pattylaurel

Pipino Restaurant

2012-02-25T08:40:00.004+08:00

A few days ago, PIPINO was featured in the Philippine Star! As most of you know, PIPINO is Alessa's baby and I'm one proud "Tita". She just recently wrote about her triumph with PIPINO in her blog, a simple story about making your dreams come true. :) I love steaks, I love juicy burgers, I love baby back ribs, I love grilled prawns, I love MEAT!!!!!! Vegetables..hmmm..I'm not exactly one who would shout HOORAY for GULAY! I eat vegetables because I know it's good for me, but not because I genuinely love it. It's usually on the side, playing a supporting role..but never the actual Main Act in my plate. Hehehehe. But PIPINO is THE ONLY vegetarian/vegan restaurant I actually enjoy dining in! All their dishes are plant based and surprisingly delicious and filling even for carnivores like moi :) Pipino threw me a birthday party a year ago, and here are some photos from that celebration.

Pipino continues to add more dishes into their menu, so it's always introducing new and exciting meals to its customers! My personal favorites are the Lemon Grass Skewers, Garlic Pasta, Vegetable Curry with Couscous, Mushroom Salpicao, Vegetable Tempura, and the list goes on!!!! But my ULTIMATE FAVORITE: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies!!! Ka-gu-lo in your mouth. I could finish a whole pack in one sitting! So trek to Teacher's Village now and visit Pipino :)

Photos by Catilo Photography.

Fashion Friday: Miss-Match

2012-02-24T06:58:00.002+08:00

I've probably said this a million times but I live for PEG boards! I've lost count of the many inspiration boards I've made in my life. It's the OC visual communicator in me that just makes me soooo kilig when I see concepts and ideas in one cohesive board! So when I stumbled across this site, it was pure de-light! (See, told you I'm a poet!) As opposed to the international websites which allow you to create fashion mood boards also, what I love about MISS-MATCH is the fact that it's a Philippine-based site that features brands (both local and foreign) that are readily available here. This means you can create a look with pieces that you can actually purchase here in the country! It's one thing to have inspiration and it's another to have that inspiration actually come to life! :) The service is FREE and pretty straight-forward. It took me 3 minutes to sign up and in just a few clicks I became my own stylist! Who knows, this could catapult you to become the next Liz Uy or Rachel Zoe! Naks, pwede!:) Plus, you get to brag about the looks via Facebook also. Sa mga girlfriend diyan na nagpaparinig, this could be a way to give your boyfriend some hints. "Hi honey! My birthday's next week..just saying..oh by the way, check out this link!" Ang tawag diyan ay SUBTLE. Hahaha. I must warn you though, this can get quite addicting so make sure you keep track of time while you're on the site! It's almost like Fruit Ninja and Temple Run, once you start..Uh-Oh, you're gonna be on it for a pretty long time. Baka hindi na kayo kumain dahil busy na kayo sa inyong new found "styling career"! "Mom, can't you see I'm busy WORKING here!?! This is serious stuff! Lives are being saved!" Of course, by "lives" you mean YOUR CLOSET. Hahaha :)

To test your styling skills, I've teamed up with Schu and Miss-match for a fun little contest for my blog readers! This way, you get rewarded for having some styling fun on the site. Calling all you fashion mavens in the house...this contest is for you! Good luck, fellas! :) Create as many looks as you like—the more looks, the more chances of winning! (Brownie points for looks with lots of loves!)

We're giving away

Schu Shoes to 3 Lucky Blog Readers!

1. Like Schu and Miss-Match on Facebook.

2. Register at miss-match.com.ph (it’s free!!!).

3. Create your look featuring the Schu shoe you want to win from the photo collage above.

4. Click Publish and type “Sole Mate” in miss-match’s tag box so it counts as a contest entry. Your look will appear in the Fashion Feed section (miss-match’s version of a News Feed!)

5. Share. Tell people to “love” your look on miss-match by sharing your look on Facebook! Go to your look on the Fashion Feed, then click on the FB button, and don’t forget to tag @Schu and @miss-match in the message box!

Example: "Hi friends! Please help me win the @Schu contest! Visit my @miss-match link here and click LOVE IT! Thanks guys!"

Contest ends on March 9, 2012 and winners will be notified via Facebook.

Inspiration for the Day: Cate Parr

2012-02-23T00:21:00.001+08:00

Just because I like all things pretty.

Watercolor Art by Cate Parr

Travel Tuesday: Buenos Aires

2012-02-21T09:45:00.000+08:00

A beautiful short film on Buenos Aires amazingly through the eyes of a blind man. Absolutely beautiful.

Buenos Aires: Las Calles de Borges from Ian Ruschel on Vimeo.

"A little homage to the Argentinian poet Jorge Luis Borges, one of the greatest writers of all time. This video was shot in the winter of 2010 in Buenos Aires and Capilla del Señor, Argentina."-Ian Ruschel

Thank you SPOT.PH!

2012-02-21T09:43:00.002+08:00

Maraming Salamat SPOT.PH! Feel free to click on the link.

2012-02-20T21:01:00.003+08:00

You're too FLY for me, SON!

2012-02-20T09:09:00.002+08:00

Today, I woke up suddenly missing my former preschool students in Kinder Care. Most of them are now in the "big school" and thankfully, I still get to catch up with some via Facebook. Yes, these kids have their own accounts too! I fondly remember trend spotting first thing in the morning when my students would come to class smelling so fresh and so clean, all pimped out and properly styled by their fashion forward parents. Napapaisip tuloy ako "I wonder if they have that in my size!". Hahaha! So today, I decided to add something to my prayer request. Remember I asked God to give us "cute and mabango kids" before..well, now I'm editing that. Lord, please grant me and Pat "cute, mabango and FLY kids!" And by fly, I mean too cool for school! Check out these little cuties..this is what you call: living YOUNG, wild, and free!

All images are form www.thefancy.com.

Fashion Friday: All Year Must Haves

2012-02-17T01:15:00.004+08:00

Do you want to see how the gates of heaven look like??? Well then, make your way to Forever 21 and you'll have a little preview. It's no secret that I'm a die-hard F21 girl. Years back, I used to order online and have it shipped c/o my Tita in New York. It would arrive 6 weeks after but the long wait was definitely worth it. No words can describe the happiness you'll get from opening a balikbayan box filled with Forever 21 goodies!!! So when Forever 21 finally hit our shores, it was an answered prayer! It's the perfect one-stop shop for all your wardrobe needs. They've got everything covered from your staple lot of clothes, shoes, accessories, pajamas, makeup, swimwear, heck..they even have a whole section for men! I just did a little closet review and noticed that about 80% of my wardrobe comes from Forever 21. Their products are stylish yet affordable which makes it the perfect store for fashionistas on a budget.

I've been getting some emails about everyday, casual fashion so I decided to answer all your queries in one quick post. So here are some suggestions for building your new wardrobe for 2012. With these key pieces you'll be able to survive a whole year! Just be creative in mixing and matching, accessorizing, and of course wearing it in different ways to create new and exciting looks each week! All of these items are available in Forever 21 and come in different colors and sizes too. So here ya go, girlies!!!

ALL YEAR MUST HAVES LIST FROM

The Glitzy Body Hugging Dress

Be sure to have one vavavoom dress in your closet. It's always a must to have at least one dress that makes you feel like a supermodel. Go for a dress that's plain, this way it serves as a blank canvass to work with.

Comfortable Denim Short-Shorts

I am a South chick so I live in my SHORTS. It's practically my uniform! Keep it casual in light denims, go preppy with khaki and a leather belt, or go clean and sleek with white shorts.

Dressy Silk Top

I love how loose silk tops always flatter any body type. This is actually my go to staple when I'm feeling a bit bloated. It hides all the chismis but makes you feel flirty and feminine.

The Perfect Skinny Jeans

This works for petites like me. Skinny jeans give you the illusion of long legs! Keep it casual with flats or dress it up with some pumps. Make sure it just rides below your navel for a perfect fit.

The Casual Striped Top

Stripes are always flattering. They look clean, they look casual, and they work well with just about anything.

The Loose and Floaty Tshirt

It's easy breezy and casual, it's the perfect put-together laid back look. Pair it with shorts for cute and casual, dress it up with a statement neckpiece for more drama, or match it with a fitted skirt to make it more flirty.

The Feminine Button Down

These sweet button down tops work well for the office and can also transform into a date-night worthy top. Choose a button down top in a light and easy fabric which makes it less formal.

Sexy Leggings

Leggings are the best go-to bottoms when you're feeling extra sexy. They also work well for sporty looks so this is a very versatile piece of clothing.

This is a sponsored post.

I just recently signed up for a Forever 21 MasterCard. If you're an F21 fanatic like me, I suggest you get one too so you can avail of all the special perks and discounts. It comes in the cute signature Forever 21 yellow..which instantly makes you stand out as a stylish cardholder. Since I shop so much at F21, I figured it would be nice to get rewarded for all my purchases. With the Forever 21 MasterCard, you get special access to sales (yessss!!! no need to push and shove with all the other crazy shoppers! You get first dibs on sale products!), you get a sweet birthday treat from Forever 21, plus you get to earn triple rewards points too! Sounds too good to be true, huh??? Well, you better believe it!!! You get all this in just one card. :)

Rewards Program

Keep using your Forever 21 MasterCard and earn rewards points from all your spending. You earn more points when you shop at Forever 21 in the Philippines.

P200 = 1 Peso Point (For all domestic or international retail and installment purchases only

P200 = 3 Peso Points (Cardholders can earn 3 times more rewards points when they shop in Forever 21 branches in the Philippines)

Priority Access to Sale Events

Get first hand updates on Forever 21 special sale events and enjoy percentage discount offerings on regular-priced items. Be the first to check out discounted and regular-priced items through your early pass privilege before mall opening.

5% Rebate during SM's 3-Day Sale

For a minimum spend of P5,000, enjoy 5% rebate on discounted and regular-priced items

Birthday Discounts

As a birthday treat, enjoy special discounts on selected items.

Free Membership for the First Year

Principal and Supplementary Cardholders enjoy FREE Membership Fee for the first year.

With all these great perks, I know you're dying to get your own FOREVER 21 Master Card too! Simply click this LINK and sign up! It's that easy, girls :) Happy Shopping!

A Love Letter for Singles :)

2012-02-15T22:44:00.004+08:00

I was a bit SHY (shy matalino, shy maganda, shy mayaman! wenk wenk wenk) at first to write a post on LOVE for BALENTAYMS, it just seems so painfully redundant to do so. And honestly, I think I need to hold back on the cheesiness that has corrupted this blog in the past few weeks. So if you are sick of all my mushy posts, please do me a favor and click the X button on your screen. Save yourselves, pleaaaase!!! Hehehe :) But after reading all your honest, heartfelt letters.. I simply had to write a post for all my wonderful readers who took the time to open up to me. So I opened a bag of chocolates to fuel the romance in me! Naks! I'm just as clueless as you guys, but I'll try my best! So today, I've decided to dedicate this post to all the single ladies (and boys, too!). Valentines is always the day for couples to broadcast their lovey-doveyness (and yes, kasama kami dun! SORRY) and sadly, being SINGLE is not equally celebrated on this day. In my opinion, LOVE IS FOR ALL..whether you're single, taken, or in a complicated relationship..you should be able to celebrate LOVE!

Just like most of you, there was a time when I was happily single and not too excited to mingle. Well-intentioned friends were setting me up with all their eligible bachelor buds, guys were sending me gifts and asking me out. Politely I declined all of their requests. Not because I was a Valentine scrooge or because I thought too highly of myself, it was just not the right time for me. Syempre sa simula, it was so flattering for me. It was like getting an "EXCELLENT" stamp from your teacher when all your other classmates had to settle for the "SATISFACTORY" stamp! For any single girl, this would be a dream scenario. To suddenly feel so in-demand and wanted..it's such a big ego boost and completely understandable why some girls bask in the glory and attention. From the outside, it looked like such a enviable position to be in..but truthfully, it wasn't really a happy place. So, I chose to wait and not to date. It was a decision of self-preservation, to keep myself worthy of the person I would finally choose one day. It didn't feel right to be in a relationship "just because" and so I didn't want to waste my time or any other person's time as well. Most of the guys who asked me out were quality dudes, real fine gentlemen and I thought I would be doing them a disservice by dating them knowing that it would be headed nowhere. I wanted time to be with me, myself and I.. and most of all, I needed time to be with God.

Being single, my dear friends, is a true gift. It is an opportunity to align your needs and desires, it's a time to define your self-worth, to understand what kind of person you are and the person you want to become, and it is also the perfect time to prep yourself for that person God has set aside for you! If in your singleness, you find fulfillment, security, and peace..then that's a blessing. But if you find yourself filled with angst, hatred, and riddled with envy towards others..then obviously, being this kind of single is a curse. The same formula goes for those who are in relationships too. It's always better to choose the first path.

I remember sitting in a restaurant and listening to Bob Dylan's To Make You Feel My Love one rainy evening. Instead of feeling sad that I had no one to sing that song to, I actually felt excited!!! My heart leaped knowing that there will be a man professing all these things to me one day! Someone will love me fiercely and bravely too. I claimed it, I asked for that from God. I didn't care how long it would take..I knew a love like that was worth the wait. This song also reminded me of the kind of love God wants for you and me.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13:4–8

This was the love that intrigued me! This was the kind of love that made me believe in the good that could come my way. After the feelings of hurt, betrayal, and abandonment from my past..I craved for all these promises in the Bible! I didn't have to look for a boyfriend, I knew that this kind of love was already all around me..I saw it in PEOPLE each and every day. I saw it in my parents, my best friends, my little students, my coworkers, our household help! I was loved and I had an opportunity to give this kind of love back! One thing I appreciated most about my friends and family is that they never made me feel inadequate in my singleness. Instead of pushing me to settle down like any other girl my age, they supported my "waiting" and encouraged me to never settle for "pwede na". Because of this, I never felt pressured to get hitched just because it was never really forced upon me. I was in such a loving and accepting environment. Swerte talaga ako.

In my blessed singleness, when I was happy and fulfilled on my own, this was the time I re-met my husband-to-be. The time that I was no longer looking for love, love somehow found me. We knew of each other since I was in the first grade. We went to the same small school, had the same circle of friends, hung out at the same canteen..but never ever got the chance to really become chummy-chummy. Just thinking of the many times we passed each other across the hallway, the thousands of flag ceremonies we stood about a meter apart, all those field trips to Nayong Pilipino, CCP, and Luneta on the same school bus..just two regular kids completely oblivious to the beautiful life we would be sharing together in the future. It's almost as if God was playing with us, keeping us so close together for all those years, causing us to live parallel to each other even if we chose separate paths in life. The last time I saw Patrick was when I was a chubby 12 year old and he was a tiny, awkward 13 year old. In my mom's own words "Ayyy..Patrick was the cutest and whitest boy! He was the most mabango kid in the whole ICA!" HAHAHA! After 15 years, we RE-MET each other at a friend's birthday. I remember seeing him again for the first time and telling myself "How come I didn't get the memo?!?! Since when did Patrick Filart become such a hottie?!?!" I was 50-50. HAPPY that I met a really wonderful guy and BUMMED that I met a really wonderful guy. I wanted to kick myself in the butt, "There goes your brilliant no dating plan, Ms Smarty Pants!". But I just knew in my heart he was different because after a string of justifiable and convincing NO, NO, NOs to others..saying YES to Patrick seemed like the easiest thing to do! My heart was ready for him. It didn't feel like a gamble, it felt like a wise investment. Our first date was on Valentine's Day of 2011. Not only did I get re-acquainted with an old friend, I also got re-acquainted with God through Patrick. My love for Christ was rekindled thanks to Patrick's influence and encouragement, and that to me is his greatest gift.

So to all my single friends, believe in the kind of love that God has destined for you. It doesn't have to happen now or tomorrow..it will happen when you are ready for it. If your heart has been broken into a million pieces, God won't just piece it back together..HE will actually reward you with a brand new heart! A fresh start to love again! :) So this early on, I urge you to pray for the person you will choose to give that new heart to. If you feel numb, jaded, and tired of love..then pray for God to give you that burning desire back. I apologize for ra-ra-ra-ring you all to LOVE, I sound like a loved-up crazy cheerleader! Hahaha! But just as my parents and friends prayed unceasingly for my happiness, never grew tired of giving me words of encouragement, and always managed to make me feel special and loved..I would like to do the same for all of you. I may not know you all personally, but I do wish each of you the joy of finding God's love :)

A Sensory Overload: Fuerza Bruta

2012-02-15T10:32:00.007+08:00

Fuer..za..Wuuuhaaaat?! Fuerza Bruta!!!! This is how we chose to spend our Valentines Day. Perhaps the trippiest show I've ever seen in my whole 28 years on this planet. Whoever thought of this concept must have been on something..and I'm guessing that something was helluva STRONG! Ang lakas ng amats talaga! Hahaha :) You could read all the reviews and check out all the photos, but nothing can prepare you for the actual experience. It's a must see and a must do!!!! Visit www.hoopla.com.ph for your tickets :)PS Get ready to get WET, go deaf, and completely freak out!!!! Yup those are my shoes and Alessa's..with all the craziness on the floor!

A mix of theater, aerial stunts and dance party, the tour de force spectacle that has been wowing audiences across the globe made its Manila premiere at the Manila Hotel Tent on February 14. Celebrated by audiences across the world, Fuerza Bruta is a non-stop collision of dynamic music, visceral emotion and kinetic aerial imagery. Defying both gravity and convention, it is a show to stun the senses. Audiences are urged not just to watch, but also shout, spin, touch and even help the cast smash things — an interactive live event that makes the usual night out dull in comparison.- The Philippine Star

2012-02-15T10:28:00.002+08:00

Loving this video by Direk Luigi Tabuena!

Travel Tuesday: Love+Travel

2012-02-14T00:41:00.000+08:00

Holland

Australia

New York

Paris

Italy

These travel photos were grabbed from the web.

I'm giving away several personalized

BLONDE FISH PORTRAITS

to some Lucky Blog Readers!

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Visit the Blonde Fish Facebook Page. Share your sweetest couple photo+a short caption to explain the picture and post this on their WALL. Make sure you add your email address and the hashtag #dapattylaurelblog :)

"Here's a snapshot of me and Jaden celebrating our first year anniversary in Cebu! Oh please let us win that Blonde Fish portrait! emi_980@yahoo.com #dapattylaurelblog"

Winners will be notified via email. Contest ends Feb 17, 2012, so HURRY!!!:)

Thank you Phil. Daily Inquirer!

2012-02-13T10:13:00.000+08:00

NAAAAKSSS naman!!! We got featured along with other lovely couples for the

Valentine's special of the Sunday Lifestyle section :)

Monday Inspiration

2012-02-12T22:24:00.004+08:00

As you guys know, I'm all about sharing positivity through this blog. The internet has been buzzing like mad about "Lin-sanity" all weekend and I have to admit, I've become a big JEREMY LIN fan too! What's not to like about the guy---He's an overnight NBA success story, a Harvard grad, He's ASIAN (yeah represent!!!)...and he plays fruit ninja!!! Proof here! But the most inspiring thing about Jeremy Lin is his strong faith. It's not easy for a pro athlete to be so outspoken about his beliefs so for that I salute him. :) If you want to be inspired further, then let me introduce you to a good friend of mine, Miguel.

Young Golf Phenom Miguel Tabuena, or "Guel" as we fondly call him, started playing golf at...get this...1 year and 8 months!!! What were you doing at that age aside from pooping and peeing, HA?!?! I bet you couldn't even count from 1-10! But little baby Guel had a golf club in his hands at such an early age and has been wowing fans through the years. Now he is one of the youngest professional golfers in the world. He competes with golfers who are thrice his age and still manages to make it to the top of every tournament he joins both here and abroad. Plus he is also the very first South East Asian Golf Brand Ambassador for NIKE!!! AS to the TIG 'tong batang 'to!

Miguel also happens to be the little brother of Pat's sister in law..so in short, he's family to me and Pat. Wise beyond his years, this 17 year old is so cool and steady. I guess having been exposed to the competitive world of sports for many years, Miguel is much more composed compared to his fellow teens (and even more mature than me sometimes!haha!). How I wish more "kids" could be as grounded and mild-mannered as this fella. When he's not in the golf course, he lives happily as your average teenager. He's disciplined when it comes to golf but when it comes to life in general, the dude knows how to have fun and let loose too. In fact, every time I come up with a knock-knock joke I always test it on him first..kung bumenta kay Miguel, then that's clearance for me to tweet it! Kahit sobrang corny ng joke ko, he still laughs to give me the validation I need! Kawawa naman daw ako..Haha :)

Today, Miguel posted this on his Twitter account..just a few hours before his big game. And this is a testament of how his faith plays such a big role in his golfing career. I believe it's his faith too that keeps him so humble and grounded :) If I had all those trophies and awards, I'd be bragging about it all day- everyday..but that's me, mayabang kasi ako! HAHAHA!

I've never watched a golf tourney live, so when we got an invite from Miguel to catch the Philippine Open we were so excited to support him!!! We brought along our friends Muffin and Don as well (fans of Mr. Tabuena too!) and followed Miguel throughout the game..yes, we walked to all 18 holes in the Wack-Wack Country Club!

Ang saya pala ng feeling to be friends with a superstar athlete..next time, I shall volunteer to be his caddy para may exposure ako sa ESPN! Who knows, baka ma-discover pa ako diba :) It was so nerve wracking to watch! And since we were required to keep quiet at all times, it made it even more stressful to hold in all the shrieks and squeals! I always thought GOLF was a game for old folks and slow pokes, but now I take that all back! It is a game of great skill, intellect, and endurance, it's really a difficult sport to master and only a few can actually play it professionally. What's great about Miguel is that his performance gets better and better as he ages. He's already creating such a big buzz in the golf world now and in no time, he will be a household name as well. Galingan mo, bro!!! Here's to MORE trophies to take home and more opportunities to give glory to God and to the Philippines! High five, kid :)

Follow @migueltabuena on Twitter!

Support this Proudly Pinoy Athlete now :)

Happy Birthday Pops!

2012-02-12T09:02:00.002+08:00

My dad celebrated his 57th birthday yesterday. Apparently, my dad is quite famous and has a huge fan base already..in fact, every time I post a status update about him, I get a ton of hits on Facebook and Twitter! So for the WE LOVE JJ FANS CLUB members, here are some snippets from yesterday. My dad was up early on his birthday doing his usual gardening routine in his usual gardening get up--- Tucked in, High Waisted, High Socks, Japanese Slippers. I made him some yummy Sugar Free Chocolate Chip pancakes for his birthday breakfast.

His only birthday request: CHAAAAYYYYNESE FOOOOOD!!! So we headed to Phoenix Court at the Bellevue Hotel for lunch and enjoyed an Eat-All-You-Frickin-Can Dimsum buffet. Check out the smile of my dad...kilig na kilig siya when the dumplings, siopaos and wantons came to our table! The buffet was quite good and reasonably priced at Php650 per head :)

After our dimsum gluttony, we headed back home and set up our surprise gift. We got my dad an Xbox and Kinect! Since the doctor has been ordering him to get more cardio in his daily routine, I thought this would be a fun way for him to exercise without having to spend for a gym membership. My dad loves it and is already planning "Dance Off Nights" for his friends and relatives. Nakanaman! Here we are dancing to a few songs. Hahaha :) Zero flattering photos! Lahat may sablay!

This is what we're getting my dad next week...FRUIT NINJA for Kinect!!!!! Woooohooooo!:) As most of you know, my dad is a Fruit Ninja Addict! I guess with all the work stress he encounters on a daily basis, it has become his way of unwinding. He's been playing it on his IPAD for months and even resorts to sprinkling baby powder for extra "swiping powers". Hopefully he doesn't sprinkle baby powder on the Kinect or on the TV screen! Hahahaha!:)

Happy Birthday JJ! We love you Dad!!! :)

Playlist for The Weekend

2012-02-11T21:15:00.001+08:00

Here's a trippy playlist by THE PARTY SCENE for all of you to enjoy! "For the reckless indie spirit living inside of you, craving that alternative music. Thirty-four tracks including music by Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Foster The People."

An Indie Affair from ThePartyScene on 8tracks.

Cupcake Headshots

2012-02-10T21:03:00.001+08:00

As a pre-Valentines surprise for my Media Class, I decided to treat my students to some Sinfully Sabrina cupcakes. I gave them a 5 minute breather from class for some FUN CUPCAKE HEADSHOTS which most of them gamely posed for! The cupcakes were completely devoured in minutes...it was a red velvet massacre in our classroom! :) They've been working extra hard on their final project these past few weeks and I can't wait to see their mucho grande productions. I've been so blessed to have such good and sensible "kids"..especially since it's just my first year as a College Instructor.

Sinfully Sabrina's Adorable Valentine Cupcakes come in these mouth-watering flavors:

Strawberry Swirl (Homaygad!Strawberry na, Swirl pa?!?)

Ferrero Rocher (Diet??? That's a bad word!)

Red Velvet (Ay caramba!)

Prices start at Php 40 per cupcake

so send your orders to sinfullysabrina@gmail.com.

I'm giving away 5 BOXES of

Sinfully Sabrina Cupcakes

to some Lucky Blog Readers!

Visit Sinfully Sabrina's Blog HERE.

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Follow @sinfullysabrina on Twitter. Simply share who you would like to give that box of delicious cupcakes to and why. Don't forget to add the hashtag #dapattylaurelblog and a hashtag of your location.

"Hi @sinfullysabrina! I would love to give a box of red velvet cupcakes to my bf because he's been so supportive of my career! #dapattylaurelblog #TAGUIG"

Contest ends on February 20! Hurry, spread the cupcake luuurvvvve :)

Fashion Friday: My Scarf Addiction

2012-02-10T00:26:00.001+08:00

I'm addicted to sweets and scarves. I've been in denial for too long about these two things that have remained constant in my life for many, many, many years! I was only made aware about my "fashion disease" recently when I started getting emails from readers asking for "scarf tips". My initial reaction was "Why me? Do I look like a scarf guru to.....*opens closet* oooohhhhh....yeah..." I looked at my closet and was surprised to see a whole annex dedicated to scarves and shawls!!! Gaaaahhh. I only had 1 pair of cross trainers, 1 pair of sneakers, a few tank tops, few pairs of jeans, underwear and a whole kingdom of SCARVES!!??!?!! Uh-oh. May topak na talaga ako. And to make matters worse, almost ALL my travel photos have me in scarves! Ayayayay. My kids are probably going to ask me: "Mama, did you have an ugly neck when you were young??? Why did you have to wear all those scarves?" and of course, I'll answer.."Yes, anak....sniff,sniff..but that's in the past now, I prefer not to talk about my painful past.." (Intermission story) I remembered when I was trying my best to do reverse parking in a crammed space, atras abante ako with 4 manongs doing hand signals as to how I should turn my steering wheel. When I finally parked it, after 5 long minutes, the guard approached me: "Maam, ang tagal niyo naman mag-park. Mukhang nakainom kayo ah" sabi ko nalang "Ahhh..oo..." then I walked away acting a bit tipsy. This was at 2 in the afternoon. Better to be mistaken as a drunk than an idiot female parker!!! So yes, I lie when my pride is on the line! I kid, I kid! Hahaha :)

Looking at all these photos (and believe me, there's more!) hindi naman halata that I have a scarf disease...medyo lang naman diba? HAHAHA.Scarves are my go-to fashion accessory when I'm too lazy to dress up. On my casual days, you'll find me wearing a tank top, shorts, flip flops and a scarf. Also, scarves are perfect for traveling in both the summer and winter months. They provide extra protection from both the bitter cold and harsh rays of the sun. It's the most versatile piece of clothing: it can be worn as a neck piece, a bandana, a shawl, a bathing suit cover up, you can even lay it on the sand and make it your makeshift sunbathing lounge area! O diba! May justification pa tong scarf obsession ko. See, I'm not completely cuh-cuh-crazeeeee. I found these helpful instructional videos online, hopefully you'll be able to pick up the habit of wearing scarves too! My mission is to make you all scarf-converts! Join my CLUB! Sign up now! Mwahahahaha :) :)

Our deepest thanks!

2012-02-09T07:19:00.000+08:00

My blackberry has been sending multiple facebook and twitter notifications the whole day of yesterday until early this morning!!!! I've read all of your tweets, emails and comments but I was caught up with so much work yesterday, I failed to give each of you a decent tweet back. I'm really sorry about this! But please do know that Patrick and I have read all your warm messages and it means so much to have YOU celebrate these happy moments with us!!! The more the merrier, indeed :) So keep the comments and tweets coming, friends! After a long, grueling day at work..it's so refreshing to check my twitter feed to see all your sweet messages there. How I wish I could post all of your tweets on my blog but that would take me the entire day! Hahaha. But here's a sample of all the lovely shout outs we received yesterday :) MARAMING SALAMAT!!!

Engagement Shoot by Mango Red

2012-02-08T14:33:00.008+08:00

THE PHOTOS ARE FINALLY HERE!!!!!!

Please click on this LINK to see the whole album :)

Go ahead and leave a comment at the bottom of our Mango Red page, we'd love to hear from you guys!

HAYYY, KILIGGGGGG <3 Our biggest thanks to the wonderful Mango Red Team!

P.S. Thanks for all your emails. I've been receiving letters from all over and we're so overwhelmed by the response! To answer most of your requests.. YES, feel free to share these photos with your friends. I would truly appreciate it though if you provide a link back to my blog and if you give due credit to Mango Red. Maraming Salamat!

Mail Order Bride

2012-02-08T09:23:00.003+08:00

Don't worry, I didn't order a child bride online. It's nothing illegal in nature. I'm talking about THE DRESS! Woopeedoooo!!! I found THE ONE. His name is Patrick. But I also found THE OTHER ONE. My dress will be flying in from Barcelona in 5 months! My pretty dress has a name but I'll keep that hush hush for now, gotta keep it a secret from my groom-to-be :) Just a few clues to fill you in: it's all white, it's drop-dead gorgeous on it's own so I hope it shares some oomph with me on my wedding day, and it's in a silhouette I wouldn't normally choose but surprisingly fell in love with as soon as I fit it!

My wedding dress is actually a gift from my mommy dearest. Thank you MOM for such a thoughtful and sweet gesture! This is definitely one happy and truly blessed bride!:) When my sister Daniela got married, she bought her dress in Milan where she was based at the time. It fit her like a glove and ever since then, my mom and I were convinced that a ready to wear designer brand was the way to go. Luckily for me, I didn't have to fly all the way to Europe to get my dream wedding dress. Spanish brand, Rosa Clara, is now open in Greenbelt. A playground for brides-to-be, you can fit gowns and enjoy a glass of bubbly just like in the movies!!! They can customize the gowns to your liking and make a few adjustments with the fit. They have a whole team of experts ready to doll you up for your big day!

I made my final decision thanks to the help of my trusted girlfriends. As soon as we finished getting my measurements and sealing the deal, we popped some champagne to celebrate THE ONE! Thanks to Alessa for snapping photos throughout this memorable event and to Nicole for bringing a bottle of bubbly for us to toast to! And of course, my groom will have to look equally (if not more) dashing as well! We've enlisted the help of famous designer (and dear friend) Veejay Floresca to come up with a look for Patrick. He'll be the pogiest of pogi, that's for sure. Plus, Veejay will also be making my reception dress!!!! *insert jump for joy here* I'll be blogging about our collaboration soon. Yahooo!!! This it guys, we're getting married!!!

Shop for A Cause at SEPA

2012-02-07T23:58:00.002+08:00

Click on this link to score some pretty accessories and be a blessing to others as well!Muchas Gracias.

I want YOU so badly.

2012-02-05T23:26:00.005+08:00

Like I said, I never really spend a lot on gadgets and electronics..but that doesn't mean I don't admire them!!! Heck, if I had loads of dough in my walleyyy..I would definitely splurge on these items. At dahil libre lang mangarap, here are my current gadget lusts!!! If I sneak these items into our wedding registry, do you think may kakagat??? Hmmmm...it's worth a shot!:)

Leica M8.2 Safari Edition

Grid It Gadgets Holder

Celluon Virtual Projection Keyboard

Chocolate USB

Origami Power Folding Stroller

(I will start saving up for this as early as now!!! AWESOME!!!)

I'm giving away several Macbook Keypad Guards from

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2.Visit the MANILA TECH Facebook Page and click LIKE.

Contest ends on February 9, 2011. Winners will be notified via Twitter. For cool gadget finds, check out the website here.

2012-02-05T13:13:00.001+08:00

Sneak Peek: Wedding Essentials Photo Shoot

2012-02-05T12:46:00.001+08:00

We shot our very first feature for a magazine yesterday!!! Yehesssss, Mowwwdel Kepol Peekchurs!:) I was able to snatch some of the polaroids used for our shoot, so I'd like to share these snippets with all of you. The photo shoot theme was very playful and whimsical and I can't wait to post the actual photos as soon as the issue hits news stands this April! :)

Makeup by Lindsay Co-Alog

Hair by Eddie Mar Cabiltes

Photos by Everywhere We Shoot

Shot on Location in Heima Store Makati

Our photos will be out in the APRIL 2012 ISSUE

of Wedding Essentials magazine!!!

In the meantime, please pick up a copy of the Jan-March issue of WE

for more fabulous wedding ideas.

Fashion Friday: Sweet Sorbet Colors

2012-02-03T08:55:00.000+08:00

I've been drooling over these sorbet colored frocks!

It's time to inject some candy colored hues into my wardrobe.

Images from Philip Lim, Marchesa, YumSugar, HauteDesign.

A treat for all you DR.SEUSS fans

2012-02-02T20:06:00.000+08:00

2012-02-02T10:37:00.002+08:00

The 5 Love Languages

2012-02-02T10:17:00.008+08:00

Just after a few weeks of dating, Patrick's sister in law Mic told us to take a LOVE test by Gary Chapman. It seemed absurd at that time, especially since we were still in the getting-to-know you phase. At first glance, we found it cheesy and corny. Who takes a test about love? Don't you just love because you love?! Why must one "learn" the languages of love? I was thinking to myself, I bet it's one of those weird SPAM tests you receive on Facebook "What kind of dog are you?" or "What 80's movie are you?". Yung mga walang kwentang tests that don't hold any value at all.

But Mic and Paul are so happily married and appear to have it all figured out, it just seemed like it was GOOD advice that we just couldn't dismiss. Besides, in our hearts we both knew we were headed somewhere, so we took the test..just because we felt it was worth a shot. So we both agreed to do it on a lazy Saturday morning, he was at his house and I was at mine. We opened the test online (FOR SINGLES) and started clicking. Immediately after the test, we called each other up to reveal our results. And the results surprisingly gave an accurate description of how we are as individuals and how we are as a couple! We both scored highly in "QUALITY TIME" which was hilarious because my parents kept teasing that we were so inseparable at kulang nalang magtitigan contest kami dahil palagi kaming magkasama at magka-telebabad. Hahaha. :)

For singles, I think it's nice to understand your love language early on, it'll give you a better idea of what type of person you should be looking for. For couples, you'll find that a lot of misunderstandings arise because you are simply expressing love in different ways. Perhaps your boyfriend thinks that shopping for new clothes is his way of expressing his love for you, while you actually prefer receiving encouraging words rather than material gifts. When you understand each other's language of love, it becomes easier to make adjustments and find that middle ground. It can also work for families and even friends :) It takes a few minutes but it really works wonders. I'm no love guru, but I'm all for self-improvement so I say take the test and see where it takes you. Good luck kiddies!!!

You can find all these in the 5 Love Languages Website.

Visit the website www.5lovelanguages.com.

Healthy Sweets for your Sweetheart

2012-02-01T00:04:00.002+08:00

It's the first day of February and you know what that means!!! It's the MONTH OF LURVE! People, get ready because it is my mission in life to spread love and happiness to everyone. So to start this mushy month, I've come up with a list of some divine (and healthy!) chocolate treats for you and your loved ones! All these items can be found in nearest Healthy Options store. :)

BELLAGIO SIPPING CHOCOLATES
Award-winning Bellagio Sipping Chocolates are to the lover of fine chocolate what espresso is to the lover of fine coffee. Immerse your taste buds in this rich, dark bittersweet chocolate dessert drink with its lingering creamy mouth feel. Made with pure ingredients, including 100% pure cocoa powder and chocolate liqueur.

LATE JULY MINI SANDWICH COOKIES
These are great little gifts to give for the little kiddie sweethearts in your life! The Mini Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies and the Mini White Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are organic, a good source of calcium and whole grain, and melt in your mouth good. Seven different endangered animals are featured on the cookies and 10% of the profits go to the Jane Goodall Institute to help with their efforts with endangered animal awareness.

CORAZONAS OATMEAL SQUARE CHOCO CHIP
Made with ingredients proven to help lower cholesterol. Corazonas are delicious snack foods proven to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Corazonas Oatmeal Squares are infused with plant sterols, which are proven in more than 140 clinical studies to help fight heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol.
Finding unbelievable taste and lowering your cholesterol in the very same bite

AMBERLYN CHOCOLATE BARS
I always make sure I have at least 1 bar in my bag when I'm on the go. I especially love their Milk Chocolate Mint and English Toffee variants. It’s all natural, gluten free & made with finest quality ingredients. It has no sugar added but still tastes so good! The secret lies in Maltitol, a natural sweetener derived from wheat that is very low in carbohydrates and calories, yet has 90% sweetness of sugar – perfectly safe for diabetics, too! Since I'm prone to diabetes, this is such a hallelujah product for me!

Drooling over all these YUMMY TREATS???

Well, I'm giving away

GIFT CERTIFICATES from

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Tell me which chocolate you like best from the list above via Twitter. Don't forget to tweet me @pattylaurel and add the hashtag #healthyoptions.

Example: "Hi @pattylaurel! Those Amberlyn chocolate bars look so yummy! I'm dying to taste them! #healthyoptions"

Contest ends on February 15, 2012 so hurry!!!

Marathon Prenup Shoot

2012-01-31T09:19:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, Pat and I did our best posing-posing for the cameras. It was weird and awkward being mushy and sweet in front of an entire team of photographers and stylists..but somehow we managed to pull it off (or so I think). The whole time Pat was just mumbling cheap D.O.M. pick up lines to me while I was trying my best to look pretty..so if the photos come out all bungisngis, please blame him. The Mango Red team shot guerilla style, with shutters clicking every milli-second. They're a very laid back and easygoing bunch which made us much more comfortable, especially since it was our very first time to do a photo shoot as a couple! I can't wait to see the pictures and I promise to post them here as soon as we get them!:)

Special Thanks to MANGO RED

for doing our very first prenup shoot!!!

A big shout out to Jasmine Mendiola for my hair and makeup

and stylist Bianca Santiago for making us look oh-so-cool.

Thanks also to the fab team of Rabbit Hole Creatives!

Travel Tuesday: SPAIN with Cat and Carlo

2012-01-31T08:19:00.003+08:00

Today, we travel to one of my favorite countries in the wooooorld:ESPANA! I've been to Spain numerous times and I never, ever get tired of this vibrant country! It's the land of paella, bull fights, football, and lots of beautiful women. For this edition of Travel Tuesday, I enlisted the help of newlyweds Cat Juan-Ledesma and her hubby, Carlo! If you're planning a trip to Europe this summer, make sure you list down all their tips and travel secrets :)

On April of 2009, my partner Carlo (link: twitter.com/allorange) and I we were given eight days to explore Spain’s incredible landscape. With such a short amount of time at our disposal, we planned our trip around three goals: revel in its cuisine, discover more about its history, and photograph its sights. This was our adventure.

Madrid

We decided to start our trip by touring Spain’s capital Madrid, a city that people told us, “breeds kindness.” While taking the metro from the airport into the city and looking every inch like wide-eyed tourists toting roller bags, a man with greasy blonde hair who we can only guess was not ‘bred’ in Madrid, attempted to take Carl’s wallet from his back pocket. When Carl quickly turned to him after feeling the tug, the man scampered off to another carriage.

Aside from that small ‘hiccup’, the rest of the city often showed us how altruism runs deeply in its veins. When you unfold a map on its streets, many Madrileños see the act as a raised flag for help, and anyone from an old woman to a burly man will come to your rescue. If they can squeeze in the time, they may even accompany you to where you need to go.

The best way to see Madrid is to walk its teeming streets. Beautiful architecture and gushing fountains are found in every other block. The city’s metro system is easy enough to understand and can get you to well known landmarks in a few minutes. Here are some suggested places to visit.

Centro de Arte Reina Sofía: This modern museum, which was once a hospital, is the home of Picasso’s well-loved painting Guernica. Also expect to saturate your eyes with works by Miró, Dali and Kandinsky. (www.museoreinasofia.mcu.es)

Museo Del Prado: With over 7,000 pieces in its countless halls, the Prado is noted to be one of the best galleries in the world. Many Spanish paintings from the 17th and 18th century have found their homes here, as well as pieces by Raphael and Rembrandt. It’s a little dark for most people’s tastes but definitely worth a visit. (www.museoprado.es)

Plaza De Mayor: There is always something happening in the city’s main square. I recommend you grab a seat, order aclara con limón (lemon shandy), and spend an afternoon people watching. Also stop by Chocolatería San Ginés just offCalle Arenal for world famous churros con chocolate. (Take the Sol exit on the metro)

El Rastro Market: This market has been around since the 17th century and claims to be the world’s largest Sunday bazaar. You will find everything from super affordable pashmina scarves to elaborate gypsy jewelry. We suggest agreeing on a meeting time because getting separated in a sea of people is bound to happen. (Take the La Latina exit on the metro)

Parque Del Buen Retiro: Once the strolling grounds of the royal family, this sprawling park is dotted with beautiful marble sculptures and a pretty little lake. Spend a Sunday afternoon in the sun, sipping icy sangria and join the friendly bohemian subculture of Madrid as they gather here for an orange afternoon of drumming, capoeira, and poi. Don’t miss the Crystal Palace which once housed plants from the Philippines. (Take the Retiro, Principe de Vergara, or Atocha exit on the metro)

San Sebastian (Donostia), Basque Country
With our best friend, brilliant writer Tals Diaz, leading the way, we took a five-hour train ride north of Madrid to this quiet beach town nestled between France and the rest of Spain. Upon arriving in San Sebastian, you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to another time, and rightly so. The Basques are the oldest people in Europe and are rumored to be descendants of the lost city of Atlantis. The official Basque language, Euskara, has no genetic relationship to any other language on earth and phonetically sounds more like Japanese. Sorry, language teacher geek out moment there.

The weather in this region is often gray, cold, and rainy, which makes us believe that they must have spent many hours killing time in the kitchen creating gastronomic feasts with the sole purpose of making one’s taste buds explode. Michelin-starred restaurants sprout up in Donostia like fruit flies on a mushy banana and you will be hard pressed to find a bad meal in any establishment.

We recommend heading to Parte Vieja, the old town, for a food experience any gourmand will enjoy. At almost any time of the day you’ll find bars and restaurants lining their counters with a smorgasbord of tapas. Just grab a plate and dig in. Try the bacalao with melted Brie, Foie Gras with sea salt, bocarones swimming in vinegary olive oil, or breads topped with peppers and jamon iberico, all to be washed down with Txacoli, a local cider. We stuffed ourselves in Zagu, Nagusia Lau, Portaletas, and Ekain. But even if you don’t find these restaurants, we guarantee your tongue will be doing somersaults.

Some helpful sites:

http://www.donostia.org - San Sebastian’s official tourism site

http://www.renfe.es/ - You can book your train tickets to San Sebastian online

http://www.hotellagaleria.com/- A lovely hotel walking distance from San Sebastian’s famous La Concha Bay.

Granada, Andalucia
The final stretch of our trip brought us via bus down south to Granada, the last holdout of the Moors before being overthrown by King Fernando and Queen Isabel at the end of the 15th century. If northern Spain is often wet and gray, the south is dry and golden. Moorish influence can be seen in the arched doorways, brightly tiled floors and elaborate mosaics all over Granada’s streets. We stayed at a handsome bed and breakfast built in the 15th century and situated in the winding cobbled roads of the Albayzín, Granada’s Muslim quarters and now a Unesco World Heritage Site. Granada has a free tapas culture, so grab a glass of wine in any side street cafe and prepare to be surprised with what they offer along with it.

No trip to Granada is complete without visiting its crown jewel, the Alhambra. Initially a fortress in the 9th century, it later became a royal palace built from fairy tales and legends. It has painstakingly carved ceilings, lush fountain gardens, and Islamic architecture that leave people’s jaws dropped with wonder. It is crucial that you book your tour of the Alhambra weeks before you arrive to avoid the long lines and often sold out ticket announcements.

Another must-do is a trip to the Mirador de San Nicolás, a lookout point that offers an epic view of the Alhambra and the often snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Sit yourself down at one of the many cafes and have a beer while enjoying an orange sunset.

Some helpful sites:

http://www.alsa.es - book your bus tickets online

http://www.alhambra-tickets.es - book your tickets for the Alhambra using a credit card, highly recommended weeks before your trip

http://www.alhambra-patronato.es - Tourist information on the Alhambra

www.carmendetoqueros.com - A quaint bed and breakfast owned by a lovely lady.

VISIT CAT'S BLOG HERE.

Happy Little Cheap Dates

2012-01-29T11:55:00.001+08:00

A lot of people always ask me how I manage to come up with the moolah for my trips abroad and the answer is simple and obvious: I SAVE. Of course, it helps that I'm able to find promo flights and budget accommodations, but travel does incur some expenses so setting aside money is the only way to do it since I'm not a bajillionaire. The best way to save is to simplify your lifestyle. I'll admit I'm still struggling with this as it gets tempting to up the ante sometimes. But this is something I learned early on from my parents-- that no matter how successful you become, your lifestyle shouldn't change. Find a comfortable and fulfilling spot in your life and stick to it. I call it the HAPPY ZONE. It's the best position wherein you're able to enjoy a few luxuries here and there but still understand that you have to scrimp on the daily things. If you get a promotion, a big bonus, or even if you win the lottery..be thankful for these blessings but stay within that HAPPY ZONE. :) Treat yourself to a new gadget, go ahead and buy that designer bag you've been dreaming of, order the most expensive dish in the menu..if you've been working hard, you also need to learn how to give yourself a reward. But if you reach a point wherein you're just working to buy a gadget, working to buy a designer bag, or working to be able to eat out in classy restaurants every night..then that my friend, can be quite problematic. Work because you love it, Work because you want to contribute something positive to society, Work because you want to provide for your family....but don't work simply because you want to accumulate MORE STUFF.

I'm lucky that I'm marrying someone who's very down to earth and sensible, Patrick is very frugal and that's actually one of the traits that I love most about him. Our wedding planning has been very easy breezy so far because we're so much alike in our spending that it's easy for us to narrow down our options. We invest on high quality items/services but we scrimp on things we know we can do on our own or find cheaper substitutes for. He knows how to keep things simple but he also knows when and how to splurge :) Nakakainis din naman yung sobrang kuripot at KJ sa buhay diba?! Yung tipong "Ano ba yan, ang mahal naman! Ayoko na dito!" (To which I'd probably reply: "Eto, magtubig ka nalang..it's on ME") or "Hoy may utang ka sa kin ng 3 piso!" (I'll say "Eto limang piso pero wag mo na akong kakausapin EVER!") HAHAHA! Ugghh, those people can be quite annoying. It's good to have a healthy balance.

For couples, the simplest way to adjust your lifestyle is by adjusting your dates. If you are out clubbing 3 nights a week, eating in fancy restaurants every other night, having coffee at the designer cafe every day..chances are you'll go broke. So what Patrick and I do is we reserve those nights out for friends and special occasions only..but if it's just for the two of us, we choose to keep our dates really simple. We'll stay in and have a romantic DVD marathon date, walang kagastos-gastos (Chippy at Coke lang ang puhunan namin) pero umaapaw naman sa lambingan moments where we could hug it out all night long! Naks!!! Here are other ideas that cost little but make for awesome memories! Most of you have done this already, it's just a matter of making it more creative and romantic but on a budget :)

Go on a Food Court Challenge

Have a Lazer Tag Fight

Drive up to Tagaytay for a Romantic Brunch Date

Visit your local neighborhood massage parlor

(the wholesome kind of course!)

Go marketing together on a lazy Saturday morning

New Chinese Resto Fave: P.F.Chang's

2012-01-29T09:29:00.000+08:00

There's a new resto in the south of the metro (aha, it rhymes!) and it's called P.F.Chang's. As in Patrick Filart Chang. OR Patty Filart Chang. Hahahaha. :) Actually P.F. Chang's is actually a name acquired from the two founding partners Paul Fleming and Philip Chang. With over 200 branches all over America, it has finally hit our Pinoy shores. And it's right here in Alabang Town Center! Hoorrayyyy for the South peeps!

Our friends Amber and Marcus celebrated their anniversary yesterday and invited all of us to P.F.Chang's for dinner. Initially I thought to myself "Chinese food..hmmm..."obviously half-psyched about the idea. I'm the daughter of my father so eating Chinese food was mandatory in our family for many, many, many years so you can understand my lack of excitement. In fact, my dad's dream wedding suggestion: "Why not have Peking Duck and all you can eat Dimsum!!!??That would be so amazing." I now know what to prepare for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary! Hahaha :)

But since the well-traveled Amber and Marcus have impeccable taste when it comes to their restaurant choices, I knew I had to just trust them with this one. So before getting ready for dinner, I decided to google P.F.Chang's menu...and I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of interesting choices! From feeling ho-hum about Chinese, I was suddenly excited to give this new food chain a try.

And they did not disappoint at all. I wouldn't know how else to describe P.F. Chang's but think "Clean, High Quality Chinese Food".We ordered different things so we were able to sample a wide range of dishes. My favorites were the 1)Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps 2)Mongolian Beef 3)Lemon Chicken 4)Sichuan Shrimp 4)Crab Meat Fried Wontons. Oohhh, and their Tamarind Iced Tea was de-li-cious!!!:) They should call it Sampaloc Delight! Hahahaha! The food was completely wiped out in an instant so i failed to take decent photos of our dishes. But just to give you an idea, here are some images I grabbed from their site. You can also check out their menu here.

I highly recommend P.F.Chang's for big groups, families and barkadas. They have something for the kids and adults to enjoy. They have a vegetarian menu and a gluten-free menu as well which means it's a great dining option for the health-conscious too! The place was packed last night so I suggest you make your reservations ahead of time by calling (02) 687-5611. I'll be dropping by P.F. Chang's again for sure!!!

Cute Save The Date Videos

2012-01-27T17:22:00.000+08:00

Jesse + Marty: Save The Date! from jesse & marty on Vimeo.

Lori and Eric's Save the Date from Lori Hoffman on Vimeo.

The Big 3-0.

2012-01-27T10:10:00.004+08:00

Today you turn 30 but somehow you still manage to look 20. You haven't aged a bit! And it's all because you are a ball of positivity, peace and light! I am inspired by you each day and I'm sure you inspire many others as well. Here's to more crazy adventures, Muff. I love you like a sister. :)

To celebrate Muffin's birthday, I decided to dig up some photos from almost a decade ago.

Here are some very "fashion backward" pics from our trip to Germany, Switzerland, and France.

Our weak attempt to be cool footballers in Madrid.

Hoping to build more solid memories with this remarkable woman in the coming years. Love you, Muff :)

Check out Alessa's life-after-breakfast.blogspot.com to see how we celebrated Muff's birthday.

Fashion Friday: Change the World Through Design

2012-01-27T08:33:00.001+08:00

Do you believe you can change the world through design?
If you are a student, fresh graduate, or young professional who can create Eco-Ethical fashion and home accessories together with Top Designers like Rajo Laurel and Community Artisans, then you are invited to be part of the Rags2Riches Design Team!

Job Description:
Create designs, patterns, mood boards, prototypes, and inspiring story lines for Rags2Riches home and fashion accessories
Work with community artisans from all over the Philippines in coming up with products that are Eco-Ethical and stylish
Liaise with Rags2Riches partner designers and international ambassadors to create design briefs and translate these into modules that can be used by Community Artisans

Qualifications:
Student, Fresh Graduate, or Young Professional preferably with background or course related to Textile design and technology and Fashion and Home Accessories Design
Knowledgeable in fashion trends and home interiors trends
Strong background in pattern making (for home and fashion accessories), sewing, and even crafts (macrame, crochet, basket weave)!
Interested in creating fashion and home masterpieces that are beautiful, meaningful, and sustainable
Willing to dedicate at least 3 days a week
Willing and able to travel
Detail-oriented
Resourceful! -- we need creative and resourceful individuals who can see the potential in scrap materials and can look for Eco-Ethical sources of materials

How many Design Interns will be accepted? There are only 3 slots for this position for this year.
Is this a good career path for me? We believe so! And because we believe in sustainability, we will provide an allowance and a ton of rich experience for successful applicants!

What is the duration of the internship? The contract is for 3 months but can extend indefinitely if we are a match made in heaven!

How can I apply? Send us your resume, some copies/samples of your work, and a short and sweet letter of why you should be Rags2Riches' Design Intern and Ambassador. You can send via email to reese.fernandez@rags2riches.ph and kim.panuncialman@rags2riches.ph!

When is the deadline for the application? February 8

When can I start? The day before Valentine's. It's a date.

Dancing our way to Supreme Sexiness

2012-01-25T15:27:00.003+08:00

I was never ever the type who would be worried about my little jiggles here and there..but as soon as I did my first fitting for my gown, it just hit me..HECK, I wanna look friggin' awesome for my wedding day!!!! Thankfully, I had my mom and BFF Alessa during my fitting and somehow they convinced me to ditch my "I don't care how I look as long as I'm comfortable" attitude and so I'm totally caring from now on. I used to be "I could wear a sack and I would still be happy" little miss, but not anymore. That was me two weeks ago..but now I've crossed over to the "I'm gonna be a bride only once in my life so please Papa Jesus make me pretty":)

Alessa (who was just a bride a year ago) told me that it's important for every bride to look and feel beautiful on her wedding day..not for the guests, not for anyone else, but just for herself. So yeah, I'm doing this for me..and Pat..alam mo naman, selfless akong tao! Mwahahaha! Of course, I wouldn't want him to bail out on me on the last minute, noh!

Patrick and I have an inside joke, a little challenge between us. The challenge is for each of us to make the other person do a nasty and embarrassing hagulgol on our wedding day. He keeps teasing me for being a softie, saying that I'll be such a wreck on our wedding day because I'm such an emotional sissy. "Yari ka sa vows ko! My vows will be sooooooo good, HAGULGOL level!! You'll be gasping for air in between sobs and sniffs!" After which he would mimic an over exaggerated crying Patty. Tipong Mara-Clara level! So when I did my first fitting, the challenge was ACCEPTED! I called him "Booom! It's over! Yari ka sa dress koooooo!!! When you see me walking down the aisle..PATAY kang bata ka. Grade school HAGULGOL with sinok at asthma attack level! Your best man will have to hand you a coleman with water to stop you from crying! Bring your good morning towel, you'll be needing it!!You'll have a bucket full of tears to wipe away!" Of course, his natural reaction is to just shake his head and give me an obnoxious smirk to say "Game on, missy!" He thinks he's so tough and says he won't cry..but I know he will. Don't tell him, I told you. Hahahaha :)

So now, I'm on a mission. I must be a ZEXY BRIDE!!!! How I'm gonna do it...I dont know yet exactly. I've never really worked on my sexiness before so this is all new to me. Paano ba maging sexy na dilag??? Naku, ang hirap naman! Sexy gods, tulungan niyo po akoooo!!! I would like to summon the strength of ten thousand Anne Curtises and a million Iza Calzados..please grant me the power to grow some abs!

Most of you know I'm allergic to the gym. A few months back, we dragged ourselves to the gym. I got on the treadmill for 5 minutes then transfered to the stationary bicycle and as I started pedaling I realized that the gym's TV had more awesome cable channels than the ones we had at home! I told Patrick (who was busy lifting his weights) "Yo Babe, they've got so many channels!!! Dito nalang tayo tumambay! Let's bring a tub of popcorn next time!" So the pedaling gradually slowed down..and in 2 minutes, I was just using the bike as a chair to watch Beyonce in a Hollywood special. Needless to say, we never hit the gym again. Who knows, maybe when the wedding day draws nearer..I might just visit the gym again.

But in the meantime, we discovered a fun way to sexify ourselves. Our friend Alvin, gave us a Kinect for Christmas and guys, it's DA BEST!!! Pat and I have been obsessing over Just Dance 3. It's been 3 days of dancing and my body is ailing like an 85 year old! Aguyyyyy. Kailangan pala ata mag-stretching muna. I initially thought of posting a video here then I realized how ugly we looked in our ill-coordinated and ungraceful moves and baggy pambahay clothes..delete,delete,delete! :) You will just have to make do with your imagination for now. Bottomline, it's not a pretty sight watching two payatot kids in liga shorts dancing like jello. I will however treat you to this video! This dude is amazing!!! He was TOP 1 in the WORLD at some point. Now, Pat and I are more motivated to kembot our way to the top as well.

Matt Corby

2012-01-24T23:29:00.000+08:00

Meet Matt, our new man-crush. This dude could easily pass as a Billabong model but dang,

the boy can sing!!! He reminds me so much of Jeff Buckley!

Travel Tuesday: Dreaming of my NEXT destination

2012-01-23T10:00:00.111+08:00

Nepal.Bangkok.Egypt.Abu Dhabi.

I was up 'til 2am last night, scouring the web for deals and steals. I was a lion on full hunter mode trying desperately to come across another promo. I'm absolutely loving every minute of our wedding planning but I find myself more engrossed in honeymoon planning these days..yes, that's the travel bug overthrowing the bride-to-be in me!:) I'm one of those girls who prefers a simple and pretty wedding but with an EPIC honeymoon! Oooh, I said EPIC. I'm so last year. Hahaha.

Traveling all these years as a single girl with friends and family was F-U-N and I highly recommend it to everyone..the experiences you'll have will last you a lifetime! But I'm sure traveling with my husband (ayun o!! yiheee!) will be another more exciting adventure..and I pray that God will provide the provisions for us to travel in the near future. Now that I have a permanent travel bud, it makes planning much more meaningful and purposeful. We've got a whole year to do our research and to save money, so this should be fun!!! Hopefully, we find a destination that covers everything: good food, welcoming locals, interesting architecture, deep-rooted culture and history, and spectacular landscapes :) Country #30, come to MAMA (and your new Papa, hahaha)!!!!

I'm giving away several packs of

HEADWARE

to some Lucky Blog Readers!

(Each pack comes with 3 different Headware pieces)

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Answer the following question briefly
"Which fun destination would you bring your headware to?"

Write your answer on the HEADWARE Facebook Page wall. Don't forget to add the hastag #dapattylaurelblog!

Example: "I would love to bring my HEADWARE to Siargao! It's the perfect destination for surfing and adventure! #dapattylaurelblog"

Winners will be notified via Facebook PM. Contest ends on January 27, 2012.

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

2012-01-23T08:18:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!:) Ooohhh..New Year! Maybe I should ask Pat to propose to me all over again, only this time we'll have electricity and he'll pop the question in CHINESE!! Oohhh, JOY!:) Although I look a little Chinese, we don't practice any Chinese traditions at home. I don't know much about the Chinese horoscope so I decided to do a little research today. I'm really not a big believer, but there's no harm in reading about it and seeing how some things actually make a lot of sense.

First of all, I'm a PIG. Hindi po ako bakla, hindi rin po ako babae, BABOY po ako. BABOYYYYY!!! You know like Rudy Fernandez..oops, DA BOY pala yun. (Just kidding..much respect to the legend!) So I searched randomly on google "Pig Fortune for Year of the Dragon" and I actually stumbled across some very interesting facts.

1.) Apparently, we're not JUST regular people, we're PIG PEOPLE.
"When Pig people encounter difficulties, obstacles or even misfortune, as long as you keep your optimistic, enterprising and positive mind, someone will appear to help you to overcome trouble."
"If Pig people want to look for a closer love relationship, then the Dragon year is the time to try"

"No matter how old they get, Pig people still only see and believe that all men/women are basically good. Pig people constantly sacrifice their own happiness and comfort for the sake of somebody else"

2.) This looks like a promising year for PIGGIES!

"In 2012, the Pig is supported by the star of intelligence and power. This is an incredible force for promoting luck, good reputation, travel, and abundant happiness. There is also a romance star in the Pig’s 2012 forecast that can lead to marriage and makes it easy to fall in love with a fantastic person. Even when things get tough, the star of mercy brings compassionate people to the Pig who share kind blessings with them."

HEY. Not bad! Smart, powerful, traveler who will marry and fall in love with a fantastic person!?!? I like this year already! Thank you dragon people on behalf of the pig people all over the world :)

3.) Piggies should stay away from Snakes and Rams and hang out with the Sheeps and Rabbits.

Like duh. Why would you wanna hang with jungle creatures??? Pigs should chill with fellow farm animals!!! Have you seen a pig talking to a snake? Not happening. Snakes are the gangstas of the animal kingdom (you Snake people know what I mean!). Dun na tayo sa bunnies and sheep! Let's keep to the theme of having only cute and cuddly friends!

4.) I'm a total BABE.

I'm a babe, but not a chicka-babe. But a BABE as in the baboy in the movie!!!

5.) Dog+Pig

So Pat is a dog and I'm a pig. So apparently according to the Chinese predictions, dogs and pigs get along because they're able to "share their thoughts and feelings" NAAAKS. Pwede. :)

Regardless of your sign and fortune, at the end of the day you have FULL control over your 2012. Armed with a lot of faith, wisdom, and courage..I think we all have the capacity to make this year wonderful!!!:) It's a year of many possibilities! Happy New Year!! :)

Daniela's Winter Wonderland Wedding

2012-01-19T23:54:00.002+08:00

My sister got hitched 2 years ago in snow-capped Turin, Italy which is the hometown of my favorite (well, by default) brother-in-law Stefano. It was small and I'm not talking "Pinoy" small which is 100 guests..I'm talking really small like "count your fingers and you'll get the total number of guests" kind of small. But it was perfect and truly memorable for both families and I'm glad Daniela chose to keep it intimate. We had a little ceremony with the town mayor, then we all trekked to a pretty coffee shop in the town center, then drove up to an old bed and breakfast for dinner. Just one table for the entire wedding party!:) They renewed their vows a year after in Boracay with a bigger group, but even that wedding was kept to a minimum. Big weddings are helluva fun and a party for everyone to enjoy..but small weddings are sweet and simple. And I think sweet and simple is what I'm a big fan of as well :) Our wedding won't be THIS small, but it will be significantly small enough to be meaningful..with only our dearest friends and loved ones celebrating the most special day of our lives! I can't wait, I'm too darn happy and excited to marry Pat!!! Queso!!:)

Fun Midweek Party with the Juans

2012-01-19T22:52:00.000+08:00

American Football

2012-01-18T23:33:00.004+08:00

A couple of days ago, we decided to join our friends to watch an NFL game. NFL stands for National Fun League..or Nachos/Fries Lang..or is it No Fera Laurel?? I'm confused.

It was a close match, but the 49ers took home the prize against the dudes with the white/gold uniform, the 59ers??? Eekk. Sorry, I am not a big American football fanatic. (Kilala ko lang si Tim Tebow because he's oh-so-cool and because he's been doing so many amazing projects in Mindanao.) The only time I'm exposed to American Football is in the movies. Jerry Maguire, Remember the Titans and Little Giants! Remember this scrawny nerdy kid from that movie??? "INTIMIDATION!!!!" Hahaha!

We woke up at the crack of dawn just to watch the game. So this is us, half-awake half-asleep at 5am. For my first "decent" experience with American Football, it was quite interesting to watch. Here's what I picked up: 1)They never get wedgies 2) They look like macho ballet dancers in tights 3)Players have different shoes based on their positions 4)Players put black face paint under eyes so the light will somehow bounce back and they won't have to squint ..and no, hindi siya over-runs ng mascara 5)Kung matapilok yung isang player at madaganan niya ako...I shall be what you call in clinical terms, DEADBOLZZZ. 6)Indeed, the grass is greener on their side. 7)those helmets could prove useful when you're having a bad hair day. See, so many sports tips from me! I think I could totally be a sports blogger!

After cheering for the 49ers, it was time for some morning grub. Our resident cook and my future pinsan, Scotty, whipped up a very sophisticated version of brekkie comfort food for us. It was muy delicioso! His honey beans was the BOMB DIGGITY. And his poached eggs were perfectly..umm..poached. Redundant! :) He did all the cooking, Dani and I did the serving, and the boys.. did the eating! Hahaha!

Cool Gift Ideas from Knock Knock Stuff

2012-01-18T22:35:00.000+08:00

www.knockknockstuff.com

Jumpstart your Healthy 2012

2012-01-17T17:45:00.000+08:00

How are your New Year's resolutions coming along? Let me be honest with you folks, I've fallen off the wagon. With all the happiness I've been feeling these past 3 weeks, I've been eating happily and merrily..celebrating with families and friends on an extended holiday thanks to our engagement :) But I definitely need to start getting fit for our upcoming wedding! I want to be a healthy bride of course! :) So I trekked to my favorite Healthy Options in Greenbelt and found these cool items that will hopefully help me move towards a more positive path! Check out my top picks for a Healthy 2012.

Emergen-C Orange

When I was preschool teacher, I was eternally sick. Having been exposed to the kids' sneezes, coughs and colds..it was inevitable for me to catch the common bug. Since then, I've made it a habit to always stock up on Vitamin C. Not only is it good for your immune system, it's great for your skin too! This Orange flavored fizzy drink mix contains 1000mg Vitamin C. It's the perfect health and energy booster.

Reviva Light Skin Peel

I am obsessed with this little tub! This is ONE-OF-A-KIND, all-natural exfoliant that shows immediate results for skin clarity,radiance and smoothness. It's a cheaper alternative to those expensive exfoliating treatments. Just simply cover your face with a thin film and scrub your way to a whole new healthy face!

Jason Sunbrellas Facial Sunblock

I always forget to apply sunscreen and now I realize that it really is a MUST. I hate how other sunscreens feel so greasy so this is such a refreshing alternative. An ultra sheer, hypoallergenic, oil-free formula absorbs easily to help protect skin from the sun which could result in premature aging. Enriched with specially selected antioxidants, such as Grape Seed and Green Tea Extract, this lightweight, non-comedeogenic formula is ideal for everyday use and should not clog pores. Completely translucent and never chalky, this sunblock is recommended even under makeup because it will not change the shade of foundation.

Kays Creal French Vanilla
Kays Naturals offers more balanced nutrition, it is a great choice for cereal lovers of all ages who want to eat a healthier, energy sustaining diet, but do not want to give up great-tasting crunchy texture.

Detox Diets for Dummies

So you're a dummy and you need a detox..then here's your saving grace. This book makes it easy breezy for people who would like to take away all the toxins in your body. A detox is a great way to start a diet. More than just for weight loss, a good detox will bring you cleansing and good vibes! So happy detoxing, you dummies!

You could win gift cards from

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Visit the Healthy Options website and choose your favorite item and tell me why you need this to jumpstart your healthy 2012.

3. Send your name, short answer and home address to pattylaurelblog@gmail.com by January 20, 2012.

Travel Tuesday: Travel Inspired Books I Have Yet to Read

2012-01-17T07:54:00.000+08:00

For more ideas, you can view the

100 Most Celebrated Travel Books list here!

29 Ways to Stay Creative

2012-01-16T20:34:00.000+08:00

Grabbed this from Noelle Hilario. Click here to visit her cool site :)

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Team Rocco

2012-01-16T20:26:00.001+08:00

Possibly one of the most anticipated baby arrivals (well, next toBeyonce's baby..and Baby Jesus) would be that of Rocco Gonzales. To prep the family for Rocco's grand debut, we had a little baby shower for Anne and Dre last weekend. Incidently, Rocco just happens to be my favorite boy name.. it means BATTLE CRY plus it sounds like ROCK which is perfect for a little man!:) Maybe our baby will be called Rocco 7.1, parang Microsoft upgrade lang diba? Kudos to the girlfriends of Anne who did such an awesome job in coming up with fun and crazy baby games like: Pin the Sperm on The Egg, Guess the Celebrity Baby, and my favorite Chocolate Poop Guessing Game. And of course, we won as overall champions!!! I always take parlor games seriously..competitive talaga ako even during kiddie parties. Lalo na sa pabitin! Yari kayong lahat sa kin..especially you cheating yayas carrying your infant alagas, instantly giving them an edge over the rest of the kiddies!! I'm watching youuuuuu like a hawk! And you little girl, ano akala mo..madadala ako sa beautiful eyes mo?? Excuse me...You see this?? That's what you call FOCUS. PS Cuteness is sooooo 2011. Mwahahaha!:)

Fresh Everyday Makeup

2012-01-14T22:28:00.003+08:00

Hi Melanie! Thanks for your email :) It has been such an exciting, whirlwind experience..I'm loving each and every moment! I will definitely share more details about our wedding preps once we get things settled. I'd love to make all of you a part of this big milestone in my life. :)

Now on to your question...Just like you, I barely have time to put on decent makeup each morning. I'd love to learn how to apply it like a professional, with all that blending schmlending, contouring bontouring, and shadowing schmadowings. Don't you just wish you could wake up looking like Angelina Jolie each morning, with a full blow out and vavavoom curls, luscious lips and sexy lashes?! Sadly, for the rest of us who are but mere mortals..we don't have the luxury of having stylists and makeup artists at our beck and call. But this doesn't mean we can't look beautiful everyday! We CAN! And we can do it in 5 simple steps! Nakssss, feeling beauty consultant na talaga ako :) I'm all for keeping it simple and effortless when it comes to everyday makeup. Sure, go ALL out if you're doing a photo shoot, partying it up with girlfriends or getting glam for a special event! I love going through transformations with makeup artists, it's so fun to experiment with different looks! But for everyday..the general rule to follow is the less you pile on on a daily basis, the better it is for your skin :)

Here's a little collage I made to make it very elementary for you. And yes, ako yan on the lower right side..ang ganda ko noh..I colored my hair blonde. May kamukha daw akong artista sa States. Pero di ko siya kilala, hindi ata sikat. Baka Indie actress? HAR HAR HAR!:)

I'm giving away these

DASHE COSMETICS

Travel Makeup Brush Kits

to some Lucky Blog Readers!

Dashe Cosmetics has a wide range of different cosmetic brushes for professional make up artists and also for regular kikay girls or make-up junkies! They're made of top quality material which is worth the investment :) Check out their products here!

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Send your name and address to pattylaurelblog@gmail.com on or before January 17, 2012. Winners will be notified via email.

Patrick's One True Love

2012-01-13T16:34:00.001+08:00

There's one girl who always has Pat's full attention..and folks, it's not me. Sadly, she wins by a landslide in the cuteness department. I tried wearing a small ribbon on my hair the other day and for some odd reason it didn't come out as CUTE as I had hoped. Her name is Audrey and she is Pat's niece and god-daughter, and yes, the apple of his eye. :) Thanks to all of you, our proposal video has been reaching thousands of hits on YOUTUBE and one of the stars in the video is little Audrey! Yep, that was her holding up the "SIGE NA PLS" signs with Mateo.

Audrey's face has graced Pat's profile picture, wallpaper and screensaver! And in no time, she'll be in a billboard someday soon..like her very first (unofficial) endorsement for Tropicana Twister right here. Hehehe!:) Tropicana sent me a few bottles of their NEW SPECIAL FLAVORS the other day so I decided to serve it to our little guest over merienda. And wow, it was an instant hit with Princess Audrey that she gamely posed with the bottles right after tasting it. Our other guests loved the 2 new flavors as well!

Tropicana Twister comes in 2 new Limited Edition flavors. Apple Lemon has a nice citrus zing to it, it's actually a blend of apple, white-grape, peach, pear, kumquat, and lemon. Red Fusion on the other hand has deeper flavors of pomegranate, apple, red grape, and peach. I suggest you trek to your local grocery soon to grab these new flavors! They're actually a great alternative to serve to kids for family get togethers and parties instead of the usual soft drinks because it's made of real fruit juice :) You can even get a bit fancy for your adult guests and serve the juices in pretty cocktail glasses, slip in a flirty umbrella and maybe a lychee and cherry too..and VOILA!!! Start the year right with these new refreshing drinks from Tropicana Twister! Happy 2012 guys, cheers to more adventures! :)

This is a sponsored post.

Friday Loving Courtesy of the Googley Gooeys!

2012-01-13T13:23:00.001+08:00

Thank you to sweet couple Ponggo and Tipsy for this!! It was so much fun working on this collaboration with the GGs!:)

Click here to visit their CUTESY and QUIRKY website!

Sneak Peek

2012-01-13T09:34:00.005+08:00

I'm so excited to be a part of the Watson's Family!:) I'll keep you posted, buddies!

Honeymoon Daydreams

2012-01-11T21:09:00.001+08:00

Images from The Fancy

Maldives

Orient Express

South Africa

Fiji

Sta Lucia

Mexico

Cayo Espano

The only ring(s) that's possibly cooler than my uber-cool engagement ring

2012-01-11T19:17:00.003+08:00

www.thefancy.com

Building the Check List

2012-01-11T17:45:00.006+08:00

I've finally come back down to earth and I'm my normal self again. Well, I'm not entirely "normal" yet. I still can't seem to get this silly bungisngis smile off my face so I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it. And I still call Patrick at odd hours just to say "Guess what, duuuuuude!! We're engaged!!! Gaaaahhhh!!!". Thankfully, he puts up with all my insane mid-day outbursts and says "That's great babe, I'm so happy that you're happy..but can I call you after our meeting? These guys are all staring at me.". I've even come up with song-dance numbers for our wedding.Para makatipid, I figured why not be the bride and wedding singer?!?! Oh diba, all-in-one entertainment package. I tried singing my impromptu songs to Pat and he just said "Tama yan, para kang Bollywood star!" When I sing it's hard to tell if I'm a 28 year old girl or a 75 year old Indian or a drunk Russian spy..for some odd reason when I vocalize, may lumalabas na weird undecipherable accent!

I've been helping friends plan for their weddings, birthday parties, and baby showers for years so I figured I'd be an expert by the time it came to my actual wedding..but truth is, nothing really prepares you for THE DAY. My enthusiastic friends have been asking "So, when's the big day?" "What's your theme?" "Who's your caterer?" and all I could say is "ummm...err...well...kasi..". I don't have a date and venue set, and nope, I don't have a thick binder with magazine cut outs just like all the normal brides-to-be out there. I'm completely USELESS as a bride-to-be!!! Thank God for our awesome support group: 1)BFF/Matron of Honor, Alessa, who's been on top of every little detail and pouring out all her creative juices 2)my future sis-in-law Cecil who always shares her input and helps me with the major decision making 3)our dear close friends who have all volunteered to do their "wedding duties" and of course, 4)our wonderful parents who have been so hands-on with all the plans (obviously even more excited than us!). Many thanks also to these awesome suppliers who have extended their generous help to us! I can't wait to blog about all our little happy collaborations :) Wooo-hooo-hooo!!!

Now I understand why most brides, although naturally sweet and calm, could turn into Bridezillas overnight. With a whole list of things to do from caterers, photographers, gowns, flowers, cakes, give-aways, entourage, etc. it's easy to get overwhelmed. I'm so thankful that Pat is naturally very calm and cool and so I usually take my cues from him. I tend to mirror him most of the time so when he's cool, I'm cool. Cool-angot! Hahaha :) Sometimes we have to always remind ourselves not to get lost in all the wedding planning and focus more on the honeymoon planning!!!!! YEHESS! Ay naku, mali! I mean..we should focus more on the marriage and family planning. There's a whole checklist for marriage and I guess at the end of the day, a wedding is just a one day affair while your marriage is FOREVER!!!:) My mom gave each of us a copy of this book yesterday and although I'm not really a fan of self-help and mushy motivational books, this book seems pretty straightforward and baloney-free. It tells you all the things you need to know and all your married friends will probably fail to tell you..it's honest but sweet. For singles, i highly recommend this book too..it'll serve as a good template for you to prep for a relationship and for steady couples who have been going out for a while, it's also a great eye opener. I've been reading just a couple of chapters but I've been picking up so many lessons already. For one, I'm soooooo IMMATURE! There's a lot of growing up needed for marriage and we have a LONG way to go. Looks like we'll be needing all your prayers, folks, and lots and lots of chocolates!!!!! :)

Wedding Inspiration: Dani and Jay

2012-01-10T12:53:00.007+08:00

Last week, two of our dearest friends Dani and Jay made it official. It was such a sweet and solemn ceremony with heartfelt vows :) Thank God for waterproof mascara because I was bawling throughout the evening!! Congratulations to one of the most wonderful couples we know. Your love story is an inspiration!<3

Thanks Karla for these photos!:) Shout out to Mich Araullo for my dress :)

The bride's Kuya, Luigi Tabuena, made this little video for the couple. And even if you don't know these two, you'll instantly connect to the messages in the video so I urge you to click PLAY and be inspired :) It's really a beautiful reminder for couples!

2012-01-09T23:57:00.000+08:00

Thank you to Michelle Gonzales for coming up with this. So funnehhhhhh!:)

Tama, iba pa rin ang brownout sa Pilipinas!

Rainbows, Unicorns and Cupcakes!!!

2012-01-08T10:55:00.001+08:00

Image from the Web

It's been raining cats and dogs all morning and you all know how much I hate the rain. So I think I'll bake a batch of fresh cupcakes to bring joy to this dull and grey weekend. I'm not exactly a kitchen whiz, so these CUPCAKE KITS from Bright Bakers are my lifesavers. These make perfect gifts for loved ones (including young kids who love to bake!). V-day is just around the corner, so this is a cute and unique token to give to someone special. They come in pretty boxes that includes a recipe and instruction manual, all the ingredients that are pre-measured and carefully sealed, and of course a cute cupcake tray for the grand debut of your finished products! Tadahhhh!!!:)

BRIGHT BAKERS
For orders, call 0917 5017445 or email brightbakers@gmail.com.

Party In a Box

2012-01-08T10:39:00.003+08:00

Muffin. Patty. Alessa.

Thank you LOOK Magazine for this special feature!

2012-01-06T14:46:00.000+08:00

Please pick up the latest edition of Look Magazine with covergirl, Shamcey Supsup!

My Precious

2012-01-05T12:16:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted a dainty and delicate engagement ring. Although I completely understand why a big shiny sparkler would be every girl's dream ring..unlike most girls, I've never been a fine jewelry wearing type of girl. In fact, this is my very first piece of expensive jewelry. When Pat and I were starting our more serious discussions about our future life plans, I immediately told Alessa to make sure Pat would get me a ring that's non-traditional and organic, something sweet and simple..like, ahem,ahem, ME??? Hahaha! Just like my own dad, Pat is very kuripot when it comes to himself--> he'll bring last night's leftovers as baon to work para makatipid, he NEVER shops for clothes, he'll bring his ailing shoes to Mr. Quickie again and again even if they seem like they've long given up on him. But when it comes to me, he's a spoiler and always wants to give me the best of what he can possibly offer. So with this in mind, I was worried that he would give me a big rock, the traditional bling-bling that every girl wants. I had to keep my fingers crossed and just trust that hopefully he will pick up my little not-so-subtle hints and would pick a ring that would actually fit my personality. Thankfully, Pat has a lot of "smart and sensible" female friends who know me well..so they helped him come up with the design for this custom made, delicate sapphire engagement ring (with 2 baby diamonds on each side). I'd like to say thank you to my friends Alessa, Amber, Dani, Cherrie, Cecil, Mic and more..yes apparently a whole village of women were on Pat's email thread for this one little ring. It's like A bayutipulsss!!!

Since it was brown out when he proposed I couldn't see the ring, syempre YES YES YES (sabay kangaroo jump) lang ako! After he proposed, I whispered into his ear "Love, is this a red stone on my ring?" and he just laughed at me "Babe! It's blue! It's a sapphire!". When the lights came back on, it was only then that I fully enjoyed the beauty of my new finger friend! It has a rough gold matte finish and diamonds sitting pretty on the sidelines. I love it because it's so unique! It actually reminds me of those medieval period rings..Game of Thrones was the peg???:) I've been sporting the ring on my index finger because it's a bit too loose on my ring finger. I've never ever worn a real ring in my entire life so my friends and Pat had to make a wild guess. Apparently I have midget fingers!!! My hands are much smaller than the smallest adult size! I'm still thinking whether I should resize it since I'm actually enjoying the whole superhero with magic ring vibe. Here's a little trivia, sapphires symbolize TRUTH, SINCERITY, and FAITHFULNESS..the most important elements needed to make a marriage work!:) Hopefully, this tiny fella brings those 3 things into our life as mister and misis!

Alessa wrote a really hilarious post about our rings and if you want some useful love advice as well, read her blog entry here http://life-after-breakfast.blogspot.com/2012/01/if-these-rings-could-talk.html. Check, check, check it OWWWWT!!!

90s Love!

2012-01-05T09:48:00.001+08:00

Channeling my Inner Cartoon

2012-01-05T09:36:00.004+08:00

Call me MINNIE. Minnie the Pooh.

Wait, Minnie is Mickey's chick right? And Pluto is Mickey's dog..So the mouse has a pet dog?

Nice. Makes sense. I get it now. Well not really, but I will.

2012-01-04T11:08:00.002+08:00

Watercolor Print by my BFF Alessa Lanot <3

life-after-breakfast.blogspot.com

The Glow in the Dark Proposal

2012-01-03T14:04:00.003+08:00

Magiging Misis na akooooo!!!!

Thank you Electric Company (the one that shall not be named) ever so efficient and reliable, for killing our power supply on New Year's Eve. If some dream of a White Christmas, we were having a BROWN (out) Post-Christmas. Hahaha :) And although it was quite tricky to play guessing games with our food in the dark, we still managed to have a lovely NYE dinner. In fact, the candle light made our family affair even more dramatic! :) Who would've thought that a power outage, something easily considered as an inconvenience, a source of discomfort, a major hasslehoff, would turn out to be the most amazing backdrop for a dream proposal. Yes, Patrick proposed to me in the dark. Yes, we got engaged during an unscheduled village wide brown out at midnight.

It took the entire weekend for the Filarts to create an elaborate set up in Pat's room. They wiped out all the Christmas lights in National Bookstore and Ace Hardware. They even borrowed plants from their neighbor! It was definitely a team effort with everyone pitching in! When I saw the "behind the scenes" photos it made me tear up all over again..knowing that every one really made an effort to help Patrick made the whole proposal even more meaningful. The whole room was dotted with little lights so as soon as the power got cut, they all sighed with despair worried that this would ruin their surprise plans. (Of course, I was completely oblivious to all this..I was distracted by the ensaymada and tsokolate I was trying desperately to eat with my cellphone light shining over it). Thank God because Patrick didn't allow a little hiccup to get in our way and still decided to push through with the proposal.

Upon his signal, just as soon as we finished eating, his sisters-in-law created a very convincing diversion which gave the rest of the family and my parents time to position themselves for the big moment. When I entered Pat's room, I was in complete shock! It was pitch dark, with only the tiny candles leading the way up to my adorable Patrick! :) Luckily the skies were lit with blazing fireworks at buti nalang at maputi ang aking mahal na Filart that he managed to glow in his full Tisoy glory. I don't even remember what I said, one thing's for sure..I was the panicky headless chicken and Pat was the cool cat.:) Patrick put together this short video so I hope you all enjoy it! I watched it 3 times straight!!! Darn it, girl, wipe that big smile off your face..PRONTO!

Our Brown Out New Year Celebration

The power came back on about 30 minutes after the whole grand proposal, so we all went back to the room to take pictures of the beautiful set up. We even joked around that we should've done a whole re-enactment with the lights on..but you all know I'm a horrible actress. You'd be crying for different reasons if I even attempted to act. Hahaha :)

It was absolutely perfect!!! I've always wanted a simple and meaningful proposal with all our loved ones around. And since I'm such a fan of D-I-Y projects, I loved this proposal because everything was really made from scratch! Family project talaga :) Thank you so much to Jonsy and Cecil, Mic and Paul, Joy, Tita Rina and Tito Abet, Mateo, Audrey, Bella, Mom and Dad..and of course to my sweet and thoughtful Patrick for giving me my dream proposal!:) Thank you Lord for orchestrating everything!!!

And to all the hundreds of people who have sent us tweets, emails, and comments..MARAMING SALAMAT!!! Thank you for sharing this special moment with me and Pat! Kinikilig ako sa mga messages ninyo!:)

To close this already very mushy blog post, here's a snippet from my soon-to-be mother in law's email that really touched my heart. It moved me so much because I've always prayed for God to bless me with good in laws as well. :)

"I have often wondered what my "last" daughter in law would be like as God had already blessed me with two wonderful ones. And now, He has added you to our family. We are blessed and very happy. You just seem to fit right in and I know that everyone is so happy for Patrick. Our "baby" is now engaged! He has so patiently waited and believed for God's best for him and I'm sure he feels you are worth the wait and we all agree. (And you are the Patricia we never had! ) I have prayed for my son's wives since they were very young and God has been faithful to answer my prayers."

Love Letter to the BIG GUY

2012-01-02T08:27:00.006+08:00

Dear Lord,

The cursor has been blinking on my screen for a good 3 minutes. Truth is, I’m stumped. I write so effortlessly almost everyday, addressing words to strangers who I’ve never ever met. In a matter of minutes, my sentences form into paragraphs and before I know it, a cohesive entry is created. But today, I feel inadequate. Somehow writing for strangers seems much easier, and writing to the ONE who I love the most seems like such a daunting task. How does one even begin to address the most awesome being in the universe? How do you even find the words to match your beauty and splendor? But then I’m reminded that there’s no need to impress you with deep and flowery words, there’s no need for me to put up a front and appear holy and perfect. You know me more than anyone else, you know me more than I’ll ever know myself.

Today is the 2nd day of the year and the 2nd day of my engagement. The first day of the year always seems to be the diva, well-celebrated and attention-grabbing..when in fact, it is the 2nd day that is usually the most important. The 1st day brings momentum while the 2nd day brings REALITY.The promise of the new year is exciting and scary, but knowing that I have you to guide me makes me brave enough to face anything.

I woke up extra early this morning with clarity and a heart pounding heavier than ever, knowing that I've done well in choosing a man after Your own heart. The true joy comes not from knowing that I am happy, but that I am happy and that I made you happy too by honoring you and choosing the person you set aside for me.

I woke up this morning with a rush of realizations. I realized that this bed will no longer be my bed and that in a few months I'll be waking up next to the love of my life. This house will no longer be my home because I'll be building a new home with someone special. And the one thing that is truly mine (aside from my fingerprints) is my NAME, and will soon be hyphenated and shared. Dear Lord, just as the name I've long kept has brought honor to my family, I pray that the new name I carry shall be a name I will be worthy of as well. That I may bring honor to my husband and truly deserve the tag of "wife" with his last name next to mine.

So this is how it feels to be engaged. It's an eternal fuzzy feeling in your chest. It's like I'm back in the third grade, nervous and excited, raising my hand frantically because I think I know the answer to my teacher's trick question :) May halong kabag-kaba-kilig!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ So in luuuurve! Thank you for saving the BEST for me. Patrick is a true testimony of humility, strength and faith and I learn so much from him each day. And more than anything, he loves me for me, he loves me for the person I am today and the person he knows I will blossom into in the future. And I absolutely adore every thing about him! Oh and thank you Lord, that even my shallow desire to marry someone physically attractive was answered. You know me so well! Alam mong mababaw ako minsan at kailangan gwapo yung mapapangasawa ko..even that you were generous enough to add to an already long list of good traits! Please bless us dear Lord with healthy offspring, all CUTE and MABANGO. Pag mabaho at gusgusin, cancel nalang po yung order namin. Hahaha, just kidding. We are excited to start a family, in whatever shape, size or form.

2011 was the year I truly understood the meaning of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE thanks to my mom and dad who never left my side. They have been my constant source of strength and encouragement. I know it’s corny and many people my age won't dig this, but my parents are my two best friends in the world and I am thankful I can talk to them about anything and everything. It is because of their friendship and their marriage, that I believe in TRUE LOVE. And I understand the value of having a partnership that is selfless, honest, and anchored in YOU. It's nice to see how much they love Pat as he is indeed the answer to their many prayers.

Many see you as this BIG FELLA way up in the clouds, all high and mighty, always too busy running the universe. Although all these may be true and there really is no denying your sovereign power, I know you now more intimately. You are a father who wants to give only the best to his children and a friend who listens intently. You feel what I feel, you know my deepest darkest secrets. You are my hiding place, my peace, my happiness. Thank you for blessing me with more than I could ever deserve!!!

Love, Patty

My dear friends, there's a beautiful country song by Rascal Flatts that my friends Dani and Jay shared with me last week. I'm not much of a country music girl, but as soon as I heard the lyrics I DIED. It's almost as if it was written for me and Patrick. And I'd like to share the words with all of you today on this glorious 2nd day of 2012 :)

Bless the Broken Road

I set out on a narrow way many years ago

Hoping I would find true love along the broken road

But I got lost a time or two

Wiped my brow and kept pushing through

I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are

Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars

Pointing me on my way into your loving arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through

I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you

But you just smile and take my hand

You've been there you understand

It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Now I'm just rolling home

Into my lover's arms

This much I know is true

That God blessed the broken road

That led me straight to you

Starting 2012 with a BIG BANG!

2012-01-01T09:41:00.003+08:00

My twitter feed is overflowing with love!!! I've received an overwhelming number of texts, emails, tweets, Facebook notifications, and BBMs in just 1 morning! Thank you for celebrating with us :) I'm still on a high right now..it hasn't completely settled in just yet!! But thank you for showing all your love and support! It means so much to me and Pat.

Here are some of the random sweet tweets I woke up to this morning!

2012-01-01T05:20:00.001+08:00

SUPPLIES!!!!

2011-12-31T11:13:00.001+08:00

For Jonsy's 35th birthday, his wife Cecil wanted to make it extra special so a little surprise party seemed like the perfect idea! As most of you know..it's always difficult to execute a surprise, especially when you're with your "surprisee" almost all day. Cecil however managed to secretly coordinate with all of us via email and BBM. She was on top of every little detail, she even knew the exact number of sushi (as in bilang na bilang niya talaga 104+48+21). Feeling ko nagtatago lang si Cecil sa banyo all week just to plot everything out. Jonsy must've said to himself, "Dang, this woman really likes to take long showers!". Hahaha! We were even BBMing at midnight like sneaky little gerbils! Cecil was ala-Angelina Jolie in Mr.and Mrs.Smith, living a secret life! Naks! HIGH FIVE to my partner in crime :)

After all the hours of stalling and distraction tactics, Jonsy was finally greeted

to a house filled with close friends and family members!

Birthday Boy with his beautiful wife Cecil (the surprise mastermind)

and their adorable daughters Audrey and Hanabishi. Look here, Electric Fan, look here!

Cecil wanted a Japanese inspired merienda so we prepared sushi, sashimi, and katsu-curry rice bowls. I also brought some red velvet cupcakes baked with love by Sinfully Sabrina.

A shout out to all our friends who brought lots of yummy snacks, Kudos to Marge and RG for bringing the balloons, to Tita Rina (and her super team: Manang Tina and Manang Aning+new recruit Ate Este) for all the preparations and special thanks to Photographer Lemarc Limosnero for allowing me to grab some of your photos for this post! :) The offer still stands for you to spend NYE with us (just so we can have nice family portraits!Hahaha!)

Rediscovering Manila

2011-12-30T11:25:00.001+08:00

Happy Rizal Day everyone! Today we remember the life of one of the most influential and inspirational people in our Philippine history. José Protacio Mercado Rizal Alonso y Realonda, was a scientist, writer, painter, sculptor, doctor, and of course an ATENEAN (yehesssss!). At age 26, he published Noli Me Tangere, considered one of the greatest books of all time. My most marvelous contribution to society at that age was scrambling eggs. Although most of us may seem somewhat mediocre compared to the polymath Rizal, we all have the makings of a modern day hero. And if we just look a little deeper, we'll find that there is a hero in each and every one just waiting to be unleashed. As we approach the end of 2011, maybe we should start jotting down all the things we'd like to start doing in 2012..hopefully, that list includes things that will bring about a positive change in your personal life and the lives of others around you as well.

Yesterday, we finally found the time to take the famous Walk This Way Tour of the very vivacious and controversial, Carlos Celdran. As expected, Carlos was very engaging and entertaining. It's a must not only for tourists and balikabayans, but even for locals like me..it's nice to rediscover Old Manila and fall in love with the city all over again.

Intramurous Tour with Carlos Celdran

Php1100.00 - Adult

Php600.00 - Student

Visit his website for more details.

Text: +63 920 9092021

Email: celdrantours@hotmail.com

I'm giving away MONOPODS
from Monopod Manila
to some Lucky Blog Readers!!!

Order your MONOPOD today, click HERE.
You can also visit my BFF Alessa's blog for more details.

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Post your favorite LOCAL travel photo on Twitter and include the hashtag #monopodmanila. The photo must include you in it :)

"I love BOHOL! Check out my awesome beach pic! #monopodmanila"

Contest ends on January 2. Winners will be notified directly via twitter. Good luck travel bugs!!!

Happy New Year from my Girl Crush and Boy Crush

2011-12-30T10:31:00.001+08:00

Dessert Daydream: Holiday Treats

2011-12-29T00:03:00.004+08:00

OOOHHHHH.....

AHHHHH....

CLICK LIKE NOW......

COME TO MAMA.....

This was a SET UP!!! I was framed!!!

THE VICTORIA'S SECRET GIRLS ARE JUDGING ME WITH THEIR LONG LEGS

AND ABS OF STEEL!!!!

I have a 6 month old food baby in my tummy thanks to all this holiday madness! Must. Work. Out. Tomorr.......ooohhh, SNICKERS!!! Nyump nyump nyump :)

Images from The Fancy

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T13:41:00.007+08:00

I'm an occasions girl, I live for special occasions and I love celebrating with friends and family. But of all the yearly events, Christmas has to be numero uno on my list. It just happens to be the BIRTHDAY of my favorite baby...JESUS! Hellerrrr, how can you even attempt to top that?!?! My parents and I were "adopted" by the Filart family for Christmas. We also had a little get-together slash baptism celebration with my cousins from the Laurel side the day after. My cousins (and also my sister) are scattered all across the globe so there's only a few of us left in Manila so get togethers like these are so precious :) Like I mentioned before, Christmas was extra special this year because it's the first time Pat and I celebrated the holidays with our families together...Awww :) It's such a blessing to have such warm and loving families on both sides!:) We still have a string of gatherings to attend this week and I'm excited to share more photos with all of you in the coming days. Wishing you all a beautiful Holiday season :)

Travel Tuesday: Malaysia with the Nuffies

2011-12-27T11:57:00.001+08:00

I'd like to extend my deepest thanks to the NUFFNANG family for sending me to Malaysia last week to support Team Philippines at the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards. Team PH bagged a total of 4 awards, well done Pinoy bloggers! It was so surreal hob-knobbing with the big shots in the blogging world.. especially since I'm just more of a hobby-blogger and not a pro-fayshonal. A special shout out to my new blogger-BFFs, Nikki Tiu and Angela Nepomuceno! :) Thank you girls for making this weekend truly memorable for me!

DaPatty's International Chocolate Awards 2011

2011-12-26T14:51:00.000+08:00

Back in the 80s, imported chocolates were still very expensive. Cadbury was such a big deal and you could only find it in Cash&Carry. Dahil nagtitipid sila, my sneaky and manipulative parents would buy some Cloud 9, take it out of its wrapper and put it inside the Cadbury wrapper (from their left over imported chocolates..the chocolates they didn't want to share with me). So little 4 year old Patty would be munching away thinking it was Cadbury, pero Cloud 9 lang pala! HMPH. Mental and Emotional Abuse ang tawag dun, kaya pala ang dami kong issues ngayon. Well, to this day I still love Cloud 9, chewy nutty heaven in a bar :)

Being a chocolate connoisseur is no joke. It takes years of practice, it takes skill, talent and determination. Practice--> You must learn how to chew and swallow with minimal effort, you gotta ninja that chocolate into your stomach. It takes a couple of tries before you get the hang of it. Trial and error lang yan! Skill-->To master the fine art of unwrapping the chocolate's packaging with one hand in 5 seconds, which can be quite tricky for beginners. Of course, chicken na chicken lang ito para sa isang choco-henyong tulad ko. Talent-->I've had to sing and dance to acquire the rarest of the rare. And Determination-->You must be determined to finish a box of chocolates on your own, with no one to help you!!! Oh the sheer torture of having to devour a whole pack by yourself. Talk about injustice! I do take this Chocolate Business seriously and I feel it's my responsibility..my duty to mankind to spread love for chocolates. I've encountered some people who are NOT so fond of chocolates, I won't name names, itago nalang natin sila sa pangalang "Loo-Hu-Sers". Chocolate Apathy is a mystery to me, some say it's because Chocolates are TOO sweet at hindi daw sila mahilig sa matamis. WTH? It's like saying "I don't like WATER because it's too thirst quenching" or "I don't like the SUN because it's too yellow". These people are FOOLS, I tell you, Fools who don't deserve to live on this precious planet! Hahaha, I think I'm getting a bit too carried away with this.

Since the year is about to end..I feel it is time for the DAPATTY'S INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE AWARDS 2011. I say "International" dahil alam niyo naman worldwide ang kasikatan ng aking blog..I have 3 followers in Europe (my sister, her husband, and the dog) and 4 followers in the States (my cousins) and 1 follower in Tunisia (someone I met on a boat). See guys, I'm going GLOBAL. With these BIG numbers, you know I'm ready to conquer the bigger International market! Mwahahahahahaha (that's my power woman laugh). As a former preschool teacher, I believe that every child is a winner..and in this case, every chocolate is a winner. So I've decided to make each chocolate the best in a specific category, this way walang magtatampo sa kin..mahirap na, I wouldn't want to piss off these chocolate bars.

BEST SALTY-SWEET: M&Ms Pretzels

As a fan of the salty-sweet-crunch combo, this definitely wins! Sadly, this M&Ms edition is only available in the States. Think M&Ms Crispy, only saltier. A close second goes to the Royce Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips.

BEST IN LAYERING: Ferrero Rocher

These world famous golden balls are one of my ultimate favorites. The packaging alone suggests that you're in for a treat. You have a nutty chocolate coating, then a crunchy wafer, then a creamy filling, and finally a hazelnut to greet you at the end. Layers of happiness in each ball!

BEST "MELT-IN-YOUR MOUTH": Royce Nama in Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate

The Japanese always seem to get it right. Cars, Bullet Trains, Robots, Computers, Ninjas, Sushi..they're known for being the BEST at almost everything. And now, they've decided to be the BEST in chocolates also!!! Ano ba yan mga Japs, pagbigyan niyo naman yung mga Belgians! Chocolates na nga lang yung kaya nilang ipagmalaki (chocolates, waffles and Jean Claude Van Damme) and you decided to steal their thunder?! These NAMA chocolates by Royce are BEAUTIFUL. So beautiful the first time I tasted them I wanted to cry. They melt so perfectly in your mouth, they're not too sweet and overpowering..just beautiful..like a newborn baby!

BEST "KEEPING WITH THE BUDGET": Ricoa Flat Tops and ChocNut

Mura talaga, as in mapapmura ka sa sarap! Hahaha! I kid! But seriously, these two chocolate brands are proudly local and so delicious! I could finish a whole pack in one sitting..and trust me, I can't sit still in one position very long so I always wipe out a whole bag in a couple of minutes. I eat chocolates so fast, I always have to remind myself to breathe.

BEST "NABIBILI SA DUTY FREE": Guylian Seashells

These chocolate seashells are always the best pasalubongs from balikbayans. Famous for gracing the aisles of the Duty Free chocolates section, these chocolate sea creatures are actually quite delicious!!! I love the Praline edition best.

BEST IN CHOCOLATE VERSATILITY: Nutella

Do you want some chocolate in your waffle? How about on your pancake? Chocolate crepe, anyone? Nutella dito, Nutella doon. Nutella here, Nutella there. It's the most spreadable chocolate-hazelnut joy you'll ever find in the market. If you want a chocolate covered Macbook Air or a chocolate covered Iphone 4s..simple, just Nutella it!!!

"ANG FILING MO NAMAN" CHOCOLATE: Lindt Pistachio

The best PMS cure in the history of DaPatty. This has been proven to be the best de-crankinizer. The Swiss know Chocolates and they definitely didn't stay neutral when they developed the Lindt Pistachio. Creamy Milk Chocolate with a Rich Pistachio Cream that bursts in your mouth! Y-U-M-M-Y.

BEST "WITH COFFEE" CHOCOLATE: After Eight

If you're a fan of mint and chocolate then this is the perfect chocolate for you! It's a light mint creme enveloped by a film of Dark Chocolate. It's the perfect way to end a big meal. Since I'm not a big coffee drinker, I just enjoy the After Eights without any coffee.

PRAYING FOR A COMEBACK CHOCOLATE: Alpine White and Hershey's HUGS

I'd like to start a petition and I will rally for a million signatures! Ibalik niyo yung Alpine White chocolate! I don't know why they even bothered to phase it out!!! Uggghhhh. I'm also desperately missing the HUGS with white chocolate stripes!

I still have a long list of Chocolate winners but sadly work has been on hold for a good 30 minutes because of this useless Chocolate post of mine..so it's back to reality for me!:) That was a good break however, time well spent on my life's greatest passion: CHOCOLATES! Hahahaha. I'm one shallow person. Confeermed.

My Favorite Christmas Movie: LOVE ACTUALLY

2011-12-25T21:09:00.000+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO Y'ALL!!!

2011-12-25T09:07:00.000+08:00

Yo Gabba Gabba - To Give A Present from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

2011-12-23T23:06:00.004+08:00

Please join me and my friends on DEC 28 WED for a special benefit concert for the victims of Sendong. I look forward to seeing you all there! FREE ADMISSION for all so bring your friends and families too! :) Spread the word please!

2011-12-23T20:31:00.000+08:00

Typography Art by The Black Apple

Taco Night at Casa Davis

2011-12-23T20:08:00.000+08:00

Special thanks to Marcus, Amber and cute little Hans for preparing our Christmas TACO NIGHT!

Back for 2nds

2011-12-22T12:06:00.003+08:00

Yes, another post about FOOD. And not just any type of food, but GLORIOUS COMFORT FOOD care of the creative culinary geniuses at 2NDS RESTAURANT at Bonifacio High Street. I won't lie to you kids, the food here ain't cheap. It'll definitely require a bit of a splurge on your part but a splurge that's well worth it. The portions are generous and you can easily tell that they definitely did not scrimp on quality ingredients, so you get what you paid for in each meal. I'm a food courter on most days so trust me, I know the difference between high quality food and "enough to tide you over" quality food. I'm a big fan of cheap thrills but once in a while, it's also nice to treat yourself to something fancy especially after a long work week.

Images from the 2nds Facebook Page

Pat and I have been eating here for a couple of months now and there's ALWAYS a reason for us to keep dining here. Well, for one, they have the BEST french fries (yes, out of all their dishes..I chose the fries! Hahaha) I could eat their fries all day, everyday! For some odd reason, their food always gets me to feel all warm and fuzzy after. I think the reason why Pat keeps bringing me here is because every time I have a full belly, I always become really sweet and touchy-feely.After a big meal, I always feel so round and soft all over..like a giant fur ball waiting for a hug! AHA!Sneaky Tactics!:) So guys, if your girlfriends have been on witch mode all week long...you know where to go! You don't need couples therapy, all you need is a place to get some comfort grub. Good Food=Happy Girlfriend=Happy Boyfriend. It's a simple formula that will save your relationship. FEED YOUR WOMAN and you'll never ever fight again! Haha :)

Since I'm a very visual person, I'm always on the look out for restaurants with good interiors. This restaurant definitely wins in that department. 2nds has that "Gentleman's Club" vibe which instantly adds depth and drama to your dining experience. It's a place to bring that well-traveled friend, your very discriminating Tito, or your new Expat co-worker. It's sophisticated yet welcoming, not pretentious and intimidating. The soft lighting makes it a perfect place for an intimate conversation with friends. It's definitely not an eat and run joint. Here, you always choose to stay a bit longer.

My besties Muffin and Alessa along with their boys Pj and Don joined us for dinner at 2nds last night. And by looking at our empty plates, you could tell that we were all happy campers. If you'd like to check out the menu of 2nds, just click here. We'll definitely be back for 2nds!:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR BARKADA TO YOURS!!!!:)

2nds

Comfort Food Revisited

2nd floor, B3, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig

For reservations +632 846 5293

OPERATION: Bride Makeover

2011-12-21T01:20:00.004+08:00

My friend Danielle and I were having a chat one afternoon about hair color. Dani, as we fondly call her, is a bride-to-be. With her wedding date fast approaching, we were trying to narrow down which salon would be best. The first salon that came to mind was JING MONIS SALON in Makati, after all he's responsible for the luscious hair of big celebrities like Georgina Wilson, Lovi Poe, Divine Lee, and my IDOL of IDOLS Tweetie De Leon. And just like an amazing twist of fate, a few days after our random conversation, I received an email invitation from the newly opened Jing Monis Salon in Alabang! Even closer to home, hoorayyyy!!!:) So we booked an appointment with the Jing Monis staff and OPERATION: Bride Makeover was in place!

Dani is a natural beauty, she's very low maintenance and easy going. And so for this makeover it was crucial for us to make her still look like herself, to make her hair shine for her big day but in a subtle way. So BLONDE and AQUA colored streaks were definitely out of the question. For brides-to-be out there, it's always important to have a little chat with your hair stylist prior to the treatment. Luckily, the staff at Jing Monis Alabang were very accommodating and welcomed our requests graciously. Communication is key and it's a MUST for you to be very honest with your expectations and limitations. Also, you have to be able to trust the experts..listen to your hairdresser's suggestions as well and try to meet halfway. Sometimes there are certain cuts that won't flatter your face shape or shades that may not go well with your skin tone. There are many things to consider so be open minded when your stylist gives you advice. It's also best to bring a friend, your sister, or mother along with you so they can chime in and give positive suggestions throughout the discussion as well.

After two hours, TADAHHHH!!! A new and improved Dani looked stunning in her deep ash brown hair. Sadly, my photos don't do any justice to the actual hair color..but trust me in person she looked amazing! Her hair looked shiny, healthy, and indeed WEDDING worthy!!! Her highlights complemented the hair cut making her bouncy waves even more gorgeous. The colorist gave her just the right pop of color to light up her face :) And of course, I also gave myself a hair makeover as well...and I LOVE MY NEW HAIR!!!:) I feel like my hair was resurrected from it's bleh blah color. So now I feel Holiday Happy with my new hair thanks to the wonderful staff of Jing Monis in Alabang.

There are a few couples I admire and Jay&Dani are one of them. What I love most about these two is that they always are so generous to one another, it's almost like they're always trying to out-give each other. January is going to be the start of a new adventure for these two! Exciting times ahead for the newlyweds! AWWWW, Pag-IBIG!!!

I'm giving away GIFT CERTIFICATES

to Jing Monis Salon to 5 Lucky Blog Readers!

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Follow @jingmonissalon on Twitter.

3. Tell me why you deserve a new hair do by the Jing Monis team.

4. Email your answer and home address to pattylaurelblog@gmail.com. Contest ends on December 24. Winners will be notified via email.

JING MONIS SALON ALABANG

3rd level of Main Tower Wing

Bellevue Hotel, Alabang Muntinlupa City

Tel: (+632) 5550963 (+632) 5550970

Tel: (+632) 7718181 loc. 8202

Salon Cell: (+63917) 5214480

Life in a different perspective :)

2011-12-20T15:33:00.000+08:00

Thank you to blog reader, Carmela Maniego for sharing this video with me.

Change Your Christmas Wishlist

2011-12-20T14:17:00.003+08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

If you're thinking of giving me something this Christmas, please donate to the Typhoon Sendong victims instead at redcross.org.ph or through the DREAM TEAM (Disaster REsponse And Management Team) of Ateneo. Normally, people only give once..which is much appreciated of course, but we're hoping that people will be able to provide more long term assistance and support. You can always choose to donate goods/money through other organizations and agencies, what's important is that we are able to spread the word about channeling all our Christmas energy towards helping the people in Mindanao. The idea is to ask your friends to donate instead of giving you gifts this holiday season. It will only take a few minutes of your time. A tweet, a text, an email can do wonders! Maraming Salamat!:)

Help spread the word by posting r edcross.org.ph #giveupgifts4cdo

on your Facebook and Twitter profiles today!

If you'd like to DONATE here's how:

The Bills Payment facility of Metrobank at any branchDonor fills out two copies of the Payment Slip and indicates the following details:

Company name: Ateneo de Manila University
Subscriber Name: name of donor as will appear in the Ateneo official receipt
Reference Number: DREAM Team
Subscriber number: 002
Mode of payment: Indicate whether cash or check
Amount of payment: indicate Php amount.

Giving checks or cash directly to the Ateneo For checks, pay to the Order of Ateneo de Manila University FAO DReaM Team and addressed to Dr. Edna P. Franco, Vice President for Administration and Planning, Xavier Hall 2F, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108. Please indicate donor's name and address so that an official receipt can be sent to the donor.

For donations in US Dollars, a wire transfer can be made via China Bank with the following details:

Beneficiary Customer: Ateneo de Manila University;
US$ S/A Account No. 101-732651-4
Beneficiary Bank: 803-3278-269; China Banking Corporation; Manila, Philippines;
Swift Address: CHBKPHMM

To deposit directly to Xavier University, you may deposit through their BPI Account:Company name: Xavier University
Account #: 9331-0133-63
Branch: CDO, Divisoria Branch Account

For those who wish to donate in kind, you may bring the following to the Ateneo School of Government at the Socio-Development Complex:
Personal Hygiene pack:
Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, handsantizers,
Footwear
Clothes
Blankets

The Way to Shabuway

2011-12-19T17:37:00.001+08:00

I've heard raves about Ganso- Shabuway from close friends for a couple of months now but it was only last week that I actually had the chance to make my way to Shabuway in Greenbelt 5. I love Shabu-Shabu restaurants, it's such a fun dining experience for big groups and even couples. It's a very healthy alternative to the usual greasy and guilty dishes we often devour during the holidays. This makes this even more enticing for oldie b' goldies..at kaya pala eto yung pinili namin for our Christmas triple date?! Hahaha! Excuuuuuse me, we're forever YOUNG!!!:)

Most of their Shabu-Shabu sets consist of Meats and Vegetables, which is great for both the meat lovers and the vegetarians in your barkada. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though and hoping that they introduce a Seafood Shabu-Shabu set soon. For more details about the restaurant, I shall turn you over to the foodie expert to Anton Diaz.

Triple dates are always fun, especially since we all get along so well. It's like we're still in grade school, the girls bully the boys ALL the time. Ask Julz, his wife Stella always reveals his deepest darkest secrets to us..like a certain someone he "DOESN'T FOLLOW" on Twitter..but searches for everyday. Let's just say it's not exactly the Twitter profile you'd like to see on a top lawyer's page. Hahahaha!!! Peace, Julz! It's also nice to celebrate each other's big milestones together..like baby girl #2 for the Catilos! Congratulations! Hooray for improving the human race with your pretty girls :)

I know we've all been complaining about the crazy Manila traffic all over twitter, and I share your frustration. But when you come to think of it, the reason there's traffic all over the metro is because we're all trying to get somewhere special and at the end of the day it's all about our LOVE for OTHERS. We endure the crazy traffic to get to our Christmas parties, to buy gifts for our loved ones, or to have little intimate dates with close friends..just so we can make others feel special before the year ends. It's the ultimate sacrifice to brave the traffic, it's a genuine way of saying..I shall travel for 2 hours because your friendship matters to me. That's why I really appreciate get togethers like these, simple but very meaningful. Christmas is definitely in the AIIIIIRRRRR. Get ready for more posts on our Christmas party/dinner hopping adventures!

Thank you Catilos for the photos!

Fashion Friday: Rags2Riches

2011-12-16T00:15:00.001+08:00

World Renowned Fashion Designer Oliver Tolentino with the Nanays of Payatas.

The beautiful R2R Masaya Collection by Oliver Tolentino.

Read more about the Rags2Riches Story HERE.

HOW TO BE GRATEFUL

2011-12-15T09:20:00.058+08:00

Yesterday as I was lining up for almost an hour at our local bank, with a ton of bills on one hand and my passbook on the other..I took the time to sort of reflect on things. Yes, nagmumuni-muni ako dun habang nakapila! EMO in the BANK-O. Hahaha!:) With all the expenses piling up throughout the holidays, I was getting overwhelmed! My paychecks just magically disappeared all of a sudden. *Kapoooof!* Duma-David Blaine yung pera ko! Just as I was about to rant, I stopped myself and realized that I was actually in a very good position. That I was physically and mentally fit enough to be able to work, that I was actually earning enough provisions to survive, that I didn't have to do something against my principles and convictions just to pay off a debt. Many people struggle with their finances, their health, their relationships on a daily basis. Life sucks big time. The only stress I had was the fact na "sakto" yung pera ko, so who am I to complain? I didn't have extra, but God made it so para tamang-tama lang. That's not a problem, that's a blessing. :) But it's not always EASY to see the good in dire situations but here's something that's quite interesting to read....

HUWAT?! Ano?! That's what it says in the Bible?! Wow. That just seems so unrealistic. IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES?! In other words, NO MATTER WHAT?!?! How about if your husband cheats on you? How about if you get fired from your job? How about if your best friend steals a million pesos from you? How do you stay THANKFUL when faced with these crappy life situations? It just doesn't add up. It just doesn't make sense.

As children we were all programmed to understand that THANKFULNESS is a response to something "good". When someone gives you a toy, you say THANK YOU. When someone grabs your toy, isumbong mo ang bwisit mong kaklase kay Teacher! You don't say THANK YOU to someone who has wronged you, it just doesn't compute in a normal person's head. So now, as a full grown adult with many years of valuable life experiences, it just seems fair to be ungrateful when people hurt you, ungrateful when you don't get what you feel you truly deserve, and ungrateful when life gives you pain and heartaches. Tama lang naman yun, diba?

But why would the words "In all circumstances" be written in the Bible? There must be a point to all this, after all, words are put in the Bible for a purpose. It's not like St. Paul just scribbled these words down to be cool. It's not like he was trying to impress anyone on Twitter with his vocabulary. He put it in simple terms, no ifs, no buts, no maybes..as in NO MATTER WHAT, the all encompassing "lahat yan kasama dito kaya wala kang lusot mga tsong at tsang".

Earlier, I pondered on this verse and tried to maneuver around it. And how I understand it, with my limited knowledge on God and religion, is just as a girl who believes in the good that can come out of the world..God put each and every one of us on this earth for a purpose. For what purpose, I dont know, I guess only time will tell what purpose we each shall serve. But I do believe that he gives us specific circumstances (both good and bad) for these unique life purposes to take shape and for us to become the people we were destined to be from day one. So the command to be grateful is not to punish us, but to actually help us realize that the path to happiness is through genuine appreciation of God's plan for us. Gratefulness=Happy Heart.

I reflected on the question "What are you thankful for?" and surprisingly I came up with quite a long list in my head. I never ever really took the time to jot it down, to be specific. I guess it's a no brainer to say I'm thankful for friends, family, work, food, chocolates, etc. But one of the things that came to mind is this blog. Like I've mentioned many times before, I started blogging back in the day when Facebook and Twitter were non-existent and the easiest way to keep friends in the loop was through a blog. Unintentionally however, simply because I was immature and just didn't know any better, the blog served as just an online diary...it was all about my thoughts, my dreams, my experiences, my favorite this and that. I took pictures, wrote some funny entries, that was just about it. Then I hit an emotional rut, I went through a life crisis. And just like most of you, I was complaining about life more often..asking "Why me Lord?!" more and more. Before I could even write an entry to rant and ramble about my then shitty life, I took down my blog and chose to go on an online hiatus. In retrospect, I'm thankful I saved myself from falling into a trap of self-pity and ungratefulness. Self-pity is vanity for the weak. And although I understand how difficult it is to go through a very heart-breaking situation, there's always a point in your life when you just decide to be GRATEFUL instead of resentful. It took a long time to get there, but I got there.

When I made a conscious effort to change my mindset, to adapt a more GRATEFUL approach to living..my life started to miraculously sort itself out! It didn't happen overnight though, but slowly it all started to fall into place. I started becoming more hopeful about the things to come, I was more positive in dealing with people, I was more efficient and effective in the workplace, I was more open minded and welcoming of others. With this renewed spirit, I started a new blog...tadah..eto na yun, DAPATTYLAUREL! :) And I vowed to make this a home for positivity and gratefulness. There are days when I literally have to squeeze it out of me..I'm a very moody and cranky person 3 weeks in a month, so it's not exactly happy-happy-joy-joy for me all the time. Hindi ko kayo bobolahin, mahirap, malungkot, at mabigat ang buhay minsan. Things don't exactly work out as planned ALL THE TIME..but even in the darkest points of our lives, God is still ever present and that should be enough to be thankful and hopeful for.

I still write about myself in this blog...umm..because it's a personal blog, so I really don't have a choice..hehehehe...but I've been trying to inject some other topics in this blog as well. I wanted this to be different from my past blog..I wanted it be about how I can grow with all of YOU: my dear friends, loved ones and readers :) To stay true to my blog title and to invite you all to come waste your time with me!:)

After reading all your emails, I sort of get a feel of what you guys need and if I find myself in the position to help you with something, then I am more than willing to pour out all the useful tips and advice I can give. Kung wala akong mabigay na advice na matino, then I'll be honest enough to seek out help just so we can learn new things together. I love sharing new discoveries. I was never the type to be "swapang-cool" about things, if I find something nice, unique, and helpful...I always make it a point to share this to everyone. "Swapang-Cool" is that friend of yours who always has something cool to brag about but will never ever bother to tell you where she got it just to deprive you of the joy of having it too. Yung pag tinanong mo kung san niya nahanap "Ay, di ko alam...regalo lang 'to ng Tita ko!" pero sa Divisoria lang pala niya nabili! AHA! SWAPANG COOL IT IS!

When I watch an inspiring video, I always think to myself "Oooohhh..my friends have to watch this!". It's easy to just click the close button and keep the coolness all to yourself, but then what's the point? Cool ka nga, Lonely ka naman! Mas masaya maging cool and interesting together!!! It's nice to have an exchange of ideas and to be generous! Am I right or am I right?!?!

Same goes for the prizes that I am so happy to share with you guys. Ayoko maging "Swapang Cool"! Dapat "Sharing Cool" tayo mga kabarkada, just like my ultimate idols, the CARE BEARS. haha! Yes, I just coined two ugly words..feel free to use them anytime. Sadly, wala akong budget to buy 40,000 goodie bags for all of you each week...I can only afford to give a few treats here and there. Nakukulitan na siguro yung mga kaibigan kong sponsors because I always ask for gifts for my readers. I'm not really marketing savvy so I'm just very direct and say "Can I share this experience with my readers?" and thankfully, they always gladly oblige. It's important for me to be able to give you an opportunity to experience things with me because it makes me feel more connected to all of you. If I discover a new moisturizer, I'd like someone to try it too..or if I eat at a new restaurant, I'd like someone to enjoy a meal there as well! I too learn from all your tweets and emails, so it's a win-win for us both. :)

So to my dear blog readers, pagbigyan niyo na ako, indulge me as I mush all over the place. Pasko na, maraming ilaw na kumikinang-kinang sa labas at kumakanta pa si Jose Mari Chan. HELLO?!?! HE'S JOSE-FRICKIN-MARI-BLOODY-CHAN!!! I'm sure there are skeptics and cynics out there, and I can't please you all and I won't even try. I write, I post, I share..because these are things that come from an honest place of gratefulness. When you have experienced how it is to be completely broken then healed by God, only then will you understand this corniness. I am grateful for the second, third, and fourth chances God has given me. I am grateful for this platform to speak my mind. I am grateful to have my super supportive readers. I am grateful that the jokes that I think are funny are actually funny pala (phew! buti nalang!bumebenta naman pala ako!). I am grateful that I have stress, that I have a job, that I am able to pay my bills. I am grateful for all of YOU. I am grateful that even at times when I am NOT grateful, when I'm a brat, when I am difficult and stubborn..that God remains faithful and waits patiently for me to regain my gratefulness again. :)

All Natural Gift Ideas

2011-12-14T00:31:00.001+08:00

Yahooooo!!! I'm finally seeing more and more tick marks on my Christmas list..PROGRESS!:) It's the first time Patrick and I will be celebrating Christmas..so it's QUITE A BIG DEAL for us both! Especially since we're sharing gifts..yes, that's TWO PATS on the card for 2011. It's been a fun kind of holiday stress, brainstorming for gift ideas and actually purchasing these gifts for our loved ones. It's wonderful also to see how God works to bless us with provisions to be able to buy gifts for the people we care about. Today, I'm sharing some of my recent purchases..hopefully you'll find them useful too :) Happy Gift Shopping!!!

FOR DAD: Kristian Regale Sparkling Peach

Here's a great way to toast to the holidays in a happy, alky-free way! You'll enjoy the fresh taste of real peaches in this special sparkling drink.

FOR THE KIDDIES: Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops and Gummy Bears

HOMAYGAD! These are the most addicting sweets ever! And by addicting, I mean it in a good and healthy way of course. I bought a pack of gummy bears for my inaanak..and umm....well...looks like I need to buy another pack for him. They're gluten free, fat free, made from real fruit juices and ORGANIC which is why they're so delicious!

FOR MOM: Jason Frosted Plum Gift Set This nourishing body wash soothes the skin with the hydrating benefits of vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5. The vintage scent is crafted from plum, natural vanilla extracts and pure almond oil.

FOR YOUR SISTER: Alba Botanica Gift Set Spiced Toddy
When you get a whiff of these scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla plus a hint of spiced rum..you'll be instantly transported to a whole new HOLIDAY realm! The botanically infused, moisturizing shower gel and naturally nourishing body lotion are infused with nut oils and soothing chamomile extract to deliver deep hydration to dry skin.

FOR YOUR LOLA AND LOLO: Bissinger Crème Mints
Made in coppper pots over an open flame by hand, and covered in dark chocolate. Trust me, the combination of DARK CHOCOLATE and MINT is divine!!! It's the perfect way to end your noche buena meal!

FOR YOUR HARD WORKING COWORKERS:

The Republic of Tea- Get Heart, Get Soothed and Get Happy

I love these cute and quirky teas that suit different needs and personalities! You're sure to find a tea type that matches a particular character trait. These teas bring happy vibes to your body!

FOR DAPATTY: The Healing Powers of Chocolate Book

It's a book about CHOCOLATE?!?!?! Don't believe me huh?? Read this, buddies:
Known as Mother Nature's 'food of the gods', the medicinal benefits of chocolate were recognized as far back as 4000 years ago. Eating chocolate can help boost the immune system, lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes-even obesity! - and increase lifespan. Chocolate can relieve a host of ailments, including depression, fatigue, pain and PMS, as well as rev up your sex drive for all you married couples! Drawing on the latest scientific research as well as interviews with medical doctors and chocolatiers, this fascinating book reveals how to live longer and healthier while indulging in one of nature's most decadent and versatile foods.

You could win

HEALTHY OPTIONS GIFT CARDS

for you to enjoy more Healthy Holiday shopping!!!

1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below.

2. Click LIKE on the Healthy Options Facebook Page.

3. Send your name and home address to pattylaurelblog@gmail.com by December 16, 2011. Winners will be notified via email.

Blast from My Not-so-Distant Past

2011-12-12T14:12:00.000+08:00

After a bajillion years, Alessa and I decided to finally claim our yearbooks at the Alumni Office last week. Our yearbooks were so heavy, it's like we took home 5 volumes of the Britannica Encyclopedia with us.And to make our BFF-ness even more cheesy and predictable..tadahhhh! Check out our pages! They're right next to each other!!!! Laurel and Libongco! Inseparable!

I was sort of dreading the grand reveal of my yearbook, worried that what was written back in 2004 would be so far from where I am right now. These yearbook write-ups are always meant to give the future you a remembrance of who you were back in the day and also a safe prediction of who you are bound to become in the coming years. So when I found my page, I took a deep breath and read the write up. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I was quite relieved to find out that I'm still very much the same person..the very hopeful and positive girl I was back in 2004. When I read the line"A chocolate lover who never exercises" I wanted to slap myself! Damnit!

Of course, a few things have changed like I was formerly a "sweet and thoughtful" girl...Well, these days, alam niyo naman na I'm more famously known for being "Sexy and Mysterious".And OH, my so-called "down to earth demeanor", that's no longer true as well dahil MAYABANG na ako ngayon at hindi na ako marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ko! CHE sa inyong lahat! Sorry guys, I'm now like the BIGGEST of BIG TIMES and I can't be friends with SMALL TIMERS! Mwahahahahaha!:) I kid, I kid!

After seeing my college yearbook, I decided to dig up my old high school yearbook as well. It's been more than a decade since I last opened my Yearbook. It was buried under a huge pile of books..after rummaging through the alikabok filled chest, I found GOLD! Hahaha!!! Meet Patty Laurel of De La Salle Zobel batch 2000!

Talk about predictions gone wrong! I was voted by our school as the future "Pambato sa Bb Pilipinas". Ummm, guys, I hate to burst your bubble and all..but medyo kulang ako ng 7 inches LANG naman to be a beauty queen! I didn't quite make it to the Venus Raj-Shamcey SupSup level as my peers predicted. My kuripot parents didn't invest in Cherifer, they fed me Star Margarine with rice and that Flintstones vitamins instead..MAJOR MAJOR FAIL!!!

There's always a struggle to GROW UP vs GROW OLD. Growing Old is inevitable, age is something we can't escape and our bodies will succumb to it all. But GROWING UP is a state of mind, the goal we all hope to achieve. I'm in my twenties and there's so much GROWING UP left for me to do. I'd like to think that I'm a very sensible and mature person, but there's still so much to learn about myself, about the people around me, and about the world in general. And pausing just to look back at the year that has passed or even the past decade or two, will make you realize that "HEY I AM GROWING UP and I'm not as stupid, selfish and shallow as I once was! Well done, you!" :) As the year comes to a close, I urge you all to take a look back at the life lessons you've picked up and use these realizations to motivate you for 2012! :)

BEAUTIFUL THINGS

2011-12-12T12:11:00.002+08:00

A sweet song to start your week :)

All this pain

I wonder if I’ll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make me new, You are making me new

You are making me new

2011-12-11T11:59:00.005+08:00

www.bureauofcommunication.com

Fashion Friday: THE SARTORIALIST

2011-12-10T09:58:00.000+08:00

Who's your EVERYDAY Hero?

2011-12-08T18:56:00.004+08:00

My everyday HERO is my Dad. And my Mom. They've rescued me from many little life disasters and I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for them. I mean REALLY, they sort of made me..you know:) And so when I watched this video, I was completely blown away!!!

Hero from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

How I wish I could be this talented too, how I wish I could also pay tribute to my parents in a WOW kind of way! I'm sure you have someone special in your life too, that one person who always manages to make you smile each day. It could be a family member, an officemate, or someone you're not really close to but has made such a big impact in your life.

Could it be your building receptionist who always greets you with a knock knock joke every morning? Or could it be your hardworking Nanay who's been juggling three jobs just for you to be able to finish college? Or the friendly manang in your office cafeteria who always adds an extra cup of rice on your plate? Or the maintenance fella on the 6th floor who always does such an excellent job of cleaning your staff lounge? Who is that ONE person who deserves a little appreciation this holiday season?

American Poet Wallace Stevens got it absolutely right when he said:“The only emperor is the emperor of ice cream”. And today, my dear friends, that shall be my mission...to be THE EMPEROR OF ICE CREAM!!!! Empress Patricia of Ice Creamville!:) WHY ICE CREAM? Because I wanted to keep it simple..and ICE CREAM is that common denominator that makes us all happy. Rich, Poor, Old, Young..everyone loves Ice Cream. So I teamed up with the folks at Selecta Hershey's for this little project! Bringing tubs of HAPPINESS to people who truly deserve it!

Share your story and I might just send someone to deliver some tubs of Selecta Hershey's HEATH Ice Cream to that special someone! That's right, we'll bring the HAPPINESS straight to his/her doorstep next week! :) I'll be picking SEVERAL winners for this contest..the goal is to spread the love to as many people as possible! PASKO NAAAAA!!!!:)

Please click LIKE if you'd like to join the contest. Thank you!

Christmas Giftlist: BEAUTY BAR ONLINE STORE

2011-12-07T10:58:00.002+08:00

They say it’s better to give than to receive. I beg to differ. Of course it’s always better to receive! Ang saya kaya magbukas ng regalo! Hahahaha! But for all of you who have good and generous hearts out there, kudos to you for coming up with your Christmas gift lists. When it comes to gift giving, it’s nice to keep it personal. I appreciate gift givers who actually take the time to look for something sweet and simple that fits my personality and lifestyle.

With just a few weeks to go before Christmas, people have been scrambling all over the malls just to complete their Christmas gift lists. For all you netizens out there, I discovered a great way to shop for your loved ones without having to leave your homes. You can even shop for them at the office during your lunch break. I was about to say, you could shop online in the middle of a boring meeting..but that might just get you fired! And it would kind of suck to be unemployed over the holidays..medyo lang naman. Hahaha!

One of my favorite kikay playgrounds, THE BEAUTY BAR, now has an online store! I’ve been going to The Beauty Bar since I was in high school. I’d browse through their merchandise while waiting for my sundo in my PE uniform. Of course back in the day, I couldn’t wear any makeup so you can imagine my delight when I started working for TV and HAD to wear makeup! It’s every little girl’s dream to try on lipsticks, blushes, eyeshadows, etc. It’s nice to get yourself dolled up once in a while. But aside from makeup, The Beauty Bar is home to a lot of skin and body care products, which make for good gifts for your moms, titas, cousins, and workaholic girlfriends in dire need of pampering. They also have a baby line and a men’s line, so they pretty much cover everyone on your list!

The Beauty Bar online store allows you to fully explore each and every item. The details of each product along with the price are clearly listed next to the image. This helps you keep within your budget and also allows you to determine whether a specific item would suit the lifestyle of “giftee”. You can easily pay via GCash, Visa or Mastercard. Plus you save on your gas and parking fees too since they provide FREE shipping for a minimum of 2,500 purchase. So basically, it’s just click..click..click and you’re done with your Christmas list! For more beauty tips and advice, you can check out the Facebook page of their resident beauty expert Bella.

You can start shopping now at shop.beautybar.com.ph and

GET A FREE GIFT for every Php500 worth of purchases!

Our friends from The Beauty Bar are feeling

extra generous so we’re giving away

GRACE COLE GIFT SETS

to some Lucky Blog Readers!

1 1. Click the LIKE and TWEET buttons below this post.

2 2. Follow @BeautyBarPH on Twitter and click LIKE on the Beauty Bar Facebook page.

3 3. Send your name and address to pattylaurelblog@gmail.com before Dec 12, 2011.

This is a sponsored post.

Hump Day Zone Out.

2011-12-07T10:37:00.000+08:00

Boracay Baby

By Catilo Photography

All you need to do is SMILE.

2011-12-06T23:43:00.001+08:00

A brutally honest yet touching short comedy that's worth your 2 minutes :)

School Portrait (2011) from Michael Berliner on Vimeo.