(Can you guess what song the above lyrics are from?)

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I’m having a pret-ty busy summer as I’m sure you can tell by the slow trickle of entries. But of course I won’t leave you, dear blog visitor, without pretty things to look at:

1. My friend Tippi Ocampo‘s Summer Collection. In true Tippi fashion, the new designs revolve around another unexpected, brilliant theme: in her words – designed for our sweltering, humid summers, this collection for Pret-a-party was inspired by linens and wash cloths on a laundry line, and uses braids and circular “trapo” inspired accents. (Isn’t it amazing how she can make “trapo” look good?!) Click here to get a sneak peek.

And while you’re at it, do find time to read her journal too. Between her and Sheila, I find all the good advice and girly inspiration I’ll ever need. (:

2. If you’ve recently stopped and admired the very stylish, high-street-boutique inspired window displays of People Are People, you have renegade designers Zoo and Jois of Inksurge to salute. How many times do I have to tell you that they rock? Click on the link to see their other new works but hold tight, they’re sure to blow you away.

I also have Zoo to thank for offering to resize an existing 50mb movie and converting it into Quicktime for right when I’ve almost given up on it. Said video is the interview of Karla that’s up on the Claycakes site.

3. Kuya twin Quark and his lovely sweetie Lia just soft-launched their baby, a photo studio in Gateway Mall called Blow-up Babies! And it’s not just any ordinary photo company folks, they had a cinematographer train a pool of photographers so every picture is a surefire hit on your living room wall. Their site is still a work-in-progress (eep, my bad) but now completely up(!) so please do click the link just as well since it already has samples of the kind of photos they take.

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My poor Arn has been feeling quite sick this past week but a Vs. System game or two always manages to cheer him up. I’m not really fond of CCG’s but this is actually fun and relatively uncomplicated (for non-gamers like me, that is). You can enlist random Marvel or DC heroes and villains like Wolverine, Spiderman, Mr. Fantastic and Joker to fight against one another – doesn’t that sound like a teenage boy’s dream come true? The mania started when I got him the X-Men deck a couple of months ago and we’ve been hooked on the game ever since (as it turns out, it’s not just us). As of now whe have five decks – Fantastic Four, X-Men vs. Brotherhood, Batman vs. Joker, Batman vs. Ra’s Al Ghul, and Spiderman vs. Doc Ock – and are eagerly awaiting the Superman deck. Join the fun! The games are available for P400++/deck and boosters are P180++/pack at toy stores.

So how have you been?

Me? I was neck deep in work and more importantly, in offline life, since the last time I blogged:
1. Arn and I had new water pipes installed in our home. The original pipes were more than 20 years old and one of them had leaked, resulting to a P4k water bill, sigh. The good news is that having new pipes brought forth a surge of water we didn’t know we had – and it came just in time for summer, how about that?;
2. We filed our ITRs – a whole month before the deadline too! *pats self on the back*;
3. I art-directed shoots galore (at least 4 shoots a week) for the upcoming issue of WE. Many many behind-the-scene pics are chronicled semi-regularly on our phlog;
4. I worked on the Claycakes website – it’s quite deep so as of now it’s about 90% done. If you’re getting married, do consider booking with Karla. Her cakes are always fun and witty and best of all, they taste reaaaally yummy. I was (secretly) craving for her chocolate/lemon crumb cake with fudge topping the whole time I was working on the site – yun pala Marbee asked her to make me one as a gift when…
5. I turned thirty- another year older last week. (:


My Claycakes birthday cake, a gift from Marbs — how thoughtful! I told her “it’s the wedding cake Arn and I never had.”

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Yay, my very first CafePress “Pinoy Street Food” model, no less than Ms. Marite Irvine of one of Manila’s top ad agencies. (Thanks for giving her the apron as a wedding present in the first place, Shei!).

If you (or if you know anyone who’s) purchased anything from either of my little shops, please please don’t hesitate to send me a photo showing the item in use (ahem, Luis P!). I’d also love to know how the quality of the printing is since I don’t have access to the items myself.

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TMC shirts in American Beauty red, Atmosphere, Moroccan Blue, and Rattan.
We interrupt the rampant Andong Agimat plugging to make way for another important Arn book-related announcement:The Mythology Class shirts will soon be available at all BRANDED SHIRTS outlets in SM Megamall, SM Southmall, SM Manila, Alabang Town Center, and MarketMarket. Get them while they’re hot! (Click here to view larger images.)

*BRANDED is a division of Spoofs Ltd. Inc.