MT Casa at Heima Brixton

After a super awesome lunch at Project Pie with some friends, we had an instant side trip to Heima Brixton.

I have always loved Heima eversince I have spotted their fun and lovely furniture from Real Living magazines, and from Kamiseta shops and Vanilla Bakery.

Good thing we still caught the MT Spaces Exhibit for the launch of MT Casa products that are now available at Heima. This was participated by Real Living Magazine, Everywhere we Shoot, Carina Santos and The Googly Gooeys.

Here's a closer look of the colorful pieces in the exhibit. Everyone did a great job with the decorating using MT Casa's famous washi tapes but my favorite one would be from Googly Gooeys. For me, it's more vibrant, it is filled with lots of interesting items and I loved it's 'homey' vibe.

At Heima, you can also find good books about art, interiors and decorating.

 Love artsy stuff? They have a wide collection of wall art, postcards, wrappers and colorful washi tapes from MT Casa.

You will also find quirky and vintage items that collectors would surely appreciate.

My dream home would definitely be filled with Heima items. Their classic style with the right pop of color would surely turn any dull area to WOW!

 Visit Heima Brixton at Unit 103, Three Brixton Bldg. #3 Brixton St. Brgy Kapitolyo Pasig City

They are open Mondays to Saturdays 10am to 7pm. You can also call them at 5017588 for inquiries.

Check out their website http://www.heimastore.com/ for their other branches.

Book Wish: Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown

I'm not a Star Wars fan but when I saw the preview for this book, I absolutely loved it! This could have been a perfect father's day gift, especially for the fans of the trilogy or as gifts for a daddy's girl. This would surely bring back a lot of childhood memories for the grown up 'princesses'.  =)

Vader’s Little Princess © Chronicle Books, 2013

Here are some funny snippets:

 Vader’s Little Princess © Chronicle Books, 2013

Also check out J Brown's first book "Darth Vader and Son".

 Just the thought of the Dark Lord succumbing to his kids is already funny.Can't wait to read more!

Unfortunately I don't think it's already available in the Phil but I would surely check it out in bookstores this weekend. If anyone has a copy let me know what you think! =)

33rd Manila International Book Fair

Admitting I'm a bookworm, this was definitely an event, I didn't miss. Thanks to Ching I was able to score passes and thanks to my dad for driving me to SMX even with the bad weather. Too bad I was only able to go during the last day of the event that 90% of the books in my must-have list were sold out boohoo. =(

Books everywhere!!

Interactive promotions for kids and kids at heart =P

From local authors to international bestsellers, classic archie comics, everyone's favorite Where's Wally, newly released books and more more books =)

There were also some office supplies as well. Oh how I love pens =)

I got this super cute postcard from OMF Lit's booth where I bought my John Maxwell book =)

Almost all booths offered 20% off in their books. There were even religious books below P10.00. It must have been wild during the first few days. I can't believe David Levithan's books got sold out. I only ended up with a few items. Surprisingly, my dad was the one who went into a shopping spree and brought home 2  eco bags full of books and planners. Apparently, he bought it as gifts for Christmas (good idea!). Oh well,  I'll just wait for the 34th MIBF next year and I should really (and I mean REALLY) finish all the books I have on hand. I always get distracted when there are new ones =P See u 2013. 

Saturday Trade Fair

I think this is the only trade fair attended by 5 people, but this is one of the best I've ever gone to. I called it a 'trade fair' because we got to exchange books, movies, series and whatever we had =P Remember the days when we trade up stationery and stickers? (aww.. i miss those days * reminiscing*) It was exactly like that. Plus a time to catch up, relax and plan for our October trip =) We met up at Army Navy BGC and had our burger lunch. It was my first time to try their burger and it was really good. I got worried the black sesame seeds would get stuck in my teeth (not good for photo ops and cute guys alert haha!). My friend Kai was also happy with the burger. (Thanks Gian for suggesting this.)

After lunch we decided to go to our next door neighbor (Starbucks), to chill, have coffee and plug our gadgets =) I was really amazed with the beautiful interiors of that branch. I think it's the first "Filipinized" Starbucks.

Then we became busy checking out what each one brought. While the girls were happy chit chatting, the boys played with Magic cards. 

I also borrowed Kai's book which made me look crazy (laughing alone in one corner). I'm so jealous she was able to get her book signed! =P

I'm a big fan of TMR. Kai and I are planning to visit them one day =) 

A fun-filled Saturday with my folks: Kai, Gian, Steph and Vic. It seems 5 hours is not enough haha. Can't wait for our trip =) See you guys soon =)

The Lover's Dictionary

All my plans got cancelled today due to continuous rain and flooded areas. This allowed me to finally finish this book which I just discovered this week through a list of best sellers I found online. It's not a typical love story told in chronological order but it's a dictionary with a twist. It was a light and enjoyable read that will put you in different moods.

At first I thought it was a dictionary for terms that are used when talking about relationships and love but surprisingly, they were words that were interpreted based on the experiences of the speaker. Somehow the words are like puzzle pieces that reveal the speaker's love story. It was not in specific order and more like the speaker is telling his story based on specific and random moments from his love life. I had a lot of favorite lines and I would like to share some with you:

Source: All quoted from the book

Note: These are only SOME of my favorite lines. If I would highlight all my favorite lines, the book would end up looking like a coloring book. =P

These lines made me love the feeling of being in love. Also, I think the author was able to put in words some hard to explain emotions or thoughts. It feels as if I'm part of the story because there were instances that made me relate to what he was telling or feeling and sometimes I feel like I'm the other person he was talking to. This book isn't really a reference book but a love story unraveled slowly by the speaker's random memories of the past. It's emotional and romantic but it's not heavy drama. His story isn't the fairy tale type but I would say it's more realistic. He's the typical guy who goes madly in love and experiences the ups and downs of being in a relationship. There were also moments that would crack you up:

macabre, adj.

If you ever need proof that I love you, the fact that I allowed you to dress me up as a dead baby Jesus for Halloween should do it. Although I suppose it would be even better proof if it hadn’t been Halloween.

Whether you're in a relationship or not, I think this book is a must read. It will make you say "awwww" and some lines will make your heart break (especially if you can relate to it). I loved how David Levithan soulfully expressed how he felt at that time and how cleverly found words that would somehow summarize that moment. I highly recommend this to everyone including my guy friends. Unfortunately, I believe this book is for adults only. (Sorry tweens!)

Source: All lines were quoted from David Levithan's book entitled "The Lover's Dictionary" - 2011

Hunger for Battle

Hunger Games vs. Battle Royale

Two weeks ago, I was able to borrow my friend’s DVD copy of Battle Royale I & II. It was also the same weekend that I was able to finish reading the third installment of Hunger Games. I was so curious about how Hunger Games was being rumored to be a rip-off of Battle Royale.

Although the main idea was similar (killing each other and only one should survive) they are still different in a lot of ways. I liked both stories but Hunger Games was the one who got me hooked. The complexity of HG made it more thrilling. There were a lot of factors to consider to determine the outcome and every event in the story would make the audience think on what would happen next. On the other hand, Battle Royale was centered on survival alone making the audience think only of how the others would be killed off. The brutality in BR was more severe than HG. I liked the humor in some parts of BR and its more realistic if it would really happen. The HG (movie) wasn’t able to capture much of the action scenes in the book, probably because HG was targeting a younger audience than BR. BR II was action-packed with the use of more firearms and involving the military. HG’s appeal was also brought about by Katniss’ sentiments in dealing with her physical and emotional struggles. I’m not sure if I would like Battle Royale better if I read it. It seems reading vs. watching could make a huge difference. =P