I can't begin to describe how cute The Paper Stone is. And no, I don't mean it's in any way ugly…read moreyet appealing. Appealing yes, but by no means is it ugly! I loved browsing the shop and asking about every single product they had. They offer a wide range of stationery, from magazine holders, to pens, to gift wrappers, to journals! They may be a bit pricey though, which breaks my heart because they all have such adorable designs! The stickers are my favorite. I remember spending around 15 minutes (or more) just looking at every sticker design they had, trying to choose which to purchase. (I settled with cute bunnies). For those, like me, who can't resist cute things, you'll probably spend the same amount of time I did browsing their collection. The Paper Stone is a good place to buy gift items for your girlfriends, or your nieces. Trust me, boys.

Cute items and this is the store I never fail to visit whenever I'm at UP Town Center but the sales…read moreassistants are too clingy! I wish they'd give shoppers more personal space.

Deovir is an artist's heaven…read more This could actually be my only statement and it would pretty much sum up Deovir. They have so many items available for use of artists which cannot be found in bookstores. Being the premiere art supply store, they have a wide range of products, from brushes, paints, paper, pencils, etcetera. This goes for even supporting materials such as thinners, binding mediums, and other art-related needs. Being not so familiar with and not comfortable in exploring painting mediums, I recently called them to ask for advice as to what I can use for an upcoming project. I needed to use a paint that would adhere well to textile, will be permanent despite washing, but needs to likewise have the correct consistency for brush calligraphy. With a short discussion of my options, I knew what I needed and even had my orders prepared already for payment and pick-up. Indeed, it pays to go to a specialized shop for, well, special art needs.

For me, a trip to Deovir is always entertaining. I've been known to stay for more than an hour…read moreinside the small space, just browsing through different art and craft materials without a specific agenda in mind and thinking about the creative possibilities. There are canvasses of all sizes ready to be spread with acrylics, oils, watercolors, pastels, etc. There are reasonably-priced, artist grade brushes. There are craft foams, polymer clays, charcoals, and a lot more. If there is something that I need for a craft or a project, I immediately look for it in Deovir. And I get a sinking feeling if I cannot find it in their shelves, because that means that I am unlikely to find it anywhere else locally. The staff are very helpful, and they know what they are talking about. There was this time when I was assembling a painting kit as a gift, and a friendly salesperson gladly discussed the comparative pros and cons of acrylic and oil, and why the former might be better suited for a novice than the latter. Seriously, I look for excuses to visit this store even though I know that it's not good for my wallet. They also have an online shop but sadly, the online inventory is very limited.

For artsy people who like to make things with their hands and like to support artsy people who make…read morethings with their hands, The Common Room is a very welcome addition to Katipunan. On the heels of the growing craft scene in the Philippines, The Common Room describes itself as "a place where makers gather." I love it because it's true! You'll find everything here from wallets made from old comic books, hand-sewn patches, pins, perfume, plushies and succulents! When you step inside, you'll wish you had money to buy everything in the store (or maybe I'm speaking only for myself). My favorite brand they carry is called Tweed and Twine, which makes pouches out of really beautiful fabric. It's also located right next to Go! Salads, so when I'm there for my daily green smoothie, I can't resist the call of all things handmade, pretty and shiny, and have to exercise great restraint not to come out with pretty new stationery, magnetic pins, and other lovingly handmade things I didn't think I needed. I love it!

This store has been around for over 15 years run by Arsenio & Marina San Juan, serving the offices…read moreand academic community of Rodriguez, Rizal with prices STILL much MUCH lower than National Book Store!

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!

Being a craftsy and artsy girl, it was but natural for me to fall into doing a little styling after…read moredoing events for almost ten years. One of the first online suppliers I ever bought anything from was Mansy Abesamis of Hey Kessy. At that time, she already has a website set-up, and it was one of the hardest purchases I had to make in a while. Nope, it wasn't her, nor her website. It was the pretty and adorable designs of her washi tapes that made it difficult for me to choose what I needed (or was it wanted?) to buy. Upon placing my order, I promptly got an email confirming my order and informing me of how to proceed with my purchase. In less than five days, the whole process was over and I got a little nifty package, sealed with a washi tape (of course) and it even came with a cute note. Will I buy again? Yes. Will I really NEED what I will buy? Maybe. Hahaha!

Arts and crafts, DIY, calligraphy... all these and more are getting more and more popular nowadays…read moreespecially to young teenage girls. Craft stores have started popping up, and one of which is Hey Kessy. Hey Kessy is an uber cute store that sells various products ranging from watercolor palettes and washi tape to brush pens and temporary tattoos. It's small, but noticeable from the outside because of all the window decors and the word "MAKE" that stands by the doorway. They had so many washi tape designs that I wanted to have for myself, but I had to fight the urge because I currently have a lot at home. Not as pretty as Hey Kessy's though! They also had ZIG brush pens which are, to me, the best brush pens you could buy. Okay, I confess, I'm not really great at handmade things. I dreaded Art and Home Ec class in Grade School! I'm more of a digital artist, but this handmade movement has got me hooked. They only have limited supplies of certain things though despite the variety. I hope they restock with more colors for the brush pens soon!

Many stars of the 1920s-1970s have become icons of certain qualities. Elvis Presley for rock n'…read moreroll. The Beatles for revolutionary music and charm. Frank Sinatra for cool and suave music. Audrey Hepburn for chic. Marilyn Monroe for sexy. Grace Kelly for classy. Greta Garbo for femme fatale. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers for dancing. Now, you can capture the faces and poses of these icons, through the decorative framed pictures of Frame Plus. If you are like me who enjoys staring at iconic pictures for leisure, then you better start buying some items from Frame Plus. Already hanging on the walls of our home are Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Each one reminding us of a creative, glamorous period that, I am sure, many of us often look back to. The black and white color of the pictures, like the faces of the icons, lend a touch of class to an otherwise simple home.

Oh Typo, Typo... I want to love you so badly, I really do. Your designs are clever and cute. Your…read moreitems are practical and definitely look like something I might want-slash-need-in-the-definite-future. I love stores like you. Sketchpads, notebooks, pencils, ballpens... everything I could ever need for something light is in your shelves and then some. Heck, you'd definitely be the kind of store I'd want to go to since I can't get anything from Etsy. But we have a problem, you and I. A HUGE problem. A glaring dealbreaker of a problem. Your quality. I'm gonna be frank here. It sucks. Now now, I can't say everything's bad. Your mannequins are fine and I love the fact you actually have a jointed hand model. Your stickers and stamps are adorable and clever. Everything's so... Instagrammy. (No wonder why the kids love it, I guess?) But there are some MAJOR dealbreakers for me. Your notebooks for one. The covers are floppy. You'd think a notebook as big as the ones you offer would have covers that give a bit more support. I'd have better support from the cardboard backing of a pad of yellow paper. And the paper. It's... okay. Only okay. One notebook I felt had this really thin, really rough paper which (in my experience) doesn't hold heavier inks very well and one other notebook I felt has smoother, slippery paper that doesn't (again, in my experience with papers of that GSM) catch anything less than a felt pen. And your pens. My mom's friend bought her a Peanuts pen when they were at the store and no less than ten minutes after leaving the mall, Lucy's head came off. Yeah. You heard me. Thick plastic topper. Head came right off. It was just in her bag. And it wasn't even nicely painted either. I understand attempting to make it look like it was hand painted but this was just sloppy. For what that pen cost, I would have expected it to last longer than ten minutes. Your newly released colored pencil/watercolor pencil line rubs me the wrong way too. Maybe I was spoiled by Sakura and Faber Castel but that rough wood grain near the lead just reeks of flimsy lead. You know the kind: sharpen using any method and the lead ends up breaking when you think it's finally sharp? And the PRICE. I could get cheaper things with better quality at National Bookstore... heck, Diovir and Enriquez if I really wanted the good stuff. That ballpen was over 200php. And 250php for a birthday card? No thanks. Would I recommend Typo to anyone? Maybe if they were looking for cute things, yes, though I'd definitely steer them away from the stationery section. Maybe I'm just showing my age but if you want something you can really work with, something that will age with you and wear with you and work the way you want, you're better off picking your next journal from Fully Booked. Grab a ballpen from National while you're at it. If you want something with more style and less substance, go right ahead.

Ahh the smell of fresh and unsullied notebooks!…read more Okay, I have a confession to make. I love stationery. Papers, cards, letter sets, notepads - everything, as long as I could write on them. I would hoard so many notebooks and to this date, I have plenty of cute little journals that are gathering dust on my shelf but I can't stomach writing on them. Because OCD. They somehow lose their appeal when they have writing on them... But anyway, if you are like me and you grow weak in the knees by the thought of cute stationery, you will go crazy once you set foot in Typo. It is pretty easy to find, as it is near the entrance of the mall. Every square inch of space is crammed with stuff that you don't need but you want to buy anyway. Everything is so kitschy and cool, and their designs appeal to the young and hip (fine..Hipster) crowd. I was looking for cute stickers and I found plenty to paper every surface of my laptop with. They had an entire table of novelties related to pugs, from aprons to pillows. I also love their collection of really cute tumblers and water bottles that look like science laboratory equipment - flasks and beakers that you can use at home to spruce up your boring old kitchen. I ended up buying cute letter decals that I stuck to my wall. I also bought a set of twinkling fairy lights that are battery operated. The tiny lights look great on my vanity, and I use it now as a night light. I am really scared of electric Christmas lights, especially since substandard ones are known to burn entire houses down, so I'm glad that they have batter operated ones that are safe to use.