Ovo

The mister and I went on another date last Saturday to see Cirque Du Soleil's OVO. It might not be the best show by Cirque but it still certainly amazed me. The aerial and acrobatic stunts were spectacular. The live musical performance was mesmerizing. The stage design was impressive to say the least.

the feet jugglers were such a delight to watch

the highlight of the show - performers jumping from a trampoline onto a climbing wall

I'm glad I had the opportunity to finally watch a performance by Cirque. Now I can cross that out from my bucketlist. The mister was not as excited as I was coming into the big top but as soon as the show started his mood changed and he looked like a little boy watching Star Wars for the first time. I don't think this will be the last Cirque show we will be watching.

Just in case you are interested, here's what I wore to the show.

maxi dress from manila, U2 jacket, woven belt from Seoul, Nine West wedges


photos from nytimes.com and montrealgazette.com

food for thought

my sweet life

an overcrowded bowl of fresh fruits

I can't believe my parents will be going back home in a couple of days, 10 days to be exact. Their visit has been more of a vacation for me than for them. I've been getting my much needed 8 hours of sleep (sometimes even more) and have been on dishwashing haitus for 3 weeks (and counting). I even managed to squeeze in a haircut the other day and I relished every second my head was rested on a warm towel.

Not to mention that every morning when I wake up there's always a tall glass of fruit smoothie waiting for me in the kitchen. You see, my parents are both following an all-you-can-eat-fruits-only-for-breakfast diet so my dad always makes an extra glass of his power breakfast concoction just for me. Sweet, isn't it?

And while I am on staycation mode, I have been guiltlessly indulging in yema balls (custard candy made with egg yolks and condensed milk) from home. Each piece is a labor of love by our dear Manang Del who has been with our family for over 20 years now.

home-made yema balls

My mom and I have conveniently scheduled our shopping dates during the little boy's mid-day nap. We've been visiting the Old Navy store in the nearby mall almost everyday and each time we're there we get a piece or two of the Fruity Pebble Treats from the checkout counter. I know, it's so Pinoy! The first time was out of curiosity since I've always been a big fan of Rice Crispy Treats. But the succeeding times I deliberately pocketed more than one since I still haven't found it in the grocery. So until then I will just be sourcing it free from Old Navy.

free fruity pebble treats

Hope you have sweet things planned this weekend, bunnies.

ice cream & pennies

I'm still hung over from all the smiles and cheer from the weekend. The little boy's laughter was very intoxicating. And it didn't really take much to make him happy.

On Saturday we brought him to the Family Fun Day activity at Como Park to see his favorite PBS Kids characters.

Como Park is a zoo and conservatory in the middle of the city dedicated to inspire appreciation for nature and all living things. The best thing about it is admission is free! So while we were there, we also visited the Giraffe, Gorillas, Sea Lions, Flaminngos, Lions, Tiger and Leopard.

The highlight of the afternoon was ice cream and hotdogs.

It's hard to imagine that as soon as we got home from that glorious little outing, we were greeted with a tornado warning. Thankfully, we were spared.

On Sunday, as soon as the rain clouds disappeared and the sun came out, we went to the Lyndale Park Rose Garden for a stroll and to throw some pennies in the fountain. I wished for all our days to be as simple and blissful as that weekend.

I wonder if Bud will remember these times as fondly as I do?

simple joys

I've really been taking advantage of the extra sets of helping hands we currently have on deck. Like the other day, my mom and I went out on a shopping date and left the little boy with the grandpa. It felt very liberating to be able to browse the racks without a little person tugging at me or daring me to run after him. An afternoon of bonding with my mom over shopping was just what I needed to recharge. It also gave me a good enough reason to finally wear the statement bib necklace that my SIL, Jack, gave me.

What has made you smile today?

bauble challenge: day seven

Old Navy top, Old Navy cardigan, Charlotte Russe cargo pants, Substance belt, Gap flats, owl necklace was a gift from my cousin

Finally, the last installment to my week-long commitment, yey! I've been out of practice for some time but after days of sprucing up outfits with baubles, I have a new found fondness for accessorizing. I hope you were inspired by this little project as much as I was.

here's a closer look at the owl necklace

bauble challenge: day six

Faith Hope Love top, Bayo shorts, Charles & Keith wedges, orange bead necklace from a bazaar

The Mister finally finished his patio project this weekend so we spent Sunday afternoon sitting around outside and basking in the warm sun while the little boy played with shells and water. Hence, the nautical inspired outfit.

Have a lovely week, bunnies!

bauble challenge: day five

Faith Hope Love drapey top, H&M cardigan, Old Navy boyfriend chinos, black and gold pointy flats from a local bazaar, pearl necklace

After a year and a half, the Mister and I finally went out on a romantic dinner date, just the two of us. Thanks to my mom and dad who volunteered to babysit the little boy for the night.

We watched a movie then had dinner at Cave Vin, a quaint neighborhood bistro that served French food. Inspired by our dinner reservations, I dressed up in my idea of classic Parisian chic - cropped pants, cardigan and pointy flats. I was going for the "effortless" look and didn't want to go over the top so I repurposed my pearl necklace and wore it as a bracelet instead.

The movie was great and dinner was memorable. The waitress asked to see our IDs when we ordered wine, haha! I wish we could have a date night more often.

How was your weekend?

bauble challenge: day four

Old Navy button down shirt, MNG cardigan, Old Navy skinnies, Indigo Clarks booties, three-strand cyrstal necklace from a bazaar.

Today was still gloomy. I had to do some light layering because it was a bit chilly too. And when I have to layer, I look to Jenna Lyons for some inspiration. I make sure I incorporate different textures and pair something tomboy with something very feminine. In this case, a button down camp shirt and a sparkly cropped cardigan. I added more sparkle to the outfit with a three-strand crystal necklace from my mom.

bauble challenge: day three

Chicify abstract dress, Giordano Ladies leggings, Indigo Clarks laceup boots, Avatar necklace

I spoke too soon! Just when I said it already felt like summer, the rain poured and it was gloomy all throughout the day. I thought I would dress up to match the day's mood then my mom suggested that I wear my silver and pearl necklace to liven things up a bit.

I was pleasantly surprised when I put on the necklace. It did put some life into my otherwise uninspired outfit. I love the combination of the silver hardware and the delicate white pearls.

toddler-approved recipe: fish sticks

As much as possible I try to serve food that Bud can easily eat on his own and requires very minimal supervision from me. Easy meaning something he can eat with his fingers. I guess majority of the moms have the same concern that is why most frozen kid's meals come with a choice of either chicken nuggets or fish sticks.

But no, I don't buy the frozen meals. I would rather prepare Bud's food from scratch so I can control the sodium and fat content. You would be surprised how easy and fast it is to make fish sticks from scratch.

TODAY'S LUNCH:

Fish Sticks

1 fillet of Tilapia

Salt

Flour

2 tbsps Olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

Slice the Tilapia fillet diagonally into 1" thick sticks. Season with salt and dredge with flour.

Heat oil in pan. Once oil is hot enough, put the fish in the pan and fry all sides until golden brown and crispy.

Serve with ketchup or tartar sauce for dipping.

Bon Appetite!

Top: striped tee from H&M

Pants: white jeans from Bench (gift from SIL, Tish)

Shoes: denim ballet flats from Gap

Accessory: bib necklace from Avatar (gift from SIL, Jack)

It seems like we totally skipped spring this year. After the last snow fall in the first week of May, temperatures suddenly shot up. It already feels like summer!

'Tis already the season for short dresses and skirts but I still opted to wear pants. Today was a school day so I had to be ready to rough it out. The white jeans paired with a simple striped tee was a practical choice. I finished off the ensemble with a bib necklace in torquoise and coral.



I was going for understated chic. Do you think I was able to pull it off?

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

bauble challenge: day one

My mom and dad arrived last Friday and they came bearing a bagful of baubles just for moi! Some of the pieces I chose myself and purchased from my favorite local online shopping site, chicify.com, and the rest are presents from my mom and SIL.

They've both been encouraging me to accessorize on a daily basis even if my days are mostly filled with trips to the park, library and grocery. The pieces they bought for me are so pretty it would be a waste not to use. So, for the next seven days I have committed to accessorize and just maybe I will develop the habit after this week-long challenge. My mom is all for it and has volunteered to take the photos.

DAY#1

Top: H&M
Skirt: H&M
Sandals: Cole Vintage c/o Chicify
Necklace: Avatar c/o Chicify

a happy mother's day

I am one lucky and happy momma! Aside from having an amazingly smart and affectionate little boy, my mommy is here!

My mommy is the greatest and she's also the best grandma a little boy could ever ask for.

Bud and I will surely be savoring the next 30 days that we'll be spending with her.

Hope you were able to spend time with your mommies this weekend too, bunnies!

spinach and sundried tomatoes

Inspired by the nice spring weather, I whipped up a light pasta dish tossing together some spinach, sundried tomatoes and garlic. I thought it tasted good enough to be shared with you.

SPINACH & SUNDRIED TOMATOES

Olive Oil

Garlic (minced)

Sundried Tomatoes in oil (chopped into smaller pieces)

Spinach (washed and chopped)

Butter

Parmesan cheese or Edam cheese

Salt and pepper

Cooked pasta of your choice

(measurements were eye-balled)

Saute garlic in olive oil and butter. When sides of the garlic start to turn light brown, add the sundried tomatoes. Saute for a minute then add spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with your cooked pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve with some grilled chicken if you want something more substantial meal.

Have a yummy weekend, bunnies!

closet checklist

Bunnies, if you are planning to do some closet purging this spring, here's a helpful checklist of things you may want to consider keeping (or adding).