my week of cuteness

My whole week last week was a mishmash of the cutest, most adorable things that made my heart go pitter-patter!

Day 1:

My niece was in the hospital for dehydration. :( But when we visited her, she was quite smiley, playing games on her iPad. I myself couldn't help but smile at the wallpaper in her room! Isn't this wallpaper the cutest?

Glad you're all well now Denise! :)

Day 2:

I was delighted to discover that Saizen Galleria now has a whole shelf of Sanrio stuff! Yes, Sanrio knick-knacks for PhP88!

I was sooooo tempted to buy the Little Twin Stars bags (that I have absolutely no use for). Awww... Kiki and Lala... Memories of my childhood...

Day 3:

Such cute colors all in one bangle! Reminds me of these yummy colors.

PhP280 at the Greenhills tiangge.

Day 4:

Ate with my friends L & T at this cute little restaurant, Stacy's, in Capitol Greenstreet in Capitol Hills.

The interiors were sooooo adorable!

Notice the pink rotary phone & fridge, the chalkboard panels & matroyshka print? Oh, happiness!

They actually had me at hello because that pink polka-dotted mug with popcorn, strawberry pretzels & marshmallows is what they greet patrons with. I was late for our lunch date and L & T resisted eating the sweet table treats just so I could see the pretty mug when I arrived. Such sweet friends, right? :)

I was also delighted to see my heart-shaped rice. :) Too bad I forgot to take photos of the striped paper straws that the drinks came with and the butter ball candies that came with the receipt. They really paid attention to the littlest details... like these ones...

The servers actually wore Cath Kidston aprons like those. And that picket-fence area is actually a play area for kids - with a mini garden set and toy bread in a gingham-lined basket. Is it obvious I was smitten?

Day 5:

I was still gushing over Stacy's so I decided to write a post about it. But I couldn't remember the new name of the Capitol Hills complex where the resto belonged. So I googled it and stumbled upon Our Awesome Planet's review of Stacy's. He called the interiors "Heima-inspired" so naturally, I clicked on the link and found the website of the cutest store! Heima sells the most adorable things too (washi tapes included)!

I want the chalkboards in all colors (they also have it in a mustard-looking orange and a navy-looking blue gray)! And I loooove the subtle tiffany blue button-tufting & seat-piping peeking out from the gray T-shaped chair!

Day 6:

I trooped to Rustan's Shangri-la Tower for Dwell Studio's End of Season Sale.

I was never a big fan of pink, but I guess all the cute pinks this week got me so enamored by the pink version of my chocolate Madison Dots bag.

Day 7:

The Bitbit The Rabbit Plush Toys I ordered from Spinkie arrived! I bought them as gifts for 2 adorable babies.

But I secretly wanted to keep the plush toys for myself. Even through their plastic container, they looked so soft & cuddly.

Oh, it was such a delightful week! All these adorable things, as Heima perfectly put it, "made my senses smile & my heart flutter". Happiness!

Photos are my own and from Heima & Spinkie - edited on my iPhone with the free Instapic Frame/Collage app.

Oh, in case you didn't notice, the colored words throughout this post link to more happy, adorable things! Happy clicking! :)

some polka dots i spotted...

I've always loved pretty prints. On notebooks and on wrapping paper. On clothes too, but I have to admit that not all pretty prints look good when worn lest you want to look like upholstery. On pillows like the Bungalow 300 ones that Trisha of Playtime Break posted about here and on bed linens (baby or otherwise)  like Trisha's Dwell Studio picks here. But after watching this video, I found another item in my house I'd like to have pretty prints on: tea towels!

I never knew what tea towels were until I saw the video of 12 ways to use a tea towel. I'm not even sure what their original use is, but I love all these uses. First up is a place to drip-dry cups & glasses.

Use #2: a cushion for food preparation.

Use #3: a towel to wipe newly-washed dishes & glasses dry.

Use #4: as a pot (-er, kettle) holder.

Use #5: as a vegetable crisper. Except this use is lost on me since I am so undomesticated.

Use #6: not sure if this is technically a usage option. Though I have to say, I find this bunch of printed tea towels so pretty, I might store some like this just to prettify my kitchen!

Use #7: as a placemat.

Use #8: as a pretty way to serve bread.

Use #9: as an apron.

Use #10: as a gift wrapper.

Use #11: as a gift.

Use #12: as an environmental way to dry your hands.

Polka dots or not, I looove these studiopatro tea towels in pretty prints! If only Bungalow 300 and Dwell Studio made tea towels...

Photos are from screencaps of the video.

Click here for previous posts from the Some Polka Dots I Spotted... series.

my pretend closet: gingham

I've been smitten with gingham for a while now. Such gingham shirts have eluded me though. Wouldn't you love to have all these colors?

I like the idea of gingham peeking out of a jacket.

Now isn't this the cutest pair of shorts?

I even like it on the hubby.

I've also been wanting to get gingham bedsheets.

I spied gray & white ones at Muji, but they don't have them in King. And the Dwell Studio ones, I needed to think about for a while because they weren't as easy on the pocket, especially since we have a total of 7 pillows on our bed. But by the time I went back to Rustan's for them, they had already gone out of stock. So I doubt there will be gingham linens at the Home/Table Dwell Studio end-of-season sale that is going on until July 31. 

Oh, I wish I could find this gingham happiness in the shops here in Manila soon. Until then, here they are in my pretend closet & even pretend linen drawer.

Photos from pinkwallpaper, jcrewing, chance and here.

Click here for previous posts from the My Pretend Closet series.

the designer bag obsession

The designer bag obsession almost always starts with a monogram bag -- whether it be a Louis Vuitton or a Gucci. Most people I know started with a Speedy or a Neverfull. Even Rachel Zoe started with a Louis Vuitton...

I did too - with a Vernis Bellevue. I remember Isabella asking "Why do you have Veronica Lodge's bag?" when she spotted the LV -- for her, VL on my then, new bag. 

After a couple of monogram bags, one moves on to iconic purses that may not have the identifiable interlocking initials, but have equally recognizable shapes, structures, materials or hardware. Like a Bottega Veneta hobo and its woven buttery-soft nappa leather (I just looove caressing this leather). Or a classic Balenciaga motorcycle bag's hardware. Or the iconic quilted Chanel 2.55. Or if you can afford it, the highly-coveted Birkin. Or more recently, the Mulberry Alexa and the Chloe Paraty.

At this point, a woman falls in love with a particular shape or structure and it doesn't matter anymore if the bag is recognizable. By this time, she is no longer looking for a classic bag that can go with anything in her wardrobe to drive up the purse's ROI (return on investment - as she was doing in the beginning because, after all, it was a big investment!). So she is now drooling over the trendy versions of iconic purses or the fabulous creations of interesting new designers. Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter - even Resort - collections are now anticipated.  

Then she transcends the need to collect the most expensive labels or this season's it bag and starts to notice purses for their pure innate beauty - and maybe even, practicality. This opens the door to a Zara shopper bag (which is now available in a blue-green hue. Swoon!) or my trusty Cole Haan crossbody in a versatile army green color. This bag has so many compartments that I love traveling with it. The crossbody strap frees my arms for shopping loot! And am unperturbed by the rain (a vast difference from when I use my Tahitienne). I found myself using this bag everyday.

Until I fell in love with this...

I looove that the lining is polka-dotted too, but different from the outer print! Would you believe it's really a diaper bag from Dwell Studio (I haven't decided what to do with the pretty polka-dotted diaper mat it came with... A placemat perhaps?)? I swear, it has added a skip in my step since I bought it!

Before I bought my dotted bag, I promised myself I'd put an end (okay, maybe just a hiatus) to purse-shopping. And I had been strong for months. But my latest loot has triggered thoughts of new purses... Particularly two-(or-three)-toned bags. Like the gray and blue Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 Tod's shoulder bag or these clutches.

Sigh. I wonder if the designer bag obsession finally ends at pure purse love. Or is it really a never-ending cycle that will soon bring me back to monogram bags? And with the newly reopened Louis Vuitton store in Greenbelt 4...

... more and more girls are going to get tempted to begin their cycle of the designer bag obsession.

What about you? What was your first designer bag?

Illustrations from arturoelena, here, here, here, here, here and here. Layout by moi. Photos from here, here, here and here.