May 31, 2011

Last Sunday May 29, we showed a stunning house with a three-storey all-glass staircase. It warranted a lot of reactions from everyone — from awe to disbelief to ridiculous thoughts.

Yes, the entire staircase is made of glass from the first floor to the third floor. The architect and engineers used tempered glass. Yes, the owners considered the risks and possible inconvenience of seeing up someone’s skirt. But really, it’s a house not a hotel lobby. So I doubt guests would need to go upstairs to the bedrooms. And even if they did, all they have to do is ask everyone not to look up if they’re wearing a skirt.

They also have an outdoor shower at the guest’s powder room.

And lots of Michael Cacnio scupltures. Here’s an adorable one with the fibre glass balloons.

Here’s the front door.

The architect and designer is Liza Acedillo-Bautista.

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May 29, 2011

Hand-painted enamel pendant framed in 14 karat gold and pink tourmalines. Now at UNICEF’s Auction for Action for the benefit of children’s programs. Check it out here.

This pendant is in the UNICEF Auction for Action lot. It is a special one because it depicts a tender hug of a mother and baby. I don’t think I have to explain that part. You, my readers, know me. Instead, please allow me to tell the story of the pendants and how they happened to me.

At the early part of our marriage, Patrick gave me five antique hand-painted medallions. They came from the collection of his mother. I loved them first because of the technique and craft that went into painting miniature works of art. Those antique medallions came from Europe and became popular in the Philippines around the early 1900′s. They were so rare and delicate, but I hung them all together as a charm necklace.

I wore them in F regularly and I got a lot of emails asking where I bought my necklace.

Then on the second-to-the-last show on February 2006 (before F was taken off the air), I decided to share the story of the pendants. Emails and orders poured in. I couldn’t keep up.

Then and even now, I have more inquiries and orders than I do have pendants. I couldn’t and still can’t meet the demand for my one of a kind necklaces. I don’t work with an assistant. Back then, I’d acquire antique medallions and rework them. That was impossible to continue as I didn’t have the time for antique-hunting. But I suppose this was meant to be… for me. I met an artist in Europe whose family specialized in miniature paintings like this. He currently runs his workshop creating these types of medallions. So these ones I now collect are all new – not antiques. Once I get the medals I work on the design of the frames – which are influenced by Philippine antique jewelry.

My first feature about the necklaces was in Metro Magazine April 2006.

I continued to wear them in my old show in ANC every Sunday evening. I was pregnant with Lily here.

Preview included my necklaces in this editorial with Carmina Villaroel in October 2006.

I loved them so much, I made shadow boxes for my personal collection. I’d hang them in the box whenever they were not in use so I’d see them all the time.

Some of my pendants are available for sale in Accessory Lab. Some. Very few. Most people who inquire and order have to wait many weeks, some even months. I think my previous clients can attest to that. I am very grateful for their patience.

So this one pendant at the UNICEF Auction for Action is really special. I hope those who’ve been waiting for me to get my act together would consider bidding on the piece.

Just to show you, I still wear my medals up to now. I wear them all the time – either in dressy or everyday occasions. This is the cover story for 100 Magazine last April 2010.

Cover of a Cebu weekend newspaper. I was unstyled. I like piling on my beaded necklaces and layering them with my pendants.

I also have miniatures. This one actually belongs to my daughter Sophia. I’m putting together miniature charms for my three girls. But not all in one go. Mama cannot afford it. Haha. Besides they know how valuable these little paintings are. So they know that they only get one charm every milestone birthday or event. Soph’s next pendant, she’ll receive at her first holy communion.

Like I said, I wear them piled on. This was taken at a Rustan’s event.

This is what it looks like casually. I was the featured guest in Balikbayan, Drew Arellano’s show in GMA/QTV.

Please continue to watch the bidding online at www.ebay.ph/unicef. Click on the logo below and it’ll take you there. The jewelry and paintings are quite popular with the bidders. The sculptures and furniture are doing well with collectors. We also have experience packages like a glamour photo shoot with Doc Marlon, custommade suit or gown by Joey Samson, dinner for 4 at Antonio’s and access to the dugout of the Azkals during playoffs.

Click on this logo to check UNICEF’s Auction for Action.

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May 29, 2011

For the auction, I wore a dress made by Noel Crisostomo. (Makeup by Victor Ortega of Emphasis Salon, Hair by Alex Carbonel of Studio Fix).

It was my first time to try Noel. I had met him years ago during a fashion show gala (forgot whose). Alex Vergara of PDI introduced me to him. Noel is also Filipino-Canadian. He studied fashion at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto (now University). He had a career as a fashion designer in Toronto for many years until he decided to move back to Manila for personal reasons. Check out his work, featured in Canadian publications like Flare Canada, Elle Canada and Toronto Life here.

I like his work. It’s clean. He can do pretty, he can do architectural. And he delivers in a very professional manner. I like designers who know how to cut and sew… not just draw and embellish. Noel also seems to have that quality I always look for in local designers but can’t always find – restraint.

Please click on this logo:

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May 29, 2011

Here are some highlights from the May 25 event. A big thank you to Ayala Malls’ Greenbelt 5 for donating the venue and to Margarita Fores’ Cibo for sponsoring the food. I didn’t bring a camera so most of my photos are from my phone. The smaller shots are from the official photographer of UNICEF.

I hope you’ve checked out the pieces online. I am really amazed at how well-received the auction is. I know a lot of people are waiting until the last day before bidding. I’m new to eBay so I don’t have a strategy. All I know is that the items are all beautiful. It’s hard for me because this is like an actual list of my favourite things.

Just a reminder – 100% of the proceeds go to UNICEF programs for kids. All these excellent artists have donated their beautiful pieces. Most are hard to get in reality. You’d have to wait for a while before acquiring these pieces. So have a look at the stuff again. There are links all throughout this entry.

UNICEF’s Country Representative Vanessa Tobin and Ito Kish. Ito created three cute floor lamps called “Tweet” – a play on his new fascination towards Twitter. The lamps can be bid on separately. Here’s one.

TV Host Raymond Gutierrez and Preview magazine’s Liz Uy

Dr Rico Quimbo, artist Reg Yuson, UNICEF’s Angela Travis, breastfeeding advocate Issa Abeja. Reg’s two Mozzarella couches are being auctioned off separately. Here is the red one and here’s the black. The sofas are made of poured foam, a highly technical process. It isn’t as simply-made as it may look. Mozzarella was just shown in Singapore and they did very well there.

UNICEF’s Vanessa Tobin and George Belardo, artist Ling Quisumbing-Ramilo who created this beautiful piece called General Assembly specially for the UNICEF Auction for Action.

Artist Ramon Orlina and the Australian Ambassador. Mr Orlina told me he wishes he had given a much bigger piece. The height of this piece is under a foot tall but it has a lot of intricate cuts. It’s only been three days and the sculpture already has 25 bids. It is beautiful. Check it out here.

Fellow UNICEF SAC Bianca Gonzalez, me, Azkals’ Neil Etheridge, breastfeeding advocate Issa Abeja and Azkal’s manager Dan Palami

Janina Dizon Hoschka, wearing a similar pink shell necklace as the one she donated to Auction for Action here.

Ingrid Go, Janina and Irene Lavina. Ingrid donated a necklace from Accessory Lab. This is a stunning piece that you can wear in many ways – formally or casually. Check it out here.

Paul & Daphne Syjuco. Paul donated this beautiful tumbled rock crystal necklace.

Kristine Dee’s pendant sold within the first 2 minutes the site went live (4 pm last May 25).

Well, hello!! Azkal’s goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. Like I said, we are auctioning beautiful pieces of art and design. LOL. No, you can’t have Neil but you can get a once-in-a-lifetime experience of hanging out at the dugout of the Azkals during the next World Cup Qualifier. Plus you get a football kit too. Neil also plays for Fulham in the UK. There are two Azkals packages in the auction. Check them out here.

Tim Yap, Tessa Valdes and Mark Gueco

Tessa and Tim, checking out the Ebay site.

Patrick loves the Mozzarella sofas by Reg Yuson. (We are fans of Reg Yuson.) Actually we want one of the R. Muck sculptures. Thinking of hanging one on the wall of our formal living room. Thinking… Here it is.

When most of the guests had left…

Click the photo to go directly to the Auction for Action site. Bidding goes on til June 4.

Also please check out and “like” Unicef Philippines’ Facebook Page. Learn more about UNICEF’s projects with children – education, nutrition, child’s rights, anti-trafficking and many more. You can also find different ways of helping. Thank you.

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May 27, 2011

I found the cutest and most comfy flip flops slippers flats. They are a notch higher than rubber flip flops and some colours are actually quite fancy. They come in 40 different shades. I went nuts.

I have problems walking around town in rubber flip flops. I only use them at the beach or by the pool. When I run in to get a pedicure, I feel like I must wear something fancier than rubber flip flops. TKEES are perfect for those days you want comfort and practicality but still need to look a little amped up.

Let’s just say this photo did it for me…

Then I got obsessed with finding the perfect skin tone colour. I wanted that nude feet look that Angelina pulls off so well during her off days. Well, it wasn’t so easy finding the perfect colour after seeing their palette. Check this out…

TKEES (t-keys) are a fun and easy way to express yourself! We think of them as “Cosmetics For Your Feet.” They are available in over 40 different shades, and emulate cosmetics in terms of color and attributes defining specific categories.

Glam up those feet by the pool, at the beach, at work, at a party, anytime is the right time. Highlight that perfect pedicure, or simply grab a different shade whenever you so desire. Go from laid back to sexy in one fell swoop! Finding the right shade is as east as slipping your feet into another pair. No nail polish remover required to change the mood of your feet. Simply slip on and slip off. Go from relaxed to luminous without the headaches.
TKEES will make you feet smile! (Source: TKEES Press Kit)

Just like real cosmetics they come in different categories, ten to be exact. They have liners, foundations, highlighters, shadows, lipsticks, blushes, glosses, creams, polishes and lipglosses.

French Pedicure 2, Polish

Licorice from the Gloss category. These are made of patent leather.

Velvet Fog. The Creams are made of suede.

They don’t come in half sizes. I’m usually a 7.5 to 8. But my feet are really narrow, so I had to go down to a 7 to keep the fit more snug.

Here’s the range of the Glosses.

Foundation is my favourite palette. In particular Sunkissed and Coco Butter.

Angelina Jolie in Coco (Liners)

Jennifer Aniston in Coco Butter (Foundations)

Blake Lively wears Sunkissed (Foundations)

Blake also wears Basil (Shadows) but I’m not sure. A lot of shades are almost similar to each other. Patrick wanted to leave me at the store because it was taking me so long to decide between Sunkissed and Coco Butter. (The experience is a lot like shopping for nail polish or lipstick).

More Angelina because we love her. She also wears Sunkissed.

In the end I chose Coco Butter Foundation P2,299, Truffle Cream P2,399 and Dusty Rose Blush P2,299. The thing about TKEES is that not only do they look great, they’re very comfortable too. The soles are quite soft. What is it with Brazil and comfy shoes?

TKEES are available at The Flat Shop, Connecticut Arcade G/F, Greenhills Shopping Center. Or check out their Facebook Page.

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