Penshoppe launched their newest boutique in SM North EDSA yesterday so they invited some fashion bloggers to attend their opening party!

My blog sisters and I had fun ogling at all the pieces Penshoppe has in stock. I have always been a big fan of this local brand (do you still remember when they got Mandy Moore as an endorser? I still have the paperboy cap she was wearing in the old Penshoppe paperbags in my closet!) and I always make sure to visit their TriNoma and SM North EDSA-Annex branches during paydays to check out new items. It's good to know that they added a new boutique to add to my must-visit places, especially since SM North EDSA is so near my office and apartment!

Take a load of these:

It's not a shopping party without some shopping! Penshoppe was so generous in giving all of us P3,000 worth of giftcards each so we can pick our favorite pieces. Before I show you what I got, here are the two other pieces I'm eyeing, but didn't "make the cut":

Here are the items I did get. Very rarely do I get to find jeans that fit me perfectly. Most of the time they hug my hips perfectly, but are too big for my waist. I am so glad the two jeans I tried on fit me perfectly. SCORE! I didn't let these go anymore ;)

Thank you Penshoppe, I love everything I got! See something you like? Visit the nearest Penshoppe branch now! Or, go to their newest boutique at SM North EDSA (it's in the main mall, ground floor level) so you can see their new look!

Aside from the shopping spree Penshoppe gave us, the yummy lunch sponsored by Yellow Cab and BonChon Chicken, and the raffle draw where lucky winners got more Penshoppe and The Spa gift cards and even a digital camera, we also had a Blogger Styling Challenge. Ana, Ava and I teamed up and here's the look we came up with:

I love how our mannequin has a little bit something of each of us: Ana's bohemian vibe, Ava's mojo for layering, and my love for flirty, floaty fabrics. Please help us win by voting for our entry! All you have to do is Like Penshoppe's Facebook page here, and then  Like our entry here. Voting ends on 22 July 2011. THANK YOU SO MUCH! ♥

I really love it when local brands step up. It was such a proud moment for the Filipinos when Penshoppe was able to get THE Ed Westwick as a brand endorser!

Oh, to get lost in his piercing stare ♥

Ed was interviewed by senior correspondent Anjali Rao during his highly-publicized trip here in the Philippines (which was actually his first visit to Asia. Cool huh?) as lead endorser for Penshoppe's 25th anniversary. Highlights of his interview will be available online at www.cnn.com/talkasia after the first airing that will be today, 20 July 2011, at 5:30PM with replays all throughout the week (see show schedule for more details). For more information, you can visit www.cnnasiapacific.com. Tune in and be charmed!

Gosh, there are still so many pieces I still want to buy, like the flats, that biker jacket, the maxi dress... Must. Wait. For. Payday. Because I would gladly work for clothes and shoes ;)

Are you proud to be big and beautiful?

Get a chance to win a modelling contract, an all expense paid trip for two to Asia's top shopping destinations: Bangkok, Macau, Hong Kong, with shopping money, gift certificates, and a chance to be the first full-figured model of SM's Plus Department!

Today I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 for the THIRD time. The other times I saw it were: with Ana [read her account of it here] in Glorietta at the advance screening last July 13 thanks to my friend Dewi; and with my friends Jonas and Joner on the first regular showing day last July 14 at the IMAX theater in SM North-EDSA. I even requested for a half-day shift for Thursday just so I can catch the first screening for the day which was at 10:30AM. Today, I saw it in SM Fairview with my friends from the office Frank and Terry with her daughter Stephenie.

I don't think I am over-acting, but I didn't tire of the movie even after seeing it thrice. I still teared up at most of the scenes (tears all around from the point Professor McGonagall said "Potter, it's good to see you."), and the funny little moments still never failed to make me smile. Who here didn't tear up at the panning long shot of the trio the morning after, knowing that it is the last time we would see them that way? Whose heartstrings weren't tugged at the Epilogue? Who here didn't admire Neville Longbottom, especially at his speech towards the end (which I have already memorized)? Only a true Potter fan would understand.

I won't post a review yet because I don't want to spoil the movie experience for some who have yet to see it. I know that the ending wouldn't come as a surprise anymore especially for those who have read the book, but we got to admit there were a few instances where the director took liberties with how a scene would turn out just to make the transition from book to film smooth and easier. I just wanted to say though, "RUDDY BRILLIANT!"

*Pause and deep breath* It just feels surreal that it has already ended. I am one of the millions of fans who feel sad that there will be no more books and movies to look forward to in the coming years, yet I still feel grateful that I have been born in this generation - for if I weren't, then I wouldn't have known all about Ron Weasley, and Hogsmeade, and Patronuses, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It would have been cool to wear petticoats and pretty dresses like they did in the Victorian era, but thanks but no thanks. I love my Android apps, my Internet, and my Harry Potter books, so I wholeheartedly embrace being born in the late 1980s.

I know I am not being very original here, but I just want to quote another of my favorite authors Liz Gilbert in her book Eat Pray Love, that "in the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices." Thank you Warner Bros. and David Heyman for producing these films. Thank you Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates. Thank you Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, for being the perfect Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Thank you, Joanne Kathleen Rowling, for sharing with us this wonderful world of wizards and witches. Our childhood would have been a lot less magical without your stories.

Two things you can never have too many of: good friends and pretty shoes ♥

Last night my blog-sisters and I were invited to Manels' Private Sale held at their SM Megamall branch as a preview to [and to get first dibs on] their Anniversary Sale.

I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been inside a Manels shop for a couple of years now because when I hear of their brand before, "safe school shoes" [read: boring] immediately come to mind. I am so thankful I got invited to this event because it totally wiped away all my misconceptions!

Aside from carrying a wide array of shoe designs for both men and women nowadays, Manels branches have also undergone a complete transformation! Instead of using boring colors in the interiors, they used bright pink (for their high-fashion women's brand Catch) and bright blue (for their men's casual line Maphisto). Cool, huh? Even more amazing is that this year, Manels is turning 47 years old! Their 50th year in the business is coming in three years so these "facelifts" are just some of the things they are doing to be stronger and fresher than ever!

To celebrate their 47th anniversary, Manels has cooked up a five days-event that will surely be enjoyed by EVERYONE:

From July 13 to 17, Manels will hold a special anniversary sale that will let you grab anything - and I mean ANYTHING - at 50% OFF! Awesome deal, right? It doesn't stop there. Anyone who will shop for five or more items will be entitled to 55% OFF on ALL items! Awesome-r! Hurry and visit the Manels branch nearest you because from what I experienced at the private sale yesterday, stocks will be going really fast!

Aside from that, you can also join Manels Nation! Click here to read more about it.

It ain't a blog event without photos with my pretty blog-mates, so:

With Mr. Mark Siggaoat, VP for Operations

Shirt - gifted | High-waist camouflage print skirt - bought online | Purse - 168 | Boots - PILL Footwear

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, MANELS!

Here is what I took home:

I chose flat sandals just to be different this time around ;D

But I seriously want this as well:

I hope you will be mine as well! ♥

Go and reward yourself with a new pair of shoes (or a new bag, or a new belt, or new slippers... the list goes on), pop into any Manels branch nationwide from tomorrow until July 17 and prepare to be tempted to buy another one. And since everything is being sold at 50% off, then you won't have any problem shelling out for another one. And another one. And another one ;)

*All photos were taken by Frank Ruaya except for the photo of my new sandals.

I've been equally excited for and dreading July for one reason - Harry Potter. Ever since I saw the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on its premiere night I've had the sad realization that the end of my childhood has really come, and this time I wouldn't be able to shake it away any more. I've been in my job for more than four years, yes. Some of my friends are already married, some already have babies, yes. The old crushes I've had when I was a teenager failed to elicit the same giddy feeling I've had before, yes. I am twenty-freaking-five years old, yes. All these and more, yet nothing, nothing drives the truth that I am no longer a child closer to home than the fact that next year and the coming years after that, there'll be no more new Harry Potter books and/ or movies to look forward to.

I won't be able to watch the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 here in Manila because my friend Dewi who "supplies" my premiere night tickets will spend this week - her birthday week - touring Asia. It's a well-deserved vacation for her, so have a safe trip and take lots of photos, girl! As for me, I got myself this:

I booked tickets the moment SM Cinema posted the movie schedules. I even panicked a bit because the site kept on crashing on me that I called them up and the lady suggested I just reserve tickets over the phone because the servers cannot accommodate the number of people logging in, wanting to book. After about thirty minutes of listening to a busy tone and redialing, I finally got in! Reserved my tickets without any other hitches, then picked them up last Monday.

Anyway, being a true Potter geek that I am, let me share with you this ultra-awesome book I got last April. I have been looking for it all over so when I finally saw it from a bookstore's window, I SQUEALED and RAN to the bookstore, completely forgetting and leaving my friends behind XD

You all know how I love collecting books and DVDs, and I LOVE books that tell how movies are made, so Harry Potter Film Wizardry is a total score! Not only does it feature behind-the-scenes commentaries by the producers, directors, art people, actors and other people behind the Harry Potter movies, it also contains copies of props from the movies! At P1,799, it is one of the most expensive books I've ever bought. The price is totally worth it though, and let me show you why. I wanted to take a photo of each page but that would take me forever, besides I'm sure the publishers would want you to get your own copy ;p Here are some choice pages:

If I have any qualms about the book it's just that they should have waited until the final movie is shown before they release it so that it will really be complete. All in all though, I really love that its chockful of photos, trivia, and little extras. Reading the complexities of making the HP films made me feel  like I was there  beside David Heyman, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates, watching the action unfold. It just made the film a lot more magical to me ♥

I held my breath the entire time I saw the trailer for the first time, so now I am afraid I will get a heart attack when I watch the real thing. I'm sure it will be a really emotional experience for all of us who will be at the movie theater that day. The Harry Potter books aren't just books for us, they are places of wonder and awe, of magic, and of love and friendship. Yes, we are sad Harry Potter has come to its end, but we are very thankful  to JK Rowling for promising that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home. I will cry like a baby on the many times I will watch it (yes, I have made it a personal mission to watch it as many times as I can), but I won't care. Only a true Harry Potter fan will understand.

EDIT: MY FRIEND DEWI ASKED HER OFFICEMATE TO GIVE ME A TICKET! I WILL BE AT THE PREMIERE NIGHT TOMORROW!!! I AM SO HAPPY!