Real Living Space Tea Party & Walkthrough

I have been an avid reader and fan of Real Living magazine for so many years now, so I was beyond happy when I received an invite to their Real Living Space tea party. During the event, Associate Publisher Tom Castaneda and Editor In Chief Rachelle Medina personally discussed and showed us the spaces that some of Manila's best interior designers have created at the Trion Towers in BCG.

This was the lovely office / craft room set-up that greeted us, with furniture from Heima. The free DIY workshops during the weekend were also held here. Out of all the spaces, this was probably my favorite since I just love all the colors, prints and patterns. Everything just looks so happy and girly! Gosh, I wish I could have a room like this at home where I can do all my DIY projects. Heaven!!!

This is the living area styled by Van Acuna. Hubby was with me and he instantly gravitated towards the aquarium on display (he's been wanting to get an aquarium for the house ever since before). Well, we found out that the aquarium was from ADA Nature Aquariums and it costs a whopping P140,000! That's because all the plants used are real (and imported), the glass of the aquarium is some kind of special crystal (it was so clear!), and the best part is that someone comes to your house once a week to clean the whole thing! So sulit naman pala hehe! ;p

This is the dining space designed by Wilan Dayrit, which is where cocktails was also held.

We then headed upstairs to check 2 of the condo units that were styled for the event. In the first unit, the living / dining area was by Wilmer Lopez featuring furniture from Space Encounters. I really loved the whole vintage, retro, funky style of this area.

The bedroom inside the unit was styled by Pam Tan. My favorite part in the room was probably the butterfly decals on the wall from Dimensione. According to EIC Rachelle, the designer placed them there to cover paint chips on the wall (great idea!).

In the next unit, the living area was styled by Kristine Neri-Magturo. I really like the mix of feminine and masculine elements in the space. If you noticed, there are a lot of antlers used as decors in the room, just like in the other unit, which was purely coincidence from the designers. ;p

The bedroom in the unit was styled by Elle Uy. This room is also one of my top picks since it has that whole bohemian vibe (very Urban Outfitters!). I especially love the curtains and the wall gallery.

It was such a great afternoon and the whole time, I felt like I really stepped inside the pages of Real Living. I love how all the spaces have their own distinct style - there really was something for everyone. Now, I'm even more inspired to start redecorating! Although I need to wait a couple more years before I can start placing breakable accent pieces anywhere around the house with my toddlers running around hehe! ;p

Shopping loot from 168 Mall

Finally, I was able to go back to Divisoria after soooo long... the last time was exactly a year ago! I think it's becoming a tradition to go during this time of year though, right before the Christmas rush sets in. Good thing my mother-in-law wanted to go too, so we convinced hubby to be our driver and alalay for the day hehe. ;p I also invited my mom along so it was really a shopping day for us girls. Anyway, we left bright and early so we got to 168 Mall at around 7:30am. We were able to find really great parking in the basement right in front of the elevator (which is a must since hubby made several trips back and forth to put our stuff in the car - so we would have our hands free for more shopping!).

Anyway, we had breakfast first in the foodcourt and by the time we were done, most of the stalls were already open. It was good I had a list ready so I didn't feel so overwhelmed since I pretty much knew what I was there to buy. But still, it was hard not to get sidetracked with all the cheap items up for grabs!

Here are just some of my favorite personal buys from the day:

Wrapping Paper Books - I saw this before during my previous trip to Divisoria but didn't buy it then. Ever since, I've been seeing these sold in the mall and online for more than double the price. So happy I finally got my hands on these babies!

left: P130, right: P100

Washi Tape - I didn't really understand the whole washi tape craze ever since it started. I found the tape itself really cute but my kuripot self couldn't imagine spending about P100 for a single roll. Well, Divisoria really is the place to go since you can find all kinds of washi tape for so cheap - the paper and fabric ones were 4 rolls for P100. I decided to get these tapes which were cheaper at 6 for P100 - and I got 24 rolls! Now you can say my washi tape obsession has officially begun! :)

6 rolls for P100

Leggings - my closet staple! Loved the material of these leggings since it's very light so they're not hot to wear.

black leggings: P180, blue leggings: P75 each

Silicone Chopsticks - I bought chopsticks like these last year but as usual, we can't seem to find them anywhere around the house. Got pink ones for Miley and hopefully they last longer. :)

P60

Party Supplies - Got these for Miley's birthday when she celebrates in school. Yes, her birthday is all the way in February but I'm not sure if I'll be able to go back to Divisoria before then anyway. So at least, ready na months in advance pa lang haha!

goody bag (10 pcs): P20
paper plates (10 pcs): P30
paper napkins: 3 packs for P100

these are the other paper napkins I got, but for the house

Kiddie Coat & Tie - We've been looking for a coat for Sabe since he'll be attending a lot of weddings in the coming months. The cheapest one we saw was about P1,800 in SM. Well, thank you to the bridal section at 168 mall and we were able to score this one for a steal!

coat: P500, tie: P100

Kiddie Crocs- got the kids another set of slippers which they use around the house

P150 a pair

Cars Toy - Sabe loves CARS the movie so we had to get him this toy - it moves with lights and sounds!

P220

Of course, hubby didn't go home empty handed. Check out what he got for himself hehe:

plastic belt: P100

knee support: P80

Oh, and we got this electronic mosquito killer lamp for the house. We just tested it so far so I'll still have to let you know if it's effective. :)

P250

A lot of the other stuff I bought are for Christmas gifts (so I can't post those yet kasi surprise hehe). And even though we spent about 7 hours shopping, I still feel like I have a lot of stuff I'd like to go back for. We're still trying to convince hubby to drive us again though, so wish us luck! ;p

Follow me on Instagram!

I've had my own personal Instagram account for a while now, but I've always kept it on private settings. So I finally decided (just yesterday!) to make an IG account for my blog which you can see below. :)

As you can see, I only have a measly 10 followers as of now, so please please follow me! hahaha! Thanks everyone in advance! ;p

Real Living Space at the Trion Towers

Real Living will unveil the Real Living Space, the ultimate shopping and design showhouse, at The Trion Towers in Bonifacio Global City this weekend, on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15. During this FREE two-day event, you'll get to experience the pages of Real Living like never before, with help from noted designers like Wilmer Lopez, Pam Tan and Wilan Dayrit, in four stylish spaces! But that's not all... You'll get to take part in DIY workshops and a mini trade fair, as well as speak with designers and Real Living editors about your design concerns. 

I was so fortunate to be invited to a special tea party yesterday where I was given a walk through to the spaces by Real Living Associate Publisher Tom Castaneda and Editor In Chief Rachelle Medina. Everything was so beautiful and I got so inspired to start redecorating again. Here's a preview of my favorite spaces from the event:

 Anyway, I'll be blogging about the tea party in the coming days and show you more of the gorgeous details from each of the rooms. But please do drop by the Trion Towers this weekend to take part in this event and see these amazing spaces for yourselves. :) For more information, visit www.realliving.com.ph/rlspace.

My fab finds at the National Bookstore Cut-Price Sale

Yey it's that time of the year again - National Bookstore's biggest book sale! Here are my lucky finds from the Glorietta branch the other day. Home design books at 50% off! And these were hardbound ones too. Super sulit!

I still can't get over the fact that this book is just P197.00!!!

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorites authors and this book was 10% off - from P275 to P247.

I got this book for the kids and didn't even think it was included in the sale since it had no sticker. It was P299 and I already thought it was a good deal since the book was hardbound and really big. Imagine my surprise when it became just P89 at the cash register! Winner!

I also got this hardbound Children's Encyclopedia from P159 to P127.25. The pictures inside are really nice. :)

But I think it was Hubby who found the best buy of them all. He got this book which was marked down from the original price of P1,145 to just P100!!!

The Cut-Price Book Sale is only until Sunday, September 8 so head over to National Bookstore fast if you want to get your hands on some cheap books! :)

New obsession: Envirosax reusable bags

I honestly have a love-hate relationship with the NO PLASTIC rule in Muntinlupa (and recently now in Makati as well). I applaud the effort to save the environment but I'd hate carrying brown paper bags without handles that would rip apart if they held too much weight. I had some canvas bags at home but I'd always forget to bring them, probably because they were also a bit large to fit inside my own bag.

I'd always wanted to get one of these Envirosax bags from the Reuse store in Alabang Town Center but I honestly found them a bit expensive at first (at just P375 each haha). Plus, I could never decide which design to get since there were so many nice ones.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I saw that some of the old designs were on sale at 30%  - it was now P262.50 each. And since I can't resist a good bargain, I bought a couple of bags which I'm also planning to give away as gifts. :)

Here are some of the qualities of the Envirosax bag. It says it can carry up to 44 lbs - which means I can even fit Miley inside haha (she's currently 41 lbs) ;p

This is the one I got for myself and I just love how stylish, lightweight, and roomy it is! It really fits a LOT of stuff. It's also so easy to fold and the folded bag is the perfect size to fit inside your bag (not like the other foldable bags I got before from Divisoria which are bulkier and thicker).

Here are the other designs I got. But I honestly love the bags so much now that I just want to keep all of these for myself haha! And I want to go back and even get some of the new designs even if they're not on sale. Can you say addict? ;p

Reuse is located at the ground floor of the new wing of Alabang Town Center.

Fab Finds: Party supplies at Landmark grocery

I love checking the grocery for stuff I can use for my kids' DIY parties. Lately, I've noticed that they've started selling more interesting things which before you could only get online. I was in Landmark the other day and saw these items which you can use to jazz up your celebrations.

First up are these paper straws. I've been seeing these sold at online party supply stores for the longest time so I'm so glad I can now get them at the supermarket. They're definitely cheaper here in the grocery but only limited to this design and colors.

P57.50 per pack (50 pcs)

P42.00 per pack of assorted colors (50 pcs)

Also available are these wooden utensils which I find so much better looking than their plastic counterparts. Plus, you can decorate the handles with washi tape depending on the theme of your party. I don't know why they have different prices though, and why the spoon is the most expensive. hmmm... ;p

Wooden Spoon (25 pcs) = P103.50

Wooden Fork (25 pcs) = P69

Wooden Sfork (25 pcs) = P86.25

And now the reason I was in Landmark in the first place was to buy some paper doillies. I'm planning to do a DIY project which involves these babies so stay tuned. :)

They have different sizes and designs in stock. I had such a hard time deciding what to get, I wanted to buy them all! And you could actually, since they're very affordable. The smallest size is 6" and cost P14.40 for a pack of 12 pcs. The biggest size is 16" and costs P39.60 per pack of 12 pcs.

So hooray for my successful trip to the grocery. I really hope they start selling paper plates and cups with different designs (like chevron, stripes, polkadots, etc.) soon though. :)