DONE!!!

With so many To-dos I cannot even remember when I had my last ME time. Pressing matters on the agenda--weight loss, lifestyle modification, a reliable acne cream treatment. and so much more. At a recent shopping spree, Maver's mission was accomplished...

HOW DO I LOOK? (05)

Dressing up for today will be different from most days because I will be out basking under the Vigan sun. The choice of outfit would have to be both sun, rain and terrain friendly. And so I decided to play it light (and drab, as usual).

O ano, butch na butch ba? Hehehe.

I'm telling you, my look blended well with all the Zero Halliburton silver cases that our production crew was lugging around. Remind me to sprinkle in a bit of color next time, will ya?

SKIMMING THE SURFACE

Seems like I am evolving into a soccer mom earlier than I had planned. I am planning to ditch my love affair with Crocs (have 7 pairs and counting) for these...Skimmers earned their name because they literally “skim” the foot--they’re cut deeper than a ballet flat and usually show a little toe cleavage. Which, of course, allows them to look sexy and sporty at the same time.

Half tennis shoe and half ballet flat, these sweet slip-ons are simple but not boring. They’re comfortable without looking heavy and athletic. Plus, you can wear them with just about everything in your closet. The best part: Plenty of skimmers are inexpensive enough for you to build a collection(which I plan to do soon. Hehehe!)

What to match your skimmers with? jeans, leggings, skirts, dresses, shorts, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Anything goes, indeed!

MY STAMP OF APPROVAL

These watches tick AND stick. Spotted at Hobbes...

S.T.A.M.P.S. watches sway to the Swatch-like beat, being both funky and disposable. You can wear it on your wrist, around your neck, or can also be torn off like a postage stamp and stuck on any surface. There's no dearth of choices since you have some 200 designs to pick from, and counting. Looks like my stamp-collecting hobby is out to haunt me.

I want my S.T.A.M.P.S. !!!

SRP starts at P1,650.00 per stamp face. Straps start at P850.00 each.

FRIDAY'S FIX

Fab friends, check.
Loads of fun and laughter, check.
Great indoor lighting, check.
Potassium, check...Thank you, Lord for FIC. This the life. This is what Fridays should be made of.

For a more in-depth review of The Ice Cream Bar, read here.

CELEBRITIES AND THEIR PETS

An old post (installment basis) I'm still in the process of migration. Bear with me please :)

Isn't it amazing (and downright amusing) that pets seem to take on the personality, even looks of their owners? Our furry friends' gait, disposition, "hairstyle", litter box attitude, and fashion sense are, most often, clear indications of the special relationship they share with their masters. Case in point, my Minipin, Hugo, is known for his spunk and voracious appetite, which just goes to show that he is unmistakably MINE :) Hehehe!

Here are some pictures I swiped off the web (thank you Google and Yahoo!), of famous personalities taken with their BFFs:

Jessica Simpson is shown here with her equally blonde "bessie", Daisy

Scruffy-but-still-sexy Jake Gyllenhaal goes joyriding with Atticus.

Nicole Richie and Honey Child both sport deep-set eyes and golden dos Paris Hilton with her uber chic four-legged buddy, Tinkerbell

And finally (sans the celebrity status),
shown here with Haligilet, is my equally large "pet",
aptly named XL >WINK<

HOW DO I LOOK? (04)

On wet and dreary days, I usually make it a point to splash a bit of color...

Eeeps, doesn't this set look like what I just wore last week?!?! Ang boring ko talaga noh?

THIS MINI'S A BIGGIE

This mini PC might just be my next travelling companion, and my Plug-it's next best buddy...
Weighing in at just 1.27 kg, with a large 8.9-inch WXGA display, and backed by AT LEAST 120 GB of memory space, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC is designed to go where you go, without weighing you down. Don't be fooled by its size, though. This small wonder keeps you ultra-productive--packed with WLAN and bluetooth connectivity.

Best of all, it's just a fraction of the MacBook Air's price. Mac-UNAT's dream come true. Hehehe!

LAING REPRISE

This long weekend, I am hoping I could convince Haligi to go troop to the Greenhills area to experience this...Will this ever eclipse my Laing Pizza high? We will see.

And where, you might ask, can you experience this gastronomical find? Over at Cucina Gayuma, a cozy nook over at Granada Street, San Juan. I've heard nothing but raves about the restaurant, which is why I want to see so for myself.

A guaranteed seduction experience for the Filipino palate, Cucina Gayuma features Pinoy dishes with a twist--Laing Cheese Spread, taro leaves and coconut milk, blended with mixed cheeses; Deconstructed Pinakbet, pan roasted fish fillet and vegetables in squash sauce; Beef Balsamic Adobo, the Pinoy favorite, accented with bone marrow, are just some of the interesting concoctions churned out by the restaurant's hardworking and imaginative kitchen.

Must.Eat.There.Soon. Pilay moving services, anyone. Hehehe.

Cucina Gayuma
(not related to the similarly named restaurant of long ago in Katipunan)
Unit 22 Villa Ortigas, Granada St., Quezon City
723-2975
Operating hours
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays to Sundays
6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays, Tuesdays to Thursdays
6 p.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays to Saturdays

WIN SOME, SHOES SOME :)

Because man CAN live on shoes alone :)

HOW DO I LOOK? (03)

The thing about going to an online university is that you can't wear your wardrobe online. Not that I mind, expecially if I am my usual boring self...

A FEW WINKS AWAY...

One of the greatest retail events of the year is just a few days away and I am E-X-C-I-T-E-D!

With the the theme “Discover Color, Find your style”, Rockwell’s Urban Bazaar will showcase over 80 participating shops with a unique mix of women’s fashion, men’s line, accessories, beauty, home items and knick-knacks. Raid the racks of great lines like Be, Cole Vintage, Daphne, Designer Soiree, Lime, Tammy Tan and V Clothing. Play "footsie" with fab shoe lines like Ichigo, NJ Sneakers, Renegade Folk and Plueys Manila. Conquer the wonderful world of arm candy with the likes of Buxani, Fuddy Duddy, Get Happy, Temp Station, BBB, D!luxe Jewelry, Bags in the City, De Roca Bags, Veronica Manila, Gypsy Holiday and Tonic, ripe for the taking. And then punctuate your bazaar trip with them cattle supplies! (read as: beef and burgers, woot! woot!)

Remember, payday's comin' up. So be ready to splurge and spoil yourself at this year’s Urban Bazaar!

See you at the Rockwell Tent!

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Finally, after months of aborted dining attempts and anticipation, my friends and I finally had the taste of that much coveted Pepper Lunch meal. With its menu composed mainly of steaks and rice dishes, this restaurant over at Power Plant Mall's concourse level , has been drawing queues and raves both day and night. I tried convincing Haligi, hapless times to fall in line, but my attempts were all in vain. So much was my obsession with a PL meal, that I saw these in my sleep...

Thanks to officemate K, who deemed it fit to celebrate on 08.08.08, our Pepper Lunch dream finally became a reality.
My buddies had the good ole Beef Pepper Rice Meal while I chose the Curry Beef Pepper Meal. All of them were served on the special patented Pepper Lunch hot plate, which is uniquely manufactured in Japan. The plate's special electromagnetic cooker maintains the heat to grill meats in the ideal temperature, and keeps food warm for a longer period of time. But because the food is soooooooo good, there was no meat to keep warm anyways! :D Sticklers for rules, hurry we did! I began eating with chopsticks but settled for a fork because nakakabitin. Hahaha! Check out my curry meal...The charm of the restaurant rests on the unique experience of a Do-It-Yourself steak meal. Ultimately, your meal is prepared to your liking. For sauce-a-holics, you may choose to drizzle away using any of PL's special sauces. But for a more minimalist, straightforward meal, you can choose to skip the sauces entirely. Both win-win situations, believe me. See? See-mot!!! :D

To close, we got to try out the chocolate cake which was sinfully oozing with chocolate goodness from the inside. Hahahaaay!
Despite conflicting opinions on the significance of 08.08.08, it would indeed go down in Maver history as a day of fulfilled gastronomic fantasies. Salamat ulit, K!!!

Pepper Lunch

Power Plant Mall

Concourse Level

Makati, Metro Manila

Tel: (632)895-3164 / (632)895-6185

WHO WORE IT BEST? (04)

Jordin Sparks vs. America Ferrera. Separated at birth? Magkamukha sila, in fernez.

HOW DO I LOOK? (02)

Maver, is being her usual boring self.

It's a black and grey day this time. Save for a red headband to accent my overall look, I am drab, drab, drab. Oh, I also borrowed Haligi's watch too. Have a thing for men's watches you see. Well maybe because it matches my man-sized bod (the reason why I have long removed old picture frames of myself from my cubicle). Hehehe!

What are YOU wearing today?

SAYA SA SARIAYA

My Sariaya trip was one heck of a journey. It was indeed a feast for the senses, allowing me to experience the sights, sounds, tastes and culture of the East, all in one go. Aside from the opportunity of being part of the Hapinoy initiative (more on this here), Sariaya indeed gave me lots of other reasons to smile...

A trip to Quezon will never be complete without a meet-and-greet with native delicacy, Pancit "Habhab." Made of locally-made of miki noodles, vegetables and big chunks of pork, it is named as such because it is eaten "habhab" style, meaning from the "plate" directly onto the mouth. No hands, no fork, no spoon. Interesting, eh?

And of course, I had to take dozens (and I mean DOZENS!) of these, home...

Our family is addicted to the lucban longganisa because it is made of natural ingredients (no preservatives) and lots of garlic and oregano. Mix it with a little vinegar, and you can burp longganisa breath to your heart's content. Hehehe! The pork sausages literally did not see the light of day because we had it for breakfast at the wee hours of the morning, the day after my Sariaya trip.

And as promised, I bought these for Haligilet...

These finger-lickin' lady fingers (broas) were bought from the Mortilla outlet, at the roadside of the national highway. We braved the rains to get can loads of these (and I wonder why my cough is still at it!). The broa biscuit is one of my favorite locally-baked goodies. I guess it's a kid thing. They are simply spectacular. I remember enjoying dipping these in hot cocoa or spreading some good ole condensed milk on top of them. Haligilet particularly loves these chilled with some cream, condensed milk and ripe mangoes or peaches on top. Yummy!!!

Despite a whooping cough (darn, I should've brought my portable oxygen concentrator!), it was certainly one great Saturday spent with my Hapinoy buddies. Hapinoy, Hapi-ME :)

SIPAH!

Ever since we weaned our son, Haligilet, from the bottle at age 11 months, getting him to drink his milk could be quite an ordeal. It took a medley of strategies--giving it on a glass, teaching him how to use the straw, serving it "on the rocks", even the most extreme measure of feeding it to him via a spoon, yielded successful yet temporary solutions to our ordeal. Up to this day, he seems to dread his formula appointments, which come three times a day. It is an endless struggle.

And then I discovered Sipah...
Sipah is a brand of flavored straws which contain unibeads giving the ordinary formula that much needed flair. They come in a host of flavors like Chocolate, Strawberry, Caramel, Banana, Choc Mint, Toffee, Apple, Cookies & Cream. They come in variety packs too!

The straws flavor 250-300mL of cold milk and add just 15 calories of energy per straw. They're free of artificial colors, preservatives, gluten, dairy and nut products. Your kids simply have to dip and sip!

Haligilet asked his Maver to buy a box of assorted straws and the first two attempts have been successful :) Hope your attempts would be succesful too!

Have a supah sipah time! :)

SEEING SINIGANG

Tired of a week-long bout with "drugs", Haligi decided to reward my medicated soul. He brought me to one of my favorite comfort food havens--Sentro 1771. Seen at the scene: Sinigang...Our family usually refrains from ordering this dish when in restaurants, simply because we can always cook it at home. However, we just couldn't resist ordering Sentro's specialty, the legendary Corned Beef Sinigang that rainy Friday. With the tartness adjusted to our preference, it was the perfect remedy to my seemingly endless battle with cough and cold.

We also had the Tofu Sisig...
the Boneless Crispy Trotter... And we washed down our meal with a bottomless serving of Sago't Gulaman...Do take note that we ordered all these on the premise that I had no appetite. Hahaha!

Our other favorites include the Rated GG which takes galunggong to a higher level by filleting and frying it in oil and then topping with toasted garlic; the Kesong Puti Salad which contains generous amounts of white cheeses in two variands--fresh and thinly sliced, and deep fried breaded cubes nestling on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes, sprinkled with a tomato-anchovy dressing. We also love nibbling on the Fried Kesong Puti, sans the salad. Dessert must tries include the delectable coffee pie, lemon meringue torte and coffee bean sans rival.

Sentro food indeed goes beyond boundaries--call it haute cooking if you will. If you ask me what Sentro food is, my answer would be: it is ordinary Filipino food cooked the extraordinary way.

JUST FOR BABIES

I am so liking Polyvore.

As you recall, we threw an exciting birthday shower for officemate G, over a month ago. Now check out the Polyvore of G's baby clothes and other gifts during her shower...

Some of the gifts here were sourced by G's mom from polkadotpatch.com, an online store which contains anything and everything for the expectant mom. It's a good thing G's mom is based abroad, so the "expectant" grandmom had a wonderful time shopping for her new apo.

Without further ado, meet G's wonderful bundle of joy who arrived this July...

Congratulations to the new parents, Mommy G and Daddy E!

E-JEEPNEY

An interesting "species" of hybrid cars has been plying the streets of Makati. Folks, meet the E-jeepney...
Interesting don't you think so?

Costing P500,000 each and running on batteries charged via electrical sockets overnight, the 12-seater e-jeepneys have been having test runs along Ayala Avenue as part of a study on the feasibility of using this mode of transport on a metro-wide scale. The do not roar, nor hiss nor cough. They have "elecrified" Makati folk the quiet and earth-friendly way. Hmmm, I wonder how much a car insurance online quote would cost for these hybrids?

I do hope more enterprising groups can pool their resources to implement the use of hybrid cars. These earth-friendly cars will definitely change the way we think, design, drive, ride, and experience the mode of transportation.

TOGETHER FOREVER, TONIGHT

The Rick has landed. And I am talking about no other than Rick Astley, who is in Manila for one-night concert at the Araneta Collesium. Dubbed as "Here and Now," word has it that this will be his last concert prior to retirement. Awww!!! We're gonna miss you Rick! We're gonna miss Dick's (Paulate) cabbage patch doll dance to all your songs too! Hehehe!

Go catch Rick Astley, tonight at 8:00 pm, at the Dome!

THIS SENIOR GOES FOR JUNIOR'S

Any day now, I will be receiving my order of this...Can't wait! Hahahaaay!