I'm 41 and Fat, so what? I'm Blessed!

Yes, in 4 days, I'll be 41, and fat... I hope I don't give you goosebumps when I act confidently in front of you even though I know I am fat... Yes I was also laughed at when I was young, and yes, even up to now... But somehow, my parents brought me up not to be drowned by those bad comments, but rather, stand up and prove them wrong... Pardon me for saying this, but I am aware that I am blessed in so many ways, which is probably one reason why I never felt "inferior".

I am blessed to have a talent in fixing my own hair, and putting my own make up... I seldom go to salons to have my make up done... I love fixing my own face and hair... I love making myself beautiful... I also love accessorizing, and this is one thing not anybody can pull off... That is why I am grateful for this blessing...

I am also blessed to have dancing skills... Since I was 3, I've been dancing to whatever was hot during those days... I loved watching the dancers on TV, and mastered their steps on every dance music they promote... My favorite were the Vicor dancers... (Joy Cancio was one of them). And I was also blessed to perform at school programs during Elementary and High School... And yes, even up to now, I know how to "dougie"...

When I was growing up, I always dress up confidently. I was "into" fashion. Of course it was in the 80's, so it was the fashion era of blazers, shoulder pads, jackets, and layering... I didn't have problems during that time because I had so much to cover! And besides, I never wore tight fitting blouses or tops that would reveal my giant flabs... Since I was young, I choose my own clothes and never did I wear clothes that didn't look flattering on me... I was blessed to have an eye on how to look good in fashion clothes regardless of how big or small a person is...

Unfortunately, I can only buy clothes from a few... Tops from Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Marks & Spencer are my frequent finds... Sometimes, I get jackpots from Gap, Old Navy, Anne Klein, Heather Miss Grey, Bleach Catastrophe, and Liz Claiborne... Jackpots, meaning, fits me perfectly, but burdens my wallet... My wish is to go to Greenhills and easily find something cheap but fashionable... I want a steal, not a splurge... But in my case, splurging is the only solution...

Recently, I visited a local department store, looking for school bags for my kids. As I walk up and down their escalators, I was caught up with irregular sized mannequins in one of the hallways... It caught my attention because the mannequin's top was fashionable, yet, not the typical size 2! I quickly glanced the rest of the rack, and found out that the whole area is for the Plus Sized women...

I used to ignore those racks because, c'mon, they don't design fashion tops... They only design for the "big women" who just wants to wear something, and not to wear something stylish... But this time, I was surprised to find interesting stuff...

I bought one from a new plus size designer, Hint...


I loved its fabric, and the finishing is perfect... Sometimes, locally made clothing doesn't have good finishing touches... But this one changed my impression of local designers... You can find Hint and all of these plus size shops at SM Department stores. Lots of choices, I swear!!!

There is also a brand "JUS - Just Ur Size". Big and long shirts, just like my favorites from Bleach Catastrophe and Heather Miss Grey... I bought 2 shirts from JUS.



"Figures" collection is a little on the classic side. They also have selections of trendy and cropped shirts. I bought a dark brown top which is so flattering... I love it because of the "tiered" design, which hid my gigantic "spare tires" in the waist area...


I also discovered "Animale" in Crossings... I loved their unique designs... I actually bought 2 from their stall...


I'm looking forward to their next batch of designs and made me feel so blessed to have more selections for my wardrobe...

Thank you Lord for all these blessings, and I can never, ever trade them all just to be thin... Though I know it would be a plus if I could lose a little weight...

The Cuisiniere Brasserie

Yes, I eat a lot... But unfortunately, not so much near our area because
I believe, the only fine dining restaurant near our place is Zucchini's...
And my monthly allowance isn't sufficient enough to pay
for my resto bill, haha!

The other night, as we were strolling the streets of T. Morato and Timog, we came across this new restaurant...
At first I thought, I shouldn't check it out and why should I bother,
no one's inside anyway?
But it came to me that there's no other place like this in QC...
We have been roaming around and all we see are
resto bars, with no parking spaces...

So when I saw this, I called the rest of the group and led them at
The Cuisinier Brasserie.

The interior is modern, European, chic, and classy.
(I sometimes think it is not appropriate in the QC area since most of the people here look for bars.)




But what the heck, I just found out another place to crash whenever I feel like having Wagyu... Mind you, the food here are reasonably priced... I can still count how many dishes were on the 4-digit range on the menu, 2??? And I'm talking about Cochinillo and Paella levels.
Which costs a whole lot more in other restaurants...

Cheers!!! Mojitos and Beer Night!

Loved the Mojitos concoction!

For Appetizers we had the Antipasto Misto - a selection of cheese, Parma ham, olives and grapes, or seasonal fruit
P595.00 or $14.00

and this sumptuous Canard A'la Orange -
roast magret of duck valette, served with orange and Grand Marnier sauce, and promine croquettes - P760.00 or $18.00

and the last ordered appetizer, the Coquilles Saint-Jacques Mornay -
Baked half shell scallops, piped potato, and Gruyere cheese sauce...

The presentation was great... But sadly, it was a disappointment...
The scallop in the middle is tough and chewy, plus it lacks flavor.
I didn't taste the Gruyere on the sauce, all I can taste is the bland mashed potato on all sides of the scallop...
P220.00 or $5.12 for 3 pieces.
(I guess the price speaks for itself)

Then came the heavy ones...

Pasta in cream Pancetta with white truffle oil - as expected, it was creamy and rich. But it was good. I recommend this as a side dish to your fish, chicken, or beef. Share it with everyone! P380.00 or $9.00

and (sorry for the blurry pic)

Aglio Olio - P320.00 or $7.45
Another disappointment... It was bitter, I guess the garlic
was too cooked,
which made it a bad dish...
Hope they improve on this...
It's my favorite, for crying out loud!!!

Then we also tried their Pizzas...

Pepperoni - Tomato, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, and Parmesan
- P480 or $12.00 (good for 6)

The sauce is very Italian, and I loved the Arugula on top...

Should have requested for more Arugula leaves!

And another...

Pizza Bella, Parma ham, Arugula, and truffle oil - P520.00 or $12.00
A favorite!!! Next time I'd really ask for more Arugula stalks!!!!!!

Next came the Buffalo Wings

it was good, an original Buffalo recipe I believe...
Around P320.00 or $7.00

and finally, Oysters!!!

Unfortunately, I missed this... Too full to try this out, plus, it was served in front of me and I thought it didn't smell good... Didn't dare try it...
But they said it was "just ok"... Costs around P300 or $7.00

Oh and yes, the dessert!!! This is to die for:

Gosh, the vanilla bean and caramel worked well together, and as you take each bite, small slices of crisp almond plays with your tongue and palate... A mixture of sweetness, creaminess, and crispiness... This is heavenly!!! P260.00 or $6.00

Tiramisu

The Tiramisu was ok... It's just not my favorite... P190.00 or $5.00

Pair these desserts with their Illy coffee... This is really good...

I felt very satisfied when we left the place... I was happy that I don't have to go too far to eat at a very comfortable place, with a European taste, at a reasonable price... Next time I'll order the steaks...
Yes of course, I'm coming back!!!

Over all, I am rating this restaurant, 4 out of 5 Toques !!!

Happy Eating!!!

The Cuisinier Brasserie
102 Timog, Quezon City
Tel. Nos: 586-8798
(0917)828-chef(2433)
email: cuisinier_brasserie@yahoo.com

A Haute Fan

Yes it is raining here in the Metro, but still, you can feel the heat of the summer! But on a lighter note, our skin are kept moist due to humidity... sun, rain, sun, rain... so don't get mad at all, but instead, make the most of out of it...

Get a Haute Fan that would make you feel comfortable on those warm and sunny days....

The Louis Vuitton Chinoiserie Fan
$2155.00

Whoa, for that amount, I hope it emits an
"air-condition" effect on me...
Would it???

Home Improvement

And I quote, 
"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it."
- George Moore

I love staying home...  But it only happens at night after office hours, or Sunday mornings...  How I wish it's the other way around where I could stay at home awake for 10 hours and sleep at the office for 8 hours. 

Although I don't stay long enough at home, I still want to see it beautiful, clean, and "liveable". 

And I always see to it that everything is in order, and that all the people living with me are comfortable.

Last week, I passed by Mindanao Avenue, and saw a newly constructed building.  It was really hot last week, I was sweating buckets,  and the place looked very inviting because it looked so cold and comfy inside, and it's as if something was dragging me to stop by and check what's inside this huge terracotta structure called Geneve...

(click the link for its Facebook account)

I noticed there were Uratex logos everywhere, that's when I realized that it's the new line of their company.  Home and Office Furniture.

Check this out...

 Gosh, I've never seen so many mattresses in my entire life!!! 

 and beds...

And I love those leather bed frames!

and tables, and cabinets, and drawers, and everything!!!



I'm eyeing on some (lots actually) of the items I really need... 

I'm coming back next week and get them one by one!!! 

And guess what?! You can also ask their friendly staff if you want to have your home designed by their in-house Interior Decorators!

(At a friendly price, of course!)

 If you live near the area, go check out this place, you might find what you've been looking for, even though you've traveled the whole world!!!

The Bieber Fever

For Justin's fans, I am not going to say something foolish about the concert.  The kid is talented...  But I don't like his voice...  His speaking voice is way, way different from his "lipsynch" voice...   But nevertheless, he got "hits", and he dances well...

Well, all I want you to know is that you can't get your money's worth when you watch in MOA Concert Grounds...  It is better to just park somewhere in MOA, and just watch the concert at the screens provided by the exits...  

I mean I didn't expect to be seated very far from the stage when my ticket says:  Gold A Right Side Reserved Seats.  I thought it was something special...  We were seated behind the VIP seats, (sponsored tickets) which is almost half of the concert grounds - then, us, the Gold Seats, which I believe around 15 rows only, then, behind us, the Gold B, free seating...  But no one was sitting down...  

I pity those moms who paid tickets and brought their sons/daughters who stood on their chairs but couldn't even see the top of the screen....

And during exit, I saw 4 mothers crying out loud, shouting their kids' names because they lost them in the crowd... 

I just hope the producers don't just take advantage of the artist's fans...  

I promised myself never to watch at MOA grounds again....  ever....