Chuvaness x NBS

When Cecile van Straten aka Chuvaness asks you to save the date and invites you to the launch of her collaboration with National Bookstore, you block that schedule and you go. That's a no brainer. 

Cecile told me to save the date two weeks before her launch. Without seeing anything from her collection for National Bookstore then, I already knew it was going to be good, and that I would be in for a treat. Because I know enough that when something is Chuva-approved, it's going to be something I would want as well.

True enough, it was a visual treat just being there. It was like stepping into Cecile's world of bleached wood, clean lines, kawaii characters and a wasteland of stationery and travel supplies.

Cecile led the pack in her Vetements sweatshirt, trousers with extra wide cuffs and her signature platform sneakers, but I know her well enough not to ask for her photo, hehe.

Of course, the Ramos women of National Bookstore were there, to welcome the equally chic crowd.

Xandra Ramos-Padilla in Sacai and N21, Tita Presy Ramos in House of Dagmar and Martiniano, Pat Ramos in Uemelo Munenoli, Rachel Comey and Mich Dulce

I think all the guests dressed for Cecile. Well, Pat & I did. We wore Japanese, from Tilda of course.

Wearing Japanese: Pat's top is by Tokyo-based designer Uemelo Munenoli and I wore NICO, by Nicholson and Nicholson, an Osaka-based label by Yusuke Nakagawa

I thought the pieces were totally Chuvaness. Chuvaness x NBS is an inspired collection that represents pieces, illustrations and sayings that we've all come to identify with Cecile and her blog.

There's the cute, tiny tote bag

The Coco Chanel saying, "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."

Shoe travel bags that say "Good shoes take you good places"

The most adorable illustrations of chica girls by Keeshia Felipe on this utility kit, graphic design by  Yodel Pe 

The outfit on the girl wearing the polka dotted dress is the exact same dress that inspired Cecile's polka dot birthday party back in 2014. She wore this dress of course, and effortlessly pulled it off, so to me, this is the most Cecile outfit of all

Cecile always sends out thoughtfully packaged presents so it totally makes sense for her to have gift wrappers in her line

There's also round clutches, note cards and so much more, but I ended up buying these.

The gift wrappers and stickers are totally mine. I'm visiting friends in New York soon, and I thought the shoe bags, stationery and pouch would make fun pasalubong. I'm going back for more. I'm thinking ahead, and think these would be great Christmas presents as well!

Prices are very reasonable, and the quality of each piece is impeccable. The gift tags start at Php49 and the most expensive of the lot is the big tote bag at Php699. 

The #ChuvanessxNBS collection is available at the following National Bookstore branches: Alabang Town Center, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Estancia Mall, Festival Supermall, Glorietta 1, Greenbelt,
 Greenlanes Arcade, Katipunan, NAIA, Market! Market!, Power Plant Mall-Rockwell, Quad Alpha Centrum, Quezon Avenue, Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Magnolia, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, SM Aura Premier, SM Bacoor, SM Clark, SM Dasmariñas, SM Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, SM Manila, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM Sta Rosa, Superbranch Cubao, Trinoma, Uptown Place Mall.

The Paper Stone in Manila!

Just in time for Christmas, The Paper Stone, a stationery and paper goods store from Singapore, finally makes its way to Manila, as it opens their first ever stand alone kiosk at Glorietta (at the ground floor, close to the center atrium) in Makati this December 14!

Dada brought home some goodies from The Paper Stone the other day, and Berry and I were super smitten! 

Every single piece we found adorable. And that's saying a lot given that Berry is 5 and I am 38, heehee. If you aren't done with your Christmas shopping yet, I suggest you hightail it to the store, because you might just finish your Christmas list right there.

More than just paper goods, they have pencil cases, pens, sharpeners and such too.

Everything is super reasonably priced, I am afraid I'd end up hoarding their notebooks...

Journals...

And just about everything the store will be carrying - scrapbooks, eco-friendly pencils and colored pencils made from recycled newspapers, craft stamps and stickers, quirky erasers and lifestyle products.

The Paper Stone is actually a pretty young company, having only launched in November 2012.

It was created out of a love for quality paper goods that feature the liveliest and cheeriest designs and illustrations. Its founder, Cara L, is an ardent lover of art and design, colors and patterns, a throwback to her days in design school. 

One day, it dawned on her that it was difficult to find great design on a notebook, without feeling like one had to empty their pockets for it. She wanted everyone to enjoy and appreciate good design, and to be able to collect a whole series of notebooks – one for each class you had in school, notes you had to make at work, or topic you wanted to write on for leisure. She envisioned products to make one happy, wherever you go. 

And that vision has been well-received, with a total of 9 stores up and running already in Singapore. All in a span of 2 years.

For girls like me who grew up on Gift Gate, Regina's and Tickles, and even for today's young girls who are into Smiggle, Typo and Kikki K., I am afraid this is another store for us to get obsessed about!

See you at The Paper Stone!

 

The Paper Stone

G/F Glorietta Mall

Makati City, Metro Manila  

(Between the new Glorietta and Glorietta 2, in front of Body Shop)

The Candy Shop + The Art of Gift Wrapping

When I am looking for a dose of creative inspiration, I turn to Pat's blog 101 Grams of Eye Candy for crafty ideas. She has all these cool crafting tools, fancy printing machines and all the necessary materials, enough to create life size Lalaloopsy standees (true! She made those for a party. It was for our common friend Kris aka OC Mom in Manila).  I mean, she's of that level. She can do anything and everything crafty that requires printing, mounting and all that jazz. Then again, that's her business too, does Mundial Marketing ring a bell? Heehee.

I mean seriously, I get that feeling of grade school envy when I read her blog. It's like she's that classmate with the largest stationery collection. The classmate with the fanciest pencil case, and the one with the  pencil sharpening machine that spews out poke-your-eye sharp pencils with a few rotations of that hand crank while you have this teeny tiny manual pencil sharpener with a blade that's as dull as your seat mate who repeated the second grade.

You get my drift?

The cool thing with Pat though, is she's just the nicest person! I've met her and she's just so demure and soft spoken, you can't hate her. Plus, did I mention she has such an eye for color and design that everything she makes, you just automatically like? So when she came out with note cards, gift tags, stickers and such for "The Candy Shop", it took me forever to whittle down my picks. And when I did, she graciously sent everything I wanted, plus more! See?

I was so inspired with everything that she sent me that I knew exactly where to place the cut-out letters in the kids room:

I am set on ordering buntings to place above their names, but haven't decided on the words yet

And I loved how my utilitarian choice of packaging - craft paper and baker's twine, was taken to the next level with her colorful, mix and match sticker labels! It really got me excited to wrap presents for Berry's classmates who are celebrating their birthdays in school:

I realize that thoughtful packaging is just as important as the gift you are giving, but it doesn't have to be expensive or an elaborate effort. All it takes is a nice thick sheet of paper, festive string or ribbons, plus of course, labels or note cards that create anticipation for what's wrapped underneath.

Prices for The Candy Shops products average at about Php150 a set. So these make great, budget-friendly gifts for friends and office mates this holiday season too. Check out more of Pat's designs here, here and here.

Visit her Facebook page, here.

To view her online catalog and to order, email info.thecandyshop@gmail.com

paPillo Selling Event

Everyone's invited to this special selling event of paPillo Fine Stationers, happening on Saturday, November 10 at the function room of Cameron Tower in Essensa, Fort Bonifacio.

Drop by and bring your friends!

PansyDaisy

Eeeeee! I am such a zucker for cute stationery. So when I saw some pictures on my friend Ria's Facebook Wall, I just had to ask her, "Who makes those?"

Turns out she and her husband Sonny are the distributors of PansyDaisy, a stationery line from Korea.

PansyDaisy currently has 3 collections: Magic Soup, which is distinguished by beautiful watercolour illustrations, and three adorable characters - Mayo, Titta and Shaa...

...who are featured in notebooks, folders, eco-friendly shopping bags and card cases.

Cooterboy, a line with illustrations of vintage automobiles, aeroplanes, trains, plains and ships...

and L'Apres, a collection of journals with scenes from Paris, London, etc.

Ugh, everything is so adorbs! I can never seem to outgrow this stuff!

PansyDaisy is available in Australia, New Zealand, Russia, the U.K., Spain, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Singapore, Japan and now in Manila at:

Fully Booked - Rockwell, Fort, Greenhills, Eastwood, Greenbelt 5
Sketchbooks - Greenbelt 3
pencil case - Food Court level of Shangri-la Plaza Mall (in front of wendy's, beside zen zest)