diaries before the show finally started.

And then finally, she came out.

Salamat sa wide-screen, Araneta!

Watch her opening spiel here:

Medyo nag-effort ako sa subtitles ha.

And now, concert photos!

Hi Taylor, can I have your gold fringe dress? Super like!

Back to December. My favorite.

Dear John.

Emote kung emote.

Enchanted.

Finale: Love Story.

With Elaine and Aia

Told you we were twelve again.

Oh what a day it was! Tiring but super worth it, nonetheless! Although next time...I really want my reserved seats. Let's leave the lining-up-early to the twelve year-olds. Hahaha

Fun Find: Giant T-shirt

2011-03-13T23:25:00.004+08:00

And to end my Boracay post, here's something we found at the tiangge:

GIANT t-shirt. Sold for P1,200.

It's super duper huuuuuge! I did ask the saleslady if may bumibili nun. And yes, meron daw. The shirt is too big, na pwede na siyang local version of The Snuggie! :D

Boracay eats and other things.

2011-03-12T22:52:00.017+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, Boracay's commercialization is depressing. With establishments mushrooming everywhere, I wouldn't be surprised if "keeping up with the times" can be the cause of its downfall. It's just...too much.

I was too lazy to take photos to prove my point, though. Just think Greenhills Shopping Center with a beach. High-end stores and tiangges mixed together (no proper zoning), and the dibidi guys are replaced with "Ma'am, sir, island hopping? ATV? Helmet diving???". I think that analogy will suffice. Would you believe there's Starbucks, Shakey's, and Yellow Cab by the beach?! I don't know, it just seems...wrong. Even the famous Jonah's Milkshakes in Station 1 lost its charm. What used to be a kubo-type setting (with sand on your toes and trees in between tables) now looks like a fast food chain, complete with tiles and uncomfy chairs. Sad. :(

So for the duration of our stay, we veered away from the Manila restos and revisited the local establishments we tried out before. And that became another disappointment. Yung mga dating masarap na kainan, hindi na rin masarap ngayon. Siyet.

Only two restaurants made us happy and satisfied on those five days.

One was Real Coffee in Station 1.

I'm not a breakfast person (I only drink hot Milo on a regular work day) but I like breakfast food. I can eat bacon, Spam and omelettes all day. We had breakfast in this place for two consecutive mornings.

The open kitchen.

This place is owned by an American woman but look, it's sooo Pinoy.

Various coffee mugs with names, recycled plastic containers for storage

Handwritten labels and again, recycled containers. The sugar jar was Lady's Choice peanut butter once.

Spreading happy thoughts

What we had:

Jack's omelette. Two eggs with a mix of tuna, melted cheese, tomatoes, etc. The next day we tried it with pesto (not in photo). Saraaaaaap!

Banana pancake. It's huge. Good for sharing. YUM!

Real Coffee's signature coffee. Mitor likes it with two shots of fresh milk.

Here's another must-try: Calamansi muffins. Think lemon squares but better.

Happy customer

The second one is Don Vito Italian Restaurant in Mandarin Hotel, Station 2.

Loved the ambiance, perfect for a dinner date

Cream of asparagus soup

Baked tahong with mashed potatoes

Baby-back ribs

We weren't very impressed with the food, but the ambiance and the service made up for it. Maybe we should have ordered pasta and pizza, since it's an Italian resto?

Haaaay, I miss the old Boracay.

beach bum.

2011-03-12T15:51:00.020+08:00

Just got back from a 5-day vacay in Boracay. I've been to Bora for a couple of times already so when the BF asked if we have specific activities planned, my answer was... wala, tambay lang.

And that's exactly what we did.

We rented this Winston tent along Station 2 for P200 pesos/day and we stayed here from 10am til sunset.

Beach + Mango shake = Perfection.

I am a mango addict but compared to Mitor, talo ako. If I had two mango shakes a day, Mitor had four, at naki-inom pa siya sa akin nun. Addict, much? He buys from different fruit stands and among all the shakes we tried, we love this the most:

Paupatri's Mango Shake

Yes, it's not Jonah's... just because Station 1 is too far.

Nakakatamad maglakad. Haha!

Serving shakes with a smile

Of course, beach bumming wouldn't be complete without my gear:

Beach mat, straw hat, dry bag, Ipod touch, X-mini speakers, Shu Uemura Facial Mist, VMV Armada Sunblock, Aldo shades, Ruffles and French Onion dip

Wearing my hot pink Vibrams. Well, you don't really need aqua shoes in Boracay since the sand is so fine, but I wore them anyway. :P

I spent hours just staring at the beach. Then I'll swim a bit, take a break at the bench, close my eyes and savor the breeze. It's been a while since I had these wala lang moments. I loved every minute of it.

And I also love my Cocomo swimsuit, by the way. Haha.

Aside from sleeping and eating, I also did some people watching.

That's Mitor, swimming on his own

The German boys, getting roasted and toasted

A foreign couple, having a picnic

And then there's this guy...in his briefs. LOL

I also grabbed the latest issue of YES! Magazine and read the much talked-about 39-page Sarah Geronimo-Rayver Cruz love story. It was sooo juicy that...

...even the BF read every single page.

After I took the video, he quipped:

M: Wag mo ipo-post yan ah, wala na ma-a-attract saken nyan

K: Baket, gusto mo pa marami ma-attract sa'yo?

M: Ayaw mo 'nun, dami na-a-attract saken tas ikaw lang gusto ko?

May ganun? Hahaha.

And then on our last day, he surprised me with this:

Beauty queen flowers.

Kesong-keso!

No matter how commercialized Boracay has become (it really is depressing, to tell you honestly), I will always come back for this:

Super fine white sand and clear waters

Still, nothing compares. (In my opinion)

Forget the clubs, forget the shops, forget the outdoor activities.

Boracay's main attraction is nothing but the beach.

Four Valentines.

2011-02-14T23:34:00.014+08:00

I can't believe we celebrated Valentines 4 times this year. Haha! Parang Pasko lang ah? First, it was last Wednesday.

M: Til what time ka today?

K: 8ish

M: Let's have dinner. Eto na yung Valentines celeb naten, ha?

K: Okay!

He took me to Cafe Lidia, a hole-in-the-wall resto in Marikina.

Buffalo wings, Seafood pasta, 3-cheese pizza

Then came Saturday.

K: Oh, oh I know what to watch for Valentines!

M: What?

K: Tangled

M: Cartoons?

K: Yes. BAKET? *with matching piercing eyes*

M: Ah, okay!

Wala na siya nasabi, diba? Hahaha! So we ended up eating Chinese food at Delicious Kitchen and watched Tangled at Rob Galleria. Cute movie! There's this one scene that made me cry! Just one tear, FYI. Haha! As if that makes any difference.

The thief who stole my heart. Yehesss.

Then came Sunday. We heard mass and then fishball-isaw-sari sari store fiesta...

Photo op with our Royal Sakto bottles. Meron na pala nun?!

...followed by Heart's day dinner with BMG at 1521 Restaurant at Shaw blvd.

The gang

By the end of the night, he asked:

M: Are we still going out tom?

K: I don't know, kahit hindi na.

M: Okay, bahala na.

So Monday morning came. No expectations, since he's not the type who would plan something extravagant. Plus, I always figure out his "surprise" attempts, just because he's not so good with the poker face thingamajig. Hahaha. But tonight, he caught me off-guard. He went to the office and brought this:

Ta-da!

Beauty queen (and over-priced) roses for me!

Here's the thing: I never encouraged him to buy me flowers on Valentines day just because I know it's waaaaay too expensive. Being the kuripot that he is, on our first V-day together, he gave me this :

LULU plant. Valentines 2007

Isang halaman sa paso, which he proudly declares that he made from scratch, pink wrapping and ribbon included. I named it LULU kasi...bulaklak siya na nasa LUpa. Baduy, I know.

The plant lived a short life though. As in...1 month? HAHAHA

After Lulu, wala na. Because really, I'd rather have a bag or gift certificates from clothing brands/The Spa as a V-day present. But yeah, aaminin ko...kinilig ako today. Mwahahaha.

Now back to the date. Since we're both craving for Bellini's seafood pasta, we decided to go to Cubao Expo. Unfortunately, they have a set meal for the night, so we ended up eating these instead:

Salmon pasta, Ravioli, Fish-something, Beef-something, Obama cake, Tiramisu

Salamat, at binusog mo ang puso ko. :)

Happy Valentines, everyone!

My Janet Jackson Love Affair.

2011-02-05T04:01:00.027+08:00

It's 4:25 in the morning and I still can't get over it. I'm just SOOOO HAPPY. As in.

Quick history: "Again" was my first fave Janet song. That was year 1993, 9 years old, 3rd grade. Yeah, too young for a heartbreak song but the lyrics didn't matter much at that time. Then came "Runaway", but I really fell in love with her music and dance moves when "The Velvet Rope" album was released. "Together Again" was the first Janet dance piece I performed in school and since then I've always considered her as my forever idol.

So you can probably imagine how excited I was when I found out about her concert here in Manila. Ay, ibang level! It's been my longtime dream to see her perform live and I never thought that it'll happen this year! Seryoso, akala ko hanggang sa DVD nalang ako til the day I die (grab a copy of her concert in Hawaii, it's PHENOMENAL)! I even said that if ever I'll have a second life, I want to be Janet's back-up dancer. Yes, I'm such a fangirl.

And then came February 4th, 2011. The BIG day.

Sinong kinikilig? HAHAHA

The Janet Crew A.K.A. My Forever Girls / BMG (Barkadahang Magastos)

(L-R) Chippie, Jego, Me, Binder, Tin, Deb, Ligster

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

Got the best Php 5K seats in the house! PICC is the place to be!

Thanks for buying our tickets, Binder! :)

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

After an hour of waiting, the lights finally went off and we were welcomed with this:

A video message from Janet.

I didn't understand a word she said because we were all screaming our hearts out!

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

Then they played the "Go Deep" music video, the song dedicated to Manila.

And this happened next:

(Disclaimer: Wiggly video. I'm very magulo, can't keep the arms steady coz I just HAD to dance and scream and raise my hands in between! LOL)

Your hotness. Sexy, sexy, sexy!

Janet busting a move with her awesome dancers

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

Oh I'd love to be in their shoes!

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

The 2nd set.

She sang "Nothing", "Come Back To Me", "Let's Wait A While" and "Again".

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

The 3rd set--MY FAVORITE!

She opened it with "Doesn't Really Matter"

Watch the dance break here:

(Again, wiggly video. Sorry! Can't help it!)

Then she sang "Escapade", "All for You" and I can't seem to remember the rest. Hahaha

4th set: Started with "Black Cat", and ended with "Rhythm Nation".

The great finale: "Together Again"

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

As soon as photos of Janet with MJ flashed the screen, tears just started rolling down my face.

She kept looking up, singing every word to her brother.

"Everywhere I go, every smile I see

I know you are there, smiling back at me

Dancing in moonlight, I know you are free

'Coz I can see your star, shining down on me."

Oh man it was such an emotional number! I was crying, jumping, dancing, and singing all at the same time!

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

The final bow.

Photo courtesy of Tin Zablan

What an amazing show! Thank you sooo much, Ms. J! You are a dream come true.

BEST. DAY. EVERRRR!!!!

Tissue, please! HAHAHA

Comeback.

2011-01-29T13:39:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone! Wow, okay, so where have I been, you ask? Aside from the fact that I'm really bad at this whole blog maintenance thing, I have a super valid reason for my 2-month absence--this:

My "comeback" issue as OK! Magazine's Associate Fashion Editor!

Yes, I gave up my freelance life and went back to my second home, Summit Media. Let's just say that I missed having some form of structure in my life. Haha! And of course, I love the magazine, I love the people behind the pages, so it wasn't such a hard decision to make. :)

The OK! Family

From left: (standing) Lana, Nicole, Frances,

(sitting) Joanna, Nichole, Sonny, Me, Jay, and Elaine

My new post officially started last December 1st. So you can just imagine how busy I was, adjusting to the whole time-in-time-out thing (no more work-in-bed for me), and the fact that December is the busiest month for raketeers (I did makeup for 3 weddings, I think). Plus, I had to fulfill the other raket commitments I made long before the job was offered to me. And let's not forget all the holiday hullabaloo--gifts, parties, traffic et al infinitum! Phew! It was definitely a crazy way to end my 2010, but a whole lot of fun, nevertheless!

Now back to my comeback issue. Our team is particularly proud of this Feb 2011 ish because it's super duper packed! And our new layout is so refreshing so please do grab a copy! You'll enjoy every page, I promise! Also, like us on Facebook for daily alerts and what-nots! Frances is cooking up a huge giveaway so come aboard and join the fun!

Haaaay, I love my job. It feels great to be back. :)

*Staff photo credits: Photo by Willy Saw. Makeup by Marie Calica & Ces Guerrero. Hair by Michael Morano & Adela Egan. Styling by yours truly.

Fab Find: Carrie's Turban

2010-11-28T02:39:00.009+08:00

I'm sure a lot of us loved Sex and the City for the fashion, and Carrie's turban is just one of the ah-mazing pieces I swore I gotta have someday.

Hats are instant style ooomphers. Haha, I like making up my own words. :P In days when you can't think of anything to wear, just put on something casual then add a nice hat. Ta-da! Fab in an instant!

So as I was doing my usual mall rounds, I spotted this blue turban that made my heart leap!

It even matched my outfit!

The price: Only Php 199! Aaaack, we're totally meant to be!

Only 2 pieces left--1 blue and 1 brown--so of course, I bought them both!

I love you, Yhansy!

Grab a copy of the December issue of OK! Philippines and check out my other great finds from this store, perfect for your holiday gift list!

*Yhansy is located at 5th floor, Shangri-la Plaza Mall.

*SJP photo from here.

Dine In: Sicilian Express

2010-11-28T01:54:00.009+08:00

Sicilian Express is our go-to comfort food since forever. Well actually, we only order two things from here: The Sicilian Salad and White Pizza. Perfect combination!

Sicilian Salad

This baby is the yummiest salad everrrr!

Showing off his "new" shirt!

(Back story: While looking at the photos from my camera the day before, I noticed that in most of our date night pics, he's wearing his striped yellow and gray shirt. So I was like "ay pag nilagay ko pala lahat 'to sa blog ko pare-parehas suot mo oh!" Hahaha!)

White Pizza

I am a sucker for anything cheesy and buttery so this one totally fits the bill!

Gooeylicious!

Nom nom nom!

*Sicilian Express is located at Meralco Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City

For the love of Taylor Swift

2010-11-20T00:44:00.004+08:00

Ticket prices are out! I'm sooo excited for this!

Upper Box A it is!

Published in The Philippine Star

Thank you, Ovation Productions, for choosing Araneta Coliseum! I don't like MOA concerts because I'm too small to fight with those tall insensitive peeps standing on chairs. :-\

Next year's Valentines will be beyond fantastic! YAY! :)

*Photos grabbed from here.

Raket Science: BTS for Fashion Match, Cosmo Nov2010

2010-11-05T01:43:00.013+08:00

Producing a fashion editorial is not a walk in the park, and I guess you know that by now. But lemme tell you, this particular project was twice as hard, because I needed to source out at least 7 identical outfits with huge price differences. It took me almost a week to go around different malls and scoured every single store to look for item duplicates. With my digicam as my secret weapon, I took photos of the clothes which I felt I can find similar versions of. Example, when I spotted this nautical top at Rustan's, I had this gut feeling that I can also find one in SM. Lo and behold, meron nga! :) So, by the end of the week, I was able to build outfits based from the loose pieces that I found. And the rest was history. :P

I was privileged to shoot this with no less than Sara Black. Man, she's amazing! Plus, I had my super team--Ria Gamboa for makeup, John Valle for hair, Krystle Rius and Lou Sison as models--to make my vision come to life. Check out behind-the-scene photos here!

Welcome to the Black Studio

John Valle and Ria Gamboa

The team at work

Sara Black, ready to shoot

The set

Me at work

Fixing this...

...and fixing that.

Phew! Happy and satisfied. :)

* BTS photos courtesy of Joyce Paulo

* Special thanks to Happy Lopez

* Grab a copy of Cosmo's Nov 2010 issue now!

Raket Science: Mahal VS Mura

2010-11-05T00:36:00.009+08:00

Remember these two?

Mura and Mahal

HAHAHA! I have no words.

Don't panic. They're not going back on TV...yet. And I didn't style them. I just did a shoot inspired by their screen names, and now it's published (finally) on Cosmo's Nov ish!

Mahal VS Mura--COSMOTIZED!

Now, can you guess who's Ms. Splurge and Ms. Save?

Find out at Cosmo's November 2010 issue (Kim Chiu on the cover) and check out the other 5 identical looks I styled! The only main difference are the price tags--Hint: 1 Splurge outfit costs P14,983 VS the Save version which is only P6,036.75! Interesting, eh? Go grab a copy now! :)

Styling by Kabbie Rodriguez

Photographs by Sara Black

Makeup by Ria Gamboa

Hair by John Valle

Models: Krystle Rius and Lou Sison

Mahal and Mura photo from here.

surprise, surprise.

2010-10-25T02:25:00.012+08:00

It all started with a surprise announcement at Cookbook Kitchen about a month ago.

Tetah and Daks--ENGAGED! :)

My Forever Girls also known as BMG (Barkadahang Magastos)

Super ecstatic with the big news!

Of course, we ought to follow tradition so Jego planned a surprise bridal shower for the bride-to-be. Our venue: Lancaster Suites!

The Mastermind

The happy minions

Irene, Tin, and Jatts

The excited ones

Jego, Binder, Biggie, and me

Biggie's very high school lettering

The food courtesy of Deb, Chip, Caloi, Vina, and Jatts

And now, time to watch the big reveal!

Iiyak na yan! Iiyak na yan!

HAHAHA!

We are so happy for you, Mrs. de Leon-to-be! Weee!

Raket Science: Airbrush Makeup for Claire

2010-10-21T11:39:00.013+08:00

I've had my airbrush system for the longest time. I used it for a couple of gigs already but this is actually the first time that I was able to play with it for a photo shoot.

Claire's Before and After

Photos by Chie Zamora

Makeup by Kabbie Rodriguez

So my darling brides, let me know if you want to upgrade, ok? Teehee. :)

Fun(ny) Find: Fastfood Masahista

2010-10-21T01:32:00.004+08:00

Ano ang meron sa Burger King na wala sa McDo at Jollibee?

Onion rings.

Ano pa?

Eto oh:

The Fastfood Masahista.

Now, who wants a massage while eating burger and fries? Anyone?

At first I thought that the man brought the therapist with him on purpose. But why would he do that? I mean, c'mon, is it normal to get a massage while eating at a fast food joint? It's so...bizarre. Then I checked the lady's nameplate and it says: "Have it your way". So okay, it's really Burger King's value added service! HAHAHA!

*Spotted this at Robinsons Galleria.

shady halloween.

2010-10-21T00:52:00.008+08:00

And the Regine's Gift Shop post continues. This time around, it's all about eye wear. If you're still on the lookout for anything weird to wear for Halloween, well, maybe this could help.

So why don't you...

...go as a masquerade beauty?

...as wizard boy Harry Potter?

...a confuzzled scientist?

...just a plain dork?

(sayang I can't open the packaging eh)

FUN! :)

*These costume shades are available at Regine's Gift Shop, 2nd level of Shoppesville, Greenhills Shopping Center. Price starts at P50.

Fun Find: Crying Chickens.

2010-10-18T00:06:00.005+08:00

It's been a while since my sister and I visited Greenhills so we really had a blast window shopping today. One of our favorite places to go to is Regine's Gift Shop just because they have so many interesting items that you can play around with.

Look at what Daria saw:

Freaked-out chickens.
Ano ang ibig sabihin ng "ONE TRY ONLY PLS"?

Find out here:

HILARIOUS!
Who would buy that? Hahaha!

*These "crying" chickens are sold at Regine's Gift Shop, 2nd Level of Shoppesville, Greenhills Shopping Center.

Fun Find: Cool Vendo

2010-10-17T21:51:00.008+08:00

Speaking of refs, meet its cool kapamilya.

Oooooh.

We chanced upon this vendo machine while I was getting cash from the ATM. Looks hi-tech to us! Hahaha! My sister, Daria, immediately tried it (she bought a bottle of Coke) while I was busy banking. My oh my, she got so giddy when she saw how the machine works that she wanted me to experience it too. This was how our conversation went:

Daria: Karen, bilis bili ka!
Me: Di ako nauuhaw eh. Teka pano ba mahuhulog yung bote? Saan lulusot?
Daria: Bili ka na kasi para makita mo! Sige na eto 5 pesos dagdagan mo nalang.
Me: Ano ba pinakamura dyan? Ah yun, tubig 15 pesos.
Mitor: Ano ba yan gagastos ka ng 15 pesos para lang sa tubig? Piliin mo na yung may lasa, yung Minute Maid oh.
Me: Mas gusto ko Tropicana eh (unfortunately walang Tropicana)
Daria: Bilis na kahit ano nalang! (excited, much?)

Now watch how it works here!

We are so shallow and I love it!

HAHAHA!

*This vendo machine is located at the 2nd level of Shoppesville, Greenhills Shopping Center.

* Daria is not my sister's real name. I just call her that because they somehow act and think alike plus she's a huge fan of the show. Hehehe.

Fun Find: Mother Lily's Brand New Ref

2010-10-16T01:43:00.007+08:00

There's actually a lot of good finds at the Mega Sale if you have the patience for it. Look at what we saw on our way to Ace Hardware:

Toshiba refrigerators now 50% off!

Sold to Mother Lily for only P14,599!
Wagi!

*Toshiba marked-down refs are available at the entrance of SM Appliances, lower ground floor, Mega B. :)

mom and mall-wide sales.

2010-10-15T23:09:00.017+08:00

I was trained to shop wisely since I was young. That, I think, is the reason why pulling out and hunting for good finds seems so natural to me. Every time there's a mall-wide sale, Mom would take me and my sister with her and we'd spend the whole day shopping for bargains. Divisoria, Baclaran, 168, Tutuban...you name it, we've shopped there. Not to mention, Mom used to have a stall in Greenhills back in the 80's which explains why we know that tiangge kingdom from corner to corner and never got lost in the middle of the chaos.

Now that I'm always busy with work, and Mom's arthritis/rheumatism limits her from walking a lot like she used to, we hardly ever go to mall-wide sales anymore. I missed that a lot. More than anything, I missed spending time with her.

So about 3 days ago, I blocked off my whole Friday and told my Mom that I'd take her to the Mega Sale on her birthday. She got really excited or make that, SUPER excited that she woke me up by 7am so we can go there early! But I am not that desperate to shop so I slept until 10am and we were at SM Megamall an hour later.

Our first stop: SM Department Store.

Mom and her portable walker

First on the agenda was to check if the Van Huesen clothes are on 70% off and get a few pieces for Dad. Unfortunately, 50% off lang so Mom decided not to buy. That's how kuripot she is. HAHAHA.

Next was to buy her makeup. The lines were too long at the cashier so we changed our minds, dropped our items and moved on.

Third on our mental list was to buy my desk lamp. We headed to Ace Hardware and got this baby for P825.

And then there was light!

Then we decided to check out Forever 21. And look what welcomed us:

Reminded me of Wowowee in Ultra.
Buti nalang walang stampede. Afraidddd.

CRAZY!!! I had no intention of going inside but the guard saw my mom with her walker and gave us a free pass. Senior citizen perks, eh? As soon as we entered the store, I wanted to leave. The lines to the cashier were soooo long that there's actually not enough space to look around for stuff anymore. What the heck, I'm not that crazy so after 5 minutes we left. Told ya I was trained to shop wisely! If the line's too long, surrender! Hahaha!

I kinda felt bad for the other local retailers, though. Wala masyado tao! Everyone was going gaga over Forever 21! And that worked to my advantage because I was able to score a couple of tops in my "secret list of overlooked stores" without having to fall a single line. Sweet!

After that, we headed home and continued Mom's celebration with good food.

Make a wish!

Happy grandparents with Liam, the first grandson. Oh you lucky kid.

What a feast!
Crispy pata, honey-roasted chicken, lumpiang shanghai, and pancit!
Delicioso!

Hope you enjoyed our date, Mom! Let's do this more often, sale or no sale. Haha! I love you!

P.S.
Aren't you glad that I didn't use your credit card? See, I can handle my money now. You should be proud. LOL

Mr. Pure Energy.

2010-10-15T02:03:00.016+08:00

Gary Valenciano's energy is not just pure, folks. It's LEGENDARY. Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to witness this incredible artist perform right in front of my eyes at the Music Museum (super thanks, Louie A!). You see, I've always been a fan of this guy but I don't know what took me so long before I managed to watch him live. And what made me feel even more luckier? Louie scored really good seats for us, as in next to the VIPs! :)

The who?
Clues: J. ASAP. Dynamite.

In no time, our area was surrounded by ASAP talents. They were nice to look at, to say the least. But I'm not the type who'd go out of my way to take their photographs, so there. Hehehe.

The real VIP.

Gary opened the show from the back door, singing "Hataw Na!". I remember dancing to this song when I was young. Haaay, memories.

Singing from the heart.

If I were to describe his show in one word, it would be...HEARTFELT. It's amazing how he took us back in time with his numerous hits that made an impact in our lives, in one way or another. He is just so REAL in every sense of the word.

I think every person in the audience had their own emo moments during the show and I am definitely no exception. Mine was this:

He started the segment by talking about a father's unconditional love. The way he expresses his love for his children is just so admirable. Keana, his youngest daughter, is about to turn 18 this year, and he said that no matter how old she is, for him, he will always be this playful little girl:

An old video clip of Gary teaching 4-year old Keana how to sing.

Oh my gosh, tears just started rolling nonstop! It was sooo sweet and lovely. Words are not enough, really. Then moments later, Keana and Gab appeared on stage.

They sang "The Climb" together...

...while Gab played the piano.
Apart from dancing, this guy can also play instruments. What a revelation!

The concert had a number of guests, too.

Jericho Rosales can really sing live, and in tune ha. I likey!
Plus, he composed "Pusong Ligaw" all by himself. Way to go, crush!

Duncan Ramos actually performed with Gary V when he was a kid.
And boy, he can dance pala!

The last part was the "request" segment, where Gary graciously sang whatever the audience wanted to hear. Nakakaaliw, super. And did I mention that I was just one seat apart from rubbing elbows with this guy?

Sam Milby!
This photo is for you, cousin Toni. Haha!

What an amazing show! Can't wait to watch him again in the future! GARY V. ROCKS!

Dine In: Bellini's

2010-10-04T02:04:00.015+08:00

Last weekend, I was in the mood for some indie/oldie culture so I asked the mighty BF to take me to Cubao Ex.

I like!

I've been trying to convince my mom for the longest time to convert our sewing machine into a desk that I can use. Well, until now she won't budge. Heirloom piece issues. Le sigh.

After going around the stores (sorry, no other photos coz I was so busy window shopping and wasn't in a "tourist" mode), we got hungry so we ended up here:

Bellini's.

It was our second time in this Italian resto and we love this place for its cozy ambiance and feel-good food. The music is a plus, too. The blind man is as talented as any other singer out there. He's not John Mayer, but hey, we like singing along with him when we know the song (sometimes he sings super old ones kasi).

Painted ceiling.

This is what you call true passion.
That's Mr. Bellini, the owner, waiting tables. I admire the fact that he's still so hands-on, given that he has enough staff to do the work for him.

Here's what we ordered:

Seafood pasta.
My verdict: 5 out of 5 stars

This is soo good that we had to order another one! Remember to sprinkle some parmesan. Delicioso!

Roasted chicken something-something.
(Geez, I'm really bad at remembering food names)
My verdict: 4 out of 5 stars
Very tasty, but a tad too salty

Satisfied customer.

The happy girlfriend.
Bought the "Cyclops" shades at I Love You Store for P300.

Fun Find: Call and Surf--just insert coins!

2010-10-04T00:14:00.012+08:00

I don't own a Blackberry, a netbook, or an Ipad. I don't use my Nokia's 3G thing too, because I'm weird like that. More of a phone bill paranoia, actually. So on rare occasions when I badly need to check my email while doing my usual mall rounds and there's no free Wi-fi available, I just end up renting from some random Internet shop. Haha, I know, the cost is pretty much the same as using my phone's 3G access but what the heck, the screen's bigger at internet shops. Ha!

Now, for people who do not have Wi-fi/3G enabled phones, or your phone's battery suddenly died just when you need to attend to urgent matters, or (insert whatever reason here) , well oh well, you might find this really interesting.

Globe's Hi-tech Pay Phone

Up close. How cool is that?!

The rates.
Just P5 for 5 minutes of surfing! Not bad at all.

*Spotted this at Trinoma Mall, North wing.