P: Banker
D: Teacher

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P at 23

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P: Celebrated my birthday last week by treating my family and D to a dinner in Cookbook Kitchen (at the original branch in mandaluyong). The restaurant features delicious, simple and homey food with large servings. I don't think anybody could finish what they ordered. It's an ideal place for a nice, quiet date although it fills up quite fast.

Onion-glazed twin chops
D: I ordered this dish without realizing how massive the chops would be.
I was only able to tuck away one slab but I really loved the tanginess of the juices combined with the sweetness of the onions. The meat was also well-cooked and was easy to cut.
What I didn't like so much was their rice. It was clumpy and mushy and I really could not stand the texture.
 

 Parmesan crusted fish
D: I had this when during a prior visit and it's definitely a best-seller for a reason. The dish is so flavorful and creamy and it's excellent with the lemon. 
P: This is the petite version! Talk about generous servings, it could easily feed two. The fish melts in your mouth and fills it with cheesy, creamy goodness.

 Lamb chops with fennel-oregano sauce
P: Didn't get to try much this much as it was my brother's but from a couple of bites I could tell it was cooked really well. Some places get their lamb wrong by burning it or making it tough but Cookbook's was soft and juicy all the way through.

Pineapple-soy Glazed Ribs
P: This one was my order. It reminded me of patatim, which I'm reasonably fond of. The meat was tender and the sauce was sweet and thick. The pineapple chunks were a plus as well. I was hesitant at first to try them but they turned out sweet and not at all sour.

 Strawberry shortcake
D: You must be wondering where the cake is. Well, underneath the rubble of ice cream is a bit of chiffon cake. Although this needed a little more bread, I super love this dessert! Mounds of ice cream, frozen strawberries, and whipped cream? Yes, please!
P: I was a little disturbed at how agitated D was getting while anticipating this dessert. I have to say it's worth the hype, if you like sweets and ice cream, of course. I'd like a little more cake to balance the ice cream as they really went well together. And I'd rather have my strawberries a little less frozen. Aside from that though, you've got a delightfully sinful treat.

FASHION
 
P: Sorry for the silly face haha.
Bespoke french cuff shirt, H&M trousers, vintage Oscar de la Renta tie
P: I like the barely-there stripes of the button down. Nice and subdued to frame the star of the outfit, the red, vintage tie from the closet of D's dad. I found the the single monogram at the bottom to be quite striking. You don't find many of that these days. Same goes for the increasingly wide bars. Great find!

D: Wearing an old Topshop dress paired with a pearl collar necklace. Every time I wear this, people always think it's part of the top/dress I have on. I think it adds a bit of sass to an outfit.

Might have gone overly saccharine with the floral + colors + pearls so I was hoping black suede (though in the form of a mary-jane) would temper it. 
Oh and this is one of the Looking for Lola satchels we sold at the bazaar.
We have a few more up for grabs! Let me know if you want one. :)

Food Finds: Simply Sweet

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We ended up packing up at 9:30 pm during the First Dibs bazaar.
Sheer exhaustion forced us to stay in and just order some fast food for our very late dinner.
Luckily, our dessert was much more special than the meal itself.

Here are the treats we gobbled up from Simply Sweet.



Petit Fortunes
Box of 12 at P220

Yummy macaroons made of cashew
P: These aren't too sweet so they should go well for after-dinner coffee or afternoon tea. They're really soft and moist.Our little brothers can vouch for them too.

Lacy Cookies
Box of 8 at P230

Crisp oatmeal confections sandwiched with dark chocolate filling
D: Yum! The cookies were crisp on the outside but had a chewy bite to it. It also had that sweet-salty flavor combination that I love!
P: Unlike other oatmeal cookies, these weren't hard at all. Nice mix of textures and flavors, my favorite of the bunch.

Cake Truffles
Assorted box of 12 at P250

Swiss Chocolate, Banana, Vanilla, Lemon
D: My favorites were the Swiss chocolate and the lemon. The cake was so moist and rich and the chocolate made the treat even more decadent. So good!
P: Definitely the Swiss chocolate for me too. It's so rich that one or two pieces are enough for a satisfying dessert already!

Shady Chronicles recommends...

Simply Sweet
Mobile: 0905 3169445
Email: simplysweetco@yahoo.com
*Orders must be placed three days in advance.

First Dibs Year 2

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Last Saturday was the First Dibs bazaar at the Ronac Art Center. 
We spent the entire afternoon and evening manning the booth and we were limp with exhaustion by the time we packed up.
Here are a few snapshots of the event!

 Rosanna and I during ingress
A big thank-you to the three boys who helped us set up!

Our new knot headbands with velcro closure
These are made from vintage neckties and don't give you horrible headband hair or headaches!
We have a handful of prints left and we'll upload swatches soon so you can purchase online.

Our bags went so fast! We only have four pieces left which we will also shoot and upload for those who weren't able to make it.

Our Bargain Bin/Maleta was a treasure trove of vintage finds for P50, 80, or 100!


 The vintage rack

 Remnants of Limited and brand new pieces

Our final set-up! We took up the most space because of the heaps of clothes.

 Looking for Lola girls in the middle of a sweltering afternoon
Thanks to everyone who came out and supported Looking for Lola!
Please stay tuned for our next batch of clothes!

FASHION

 Bkk shirt, Celio hat, dept. store shorts, Bkk plimsolls
Seemed like black was the color of the day so I'm glad I went for this rainbow number. Just had a simple, casual outfit fit for the heat and various activities.

D: Bkk top, shorts from my not-so-little brother, Ichigo shoes
Brought heels to change into but that option flew out the window after the heavy-lifting we did.
Yet again, another casual-dress weekend. I can't wait to wear heels again!
I wish I could dress up more often but my Mondays to Fridays just won't allow it.

Boot Loot

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This dress is crazy long for me even when I'm in heels. 
Being 5 feet and 3/4 of an inch tall is no fun.
Had to do a little nip/tuck of my own to avoid soiling the hem.
 F21 dress, vintage white blazer, random accessories
These H&M ankle boots look 90% like the Zara pair I wore in this post.
However, I gladly justified the purchase using the 10% difference = the block heel.
 Fun!

Crossings

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D: Woke up bright and early last Saturday to shoot for Lola. Here are a few behind-the-scene shots!
Some of the stuff that will be sold on Saturday! Check out the pretty bags on the bottom left!



 
 I'll post the bazaar poster and the first teaser soon! 
Check out the rest here or here.

 FINDS AT CROSSINGS, SHANG

D: The Ramp at Crossings is one of my favorite places to shop in. A wide selection of brands all in the same space makes shopping so much easier. I love visiting their shoe section to check out the latest offerings of the local shoe brands! It's also a great bonus that P doesn't have to tail me since he's also preoccupied shopping.

P: It's nice to see a respectable amount of interesting men's clothes in a department store and Crossings doesn't disappoint. While about a third what's on offer is a bit too avant garde for my taste, it's still great that designers/labels get to show off their stuff here.
 
 

P: Nothing says grandpa vintage like shawl collars. I like this double-breasted number in navy but I'm not too sure about the short sleeves. It's a great twist on the classic cardigan though.

P: I like wearing shirts like this with a tie but unbuttoned at the top. It adds subtle flair to an otherwise regular piece.

 
P: Shoe finds at Zara. A couple of desert boot/chukka offerings. The first is obviously a throwback to the classic design from Clarks. I prefer the second one (though both are great) because of the dirty blue, worn leather and fold along the top. They're perfect for rugged urban schlepping.

Pretty platforms from their house brand

Tonic wedges that I really wanted to get!
Only P1,200+ and so comfortable. I love the taupe in the middle!

Criss-cross heels which I wish weren't peep-toes



Saddle shoes from Pill
Love the red in the middle!

Cute polka dress for only P299
In fact, everything on this rack was below P300!

Gingham polo from faith.hope.love.
This reminds me of Dorothy's costume from Wiz!

Yellow sundress with an adorable print also from faith.hope.love.

Lovely evening gowns


FASHION
BKK shirt and dept store shorts
P: I was really digging how much the Thais were playing with these abbreviated collars. It's like you can pop your collar without feeling like a douche. Thinking of having an oxford shirt made with the collar folding over just enough (sort of like a club collar but smaller and straighter).
Bkk top and sandals, thrifted shorts
D: Plain Jane on a relaxed Saturday.
Nothing intense because we went straight to Araneta to watch the game.
And what a game it turned out to be! Go Ateneo! Anyway...
I love the fit of this white top, very easy and comfy. Best thing to grab on lazy days.