Thursday, November 27, 2008

How to Wrap with a Baggu!

Ice Cream Buffet Thursdays at The Ice Cream Bar!

Mark Thursdays on your calendars ice cream lovers! Tomorrow is the opening day of Buffet Thursdays at The Ice Cream Bar! Beginning this Thursday November 27, from 3 PM to 12 MIDNIGHT!

It's all-you-can-eat-ice cream in your own combinations with unlimited toppings, syrups, and scoops! Our treat for the holidays!



Running thru all Thursdays of December!!

The Ice Cream Bar is located at Joya Towers and Lofts, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Store hours: 12 to 12 (Sun to Thurs) and 12 to 1 AM (Fri and Sat)
Tel: 403-0891

Monday, November 24, 2008

Goyard "Luggage for Life Auction"

Check out these images from Diana of Bag Craze! Just imagine the possibilities of personalizing a Goyard bag!!! Turns out there's more that can be done! The question is, if not for the auction, could these designs be requested by just about any customer?

These special pieces, personalized by 21 exceptional French women, were auctioned off last November 17, 2008 at Christie's to raise funds for cancer research.























(Images courtesy of Diana of Bag Craze)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Goyard St. Louis Price Points

Dear MFO,

I wrote to you before to ask for advice on what LV bag to buy. I'm happy to say I bought one already during my recent trip to HK. I bought a ribera damier. I wanted to heed your advice but didn't have enough moolah for an epi bowling montaigne. Thanks just the same. I'm taking fancy on a goyard bag this time. Want something a bit casual like the St. Louis. Would you have an idea how much it is and if the prices in HK are ok? Thanks.

Goyard Dreamer


Thanks for writing again Goyard Dreamer! The ribera damier is a great pick! As for your next target, the St. Louis comes in three sizes, and thus, 3 price points. The Junior is the smallest, PM is the more popular size, and the GM is the bigger one. Last I checked at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC, which was months ago, the PM retailed for $940 while the GM was $1040.

In Hong Kong, if my memory serves me right, the PM would be about HKD 7,100 and the GM about HKD 8,500.

Of course, these bags are cheaper in Paris. A PM retails for €510 (roughly $642, but will come out much less to about €449 or $566 when you deduct the 12% tax refund for tourists).

Stocking Stuffer #3: Sharpie Mini



I've always been a sucker for school supplies. Back in grade school and high school, a trip to National Bookstore on a school day was a treat! When I went to UP Diliman for college, I was a Miranda Bookstore regular, (when I didn't have time to go to National Katipunan, heehee) Without even meaning to buy anything, I'd find myself with back-up supplies of Pilot G-tec pens and all sorts of notepads, folders, pretty paper or whatever the teeny tiny bookstore had to offer. When I went to graduate school in AIM, it was back to National Bookstore, which was just across the street in Greenbelt. My friends and I would scour the aisles for cute stuff - Post-it notepads, 3M scotch tape in clear pastel tape dispensers, colorful staplers, filing materials and other supplies. Every single week.

I guess buying school/office supplies is a habit not a lot of people grow out of. I know lots of folks my age who can't resist a cute notebook, or a pretty pen up to now. So I know that no matter what, anything related to school or even office supplies is a welcome treat! That's why I think these Sharpie Minis are a great stocking stuffer! They're cute, colorful and practical! Maybe not something a person would think of buying for one's self, but nevertheless great to receive!



Buy a 12-color Sharpie Mini set (black, red, blue, green, lime, orange, aqua, berry, purple, burgundy, plum and navy) plus some colorful lanyards/dog tag ball chains from Divisoria or eBay, and for less than Php100 each, you've got handy dandy giveaways for 12 people right away!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Sharing Her Spoils

For those in Manila who want to get their hands on CDG for H&M, great news! Lainey, who is based in Norway, is bringing her CDG for H&M acquisitions back home this December!

She left a comment for this post which I'm sharing with y'all!

Hi. Please pardon my "using" your blog to advertise, but I've just put up a blog: http://cdginmanila.blogspot.com about CdG. I'm suddenly inspired to share my shopping. The prices are a little higher, but still much cheaper than going abroad to buy them. Many thanks.

Tempted? Click here.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Stocking Stuffer #2: Royalty Shop Hair Bands

For about Php200, even less, you can give out these headbands from The Royalty Shop. Made of either satin, velvet, or textured fabric as in the case of the Victoria Turban, and accentuated with ribbons, rhinestones, florettes, or shiny stones, these hair accessories add just the right hint of girly charm and a little bit of sparkle and spice to a holiday outfit!

Matilda Satin Headband -P105


Matilda Velvet Headband - P135


Belle Headband- P180


Georgia Headband - P160


Eve Headband - P205 (white) and P235 (black)


Victoria Turban - P175


Salem Headband - P190


Lauren Headband - P90 and P170 (w/ rhinestones)


Lorraine Headband - P160 and P200 (w/ rhinestones)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Stocking Stuffer #1: Baggu Bags

With Christmas just around the corner, and a recession still clouding our skies, I thought I'd come up with subsequent posts of gifts under Php500 that won't scream "cheapskate" hahaha!



A Baggu bag is actually my favorite giveaway item. I give it as pasalubong, it was part of the goodie bag I handed out to friends who participated in our wedding, and it's my all time favorite kris kringle exchange gift. Last year, I gave a stack of multi-colored Baggu bags to my "baby", complete with a loving letter explaining why I chose that gift and how it helps eliminate the use of plastic bags. When our other friends saw my gift, they all squealed at how cute and clever it was. Suffice it to say, the Baggus easily overshadowed the Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works gift packages that they all received from each other. Hehe!

(Get Baggu bags from Baggubag.com and in the Philippines through Shopspot!)

Monday, November 17, 2008

Where Everyday is Project Runway



The great thing about being in New York, never mind the absence of Philippine green mangoes, is meeting young, talented people who come to this pulsing, throbbing city to converge and absorb all that New York has to offer -- fashion, food or finance wise (well, sadly, not as much for Wall Street folks these days).

Guinevere, who we all call Ginger, may be the fun-loving, "little sister" in our group of friends, but she certainly has a lot of focus. Straight out of high school, she decided that she wanted to design clothes. So after graduating from ICA, without wasting time, she straight away took courses at The Fashion Institute of the Philippines, The Art Institute of Seattle (Major in Fashion Design) and finally, The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she is majoring in Fashion Design, with a minor in Accessories Design.

It has always been her dream to be in New York City and design evening clothes & sportswear. She says the great thing about studying fashion in New York, is "Just the fact that Manhattan is one of the most exciting cities in the entire world!. Anything you can think and need of and imagine is right here."

She adds, "Everyday is different and spontaneous. I love sewing and draping the best! It relaxes me and that’s where I can fully show my creativity and skills."

But being a fashion design student is almost as stressful as being a Project Runway contestant as it turns out! Ginger explains, "The worst past of being a fashion design student is that there is literally never enough time to finish anything and never ending deadlines! Plus, we’re always broke from paying for supplies and materials ☺" (At least Mood sponsors the fabrics used by Project Runway contestants, hehe!)

Ginger, who counts Elie Saab, Coco Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Monique Lhuillier and Max Azria as her design inspirations, is certainly poised to join their ranks in time. Her most recent work, the fun and very pretty gold and black cocktail dress above, got into FIT's graduating exhibit, which will be shown this week until Thursday! I can imagine a lot of girls (from socialites and celebs to regular girls who just know a great party dress when they see one!) would want to wear that!

So proud of you Ginger! Congratulations!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Homesick: A Food Post



You know what, no matter how fabulous the shopping here is in the US, where everything I want is just a click away, nothing beats living in Manila. Sure, Paris is just 7 hours away, and while Dear Hubby and I are planning to go there in a couple of months, I am sorely tempted to divert the flight path to the Philippines instead. Why? I blame it on Filipino food and Philippine food blogs like Market Manila!

I'm not really a foodie. Sure I love to eat, but I never really go out of my way to try new restaurants, new dishes and new cuisines. I kind of stick to the tried and tested dishes of my childhood. And these days, I'm having these cravings for familiar flavors that I can't seem to get rid off. It started innocently with manggang hilaw & bagoong. And while Mexican mangoes partially placated my taste buds, it never really hit the spot. Darn the East Coast! Why can't I live in Guam or Hawaii instead, where they import Philippine mangoes by the metric tons!

This morning I woke up craving for North's Park sweet and sour fish fillet. Now as much as Dear Hubby enjoyed eating in North Park back when we were in Manila, I never really had cravings for this dish ever. But now, wham bam! It's all I can think of!

So I called my friend and neighbor Paz, who has been homesick for Manila way before I realized I was too. And then we started thinking about the Mango Torte from Cuerva, Ineng's pork barbecue with steaming white rice and achara, indian mango with rock salt, guinataan, and biko.

Now I can't stop. I want Razon's Halo-Halo, my Lola Deling's paho salad paired with fried tambakol, served with a dip of soy sauce and calamansi! Inihaw na bangus, and oh! The seafood feast in Dampa! Gosh, Golly, Wow!

So this afternoon, I googled images of all these dishes and tortured myself with food that I can't have. When Dear Hubby asked me what I was up to, he laughed and said, we can always order something from Grill 21. But no, I have specific dishes from specific sources in mind!!! So I cruelly emailed Paz links to all these glorious photos of the goodies that I virtually sourced for us. She opens it and tells me over the phone, "I-tulog mo na lang yan!" ("Just sleep on it!")

Folks in Manila, you know you have it so good! Not even an invite to the Barneys Private Sale tomorrow, or the prospect of Ladurée macarons, cups of hot chocolate from Angelina, and rows of Isabel Marant boutiques can satiate this emptiness in my heart and stomach.

Sigh. No matter what people say, when food becomes part of the consideration, there's no place like home.

(Drooli-icious photo above from Market Manila.)

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Ingrid's Lab

Trust Ingrid Go, the certified Baghag who fueled Manila's bag craziness with her addiction inducing bag blog, to start a new compulsion with her upcoming store Accessory Lab! And why not, when jewelry and accessories are must have wardrobe staples next to bags and shoes! I mean, seriously, an H&M dress will look like a million bucks when accessorized with fabulous shoes, a quality bag and just the right touch of jewelry.



According to Ingrid, Accessory Lab will have some in-house designs and accessories from consignors like Daphne Paez, who makes delicate necklaces made out of hand-painted medallions and other precious little charms. I. Benjamin, a line of whimsically indulgent jewelry sold in Firma and Felicity, will also be there. Collectible Bakelite bangles are an added fun to the mix!

Instead of ascribing to typical classic styles often seen in local jewelry stores, they will be offering different looks of jewelry from classic pieces, to whimsical, art nouveau, new vintage, mughal style, even "healing" jewelry. For sure, there's something for every taste and budget in this experimental jewelry store called Accessory Lab!

So watch the space beside Figaro in Rockwell my dears! The treasures inside will all be revealed in a month or so!

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Brain Tease/Freeze

What's wrong with this photo?



Well, nothing really except that The Ice Cream Bar has improved the formula of their frozen yogurt and is now 98% fat-free!!! So when you're craving for ice cream, remember, there's a healthier alternative that combines the creamy goodness of ice cream with the benefits of probiotics! The Ice Cream Bar's frozen yogurt blend is premium and natural, using fresh yogurt from a dairy farm south of Manila. Toppings such as fresh fruit, nuts, granola, cranberry syrup and dark chocolate chips make it a great snack or dessert that can be enjoyed without the guilt.

But hey, if guilt is not in your vocabulary, then by all means, indulge in their luscious banana splits, towering parfaits, and extra thick malted milkshakes (a nod to the fifties soda fountain staple). They also have yummy ice cream sandwiches (thick and chewy cookies baked in-house and can be served warm - choose between chocolate chip or fudge brownie!).

The Ice Cream Bar serves FIC ice cream in 41 flavors, including crowd favorites such as Pistachio, Tsokolate, Vanilla and Raspberry. The range also includes flavorful local-inspired flavors (think Red Mungo, Ube, Queso, Kape’t gatas and Tsoko-nut) as well as refreshing sorbet (Mango, Buko and Calamansi) for those who prefer something light.

So yeah, bring your friends, your family, your kids, even your kid's friends and get yourselves some frozen treats!


Whatever flavor you choose, it's gonna be good till the last melted drop!


Oh, and if somebody in your party decides they're not in the mood for ice cream, tell the party pooper there's always hefty sandwiches, pasta, and soon, lighter options for lunch and dinner such as soups and salads. Their bestsellers include the Chili frank, Adobo pan de sal, and the Basil and Kesong Puti pasta!

The Ice Cream Bar is located at Joya Towers and Lofts, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Store hours: 12 to 12 (Sun to Thurs) and 12 to 1 AM (Fri and Sat)
Tel: 403-0891
For store inquiries, email: theicecreambar@yahoo.com

Friday, November 07, 2008

Malaysia Savings Sale 2008!



If you're in the mood for traveling and shopping these days, why not book a trip to Malaysia and make the Malaysia Savings Sale 2008 your primary agenda! It's happening from 29 November 2008 to 4 January 2009!



The nationwide shopping extravaganza promises better bargains, promotions and an overall fun time for avid shopaholics and even regular tourists. Apart from jaw-dropping discounts, shoppers can get a chance to win instant gifts and cash prizes. Most importantly, tourists can enjoy the various tourist privilege cards with the Tourist Welcome Pack distributed at the airports (KLIA and LCCT) and Tourist Information Centers.

For more information, visit the Malaysia Tourism website or call 891-1697.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Robinsons 3 Day Sale: November 14-16, 2008!

Payday Weekend Sale = Temptation, but since Christmas is just around the corner, now is a good time to stock up on presents for you (but of course! Haha!) and your dear ones (most especially! Christmas is the season of giving remember?)!

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Fancy a Cuppa?

Then join Citibank's Royal Treat Promo! Not only can you squeeze in a proper English afternoon tea filled with crumpets, scones, clotted cream & cups of coffee or tea on your spare time, you get to indulge in an all expense paid London shopping spree (which is what the promotion is all about actually! Haha!)!



Check out the Citibank website to find out more about this Treat for you sweets!

*Here's a tip though, if you intend to spend like royalty, skip Oxford Street and head off to either Knightsbridge, Bond Street, or Sloane Street! The goods to covet are to be found therein!

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Calling All Southern Belles...

...or any shoe-aholic for that matter! There's one more reason for you to go to Festival Mall!



To know more about the latest shoe label to hit Southeast Asia, check out the Heatwave site here!
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