blueberry muffins

I nearly forgot to show off our latest creation! Convi and I baked this last week as a belated Valentine's Day present for his parents. We're both kitchen noobs (more me than him though), so this was created with lots of trial and error AND ~LOOOOOVE~, OF COURSE. Turned out great in the end, so yay.

Note our excitement for the finished product.

The mold we used was one of his presents for me, partnered with about a hundred packets of Splenda c/o his mom. Apparently, she's afraid that my new-found love for baking might make him fat(ter). She's so cute. Convi also managed to find a heart-shaped pillow with bee stripes, in commemoration of our pet name for each other (three guesses what it is). Didn't give him anything, because I didn't think we were giving each other presents. Boo.

a thousand sweet kisses

lacy old rose dress from Ukay Manila

rolled down gray thigh highs from Mango
mahogany heeled boots from Dressed to the Nines
gray cardigan nicked from my sister's closet (on headlight)
vintage red purse (on headlight)
Boyfriend's car Batmobile

Last Saturday, my boyfriend took me to this nice French restaurant tucked inside Bonifacio Global City called Je Suis Gourmand. We don't usually eat fancy food, but Valentine's Day seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try something new, so we did. We ordered the Cream of Green Cabbage and Carrots Soup (not pictured, because the one I took looked like vomit, but it really was super delish), the Blue Cheese Carbonara Linguini, and the Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Saffron Risotto. All three dishes were perfection. I'm usually intimidated by gourmet meals, but these I felt very much at home with.

I got a long-stemmed rose from one of the waiters and a friendly nod from the head chef as we left the restaurant. Convi got a little excited upon seeing the chef and wanted to take a picture with him, because he looked so French, but I told him no, that's embarrassing.

We watched RENT staged by 9 Works Theatrical afterwards. We've been fans of the music long before, but we'd only seen the movie. Seeing everything unfold on stage was definitely loads better than simply watching the film. I still got misty-eyed when Angel died, and Seasons of Love always gives me the chills no matter how overused it is.

to helloalena

A few days ago, I got a letter from my LiveJournal friend, helloallena, who lives all the way in the U.K. She's a very sweet girl and sends random posts to literally anyone who asks. I'm sure she's made a lot of people's days loads brighter with such a simple gesture. It's one thing when you do good to your friends and your family, but going a little extra mile to make complete strangers happy really shows some character.

Thank you for being an inspiration, Emily!

cheese muffins

In line with one of my New Year's resolutions, I've decided to try out at least one baking recipe every month of this year. I'm still learning my way around the kitchen (only for baking puposes for now), trying to get the hang of the oven and the mixer and understanding recipes, and I'm having so much fun! I never knew baking could be such a relaxing activity. Last Friday, I baked cheese muffins, and they were soooo good.

I think my mom's relieved that I'm starting to take interest in baking, and she's been kind enough to teach me the ropes. She used to bake a lot during weekends when I was little, and I always woke up to sweet smells from the kitchen. It was the loveliest way to start the mornings. I'd like to do the same for my own children someday, so this is a step I'm taking to leveling up my housewife skills.

it would be so nice

The scene starts with the old couple bickering as they walk on the streets towards an unknown destination. Later on, as they slowly make their way up a staircase, still at each other's throats, we find out that it's their 63rd anniversary. When they finally get to a spot on the beach, they suddenly stop and stand quietly looking at the sea. The woman hooks arms with her husband and reaches out to hold his hand. As she leans closer, he kisses her on the forehead, and they stay like that for a while.

This is the part in New York, I Love You where my boyfriend and I cried (yes, he cried!! hihihi). Neither of us was aware of the other crying, until afterwards when Convi admitted that it surprised him and that he teared up a bit, which resulted me to freely sob on his shoulder. When the movie ended, we were just hugging and I was crying and, at the same time, laughing because he kept on making jokes, and I know that were both thinking what it would be like to grow old together. It was a wonderful moment that I'm happy I shared with him.