on bad hair days, a beanie is my best friend

Forever 21 long-sleeved top, beanie, & hoop earrings, Zara khaki pants, Charles & Keith platform clogs, Papemelroti tote bag

hanging out w/ Punchdrunk Panda at Pipino (surprise at the end!)

Last Tuesday, I went to a small gathering hosted by Punchdrunk Panda at Pipino Vegetarian Restaurant by PINO. Here's a thing about me: I rarely show up at these blogger events. Sometimes because of bad timing, and other times, I just don't feel like I'm up for it. I'm extremely picky about which ones I go to. (I'm elusive like that.) But when I got the invitation to this one and researched a bit about what the company is about, I got really intrigued and wanted to find out more. Plus, I felt extra special to be invited to something so intimate, so why not give it a go, right? And I'm really happy I did.

Let's face it, we all love free food. But I think we can all agree that free food is more enjoyable with fantastic company. I didn't know anybody in the bunch, and we were a mix of different personalities, but it was such a pleasure to have met each and every one. Meeting new people, especially ones who are talented, successful, humble, and passionate (which is really what PdP is about), and hearing even just a morsel of their story always inspires me. Check out how much fun we had on the video below. You won't miss my bungisngis face.

It was a relaxed and laid back gathering, topped off with delicious food. Now, I'm as carnivorous as they get, but I surprisingly enjoyed Pipino's simple take on vegetarian food. Is this a turning point for me? Will I start eating more vegetables? Maybe.

Class picture! L-R: PdP skimmer designer Robbie Bautista, Moonleaf Tea Shop Social Media Manager Jonver David, PdP Master Panda Jen Horn, PdP Sidekick Nica Kim, PdP skimmer designer Selena Salang, Lois Yasay of Sole Sisters, Pipino Owner Alessandra Lanot, Raleene Cabrera of Raleene.com, Charlene Ajose of That Certain Charlene, me!, PdP Helpful Elf Pauline Santillan, Helga Weber of Ditz-Revolution.net, & Moonleaf Tea Shop Marketing Manager Thyz Estrada

Apart from good conversation and laughs, the PdP team also gave us a sneak preview and first dibs on their new designs. They introduced us to their upcoming skimmer (ladies' shoes) collection, which features works of five different design teams composed of a designer and a blogger/personality tandem, the first and hugest collaboration yet in PdP history. The skimmers are available in five interesting designs: 1. Airmail by Ge Mapa & Selena Salang, 2. Dreamers by Robbie Bautista & Cheyser Pedregosa, 3. Going Places by Kasey Albano & Arriane Serafico, 4. Kick Flicks by JP Cuison & Saab Magalona, and 5. Manic Mayan by Kitkat Pecson & Patricia Prieto. They go for P1,295 each pair, and it comes with a shoe bag, care card, and a nice postcard from the designers that includes a little message for the buyer. Awww.

If you're already at the edge of your seat in getting your own pair, the new skimmer collection will be launched at the Anteroom Sessions Two by Punchdrunk Panda & Heima on March 31, 2012, Saturday, 4pm-11pm at Cubao Expo. This event will showcase a variety of pop-up shops, paper crafts, indie music, webisode-watching, and a whole lot more, so it's gonna be a blast for sure. You might also be able to catch PdP's new camera strap collection if they make it to production in time!

At the hang out, the selected bloggers each got to pick a design of our choice on the skimmers, but on a first-come, first-serve basis. I was gunning for Manic Mayan, but Charlene beat me to it! Darn it, haha! I ended up with Dreamers instead, which is great, too, since it was my second choice. (And I love Cheyser!) I'm planning to pack them with me to my trip to Cebu with friends on Wednesday! I'm excited! :D

If you managed to read through everything, congratulations! If you jumped to this part, oh well, surprise! The PdP team (see lovely ladies above) has prepared a treat for my awesome readers. We're giving away three (3) P200 e-GCs to Punchdrunk Panda's online store to three (3) lucky guys or gals (one e-GC per winner)!

All you have to do is tweet: "I love @punchdrunkinc's new skimmer collection! My favorite design is [name of skimmer + names of designers]. @gelatomique" Sample tweet: "I love @punchdrunkic's new skimmer collection! My favorite design is Manic Mayan by Kitakat Pecson & Patricia Prieto. @gelatomique" Don't forget to mention me, so I can take note of your entry! I'll pick the winners on March 31, 2012, Saturday when I get back from Cebu. Good luck!

Milky & Sunny

Convi and I love all-day breakfast places. So, when we came across this quaint, little restaurant near his condo when we were browsing online a few months back, we immediately added it to our list of places to check out. After putting it off for so long, we finally visited Milky & Sunny last Tuesday to indulge ourselves some comfort food for lunch.

I knew I loved the place as soon as we entered. What instantly caught my eye were the cute and colorful knickknacks around the room that added to its whole charm. Some framed artworks that hung on the walls not only served as decorative pieces but were also on sale for interested buyers.

After careful deliberation over the menu, I ended up ordering the Breakfast Big Plate consisting of bacon, sausage, spam, garlic rice, and scrambled eggs. Convi, on the other hand, went for the Chicken and Waffles (a fair warning to picky eaters: it has mustard in it).

This app makes us look so white. Also, I'm a giraffe.

Maybe it was the general loveliness of the place or we were particularly chipper that day, but we were happy with our experience. The food we tried wasn't that unique, but overall, the place was the right kind of cozy and homey, which is exactly what we look for in our restaurants. We can't wait to try out their other selections. I'm looking forward to tasting their pancakes next!

Milky & Sunny is located at 9 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig. They're open Mondays to Sundays, 7am-10pm. For updates, check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/milkynsunny/.

let's set the world on fire

beanie from New York, What A Girl Wants shirt dress, black stockings, Archive Clothing oxford flats, Papemelroti tote bag

You are at a point in your life when nothing seems to go according to plan and you feel unsure of yourself. It's never how you imagine it to be, but trust that everything will fall into place. You will come across more opportunities to grow, meet friends who will help and encourage you to reach your goals, marry the love of your life, and raise that family you've always dreamed of.

You can be whoever you want to be and do amazing things, as long as you put your mind, heart, and soul into it. Take risks and allow yourself to make mistakes. It's perfectly okay to look and act stupid sometimes. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Avoid comparing yourself to others. Don't worry about what they will think. Don't worry about being left behind. You'll get there eventually, and you'll find that you're stronger and braver than you think you are.

this is another food post

1. mini blueberry cheesecake by my mom, 2-3. Mocha Praline + Oreo Cheesecake from Bo's Coffee 4-6. Midnight Delight and Vanilla Lychee + Almond Slice and Amarretto Sour + nachos from Paire Cocktails and Pastries 7. peanut butter found at Santi's Delicatessen 8. Chunky Strawberry Topper from Jamba Juice, 9. ripe mango w/ salt, 10. Nyonya Pai Tee from The Chicken Rice Shop, 11-13. Jalapeno Cheese Poppers + Grilled Cheese + Signature Frankfurter from Sandwicheese, 14-16. unlimited pancakes from Bigoli, 17-19. Pepper Poppers + Wham Burger from Wham! Burgers