[store finds : FRAMED TYPOGRAPHY & CITYSCAPES]

Dress up your blank walls with these nice framed typography & cityscapes.

chalkboard

[learning the basics of food styling at THE MAYA KITCHEN]

Don't you just love looking at food that is so picture-pretty in glossy magazines? Well, I do. :)

Though I know how to cook simple dishes, with pasta meals & desserts being my forte, it's the food presentation that piques my interest. Just like interior styling, I love picking out items, getting them all together & capturing the overall look. :)

Aside from doing interiors, food photography & food styling are what I have been meaning to study & do. In fact, I almost signed up in a workshop last year but never got around to doing it.

But a chance came up two Saturdays ago. I got signed up in such a class at The Maya Kitchen thru an opportunity sent our way by Mommy Bloggers Philippines.

The Maya Kitchen  is located at Level 8 of the Liberty Building in Makati City.

I was one of the early birds so I had time to take photos of the venue.

[A PLDT HOME DSL movie treat - the Amazing Spiderman 2]

For 2 weeks in a row, Friday nights have been fun times for the family. Especially the recent one, when the girls got so excited when I told them, we got free tickets to THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 movie. This came on the heels of that other movie we watched & loved. Super thanks to PLDT Home DSL for both treats! :)

The gist of the movie.

1. We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. It's great to be Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen. But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

And the reasons for my girls' giddiness.

Andrew Garfield aka Peter Parker 

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& Dane De Haan aka Harry Osborn.

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Two of the Ledesmas were there - Mommy Lara & Diego.

They gave away cute SPIDEY plush toys to lucky moviegoers.

And while waiting for the movie to start, my girls uploaded photos in IG with the hastag #PLDTHOMEDSL

& minutes later, got their photo printed out from a booth nearby.

Before screening time, Mommy Lara & Diego shared how PLDT Home DSL's "limitless sharing with the strong reliable family-sized connection" helps them do so many things online using multiple gadgets simultaneously - researching topics for school assignments, updating social media accounts, music & video streaming, looking for recipes to try, or answering questions posted in the little one's ASK DIEGO FB page. 

The whole fambam enjoyed watching the action-packed movie & swooned over the romantic moments of reel & real life celebrity couple, Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) & Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spiderman)

while snacking on our hotdog sandwiches, tubs of popcorn & tumblers of iced tea. :)

*Check out Ask Diego on facebook.com/Ask Diego.

*To sign up for your strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT HOME DSL, visit pldthome.com

['Is Heaven for Real?' #LETSASKDIEGO]

Is heaven for real?

This question was answered in the movie our family was invited to watch in Newport Cinema, courtesy of PLDT HOME DSL. 

"Heaven Is For Real" is about Colton, the four-year-old son of Pastor Todd Burpo, who survived an emergency surgery of an infected appendix and later told his family that he went to Heaven. He described seeing Jesus, the angels, his miscarried sister & his great grandfather who died before he was born. Doubts were cast on his story, owing to the child's vivid imagination & his close association to his pastor-father. But in the end, his story was corroborated by another person, a girl, who had the same experience & even drew images of the things she saw when she went to heaven.

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Like Colton Burpo, there's another boy who is at the center of his family's love & attention, Diego Ledesma. The bright, handsome & witty young boy was recently launched in a brand new PLDT HOME DSL tv commercial on Eat Bulaga.

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The Ledesma family's claim to fame began when the seven-year-old boy Diego started an advice column on Facebook with the help of his parents, Paolo & Lara & his older sibling, Ate Trish. He earned tens of thousands of fans because of his answers to questions ranging on love, studies, bullying, vacation & even business ideas. His Facebook page is constantly monitored by his parents because values is of prime importance in the Ledesma household. Questions with offensive content are deleted first by his parents before Diego sees them. They even help him type out his answers or how to spell words. 

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From their minds, Colton & Diego churn out stories which reflect their entertaining innocence & how they view the world. Likewise for their families, the BURPOS & the LEDESMAS are so tight-knit that they need to constantly connect with each other. And in this high-tech age wherein most, if not, all members of the family have their own internet-connected device, it is important to have a strong & reliable internet connection.

Here's where PLDT HOME DSL comes in. It provides "limitless sharing with the strong reliable family-sized connection". "Limitless Family Sharing" refers to the many activities the family can do together within the home, while "Family-sized connection" points to the simultaneous ONLINE use of multiple gadgets as powered by PLDT HOME DSL.  The group’s focus on family values and connection through limitless sharing truly spell the difference. The Anna Banana & Ask Diego campaigns have proven that. 

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Now, to go back to the question, "Is heaven for real?", #letsaskdiego. :)

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*Check out Ask Diego on facebook.com/Ask Diego.

*To sign up for your strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT HOME DSL, visit pldthome.com

[SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH & MANILA CATHEDRAL revisited]

Our 'visita iglesia' this year took us not down south but in Manila & QC.

We have been to these two old churches countless times before, back when we were still living in Manila. In fact, some cousins also got married here.  We had the chance to revisit the place  during the holy week respite.

San Agustin Church is one of four Philippine churches built during the Spanish colonial period designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

This Baroque church

[restaurant finds in KAPITOLYO: NOMAMA & EPIC CAFE]

I have heard so much about KAPITOLYO being a haven of restaurants. We had the chance to dine in a couple of them two Sundays ago while my eldest was at her close friend's birthday lunch. 

Our first stop was NOMAMA Artisanal Ramen in Capitol Commons.

[Sam Concepcion for CHEF'S NOODLE]

My family is big on Korean food. Whenever & wherever there is a new Korean restaurant in town, we always go there to try it out.  Chef's Noodle is next on our list.

At the media launch of its newest celebrity endorser (after Lloyd & Shamcey Lee & Grace Lee), 

[swipe your MAYBANK credit card, get a WENDY's treat for free]

Good news to all Maybank credit card holders & Wendy's burger lovers! 

[her date on the ICE with friends]

I tried ice skating before. I think it was a few months before getting hitched to my hubby now. I went with friends to check out SM skating rink, still relatively new then, at the basement level. It was a rather short stint, just a couple of hours of getting used to the shoes, finding that balance & finally getting the skating groove on. ;) Despite the first-time jitters, I thought it was a fun experience worth taking. ;)

Now, it's Jill's turn. On the last day of her final exams, she went ice-skating with her friends. Her dad & I took her to the newly-reopened Olympic-sized skating rink, now located at the top level of the SM Megamall Fashion Hall.

To get in, we paid Php 300.00/head for unlimited use/open skating because that was Thursday but if you're going on a weekend, you shell out Php 390.00/head. The girls also got a locker for Php 30.00 to store their things.

Here is where they got the ice skates they used, included in the fee.

Here is one side of the gallery where companions or bystanders get to watch the skaters.

Because the girls were still trying to find their way around the rink, a mommy friend & I got assistant coaches for them. It cost us Php 150.00/coach/head for half an hour of training.

Before long, they got the hang of it  

& at last enjoyed their time on the ice.

Meanwhile, hubby & I spent the hours waiting in a nearby cafe, 

drinking cafe americano & green moroccan tea & sharing a piece of delicious chocolate cream puff. :)

***SM SKATING RINK & LUCCA BAKERY PIZZERIA

5F SM Megamall, Building D

EDSA corner J. Vargas Avenue,  

Mandaluyong City, MM

[a quick trip to PINTO ART MUSEUM]

For the past weeks, my eldest has been very busy with schoolwork. Weekends have been spent at home without her, no thanks to pressing deadlines for her projects & rounds of examinations.:(  So, one weekend she was free, she asked me if we can go to an art exhibit together for she had to do an analysis as her assignment. Hey, it has been a while since our last mommy-daughter date, so I thought, why not? ;)

I suggested a local art museum to save us time & gas. I remembered there was one just a few minutes away from our house. Kirsten thought of the bigger museum in BGC but I told her to just check this out first. Lucky for us, there was an on-going exhibit when we got there.

PINTO ART MUSEUM, which is a much talked-about contemporary art space owned by art patron & neurologist, Dr. Joven Cuanang, sits on a sprawling hectare of land with lush gardens. Tucked somewhere in a hilly subdivision, this gallery stands at the entrance of the Silangan Gardens, the owner's weekend retreat.

Let me now take you on a vicarious trip inside & share with you the fun 'art-venture' we took one late Sunday morning. :)

A canopy of pink bougainvilleas greeted us as we passed through the main gate. It was such a pretty sight!

We entered through this decorative steel gate with bells in two sizes hanging above it.

The roof tiles & the blue wood plank door add character. This leads to the front office where you buy the tickets at Php 150.00/head. Students with ID's get it at a discounted price of Php 75.00/head while Senior Citizens, at Php 120.00/head.

When we reached the main grounds, we saw lots of wrought iron daybeds & table & chair sets. They really make for a relaxing conversation or quick naps in the garden.

Just nearby was a quaint chapel where many weddings must have taken place. :)

I love the rustic feel of the door! 

An exhibit was on-going at the time of our visit.

We discovered an artsy way of using plastic toys, chess pieces & rope.

Amused at how color-coordinated her romper was with the artwork on display, she had her photo taken here.

She captured a reflection of 'infinity'.

This handrail-less stairway leads to

an upper room exhibit area.

Overlooking, from the upper room.

Going back outside, Kirsten sat on one of those daybeds.

We saw art installations strewn all over the place. This pregnant woman looks kind of creepy for me though. :(

The cherub wall sconce has that old world charm.

We explored further down where these winding steps

led to more art installations

& another exhibit room

where select art pieces are permanently displayed. 

They have a ramp for PWD's.

The exhibit room has interior details that caught my eye.

The bamboo-slatted ceiling

& stair treads in rough-hewn stone finish.

Among those on display is this trademark 'bubble-wrap' artwork

by the artist-husband of a good friend. :)

The 'bubble-wrap' detail up-close.

These framed little girl frocks looked real.

A grouping of X-ray' religious icons are on display.

Some 3D art pieces are also showcased.

I like the 'invisible man' on a swing, 

 & a 'wired' couple.

Adjacent to the 'invisible man', is a window seat 

framed by live edge timber pieces.

Kirsten couldn't resist sitting on it & finding that perfect spot to get her picture taken. :) 

We reached the end of our viewing by lunch time. There was a cafe a few steps away from the gallery, so I told Kirsten that we get ourselves some light meals there.

Before reaching the dining room, there was another seating area & water feature, 

with an art piece 'framed' by columns placed nearby.

The female toilet has this sign. :)

We stepped inside the not-so-spacious Pinto Cafe,

which had framed artworks perched on top of narrow metal ledges,

tables with freshly-picked flowers,

vintage candelabras

floating flowers below the rusty drip chain,

& semi-alfresco dining area with arched openings.

From their menu, we ordered peach iced tea in a carafe,

Php 150.00/carafe

the truffle oil tagliatelle,

Php 355.00

& the 3-in-1 dessert sampler: cheesecake, banana brulee & a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Php 265.00

Cafe Pinto is owned & operated by BIZU Patisserie. The cafe is open only on weekends, 11am - 6pm.

From the cafe, we made our way 

back to the parking lot while passing through

the poolside area.

Finally, before leaving, Kirsten just had one more picture taken of her on the white wrought iron daybed. She loved the place. So did I! :)

***PINTO ART MUSEUM

   1 Sierra Madre St., 

   Grand Heights

   1870 Antipolo, Rizal

Photo credits:  KIRSTEN