Teddy Bear

There's no better way to de-stress than seeing Teddy Bear, a cute can't really say cuddly yet grumpy porcupine, make food his own prerogative. He's a lean, mean eating machine!

I share the same exact sentiments with you, Teddy!

Nom nom nom nom...BACK OFF! Nom nom nom nom...

Toodles!

Macaron VS Macaroon

MMMMMMMMMMMKKKKKKK....

I will not run my motor mouth on this...but if you MUST join the bandwagon,

Macaroons are confections typically made with shredded coconut.
This is a MACAROON :

Photo: georgie_grd, Flickr

Macarons are the little colorful sandwich-looking French pastries that everyone's been goin' nuts about.

This is a MACARON:

Photo: abbietabbie, Flickr, Getty Images

Let's recite it together : MACARON! MACARON! MACARON! MACARON!
MMMK? MMMK! That is all.

*end of rant*

Toodles!

Fountain of Youth

As I was doing an American Horror Story: Coven marathon and stuffing my chubby face with Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, I noticed something about one of the actresses of the show and it got me wondering...could she be a vampire?! How is she looking that daym fine and ageless after all this time?!

Of course, I am referring to none other than the lovely Angela Bassett. I mean...just look at her!

Ever heard of wrinkles, Angela? Would you be interested in having them any day now?

www.zimbio.com

Fit and feisty at 55. Wow.

www.zimbio.com

Aside from Angela, there are some other Hollywood ladies that must be eating newborns (forget about the placenta---it's all about the newborns!!!) on a regular basis because they are either ageing gracefully or not ageing at all! Move over, Edward Cullen and the rest of the raging hormones crew of Twilight! Here are my two other faves:

Cate Blanchett

Skin care luxury brand, SK-II, did not make a mistake in having Cate on board as its product endorser. She is perpetually flawless! Everyone knows that having porcelain skin is a tough task to maintain so give your 44-year old self a pat on the back, Cate! Good job!

Oh how I adore her Armani lace gown over her glowing skin! She's absolutely radiant!

Diane Lane

I absolutely love, love, love Diane Lane. She has such a youthful vibe to her and even though her face has a little wrinkle here and there, it goes to show that she is embracing her age with great confidence. Oh yea, and she has a rockin' body at the ripe age of 49! Uhm yea, anyone remember her movies such as Unfaithful or Under The Tuscan Sun? Case closed.

Knowing how the Hollywood scene is pretty much synonymous to plastic surgery, I can't really say for sure that these beautiful ladies haven't gone under the knife at all but just looking at them as a whole (face, skin, body), I don't see any evident traces of implants, over-injected lips nor over-Botoxed, frozen smiles. 

Are we really going to find that ever elusive fountain of youth? At this point, I don't think there's ever going to be a plastic surgeon that can give you that natural glow, the glow that'll help you age gracefully. We need to be comfortable in our own skin and we need to respect our bodies. Whatever you feel inside, it emulates through your physicalities. Achieve that glow from within and you'll never have to entrap your poor, unfortunate boyfriend/ husband by shooting him with the deadliest question known to mankind..."Do I look fat in this dress?" Yyyeee--No.

Does this mean we'll need to start eating our green leafy vegetables? Yes, yes we do.

Toodles!

Feel The Heat

We've just set the clocks an hour forward here in California but it feels like summer time is already making an early appearance and we all know what this means--- excess fats and cellulite are dead men walkin' coz we aboutz to show sum skin. Now, I'm the last person to ask about the best way to shed the extra weight or what kind of healthy diet to follow 'coz we all know I'm the junk food monster. I'm probably one of the rare people that you'll ever meet who never feels even a wee bit of guilt after eating 2 huge chocolate chip muffins at 1 in the morning. I have no eating remorse--- I hear diabetes calling my name now. So, no. Don't expect this post to be about chia seeds or kale---you're on your own, kid.

What I do want to share is this random list of spring/summer tips to help you make the most out of the sunny weather. Here we go.

1. Sunscreen - I cannot stress this enough. We all need to wear sunscreen, even if you want to get a little tan. When you're at the beach, make sure to slather on an extra layer and wait for 15 minutes to make sure that the lotion has been completely absorbed. Out of all the other products that I've tried, Neutrogena has both of what I want in a sunscreen--- full sun protection without the typical greasy feel. I use SPF 100+ but there are different levels of SPF that you can choose from. The lower the SPF, the more chance that you'll get your skin tanned (minus the hideous sunburn). Oh, and there's even a body mist version if you're too lazy to use the lotion!

neutrogena.com

If you're just going to be commuting from your home to your office and you need some make-up coverage, a tinted moisturizer or BB cream will do. I hear the best BB creams are from Korea but the more notable tinted moisturizers are conveniently available here in US. Just make sure to get the closest color to match your skin tone and use minimal make-up, unless you want moms to hire you as a clown for their kid's birthday party. Hey I don't judge. A job is a job.

lauramercier.com

2. Water - Duh right? But what a lot of us fail to realize is that while we enjoy sipping our mimosas, mojitos and iced teas by the beach or in the garden, we might actually be forgetting to hydrate properly. And yes, it means we gotta drink the boring stuff. Just plain ol' water. Bottled, tap, spring...it doesn't matter. Just drink enough of it.

fijiwater.com

3. Pedicures- Before you go sashey shante-ing out with your flip flops and sandals, make sure that your feet and toes are well-groomed and presentable. No crusty little piggies, please! You don't have to go to a salon to achieve this, although going to one is undeniably a more relaxing experience. Trim your toenails, make sure you scrub off the dead skin by using any kind of foot scrub with a foot file. To save time, I usually do a quick foot scrub while in the shower since my feet get naturally soaked with warm water. Any foot scrub is fine but the smoothing foot scrub from Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa collection is something you might want to try.

bathandbodyworks.com

4. Dress appropriately- If you're at the beach and dining out on the patio, make it a point to bring a good cover-up. I don't care how casual and care-free the joint is, think of it as common courtesy. Resto's are there for eating not for barfing, and we want to make sure that the food stays in. Do you want to stare at someone's hairy, black forest of a back while you're sinking your teeth on a juicy burger? I think not. Boys, put a shirt on. Girls, don't steal your boyfriend's shirt and bring your own cover-up like this Flora Bella tunic below:

neimanmarcus.com

If you're at the mall or any tight, confined spaces, make sure to cover whatever is necessary to cover. I don't want to accidentally brush against your vajayjay or pimple-infested hiney while I'm at the check-out line at H&M. Mmmmk? Mmmk.

5. Smile- It may sound kinda lame but Spring and Summer are seasons that are meant to help us take a pause and find our center. This is a good time to declutter, reorganize, reconcile, get your shhh together, invite your family and friends to catch up and enjoy each other's company. Go outside and take a breather...well, maybe not when it's like 1 in the afternoon 'coz all you're going to get is a heat stroke.

Take a lesson from Sky, look at his big smile. Check out the photobomber flip flop in the back.

Life is too short---make yourself smile, make others smile. =)

Spring and Summer is coming...are you ready?

Toodles!

Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards: Cebu & Visayan Islands

Nothing makes me even prouder about my little spunky island of Cebu than getting a mention from one of the most reputable travel publications companies in the world such as Condé Nast. The travel mag usually holds a reader's choice poll every year to have discerning travelers select their fave travel spots in the world, with one of the categories being "TOP 5 ISLANDS IN ASIA". Asia is a beautiful continent in itself but having my island of Cebu and the rest of the Visayan Islands being rated side by side with Bali and Phuket just gives me an exhilarating thought---that finally, people are beginning to notice our side of the world and they likey...they likey alot!

Here's a screenshot of the page...sorry I had to re-size the photo to fit into my blog page but here is the original link: Top 5 Islands in Asia

To those of you who are not yet familiar with my hometown (Cebu, Philippines) or Asia for that matter, skip your usual vacation haunts and head out to Cebu and the rest of the Visayan islands to sample mouthwatering food fares (cheap eats!), explore our gorgeous beaches and experience warm hospitality from the locals---find out why we are so laid back and friendly!

I miss you Cebu! 

Toodles!

Ghesquiere For LV: Debut

So it's finally here--- the fashion world's most anticipated LV show for Fall 2014 has come and gone. It seems to me everyone was so excited for Nicolas Ghesquiere's first step into a new realm in fashion, like seeing off your first born to his first day in school.

Without further ado, here are some of my personal favorites from the collection:

Louis Vuitton Fall 2014

Love the blue suede trimming and leather sleeves!

Nice clean silhouette and the colors are great neutrals...

Nice fall color combination and I love how the belt loops over, casual but chic!

It wouldn't be an LV show without the accessories! Here are my favorites...

This shoe and bag combo is divine!

Cute little Speedy in a nice vintage leather.

Honey, they shrunk the trunks and me likey.

All images from style.com

As you've read in my previous post, I love Ghesquiere. I simply adore him. But I also like to be honest to my readers. Overall, I thought the collection was lukewarm. I felt like there was something missing here, almost like he was playing it safe with this collection---but mind you, these pieces are a great step forward for what Ghesquiere can do for LV. Some of the design elements and details in this collection haven't been seen in an LV show since Marc Jacobs' tenure (and that is a really good thing!) but maybe with so much anticipation building up and having crazy expectations for our wonderboy, anything less would immediately seem mediocre. This definitely isn't one of his best but once he gets over this transitional period, you better make sure you're wearing your padded butt pants 'coz this guy is going to knock all of us off our patent leather heels.

Besides...this isn't his first rodeo, he's only warming up.
Save a horse, ride a cowboy. Yeehaw!

Toodles!

Ghesquiere for LV

This post is rather late considering the fashion world has been abuzz since the power fashion house of LVMH announced last November 2013 on signing in Nicolas Ghesquiere as their new Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. As I admired Marc Jacobs' work for LV for the past 16 years, I must say that pumping in "new blood" like Ghesquiere is rather a refreshing and exciting moment for the luxury brand.

Ghesquiere combines fashion, art and commercialism in such an elegant way that made Balenciaga rise to a different level of ooh-la-la. He isn't safe--- he knows how to explore different silhouettes, shapes, textures and fabrics but I always appreciate designers who keep in mind that people have to actually wear their creations and know where to draw the line between a walking, magnificent piece of art and a drunken peacock on a rampage. 

Okay, apparently I couldn't find an alcoholic peacock so this will have to suffice...

www.wallpixy.com

I didn't really pay too much attention to this genius of a designer until I laid my eyes on his famous "Lego sandals" (picture below, on the right) back in his Fall '07 collection for Balenciaga. Since then, I've been an avid rabid fan in both his shoe and clothing collections!

balenciaga.com

Look what he did for Balenciaga:

Spring 2013

Spring 2010

Fall 2010

And who could ever forget Spring 2008? Glorious pieces from the clothes down to the shoes!

All runway photos from style.com

I think Marc Jacobs would agree when I say that they couldn't have chosen a better successor to the mighty LV throne than Nicolas Ghesquiere.

P.S. Alexander Wang has taken over Ghesquiere's coveted position in Balenciaga and I hear he's doing mighty fine as well. Since I mentioned earlier that this is a late post, I shall be updating you folks with Ghesquiere's first collection for LV soon =)


Toodles!

Chill Pill: For The Monday Blues

There are awesome songs and then there are equally awesome covers. Ever heard of that song by Stevie Nicks that was revived by Linus Loves feat. Sam Obernik? It's one of those perfect songs that is so sad but you want to dance to it too.

I mean c'mon...the lyrics itself can eat me alive. My pre-Miguel (the boyfriend) days unleashed all over again.

"No one knows how I feel,
What I say unless you read between my lines,
One man walked away from me,
First he took my hand,
Take me home"

Not to mention, the video was so fun to watch. You can't beat the setting : Prom Night. Dude with folded sleeves, light grey suit. Skinny black tie. White socks. Off-white loafers--- and those nerdy yet oh-so-perfect moves to woo any dream girl.

Don't be shy, I know you did a little dance. Work it, girl (or boy)!

Toodles!

Travel Philippines: Taal Volcano

As you all know, I've been here in California for almost a decade and somewhere in between, there are times when I truly miss the Philippine islands. I miss it so much that whenever there's even a slight reference about my country and/or countrymen, whether it be in movies, documentaries or on any other media, I feel like I'm somehow keeping in touch.

Anyway, I saw this travel feature in one of the lifestyle websites that I'm subscribed to, Thrillist.com:

Click here for to see the full article ----> Thrillist.com

Thrillist is a good tongue-in-cheek website to check out if you live or visit in the main cities of the US since they cover everything from local eats, travel features and even weird gadgets.

I guess it really takes a true native to know their own motherland because right when I saw the picture, I knew it was in the Philippines. Hello there, blue skies! You know what's sad though? I've been to Tagaytay countless times, where it has the most splendid view overlooking the beautiful lake and the island but I've never actually been to the island itself.

Oh and do you know that the second most active volcano, Taal Volcano, is on the island? Yea, I'm not ready for it to go Dante's Peak on my hiney-ho so I'll stick to my mango shake and full body massage in Tagaytay for now.

While you're in the Philippines, don't forget to try out our mango shakes. We have both the green and yellow variety but y'all know I'm such a sweet tooth that I always go for the yellow.

*Back in 2011. Tagaytay, Philippines*

Here's to more features on my beloved Filipinas!

Toodles!

Elle UK Man of the Year

And the 2014 Elle UK Man of the Year goes to...

Tom Hiddleston!

Ladies and Gents, it's high time we gave this guy some luv luv luvin'! We all know that Tom is all great in the acting department but did you know this 6'2" sight-for-sore-eyes can bust out with some fascinatingly good foot work? Nothing beats seeing a rather cultured and polite Loki (nemesis of Thor, for those who aren't into comics) in a well-tailored suit---teaching a dance move or two!

Disclaimer: The video below has some cuss words in it since it's a late night show but you will be too busy ogling, anyway.

Oh and while we're on the subject of ogling, have you guys seen any of his interviews? He does really great impressions of other actors/ characters. He also speaks so damn eloquently, he could be reading the instruction manual of my vacuum cleaner and make it sound like he's reading a sonnet. I cannot, for the life of me, resist his British accent. 

I am a sucker for men who wear suits and dress shirts on a daily basis. I mean seriously, how many men do you see coming out of the airport looking like this?

Yep, a 3-piece suit and a pair of oxford shoes.

justhiddles.tumbler.com

Or this...in a more casual look.

tomhiddlestonmx.wordpress.com

Even the Cookie Monster couldn't resist him...

Tom Hiddleston, you are growing on me at a dangerous pace...

Toodles!

Miss Lupita

I originally wanted to write about the Oscars in a more who-wore-what kind of mindset but I quickly scratched that idea when I discovered this new, young and vibrant actress, Lupita Nyong'o. I first caught a lovely glimpse of her in a fashion segment on TV and she was wearing this elegant, red cape gown by Ralph Lauren. The first thought that came to me was, "Who is this girl? Why is she fabulous and why don't I know her?" My curiosity wanted to kill the cat so I googled her and I was immediately blown away by her photos. 

I promise this isn't going to be all about fashion but I really can't help but admire her...

Lupita in a Ralph Lauren cape gown

www.jetmag.com

In a croc print Stella McCartney romper

www.zimbio.com

In a pleated Givenchy gown...I think this color is so hard to pull off but she nailed it!

www.zimbio.com

In a pink and gold lace Elie Saab dress (*gushhh*)...p.s. she had a matching coat on but I think she looked better without it.

www.zimbio.com

Right when you think she's all dainty...bam! She surprises us with a leather bustier J. Mendel dress.

www.zimbio.com

Bagging an Oscar while looking flawless in a Grecian-style pleated Prada gown

www.zimbio.com

The thing that I love the most about Lupita is she carries herself in the most dignified manner that her  occasional outfits with plunging necklines don't even look vulgar at all.

According to my expertly-googled research, the Kenyan-Mexican (she was born in Mexico with Kenyan parents) actress graduated from the Yale School of Drama---which happens to be where Meryl Streep honed her acting skillzzzzzzz too! Note the amount of z's, because Meryl deserves all the z's in the world. Lupita's educational background comes as no surprise though, after you hear her speak.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a good video of her full speech as she accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie, "12 Years A Slave", but the last part was just utterly inspiring when she said, 

"When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."

Wow. Onions, I tell you. Onions.

Here she is at the Ellen DeGeneres show, post-Oscars:

She's beautiful, smart, articulate and seems like a geniune person. I hope to see her grace us more with her presence in the future, so much so that my future kids would get to look up to her as a role model despite the abundance of sordid, tacky, out-dated celebrities that surround the entertainment industry.

Cheers, Lupita Nyong'o! May you have more Oscars to come!

Toodles!