Mom-Finds For Girls: Glam-Rock Princess Look

My Mom-Finds posts have been scarce lately as I have been quite preoccupied for the last several weekends. As I did the last time, these finds are, again, for the little girls.  Most moms would agree with me that there really are so much more good finds for girls out there than for boys.  I do hope I get to find cool stuff for boys soon!

Tutu-inspired Tulle Skirt

Baby pink, multi-tiered tulle skirt with satin elastic waist band for less than P500.

I bought this frothy little number when my girl insisted on buying it as soon as she saw it hanging on the rack.  It was pink, it was frilly, it was "a ballerina skirt" -- she proclaimed. That's the last one in that style and color, and it was a size 6! Of course I told her it was way too big and we can get the other style in her size. She quickly pulled it up over her pants and didn't want to take them off, not giving me any choice but to go along and buy it than risk having a scene with her as she was on the verge of a tantrum. And I have to say the skirt was really so adorable so I obliged.

 

A model-in-the-making?  She really enjoyed posing and modeling her new glam-rock princess outfit

On the mannequin, the tulle skirts were paired with funky printed tops, and knitted leggings which I found to be so preppy and hip.  It does match well with the cotton-candy skirt so I got this gray argyle knit pants as well.

Before walking over to the counter, I just picked up this sleeveless white cotton tee off the rack.  It featured ruffle detail on the arm hole, with bead accents on the neckline which I thought complemented the colors of the leggings and skirt perfectly. This was also big on her, but it was the smallest that the brand carries at size 4.  Oh well, at least she can still wear them in the next year or so, even as a costume!

 

Wacky poses from the girl, this time without the skirt

 

Get the look -- The Original Pettiskirt by Kaiya Eve (thanks to my friend Tina for the reference)

I bought the whole outfit at the girls' section of SM Department Store a few months back and I lost the receipt, so I apologize that I could not post the exact prices.  But as I recall, each item is between P200 to P500.  The silver flats she was wearing here were bought separately.  Not bad for a whole outfit at P1,000 (approx. USD$21) don't you think?

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Tagaytay Family Holiday, Album 2: Paradizoo

Farm Animals, Vegetable Farm, Flower and Evolution Garden, Perpetual Park, Butterfly Garden, Honey Bee Farm, and a host of in-house facilities and activities are available for visitors of all ages in this private-owned zoo and farm.  Welcome to Paradizoo!

What to do and where to go with four kids in tow?  I took a cue from my friend, The Phenomenal Woman, as I found inspiration from her family's Paradizoo experience. So, here's the second installment of our 2009 holiday album.

After checking-in at Taal Vista Hotel and a hearty Pinoy lunch at Leslie's resto-grill, we then drove our way to Paradizoo Theme-Farm in nearby Mendez, Cavite. It was a 20-minute drive from Aguinaldo Highway. The farm is operated by the same owners of the popular Residence Inn & Zoo, another tourist destination in Tagaytay.

The farm was not all that spectacular and scenic, but more of having a provincial rustic charm. Very organic in every sense. So don't expect a modern theme park ambiance as it is really a working farm where a variety of plants and fresh produce are on offer.

First to greet us on the tour was this large dromedary camel. What distinguishes this camel from the ones we usually see in the movies crossing deserts is that this one only has one (1) hump on it's back. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good angle to shoot it's profile to show the single hump. Just for fun, read through the sign below and you may find yourself doing a spell-check ;)

With a friendly guide leading us up and down the path and around the farm, we were introduced to a number of animals we don't commonly see in the city zoo. The tour gave us a better knowledge and appreciation for these friendly creatures as well as the flora and the produce grown on the property.

Mooo, Wagyu -- beef of Japan! 

So this is the famous, and pricey, wagyu -- the melt-in-your-mouth beef cubes / steaks. Sorry, couldn't help but think of the steak when I saw the sign.  It described them as a pure Japanese breed of cattle dating back to 1830, and can live up to 20 years. They are dark, chocolate-brown colored cows that are relatively smaller than their heavier dairy cow brothers/sisters.

'What are they looking at?', you may wonder. Well, we were all waiting for the arrival of the famous Voltes-5!

I'm serious. Really!

Meet Voltes-5, the cow. So, what's so interesting with this cow?

Look closely...closer...closer...

Voltes-5 has a 5th leg!!!  This so-called freak-of-nature cow has an extra leg and hoof dangling on the right side of his front leg.  Thus the name.

We also passed by several goats and kids, hogs and pigs in large pens, geese and chickens freely walking about. Can you spot the shy kid below?

As we cross the field, we spotted a lone scarecrow. I had my sister-in-law pose for a souvenir shot (",)

The farm nurtures a variety of flowers, and grow assorted vegetables for agribusiness.  A few caught my eye, like this 'Mickey Mouse' plant. Also known as Nipple fruit, it has chemical and medicinal properties, and decorative as well.  It looked to me like it's from the tomato family, and seemed like plastic fruits up close.

Getting this close to a bee was a first for me and I was so glad I was able to capture this one as it was pollenating, I guess.

Now correct me if I'm wrong here, but is my imagination running too wild when I thought this looked like The Grinch screaming and pointing a finger towards the sky as it gets frozen as a tree monster?

 

 There was an afternoon drizzle and these cousins still managed to continue with their curious discoveries.

And more wonderful discoveries along the way...

Can you believe these lettuce were like 2 feet high?!

Sss...slithering reptile was camera-ready to pose over our necks when we got to the farm's log cabin. Well, we did not pose with this one if you're wondering.

 

 

We all took a breather from the walking tour and the kids opted to circle around the cabin on rented bikes.

One of the elements in the farm that also caught my eye was their use of solid, natural wood for their tables and chairs, just like the ones found at the log cabin and cafe.  The distressed and antique look of these furniture reflects the Filipiniana theme.

 A golden tree of dried ears of corn stand proud in the field. Pure ingenuity.

These are my favorite shots from the whole trip. Pure emotion captured. My girl was pretty excited to catch a butterfly in the tent but quickly got so scared when it flew straight towards her, not knowing it landed directly on her cap!

Seeing this worm reminded me of one of my girl's favorite book by Eric Carle, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar".

And on we went to the bee farm...uhmmm, it was actually a gallery where we got to see and touch a honeycomb. There was also a viewing window of a small colony of bees.

 

The PerPETual Park, or pet cemetery, was totally unexpected yet logical since this is a farm with lots of animals. A most wonderful way to commemorate our dearly departed animal friends.  Sadly, we lost our own pet poodle Sushi when we got home the day after our visit.  Was this coincidence? Creepy.

One of the cutest and most adorable animals I saw in the farm is this miniature pony (?).

Fresh from the farm's wide lettuce patch are these bountiful harvest of crisp greens.  Beside it was a crate of firm green tomatoes also on offer.

Paradizoo Theme-Farm proved to be the perfect choice for our live-wire gang of four, leaving everyone with a fun and unique learning experience that will surely be remembered for a long time. Even for just a day, the bonding time of the cousins are truly priceless.

 

And now they all went quack-ing out of the farm and ready to head back home for some downtime. Goodbye Paradizoo, we had an awesome time. 'Till our next visit!

 

As soon as we left the farm, my parents, my brother and his family drove back home to the city. As for my crew, we headed back to our hotel for more R & R. To be continued... (",)

Move on to Album 3.

Check out our Album 1

Paradizoo Theme-Farm
Km. 63 Panungyan Mendez, Cavite
Tel.:  (046) 413-1244 / 860-2238
Makati Office:
Tel.:  (632) 898-3695

Admission:
Adult - P149
Kids - P99

For tours and inquiries:
Zoomanity Group
3rd Foor, Yupangco Building, 339 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Tel: +63917-8351111

Email: info@zoomanity.com.ph

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Tagaytay Family Holiday, Album 1

Cool, fresh air of December, blue-gray skies, and a view of the smallest active volcano en route to our destination -- Tagaytay.

It's been three long years since I last went to this beautiful and bustling city south of the metro. It was December of 2006 when we had a day trip and celebrated my mom-in-law's birthday. Fast forward to 2009, we decided to have a more relaxed stay and spent a night during the last holiday of the year. All I can say is we had an amazing family-bonding experience.  The kids just can't stop raving about this trip and kept asking to go back and ride the horse again, and again, and again!

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Crunchy Panko on Asuhos Fillets, et al

Crunchy chicken, crunchy fish, crunchy pizza, crunchy everything...that's what you'll hear from the kids every so often when it's meal time.

Panko, the Japanese bread crumbs is a staple in my kitchen as it gives that light, crispiness to everything I coat it with.

Most often, fillets of fish, pork cutlets, and slices of tofu gets dredged in flour, dipped in egg, and finally, evenly covered with panko for that perfectly fried, crunchy dish that the boy and girl are always clamoring for.

It is not often that I am able to buy this very convenient pack of de-boned asuhos fillet, so whenever I get a chance, at P280 a pack (I believe it was 24 fillets), I grab one and immediately fry us some thin and crispy asuhos fish fillet with honey mustard sauce. Thousand Island dressing would likewise be a perfect dip.

About Asuhos:  according to Wikipedia, this silver-banded whiting from the genus Sillago is an inshore marine species that inhabits an island on the shores of Palawan, Philippines

Quick, easy, golden, crispy goodness you can allow yourself, and the kids of course, to indulge from time to time. It's easy to forget they're deep fried in oil once you take a bite! It's crunch time!

 

SOLE FILLET cut to pieces, breaded and fried. 

I season the fish first with some rock salt, pepper and fresh-squeezed lemon. For a slight twist, this time, I mixed the panko with fresh chopped parsley.

 

 Golden, crunchy crust covers this soft, juicy white fillet

A very delicate Japanese tofu, similar to the fried agedashi tofu but without the sauce
 
PANKO CRUSTED TOFU. This dish takes a lot of practice to be able to serve them whole, from slicing to dredging, dipping in egg and finally covering with panko. So be patient and try to do this as often as you want 'til you get most of the slices out perfectly (",)

I used the same tofu variety from my miso soup recipe. The dipping sauce is a mix of a little warm water, Kikkoman soy sauce and pinch of brown sugar -- mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine) with Kikkoman is your best bet.

Note: Asuhos fish, photo from Wikipedia

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Seeing Yellow, Black, and White: The Wedding

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
1 Corinthians 13:4

This is the unifying theme of last December's event.  Truly a joyous celebration with a "mix of serious, funny, laughter, tears, romance and comedy...that's life, that's marriage...", perfectly summed up by one of the couple's ninangs (godmother / lady principal sponsor). And I couldn't agree more. After almost 12 months of planning with the bride and groom, the yellow, black and white wedding has finally been concluded, and with a bang!

Sleek invitation with letter-embossed card stock, designed by the groom, with the footnote: 
Faith + Hope + Love. But the greatest of all these is love - 1 Corinthians 13:13

From the well-documented DIY preparations to the bride's teary-eyed walk down the aisle, the choreographed 90s re-mix of the couple's first dance, down to the wacky antics of friends Mike and K.O. who hosted the program (Mike, incidentally, was also getting married the next day -- you're such a trooper Mike! How could I have left you out! And K.O. was so spot-on with her witty remarks!), it was by far the most unique, poignant and riotous wedding I have ever planned and witnessed. Kudos to the newlyweds who did wonders on the very personalized, one-of-a-kind elements for their big day.  It pays to have two very creative individuals who know what they want, and how to do it, for this all important day of their lives.

  

Trial hair and make-up with stylist Peddy

An ocular inspection of the church last July, with some souvenir shots of the bride-to-be who's about to try to walk down the aisle

I was so excited to take as many pictures of everything that day (with my brand new digital SLR of course!) but it's quite impossible for me to be a director and photographer at the same time you know. So, I was only able to steal a few shots during the bride's preparations, some behind-the-scenes moments, and a few of the beautiful elements from the wedding.

The elegant bridal bouquet of ivory white tulips and yellow calla lilies, accented with pearl beads, hand-tied in satin black ribbon.

The artist at work

Loot bag for the girls and boys of the entourage

 

Yellow satin peep-toe bridal shoes with subtle pleats and bow

The bride and her well-made traje de boda

The afternoon Christian ceremony at Holy Trinity was solemn, intimate, and with bursts of laughter along the way.

 

A simple yet elegant dinner reception at the Mandarin Oriental provided the perfect backdrop for an evening of great food, good music and entertainment, with loads of wonderful surprises.

 Ceiling swags with crystal drops create a warm yet classy atmosphere

The set menu for the evening was just delectable, and I have already taken photos of each dish during our final food tasting at the hotel a week before the wedding.

Tuna tataki with garlic-saffron aioli, mango salsa and assorted greens -- the aioli complements the fresh sashimi perfectly!

Following this delectable tuna starter was the Carrot-ginger soup with Crabmeat wanton.  I was not able to take a decent shot of this flavorful, light cream of carrot with a hint of spice.

Roasted chicken breast on cauliflower puree, broad beans, pancetta and maple glazed shallots -- unfortunately, I was not able to savor this main course, and you know why  since I'm directing the whole program, and having been able to sit and relish the starters and dessert were a bonus already!

  Passion fruit crème brulee with raspberry sherbet -- need I say more? You bet I cleaned my plate with this one...seconds please!

 

 Lovely 3-layered butter walnut fondant cake topped with yellow gumpaste rose buds

I personally recommend this hotel for your banquet needs as they offer one of the best, if not the best, wedding packages in the city. This was also my choice for my own wedding seven years ago as they have the most beautiful table settings, sumptuous selection of international dishes, and an efficient and personalized service as part of their great value-for-money event packages.

 

Gorgeous centerpieces atop an all-black linen-covered tables

My wacky-happy couple who outdid themselves with the biggest project of their lives

Surprise opening dance number to a medley of 90s dance hits which got full attention from everyone, including the hotel's food attendants, wait staff and technical crew

Fun, fast and fantastic -- instant souvenir photos from Baicapture

A note to my dear friends, the newlyweds:
I'm sending you my love and best wishes, and hope you may have a blissful married life. Thank you for your trust and confidence, and for making me a part of this most joyous and memorable occasion.

Cheers!!!


Now, on to my last event -- a post-wedding cocktail party, happening later tonight!

Check out Part 1 of Seeing Yellow, Black, and White and see the other elements of their wedding.

My girl's favorite button with the dinosaur -- so apt, as I always remind her not to be rude when talking to people :-)


Planning this awesome event requires creativity, resourcefulness, persistence, and lotsa love from a great team of wedding partners:

Bouquets and Church Flowers - In Bloom Events by Joy Cheng-See, mobile: +63917-5301673
Hair & Make-up - Peddy Acebo (message him at his Facebook profile), mobile: +63917-6279120
Venue Styling - Larry Natividad of Wedding Library, 5/F SM Megamall B, Ortigas Center
Reception & Floral Arrangements - Mandarin Oriental Manila, Makati City
Church - Holy Trinity Church, McKinley Road, Forbes Park, Makati City
Photo/Video - ParkerShot Photography by JR Sebastian
Music / Sound System - JAV Lights and Sounds, (632) 7145736
Photo Booth - Baicapture, (632) 8941500

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