Merry Christmas!

   From Me and Mickey, we wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Beautiful Christmas Flowers from King Louis

Two weeks ago, I was telling Mickey about how I'd like to place Christmas flowers (or poinsettias) starting November (next year) in our veranda.  I would love to see them when I open our curtains in the morning and perhaps provide some Christmas cheer to our neighbors too.  

Yesterday, I got a very special delivery from Nikki & Efren Chato of  King Louis Flowers & Plants.  They sent me pots of beautiful Christmas flowers!  I immediately took them out of the big box they came in, unwrapped the plastic that was protecting their fragile leaves and lined them in our veranda.  It's just a pretty site to see.  How special are these flowers that turn red only at Christmas time? 

The weekend that was at Resorts World Manila

I'm pretty sure some of you were caught in that horrific traffic last Saturday.  Well, we were also caught in one of those on our way to Resorts World Manila.  Though we were a bit lucky catching a good parking slot when we arrived.

Thank you Paul Smith Manila!

I've always been a fan of the man and of the brand.  So, you can just imagine how happy I am to receive a gift from Paul Smith Manila!   

I am so elated that they sent me Paul Smith's book, "You can find inspiration in everything".  I am currently reading it and I'm  browsing a bit faster than I should so I can write about it and say my proper thank you's.

Gifts any girl would love: Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura

Time flies so fast, It's just 11 days 'til Christmas!  and If you haven't got a clue what to give the beauty-conscious women in your life.  Here's something I recommend - the special edition Shu Uemura eye lash curler with the adorable mon shu charm and trademark red pad.  It also comes with an extra red pad in the box! 

Wonderful desserts from Kuppa Roastery & Cafe

My good friend, coffee buddy and sometimes (when time permits) lunch partner, Eve was telling me about the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe at Kuppa Roastery & Cafe a few weeks ago.  When she told me how good it was, I wanted to run to Kuppa and enjoy it with a good cup of coffee.  

Eve, being the good friend that she has always been to me, told me she will bring me one so I could taste it.  The other week she called me and said that she's dropping off the cake from Kuppa.  I was excited that finally I'll be able to try the Peanut Butter Bombe, but she sent me 6 different mini cakes to try!  Thanks Eve!

The weekend that was: A Merry Mall of Asia Christmas

Every year Mickey goes to the Manila Auto Salon Show (It's a car show).  This year, the venue was at the SMX Convention Center.  Since it's just beside Mall of Asia, I am tagging along, not to the show (it's a guy thing) but to go to Uniqlo to get 2 pairs of jeans which I badly need at the moment (A few weeks ago, Mickey gave me Sodexho GCs which I can use at Uniqlo, so this shopping trip is on him).  Nice! 

As I entered Mall of Asia's Main Atrium, it has transformed into a child's fantasy dream come true.  The Atrium is filled with giant robots, ballerinas, toys and presents!  Not to miss is the huge 50-foot Christmas tree with multi-tiered gears that spin simultaneously.  

My new Panasonic Lumix LX5 Camera

My camera has been showing signs of dying.  Each time I turn it on, a message on its 6-year old LCD screen reads "no access".  I have to switch it on and off again so that it'll re-set and function well.  "I think it's going to die on me soon", I told Mickey.  The sheer thought of it brings me to a state of panic (I have no back-up digital camera!).  

I've always loved taking photos.  I'm actually the type who goes to a photo lab to have them processed.  I even invested in acid-free Henzo photo albums from the UK (I used to buy them in a specialty bookstore in Rockwell called Quill).  I still have a few of them with me.

The other week, Mickey surprised me with a new camera.  It was a lovely Panasonic LX5 Lumix Camera.

Got a headache? Get a badger!

When I have a headache, I am not quick to pop a pill.  At least, I try not to until I can still bear it.  Recently, I’ve come across this organic, relaxing headache soother from Badger at Rustan’s Beauty Source.   

Themed Dinner: Indian night at Circles

A fever that's starting and chills could not stop us from dining at Circles last week.  The food was just too good to resist!  Plus, on Thursdays nights, they serve one of Mickey's favorite cuisines - Indian.  

So, here we are on a rainy Thursday night, where traffic outside seems to have made a parking lot out of the streets, we ride out the traffic (and the rain) to savor authentic Indian food at Makati Shangri-la's Circles.

Circles' open-theater kitchens with its different stations features a selection of specialties from cold appetizers to seafood, Western to Asian cuisines and delectable desserts that are simply irresistible!

 

First Look: Le Monet

While we were in Baguio, we saw a new hotel in Camp John Hay.  From the outside, you'll see their beautiful chandeliers that somehow beckons you to go in.  So we did!
   

As you enter the hotel, you'll find Le Monet's Dinelli Gourmet Cafe. I love that they used wing back chairs and love seats.  It makes you want to linger longer.

Baguio Eats: Everything Nice Cake Shop and Cafe

During our recent trip to Baguio, Mickey and I had breakfast everyday at Everything Nice Cake Shop and Cafe.  For two days, we both ordered the same thing on the menu.  The dishes that we ordered were simple but delicious! 

  

The Manor at Camp John Hay

On the average, we travel to Baguio at least once every two years.  Every time we go, the hotel that is top on our list is The Manor at Camp John Hay.  Years after they opened, The Manor has not lost its touch. Nestled amidst towering pine trees in Baguio’s most pristine location at Camp John Hay, its log cabin design and Baguio stone exterior finish blends well with nature. 

It also boasts of a magnificent view of the Cordillera mountain range, an enchanting garden filled with greenery, colorful flowers that grow beautifully in Baguio’s cold weather, a multi-layer water feature with a koi pond and a romantic gazebo (where Mickey and I also tied the knot back in 2009).   

Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

Mickey and I pass the corner of 4th and 26th at Bonifacio Global City everyday on our way home. Each time we pass, I see this new Cafe + Bakery with it's floor to ceiling glass walls and with a good number of diners at night.  It was very intriguing (and inviting!).  "We should try that new place sometime", I told Mickey.   

So here we are on a Saturday at breakfast time at Bonifacio Global City's much talked about eatery, Wildflour Cafe + Bakery.  I called early at 7:30 am and had a table reserved for 9:30 am. The waitress handed us the menu and we ordered the Croque Madame and the Wildflour Breakfast.

While waiting for our food, we observed that there was a good mix of foreigners and locals dining at Wildflour, everyone seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations, the atmosphere was laid back and casual and I love the feel-good music they were playing that time, it was Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" (listen to it here).

Wilflour's casual and relaxed dining atmosphere

Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama infuses bold colors and her signature polka dot patterns to Louis Vuitton's classic silhouettes in their newest collaboration.  It covers everything in the collection from bags, shoes even to the dresses!

Here’s a peek at Yayoi Kusama’s collection for Louis Vuitton:

Momo Café

One of our favorite restaurants that serves all day breakfast is Momo Café in Eastwood.  

Momo Café is one of the fine restaurants under the Raintree group (others are M Cafe, Mr. Jones and Chelsea).  Mickey and I absolutely love the casual dining atmosphere and the delicious comfort food that reminds us of home.        

Here is Momo Café Eastwood in photos:

Behind the Palace doors

If there was a weekend that was worthy of a countdown, the two-day holiday that just passed was well worth it.  To me and Mickey, it was a holiday we would like to spend with no specific schedule in mind.

Finally, we had the time to go to Shang Palace and sample their Dim Sum Plus lunch menu.  Shang Palace's Dim Sum Plus is from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, Mondays to Saturdays (except holidays) at PHP 888++/person .  The menu consists of unlimited dim sum, endless servings of soup, appetizer, rice, noodles, congee, vegetarian dishes, dessert plus a choice of one main course per person.  Strictly no leftovers.  Leftover food will be charged regular a la carte prices, so be sure to just order what you can consume.  There's also a dress code for dining guests - smart casual.

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Shang Palace would be the glittering crystal chandeliers that light up the hallway as you make your way inside the restaurant.  They look like suspended ice crystals or even glittering rain.  It sets the mood for a delightful meal.

Swissness

My good friend Heny invited me to lunch at the Peninsula Manila yesterday, it was a good time to do some catching up over great tasting food since we haven't seen each other for quite some time.

When we arrived, we were delighted that Escolta is featuring Swiss cuisine. We found out that The Peninsula Manila together with the Embassy of Switzerland is featuring "Swissness: More Fun in the Philippines,” a Swiss food festival where The Peninsula Manila’s very own Swiss Chef Samuel Linder of Old Manila takes over all the hotel’s kitchens and showcases the very best in Swiss food and wine until August 11, 2012.

This food festival is doubly meaningful because this year marks the 150th anniversary of friendship between the Philippines and Switzerland. Today, the Swiss community in the Philippines is the second largest in Asia, and Switzerland is one of the Philippines’ top 10 investors.

Let me take you on a tour with these photos:

Disaster Preparedness

It is quite alarming that even monsoon rains can create such wide-scale disasters and can affect all of us.  The other night, while watching the news, Mickey told me that we really have to build that disaster kit urgently.

Museum Café

The best thing after a heavily-scheduled work week is looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  Whenever we can, Mickey and I start our weekend early at our favorite brunch place in Makati, Musem Café  (also known as M Café).  Situated beside the Ayala Museum and the high-end Greenbelt 5 shops, this place starts our weekend right with its visually appealing and relaxing interiors, calming playlist and most of all, great tasting food.

Let me show you the place:  

Paul Smith

1997 was a year that changed Manila’s fashion scene.  English fashion designer Paul Smith opened his first store in Manila and introduced his signature style of bringing twists to otherwise classic styles in fashion.  

Now on his fifteenth year (in Manila), Paul Smith still sticks to his sure-fire style.  He takes materials from upper-class tailoring and brings them together with something unexpected, uses floral prints for men’s shirts, lines tailored jackets with flamboyantly colored silks, uses vibrant colors for button holes, leather shoe laces and of course, his signature multi-colored stripes are still seen in his merchandise to date.

His Greenbelt 5 shop is filled with books, 1960s posters, vintage toys, quirky home décor alongside Paul Smith clothes, shoes and accessories as when he first opened 15 years ago.

Let me take you on a tour in photos:

Don't leave home without it: Urban Survival Kits

Certainly, this summer's olympic games in London will create a degree of chaos, including an extraordinary number of tourists in the capital and a congested transport system, with this in mind, some very creative and forward thinking folks at Selfridges has commissioned a series of ten limited edition backpacks from British and International designers to give their interpretations on what it would take to survive urban living during this tough summer of sport.  

The Urban Survival Backpack range exclusive to Selfridges includes designs from Anya Hindmarch, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, 3.1 Philip Lim, Paul Smith, Oliver Spencer, Barbour, Kiehl's, Nike and Selfridges.  

Anya Hindmarch
Anya Hindmarch's Urban survival canvas bag fully embraces the games with her spacious holdall which comes fully equipped with sports-inspired memorabilia, including a pair of Dunlop trainers, a metal trophy, a bottle of energy drink and a foil blanket.

O.M.O

If you have a big space to fill and you need large scale furniture, then O.M.O is the right place to look for the beautiful big stuff.   

O.M.O often uses indigenous materials in their furniture line, they use water hyacinths, abaca fiber, sea grass and incorporates them into their contemporary designs. They have a wide range of furniture available and has tapped the discriminate taste of the international market.  O.M.O exports its products to high-end specialty shops in Asia, Europe, South Africa, and Australia. 

Here's a tour of the store in photos:

I love the raw, yet polished look of this table in it's odd rectangular shape

Triboa Bay Living

When you step inside Triboa Bay Living, you just know they have the good stuff.  Stuff you'd normally just see in Elle Decor (yes, that good!).

Triboa Bay Living is a furniture and lighting brand.  Their style is a mix of classic forms with pared-down contemporary sensibility. Wood is the primary material in their furniture line (Mahogany, American, White Ash, Black Walnut, old wood, etc.) in raw finishes that give off a warm, casual and resort-like feel.  Sometimes, they also use steel components for industrial forms of furniture.  Their design ranges from rectilinear and modern to traditional French and English Country.  

This lamp gives off an interesting illumination to a room 

Triboa Bay Living is also a leading source for resort contractors, furniture retailers and interior decorators from Europe, Africa, Australia, South America and Asia.  In the store you'll find Chairs, Sofas, Daybeds, Tables, Beds, Storage, Lighting and Accessories.  Here's a tour of the store in photos:

The textured mirror wall accent is a conversation piece in itself 

Let there be light! A glamorous light!

There's nothing like beautiful lighting fixtures.  It can instantly transform an otherwise average ho-hum space to an interesting one.  Recently, I've come across these beautiful lighting fixtures from QisDesign in Tina Maristela-Ocampo's Greenbelt 5 store, Celestina.

The Coral Light

Sparkling light from the water

The Coral light, on LED fixture is inspired by the exquisite corals in the ocean.  Imitating how natural coral reflects rays of light through the living sea, the Coral Light creates a visually mesmerizing effect as it graces a table, ceiling or floor.

Thanks to a special light diffusion technique, the light emmitted by the LED bulbs is evenly distributed by the LED bulbs is evenly distributed on the edge of each diffuser.  Besides serving as an ambient lighting fixture, its desk lamp, equipped with high bright LEDs, also provides a reading function.

Source:  QisDesign

Coral Ball LED Suspension Light

Material:  PMMA, Metal

LED Color:  Warm white and Cool white

Power Input:  AC: 100-240V/50-60Hz

Net Weight:  1.8 Kg.

Power Consumption:  5W
Colors:  Clear in cool white, red, gold, yellow green, purple and orange

Price:  PHP 19,500 (per suspension light)

Braving Uniqlo's opening day

My husband Mickey, our friend/Uniqlo shopping partner, Bambi and I capped our Friday evening by going to Uniqlo's opening day.  I knew there was going to be a long line when we arrive, which is always the case in Uniqlo openings around the world.  It actually took us 35 minutes to get in the store with the line starting from Uniqlo's entrance to the far right side of the mall entrance.  The line was a bit intimidating when you see it, there is also a Uniqlo staff holding up a sign that says "End of line" under it is a note that says it takes an hour to get in the store.  But, thanks to Uniqlo's well-organized opening team, they actually let people get in faster.  We didn't have to wait that long.

How to tie a scarf - Hermes knotting cards (Part II)

A scarf can make the difference between an ordinary and extraordinary outfit, whether casual or formal.  An Hermes scarf is arguably on top of the list, definitely the finest available anywhere in the world by most standards.

Hermes has a set of lovely knotting cards that come with their scarves - It's really easy, go grab a scarf and have fun! 

Ballerina dreams

The first time I saw the tutu's in Repetto's window display, it made me stop, stare and smile as wonderful memories of childhood dance classes flash back and somehow wish that we had Repetto in the early years (in the Philippines). We would have been more fashionable and chic. But for anyone who never had dance classes, it's never too late. Brought in to the Philippines by The Bench Group, Repetto (a legendary French brand known for having the finest ballerina shoes) has finally opened their first store in Greenbelt 3.

In the store, you'll find their world famous ballet shoes (among other shoe styles), a children's line, a collection of bags and what every ballerina needs - pointe shoes that come in both hard (for adults) and soft (for adults and kids), tights (for adults and kids), tutus (for kids 3 and up).

Swarovski's Sparkling Jewel Pens

I was looking for some gifts today and stumbled upon these beautiful Swarovski pens.

These would make a lovely gift for someone’s birthday, maybe a thank you gift for your wedding entourage, or maybe even just for yourself – for those important documents to sign or just a very special pen to use everyday.

The Swarovski Crystalline Ballpoint Pen's body is filled with 160 sparkling crystals and comes with Swarovski's stylish blue velvet pouch. It retails for PHP 1,850 and the refill (available only at Swarovski) retails for PHP 64.50.

Sculptural floral arrangements by Fiori di M

Tucked inside Adora in Greenbelt 5 are some very special floral arrangements from floralscape company, Fiori di M - owned by renowned restaurateur and chef, Margarita Fores.

Fiori di M is known for putting together uncommon plants, dried wood and other natural materials turning them into sculptural arrangements.

Fallen logs, coconut fibers, dry pods, tree barks, coconut buds, peeled shells, wild flowers, petioles and succulents, contrasted with well-chosen florals are turned into works of art.

Sinfully by Makati Shangri-la

There’s a a swanky new sweet spot at Greenbelt 5, Makati Shangri-la’s Sinfully – the patisserie showcases a luxurious collection of pralines, ganaches, bonbons, designer cakes, and freshly-baked pastries.

The storefront features The Chocolate Room, a temperature-controlled room with glass walls, where you can see a pastry chef making pralines on the spot. At the rear is an open kitchen where they make other tempting treats like French macarons (PHP 55 each), cookies, artfully-designed cakes (starts at PHP 1,800), and bread (PHP 80 to PHP 300).

How to tie a scarf - Hermes knotting cards

The classic silk square scarf with a bit of imagination and creativity can be worn in so many ways.  It can be a hairband, necklace, a top, cape, belt, dress or even a bag!

Hermes, has a set of lovely knotting cards that come with their scarves, a great source of inspiration. 

It's really easy, so grab a scarf and have fun!

Ring in the New Year!

Hello, 2012!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2012 filled with good cheer, great adventures and much happiness.

Love,

Tina Villa