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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Gifts for NYE

I know. People don't give gifts on New Years. But then if you just want to make someone special extra happy or you're feeling extra generous this year, why not? Here are some gift ideas for when the clock strikes 12. 


2013 Color of the Year: EMERALD



via makeup4all.com
Get your favorite gals some nail polish in 2013's color. There are lots of brands to choose from. Just head on to Watcons, PCX, the beauty section of department stores, and Face Shop for great nail polish choices. 





via louisvuitton.com
via lyst.com

I've recently been addicted to Fino leather goods. I've got a bag, a key chain for my car keys, and a license holder. They're genuine leather items and proudly pinoy made. An emerald card case or coin purse from Fino is a nice NYE gift. 





via smdeptstore.com
For the fashionista, party girl, and style blogger, you can never really go wrong with eye catching accessories. I personally prefer huge rings and quirky necklaces. SM definitely has a lot of emerald accessories to satisfy any girl's sartorial needs. Check Accessorize too for interesting finds. 





Dots, circles, and round things

They say that wearing dots and having round objects in your house brings you and your family good luck on NYE. Wish your loved one some more luck with these dotted and round gifts. 


via jcrew.com
via polyvore.com
The weather in the Philippines doesn't really call for wearing polka dotted scarves but working in offices with air conditioning does! Haha! Perfect for the working girl or for those who travel a lot. I've found lots of cute scarves in Accessorize, Payless, and department stores. 






via ava.ph
These Thabto jars are just so adorable! They come in a set of 3 for tea, coffee, and sugar supposedly ( the glints in their eyes say "t", "c", and "s") but you can put anything in them. You can buy them from ava.ph for P1,827.50 (they're on sale now!). 






via spot.ph
Get your tita or your mom a gift basket full of turmeric salted eggs from The Breakfast Store. It costs P320 for a basket with a dozen eggs. They're yellow instead of magenta because the eggs are treated with turmeric, a kind of spice. The Breakfast Store is located at Katipunan Avenue, near Banapple.



Happy New Years everyone and happy gifting! :)

Friday, December 21, 2012

Christmas DIYs

Here are some on-the-spot (unplanned) DIY wrapping projects which I did this Christmas. Disclaimer: Not a lot of time was spent making these. They're products of boredom. Haha!


Using brown paper bags

I got the brown paper bags from Bestsellers in Robinsons Galleria, the washi tape from Fab Manila, and the ribbon and Christmas decor from National Bookstore.

 


My friend got these cute little jars from True Value, I used the same washi tape from Fab Manila, and the ribbon from National Bookstore. Recognize the tag on top of the jars? Those are the ones I made using Microsoft Paint. LOL. (See here)




Not bad given the time constraints and limited resources! Haha! Everyone at the office loved our little jars of goodies. Hooray!

I have one more rather major DIY project (my gift for Chi) but I'll post about that after I've given it to him. To Chi: I know you're reading this now. Please resist the urge to open my gift until the 24th! Haha!



P.S. I'm leaving for Bacolod tomorrow morning so no blogging till I get back after Christmas.

P.P.S. Merry Christmas everyone!!!  I know. I'm 3 days early but better late early than never. Haha!

P.P.S. Last one, I promise. For those who are still doing last minute shopping, happy hunting and happy giving!


Thursday, December 20, 2012

DIY Wrapping: Wine Bottle

Sometime last week, I was searching for unique gift wrapping ideas and I stumbled upon Formal Fringe. They have a really cute idea for wrapping wine bottles. It's fast, easy, and unique. In my books, that makes it a perfect DIY project, especially for those lacking in the creative department (like me!). Haha! All you need is a pair of socks. This way, you end up giving two practical gifts instead of one- the wine, and the socks. For me, the more gifts you give, the merrier so hooray! LOL.

Here's how to do it: (All photos are from Formal Fringe)


Insert the bottle inside one sock.





Fold over the extra length of the sock and use the other sock to tie around the neck of the bottle. 





Tie a knot or a bow. Any will do.





And there you have it! See, told you it was real easy.


I suggest using long socks and those with adorable prints. As for the tag, I'd punch a hole and pin the tag on the sock with a safety pin. 


via thekrossroads
via creatingkeepsakesblog
via fatimajakoet


Happy wrapping and happy giving! :)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Converge

I'm not the neatest person in the world. I used to hate it when my yaya would fix my room without telling me (under my mom's orders hahaha) because when I have to look for something, I can't find it. I think that a little mess is fine. Though I'm not a neat freak, I know a lot of people who are. They're family members and friends who can't function with a messy desk. This docking station from Qrius is the perfect gift to give to them this Christmas. 


Quirky Converge Charging Station Docking Station


Converge is a docking station for all your gadgets. It's perfect for those with lots of gadgets but not enough USB ports or sockets for charging. The station has 4 USB outlets and uses external power (110-240v) to charge all gadgets at the same time. 


Quirky Converge Charging Station Docking Station

The slit at the back holds the wires in place and the curved shape keeps the wires out of sight. This way, your gadgets can peacefully "sit" on the docking station and enjoy the view. Haha! It really looks like a mini bench for all your electronics. 


Quirky Converge Charging Station Docking Station


The slit for the wires is in a T-shape so that both bottom connected and side connected gadgets can rest on it while charging.  It's 310mm wide, 100mm tall, and 130mm deep. 


Quirky Converge Charging Station Docking Station

It can charge most USB devices (iPhone, iPad, cameras, etc.) with the exception of Blackberry Torch, Curve, and Barnes & Noble Nook devices. It costs P1,800 and it's available here. 


Quirky Converge Charging Station Docking Station

It comes in a slightly weird shaped box so I suggest using a gift bag instead of wrapping the gift. If you're too lazy to go buy a gift bag, you can make your own using newspapers, magazines, or wrapping paper. See my previous post on DIY gift bags. 


Happy shopping and happy giving!!



All photos are from Qrius

Monday, December 17, 2012

Ho! Ho! Ho!

So my office mates and I are giving little jars of sweets to everyone in our department. I wanted to make the tags extra special by making one from scratch. I don't know how to use Adobe Photoshop so I'm stuck with Paint. Haha!







The tag is shaped as a circle to perfectly fit the top of our jars. I must say, not bad for someone who knows nothing about graphic design *pats self on the back*. If I can do it, you can do it too! You just need a little bit of inspiration to spark your creativity. I suggest looking at Martha Stewart's designs for inspiration here.


Happy creating and happy giving!


P.S. I can't wait for Christmas!! 7 more days!


Saturday, December 15, 2012

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Forgive me but Christmas songs are on shuffle in my phone. Haha! I love listening to Christmas songs while I work. Don't you? If you still haven't finished your list, here's a gift you can give to practically anyone- male or female, young or old. It's practical and whimsical at the same time. Perfect combination!

via bestthings.nl
Introducing the Wall Hook Clip Set from Tava Novelties. They're over-sized metal clips which you can mount on your wall. You can use them to hang anything from bags to clothes. The metal finish can easily match any wall color, which makes it a very versatile gift. 

via aliexpress
You can mount them on your bathroom wall for towels, closet wall for clothes, and even by the entrance for hats, jackets, or bags. They come in a set of 3 for P820. You can buy them here

The set comes in a box. For gift wrapping ideas, check out my past posts here, here, and here. However, if your loved one appreciates simple wrapping, see this post

Happy shopping and happy giving! 















Friday, December 14, 2012

For O.C. cooks

The Mocubo from Qrius is the perfect gift to give to those who spend most of their day in the kitchen. It's a cutting board with extra organizing features, which I love.



Quirky Mocubo Chopping Board


The board is made of bamboo and it has three containers below for storage. The containers easily slide out, ready to store the chopped food. One simply needs to slide the food into the container with their knife. So easy and convenient!


Quirky Mocubo Chopping Board


The board also has rubber feet to keep it in place. It's 16" wide, 11" high, and 1.75" deep. 

Quirky Mocubo Chopping Board With Drawers
Quirky Mocubo Chopping Board

This will surely make food prepping much easier for your loved one. It sells for P2,200 and it's available here

All photos are from Qrius. 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

From the 90s: Polly Pocket

Polly Pocket was THE toy to have when I was a kid, for the girls at least. Tiny houses and even tinier figurines   were all the rage back then. If my sister loved Barbie, I loved Polly. LOL.

via arisfael
Apparently, Polly Pocket is still alive today so technically it isn't from the 90s. I don't know if little girls these days would still love to receive a Polly Pocket house for their birthday but I remember being the happiest little girl when I got mine from my parents.

via onlypollypocket
This is exactly what I got. I loved how it would fold into a heart shaped bag which I carried around the house. The small figurines inside would make so much noise as I ran down the stairs. Haha!

via feliciasky
Aside from the heart shaped "bag", I also had a few smaller Polly Pocket houses and this was one of them. I can't believe I even found a picture of the exact one! I don't remember why I loved playing with them so much. Seems like you can't do much really. Haha! Oh well. Gone are the days when playing meant pretending, making up stories and spending hours on the floor with inanimate objects. 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Stocking Stuffers: Beauty loot

Here are some affordable beauty products all under 250 pesos. They're great stocking stuffers for the ladies. Click on the captions to see where you can get these awesome beauty finds. 

Nail party

Fast dry nail polish (P199)
                     Acetone- free nail polish remover (P65)
No mess and no need for cotton. Such a hassle-free way to remove nail polish! 



Color changing nail polish (P185)
Who knew there was such a thing as mood nail polish? Like a mood ring, it changes color according to your body temperature.



Kit of 70 french nails (P250)
Perfect for the lazy gals. Haha!


Glow in the dark nail polish (P210)


Those pesky bugs

Soothing gel (P159)
I would want to find this in my stocking. Sometimes, I just can't help but scratch those bites!


Anti-mosquito rescue stick (P195)
Little Kylie is going to the park? Mommy's here to rescue her from those deadly mosquitos. 


Citronella Bug Spray
Citronella bug spray (P99.75 for 50ml, P159.75 for 100ml)
Let's support the GK families while staying dengue-free!



Nothing stinky please

Relaxing foot mist (P145)
Solid perfume (P160)
Perfectly compact, it's an essential item to have in your handbag. Just rub some with your fingers and you're ready to beso the titos and titas


Mint pillow mist (P150)



A moisturizer & a miracle

Egg lip balm (P200)
How can I resist the adorable egg shape and bright colors? 


Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil *
Sunflower miracle oil (P129.75 for 50ml, P249.75 for 100ml)
Human Heart Nature's best seller by far. From the countless reviews, it's a miracle in a bottle. 



Unique finds

Gray hair cover up (P240)
Set of 10 brush guards (P250)
We all know how important it is to keep those make up brushes clean. These will help keep the shape of the brushes too. 


Happy shopping and happy giving!!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

The classic button down

Men's button down shirts have recently been worn more and more by women. First, there was the boyfriend shirt look with leggings. Then, women started sporting button downs with practically anything- shorts, skirts, and even alone as a cover up at the beach. 

Soon after, wildly creative gals were using wrapping techniques to transform their boyfriend's button down shirt into dresses, tops and skirts. 

via collegecandy
via indulgy

Well, taking it from the gift wrapping trend of Furoshiki, the classic button down shirt can actually be used for gift wrapping! I think Jennifer Playford's instructions best show how to do it. 



It's real easy to do and it doesn't require any sewing or cutting. I love this technique because whoever is receiving the gift can actually use the wrapping after. I'm all for reusable wrapping and I think this is as green as you can get. Here are some finished products.

via Wrapagami book
Use a red or green shirt for a Christmas gift.

 
via stagetecture
recycle an old shirt for wrapping gift
via serenityindesign
This one used the button down shirt to cover the top of a box. 


via blogs.babble.com

Don't they look amazing? I'm definitely trying this out soon. Maybe my brother or boyfriend has an old shirt that I could use. After wrapping the box, I'd pin the tag with a tiny gold safety pin and that's it! 


Happy wrapping! 
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