My birthday haul

My first haul ever. I have read birthday hauls and I just thought of doing one as well. My birthday was October 14, I didn’t have that much stuff but was excited to have these things, some were given to me and some I have picked randomly the week before and after my birthday.

Mac Studio Tech foundation and Mac lipstick Jest from my barkada, Bubbles, a pasalubong from Canada. I'm loving the shade of the lipstick!

Ring P299, bracelet P299, earrings P199 and necklace P299 of WWW from SM Makati. I got this to go with my character as a fortune teller for a vtr. I love the different details of each bracelet.

Silver hairpin P99. I like collecting simple silvers.

Before

After

Maybelline Magnum Volume Express P399. I was convinced by Michelle Phan’s vlogs to try this mascara from Maybelline. Inexpensive and yet can add volume to my thin eyelashes.

bendable jelly shoes

Grendha jelly shoes P1,695. I learned to like the super comfy Brazilian shoes at Bambu store at Glorietta 4. The only regret for me is that I think I should have gotten the size 6 instead. I will be including this in my wishlist this Christmas for another pair!

Photo from Olay Philippines

I need to try and experience all the promises indicated in the box!

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 anti ageing cream , a daily moisturizer. Now at 40, I think I need a cream that provides anti-aging. I have been eyeing to get this 7-in-1 thingy when it was first introduce, and it was just around P499 then I think, now it sells for P699! I saw this at a store in Sun Valley subd. selling at P230.00 and original. That’s good enough for me. I have read some reviews on OTE about what they call purging or “breaking out” when using it for the first time. Okay, so I have to start using it and try to blog it after. There's a lot of good reviews about this product. 

Nike's Women's Air Relentless Shield running shoes P3,595. My hubby and I are planning to start running/jogging around the subdivision. I will start it off with the proper running shoes. It's been ages since I have a decent rubber shoes, hmmm... high school days? 

Do-it-yourself table

Working table I bought with the SM gift check I got from Lei. Thank you!

And last but not the least, my birthday survival... since I'm having my asthmatic attacks on that day, my Ventolin inhaler! 

I'm beautiful in my way 

Cause God makes no mistake 

I'm on the right track, baby 

I was born this way...

Thanks everyone J

Space Invaders

Finally, the much awaited college barkada get together had happened!

August 27, one stormy Saturday afternoon at our friend's much talked about Subspace Coffee House. To gather my Interior Design barkada is such a production number to organize. Everyone has their own priorities, issues and situations. Malayong lugar, may work, may kid's activity program, may raket, umuulan... haaay!

Reserved. There's no stopping us now!

Since I arrived early, I had the chance to "interview" Wilmer regarding the coffee house. Two years ago, Wilmer and Thor established a furniture shop, the Space Encounters. Many passers-by have mistakenly thought of it as a coffee shop, as well as getting requests from their clients to put up a snack bar in it. So when they decided to open one, luckily there's this place... a walking distance away from Space Encounters. Dalawang tumbling lang, promise! Thus, Subspace Coffee House came to be, happily serving coffee... hehehe. Eventually, they introduced pastas and sandwiches, to cater lunch and dinner for the tenants of the building and nearby offices.

We can't get enough of taking photos so just check it out...

The coffee house showcased some of their furnitures from Space Encounters

Displaying lots of interesting collectibles sourced abroad and given by family and friends

My daughter's first time to hold an analog rotary phone.

This cake gave me the reason to return. Yummy!!!

No smoking... Like!

Seoul milk for a non-coffee drinker like me, but you have to try their bestseller Sweet Purple Potato latte and Peanut Butter latte

Wilmer Lopez. Thor wasn't around at that time, recuperating from an operation. Get well soon, Thor!

So proud and so excited of the shop, we have invaded it! Anyway, they are used to it. It has been featured in various TV shows, used for pictorials and styling for some magazines.

Custom-made furnitures in bright colors and playful prints.

Oriental pop-culture/Korean inspired knick-knacks

Vintage clocks, telephones, posters and lamps.

Subspace Coffeehouse and Space Encounters


Subspace Coffee House is located at 103 G/F Grand Emerald Tower F. Ortigas Center, Pasig.
Space Encounters is located at unit B Mezzanine, Padilla Bldg., F. Ortigas Center, Pasig.
Like them on facebook https://www.facebook.com/subspace.coffee & https://www.facebook.com/space.encounters. Photos taken by Erwin Piao, Minda Sta. Maria and me.

My Banapple trip

Friday, Jaymee and I was out for some errands at Makati and we spotted this area at Ayala Triangle Gardens. When I saw Banapple I told my hubby that we should have our lunch there! I have been reading some good reviews and I really wanted to try it.

The place was crowded, lunch hour peak and there's just 8 tables inside. There are few tables outside but I don't want to ruin my first time Banapple experience having a hot lunchbreak ambience outside. We were given a customer number to wait for our seat.

We had a hard time choosing our meal. Everything on the menu seems so yummy. My hubby saw this pasta dish being serve and he chose it right away. Baked creamy chessy penne. It was chessy ( as it says in the menu!) and I love the garlicky taste of it. A bowl of hearty pasta for Php185.

Mine was the Bacon fried chicken steaks with milk'shroom gravy at Php175. The mushroom sauce was tasteful and the rice didn't fail me. But I must admit, I like my hubby's meal better.

Now the fun part... the dessert! Can't decide which cake will satisfy my cravings for that day. If only I could eat them all, haaaay. So I just ask for the bestseller. 

And here it is... the Banoffee pie!!! I'm not a banana fan, but this one is an exemption. It's a must try! Php95 per slice.

I would like to commend their customer service crews who were very helpful. With plenty customers in line but they were able to cater everyone and still manage to smile. With that, I promise to return and this time with our kids!

D.E.A.R. Time: Drop Everything And Read Time

I was asked to do storytelling for kids at SM City Sta. Rosa, Laguna yesterday in celebration of National Children's Book Reading Day.

Now on its third year of committed service in promoting an environment of continuous learning and values education, the event was highlighted by a book reading of Dr. Jose Rizal’s "Ang Pagong at ang Matsing" in commemoration of the national hero’s 150th birth anniversary. The program was held at the Event Centre, 10AM. SM also donated books to the Sta. Rosa City Special School as part of SM Foundation’s Donate-a-Book program. The event was held in partnership with the Department of Education, the National Book Development Board, Vibal Publishing, BDO Foundation, SM Foundation and Inquirer Read-Along.

Susan, one of the storytellers

me :)

Reading the all time favorite fable of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Ang Pagong at Ang Matsing” was truly a great honor for me.

an excerpt from the story book

I have prepared myself for the exciting challenge, since my last stint of storytelling was during the launch of Bear Brand at Glorietta, Makati last 2008. Let me share you the things I have listed:

Provide humor
Clarify and illustrate meaning
Make points memorable
Identify with the particular audience
Persuade the audience to their point of view
Encourage thinking
Inspire people to act
Build a shared vision
Relieve tension
Raise the energy level of the group

Fortunately, my audience was very cooperative and actively participated during the storytelling session. No problem. There were almost 70 students of Grades 3 and 4 levels from public elementary schools of Sta. Rosa, Laguna. As the DepEd representative encouraged the students, to have D.E.A.R time everyday - "Drop Everything And Read time", it was truly an inspiring event for the participants and for us storytellers as well. SM City Sta. Rosa, through SM Cares Committee on Youth and Children’s Welfare, simultaneously held the event with 40 other SM malls in the Philippines, as well as in China (SM Xiamen, SM Chengdu and SM Jinjiang) with their chosen celebrity storytellers. :)

Thanks to Ms. Pam Baun, SM Public Relations Officer; Ms. Armind Cajala, SM Marketing Manager and Mr. Dominador Caringal Jr, SM Mall Manager for the opportunity.

Seeing Pope John Paul II

I was cleaning my "treasure chest" the other day and saw my old journals. I was blogging na pala noon pa. Let me just rewrite it for the record:
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My WYD old journal

"1, 2, 3... YES! Totus Tuus! John Paul II, we love you!!! Tell the world of His love..." The cheers and the song kept running through my head during the World Youth Day (WYD) celebration. Delegates from strife-torn countries, WYD volunteers and participants, bishops and nuns,government leaders, community groups, devotees and fanatics, families, group of teenagers, vendors, and even the street kids gathered together to witness and join the celebration of the WYD by the Holy Father. Seeing the Vatican head of the State, Pope John Paul II for the WYD is one thing. But joining the WYD group is another. It marked the major crossroad of my life.


When the announcement that the Pope was definitely going to celebrate the 10th WYD in the Philippines, Asia's only predominantly Christian country, I anticipated it with excitement. My only wish then was wherever the Pope went while in manila, I would be there to see and hear him personally.


First day, Jan. 10... opened with a liturgy mass celebrated by Jaime Cardinal Sin at the Rizal Park. But unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend that mass because I have to file my leave forms to avail for the following WYD events.


Ok, ok... came day 1, 2, 3 of the catechetical events, I got busy with the Barrio Fiesta presentations along with the thematic performances in welcoming the foreign delegates, the sharing and listening in discussions wherein the youth are challenged to become communicators of love, faith and hope... hmmm, kinda heavy isn't it? It was fun knowing these bunch of youths have so many things in their hearts to share. Uh-err... but the opportunity of seeing the Pontiff in his arrival and the mass held at UST and PICC? Negative.


Jan. 14, we marched down Roxas Boulevard to Quirino grandstand, the site of the Youth Vigil. We positioned ourselves in one of the walls of Luneta grandstand, uh-so kilometers away from the altar, I should say. But our group didn't mind being that far away, we have hundreds of WYD delegates beside us cheerfully camping themselves. T-shirts & shorts or jeans were the uniform of the day. Nuns wore baseball caps on top of their habits. A one-of-a-kind site... people are united, unmindful of the heat, limited spaces, walking like a garbage disposal because the whole area looked like a battlefront in a war zone and sleeping like a baby but actually they are lying hard on the ground. I looked deeper into it. The group's spirit moved me. It's so nice to see these youth come together and pray, talk, sing in search of discernment in their role as evangelizers in today's world.


Minutes before the Youth Vigil, people came shrieking, screaming, waving, sobbing and fainting. "The Pope mobile!" Everywhere people rushed and stampeded to get a glimpse of the Pontiff. I wiped my way out to see him too. But negative. All I saw was the roof of his mobile. Hopeless. "Ang cute ni Pope! Nakita ko siya! I'm blessed!" They felt relieved, just like winning the battle. They seemed to be overwhelmed with just the sight of the Holy Father's smile. But how about me? Hmmmmm... ok, with my camera, I passed through the ocean of people to witness and hear his mass. But halfway to the grandstand, I was having my asthmatic attacks... no, not this time please! I would have been thankful if the ground had suddenly parted and swallowed me up - anything just to get away from that crowd. Teary-eyed, I found myself going back to the camp. Oh well, tomorrow morning, I guess.


Jan. 15. I got up early. Took not-so-nice breakfast and headed in front of the crowd to make sure I'll see him this time. I look on Pope as more than a kindly man with real charm and a sense of humor. He's cute they'd say, so I have to see it myself! There, we remained under the heat of the sun, unmindful of the thirst and hunger. Alas! After long hours of waiting, the pope arrived. My mission? Impossible! He took a plane to get there at the grandstand. How can I possibly get a glimpse of the Pope?!!! Yeah, right... it was hopeless!


The weather was hot and we were tired and hungry. Can't hear enough of the mass going on. So we just went home flat dead, parang mga basang sisiw. We started with scrubbed clean shirts, then going home looking like a lighter version of a pig pen. But it wasn't that bad after all. I felt something in me. Although I did not fulfill my wish to see the Pope, I've learned and discovered something more than I ever knew. The treasure I've earned in this journey wasn't just to see the pope after all. It's the spirit behind the World Youth day... friends... brotherhood... a special bonding*... and the challenge to deal more with my faith, the spiritual journey with the Lord. Simple. Ok di ba? 1, 2, 3... Yes!

WYD friendship band

WYD kit

- Cherry Alcala  
February 28, 1995
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*that special bonding was when I met my future husband :)