I feel like it's a quintessential female trait to loose hair accessories and the ever elusive bobby…read morepin. We don't mean to do it. They just simply disappear. It makes me think that bobby pins are actually alien life forms who visit us, hang for a bit and then leave. Or they could also be those playful pixies who mess with you so they can have fun. There could also be a black hole specifically made for bobby pins. *dundundunnn* Haha, I just love conspiracy theories. I wouldn't be surprised if bobby pins were part of the Illuminati. It can get pretty hassling and expensive for us girls when we lose our precious hair ornaments and hair accessory survival kits for everyday especially in this hot and humid weather. It's a good thing that there's Marcella. Whenever I need a good and cheap hair item, I always visit this store. They have rows upon rows of any hair tie or clip, headbands and hair ornaments you could ever want, even scrunchies! They also sell some prom accessories so you can also stop by Marcella if you want something inexpensive. Especially since you're only using it/them for one night.

I've had a recent interest in kooky jewelry using found objects and odds and ends, stringing them…read moreonto chains or rope and wearing them as necklaces. There's really nothing skillful or crafty about it, but it's fun to do with stuff that are pretty but you have no idea what to do with them. And I don't know anywhere else to get small chains but in Quiapo, at Joyo Fashion Accessories. It's very easy to miss this store walking along Evangelista St. from the Recto LRT Station, since it's covered by the area's wealth of stands hawking religious items, flowers, and candles, but it's not hard to find, really, since it's near the church and one of few stalls there that aren't selling construction supplies or phones and gadgets. If you've ever been around the stores in Quiapo, it's very much like most other places there, just stacks and racks and walls of stuff everywhere. You see necklaces, earrings, rings, and other accessories first before you get to the actual good stuff--beads, charms, trinkets, lace, cording, and other things you'll need to make your own jewelry. There are other places in the area selling similar things, but Joyo has an advantage being closer to Recto Station, and being in the somehow calmer, less dense area of Quiapo.

I miss this place! I wish it's still open!…read more This is our go to gift shop back in the days

A visit to Greenhills will never be complete without going to Regina Gift Shop…read more When I was a kid my parents would remind me that it's a gift shop meaning I went in to buy gifts for other people. I believed that lie until I was about ten. I guess that was to prevent me from buying all the awesome goodies this shop has to offer. Sorry, parents. I'm buying gifts for myself. They have everything! And I really mean everything. They have all my childhood candies next to a stand of plastic balloons. You know, those little tubes which you squeeze until this substance comes out which you blow into with the use of a little stick. There's a shelf with plates, spoons and forks and knives, cups and lunchboxes. And in the center, you'll find notebooks, stickers, pens, art materials, cellphone cases and the occasional sex toy. Speaking of toys, they do have toys for babies and children and adults who collect toys. Not into those things? They have bags, clothes and hats too. I remember being dragged here by my mom whenever I needed a costume for school. "You're only going to wear it once anyway. But it at Regina," she'd say. Don't get me wrong, their clothes don't break after one use. They have cool socks and hats. And sometimes if you're lucky, they have sell Christmas stockings. I can't remember everything they sell at this shop. So it would be great if you have a look for yourself. You won't be disappointed and you'll leave with lots of loot.

My friend introduced my sister and me to N. Cat. We were hanging out and checked out Japan Home…read moreCenter because it was nearing Christmas and we had last minute presents to shop for. Originally, I wasn't going to buy anything as my friend and sister was. They wanted to find simple, everyday jewelry to add to their collection. I was only going to look around but then I saw some really cool stuff that I just had to buy. I bought this hand mirror that was very 'Beauty & the Beast' and very Anna Sui (one of my favorite fashion designers). Anna Sui products are sooo expensive that I never owned anything by the brand. Until then, I'll settle for the really pretty, gothic dupe mirror I got from N. Cat. They also had a mini version with an equally beautiful comb so naturally, I had to buy that too, hehe. I got some rings, necklaces (one with a bullet pendant), pretty pearl headbands (so I can feel like a mermaid or channel Queen Mary from the television show 'Reign') and (I got a panda and skulls) phone accessories as well. Their accessories are affordable and I discovered that they don't tarnish and make my skin green. Bonus points for that! They also just opened a store in Market! Market! so if you're in the area, check it out!

I have a love-hate relationship with this Carolina's branch. Don't get me wrong. It's conveniently…read moreplaced in my turf (Ayala is my territory, don't argue). In recent times, they have been improving the shop, like adding more stocks and re-arranging the stuff for easier access. It's small, so a smarter way to organize the items should be in order from time to time. It's actually pretty convenient that in theory, it would take me an hour to drive there, buy what I need and get back to working on my dresses...given that the staff would actually accommodate me. I don't know if it was me being insensitive to the amount of work the staff here are doing but it takes like ten minutes to have your order cut for you. That's sort of frustrating time-wise because what if I just need a yard of one ribbon? It's been known in the fashion world that the service here has a little bit of attitude, but maybe they just need to hire more people. A lot of customers need service at the same time here after all. Overall though, its existence worked wonders in my life, especially when I have some emergency fashion supplies needs. I guess the saving factor in this branch is the occasional (and pretty much unannounced) super sale. They lay out two huge bins filled with older stocks that are still in good condition and you can buy them in bulk. That's actually how I ended up with a mini Carolina's of my own at my workshop!

Carolina's Lace Shoppe is the lazy, city-dwelling, crafty girl's solution to immediate fabric and…read morecraft needs. A lot of craft places require you to venture out to Divisoria, Recto, and Quiapo, and it's quite inconvenient if you're not located near those areas. Carolina's is like your craft convenience store. Yes, prices will be a bit higher, but saves you time, energy and transportation costs. They've got a good selection of fabric and clothes-making materials, so this is a good place to get stuff for those one-off projects, or if you're personally sourcing out fabric and materials if you're having custom clothes tailored. If you make accessories and jewelry, they have a good selection of beads, locks and chains. If you're looking for crochet threads and yarns, they've got a ton of colors to choose from as well. It's great how the existence of Carolina's in malls and other more accessible locations really inspire crafters and make it easier for them to keep on creating despite a grueling, 9-5 day job. Small conveniences such as these go a long way!

Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

Everywhere I travel in Asia I seek out a Muji. For travel items,stationary,tee shirts,kitchen ware…read more( I still use a pair of heat resistant silicone tipped extra long chopsticks when wok frying I bought in HK 10 years ago). Japanese minimalism at its finest..... hop inside if you see one.

I love this store, period. It's clean and simple and everything I want my home to be, but…read moreunfortunately isn't. I think people are drawn to this store because it makes even the most mundane things in your home look cool. With barely any color, this store manages to capture the eyes of most who walk by. I'm fascinated with all the store offers from clothing to shelving needs, notebooks & pens, travel gear, home wares, personal hygiene products and even food in some of the outlets. How a company can manufacture so many different products and still be successful and profitable is a feat. I don't care how they do it because I get to enjoy the benefits of their clever little store. The prices are definitely on the high side, which is a good thing. Otherwise, I would be walking away with the entire store and trying to figure out where to put it all. The only thing that bothers me is all the plastic. I wish they would move away from all the plastic and switch to glass. This is for all their personal care items. There is too much synthetic crap in the world and Japan is great at taking the environment seriously. Muji, please take note and do your part to switch to glass!

My mother-in-law is not a fan of Chinese zodiac signs and their meanings, but she believes in the…read moreenergy of gemstones. Hence, each year she buys charms and bracelets that are appropriate for her and her children's Chinese zodiac signs. On the year that she turned 59, I decided to buy her a bracelet that would protect her from harm and boost her health. Since my mother-in-law has a good fashion sense, I knew that I needed to buy her something that's charming and genuine. Therefore, buying from a tiangge was not an option. I scoured many stores that sell good-luck bracelets and charms, but the place where I found what I was looking for was The Red Jasper in Power Plant Mall. This place sells Asian-inspired jewelry and accessories that are enchanting but a bit pricey. Still, I believe that I got good value for my money because the stones and quartz set in my mother-in-law's bracelet were solid, cold (meaning genuine), and heavy. The best part my purchase was when I saw her happily using my gift.

I took me quite a while to place the correct categories for this place, as there seems to be no…read morecategory called "CUTE THINGS YOU DON'T NEED BUT WILL BUY ANYWAY". Yelp, get on it! I'm a sucker for anything that has animals on it (NOT their skin! Ditch fur and leather, please!). Or polkadots. Or vegetables. Or fruits...Or all! This place is for every girl who likes "kawaii" things --BUT of course, that wouldn't be appropriate to say because this store hails from Korea, so instead, say "gwi-yeo-wo-yo"! Are you celebrating someone's birthday soon? If so, this place has the cutest little party hats (of course, with animals!) to top your dear celebrant's head with, greeting cards, party "gear", and other colorful festive things! If you're a sock collector, then this is the place to get cute silly socks! Pretty notebooks that are too cute to write on? Check! Mushroom lamp? Check! And if you have not outgrown your sticker addiction, they have soft, "pillow-y" ones that are just ~squeeee~! Koreans really know how to make things murderously cute! Take my money!

Finally, Korea's uber cute fashion is finally within reach! Artbox is full of adorable clothing,…read morestationery, mugs, and what-have-yous! I wanted to get so many things that I don't even need anyway. Like a blanket with a hood. Or an unnecessary number of socks. Or storage boxes. (Well, I may need those storage boxes.) If you're a complete sucker for things with cute animal faces, this place is a must-see for you!

True Value is a convenient one-stop-shop for all my handyman/DIY needs. Ever since I was a kid, my…read moredad would always bring me with him when he would buy light bulbs, tools, plumbing supplies and other things for our house. I've been to a lot of hardware stores so I can say I'm exposed to these kinds of places. What I love about True Value is that they are conveniently located in malls that I frequent, my favorite being Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. I don't have to make an extra stop just to buy one light bulb. Besides their location, I also love them because they have so much more than hardware/home supplies. They also have some appliances, cleaning tools, pet items and random home accessories like blinds, garden fixtures and even various plastic and glass containers. They also have a good selection of brands from local ones to rare American brands (particularly in the home cleaning department). I frequent True Value too much that my friends tease me that I spend more time there than I do at clothing or shoe stores... :) I actually think it's true!

True Value is filled with so much great and functional finds for the home or for personal use…read more Whenever I need lightbulbs, handyman tools, outdoor furniture or any sort of furniture for that matter, I make a point to visit this store. Going inside the store is quite an overwhelming feeling though because there is literally so much stuff on display. Sometimes, I actually forget why I'm there in the first place and get side-tracked looking at something else I don't particularly need. It's best to go there with a goal in mind. If you're not entirely sure what it is you might really need, you can simply approach any of the sales attendants and they will point you to the right direction.