Eat, Drink and Be Merry

A colleague of mine tells me that she just started doing the "Master Cleanse," a method for detoxification made popular by Beyonce. It is also known as the Lemonade Diet because all you are allowed to take in is probably gallons of a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 14 days.

It took a while before it dawned on me that she is doing the Master Cleanse right in the middle of December. Nobody, I mean NO BODY, should be deprived of indulging during the holidays. It's a rule in our household that no one can go on a diet. I don't eat beef and pork but this is the only time of the year I allow myself to have a slab of that scrumptious Black Angus. Seriously, how could you possibly resist all the treats you'll be receiving from friendly neighbors knocking on your door?

And if Santa left these under my tree...

Chili Lover's Chocolate Collection from Dean & Deluca
A box filled of Diablo Truffles with dark chocolate ganache in the center infused with red chile confit, cinnamon and chile jam, Zydeco Truffles with perzipan filling blended with red chiles, tequila, and jalapeno pepper flakes and "Down the Hatch" toffee, a chile-infused buttercrunch covered in Callebaut chocolate and topped with ground cocoa nibs and smoked vanilla sea salt.

Peppermint Bark Cookies from Williams-Sonoma

All-natural chocolate wafers coated with peppermint flavored white chocolate and sprinkledwith peppermint candy



Smores from Crate & Barrel
Crisp graham crackers topped with fluffy home made marshmallow and smothered with milk chocolate and white chocolate drizzles. A classic treat needs no further explanations.

Holiday Mini Cocoa Tin Trio fro Godiva Chocolatier
Hot cocoa in three delicious flavors - milk chocolate, dark chocolate and caramel. Simply perfect for warming up cold nights with family and friends while sharing holiday stories.

Holiday Heartwarmers from Starbucks
And of course, the holidays will never be complete without Starbucks' holiday selection. Choose from Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha and Ginger Bread Latte, all of which brewed with Starbucks' Holiday Blend.

You can totally count me out! Sweet jesus, you're still thinking of going on a diet?

As for myself, I shall eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow I can always go to the gym.

When You Wish Upon A Star

Every year, Shu Uemura decides to work with a Japanese artist for their Holiday collection. This year, the brand has chosen to collaborate with fashion designer Tsumori Chisato.

Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Cosmetic Pouch


Tsumori Chisato Limited Edition Brush Set


The collection is reminiscent of Antoine de Saint Exupéry's "The Little Prince" and derived inspiration from the cosmos. The packaging shimmers and depict images of the designer's favorite Japanese icons "lucky cat" and "twinkle star"

For make up, the designer chose to combine soft colors and sparkling shades, which include bright pinks, silver and gold.

The collection serves as a breath of fresh air for the brand, with previous collections that have been bold and shocking. It's milder, a lot more cuter and could appeal to a younger market. I honestly think that this year's Holiday collection will be more memorable than last year's Mika Ninagawa collaboration.

Tiny Things For The Traveler

Keep your jewelry protected with this Perfectly Sized Travel Jewelry Case. It fits inside your purse and does not take up a lot of space in your suitcase. The jewelry case comes in multiple compartments just enough for essential pieces of jewelry. ($36.50 Delight.com)

Remember those Listerine® Pockets Packs? Here's an interesting idea derived from that concept. Dissolving Paper Soap. Stay fresh with these handy dissolving sheets of soap. It comes in an easy-snap container and is perfect for your carry-on luggage. ($8 at FredFlare.com)

Who needs the hotel's laundry service when you can keep your clothes tidy (well, sorta) with Flight 001's Laundrymat Pak. The kit comes with a Tide To-Go spot cleaner, Liquid Detergent and a Pre-threaded Sewing Kit. I'm seriously loving the idea of the Pre-Threaded Sewing Kit. It saves you from the struggle of getting the thread to go inside and the danger of getting the needle close to your eye. ($10 Flight 001.com)




Never forget anything again, with the "Pack This!" Packing List notepad. It breaks down everything that you need from the travel documents, clothing, personal care, etc. The notepad is 6x9 in size and comes in 60 sheets, more than enough for all the traveling an average person will be doing. ($6.99 Clutterdiet.com)



Take hope, purity, and grace with you so you look and feel your best no matter where your travels take you with Philosophy's The Travel Agent. The starter set comes with convenient sizes of Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, Hope in a Jar Moisturizer, Amazing Grace Shampoo, Bath, and Shower Gel, Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion; and Amazing Grace Hair Conditioner. With all the Starter sets out there, I just had to choose this because of Amazing Grace's heavenly scent. ($35 Sephora.com)

Three-Lot SPREAD

I just recently watched the movie "Spread,"a raunchy comedy about a womanizer who dreams of living the good life in Los Angeles, California. The movie stars stars Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche (who looked amazing, by the way) and Sebastian Stan (Ashton Kutcher's sidekick in the movie). To be honest, I picked this flick because I do not remember when the last time Ashton Kutcher had a good movie. Watch if you want to be entertained but don't read the reviews.

Anyway, for those of you who have seen the movie, while you were busy paying attention to Ashton's perfect derriere or Anne Heche's hot bod, I was carefully having a good look at the beautiful mansion where most of the movie takes place . As a merchandiser for a lifestyle store, it is after part of my job to look at trends in interior decorating and architecture.

The property was put in the market in December 2008 for $8.5 million, it is currently selling at $6.5 million. The Luxist says that Duke bought his three-lot spread in 2004 for $2.25 million and hired Xten Architecture to build a custom cantilevered home that juts out over the hillside and has retracting glass walls allowing stunning views over Los Angeles from nearly every angle in the home. This was not meant to be a family home, since none of the rooms were designed as private spaces, but was intended for lounging and for lavish parties.

(images from The Luxist)

Jimmy Choo for H&M

Good news for recessionistas out there. One of the world's most well-loved footwear designer, Jimmy Choo, has the decided to join the club of great designers to create pieces for the Swedish brand H&M. The items are relatively affordable; ranging from $30 to $300. Jimmy Choo for H&M officially comes out on November 14. I can already imagine the mob and the frenzy on opening day. Take a sneak peak at the collection below:

Among the other designers that have collaborated with H&M are Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli, Viktor & Rolf and course Madonna.

(images H&M)

Industrial Design at Its Finest - Joseph Joseph

Let me introduce you to Joseph, Joseph, a new discovery of mine. Joseph Joseph offers a range of kitchen items that are b0th stylish and functional-- think attractive colors and ingenious product design and innovation. The items are a bit pricey but are worth buying because they are indeed one of a kind.

My favorite item from them is the Nest 8. It's an 8-piece collection of essential cooking tools that nest together to save space. Their Adjustable Rolling Pin is also brilliant.

That green thing above is actually an herb chopper, I know, it looks like a CD case. The casing also doubles a chopping board. And, how lovely are those storage jars?

(Images from Joseph Joseph)

Visual Board #1

One of the things I am thinking of doing for 2010 would be refurnishing/repainting my bedroom. When we had our last renovation I was going through this sort of surfer girl vibe, I had lots of soft colors like sky blue, yellow and white. I'm leaning towards something that looks a lot more mature but definitive of my personality; mostly whites and black accents.

I'm really digging the chandelier made of MDF (medium-density fibreboard) as well as the Rio de Janeiro shower curtain. All items above are all priced below $100, now if only Urban Outfitters would ship to the Philippines.


(photos from Sweet Home Style, Urban Outfitters)