Monday, March 23, 2009

And here's vintage Britney for y'all

OMG, Britney at the height of her career and her sexiness. "Toxic" is one of my favorite Britney Spears songs and when I found this on YouTube today, well, I just had to dance and sing along!

Note: If you're very conservative, then please skip to the next post.



Didn't that make your jaw drop? I hope pants didn't drop, though! I'm trying to learn the dance moves and Vince just laughed away. I guess I need a sparkly nude costume then!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Parties in hot Manila

And by hot, I mean literally sweltering hot. This week was just filled with events: product launches, store openings, press conferences. Ack. No matter what we did, our hair was plastered onto our scalps, neck and foreheads! Makeup melted, dresses were glued to our backs, and greetings were reduced to those deplorable air kisses. I love Manila but when it gets hot like this, I just want to stay in front of the A/C.


Anyway, Karimadon—which I adore for two reasons: the pretty dresses and its owner Josie Go (in pink)—just launched their small but well stocked branch in Glorietta 5 early this week.


I met brand endorser Marian Rivera. Marian is unbelievably tiny (I am crouching in above photo and I'm taller than Josie) and extremely pretty. And, I agree that she's what she proudly described herself to be in this month's Cosmopolitan: "Yun ang problema sa akin. Kapag di ko kilala, hindi ako nagsasalita. Kapag nakilala ko, ayan chika na tayo." (translation: "That's the problem with me. If I don't know you, I don't talk. When I get to know you, well, then I'm friendly.") Fair enough. I respect the girl's chutzpah and... that's all.

I wore one of the two Karimadon dresses I bought to yesterday's events. First, we went to Greenbelt 3 for the launch of Kiehl's Ultimate White line, which they say is the best and most effective whitening treatment out there. Boy, was it hot! To distract myself from the heat, I took pics of my fellow media friends:

Cosmo's Nicole Delos Angeles and Preview's Lyca Puno (the two girls leftmost) with the Kiehl's girls

OK!'s Kabbie Rodriguez and FemaleNetwork's Trixie Reyna

OK!'s Nichole Reyes shows off her sexy back

Me, Nicole and Hinge Inquirer's Ianne Evangelista (also the former editor-in-chief of Cosmo)

Then off to Serendra for dinner with my darling friend Mariel. I wanted to go to Hobbes to check out some pet supplements, to Charles & Keith for shoes and to Fully Booked for, well, books. But Balducci's cool interiors enticed me and I just sat in this wonderfully cozy restaurant while Mariel was buying my (two years delayed!) wedding gift—a clever corkscrew from Alessi. Thanks, neighbor! We love it!

Anyway, after dinner, Mariel and I headed off to Dessert Row for the launch of the Kerastase chocolate treatment. I wasn't able to get a sample but I did get to taste some wonderful chocolates. And boy, it was even hotter at Serendra. So everyone I took pics of had sweaty faces!

Inquirer columnist Mariel Chua, accessories designer Happy David and HIP editorial director Ianne Evangelista

I would've posted more photos but I know my friends would kill me if I posted anything with shiny, sweaty cheeks and foreheads! And that's my week!


Dinner with Aida... Dinner with Mariel

Been seeing a lot of my long lost friends lately. Aida, my dearest friend since first year high and who now lives in Antibes, was here all too briefly for her sister's wedding (best wishes, Arlyn!). Though she was here for about three weeks, I saw her only once since she spent all of her time as a tour guide to her French in-laws all over this beautiful country.


We had dinner with a few Manila Science High classmates at Dencio's at Robinsons Manila. Most weren't able to make it because some had family to attend to and some had jobs in health care so they were on duty that night. I can tell Aida was disappointed since she's hardly ever here and she wasn't able to see all her friends so I promised her that I'll go visit her in France! I am hoping to go this year. I've never been to France and that country--reputed to be the most beautiful in the world--is definitely on my must-visit list! Last night, I did get to experience a bit of Europe. Mariel, another friend of mine who is here for a brief stay from the US of A, met me for dinner at this fabulous Italian restaurant, Balducci's at Serendra. Oh my. I've passed by this place so many times and hardly ever gave it a glance. And when I stepped in last night, I was transported instantly to another time and place!

 

The dinner was superb. We had tuna carpaccio and ravioli, which were both amazing. The coffee was divine. The bread was warm and incredibly tasty. Sorry I have no pics--they didn't turn out well! Mariel and I had such a lovely time talking about love, life, friends, work, sacrifices and blessings. It was a cozy dinner made happier by the good food! I am definitely bringing Vince here for a romantic dinner! One of my best dining experiences ever and, I tell ya, when it comes to food, I've been around.

 

So that's how my past few days had been--full of good friends and fine food. My kind of time!