My friend, Chary Mercado, is helping organize a bag auction to raise funds for her friend Rhea Ferro’s cancer treatment costs. The silent auction is on Saturday June 22 at 2pm to 4:30pm at the function rooms of Rockwell Club.

There are over 90 bags that will be on sale or on auction. Most of the bags will be sold at fixed prices of P1,000-2,500. But the hardly used, branded bags will be put on silent auction from prices beginning at P3,000.

To give you an idea of the cute kind of bags being auctioned…

Longchamp limited edition brand new Red canvas bag with black leather accents. Perfect for an out of town trip. Bids start at P11,000

The Celestina croc bag with pen shell handle and base. Bids start at P35,000.

Kate Spade laminated canvas extra large tote. Minimum bid P4,000.

Barely used Bottega Veneta. Bids start at P40,000.

Black Prada clutch. Bidding for this one of a kind beauty starts at P10,000.

Check out Battle for the Bags on Facebook for the current catalog.

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Chicken fingers

This is for those whose kids have gone back to school. I need your help please.

Every year I struggle with my kids’ lunch. They are not of the age where they can be left alone to buy food at the cafeteria. (My eldest may be capable of handling money, but I’m not ready to trust her with daily lunch choice, haha. And she prefers to bring lunch from home.)

Aside from chicken fingers, like the photo above, I need easy, quick ideas to add to our menu. We do our chicken fingers and fish fillet from scratch because the packaged ones come with artificial flavours. There are a few extra steps but everyone is used to it. Sometimes we do adobo, cooked the night before. We also do fried egg with cheese. It’s just been the third day of school and I’m already running out of ideas. Help, please. And feel free to add snack ideas.

Please post in comment section. Thanks!!!

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The old Runnymede Theatre in Toronto. Now a bookstore.

So the kids went back to school this week. We had one week to adjust to Philippine time and heat. It wasn’t hard. We missed the Philippines so much that we dove right in to the time zone. Pinoy parents, how did your kids do with back-to-school?

It’s hard to believe summer’s over. We were away since March and just got back early June. Our stay was filled with big travel stories but it’s the little every day nothings that I fondly look back on. The trip wasn’t about just loving Toronto. It was simply about being home with my family. Glad that the kids  love both homes equally.

I was going through thousands of photos in my library and found photos of the old Runnymede Theatre which is now Chapters bookstore. You’ll have to excuse me that I’ll be sharing Toronto stories and snippets of our family vacation every now and then. This blog serves as my diary too. Haha.

The urban planner in me always appreciates stories like this. It isn’t about fake development but about real organic neighbourhoods. Bloor West Village or BWV is the first mandatory business improvement district (or BIA, business improvement association). Meaning if you happen to be a business owner within the district, it is mandatory for you to pay a fee that will go towards improvements and marketing of the area. There is an elected board that represents the BIA. This is all recognized by the municipal government.

The Bloor West Village Business Improvement Association (BIA) was founded as the first of its kind in the world in 1970. The reason Bloor West did this was to improve and protect the area. When the subway line was created in the late 1960′s people had direct access to downtown shopping and malls in regional areas, bypassing Bloor West Village altogether. Now, 40 years later, the Bloor West Village neighbourhood has become a destination for many people. This model of protecting, marketing and improving local business communities spawned all over Toronto. In Metro Manila, I can see a model like this benefiting organic commercial neighbourhoods like Malate, Timog/Tomas Morato, Pasong Tamo Extension, Cubao Ex, Pioneer St area, Reposo Street.

We went to Bloor West Village on a rare warm weekend in May. It had been a very cold spring.

I love the unpretentious bakeries and cafes in this neighbourhood.

Brunch at Bread and Roses, one of High Park’s busiest bakeries. I had a yummy quiche with a huge dill pickle.  They have wonderful cookies and cupcakes, meat pies, coffee.

My nephew had a cupcake with a Spiderman ring on it.

This was the old Runnymede Theatre on Bloor St West. It was built in the 1920′s as a vaudeville theatre. It was eventually converted into a movie theatre until it lost its relevance. It faced the possibility of demolition.

Instead of tearing down the old theatre, Chapters Indigo turned it into a book store.

Here’s what the stage looks like now.

It became the setting of the magazine racks and how-to books.

Beautiful space. I love it.

Much of the original structure was left in place. However the grand staircases were replaced by escalators.

The old projector is still on display, as are some old theatre seats.

Beautiful carved molding

Not everyone is happy with the changes at the theatre. But considering many old buildings have easily been torn down, I’m glad the old Runny is still there.

Most of it.

Check it out in 360.

Chapters Runnymede is at 225 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

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While I was in Toronto in the spring, I enjoyed browsing through the private sales at Rue La La - a members-only online shopping destination for all things related to a life of style. Unfortunately they only ship within the US for now. You can do what I like to do, ship to a relative (in my case, my in-laws in New York) then have them send or bring it to Manila. Third-party shippers like Johnny Air may be good but I can’t vouch because I haven’t used them.

Rue La La has some well-curated selections of the most coveted brands in fashion, home, beauty, travel, and more within 48-hour, private sale boutiques. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Like a flash sale.

Manolo Blahnik will have their private boutique sale on June 13 to 15th. I saw the preview and they are all yummy. Here are some I’m sure a few Blahnik fans would love. The links are live and lead to the preview page for now, but when the sale starts it’ll go directly to the particular shoe…

01
Nippota Satin Sandal. Was $825, now $499.

02
Inglex Jeweled Satin Pump. Was $1295, now $629.

03
Kioko Jeweled Satin Sandal. Was $895, now $649.

04
Pelluxat Satin Embellished Pump. Was $925, now $579.

Manolo Blahnik boutique opens on June 13, 2013 at 3PM ET in Rue La La. Prices are valid for the 48-hour period.

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I’ve been a fan of Anthropologie’s Made in Kind line. These are limited-edition designs created in collaboration with talents in fashion, art and other fields. This season, renowned fashion designer Peter Som launched his first collection for Anthropologie. Som shows his trademark prints combined with couture touches of hand-embroidery and delicate lace.

01
Sophie Dress, a throwback-femme, textured cotton dress, complete with fitted bodice and a swaying circle skirt. Paired with chunky gold jewelry to add a touch of modern to the retro. Cotton, rayon, silk with polyester lining. $228

02
Arabella Blue Poppy Dress, Som adds beading and embroidery to the bodice of his flowing silk A-line. No need to pile on the jewellery since the subtle sparkle speaks for itself. Silk and polyester lining. $368

03
Elizabeth Zebra Silk Dress, Som plays with the juxtaposition of classic and modern: the timelessness of a fit-and-flare silhouette and a navy-and-white color scheme is energized by a wild print. $198

04
Genevieve Postcard Dress, Lots of things going on in this dress – the scenic print, the ruffles in the front and back and the peplum – yet somehow it works! $228

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