Parts

 Wore this dress to work last Friday. 

I purchased it at a small vintage store in Hong Kong and I didn't even get to try it on because we were rushing. The print and the feel of the cloth sucked me in.

 I love the covered buttons and I think the cross-over/wrap detailing is universally flattering. 

The modest hemline is kicked up a notch by the swing the skirt has.I really like the fact that it has so much fabric, makes for a really kicky skirt!

 A really easy pair of suede platform pumps in nude from F21

 

My hands bedecked in horrible clashing orange polish (which I still love) and some of my favorite creatures.

Fashion Closet Clean-out

Stop by our SHOPPING TEA PARTY | ONE DAY SALE 

with Looking For Lola and Bend&Snap.

All items are on SALE!

With some items for as low as P100 or less.

Unit 903A Two Serendra Condominium, at the Fort.

Only on December 11! From 11am to 7pm

Hope to see you there!!!!!

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!

Boy oh Boy

Last weekend, we hit up the HSBC Members Only sale at Nuvo City.

 

 SSI brands were offering their wares with discounts up to 70% so we thought we'd check it out.

 We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the venue but I just had to share my favorite find of the day!

There were incredible markdowns everywhere (Zara jeans for P700 and less!) but I didn't expect to buy a pair of shoes from a brand more known for their men's line.

I never thought I'd be compelled to buy a pair of shoes from Bass for myself.
My dad probably has a pair or two but this was the last store I expected to buy from out of all the brands present at the venue.

Not my usual pick but...

they were too pretty to resist! A 65% markdown and the last pair in my size also made it pretty impossible to say no! They had a few pairs of the same style for men and P had his eye on the oxblood version but they didn't have his size. :(

I guess matchy-matchy would have been cheesy anyway.

 I suppose they're not for everyone but man, am I excited to play with these!

Sparkle

Quick and casual outfit post from last week! 

 All comfort and slouch to offset a hectic workday. The navy bow trousers are one of the most comfortable things I own. I love how roomy it is in the leg area.

Sorry for all the wrinkles, took this after I got home from work.

I don't usually like pointy-toed shoes but the magpie in me overrode this aversion. 

I just couldn't resist the gold cap toe, the off-kilter bow, and the general blinginess of this pair.

A post or two on discoveries and inventions coming up!

Shaddum Daddum Day

 

 Happy Birthday, Donna Cruz!

 Lunch at Omakase with friends

Kozui for dessert

Matcha Korichio

Love their whipped cream and their version of tapioca balls but I wish the matcha was a little grainier.

 Roasted green tea latte

This was nice and smokey but a little too milky for my taste.

Since I'm usually a coffee drinker, this would be perfect if it was a little more intense.

FASHION

Bkk shirt, department store shorts, Topman belt, Sebago boat shoes

 This shirt is from Platinum in Bangkok. I like the proportion of the oversized buttons and the tiny collar. 

The random stitching of a dude kicking while holding a briefcase also caught my eye. Took a while to figure out the image though!

 MNG cape, F21 dress, JC Snicks

 I got this oversized cape from a Mango outlet in Cagayan de Oro, of all places! It was possibly the best outlet I've ever been to, beating out the MNG outlet in Tung Chung, HK by a mile. 

This hand-knit cape was marked down from P3000 to P800. What a steal! It's the coziest thing to wear, especially on airplane rides. I also like how oversized it is, a pseudo blanket if you will.

Took the Snicks out for a spin again. I wore this for 8 hours straight, while keeping up with my kiddies. The cushioned footbed is fantastic and you don't feel the height of the shoe.

 L-R: F21 connector ring, Bkk ribbon ring, F21 shield, vintage Trifari blue ring

What luck! The connector ring was being sold at 2 for the price of 1. Now, if I lose this one (like I'm wont to do) I have a back-up! The ring at the end is from my grandma. It comes with 5 marbles so you can switch the colors up. 

How did you spend your Eid'l Adha? :)