Shopping: Neiman Marcus x Target Collab

It's almost time for the most awaited event of the season for designer bargain hunters. Uhmm... designer collaboration with Target, that is.

If you're like me, my eyes lit up and my heart fluttered when I saw the Neiman Marcus x Target Holiday24 collection preview. There's a bunch of luxury designers in the lineup. Talk about DVF, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Carolina Herrera, Marchesa, Robert Rodriguez, and Marc Jacobs to name a few -- all under one roof! Oh, and did I mention that they're super inexpensive? Sigh, I wish I have a Target nearby so I can camp out to get first dibs! Yes, I am really willing to do this. Haha.

So, what would I buy? Here's my list.

[1] Robert Rodriguez ruffle top ($79.99) -- this would be perfect with a black skirt. Peplum style!

Copyright Neiman Marcus

[2] Jason Wu polka dot dress for kids ($59.99) -- Allie would look so adorable in this one.

Copyright Neiman Marcus

[3] Marchesa Girl's Beaded Dress ($99.99) -- this one looks so ethereal! I am in love.

Copyright Neiman Marcus

[4] Lela Rose Guipure Lace top ($69.99) -- I love this one too. It is so versatile, I can see myself wearing it every time.

Copyright Neiman Marcus

[5] Marc Jacobs Metallic Pouch ($69.99) -- Perfect gift for girlfriends!

via Neiman Marcus

[6] Tracy Reese Dessert Plates ($39.99 for a set of 4) -- Another gift idea -- this time, for the hostess.

via Neiman Marcus

[7] Tory Burch Lunch Box ($19.99) and Beverage Container ($24.99) -- Gift idea for the school girl.

Copyright Neiman Marcus

Copyright Neiman Marcus

What about you? What are you planning to get?

Neiman Marcus & Target Holiday24 collection will be available in Target starting December 1, 2012.

Shopping: Project Happy Pop-up Shop at St. James

Come and finish your Christmas shopping all in one go at Project Happy. Our pop-up shop is going to be at the biggest, most awaited bazaar this weekend -- St. James bazaar in Ayala Alabang. It's going to be big! You can find our shop at Lian extension.

Entrance is free for all. So come and invite your family and friends!

There will be tons of new products, like this alphabet stamp set.

Colored pens!

What about some Eiffel tower decor?

There will even be Oxo tot, boon and Skiphop items up for grabs!

Oh, did I mention the entrance is free? See you there!

Food: Jatujak

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Have you joined the Poppytops contest yet? They're giving away a couple of Fifty Shades-inspired shirts for a lucky fan and a friend. The contest is about to end next week. Have fun!
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My sister invited us to have a quick merienda at Jatujak in SM Megamall. We've been craving food from the Chatuchak market ever since we got back from Bangkok, and of course, the Thai iced tea, which was super yummy.

We ordered Pho Pia Sod, or vegetarian fresh spring rolls. I forgot how much they cost but according to MunchPunch's Jatujak menu, they're only P115. For that price, I think the serving was pretty good. The sauce had crushed peanuts. Yum!

We also had some Pho Pia, fried spring rolls with glass noodles, minced pork and mushroom, served with some sweet chili sauce (P135). I wasn't a fan of the sauce; it was so much like the ordinary sweet chili sauce that you can buy from the grocery. I was expecting something more authentic. The spring rolls were yummy though.

Okay, I just realized that these two spring rolls remind me of Vietnamese cuisine. I'm not sure if they're even Thai. Haha. But we loved them nonetheless.

Whenever we go to a Thai restaurant, we always order Pad Thai. It is how we know if we are coming back or not. This one's of the chicken variety. It wasn't bad at all for just P175, according to MunchPunch. Even Allie loved it. Okay, she loves anything that has noodles in it, but she loved it still. She kept on asking for more, sans the peanuts.

As for our drinks, we ordered Thai iced tea. They came in tall glasses. But don't let that deceive you.

It's half filled with crushed ice. Well, that's how Thai iced tea is supposed to come in. I guess it's just me hoping it came in bigger sizes. Hahaha!

The verdict? I'll definitely come back. Thanks for the invite, V.

Gifting: Thomas Sabo Charm Club

via Thomas Sabo

There are times when you find yourself scratching your head thinking how hard it is to look for a gift for someone who has everything. Sometimes, you just want to give that someone something meaningful.

Charms are not new to me. I've seen them around. Some are really expensive, especially those that come in little blue boxes. One brand, that I recently heard of, Thomas Sabo, carries tons of charms that are super cute. They are 92.5% sterling silver. Some even have semi-precious stones. They are not overly expensive, but they don't come cheap. At least I think so. But I love the quality. They are lovely.

The reason I am telling you about this is because, we accidentally saw the Thomas Sabo store at Trinoma. We thought that it would make a great gift to my MIL for her birthday.

There were multiple choices as far as charm bracelets are concerned. Below are my top choices.

You decide how many charms you put on this silver bracelet chain.

Silver bracelet chain

Another choice is this pearl bracelet with a silver charm carrier where you can put three charms on.

White cultured pearl bracelet

You can even put charms on this black strap watch. You just need to add the charm carrier.

Black strap watch

So many charms to choose from. The website even has a charm creator where you can preview your charms on the bracelet you chose.

You just drag and drop it to the charm spaces on the left. Super easy!

So anyway, we ended up getting the pearl bracelet, with two charms -- the topaz stone and the suits of cards. Topaz is her birthstone, and the suits just because she loves casinos. Haha. We would have added a turtle charm because she collects turtle figures, but it was not in stock.

It came in a gift box that reminded me of Henri Bendel.

As for the price, I say it was pretty affordable. :)


Thomas Sabo shops in the Philippines are located at TriNoma, Shangri-La Plaza, Rockwell Center and SM Mall of Asia.

Holiday: Thankful

I am thankful for ...

... Allie and my husband

... my family

... great friends

... good health

... good food

... Elmo to keep Allie still for 30 minutes

... red-soled shoes

... you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Food: Tagaytay's Bag of Beans

A few weekends ago, we went to Tagaytay to have brunch at Bag of Beans. Our first time there was during a friend's wedding. The second time around, we wanted to bring Allie with us so she can enjoy the cool weather of Tagaytay.

We went on a Saturday, and took our time going there so we can still get to relax. When I say we took our time, we really took our time. Tagaytay was about 2 hours from our house, and that being said, we got there 2:30 pm. Haha! The brunch buffet was until 3:30 pm only. It was cool though because lunch time at Bag of Beans on a weekend is usually packed. While we were there, there were only around 4 to 5 tables filled, and still lots of food.

This is the dining area for the brunch buffet. That whole strip at the back and the side is full of food -- including yummy Filipino breakfast food, pasta, soup, and lots of desserts.

In case you were wondering where those people are looking at, they are looking at this group of students performing at the entrance. They were dressed in red plaid uniform.

I don't know what kind of instrument they were playing.

Allie had a lot of fun walking around the empty tables.

She loved the chocolate cupcake (and her daddy).

She had her first taste of halo-halo.

Mommy, it's too cold!

Here's the view from our table.

Take a look at some of the details. Their lights are so like Jonathan Adler's lamps.

Those hanging fabrics gave the place a soft touch. They reminded me of sarongs.

Here is another capiz lamp in a different shape.

Right above the entrance were colorful bottles that I am so tempted to DIY. If only I have enough time.

So pretty.

The table centerpiece was a simple bunch of grass placed on top of a shimmery / velvety brocade table runner. Maybe they should change the table napkin holder. It seemed old.

Other tables have these globes.

The door to the other dining area has a handle made of ornate wood.

There's a myna bird near it.

That doorway leads to this.

The brunch buffet in Bag of Beans is about P500. I say it's worth it if you come in hungry. Otherwise, stick to their a la carte menu.

After eating, we stayed at their lounging area first.

It looks like this.

Allie kept on playing with our totes umbrella.

On the way home, we stopped by Mr. Moo's to buy some fresh chocolate milk, and lots of pastillas.