Retro Chic Gadget - Nokia 3310 (2017)

Ever since the announcement that Nokia was reviving the Nokia 3310, I had been waiting excitedly to be able to get a hold of a unit. I'm a xennial, and my generation was one of the first assimilators of the mobile revolution. My first cellphone was a Nokia 2010, followed by a Nokia 2110. I had a cellphone since 1997, I skipped the pager stage and went straight right into cellular technology - I mean, hey, what's the point of receiving a message if you were going to be unable to call back, right?

Then, text messaging became a thing. In 1998, an additional PhP 150.00 on top of your monthly cellphone bill could already give you unlimited text messaging. There began my love affair with Nokia.

Alright, I admit, I did have a Nokia 3310 back in 2001, but I only had it for a couple of weeks. Back then, everybody had a Nokia 3310, and it was just too pedestrian for my taste. An aunt gifted me with a Nokia 3310, and when I realized that every Tom, Dick and nobody on the street had one, I traded it in for a Nokia 7110. Since then, almost all of my Nokia phones were the high-end ones. I had a Nokia 6510, a Nokia 3650, an 8800 Scirocco, a 9300... Nokia was the cellphone brand of choice, especially since they offered their consumers a wide range of choices. Their product range was from entry-level phones, to high-end corporate gadgets.

I ended up buying a Nokia 3310 just this weekend because I felt nostalgic about the phone, it was because I felt nostalgic about the era. Back then, people could still disconnect from their phone. Social media wasn't some opium that you needed to connect to 24/7, and a phone was just a means of receiving calls and text messages. Cellphones weren't gigantic power-guzzling monsters, but small, sleek, and sexy devices meant to keep you reachable for 3 days per charge.

With that, I drove all the way to SM North, braving horrific Saturday traffic, and bought two Nokia 3310s.

I bought two because my sister wanted one. At the store, they were telling me how it had sold out just the day before, and that they held onto these two units for me, because I was one of the first few who had signified intent on purchasing it. Thank goodness they trusted me that much.

I got two, because Bianca wanted to use this as her primary phone while she's in between cellphones. Her iPhone is having battery issues - surprise, surprise!

I've used it the whole day of Saturday and Sunday, and voice clarity on the device was excellent. Texting on it is easy - you see, I never got the hang of texting on a touchscreen phone, and would still curse my phone every now and then whenever I would mistakenly press a different key. I had to charge it yesterday evening, as the factory charge had already run out, but that was after over 100 text messages, an hour of calls, and several Snake games. 

I'm very much happy with the 3310. It does the job. It makes sending messages easy, receiving calls easy, and seems to promise minimal powerbank plugs. Now, if Nokia could only revive the 8800...

Charriol Sunglasses on Sale

I had discovered in SM's department store a treasure trove of sunnies that were on sale.

For several weeks, I went back and forth in order to choose which one I wanted to take home with me. Eventually, I had narrowed down my choices to either a pair of Calvin Klein Jeans sunglasses, or a pair of Charriol Sunglasses.

The choice, although should have been a no-brainer, was quite difficult to make because I so wanted a pair of aviators, and the Calvin Klein Jeans sunnies had a similar shape to aviators albeit a faddish interpretation of these.

In the end, I ended up getting the Charriol sunnies, because they had a classic shape, that would, of course, prove to be timeless.

This pair of sunnies cost less than PhP 3,000.00 - really quite a steal because of the sale!

If you're in the market for a pair of sunglasses and don't want to break the bank, it might be a good idea to visit the department store of SM Makati, SM Manila, or SM Aura. Happy shopping!

Bric's X-Bag Capri 25" Spinner

I'm pretty excited for tomorrow!

I was looking around online and saw a Bric's X-Bag being sold for such a good price. According to the seller it had been used once. The color is pretty unique, though, from the available designs in the shop. The tuscan leather used in the current X-Bag lines is brown, the color of the leather used in this particular model is somewhat beige.

I did research on it, and I was able to find an X-Bag model that looked similar to it:

pictures borrowed from Polyvore

This is the X-Bag Capri series. Other models in its line up are the following:

Quite an interesting color-combination, if you ask me. 

We're supposed to go to New Manila tomorrow to inspect it, and hopefully purchase it. Will give you more details soon as I get home tomorrow. 

Roberto Cavalli by Franck Muller

This post has been long overdue.

At the start of the year, I was window-shopping for a birthday gift for Kim. He wanted a watch, so I had periodically been making rounds in watch stores. I chanced upon a store owned by Meridien, which sells Ingersoll watches, and other brands. In the store, I discovered a Swiss watch which would take me months to acquire - not because it was expensive, on the contrary, the price tag was well worth it.

Roberto Cavalli currently has a collaboration with Franck Muller. Cavalli designs the watches, and it is made by Franck Muller. Franck Muller's watches belong to the price range of Rolexes, Chopards, and so on. Imagine my surprise, then, when I encountered a watch made by the Swiss watchmaker being sold for less than a PhP 100,000.00!

I told my mother about the discovery and seemed nonplussed about it - so I decided holding off on purchasing the watch until after Kim's birthday. I said to myself, if the watch is still there come March, at least the model I had wanted to purchase, then it must mean its meant for me.

March came, and the watch was patiently waiting for me in the store in Glorietta - so I bought it!

Famous celebrities who wear Franck Muller, the Master of Complications, are the likes of Naomi Campbell, Elton John, Demi Moore, and 50 Cent.

Here are pictures of the Roberto Cavalli by Franck Muller watch that I purchased:

If you want to own an expensive watch at a fraction of the cost, don't miss the opportunity, buy a Roberto Cavalli x Franck Muller collaboration watch!

Owndays in Estancia Mall

One of my favorite haunts currently is Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons. Kim and I absolutely love it there because there isn't that much people milling around. Most of the stores are SSI - they have Pottery Barn, Marks and Spencer, they have Old Navy, and Debenhams.

Kim and I also love eating in Jipan in Estancia. Parking is easier compared to Megamall or Glorietta, easily accessible to Jipan from the parking area, which makes walking to the restaurant easier for me.

One of the most recent shops to open is Owndays. I wasn't quite familiar with the shop - it sells sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses. Since I was due to purchase a new pair of eyeglasses already (I replace my eyeglasses annually) I checked out the place. Prices ranged from PhP 2,990.00 to upwards of PhP 10,000.00. The price, however, is inclusive of the prescription lens already. They also guarantee that the eyeglasses will be done 20 minutes after payment.

Now, usually, I don't get my prescription, it just isn't readily available, even in the most established optical shops that I've purchased from, so I wanted to see if Owndays could guarantee that I would receive my lens within the day.

Kim and went there last Saturday, I brought an old pair of eyeglasses I had so that it would be the basis for my grade - lo and behold, they do have my grade available. It took me longer to choose what frame I wanted to purchase, and I ended up grabbing a pair of Wellingtons for only PhP 3,990.00.

I was so happy with my purchase. Who would've thought that my unique grade would be readily available!

Owndays is a Japanese eyewear brand that was recently established. Their first shop was opened in 2009, and their expansion to other Asian countries in the past couple of years can only be described as aggressive. They don't sell branded eyewear, the glasses that they have are all original designs, manufactured by them, including the lenses. They also collaborate with eyewear designers for some of their pieces.

It's been a couple of days that I've been using my glasses, and I love its weight. It isn't as heavy as my older prescriptions, which may be seen as a con for others, but not having additional weight on my face is definitely a plus for me. Even if it is light, though, the build is just solid. They really have a good manufacturing arm, and the Japanese quality is prevalent in the end-product.

Don't take my word for it though, feel free to visit them in Estancia Mall, and try some eyewear for yourselves.

Owndays Optical Shop

Level 1, Shop 132 Estancia Mall, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City

tel. no. 02.9973061　

Noritake Salt and Pepper Shaker from Gourdo's

After purchasing the Essence wax warmer, I discovered an As Is Where Is store by Gourdo's. It sells damaged items, and some product overruns of the stores. And lo and behold, I was able to spot some quality products that were obviously unappreciated, but worth so much.

I saw a salt and pepper shaker set from Noritake's Opulence collection:

Now my mother raised me to have a keen eye for the finer things in life, and she practically brainwashed me that the china of choice for the dining table is Noritake. 

Noritake used to have a factory here in Manila, hence purchasing fine china back then was quite easy. Ever since they pulled out, however, the Noritake fix had to come with the expensive price tag that it is well-known for. 

We used to have Noritake dinner service from its Valhalla collection. But then, that was years ago, and the gold edges have already faded. There are some pieces that are still usable though. 

If you were to look underneath the china, you would see which country it was manufactured in. Most of the Noritake plates sold locally are now manufactured in Sri Lanka, however the more expensive ones are those made in Japan. 

This salt and pepper shaker set that Gourdo's put on sale at such an affordable price of PhP 300.00 was made in Japan, so I had to snatch up a set before anybody else discovers it. Definitely a treasure trove of Noritake pieces in that store! There's actually another Noritake salt and pepper shaker set from the Gourmet Harvest Royal Orchard Collection, which I definitely plan on buying. Maybe, I should start a salt and pepper shaker collection?

Essenza Wax Warmer

This is my fabulous discovery. I was able to purchase an Essenza Wax Warmer from a wonderful seller in OLX.

Here are some of the shots I took of the wax warmer after I unboxed it:

Below is a picture of the warmer dish's base bearing the trademark of Essenza:

Essenza is sold exclusively in Costco in  the US. The seller initially had 5, but there were only 2 remaining. I told her after we met that if I dream of the other model that she has, I'll also purchase it.

The only setback was that the warmer's GU10 halogen bulb is 110V. It was a good thing I had a 220V GU10 bulb. That particular bulb is difficult to find nowadays in halogen, as most of the manufacturers are concentrating on LED lights, which is pretty unfair especially if you need to use the bulb as a heating element.

Nonetheless, if I'm unable to find a replacement bulb, then its a matter of converting the electric mechanism to hold an incandescent candle bulb instead.

I tried it as soon as I got home, and placed it in the living room, popped in one of the scents that came with the box, and it smelled wonderful.

Essenza, like Scentsy, makes scented wax bars also. I'll try to post pictures of the wax bars that the seller gave me in another post.

The warmer is a bit smaller and compact compared to my Scentsy warmers, but it is pretty elegant. I also noticed that the dish is shallower than Scentsy's, which limits the number of wax cubes I can melt. Still, I love it!

For good measure, here are some pictures I borrowed online showing the warmer I was able to purchase:

Wonderful Discovery!

I have a wonderful discovery that I am so excited to purchase in a bit. I am just super excited, I can't wait but share before I drive out to buy this beautiful warmer from Costco!

I'll be doing some stocking up of incandescent bulbs later, as well. So that I have a steady supply for my warmers at home.

I'll be posting pictures of my purchase in a bit, although I'm sure by now, you've guessed what exactly I will be purchasing!

Celtic Love Knot Warmer by Scentsy

I have another baby in my growing collection of candle warmers, or as I use them, oil warmers or oil burners. I was able to acquire a Celtic Love Knot Warmer by Scentsy!

It's another one of my fabulous finds from my Scentsy source. As I have said in several posts, I have been collecting oil burners/oil warmers since 2006. There's a dearth of beautiful electric candle warmers/oil burners here in Metro Manila, so having discovered Scentsy here was such a reward for me.

I have several types of warmers. My first electric oil warmer I purchased from the Assumption Bazaar in Intercontinental sometime late 2006. It was made of wood and parchment, made in a Japanese Zen-style. My next purchase was a blue-glass electric warmer, which I found in Greenhills, that was 2007. In 2009, I discovered Red Clay Factory's terracotta oil burners in Legaspi Sunday Market, and I purchased 2 for myself (a medium straight terracotta burner, and a large pyramid terracotta burner). Unfortunately, only the large pyramid burner survived. During that year, I had gifted the Red Clay burner to some friends, and my dear boss. In 2013, I purchased a Mia Maison warmer, which I still believe was quite expensive!

Then in 2014, I had the luck of discovering Candle Warmers, Etc. in True Value, and to end 2014, I discovered a treasure trove of Scentsy warmers! I have one Candle Warmers, Etc. burner, and 6 Scentsy warmers, the Celtic Love Knot warmer being the latest jewel in my collection.

This warmer, being my flavour for the month, sits atop my antique night table.

I'm currently burning Rosemary, and Ylang Ylang alternately in my room. All the other warmers/oil burners are scattered in the house. I think I try to average about 2 electric oil burners in a room for maximum aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy has a lot of benefits. I often get migraines, and to avoid having to pop a pill so often, I would place essential oils and in the burners and turn these on. Eucalyptus, Rosemary, and Mint are the scents that help with my migraine.

If you're interested in acquiring a Scentsy warmer for your home, by all means, do not hesitate to send me a message, and I will hook you up!

Mason Jars as Christmas Gifts

This idea actually came from my mother. In one of our Dapitan trips a few weekends ago, she purchased several Mason jars from a stall we frequent for gifts for her secretaries and assistants.

When I had started bringing Christmas gifts to the office this week for my co-managers, I noticed my assistants waiting eagerly for presents. Realising that I forgot to buy something for them, I intended to drag Kim to Dapitan to purchase Mason jars and, basically, steal my mother's concept.

A Mason jar is a molded glass jar used for storing preserves for storage or selling. You normally see these used for home-made jams and jellies that are being sold. They were invented and patented by John Landis Mason, a tinsmith from Philadelphia, back in 1858.

The ones being sold in Dapitan come with the tin lid. They, however, lack the rubber seals, which are needed if you intend to use these for sealing preserves. These would suffice, however, if you're to use them for storage. Mason jars are also used, now, in lieu of mugs. Some hip coffee shops use Mason jars, those designed with handles, for their drinks. Some Mason jar lids already come with holes punched in the centre for straws to go through - these types were actually available for sale in Dapitan.

The ones I purchased had handles and an embossed design on the side. A quick search online, and I saw the exact same Mason jar I had.

borrowed from homewetbar.com

Was able to purchase this at a price lower than Landmark's retail price, which is sweet, especially if you're buying 20 pieces,

My source had an option for gold tin lids, though.

Borrowing from my mom's concept, I filled the Mason jars to the brim with candy from the grocery.

I'll be tying gold and silver ribbons, and these are all ready to be given to the assistants, Finance staff, and Housekeeping supervisors of One Serendra.

I really hope that they start using it in lieu of the mugs that they have in the office.

Mason jars are so the rage right now. And several people will be giving these as gifts this holiday season, which would be a fresh alternative to the usual gift staples given as gifts.

Hope my mom and I gave you a cute Christmas gift idea. Try placing something else instead of candy. Toys, shells, pebbles, jawbreakers, loom bands, scented beads - play around with the things you'll put inside, and the receiver will be in for a surprise. There's really no need to wrap it up, because the vintage look of the Mason jar will jazz up the bottom of the tree perfectly.

A lot of people also collect vintage Mason jars, so visiting Dapitan might be a good idea, since they have so many options there.