Denim Revolution: Oxygen’s Reversible Jeans

Don't you guys notice how classy DENIMS are? May it be a cute denim dress or denim jeans with a white top to give you the classic look, it'll always be a fashion staple.

With this idea in mind, trend-setting clothing line OXYGEN, introduces a first in Philippine retail: REVERSIBLE JEANS! This cool twist is sure to give an edge to our everyday denim jeans. Super perfect for those who are out traveling, you can just bring a pair, use one side on this day, and the other side the next. Quick outfit change, without having to bring an entire suitcase with you!

“We always keep things fresh and exciting. Fashion is very dynamic and so as our market. We want to show people we are continually evolving with them, giving them nothing less than the trendiest and the most eye-catching fashion,” said Oxygen’s Brand Director Jeffrey Bascon.

Oxygen's reversible jeans will be coming out in stores starting the 3RD WEEK OF JULY and it'll come in GRAY, DARK BLUE, BLACK, AND OTHERS. It also has two styles to choose from to give you that perfect fit: DROP-CROTCH OR SKINNY.




So what are you waiting for? Grab your pair of Oxygen's Reversible Jeans NOW!

Go to the Oxygen fan page on Facebook or catch it on Twitter (@oxygenclothing) for more information and exciting treats.

One of the Best Gambas I've Ever Tasted

Is found at Regina's: The Restaurant in San Jose, Antique. Yes, it's that far!

So after a bumpy, dusty, jeepney tour of Antique, we got really hungry. One of my Aunt's Antiqueño friends recommended we eat at Regina's: The Restaurant. I'm not really sure if it's super popular in Antique, but it's different and unique to that place. There was Jollibee and Mang Inasal in the center of town but my Aunt wanted seafood.

At first we were the only customers in the restaurant, so we got to choose the longest table inside. We were a huge group of 12 which consisted more of the senior citizens (boring! hahaha!). Since my Aunt was paying, she was the one who took charge of our orders, and true to what she said, everything we ordered came from the sea!

Sinigang na Tanigue. Really good soup, not too sour, perfect with rice! They had generous vegetable servings too.

Shrimps! Super good! We really just hated peeling the shrimp's shell...but it was all worth it afterwards!

Mixed seafood in oyster sauce. This was okay, the oldies enjoyed this better than I did.

But the kicker in all the food my Aunt ordered was THE GAMBAS! Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a picture of it as they had already attacked the dish even before I could get a snapshot of it. But take my word for it...IT WAS THE BEST GAMBAS I'VE TASTED in a while! Super spicy! My Uncle and I enjoyed it. I had several servings of this dish. And even after we've left the restaurant, I was still reliving the taste of it in my mind. I wish you guys could have a taste of it. I wouldn't mind going all the way to Antique for it.

If you guys do get to Antique, do eat at Regina's: The Restaurant and order their Gambas. But try also their other stuff, I'm sure there are dishes in that place that's surely good! Here's their menu. :)

Discovering The Province of Antique

Don't you guys just love it when you get to hit two birds with one stone, especially when it comes to your travels? That's exactly what happened when I went to Iloilo over the weekend for my Uncle's (my Mom's older brother) 74th birthday bash. It was extra special to him because he also FINALLY and OFFICIALLY won the elections last May 2010. He ran as Barangay Captain, he was declared the winner, but the guy he ran against challenged it and they had to go to court. But about last month, my Uncle was officially declared the winner! :) Our first politician in the family after n years! :p

I flew in at about 10AM, went to their beach resort in the coastal town of San Joaquin to drop my stuff, then it was off to the province of Antique - which Iloilo shares a border with.

We didn't get to Antique the usual pomp and pageantry which an airconditioned car could give you, instead we rode a JEEPNEY going there. And my Aunt who's usually so scared of us getting hungry bought snacks of puto (a snack made which we could munch on during the 2 hour ride.



When we finally got to Antique, our first stopover was their main parish, I think it was St. Joseph's Parish. This Church actually reminded me of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Guagua, Pampanga. And they also had a beautiful Adoration Chapel outside of the main Church.



We were in the town of San Jose by the way, the capital of the province. According to Kuya Dodong, a newphew of my Aunt, they've been wanting to make San Jose a city but couldn't get to it not because of the town's net income but because of the shortage in population. I think it's better that way, cheaper tax collection, cheaper housing, cheaper everything. Here are some snapshots I took while we were going around town in our rented jeepney!




Oh, and right across the Church is the Evelio B. Javier Freedom Park, which is like their Luneta Park. Evelio B. Javier is the province's local hero, he was killed by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos just because he's a supporter of Corazon Aquino. It was in the park, 25 years ago, where Evelio Javier was gunned down.


And if in Antique, you really have to bear with how DUSTY it is! Just look at these photos, you could get asthma attacks from it. My hair was as hard as a broomstick after the tour of the town, that was the low-point of this trip though.


After lunch, which I will blog separately, it was time to go back to Iloilo. We took an alternate route along the coast, though it took longer than the first one. BUT it was more scenic. It was absolutely beautiful! So I'll just leave you guys with photos. :)





It was a short but sweet trip to Antique. I'm just a bit saddened that we didn't get to see that much and we only went to one town. I would really like to go back to see a lot more things, and by that I mean not seeing a Jollibee or Mang Inasal. I want the hardcore, laidback, sleepy provincial towns of Antique. For sure they have a lot of tourist spots there waiting to be discovered. :)

Raving About Nailaholics!

I am not one kikay girl in fact I don't really dress up, a loose shirt and jeans are more my kind of thing...PLUS semi-dirty Chucks. But every once in a while, a girl's gotta feel extra girly and pampered. I don't spend big bucks for the pampering, a much-deserved massage does the trick!

But just last Sunday, after flying in from my Uncle's 74th birthday bash in Iloilo (to be blogged after this), Mom and I went to SM Mall of Asia to kill time while waiting for someone. My BFF Amanda commented on how dirty my toenails were already, so I knew right there and then that I HAD TO GET A MANI-PEDI A.S.A.P.!! So I went to Nail-a-holics, a nail spa my majorly kikay and good friend Chuchie of Fresh-Cut Grass recommended to me. (Read about her Nail-a-holics experience here)

When we went there it was PACKED, not just by women but also MEN! Yes, men can be really kikay too nowadays! It was super cool seeing them seated in those really colorful sofas, relaxed while having a foot spa and a massage.

I only wanted a pedi because my toenails were a disaster, but the cool reeptionist recommended to get a complete mani-pedi-foot spa package. So I availed of their CLOUD 9, they said it was the most availed of package because of the anti-cellulite treatment for P750.

So they let me sit in one of the colorful sofas, complete with soft, fluffy pillows. Then the lady who attended to me first was Ate Rose, she gingerly soaked my feet in a huge bowl of lukewarm water to soften the skin in preparation for the foot spa. It was so relaxing!

After a couple of minutes, it was time to rub off the dead skin on the soles of my feet. Not really one for ticklish people, but this really softens your skin. Plus, I've read a lot of stuff saying it's really good to remove dead skin. And yes, that would be my Mother kidding around with Ate Rose.

After removing the dead skin my from the soles of my feet, Ate Rose exfoliated both my shin, preparing it for the anti-cellulite treatment. She then rubbed some algae thing on my calves afterwards then wrapped it in Cling Wrap (yes, Cling Wrap I felt like food about to be taken home).

She then wrapped hot towels around the calves. And then the pedicure started. THIS IS THE LIFE!!

Oh, for the manicure, it was Ate Jenny who did it for me. And after almost an hour getting pampered here are the end results: had my toe and fingernails painted RED (the safest color for me). I particularly love how they squared my nails. PERFECT! Now they look like they belong to that of a girl hahaha!


Oh and thanks so much to the cool staff of Nail-a-holics. I was with my Mother that time, and she was so sleepy, they let her sleep in their massage area. Thank you so much!! I swear I will come back! :)

Oh and if in Nail-a-holics MOA make sure to get Ate Jenny and Ate Rose...I swear they're the best!! :)

Nail-a-holics Nail Salon & Spa
2nd Level, South Parking Building
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Tel. No. 856-1722
Website: http://www.nailaholics.com

Cebu Part 4: Madridejos, Bantayan Island

Hi guys! I know it's been on and off again for me when it comes to blogging. I had NO IDEA Grad School can suck the life out of you hahaha and to think I still have more than 2 years to endure (gah!) :D

So to complete (FINALLY) my Cebu Diaries, here's my take on our last stop during our tour of Bantayan Island. I am about to leave for another Visayan province this weekend for my Uncle's birthday, so I decided to wrap this baby up already! :)

So after our island hopping tour earlier in the day, Trency and I just showered and rushed back outside to hop on our rented habal-habal (motorbike) which will take us to the town of Madridejos. Trency really wanted to go here because she heard they had incredible sunsets here.

We had our very cool, hip-hop tour guide with us, Kuya Jun, as our driver. Below are pictures I took while precariously balancing myself on the edge of the motorcycle. With Kuya Jun's crazy-ass driving, I am amazed I was still able to take pictures of the countryside. I tell you this was the CUHRAZIEST motorcycle ride I've ever been on. IT was Trency's first time on a motorcycle and I think she won't ride one again after this experience hahahaha!!






It took about 30-minutes for us to get there, and the first thing we went to is this old fort, much like the one we see in Intramuros. There's really nothing much there, except for some old artifacts recovered from shipwrecks.


From there, we walked on towards the beach. They had this really long boardwalk, but since it was low tide, Trency and I decided to walk on the coral deposits. If you guys are wondering about the old woman, she's scraping shells stuck on the corals. According to Kuya Jun, it's edible and they have it as ulam. The old lady must have been there for quite some time cos she was about to fill that water gallon she brought with her.




But while walking around, Trency and I were treated to another surprise: A RAINBOW! I had already blogged about it before cos I saw another rainbow after this one. A clearer photo of the rainbow is on this blog entry too. It was so beautiful! I felt like it was a sign from Heaven; I knew Trency and I had a good trip together! :)

We waited around for the sunset, and when the sun started setting, Trency and I just sat down at the boardwalk completely ENTHRALLED! It was breathtaking, and it gave the sky a nice orange hue (my favorite color).



It was a great trip with my BFF! Although it would've been sooo sooo much better had BFF Amanda went with us. We kinda just rushed through our activities, but it still gave me and Trency that much needed break from the city. Vacations are really precious for us, and we always make sure we make the most out of it! :)