GirlCrush: Zooey Deschanel

What is it about Zooey Deschanel that has bloggers from all walks of life, fashion bloggers especially (oh, and some geeks too), gushing about her?

Is it her quirky, irresistible charm? Her playful attitude?

Well, I think it's partly due to those bangs. Those bangs that have become sort of a trademark. Those bangs that look so utterly perfect on her. (I'm beginning to sound like one of those geek bloggers now. harhar)

And of course her amazing talents; not only does she act but she can also sing! She's one half of She and Him. Try listening to their version of The Mamas and the Papas' Dream a Little Dream of Me and get a sampling of her incredibly soothing voice. She dances in the videos and she also writes all their songs! All that talent in one  pretty package. It makes one wonder whether He does play favorites.:))

I first encountered the lovely Ms. Deschanel through Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (which has an awesome soundtrack by the way). Her character was sassy and funny. She was the sister of  the main character, William, and was very instrumental to her brother's love for music. I love that movie to bits.

Then there were those magazine articles and ads. This one stood out the most for me.

It is so Zooey; the charming bicycle with flowers in the basket, the bows, her clothes, the all-around feel of it.

She has also become known for her vintage style. She plays with colors and has a thing for tights. And she always looks so feminine.

She now wears tights less often. She apparently wore them due to her insecurity with her legs; she has insecurities like the rest of us which of course makes us love her even more.

Her best accessory is definitely her hair: her curly, dark brown locks which looks great even when it's messy. Why can't we all have that kind of hair? And maybe then we can be just as charming and gorgeous and talented!

She is rarely seen wearing pants but she does wear them occasionally.

Oh, and she likes bows too. We have that in common.:D

Zooey is not your typical Hollywood celebrity; she is a very private person, she does not dress herself with signature clothes from head to toe and she isn't seen in every red carpet event. She calls herself an old-fashioned gal who likes old movies, old music, screwball comedies and vintage clothes. She has a pretty good sense of humor to boot.

I think that this quote from her says it all:

It`s an addiction. I love clothes. I like to go down Melrose and look in all the windows and I go to different flea markets. I have lots of costumes. You never know when you`re going to have to dress up like a milkmaid from the 1600s.

There is definitely something about her don't you think?

images from all over the web

Gayuma ni Maria: Heavenly Food for That Orgasmic Sensation

Bewitch (b-wch) tr.v. be·witched, be·witch·ing, be·witch·es - to captivate completely. e.g. There's this restaurant in Sikatuna Village -- sweet, a little naughty and silly on the edges, that totally bewitched me earlier today.



Gayuma ni Maria is a romance-themed restaurant sprinkled with chic and magic. A third reincarnation of Gayuma (Esteban Abada st.) and Cucina Gayuma (Gilmore) that used to be a cult favorite among Ateneans before they closed down.



The restaurant is very warm and cozy indeed. It somehow attempts to project a casual, flirty, and romantic ambiance. Al-fresco-ish dining on the first floor, and comfortable space on the second floor.




Entirely bewitching, this place. It's true! Take it from the dimly-lit dining area to the hand-painted walls filled with love potion recipes, even the old school love songs and dainty decorations -- indeed, this restaurant is quite infused with magic.




But what really enthralled me, is the ordering experience. The printed menu on laminated white paper, A.K.A The Gayuma Love Story, encapsulates the whole Gayuma ni Maria concept: fun and flirty food.

The gastronomic love affair starts with ordering Attraction: teasers to wet the appetite.

We had:


Itsie-Bitsie Fetish
It was good for taro fries. But it was definitely the best with the strawberry yogurt and cheese dip :)



Next comes Attraction: the beginnings of something gastronomically great.

For this, we had:


Tuliro
CPK's Grilled Chicken Salad is irrevocably the best salad I've ever tasted. But when it comes to the next best thing, THIS IS DEFINITELY IT. I loved this nacho-lettuce salad. Their grapes were undeniably sweet and crisp as well. And the sour cream and cheese sauce -- SINFUL.



And now, we move on to Commitment: real deal dishes to devour.

We tried a couple of chicken dishes.



H.H.W.W.P.S.S.P (Holding Hands While Walking, Pa-Sway-Sway Pa)

It was good. Though, there was nothing so special about these Chicken Tenders.





I Love You, Cross My Heart

Yummy :) The cheese, mushrooms, asparagus, and the mystery sauce perfectly complemented the chicken breast. No wonder it was one of the House Specialties.




And finally, we gave in to the Tempatation: to-die-for-mouthwatering-desserts.


Beats Sex Anyday
For the very juvenile and casual me, this dessert definitely screams O-M-G. The cake, oh-so-lusciously chocolatey and moist: not so sweet, just, PERFECT, and the butterscotch cream, words fail to describe its awesomeness.



Twisted Pavlova
And while Beats Sex Anyday caught my attention, Twisted Pavlova makes me think twice about giving my whole heart to the prior. Light, delicate, sweet, and crisp all at the same time. I don't usually like meringue, but love is just surprising, isn't it?



Ooooh and do visit Gayuma ni Maria on a Wednesday, and say: "I would like to do a 69 please!" See, every Wednesday, they have this 69-peso mystery meals. Love is all about taking risks, anyway, right? :P


And before leaving, be sure to check out the Naughty Nook, for a little souvenir :)





Gayuma ni Maria tickled me in delight earlier today :)) Though, if you're too formal or stiff, then this isn't the right place for you. But with such good desserts, perfect to be paired up with coffee? You'll still probably say, "hmmm...", at the very least :)




Gayuma ni Maria
123 V. Luna Extension (Maginhawa st.) Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines
Flirty Cuisine :P
Estimated Budget: ~150 per meal

Collared in an Instant

I have always been into DIYing my clothes; altering here and there, adding embellishments, etc. But I am much more into it now due to the overwhelming source of information that is the fashion blogosphere. Two great sources that I visit all the time are: A Pair and a Spare and Outsapop Trashion.

And of course I want to feature some simple DIY's with you (all six of you :P) readers of our humble blog.
The inspiration came from this photo that I saw from A Pair and a Spare:

Then I saw these

then this! (all from the same blog)

They are jaw-droppingly amazing!

Although this kind of made me feel bad that studs are not available anywhere near here (I considered buying a belt and taking them off but studded belts are usually expensive), I was certainly going to recreate this somehow.

And so I did.
You can try it too.
(You should!)

Get your dad's old shirt

Lay it down like so and cut the collar off making sure that you include the top button.

You are actually done here if you want your collar to be plain. Simplest DIY ever!

But if you want some details like I did get some beads and sew it along the stitching all throughout the collar.

(Yes, I know. We have the basic crappy digital camera. That explains the poor quality. Sad.)

It should look something like this

If you want a less-detached collar include parts of the shirt surrounding the collar like this

For the edges of this one I just used a candle flame to keep it from fraying. So incredibly easy, right?

Then add your collar to just about any outfit!

It would make your ordinary shirt much more interesting giving it a preppy vibe.

Here are more ideas from A Pair and a Spare:

Worn with form-fitting clothes that gives that good-girls-showing-their-sexy-side feel.

A printed one perhaps? This leopard print somewhat lessens the cuteness factor.

How 'bout it? Give collars a shot and instantly add personality to your look.

This especially works for the weather that we have here. No need to layer anymore, just snap the collar on in a matter of seconds!

(A Pair and a Spare)

Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner: The Quest Begins Today

The toasty aroma of Starbucks' holiday featured beverages: Praline Mocha, Toffee Nut Latte and Peppermint Mocha fills the air. And this only means one thing: 'tis the season to deck the halls with red and white cups!


Come on, let's face it. At this time of the year, we take comfort in rituals with the remarkable limited edition drinks + treats and that much coveted sticker-collecting adventure.
Sure, we get broke on that 9th frappe. But nothing could ever compare to that immeasurable amount of anticipation and later on fulfillment, when that perky barista slaps that tiny square piece of adhesive treasure on your flappy promo card.

Some people will never understand why it's such a big deal, but I believe that there are people who actually understand where I'm coming from. See, it's not just devoting a part of your time, effort, and money to buy 9 shamelessly overpriced holiday beverages and 8 fancy core beverages. More than that, it entails putting a part of you into something, a little adventure you can identify yourself with -- an awesome quest that somehow identifies that passion and perseverance in you, making sense of who you are.

And come on people, TOFFEE NUT LATTE IS JUST SO DAMN GOOD.
I got my first one today :)


And since today is the first day, they give 1 free core beverage sticker for those who will purchase.


This year's theme is, A Story For Every Cup. I wonder why though.
Maybe it all boils down to the whole sticker-collecting tradition. I mean, basically yea, it's the same featured drinks every year, and almost the same damn planner layout. But people nevertheless, keep culminating it.

Maybe, just maybe, it's because the Starbucks Holiday tradition, is much like a collection of little cup of stories -- a narrative. A narrative more often told than the others because they hold more meaning to us. And isn't it amazing? That no matter how they've been repeated over and over, they never stop being special.

Ma Mon Luk: The Birthplace of the Siomai-Mami Tandem Written in History

People pass along this name of an authentic Filipino-Chinese Restaurant with such seriousness and intensity, that it almost feels like discovering an underground cipher that has been kept over generations: Ma Mon Luk.


Ma Mon Luk proudly acknowledges itself as the House of the Original Mami Inventor.
Well, let's see: Mami comes from the sum of two words, Ma and Mi. Ma, was derived from the name of Mr. Ma Mon Luk, a poor Chinese who went to the Philippines to earn money and save so he can marry the woman he loves. Meanwhile, Mi means noodles in Chinese.
And so I guess Mami after all, means, Ma Mon Luk's recipe!


Ma Mon Luk restaurant is all-famous for The Original Mami, a twist to the original bami being sold in Quiapo and practically reinvented Chinese cooking to suit Filipino palates, and Special Siopao, the steamed bun with the best dough in the whole Siopao world.


Oh, and it's that Fil-Chi restaurant in Banawe, that extremely lacks ambiance, parking space and good service, but nevertheless is packed with Chrysler 300Cs and innumerable WHOA!Cars, sometimes even adjoining the streets.




The Original Mami. A lot of people says that it's one of the best noodles around. Sure, it is! The meat strips oh-so juicy, and tasty.
The egg noodles, it tasted better and better with every mouthful.
And the soup, ah, let me tell you a little secret about it: there's a right way of eating it :)
A lot of people find it bland. Because this, they don't know. Lo and behold, this secret has been passed down to me by my dad, passed down to him by my grandfather, and, well pretty much my great grandfather wasn't alive anymore when it opened in the 1920s :P
The Secret: Ask for extra spring onions, and sprinkle some soy sauce and calamansi ;)

Special Siopao. And by special, I confirm the premise: not all Siopaos are created equal.
This Siopao would make you lose your mind.
Why do they even bother to make Siopao some place else?
Incomparable. Way beyond words to describe.


Why not try it for yourself?
When lost in Quezon City one day, look for this landmark and be transported back to the era when people knew how to peel their Siopaos ;)








Ma Mon Luk
Along Quezon Avenue, near the Banawe Street Intersection
Filipino-Chinese Cuisine
Estimated Budget: ~100 per meal