Inspiration Board: Prom!

by she said

I hear that Junior year is the most crucial year in high school. This is scary, because a lot is riding on my performance this year. But it's also pretty exciting because it's the year we get to experience Junior-Senior Prom! YAY!!!! (And no, mom, I don't have a date yet.)

I've been making some sets on Polyvore lately, and I noticed that all of them include the color grey. This is one that's prom-inspired.

J.Crew Gem Collage Necklace, Zara Cotton Tank Top, Topshop Organza Skirt, Whistles Barbara Ballet Flats, Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette, Marc by Marc Jacobs Sloane Black Dial Quartz Watch

I recently got Rookie Yearbook Two, and when I saw this dress, I was so in love. I created this inspiration board based around that dress. If you have any suggestions on dresses for prom, please let me know - and I'll be putting up the next boards soon, so watch out for that : )

On another note, school was suspended today because of the super typhoon Yolanda. Let's all continue praying for our country. I hope that you all stay safe and dry this weekend. ♡

Hello, Monday!

By She said, she said

Term break ends today! It was a short vacation and we both wish it was longer, but Christmas is just around the corner, so we'll be counting the days 'til then!

We spent last week eating way too much macarons. It made us remember all our posts about macarons and we are slowly accepting that we might need some help with this addiction. haha : D

Here are some posts you might want to revisit:

The Way We Ate- J.Cuppacakes

The Way We Ate- Bizu Patisserie 

cupcakes & macarons

12/23 Sweet Bella

 5/23 da.u.de Tea Lounge

The Way We Ate - Wildflour Cafe + Bakery & Chez Karine

The Way We Ate - TWG Tea Salon & Boutique

 

Macarons from J. Cuppacakes

Bronuts at the Baker's Dozen, Power Plant Mall

We've never tried the much talked about cronuts up until this weekend. These are from Bronuts. They are so, so good! We cannot wait to try their other flavors.

Belgian Chocolate with Salted Caramel- dark chocolate coating topped with toffee crunch, filled with salted caramel.

Strawberry Yogurt- filled with a tangy strawberry jam and yogurt mix.

And some exciting news!

 

This coming weekend, we will be bringing our acts of kindness to Fully Booked in Alabang Town Center. We're looking forward to sharing our music, art activities and storytelling sessions with all of you. Hope to see you there!  

Cardboard Box Playhouse

by she said

Halloween is a big thing in our village! Kids (and even grown ups) dress up in all kinds of costumes and it's really fun to go around and get lots of candy. : D

We've been thinking of making a playhouse made of cardboard for my little cousin when he comes to visit us today. It took us about a day to make this. All the materials we used, we found around the house. We ran out of glue so some parts aren't done yet but we're so excited to show you how it turned out!

Materials:

3ft x 2ft cardboard box

construction paper

glue

double sided tape

scissors 

cutter

paint brush

How To:

 1. Cut out windows on two sides of the box.

2. Cut out a door, but not all the way through. Leave one side still attached to the box so you can swing the door to open and close.

3. Raise the flaps of the top part of the box to resemble a roof and secure with double sided tape. We had some help here from my Tito Sonny, who is crafty like us : )

4. We have lots of construction paper at home. We cut out circles in different sizes and colors.

 5. We mixed regular glue with a little bit of water and used a brush to paint the glue over the box. Arrange and stick the circles on.

6. Create a doorknob out of an old wine cork. Secure with superglue.

Now we're all ready for our little guests : ) It can even come in handy as a photo booth for me and my friends!

Trick or treat? : P

I'm really looking forward to the rest of today, 'cause I'll be seeing some family and close friends. Hope you all have a very happy Halloween!

Kitchen Stories- Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

by she said

I'm on my term break, which means I can finally switch my 6 A.M. alarm off. I recently changed the alarm tone to 'Stop' by the Spice Girls and I think my mom is secretly rejoicing that she won't have to hear the starting bars of the song over and over because I snooze my alarm, like, fifty times before I finally get up.

I've been spending my vacation getting some much needed rest by sleeping in almost every day. My mom and I have also been eating out and constantly feeding the monster which is our macaron addiction. I went to see 'Carrie' with my friends and it gave me the spooks, putting me in the right mood for Halloween.  It's a welcome change from the exhaustion that the school day brings! : )

I also have more time to help out in the kitchen. Mom and I were craving pancakes for breakfast so we used this super simple and easy recipe. The pancakes come out crepe like - crisp around the edges - which is how we like ours done.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (adapted from Jamie Oliver)

1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 apple, peeled & grated
pinch of salt
butter for cooking

Cinnamon Sugar

in a small bowl, blend together:
2 tbsp granulated white sugar
1 tsp  cinnamon

Mix flour, baking, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Add milk and beaten egg to the flour mixture and combine until smooth. Fold in grated apple to the mixture and stir with a spoon.

Put a non stick pan over medium heat and add some butter. Once butter melts, pour about 1/3 cup of batter to the hot pan.  Carefully flip the pancake when the top begins to bubble and continue to cook until other side is golden. Serve hot, with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.

Makes about 8 pancakes.

We hope that you get to try this recipe too. It definitely made our morning : )

The Way We Ate- J.Cuppacakes

By She Said, she said

When we received an invitation to the grand opening of J.Cuppacakes' newest branch in Makati, we just couldn't say no. You all know we love all things sweet. Who can resist an evening of unlimited cupcakes? Not us!

J.Cuppacakes in SM Jazz Residences, Bel-Air, Makati is a testament to all things girly and dainty. It's a perfect venue for birthdays, baptismal parties, and bridal showers, or just for hanging out with friends. They also have a mezzanine area for private functions, where you can have themed cupcake decorating sessions.

Chef Julianne Bernardo, a graduate from the College of Saint Benilde is the culinary genius behind J.Cuppacakes while mom Chona handles the day to day operations of their three store branches in Megamall, Eastwood, and SM Jazz Residences.

What endeared us to this mother and daughter tandem is that they are very much like the mother and daughter team we are over here at our blog. We got a chance to chat with both Julianne and Chona and we found ourselves nodding in agreement when they told us about the challenges of running a business together. Just like us, they argue and have their disagreements on how things should be done. But at the end of the day, mutual respect, trust and love for each other is what matters most.

We had our fill of their savory and sweet dishes and enjoyed spending the night with some of our good friends - we've already been back for a second time when we had a craving for macarons one afternoon : )

Creamy Grilled Chicken Pesto- homemade pesto cream and bechamel sauce on penne with grilled chicken strips.

Cupcake assortment. Clockwise, from top: Tiramisu, S'mores, Brazo de Mercedes Cheescake, Salted Caramel, Strawberry Cheesecake, Cookie Butter

Hazelnut Macarons

Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate and Fruit Shakes

Snickerdoodle French Crepes- cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and caramel sauce

We were happy to meet Chona, Julianne, and their family and admire how they support each other in all things. No wonder their business is a success. Congratulations, J.Cuppacakes! : )

J.Cuppacakes

Art In Your Cravings

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Love for the Elderly

By She Said

We went on a short out of town trip with some of our friends recently, to spread some cheer to the residents of Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly in San Pedro, Laguna.

All the lolas warmly welcomed us for the short program we prepared for them. And we truly enjoyed their company, with some of them even showcasing their talent for singing and dancing. They all love to sing and dance!

We were moved by their stories and the circumstances that brought them to be in this Home, in the care of complete strangers who they now consider as family. To grow old and to be separated from your loved ones can be sad and lonely,  but their smiles and laughter showed us their joy to live.

The Missionary Sisters of St. Francis Xavier lovingly care for all the elderly and treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve.

We would like to invite you to visit Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and spend some time with the lolas to help them take their meals, take them for a walk in the garden, care for the sick, or just simply talk to them and listen to their stories. They are always happy to have guests over : )

Mary Mother of Mercy

Home for the Elderly and the Abandoned

San Pedro, Laguna

Tel Nos. 869-1529 & 869-0636

The Way We Ate- Bizu Patisserie

By She Said

About a week ago, I came across my reminders list about Bianca's report card day.  Her school actually provides online viewing of grades making it convenient for parents to access their child's report card without having to take a day off from work. It saves me time and effort to view her grades online and just schedule a parent-teacher conference if I have any concerns. Since it's paper free, it makes it eco-friendly too!

I was actually resigning myself to receiving an average report card. I've been on Bianca's case for not spending enough time studying, and my constant reminders for her to get off Twitter and just being on the internet in general are always met with groans and grunts.

"I'm already done with all my homework, mom," is her constant reply. And "I'm doing my homework online," which I never believed since I have this old-school concept that studying meant books and paper on a study desk.

We both viewed her report card together and I was  surprised to see a lot of A's. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that she was trying her best not to show me her I told you so face. ; )

I was so happy and proud, and because good grades always deserve a celebration, I treated her out to some afternoon tea.

 We both love Bizu in Alabang Town Center. It's always quiet, cozy and conducive for long talks and relaxing. The cool rainy weather was perfect for tea.

 Soleil Rooibos-  Rooibos tea with hints of orange peel, strawberry bits, raspberry, coconut and cornflower petals.

 Omelette aux Champignon- Wild mushroom ragout with cream cheese. Served with a side of mixed greens, candied walnuts, cherry tomatoes, raspberry vinaigrette.

 Croque Madame- Forest ham and cheese brioche sandwich, topped with Gruyere cheese and sunny-side-up egg.

It's good to know that Bizu's herbs and vegetables are freshly harvested in their very own organic farm in Batangas.

Of course, one can never leave Bizu without having some of their famous macarons...

 Salted Caramel & Pistachio Macarons. We had two rounds of these crisp chewy pastries. So good!

 

Congratulations, Bianca! keep up the good work : )


Bizu Patisserie & Bistro
Corte de las Palmas
Alabang Town Center
Muntinlupa City
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