We left Manila for New York via Hongkong, Sunday in Manila. Now we are back “home” and it still feels like we left our real home! There really is no place like Manila, no matter how chaotic and stressful living there may be!

So as I look out our bedroom window with this amazing view of Manhattan, I sometimes surprise myself that I miss Manila!

Till our next visit! In the meantime, I will continue to post pictures of our adventures back in dear old Manila!

A bridal shower, no matter how tame won’t be complete with naughty gifts! Hahaha!

Here are some of the naughtiest gifts that popped up for all of us to see!

Hmmm, I think this one goes well with my safari dress!

All in all, it was such a fun bridal shower and we all had a lot of wholesome fun! Everyone had a great time, and everything was just the way I liked it!

For my “guests” who were done with their spa indulgences, they were tasked to design a gown for me made out of toilet paper!

They were given 10 minutes to come up with a couture creation worthy of a Vogue cover!

And these were the end results as modeled by my maid of honor Aileen and my sister Dianne…

Guess who the winner was!!!

I will let these photos do the talking…

The Bridal Shower was also mommy friendly! Yup! That’s my mom and mom-in-law right there enjoying their mani-pedi!

My sister Dianne contacted Nailicious, a home spa service that my sister-in-law Lorraine discovered!

So during Bridal Shower Day, a coterie of spa therapists dressed in pink and black arrived armed with ceramic bowls, towels, massage scrubs and masks and other spa implements…

Prices were not bad at all too!

Sorry if I haven’t been able to update this site the last week as much as possible! See, Dear Hubby and I were home for our church wedding!

Of course, with the wedding comes a bridal shower! And I would like to share with you all what happened! Hehehe! Don’t worry, it’s very GP (General Patronage) and not at all R (Restricted!)!

I told my maid of honor, my sisters and sisters-in-law that I wanted a sweet and relaxing bridal shower! No raunchy male dancer please please please!

So true to my request, I got what I wanted! And it turned out to be such a great prelude to the wedding day itself! Because I had a spa-themed bridal shower!

First, let me start off with the ambiance…

“Best Wishes” and balloons greeted me as I entered the room:

Fresh flowers and lighted candles adorned each table…

The center table had Bacolod goodies like mango tarts and caramel boat tarts galore! (Thanks Jaraiza!)

Banderitas fluttered above and balloons created a festive mood…

If you think this is Martha Stewart-ish, more oohs and ahhs to come! Heehee!

My sisters-in-law and I have a favorite place to go to when we are looking for “comfort food”. Their dumplings have a homecooked goodness to it, and we especially love their beef noodles cooked in sesame oil!!! Their scallion pancake is a favorite too! Let these pictures explain why…

Did that make you hungry? Oops sorry! Just go to Su Zhou Dimsum along A. Mabini (corner Araullo Street) in Addition Hills, Mandaluyong to get you some of your own! Oh, and just to let you know, the food here is extremely cheap! Not exactly Binondo prices, but still a good deal for a good meal!

One of the best reasons why you should go to Chinatown!

Lots of fresh fruits! Side by side…

Ok, it’s not the most appetizing thing to see, but hey! we have to admit, Binondo is a one stop shop for everything!

I Love Binondo!!!

The Baghag and I enjoyed this super cheap and very filling beef noodle soup in a hole in the wall noodle place called Lan Zhou La Mien at Benavidez Street, Binondo!

The noodles were very tasty and had a bit of bounce to it, and I love that the vegetables used still had a crispness to it! The noodle stock was not the best according to The Baghag, but overall, this dish deserves a thumbs up! Why not, when it will only set you back P80 for a bowl!

By the way, we knew it was a real deal because the place was packed with mainlanders!

Not your typical grocery store products…