I Blog, Therefore I Am.

My super wedding planner told me in our first meeting that I should check first the fabric availability of my wedding "theme" before I get excited with it. I was also told by three designers that my taste for my bridal gown and entourage ensemble is more 'western' compared to most Filipino brides so fabric sourcing as early as now is a must. 

We technically don't have a wedding theme but we intend to play our weddings with fresh light colors. I specifically want a combination of very light Spring colors that will be contrasted with bright Spring colors of flowers.

Here's my ultimate color guide and peg:
I came across the combination in Pinterest way before Witt proposed. I can't even remember when I pinned it. I struggled a lot with the 3rd color from the left. I can't exactly pinpoint the right color term for it. Some call it Light Mauve and some said that it is Light Old Rose. I'm planning to have my Matron of Honor and Godmothers in Light Grey, Bridesmaids in Light Mauve, Secondary Sponsors in Light Blush, and Junior Bridesmaids, Flower Girls and Moms in Creme.

My wedding planner advised me to visit Fabric Warehouse to see if my planned colors and fabrics actually exists. Lo and behold...it does! It truly gave me great joy to see that my planned wedding swatches can actually see the light of day here in the Philippines.

Ta-da...

The closest matches are numbers 37, 52, 65 and 24. The photo above is saturated a bit but it's lighter in person. These are silky chiffon fabrics but  a couple of designers already told me that I have to consider Power Mesh/Tool fabric if I want a flowy effect for my girls' gowns. I've been obsessing over this for quite a while. Next step is to find THE ultimate designer who will execute my vision!

I just finished watching in full-length the 63rd Miss Universe Pageant held yesterday at Doral, Miami. I wasn't able to tune-in yesterday because of work and I just updated myself with the live show via Twitter. I watched and replayed some parts of the show tonight to be able to "judge" objectively what happened. Read on!

Felicitaciones, Paulina!

Mabuhay Ka, MJ!

Miss Universe 2014/2015 became sour for me when Philippines' bet, Mary Jean Latimosa, failed to advance to the Top 5. MJ was supposed to be THE ONE. I've never seen a more prepared, determined and resilient candidate from the Philippines since MJ. It was truly a heartbreaking loss for the nation. Filipino pageant fans stormed social media with sadness and (later on) anger over the loss.

• MJ aced the pre-pageants and preliminaries and was easily selected as one of the Top 15 semifinalists. I laughed a little thinking about those "top" international beauty pageant sites who did not even consider her. I believe that some of them deliberately did not include MJ on their list just to spite the ardent Filipino fans.

• The swimsuit competition was easy breezy for MJ. This has always been her strongest segment with that swoon-worthy body and fantastic catwalk. She was included in the Top 10 as expected.

• Then comes the dreaded Evening Gown competition...and the blaming game. MJ wore a very dismal white gown by Colombian designer Alfredo Barazza. Almost everyone I know hates the gown and we all know that MJ cannot do anything about it. MJ was very consistent in her beautiful styling all throughout the competition except when she had this gown and the National Costume gown which was also made by Barazza. 

• Rumors are now circulating online that MJ wore a beautiful pink gown made by a Filipino designer at the last Dress Rehearsal. Some said that MJ was berated and scolded for attempting to wear it in the Finals and Madamme Stella insisted that she wear that  ugly white gown of Barazza instead of the nice Leo Almodal creation. MJ was mortified about the incident and reportedly cried and was in very bad spirits before the competition.  

• An ugly gown broke MJ's bid for the country's 3rd Miss Universe crown. It's okay to compare the gown with the 87 other dresses. But comparing it with 9 gorgeous gowns in the Finals is quite a stretch. The gown was not designed to flatter MJ's body and built.  It made her smaller compared to the other girls. It was definitely not a gown for a soon-to-be-crowned Miss Universe. 

• My heart really goes to MJ. She did the best she could for all of us but there are just things beyond her control. I admire her more because of this. 

• Trivia: The gown pictured above was already the improved version. MJ wore that white gown in the Prelims but she had it altered by top Philippine designer Veejay Floresca before the Finals. Veejay did a good job in repairing it by making it more sexy and flattering - but Veejay can only do much with an ugly ensemble.

We will know the successor of Gabriela Isler's Miss Universe crown in less than 12 hours. The Filipino people, being a nation of pageant lovers, are in the edge of their seats and praying hard that our bet, Mary Jean Lastimosa, will bring home the elusive crown after 41 years!

Philippines' bets to the yearly pageant are exemplary in the last four years with Venus Raj, Shamcey Supsup, Janine Tugonon and Ara Arida all placing in the Top 5. It's a good accomplishment that established the Philippines as a Powerhouse of Beauty and a legit threat to those leggy, brown-haired Latinas.

MJ, the fierce and glam rep for this year, is already a winner for me whatever is the outcome tomorrow. She trained a lot and never gave up her dream of winning Binibining Pilipas' top title even after numerous tries. I am not too sold on her in the beginning but she won me over with her humility, her love for the country, her determination, and her fierce attitude. I really really hope that MJ will end the Miss Universe drought for us. Aside from bringing pride and honor for the country - I truly believe that MJ deserves the crown more than anybody else - including the bets from previous years. :)

I share the same sentiments of my favorite pageant blogger, Norman: "I am not dreaming. I can definitely see the Philippines winng a 3rd Miss Universe crown via Mary Jean Lastimosa. While others will counter that there are more crown-worthy victors, there is this element of boldness and maturity that embodies her personality. In my opinion, she is the one who has shown the most determination to win the whole thing."

It's my first day on Paleo.

I need to cut down on food intake not because I want to lose weight (that's a super added bonus though) but because of my blood sugar levels. I was already hospitalized in 2013 because of uncontrolled blood sugar (aka Diabetes) and I don't want it to happen again. I immediately started my Vegan-turned-Pescetarian diet after that episode but I was able to sustain it for only 8 months. I blame those delicious Pork Buns of Tim Ho Wan for making me fall off the wagon. It went downhill after Witt and I had those yummy soft buns at SM Megamall last May.

I am not feeling good lately so I decided to subscribe to one of those calorie counting "lunchbox diets". I was supposed to order from Diet Diva, Fitness Gourmet, or Health Bistro until I discovered Paleo Manila.



I was browsing Instagram over the holidays when I chance upon Paleo Manila which serves Paleo meals. I first heard of the Paleo diet from some friends who are already on it. I got curious so I read and researched about it. Paleo is called the "Caveman Diet" inspired from the Paleolithic Era. The diet is consist of food that our ancestors hunt, fish or gather in the olden days. It's made up of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, eggs, nuts & seeds. It doesn't allow grains so my favorite rice, pasta and bread dishes are definitely out of the question. The diet also eliminates dairy products, legumes and processed oils.

I went to SM Megamall last Sunday to check out the Wedding and Debut Fair at the Megatrade Hall. I am not expecting too much and I just want to have a feel check out new trends. I will not say that it's a waste of time but it was definitely not very productive for me. There were only 40-50 exhibitors and most of them are photographers and videographers. I did find a couple of leads and was able to book impulsively another "photographer".

Mobile Bar at the Bridal Fair. Should we get one? 

PhotoMan

The fifth wedding supplier I was able to book was PhotoMan. It was, I must say, an impulsive move. My wedding planner asked me if I will still have photo booth and I answered yes. I know that it is very very usual nowadays to have photo booths but I still like them. 

PhotoMan is technically not a photo booth. They are a group of 2-3 roving people who take photos and prints them through a portable laptop and printer that is being carried around backpack-style. I am familiar with Photoman's work since we already got them in 3 of our events last year. 

Flowers 

There's only one florist in the whole fair - Samantha's of Dangwa! I've been scouting for florists all week and I was hoping that I can get a good one in the fair. Flowers are actually in my "save" list. It's okay for me to just have "ok" flowers and I am planning not to splurge on it. Our church is very very nice so it doesn't need too much flowers; and our caterer will provide styling and flowers for the reception. I will only need a florist for my bridal bouquet, female entourage, and some asters for the church aisle.

I inquired with Samantha's Flowershop and they gave me very good rate. It's around 43% less than the usual range of florists' rates in the metro. The lady owner also offered a mock-up for my bridesmaids' bouquet at the bridal fair at the PICC Forum this coming weekend. 

Here's a sample of their bridal bouquets (grabbed from their Facebook Page)

I am still scouting for florists and I am not yet sure if I'll be getting Samantha's. I haven't seen any reviews about them so far and I still have a few names on my list. If you're interested, you may inquire at their Facebook Page. Speaking of florists - I also met with Sampaguita Master Serge Igonia the other day at Fairmont and he has some very beautiful creations and pegs which I really like. More on this on my next post!

I was doing my usual Internet stuff last Friday when I chanced upon Animetric's post on Vikings Luxury Buffet at SM Jazz. They are offering 30% off for January 2 - 3 just by liking their Facebook Page. You see, I've never been to Vikings. Everyone I know even my mom, boyfriend, etc. have already experienced eating like a viking in Vikings. I was so excited with the discount so I immediately messaged the boyfriend and reserved for dinner at Vikings in the new SM Jazz in Makati. 

This branch of Vikings at SM Jazz accepts reservations. The first Vikings branch, the one at By The Bay at SM Mall of Asia, also accepts but you have to reserve two weeks in advance. Their queue goes up to 60+ for walk-ins even on a weekday. 

So, without further ado - here's my Vikings Jazz verdict...and the gazilion food photos...

The Good

• This Vikings branch is located in a new condo-mall in Nicanor Garcia in Makati. Parking is easier, reservations and walk-in lines are also easier compared to other branches.
• The rate is also more affordable compared to Niu by Vkings and SM Mall of Asia branches. The most expensive is the Php 888+ for adults for dinner.
• The seats and designs are very comfortable and nice-looking.
• They offer a wide variety of unlimited drinks - from draft beer to Milo shake.
• They have soups! This is a plus for me!
• Good customer service from the staff. They offer to bring in drinks and food in your area.
• All the dishes are in the middle of the restaurant. Nice lay-out of the place.
• The washrooms are nice.

This is probably one of the longest Christmas/New Year break we ever had. We had 13 long days of vacation beginning December 23 up to January 4. I am still in the middle of it (as I write this) and we have two more days to go before we go back to work. I spent most of it rushing to the mall for last minute gifts, attending get-togethers, resting and sleeping, and wedding planning. 

I usually spend vacations catching up with work. Yeah, I such am a work nerd. I usually do this because my e-mail inbox will never be not full and I am really really bothered by it. But, I made an exception for this particular break. Smart will "own" me again in three days so I am spending my time wisely by devoting time for myself. Ye.

Before we go back to the grind, I would like to share two memorable celebrations we had in December. Last Holiday Season was one of my busiest ever. Everyone is having Christmas parties these days.

#SmartSunHolidaze

One of the first parties we had was the #SmartSunHolidaze party held at Urbn Bar & Kitchen (one of our favorites) last December 11. This is also our first time to host a party for our Smart-Sun bloggers, digital influencers, on-line partners and friends. The turn-out was really good despite our 'whatever' program, silly games and our li'l raffle.

I am so ready for you, 2015!