Thanking my lucky stars for 2010!

At the risk of sounding cheesy and sentimental, I'll go ahead and say it: 2010 was a year full of blessings and highlights for me. Spent New Year's Eve with my family and Jake and I remember feeling so happy we were all together to ring on the new year. I also started a diary for Jake where I planned to write short notes or whatever it is on my mind to him every day so I could give it to him, errrr, tonight. It was a brilliant plan, wasn't it? Imagine how sweet that would have been. That little plan lasted for about two months when I forgot all about it come February. Haha! This year, I'm planning to do it for real until New Year's Eve of 2011. Wish me luck!

2010 was also the year I had my gall bladder removed, and now I can't eat anything fatty or with cholesterol. I'm not even allowed to drink. But seeing as to how I've already violated these no-nos, I say good riddance and thank you for leaving me with a little scar as a souvenir of that lovely surgery. Not. I'm working on having it permanently removed because I am determined to be scar-free, even if it's just an inch long, by the next time I hit the beach.

Travel and career wise, 2010 was also an amaaaazing year. I think that was the year I got my raise. My boss also sent me to Hong Kong for training and I got my first ever official title when I passed the case study paper: Associate of the Australasian Compliance Institute or AACI. Don't even ask me what that means, I have no idea if it's significant but I do know that I'm entitled to use it after my name on emails, business cards, and such. Fancy stuff, really. While I was there, I also went to Macau for a side trip and my mom's friend toured me around. Right after that trip, I went to Bangkok with friends and my sister to soak up their culture. No, we did some major shopping and I'm itching to go back there. Place is amazing. THE CLOTHES WERE CHEAP AND AMAZING. Boracay in August was also one of the best moments of my life.

2010 was a good year for me and Jake. We both grew up. No major fights, no serious arguments, no petty dramas. We could go for days without seeing each other without any issues. We've finally moved past that mushy, always-have-to-be-together stage and managed to treat each other like best buddies. We're happy shopping, eating out, talking, playing, without turning on the sweet couple factor. I'm so happy and contented with how we are right now, I wouldn't change it for anything. We turned four this year! I have so many happy memories of our month-long anniversary countdown and anniversary dinner that I can't wait to plan what we'll be doing for our fifth. That reminds me, we need to top Valentine's 2010. We had dinner on my balcony with fairy lights and ordered all our favorite food and cooked some. It was romantic and funny at the same time. We both promised to eat out next year. Long story, hahaha.

Also bonded a LOT with my girls this year. I can't wait to see where our shenanigans will take us in 2011. We have to top what we've done for 2010 and I'm already anticipating our weekend dates. Started my blog too, and I'm really thankful I found my writing mojo again. I was afraid I lost my real writer self, no thanks to reports and essays and all sorts of boring, technical articles I had to write for school and work. I'm still working on getting my creative spirit back but I'd like to think I'm on the right track.

There are too many blessings and happy memories of 2010 that I can't even find the energy to write them all down. All I know is I'm thankful for having such a wonderful year and I can't wait to start another one. I'll be the luckiest girl in the world if 2011 is half as good as 2010. Can't wait to top off this year!

P.S. I was VERY tempted to include photos of 2010 highlights but I can't narrow them down to, at the most, five. I want to include all of them but that would officially make this blog a full-fledged Facebook album. GAH. Okay that's it, I can smell dinner so tata!

Photo from Etsy.

Everywhere We Eat: BonChon & doggy date at Ayala Triangle Gardens

As a special treat to our spoiled dogs, we took them with us on our lunch date the Sunday before Christmas so they can run around the park. Jake's been dying to try out BonChon here so we decided to finally eat there and for me to see what the fuss is all about. I'm a sucker for chicken wings and anything reminiscent of buffalo wings. Since the place is notoriously always crowded for dinner, we went before lunch to avoid the usual long line and crowded tables, and to give Chuck and Pepper plenty of space to walk and run around. We thought parking would be a nightmare, given it's Makati, but they allow guests to park at the basement of Ayala Tower One. It's so convenient and we even managed to sneak in a shot of us with the brats by the giant Christmas tree in the lobby. And yes, Jake was annoyed. Cute pictures, though.

We grabbed a table as soon as we got to BonChon and Jake ordered everything for us. The verdict? It's overpriced, and not because it's expensive. The wings were SO SMALL you can eat them in one bite. Taste-wise, it was one of the best chicken wings I've had but I wish they had bigger portions. I wasn't even full by the time I was done eating. Jake was so disappointed 'cause he tried out BonChon in New York and they apparently have bigger servings. To console ourselves and to satisfy our wings fix, we ate at Chicken Charlie right before Christmas (near Ristras & Wilson) and concluded that they have almost the same taste and bigger servings. We're definitely going back there--mostly to try their supposedly amazing cheese sticks. Jake wouldn't listen to me and ordered fries the last time. We're hitting Ayala Triangle again but for Wee Nam Kee (INSANE LINES!) and we're not bringing the dogs again. The whole time we were trying to eat lunch at BonChon, they kept tugging on their leashes and the dragging the chairs. Pepper even had the gall to bark at the other customers and passerby. She is such a little bitch. Cutie pie.

After lunch, we let the dogs run around and enjoy the park. Pepper was so cute, she kept rolling on the grass and kept rubbing her face on the soil. Chuck also pulled a lazy brat prank on Jake and would lie on his tummy and refuse to walk. I also took the very rare opportunity to stage a photoshoot while Jake was in a good and cooperative mood. Here are some scenes from our lovely, sunny afternoon:

wearing Topshop top, Zara shorts, Kickers loafers, vintage Toledano bag

After running and panting around the park, we had gelato for dessert at Amici. The waitresses there are so nice. They're used to their customers having dogs so they brought out little cups of water for Chuck and Pepper. I spent the whole time wishing I could share my gelato with them just like in the movies but it was too yummy. Hee.

Post-Christmas Hugs!

Jake's back in Manila! Hugged him for Christmas and we were back to making plans and dates! I'm just so happy I have someone to date me again! Yipee. I went to his place today 'cause Chucky's been missing him and wanted to go home and Pepper needed a haircut. Took her to Groomingdales, this new dog shop and salon in front of Mann Hann near Ristras. Jake highly recommended the place and I must say, Pepper looked like she at least enjoyed herself with her very own playpen. (That's her whining as I was about to leave, poor baby.) The owner was pretty and nice, too. When I went to pick up Pepper,  i found her with a doggie treat. The girl played with her for a bit because I couldn't pick Pepper up on time. I love how they make an effort to pamper the dogs. Overall, this place is more convenient than our usual groomer at MOA 'cause at least it's near Jake's so I can just drop my dogs off when we meet and you get a special treatment since they only accept a minimal amount of clients. No cramped cages for the doggies or hours of waiting. Good job, Groomingdales!

After lunch with his family, we went to High Street with his Dad and Bobby. Guess what? He loved Muji--wanted to buy almost everything (well, a lot: hangers, containers, plaid shirts, lalala) for his room. I say it's still overpriced and whatever happened to Anonymous? I miss that store and it has the exact same concept as Muji and I do remember it being cheaper. Oh well.

wearing vintage knit sweater, NafNaf top, vintage denim shorts, H&M bag

I took my usual stop at Topshop and only ended up disappointing myself. I was browsing around when I saw this girl beside me who was carrying at least ten clothes and accessories and I watched her head over to the counter to pay for everything. I wanted to cover my eyes but I couldn't--I was too jealous to function. I consoled myself with a cupcake at Sonja's and I felt slightly better, also thanks to Jake who was being funny the whole time (he was trying to steal bites from my cupcake.) Here's my usual Sonja's cupcake shot, and I quote my boyfriend: "I can show you at least 20 pictures of you holding the same cupcake." What? It's my thing! Cupcakes make me happy, particularly Sonja's. I can't count the number of times I've eaten a cupcake there but the place makes me feel all giddy and bubbly every single time. It's my happy place.

After we picked up Pepper at Groomingdales, we hung out at his house while waiting for my mom to pick me up. I needed a Chictopia shot and my ever-so-sweet boyfriend decided to mock me with his H&M bag gift. Funny? Yes, because he is gay. I'm kidding. But look at that finger on the lips pose. Haha. Also gave Pepper a bit of a scare when I pretended to throw her in the pool. I love messing with my dogs. 

Can't wait for our Forever 21 shopping fiasco tomorrow! I'm already anticipating Jake's tantrums and whining, and my nagging and pleading. And speaking of tantrums, they (Forever 21) never followed my advice--still no couches for the waiting boyfriends or men! They should listen to me. I know what's best for them, I've been there too often for my own good.

Everywhere We Eat (& piling on the pounds): Cystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Hello, my blueberries. I'm half-tempted to name this blog post 'Everywhere We Eat' to pay homage to our dear artsy fartsy crowd but seeing as to how I still have pending blog posts on food and date places, I would like to think that I should be able to come up with something more creative. That is what I like to think. As such, I am too sleepy and full and busy pawing through the insane amount of chocolates my tito sent from the States--I shall revert to my original title. I'll force myself to deal with it. I shall also force myself to accept the fact that I must have gained (and am still gaining) three or four pounds from all the pigging out I've been doing for the merry month of December. My last cardio was three weeks ago and no, I don't care what they say--I'll suffer make up for it next week. I swear. Pinky swear. Or else my clothes won't fit and then I would die. Can you imagine? Que horror. Oh no. Oh yes. But back to the nub and thrust of this post--Crystal Jade.

It's pretty obvious all Jake and I ever do are eat and shop and play with our dogs so every once in a while, we make it a point to check out places we've never tried before. When we first saw Cyrstal Jade at Greenhills, we were too busy fighting but I do remember being momentarily distracted from all the drama to ask Jake if we could eat there. By the time we were done fighting, the place was already packed and we were forced to eat somewhere. Turns out you have to show up at exactly the time they open in the evening (I think--and I can't remember exactly, around 5pm) or else it's adios famous Xiao Long Bao. It was THAT good or hyped up. To quote Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet: "It's THE Crystal Jade that foodies are raving about in Hong Kong and Singapore."

We were mucho lucky last week when we passed by the place after some last-minute gifts shopping at Greenhills. It was around 7pm and they had an available table! Yay! Actually, Jake has already conditioned my appetite for Chili's but we couldn't pass up the chance to finally eat there without having to wait. Another yay! We happily ordered and we got the Xiao Long Bao, crunchy sweet and sour chicken, I forgot the name of the noodles, and yang chow rice. Everything was yummy, particularly the chicken and our dumplings. Ambiance-wise, the place was intimate enough for dinner but had that busy atmosphere. I liked how their kitchen's open to the public thru wall to wall glass and I have to admit, I felt like a kid peeking at the Singaporean chefs. I wonder if I annoyed the crap out of them? I kept pointing at them and took pictures of the whole thing. What I DO know is that I annoyed Jake--he had to take my picture, otherwise I'd be doing my brat face.

After dinner and after unsuccessfully nagging Jake to buy me Georgia Nicolson's tenth and final book, we walked back to Jake's house to avoid the traffic and we saw this little cutie pie on the way! He's so cute and tiny! His owner apparently takes him out for a jog every night around Xavier, but I think he's too small for it. I was using all my willpower not to snatch him up and dognap him, he was so friendly and kept lolling his pink tongue. 

wearing Lady Gaga tee from Bangkok, vintage denim shorts, vintage bag

We were too tired from all the walking around so we swam for a bit. And by bit I actually mean ten minutes. I didn't want to get my hair wet so it was mostly splashing around and screaming at Jake not to wet my hair. I forgot all about the don't wet my hair! fiasco though 'cause Jake came up with a brilliant idea--SURFING! Well, I used him as my surfboard and I must say, I have a talent for the sport. I must try it the next time we go beachin'. What we did, and remember we're slightly immature, is that I would stand on Jake's back while he swam along the bottom of the pool from end to end. Sometimes, he would wipe me out on purpose just as I was getting the hang of it, but we managed to enjoy ourselves. We're silly fools and we're happy doing stuff like that--fake surfing and bullying Chuck by putting him on top of Jake's table so he can't move and thus whine like a baby. Hee.

Which reminds me, I still have a lot of pending food and date blog posts to write. I think I'm beginning to like food/lifestyle blogging. I make more sense in it as opposed to my oooh and aaahs when I'm writing about shopping and clothes. I'll be writing about Chicken Charlie, BonChon, Ayala Triangle doggy date, Wicked Kitchen, Christmas parties, lalalala blah blah. However, as there are a lot of sales coming up and I haven't gotten myself a Christmas present yet, I'm already predicting the amount of outfit wishlist that I will post. Bear with me.

Merry Christmas from my doggies!!!

Woof! Merry Christmas from us all!!!

(I got them--well, more of forced--to wear antlers, Santa hat, Mrs. Claus dress, and Christmas tee)

And because she was my chosen spoiled brat last week:

Merry Christmas from Pepper! 

Very sosy, posing by the giant tree at  Ayala Tower One in Makati. I'll write about her Ayala Triangle Gardens adventure with Chucky soon.

wearing Topshop top, heart-print Zara denim shorts, vintage cardigan, vintage Toledano bag, Kickers loafers

This is how Jake and I celebrate Christmas

Every holiday season, Jake and I exchange presents early because we're almost never together on Christmas eve and Christmas day. This year will be our fifth Christmas as a couple, and for the past four years, he was always either at Tagaytay Highlands or Bacolod with his family. I'm not complaining because I get a major perk from this set-up: I get to open my presents early and we always celebrate ahead! Jake and I, we take Christmas gifts very seriously and always make a big production out of the whole shebang. Ditto for birthdays--I can't say the same for Valentine's because my ever so sweet boyfriend has long since deemed it "cliche and overrated." I know, right. Anyhoots, to get into the gist of this blog entry, here's a couple of scenes from our Christmas 2010:

This year, he gave me the best gift any boyfriend could give: he paid for my H&M shopping spree! Golds kept sending me photos of H&M while he was inside the store in Canada and I kept saying "yes, buy that, that, and that." I panicked when my total bill amounted to $140. Jake stepped in and saved the day--I love you Jakester! On the down side, I got him his latest kicks wish list: Air Jordan 9! Golds also got it for us when he was in Canada. Jake's so in love with it, he wore it for our Orgylove Christmas dinnerinks that night. He walks funny when he's wearing his precious kicks, he hates creasing them. Boys. I'm still figuring out how to recover from my gift, I'm THIS close to suggesting we get each other home-made presents next year. Maybe a hug? It's the thought that counts, right? But knowing Jake, it's not gonna happen. Hahaha!

wearing Topshop top, Forever 21 skirt

We also had our pre-Christmas date before his flight yesterday. We ate at Charlie's coz it's near Jake's (he still had to pack) and because we were craving comfort food. You can't go wrong with their black Angus burger and buffalo wings--it's been our usual orders ever since and we never deviate--except when I ordered the Philly cheese-steak when we first tried it out at their Kapitolyo branch. Ronac has some new stores and I'm dying to check them out. Jake didn't want to because he wanted to play PS3 and to pack. We walked back to his house and he let me play Assassin's Creed 2 on his PS3. I was laughing at their Italian accent but Jake was taking it seriously and kept grabbing the controller from me. Figures. I could barely control my character while he was walking, let alone fight the soldiers or Templars or whatever you call them. Ended the night and said goodbye with a tight hug but Jake was obviously more sad about turning Chucky over to me for the holidays. Lol. 

wearing Forever 21 sweater and denim shorts, Kickers loafers

Merry Christmas from us! It's not too late to buy me presents, my lovely friends!

Ristras: iHola delicioso muchas gracias si & all Mexican words I can manage

I'm hopped up on coffee now. Been sleeping for a maximum of four hours every night since Friday and I desperately need to recharge and refresh as I still have a number of Christmas parties to attend. Running on caffeine isn't really good for me, blog-wise, since I tend to forget to unload my thoughts and write like a fool. And so, as I'm feeling a bit OC today, I shall write about our latest Ristras dinner to get it over with.

We got there late but surprisingly, the place wasn't as packed as we thought it would be. Jake has yet to beat the record. I hope the boys' plan will push thru so I can document their attempt on the challenge.

I had my usual quesadilla but also ordered a wet burrito to-go for my sister who has the appetite of a growing child. This is how you "wet" a burrito: they torch it so it's all melty and soft. Don't ask me how it tastes like, I don't eat burritos.

Jake and his Corona, me and my brat face.

 wearing Topshop top, vintage knitted cardigan, Maldita shorts

Still have to check out Ristras branch at Fort, though.

Heart-shaped burgers & cupcakes bring out the kid in me

Friday night dinner at Serendra with Jake and we've been planning to check out Chuck's Deli and try their Chuck's burgers and the Chuckatsu slabwich. However, when we got there, we found out they close early even on Fridays (10pm-ish) so, in a defiant and spoiled brat-induced state, we set out to find a place where we could still get our burger fix. We walked around Serendra for a bit, arguing on where to eat, when we finally decided on Murray & D'Vine 'cause I've been wanting to try their heart-shaped burgers (!!! I know!!!) When we got there, Tito Phil--Jake's dad, was also there with his friends and (my boyfriend's so lucky he was spared from having to pay for our date) he treated us! You should have seen Jake's huge smile. Lucky boy. Anyhoots, I felt like a kid anticipating my heart-shaped burger and I was also tinkering with the miniature bottles of Heinz ketchup and mustard. I do regret not getting wine and settling for a huge iced tea, instead. I was feeling sleepy and didn't want to risk unwanted wine-induced scenarios with Jake. It's always nice to eat dinner at Serendra. The ambiance manages to be cozy and busy, and there's always a cool breeze when you dine outside. And of course, Sonja's cupcakes is just right across.

Before and after with a broken heart. I got the one with bleu cheese and it was oozing! Jake got his usual bacon burger. Burgers are top-notch with thick patties, caramelized onions, and yummy bread.

Of course, we're dining outside for the perpetual smoker.

wearing Zara striped boat-neck top, Forever 21 skirt, Bayo oxford shoes, Forever 21 head band, Toledano vintage bag

Jake enjoying his beer with his burger. Father and son!

And because I am me, we grabbed cupcakes for desserts. It's already so festive at Sonja's--all gingerbread men and candy canes. Instead of my latte, I got cold milk because I was already feeling sleepy. We ordered our usual cupcakes--PB & J and Vanilla Sunshine before we called it a night.

All I want for Christmas is James Franco

No, not his hot self from Spiderman. I want the artsy-fartsy, weird and Johnny Depp-ishingly eccentric hot version of James Franco. Mind you, I would still take him even if he never broke free from his boy-next-door image. However, I do prefer him as a Sex God when he's all broody and artistic. Oh, come on. Don't pretend he doesn't make you feel all tingly when he's turned into this smart, weird person. I want...

...the one who played the insane serial-killer "Franco" on General Hospital.

...the one who dressed up as a tranny and still looked like a hot stud.

...the one who sat down across Marina Abramovic in her The Artist is Present exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. 

...the one who wrote a book after completing a writing program at Columbia University. The one who, for all intents and purposes, has attended classes at Yale for the sake of his art--and bragged about getting a D.

And I just really want the hot and smart and talented Mr. James Franco. I'm serious. Jake would understand, he's artsy fartsy himself and he liked Spiderman. My dear fairy godmothers, I really, really want him for Christmas. A hug and a kiss will do.

Did I mention he's hosting the Oscars? That is how awesome he is.
Photo cred: Perez Hilton

Holidaze on a weekday at Ayala Triangle Gardens

The girls and I had dinner last night at Omakase. After a less than stellar lunch there with Jake, I decided to give it another try and ordered something safe. Food was yummy but it took AGES for them to serve it. I think I overdosed on my bottomless servings of raspberry iced tea while waiting but I can't complain since my tonkatsudon was top-notch We've been dying to check out the new strip of restaurants at Ayala Triangle Gardens and last night was the night. The lights and sound show was mesmerizing, made more complete with the almost-secluded feeling of standing on the grass in a breezy park when you can barely hear the hustle and bustle of Makati.

wearing Terranova top, Forever 21 skirt, vintage flats, Aldo necklace, Nine West bag

 

I'm definitely going back with Jake to try out BonChon Chicken since he highly recommends it. He ate there when he was in New York this year and I do hope the branch here has the same taste and quality. We tried to eat there last night but the long line was just insane, ditto with Wee Nam Kee. Maybe next time we should head earlier, maybe brunch time, or early evening so we can grab some good seats. Another plus of the park is that you can bring dogs. We were sitting next to this couple with a cute shih-tzu puppy and I've been thinking about bringing Gingey for a change. She rarely ventures outside but she's a cutie:

Speaking of restaurants, I'm dying to try out Borough again now that I've read reviews about the milk and cookies. I wanted to order it the last time we were there but I was torn between that and the oven-baked Brooklyn cheesecake. Maybe I can convince Jake to grab lunch there next time we're in Podium. Sigh. I'm bored to my wits end waiting for our Christmas party to start. I'm trying to convince my workmates to head there early so we can already start drinking but they seem keen on staying here. Sigh. I think I'll just take my reindeer antlers out and parade around in my boots to pass the time.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

It's almost Christmas! Opened my email to some wonderful news from Topshop--their Holiday Film is up and about, as well as new pieces for Christmas! I can watch it all day, it gives me the shivers just thinking about nice, pretty things for the holidaze.

 

On another happy note, I finally got to visit Chocolate Fire yesterday for desserts. I swear, that place is heaven for a chocolohic like me. Mitch and I went crazy over their selection of chocolate goodies. We wanted to try their famous hot choco but we went for a fondue in the end. Dark chocolate and fruits are the best combination. Next time, I'm going for the choco-dipped pretzels and truffles--and I'm dragging Jake and my mom along. Nomnom!

But you know what made my day so Christmassy? H&M shopping! My friend, Golds, has been ym-ing me and sending me photos while he's shopping at H&M in Canada. Our virtual shopping was a success and I got loads of goodies to look forward to this Christmas! (check out our own album below!) And the best part is, Jake's paying for my stuff as his Christmas present! I have no idea where to get $140 for all the stuff I chose so I'm a very happy, lucky, fool. I'm literally skipping up and down with happiness! On the down side, I'm getting Jake a new pair of Jordan kicks for Christmas, also from Canada but at least I'm gonna make him happy!!!!