The Thrifty Closet

Month

January 2011

22 posts

Buttons Up!

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Sunday is my favorite part of the week! But Saturday was also an eventful day — met up with my girls to watch Love and Other Drugs. I’m still disturbed by the many naked scenes of Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. Soooo, notice the ring? Bought it recently for just Php 80.00! I’m really loving rings right now! =) Okay, stop, I’m jumping from one topic to another. 

Btw, I have a new tumblr blog — Foodies Haven. As the blog name suggests, it would be all about food! I decided to separate my food posts into a totally different blog just because I’m O.C. like that. Haha kidding =P I just created it today so, it’s still kind of bare right now. But feel free to follow it (if you have a Tumblr). I’ll be posting about Bubble Tea restaurant in a bit. 

Jan 30, 2011
#outfit of the day #fashion #sunday
You've already won me over in spite of me

Hooray, Friday! Weekend again, eh? Anyway, I would just like to say that I’m deeply flattered by all your comments and for following this blog (not yet? go ahead, one click of a mouse and you’re done, hihi!). Thank you, thank youuuu *cyber hug*. It just reaffirms that I’m worth a read (or not?), and more importantly, worth a moment in your lives. K. Cheesy already… (as if this entry’s title isn’t cheesy enough — Head Over Feet by Alanis Morissette, which is on repeat on my playlist).

On a not so cheesy note, look who went shopping yesterday! It’s about time I get my lazy ass off the house, and into the mall to buy my graduation dress. Yes, I’M GRADUATING already. Next week. (so, that explains the many blog entries for the past days, haha I don’t have a life… or school life for that matter!). 

In keeping with my thriftiness/frugality, I swear I did not spend more than 5K pesos on these! Thank God for sales!!! I just hate the fact that most dresses I absolutely adore don’t come in my size anymore (in Shang branches, at least). I promise to do an outfit post for the dresses inside these shopping bags when I wore them on graduation and recognition rites (oh yeah, I forgot to tell, I’ll receive an award hihi). But for now, here’s my outfit of the day photos…


I’ve read somewhere that when shopping for clothes, wear something you can easily take off for a hassle-free fitting spree. So, I chose a dress — only one item to pull off, instead of two when you wear, say, jeans and shirt. I also wore my forever reliable Charles & Keith sandals for, you know, comfort! Never mind that it didn’t go well with my outfit. There is no way I’ll walk around Shang in heels!!! And by now, you must have already noticed my fondness for cardigans! :D


Would you believe I have this dress for over 2 years already? Bought it from Greenhills for less than Php 500! And if memory serves right, this is only the second time I wore it! What a shame, it has been hiding in my closet all these years! 

First time was on my friend’s debut 2 years ago… here are some photos:


The shoes! I miss thee. I broke a strap on that night! :(


Just because it was a masquerade-ish debut, haha!

THAT’S ALL! HAPPY WEEKEND! :)

Jan 27, 2011
#shopping #outfit of the day #fashion #party #friends
Lauren Conrad Style

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Okay, first of all, I know there will always be two sides to a story. Some people love her, some don’t. And I perfectly understand that. But my admiration for her didn’t happen overnight or just because she’s an it girl. It actually began many years ago, specifically on her MTV reality shows Laguna Beach, followed by The Hills. I was then a teeny-eenie highschooler who knows nothing about her. I remember wishing of living her oh so fabulous lifestyle in the wonderful place of Laguna Beach, California! And that she and Stephen were really meant to be. I mean come on, between her and Kristin, she would easily be anyone’s favorite! I’m really happy her career skyrocketed after her shows, and she’s now a fashion designer and author, among other things.  

So, having said that, I would really really love to have this book of hers. I wonder if it’s available locally. :) 

Jan 26, 20111 note
#fan #Lauren Conrad #Laguna Beach #The Hills #Style #personal
The Family That Eats Together, Gets Fat Together

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I wish I can still remember what we ordered, but I can’t. And I should have taken photos of the other dishes as well. Anyway, this was in Omakase, a restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine. They have delicious maki, so don’t miss out on that!

Then karaoke after (at World KTV Music)…

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Ze consumable food and drink included in the rate…

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Me, wearing my most comfortable clothes — tank top, cardigan and skirt. No makeup, no accessories. Not just comfortable, but lazy outfit too! Heh :-P

Ciao! :)

(Photos circa September 2010)

Jan 26, 20116 notes
#Japanese cuisine #Karaoke #Omakase #World Music KTV #family #food #outfit of the day
I Want To See Your Peacock!

Happy Tuesday, you awesome people, you! For today’s post I would like to share one way to highlight your favorite accessory. I chose this peacock necklace.

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Mellow down on your outfit colors for a necklace such as this to standout. See how your eyes gear towards the necklace at first glance? Or not? Haha! Oh well, this is what I wore last Sunday and the peacock definitely got so much attention!

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Necklace: bought from a friend for only Php 150.00 | top: Greenhills | Cardigan: from my sister’s closet | pants: SM dept. store

Jan 24, 20112 notes
#accessory #fashion #necklace #peacock #outfit of the day #ootd
The Plump Pinay

Hello awesome readers! How’s your Monday so far? Mine was horrible as I just had my first ever job interview awhile ago. But let us not talk about that, I’m trying to get over that already. Haha. 

Just want to share my latest blog discovery, The Plump Pinay. Stumbled upon it through the site OurAwesomePlanet a few days ago. It’s an advocacy sort of blog managed by two plump ladies themselves — twin sisters Stacy and Danah.

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Since then, I’ve been reading their inspiring features on other plump Pinays out there who are proud of their plus sizes. One of which is a recent feature on my Marketing professor (check it here). I was surprised to see my prof’s photos all over the page. Here’s a screenshot:

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If she looks familiar that is because you might have seen her numerous TVCs. :) So you see, being plump can land you a commercial stint as well! 

This is definitely a confidence-booster site. There’s no denying I have a “few extra baggage” myself. Though I have long accepted and made peace with my body, there are still times I wished I was this and that thin. So seeing sites such as this fueled my confidence even more. 

Kudos to the beautiful twins! Continue being an inspiration to many. :)

P.S. I really should have a blog of the day / week kind of thing. Since I’m always bloghopping anyway and I enjoy reading each and every blogs that come my way. What do you think??

Jan 24, 20112 notes
#The Plump Pinay #Blog of the day #personal
I Got Stached

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Thank you to Nielle who messaged me in Tumblr informing that I won in Stache’s giveaway contest. And of course, thank you to the awesome people behind Stache Magazine Online. You guys should definitely check out their site.

I’m not sure but I think around 1,000 Filipino tumblr users joined this contest, so I was surprised I was among the 6 randomly picked. I won myself one mustache necklace from below (aren’t they the cutest? if only I can get them all! Hihi).

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So you see, bum life has benefits too! It gets me glued to my laptop and just browse blogs after blogs after blogs, and discover giveaway contests along the way.

In another good news, I got a Versatile Blogger Award again… this time from the beautiful Mav. I will make a separate entry about that soon. Thanks, Mav! :)

Jan 23, 20111 note
#Personal #Contest #Winner #Stache Magazine Online #award #versatile blogger award
Of Dresses and Parties

I’m one of those girls who simply adores dresses. And parties? Nah.

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With my friend and sometimes shopping buddy Anje, taken at LAX! 

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The after party affair. More booze and food.

This is me unearthing photos from the past year. Good times! More old photos soon. 

dress: Forever 21 | shoes: bazaar | cardigan: bazaar | bag: m|phosis

Jan 21, 2011
#fashion #outfit of the day #party #dress #forever 21 #friends
If We Could Party All Night, And Sleep All Day

Ha. Lame title. Just a lyrics from a song currently playing from my iPod. Anyway, went to Greenhills awhile ago to buy thingamajigs for my brother’s birthday today. Bought a gift as well (a F&H top… lucky boy, that store is on sale!!!). 

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I chose to wear something laid back. Perfect for strolling around GH.

Bought some stuff for myself as well:

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Just because everyone’s raving about this magazine on their blogs! Still sealed as of the moment. Later I will savor on its content :) 

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Ring!!! This is actually white in real life, I don’t know why the camera registered it as blue. Oh well. It’s only Php 50.00 by the way! Isn’t it pretty? 

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I also met up with Mitch of the beautifulloft! I bought these Faceshop nail polish from her (all for Php 200.00!!! Good deal, huh!). Too bad we didn’t have a photo together, but she’s so pretty in real life! Nice meeting you Mitch, kahit sandali lang! Go visit her blog now. 

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Outfit of the day — top: H&M | denim skirt: thrifted | sandals: Celine | bag: Fancieta | shades: Forever 21 | necklace: bazaar

Jan 21, 20112 notes
#Celine #Faceshop #Forever 21 #Preview Magazine #fashion #outfit of the day #shopping #H&M
Cheap Finds

Look what I found… 

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Authentic Marks & Spencer top! From an ukay near home! Can you guess how much it is? :) It’s only one hundred fifty effin pesos!!! I really love that ukay store (it was my 2nd visit yesterday)! I talked to the owner — who happened to be there — and asked where do they get their clothes. He said Hong Kong. I also like how the store have fitting rooms, wide array of clothes and friendly staffs. I’ll definitely be back for more *grins* 

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This one I bought from Marcella the other day. I didn’t expect an accessories store to sell stockings/pantyhose… but well I found this. They have different colors available such as gray, dark gray, neutral. I got a jet black. And the cost? Only Php 39.75. 

ME A HAPPY KID! :) What cheap finds did you find lately?

P.S. I got an award again… this time from Mitch! Thanks! :) I already did the steps here. [edited: thank you also to Kat!!! You ladies are awesome!!]

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P.P.S. I now have Google Friend Connect. Click the join this site on the sidebar. I just installed it yesterday so it’s kind of bare right now :(

Jan 20, 2011
#fashion #thrift store #marcella #marks and spencer #stockings #award
Here's to a fresh beginning

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New username (from hazelnot to thethriftycloset) and new layout (don’t you just love minimalistic layouts? Credits down under)! Wow what a big change! I just love love love Tumblr for making these changes oh so effortless! If you are a follower since day one, you would know that this is actually my third layout change. I’m that bored, I guess. Speaking of follower… finally I’ve installed the Google Friend Connect thing… now my Blogspot readers could easily follow and see my updates in their dashboards :) It’s kind of bare right now… *puppy eyes*… a little click to “join this site” button would earn you awesomeness points :D

Whilst applying online for jobs (Jobstreet makes graduating students’ lives so much easier!!), I got bored and played with my face. Just red lips and eyeliner… which probably are unnoticeable since I just took photos with my laptop’s web cam. And yeah, new ring too! :) 

Ring: gift | Navy nail color: Elianto | Eyeliner: Ever Bilena | Mascara and face powder: Maybelline | Lip balm: Nivea Cherry Kiss 

Jan 18, 20113 notes
#Elianto #Ever Bilena #Make-up #Maybelline #Photo #Random #New #TheThriftyCloset #Beauty
Polyvore Flashback

Do you know this site called Polyvore? It’s pretty much like Chictopia and Lookbook in a sense that they’re meant to showcase fashion/style sets (and more!). But what I like about Polyvore is that the possibilities are endless, and you’re not limited with your closet’s boundaries. In fact, it will only unleash the creative side in you. 

Anyway, I have an account there for over a year but stopped using it ‘cause I got caught up with a lot of school stuff (oh, senior year stress!). BUT hey, look what I found. I styled… err made the following: 

More on my account. Tell me if you have an account there, would gladly add you up! :) Gaaah I miss it, might be making new sets soon. *addiction kicking in once again*

Jan 17, 20111 note
#Chictopia #Fashion #Lookbook #Polyvore #Set #Style #Outfit #Celebrities
Wonder Lust

With nothing but a 500 peso bill in my pocket, it was a daunting task to shop at Greenhills. Or so I thought. Apparently, almost all stalls in GH are on “sale”. I suspect most of the items are leftover inventories from the recent holiday season and they want to get rid of them fast, hence the low prices. After 2 hours of walking and lusting over cute skirts, dresses and tops, sad to say I left empty-handed. :(  I want to buy something I won’t regret and not just out of sheer fun of spending just because. 

but… here’s the big BUT:

2 things I will definitely come back for:

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RINGS! The cheapest I saw was Php 50.00, not bad right!!! I’ve got my eyes on an owl ring or a vintage camera ring. They’re super duper cute :) (btw, this is not an actual photo of rings for sale in GH, got this randomly from here).

AND…

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(Photo credit: flowerpod) Nail Art Stickers (technically not from the tiangges but from Faceshop — ‘cause I made a quick detour, hihi). Price starts at Php 95.00… a bit too much! Buuuut they have different pretty designs! So it’s forgivable. HAHA

I hope tomorrow I can go back and buy them! :)

By the way, thank you Nice for giving me this awesome Stylish Blogger Award:

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Have a great week ahead, everyone :)

Jan 16, 20114 notes
#Faceshop #Greenhills #Nail Art #Rings #Shopping #Stylish Blogger Award #fashion #Award
Vintage Manila

There is something about old photographs that amazes me. I know these shots are nothing close to vintage, but let’s walk down memory lane with these pictures, shall we? :) 

These are all taken over a year ago at Fort Santiago, Manila. All photos taken and edited by me. Constructive criticisms are much welcome. :)

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Nang mamatay ng dahil… sa’yo…

Jan 15, 20113 notes
#Fort #Santiago #Vintage #Manila #Old #Photography
Just Another Ordinary Day

Friday!!! At last! But Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday all means the same to me lately. Yes, the perks of being tambay sa bahay. Haha :) But at least today I did something productive. I went to school to get my transcript of records. Oh boy I miss school. I think I got lost for a second, not because I’m a dimwit but because they relocated the Registrar’s office. Ano ba yan, ‘di pa nga ako graduate ang dami na changes! hahaha! Since I’m all perky to go to school and I miss dressing up for school, I rummaged through my school clothes and wore this (points at the photos). Did I just say the word school three times in one sentence? HAHA! Someone’s really missing it badly. :P

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Would you believe I got that peach tunic top for only Php 100.00? I just bought it recently and only got to wear it today. And that Parisian sandals for less than P200! I now proclaim myself a Bargain Queen. :)

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Fail shots. I didn’t mean to cut my head in these shots. Note to self: buy a tripod or have someone take a photo of yourself! HAHA

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One of my overused necklaces. Say cheese! :D

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Close-up look of the bag. I know Phoebe must have turned deaf already from all the thank yous. Hihi. But again, thank you for the bag. First time to use it awhile ago. :)

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Sneak peek of what’s inside the bag. :)

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Along with the bag came these goodies: pen, nail polish, shades, belt and a note from Phoebe. :) See why I can’t thank her enough? She’s the sweetest!

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HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! I’m expecting my friends to come over later this afternoon. I think this day will turn from ordinary to extraordinary after all. :)

[tunic top: thrift store | inner brown sleeveless top: GH | black pants: Hot Kiss | sandals: Parisian | bag: Fancieta | camera necklace: GH]

Jan 14, 20116 notes
#Fancieta bag #OTD #Outfit of the day #School #day #fashion
The Versatile Blogger Award

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Thank you thank you thank you to Ar-Ar for this blog award! I know it’s not much to most of you, but it’s my first award since recently returning to the blogoshpere :) 

To accept the Versatile Blogger Award there are some rules to follow:

1. Thank and link back to who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass it along to seven blogs you’ve recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award.

So as the rules state, here are 7 things I bet you didn’t know about me ;)

7 Things About Hazel:

1. I love stars, the color orange, pandas, balloons, cakes, anything bright and colorful, skirts, shoes, make-up, and anything girly! :) If you’re following my other tumblr (hazelisnotanut), you’ll see most of my reblogs are these things. 

2. I’m a big bummer right now. As in tambay sa bahay! I already passed my thesis last December so now I’m just waiting for graduation (which by the way, will happen in a few days, yay!). That’s why I came back to blogging to ease my boredom :)

3. In connection to number 2, I’m a blogger for many years already (as early as 2003, yes I’m a geek kid back then HAHA)! I have this love-hate relationship with writing, so I usually delete my Tabulas, Livejournal, Blogspot, whathaveyous, if I don’t feel inspired anymore (and because college stresses me so much before). My friend Hannah influenced me to get back to blogging 2 summers back but then I deleted that one shortly after. I don’t know why I keep going back to blogging, I just do. But unlike before wherein I post teenage-angst-drama entries, now I make it a point to keep it light and informative. And I hope this one lasts.

4. I’m a photo hobbyist! If time and resources will allow me, I like going to places and just shoot and shoot and shoot! Which reminds me that I have to update my flickr account soon. 

5. I’m a food lover! I eat to my heart and stomach’s content. But if I were to make a rule, DESSERT should always come first. 

6. I’m not a brand conscious shopper. As long as I believe the product is worth it, I buy it. I also like going to thrift stores around the metro. I used to do that with my friend Ange, but she’s busy at work now :(

7. Lastly, I’m the happiest when I’m surrounded by the company of my friends and family, with good food and good laughs! I’m mababaw like that. Simple things complete my day :) 

Now I pass this award to seven people:
The reason why I chose them is because they are a bundle of inspiration to me!

1. Mei
2. Bluecloud
3. Ava
4. Phoebe
5. Anagon 
6. Ishna
7. Honey

P.S. I can’t wait to show you my new Fancieta bag from Phoebe! :) 

Jan 13, 20114 notes
#Award #Blogger #Versatile #personal
Brown Rice Moisture Hair Mask

I had my hair rebonded TWICE in a span of two weeks. Yes, two times! You can call me a hair rebond freak now, but seriously it wasn’t my fault but the hairstylist’s. Or okay, fine, it was my stubborn hair to blame — it just won’t cooperate! (Thanks mom, for the thick and curly hair genes BOO-HOO) Thus, they had to redo the whole process. I thought my hair was going to burn because dear ladies and gents, those are chemicals, harmful or otherwise we don’t know (Ahh yes, the things I do for vanity! haha). Anyway, the resulted damages were loss of elasticity and dry hair, but a quick fix of hair mask would do. Or that’s what I was told. 

 

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I was introduced to this little thing here called Brown Rice Moisture Hair Mask. At first I was hesitant to buy one off the salon because 1) it was just their way to sales-talk me 2) it doesn’t come cheap at Php 375.00. But after much thought, I realized, what the hell my hair was severely damaged anyway, what harm could this bring? And I was told my hair needs to be constantly moisturized and I can do that at home with this product. 

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It’s a Korean product, by the way. And also what I like about this is that it’s organic. That means less harmful chemicals that goes into my hair, and more helpful nutrients that will make my hair beautiful. I could easily buy cheaper moisture hair mask from popular brands such as Loreal, Pantene, or Creamsilk, but going organic is the way to go. I know my hair will thank me for that. 

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This product is made of organic ingredients such as hyssop, brown rice extract, pomelo extract, and wood vinegar. I thought because it’s organic it would have a foul smell. Wrong. It smells fantastic! I love sniffing the container before putting it on my hair! LOL! The application is really just easy. Shampoo and rinse your hair before applying an ample amount onto hair. 

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And don’t forget to put a shower cap to seal and give time for the product to do its magic work. Wait for 30 minutes to an hour before rinsing. Then towel dry your hair. 

Brown Rice Moisture Hair Mask Review


And ta-dah! The end result. I swear my hair wasn’t as this shiny and radiant and most especially, soft before using Brown Rice. I’ve tried all sorts of hair masks before. And I thought Pantene’s own version was my best bet. I guess I just found my life partner. HAHA.

 

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I even have two stocks at home! It was unintentional, well kind of. Like I’ve said, they did the rebond process again so the second time I went to the salon, they asked where my Brown Rice was. I didn’t know I have to bring it! So I bought another one instead. They didn’t force me, but around this time I was already using it for 3 days and I liked the result. Thus, I didn’t hesitate to horde. Besides, one 330 grams of this won’t suffice for daily usage as my hair is really thick. 

Brown Rice could be bought in Deng Foz Salon at San Juan, where I had my hair treatment. Rebond costs Php 3,000.00 (Loreal Extenso). Thank God they didn’t charge me the second time around or it would have cost just as much on what I paid in Tony and Jackey’s (Php 6,000.00) before. 

I did a little research and found out Brown Rice is also available in all MARY PAULINE SALON group of salons including Sir George Salon (Timog), Hairbytes Salon (Shangri-La), and MARY PAULINE SALON EXPRESS Visayas Avenue Branch. 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, nor was I paid to write about this product. The review is solely based on my personal opinions. 

Jan 11, 201111 notes
#Brown Rice #Hair #Mask #Moisture #Review #beauty
Happy Lemon : World’s Yummy Drinks!

Curiosity got the better of me when I finally decided to visit Happy Lemon last Thursday afternoon. The name itself is quite interesting for a drink place. First heard about it from a friend who tried it back in China. Apparently, it has over 100 outlets spread across Hong Kong and China. And recently opened its first outlet in the Philippines. So armed with curiosity and great thirst for something new, off I went.

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I ordered this large Milk Tea with Oreo Cookies and Cream (Php 100.00 for large / Php 90.00 for regular).  You can easily taste the large and chalky oreo bits at first sip. What amused me wasn’t the drink itself, but the cup! Cuteeee, isn’t it? :) 

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The drinks were divided into categories – Lemon Series, Rock Salt Cheese, Milk Tea,  Mousse Spin, Cocoa and Coffee, Specialty Drinks, and Fresh Tea.

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Flyers are available by the counter. It contained a brief history of Happy Lemon, and of course, the menu. 

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It’s a quick service type of restaurant, similar to that of Starbucks. Order and then wait for your name to be called. The place is quite jam-packed when I went, but fortunately I got a couch for myself. :) 

I want to go back and order Lemon Yakult OR Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese! Interesting combinations, di ba?

Happy Lemon, another venture of Chris Tiu,  is located at the G/F of the Promenade at Greenhills. 

Jan 9, 2011
#Drink #Happy #Lemon #Place #Review #food
Pond’s White Beauty in Sachet

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Pond’s White Beauty Pinkish-White Glow lightening cream. I know this product has been launched several months ago, but I only took notice (and actually purchased one) on the latter days of December 2010. After days and weeks of usage, I decided to write about it. 

Read More →

Jan 7, 2011
#Pond's #White #Beauty #Cream #Product #Review
The Red Crab Alimango House

As promised from my previous entry, here’s my restaurant review of Red Crab. 

We were kind of hesitant to eat lunch at this restaurant because they also have a branch at Tomas Morato. We didn’t drive all the way to Resorts World Manila just to eat in a resto that also has a branch we could easily get by in less than 30 minutes, did we? But the free wi-fi sign caught our attention, so it was a sounding yes! HAHA!

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Red Crab located at the second floor of RWM (beside Starbucks)

Read More →

Jan 4, 2011
#Family #Food #Photography #Red Crab #Restaurant #Review
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