Seoul, Korea: Hello Kitty Cafe

After visiting the Trick Eye Museum, we stumbled upon the super cute Hello Kitty Cafe also in the Hongdae area. If you read my blog, you know that my daughter Miley loves Hello Kitty and it was even the theme of her 3rd birthday party. So I guess it was really meant to be since I didn't even research beforehand where this place was. I just mentioned to hubby that it would be nice if we found it, and then it was right there! I mean, how could you not miss this very pink building in the middle of the street right? :)

We just had to go inside and have dessert even though we were already so full from lunch. And it was literally cuteness overload!

As expected, everything inside was pink and screamed Hello Kitty, down to their food and drinks.

coffee and smoothies

cakes and waffles

Hello Kitty-shaped mousse cakes

Hello Kitty water

latte

Hello Kitty furniture and merchandise

We decided to sit at the 2nd floor, which was more spacious and again, very pink. I could just imagine my daughter Miley going crazy here. It was like a Hello Kitty playhouse all blown up.

We ordered a Choco Banana Waffle (4,500 won or about Php200) and a cup of water (1,000 won or about Php45). We actually didn't drink the water and instead brought it home for Miley as a souvenir hehe. ;p

There were also writings all over the walls with messages, notes and names of people who've been here. I think this is really common in Korea since there were also a number of other places we visited with lots of dedications written all over too.

Of course, we had to leave our mark as well - plus a little message for Miley (we definitely have to come back with her next time) and our boys. Good thing I had a pentel pen in my bag hehe. Always prepared lol! :)

If you're a fan of Hello Kitty or just want to have some coffee or dessert in the Hongdae area, then you definitely have to drop by. :)

Website: www.hellokittycafe.co.kr

Our meet & greet with Hello Kitty!

Remember when I found out about the Sanrio town in SM North EDSA a few weeks ago and how they were having a meet & greet with Hello Kitty? Sadly, we weren't able to go there since it was so far away. And a friend was also able to check it out and said that there were so many people during the meet & greet, and I knew I didn't want to bring the kids or myself to really crowded places. But I guess good things come to those who wait because we found out that Hello Kitty was going to be in the newly opened SM City BF Paranaque, which was more accessible to us here in the south! Yey!!! ;p

The new SM BF Paranaque. Not many stores open yet though...

The meet & greet was at 4pm and we got there at about 3pm to make sure we would be able to get in. Luckily, I don't think many people knew about it since no one was there yet and there wasn't even a line at all! Yes! There was a purchase requirement of at least P200 worth of Hello Kitty merchandise from the SM Store, which entitles you to 1 seat for a child and 1 seat for a guardian. So off we went to do some shopping first, and I got Miley a Hello Kitty dress. :)

waiting for the show to start...

There weren't that much people yet when we got back at around quarter to 4, so I think the organizers were waiting for all the seats to be filled. We were waiting for quite a while that Miley fell asleep already! Finally Hello Kitty came out at 5pm!

there she is!

waving hello to everyone

she did 1 dance number before the meet & greet

Well, since I woke Miley up from her nap when the show started, she was sort of in a bad mood. So it was so hard to convince her to take a pic with Hello Kitty since she said she was so sleepy! Well, I wasn't about to give up and after coaxing and pleading with her, she agreed but I had to go with her daw.

Sungit Miley! She chose pa naman her outfit for the day ;p

I tried hiding behind Hello Kitty so she could have a solo shot. It kinda worked, but she still refused to smile!

Hello Kitty even gave her a hug but she just got mad after hahaha! ;p

Anyway, I'm still happy we got to meet Hello Kitty! Now Miley says she wants to meet Strawberry Shortcake and the Disney Princesses. Well, good thing we're watching Disney on Ice! I just hope she's in a better mood then haha! ;p

Sanrio Christmas at SM North EDSA

A friend of mine shared pictures of her child posing with Hello Kitty and when I found out it was at SM, I immediately searched for it online. Turns out there's currently a Hello Kitty exhibit at SM North EDSA's The Block Atrium which was launched last November 15. They also had this Hello Kitty Village last year, but being from the south, I had no idea all this was going on. I mean I think I've only been to SM North EDSA once in my entire life!

Anyway, it runs until December 31 and there's also a Hello Kitty meet & greet all weekends of December (except 28 & 29) at 4pm and 6pm at The Block Atrium.

 Here are other pictures from SM North EDSA's Facebook page:

I just wish they also had this in SM stores nearer to us! I'm still convincing hubby to drive all the way to the north so Miley can see this. I mean, this is so much cheaper than flying to Malaysia to visit Hello Kitty Town right? lol! ;p

Miley's Hello Kitty party is featured in Smart Parenting!

August is turning out to be such an awesome month! First, I shared how my mom's living room was chosen in the makeover contest for Real Living's August issue. Second, it's my birthday in a couple of weeks. And now, Miley's 3rd birthday party is featured in this month's issue of Smart Parenting! Yahoooo! :)

The article is all about DIY parties and I'm so happy Miley's Hello Kitty Valentine celebration made it to the list! Thank you as well to Katherine Lopez for the interview. The whole issue is actually packed with fun and creative ideas for your parties so grab the latest copy now. :)

DIY Dessert Table

Sharing some of the tips and tricks I did in making the dessert table for Miley's Hello Kitty Valentine themed birthday party.

Like I said in my previous post, this was my first attempt at making a dessert table. And I got lots of inspiration from gorgeous set-ups from other blogs and Pinterest. I was so lucky to have so many of the things I used in this party just lying around the house. I guess it was also the colors of red and white which made it so easy to work with - most of the stuff I used were leftovers from Christmas (like my tablecloth).

Anyway, I'm by no means an expert, but I hope that by reading this post you get inspired as I did and also find some useful tips to help you in your next party. =)

CUPCAKE TOPPERS

The question I get asked the most is how I make the cupcake toppers. You can see how I made them HERE for Miley's 2nd birthday party. Basically, I do the layout in photoshop, print on cardboard paper, and CUT THE CIRCLES MANUALLY. Haha that's right, I cut each and every single round topper by hand. Imagine I had to do about 100 pieces for Sabe's 1st birthday! What I really want to get is the big paper puncher (like this) but I haven't been able to find one so far. Does anyone know where to get one here in Manila? ;p

Anyway, I just tape the toppers to toothpicks using masking tape and stick them on the cupcakes. Tada!

BUNTING BANNER

For this particular banner, I bought red felt paper and cut out my buntings. I then printed the letters separately on bond paper, cut them out, and glued them on top of the red felt. The Hello Kitty image in the center is printed on cardboard paper.

I used masking tape to stick the buntings to leftover gift wrapping ribbon...

And again used masking tape to hang it on the wall. I added the hearts at the end to cover all the masking tape mess. ;p

CAKE BUNTING

This is probably the easiest way to add a little pizzazz to your otherwise plain cake. If you don't want to spend on a customized cake that will set you back a couple of thousands, just buy a regular one (ours was from Cielin's Cakehouse and cost only P360) then add a cake bunting.

I used scraps from my red felt paper banner and cut out mini hearts. Then, I stuck them to my thread using masking tape and tied both ends to the barbeque sticks. You can even add your child's small toys to further tie it to the theme. I placed a small Hello Kitty figurine from Miley's toy box and viola! Our very own customized party cake!

TABLE BUNTING

Don't forget your table when decorating! I cut out hearts from colored cartolina and again used masking tape to stick them to leftover gift wrapping ribbon. If you don't have a wall behind your buffet table, you can just place the greeting (your child's name, "Happy Birthday", or whatever type of celebration your having) on the table buntings.

can you spot the birthday girl?

there she is!

CONTAINER WRAPS and LABELS

I placed all the candies and goodies in clear glass containers I had around the house. But they needed a little something extra so I decided to jazz them up with recycled Christmas wrapping paper. Winner!

It was a good thing I had a polka dots design which worked well with my striped tablecloth. So I just cut it up into strips and stuck it around my containers using double sided tape.

I also stuck some of the cupcake toppers to the jars, which can also be used as food labels. Oh, and if you're wondering if I placed stickers on ALL the Kisses, the you must be nuts! Hahaha! Sorry to disappoint but I only placed stickers on about 20 of them, most of which you can see. I strategically placed them around the edges so it will look good in the photos *wink wink*. Secrets of a stylist! ;p

LOLLIPOP DISPLAY

I was thinking of the best way to display the lollipops in a standing position so the hearts could be seen nicely. And then I remembered my DIY sports table centerpiece! I emptied a glass vase I had from the living room, covered it with my polka dots wrapping paper, and filled it with cut out styrofoam circles (again leftovers from Sabe's party!). After, just stick the lollipops in!

WRAP BOXES for HEIGHT

One thing I noticed from checking out other dessert table photos online is you need different levels and heights when displaying your goodies just to make it more interesting to look at.

Just as I was set to buy some boxes from National Bookstore, our yaya literally came into the room and asked me if she could already throw out some of the kids' old shoeboxes. Lightbulb! It was really meant to be! The boxes were the exact size I needed (and they were free! yes!). Since I wanted them to blend with my tablecloth, I wrapped them in striped gift wrapping paper also leftover from Christmas. I swear, everything came together for this set-up. The tablecloth is actually 3 yards of cloth I bought in Divisoria some time ago. It was just a blessing I had the matching wrappers on hand. You'd really be surprised at the things you'll find lying around your house!

Who would guess you actually have shoeboxes on your table? Haha! I was also lucky to buy this set of 4 jars at True Value for 50% off (just P300!) which came in different sizes.

STICK BALLOONS

I used the leftover bowls I had from Sabe's DIY sports table centerpiece and applied the same principle of filling it with styrofoam. I also covered it with my striped gift wrapping paper to blend in with the tablecloth.

Then just stick your balloons in!

So again, here are just some general tips in making your own DIY dessert table:
- Stick with your color combination.
- Use glass containers and/or all white plates. It makes it look more professional.
- Create depth in your display by using different sized containers and boxes for height.
- Buy some nice cake / cupcake stands.
- Try to see what you have lying around the house before buying anything. You'll be surprised at what you find!
- Masking tape is your best friend.
- If you feel stuck on an idea (or just need inspiration), search online. Someone else probably had the same problem and if you're lucky, blogged about it with some useful tips (like me haha!). ;p

So YES, you can make your own dessert table without hiring a stylist! Just grab some paper, scissors and tape and get started! ;p