Mixers

FASHION

Thrifted quilted jacket, BKK sando, Topman jeans

I rarely score items from D's thrifting trips but when we do pick up something, it's usually a keeper like this jacket. I like that it's got a relaxed fit so you don't look like a suman when the rest of your look is tighter or tapered. It's got a nice vintage feel too, with the plaid just peeking out from the inside lining and the corduroy collar.

I was super excited when I found this shop in Platinum selling these awesome printed tops. This is my last ditch effort to get on the tribal bandwagon before it completely leaves the station. 

I was really drawn to the eye-catching print. I don't have anything like it so it's refreshing for my wardrobe.

Got these jeans for half off at the Topshop sale in exactly my size. I've been looking forever for a pair of skinny blue jeans in a 90's wash. These fit the bill and my legs exactly.

The jacket's reversible too if you want to go on full lumberjack mode.

 D: thrifted lace peplum top, Stradivarius black shorts, Pill heels

I posted about this peplum top before but it was the first time I actually got to wear it out. Things sort of get glazed over in my closet if I don't get to use it as soon as I buy it.

I have nothing in this shade of green in my closet so I was definitely keen to see how I could work with it. Love the sharp gray collar against the feminine lace too.It has ruffled cuffs that I tucked into the ends of the sleeves because it was a bit too twee for my liking.

This cross bracelet from the Topman sale (less than P300!) has been seeing a lot of action recently. I kind of like how subdued it is.

Some candy-colored earrings to brighten up my somber outfit. 

These Pill platforms are surprisingly stable. The heel isn't as precarious as I thought so it got some air time on this night out.

FRIDAY NIGHT-IN

Recently, we've both taken to going to Barcino's for their tapas and sangria. We're not huge drinkers but their sangrias are irresistibly good. A few weekends ago, we decided to try our hand at making our own sangria without using a store-bought mix.

 There's a variety of fruits that you can add to your sangria but we chose to go with strawberries and pineapples. Some recipes also suggest peaches or raspberries. We didn't bother with fresh fruit but I don't think it makes a huge difference.

3 cans of ginger ale (approximately 4 cups worth)

 Citrus fruits are a staple but we substituted limes with calamansi since it was readily available. We used only 1 orange, 1 lemon, and 3 pieces of calamansi.

A lot of sangria recipe resources online said that you don't need to use premium wine. In fact, most sites recommended using leftover/value-for money (read: cheap) wine. They did suggest using Cabernet, Merlot, or Shiraz. We got a random bottle from Pioneer Center's liquor section, along with a bottle of Tanduay Rum.

We didn't have a large enough container to hold all that liquid so we had to use a carafe and a pitcher instead. Oh, you also need some sugar for the recipe as well.

Easy does it when you uncork your bottle! 

 We started off by quartering the lemons and oranges and halving the calamansi. Everything is going to go into your container so make sure you cut the fruit small enough to fit into the lip of your carafe/pitcher.

Pour the entire bottle of wine in.

 Squeeze as much juice from your citrus fruits as possible. Don't stress over it though because like we said, the entire wedge is going in anyway.

 Add 2 tablespoons of sugar into your container. 

 Add in a splash of orange juice. You may also use lemon juice if you prefer. 

 Then we poured in almost the entire small bottle of Tanduay (about 200+ ml). You can adjust the amount you want to put in based on your desired "kick." Some other recipes also suggest putting in 2 shots of gin or triple sec. 

 Add in one small can of crushed pineapples. Put in a splash of the juice as well. 

 Then your waiting game begins. Leave your containers in the refrigerator overnight so that the wine can capture all the flavors of the fruit.

 After chilling, pour in your ginger ale.

 Finally, add your strawberries (or whatever other fruit you prefer). You're all done! Serve and enjoy!

We were really satisfied with how the drink turned out! In no way do we claim to be wine/alcohol mixing experts but this turned out pretty good. It was a refreshing, flavorful and tasty drink all in all. The huge fruit pieces are slightly cumbersome but just strain them out as you drink. Needless to say, it was a mellow night in as we sipped our sangrias and had a movie marathon. 

Twiggy

BAG TREE D.I.Y.

D: My very humble collection of bags is hanging precariously on a wobbly silver bag tree.

It's been quite the eyesore in my room so it was such a relief when I spotted this handcrafted stand being sold in one of those street-side furniture stores near Nuvali.

P was kind enough to swing the car around so I could check it out.

It's made from pure ipil wood and is quite sturdy.

The price? P500 only! 

What a steal for this impeccably-made looker!

There were only 5 pieces left and this one had the most interesting shape. 

I love that a lot of the pegs are part of the original trunk of the tree, meaning it won't snap off easily unlike my cheap-o plastic bag holder.

However, the naturally light color of the wood didn't go with my room's look so I wanted to stain it with a chocolate brown. P and I decided we could wing instead of hiring a carpenter to do such a small piece. 

Our materials:

Boysen chocolate brown paint (P60), brush (P20), paint thinner lying around the house, and a plastic container.

It was a matter of trial and error, as is the case with all our D.I.Ys. We mixed 1 part paint with 3 parts thinner to get a really light, watery stain. I didn't want the paint to be too opaque so that the grain of the wind would still show. 

The finished product! I'd say it was a pretty successful D.I.Y!

FASHION

BKK shirt, dept. store shorts, the ubiquitous Topman belt and Fred Perry loafers

It's not seen in the picture but there are red dots in the sea of blue ones. They're proving to be a challenge to have washed though since the color tends to bleed.

In other news, I'm forced to exhaust my Bangkok haul because I have yet to do any serious shopping. 

Thank goodness Christmas is on the way.

Just G v-neck, Landmark blazer, denim skirt, Bass tassel loafers

I recently purchased this floral blazer on a whim. It was such a steal for around P400!

Landmark is really a treasure trove if you're willing to hunt around for a while.

Chocoholics

FOOD

 On a whim, we decided to try out Max Brenner for dinner while we were in Greenbelt. We wanted to see if the bald man really meant business when he said that "chocolate is not just for dessert anymore."

the Suckao vat

 Artisan breads for sale in the adjoining store

Different variants of chocolate sponge balls

 Bread pudding

Mushroom Beef Burger (their best-seller)

D: I tend to order the safest items on the menu and this time, I'm absolutely glad I did so. This enormous burger was impossible to eat normally but the patty was worth the effort. I think the mushrooms helped tremendously in keeping the meat moist and juicy.The onion rings and fries were pretty lousy though so they remained untouched. Overall, I think the patty, the mozzarella and the bread held it together for a solid dish.

Max Brenner Chocolate Burger (caramelized onions in chocolate sauce)

P: This would have been ten times better if they only cooked the patty remotely well, meaning not burnt and not hard as a rock. It's hard to get past how awful the patty was. It was so thick which is usually a good thing, but not when you can't even slice it with a knife without exerting effort. Oh and the chocolate combination? Not the best in the world but interesting, I suppose. It was hard to enjoy anything else when the main component of the dish was ruined.

Chocolate chip cookies (P98 for 2)

These were nice and crumbly but were sorely lacking in chocolate chunks. Not bad, though.

  P&D TRY A D.I.Y.

A few days ago, we were both overcome by an intense need for S'mores. That's pretty hard to come by at one in the morning though so we improvised by raiding a few convenience stores in the village.

Our haul:  Mark's Mallows, Max Mallows (so imaginative with the names, guys), graham crackers, Meiji and Safari chocolate bars

We wanted to make some floats too so root beer and vanilla ice cream were in order.

 The general concept of S'mores is pretty simple but we needed to work out the details of assembling our version. We went with a marshmallow per square and a chocolate block on the other side.

We popped it into the microwave for 40 seconds...

The marshmallows ballooned to double their size so we needed to deflate them and smear them on the crackers. It would've been better if we snapped the crackers into individual squares since they're pretty hard to work with. Prepare to get messy!

There you have it! Our midnight treat turned out pretty well! Cheap, easy and delicious!