Noel <3 Via

We don’t normally celebrate Valentine’s Day, but this year was full of little surprises. My dear student Yuko gave me low calorie cookies from Japan. (How considerate as she’s knows I’m trying to eat healthy)

Then my sweet husband walked into my office last Friday (the 13th to boot!) with red roses and my new fave dark chocolate called Valor (with forest fruits)

My Mom sent us cute towels shaped like desserts. Look who was interested in them and thought they were for her.

We had a late dinner at Pazzo in Rockwell and Tebs joined us for a bit for gelato. Here’s what we ate:

The mussells were quite bland on their own. The taste improved a bit with the lemon butter sauce but something was just off. Maybe they weren’t fresh enough?

This pizza was all right, but we nixed the anchovies and had to pay an extra PhP 60.00 to have the porcini mushrooms instead.

My favorite was the spaghetti alle vongole with spaghettini. But I always forget that in Pazzo they drizzle some pesto on top. It’s just so wrong! Noel enjoys vongole more with pesto though.

The next evening (which was actually VDay) I treated Noel and me to a massage at home care of Spa du Soleil. Although they have a minimum spend of PhP 1,000.00, 1-hr. massages start at PhP 500.00 which is so reasonable considering you have it at home. What’s cool is they bring their own massage bed that unfolds, spa sounds and a cute pot of faux flowers/shells that you can stare at when your head is in the massage pillow donut. Though I already had a slight fever and had a touch of the flu, the massage helped my aching joints and made me sleep better. So it was pretty fun VDay after all.

Not sure what to give your loved-one for Valentine’s? Why not gift them with this cute bag to store their SLR camera and other tech gadgets in? It’s cute and fun can be used as a regular handbag as well. Comes in 5 different flavors in a splash of color. Retails at PhP 799.00 at all Powerbooks stores.

We had a lovely dinner Italian for Mom’s birthday last Monday at Caffe’ Caruso.

Noel had Minestrone soup Risotto ai funghi porcini which were both very nice while Fran and I split an Insalata Caprese. (slices of juicy tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, fresh basil and olive oil)

We all had some red wine too called San Genovese. Mom and Dud had Scallopine with Marsala I think. Noel tried the spinach that went with it and enjoyed that. For dessert we had tiramisu and some nocciola (hazelnut) gelato. Fran had a cosmo and I had a raspberry martini. But that wasn’t it, the restaurant owner, Dario, treated us to a round of my fave limoncello!

Caffe’ Caruso is located at:
210 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.)
Makati City, Metro Manila
Tel.: 895-8790

I was apprehensive at first when I entered the Murad Medi-Spa yesterday afternoon the interiors didn’t look as modern as I imagined it to be. Though the lighting was nice, I suppose I expected it to be much newer looking. I later on found out that it had been open in Rustan’s for 7 years already! Here are some photos:

I was asked to change into a terry cloth tube minidress that velcros in the back. Similar to a hospital gown but not as open. Since the facial treatments cover the neck, shoulders and upper check, it’s best to leave your bra and bashfulness in the locker area. Especially if you’re not used to having a male aesthetician. (it was my first time!) But James was quite the expert at scrubbing my face squeaky clean. We started with a little steam before scrubbing with a nice fruity scent from the gray or green line. This was followed by comedone extraction (yes blackheads and whiteheads) and it was done with bare hands. I was told that this is much safer and more painless than using that awful metal pricker that dermatologists usually use.

Then came the most wonderful part which was the neck and shoulder massage. It was heavenly as it was just the right pressure. Then a mask was applied to lift away the remaining impurities. I was ready to sleep at this point. Finally it was time to moisturise and my skin felt quite comfortable and had a rosy glow. (I usually break out right after facials and feel rubbed raw by scrubs) Today save for a few new zits in the chin area, my skin feels smoother and generally less irritated. I actually dared to leave the house without any make-up on! (James did say this would be a possible feeling after the treatment) Here I am the day after some Murad Magic:

Murad is at the 5th Level of Rustan’s Makati
Direct Line: 816-1806
Trunkline: 813-3739 local 266
E-mail Address: murad_spa@rustans.com.ph

James actually got me to sign-up for the 4 treatment package. Something I never do! And my Mom is coming along with me next week.

The 25 tag
(from Facebook)
Yesterday at 9:55pm | Edit Note | Delete
Tagged by Abby, Jimbo and Tebsy

Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)

1. I had to have 12 rabies shots saving a kitty from my folks’ 3 Jacks.

2. Brewing coffee, clean laundry and Noel’s pantulog are my favorite smells.

3. I dream of having 3 kids, 2 boys and a girl.

4. I want to buy an island and turn it into a resort with ballroom lessons, ala Dirty Dancing hahaha!

5. I put make-up on our cook as a kid, using permanent pentel pens!

6. I love dogs! Especially our Jacks Cosi-Cosi and Lupo.

7. Cosi once ate my diamond earring. We watched her poop for several days till we saw something gleaming!

8. I don’t eat eggplant.

9. My heaven involves a beach with unlimited crab claws cooked in garlic, my loved-ones and not gaining a single pound eating crab!

10. I love anything vampire.

11. While Noel and I lived in the Northern part of Italy, I was offered to have my measurements taken by an old Italian man for 50euros!

12. I saw Maroon 5 in the Milan Malpensa airport and my sister and I were too shy to ask for their autograph.

13. I am allergic to the sun!

14. I recently love frozen yogurt especially White Hat and Red Mango.

15. I take my espresso black without sugar but rarely as it gives me headaches.

16. I believe in happy endings.

17. I loved blondes when I was a kid, calling them “blonders”.

18. I still love Archie comics!

19. I love ballroom dancing, tango and rumba are my faves!

20. I want to travel to Scandinavia, Turkey and Maldives.

21. I want to dance the tango in Argentina!

22. My sister and I were born 11 years apart.

23. I love working with colors.

24. I first got tipsy on tequilla rendering me useless that night.

25. I love the color purple.