Looking for cute alternatives for Christmas cards and messages to send to families and friends…read morethrough the post and social media, one would perhaps invest in a studio-type set up with very flashy messages, editing, and make up options to send the message across with a picture in a very personal manner. For me, another option was the Tronix Imaging Center in Blue Wave, which was convenient, affordable, and allowed me to keep the digital copies of the photos I had made for a small price. With it, I was led into a room where there was a small studio that provided suggestions of what poses I could make. Then, I could select any backdrop or frame for my Christmas picture and message that they had in their collection. Within a few minutes, I had a personalized Christmas picture that doubled as a viable message to send via post, or to alternatively upload on Facebook to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Fast, convenient, and worth every Peso.

I may be giving out my age here but this shop used to be my best friend when cellular phones and…read morethe internet are not yet household names. I go to Papemelroti when I need to send a love letter to the girl I'm courting. Yes kids, it's that thing where you use an actual pen and paper to communicate with the girl you like. We really used to do that. And you have to wait for a day or even several days just to receive a response. Papemelroti has stationaries and notebooks made out of recycled paper with cute designs and vintage look. The said stationaries and notebooks also have nice designs and even sayings. They also sell trinkets like brass necklaces and bracelets. They even have little jewelry boxes made of recycled materials. The fact that Ms. Patty, who partly owns Papemelroti together with her siblings, is such a nice person is another reason for me to continue patronizing this store. Yes, the first two letters of Papemelroti is from her name. RO is for Robert, the sibling who is the creator of the designs and drawings you see in their products. Their classic and beautiful items should be more than enough reason for customers to continue patronizing them. If you need another reason then it's nice to know that the crafts and trinkets that they sell are handmade by mothers living in destitute areas. Papemelroti provides them with materials and pays them for the labor. Just keep in mind that everytime you purchase an item from Papemelroti, you are also supporting these mothers who found a decent livelihood because of Papemelroti.

Ever since I started working, there was never a year that I did not receive a gift coming from…read morePapemelroti. This just goes to show that this rustic-vintage inspired store is on top of a lot people's list for gift items. I can't blame them, it's on top of mine too. The place sells a wide array of stationery made of recycled paper which gives their items the old fashioned vibe without making it look used or scrappy. They also have small trinkets and thingamajigs perfect for giveaways or tabletop displays. What I usually get from this store is their small boxes of inspirational messages that can brighten anyone's day in a jiff. I would just tie a little ribbon around it and it's good to go. I wouldn't have to spend a little extra for gift wrapping. So the next time a friend or family member celebrates anything and you can't think of a present to give, you can always go back to the basics and give this place a visit.

Embroidery and knitting may not be a very popular hobby nowadays. Even I, who enjoyed doing it in…read moreschool, cannot set aside time to create a cross stitch. But, for me, embroidered crafts remain a beautiful home décor. You can buy them framed in Dreamscapes so, even if you don't have time to make one, you can still have these beautiful handicrafts in your home. But, if you do get inspired to do embroidery, materials can also be bought at Dreamscapes. They have many spools of Anchor threads and needles of different sizes. They have cloths for cross stitching and even patterns which you can follow. They also sell other types of small handicrafts and decorative items. The last time I visited Dreamscapes I bought one of their hand-crafted cards made of dried leaves and twigs. The card was lovely. The positive reaction of the special person to whom I gave it was proof enough of its beauty.

I'm the type of artist who uses watercolor as her medium, but there was a time (a few weeks back)…read morewhen even I wanted to try if I could turn a plain block of polymer clay into something yummy like a macaron or a cookie. Well, if you're curious: I couldn't. I mean I thought I had what it takes but I uh didn't. Well. Anyway, that's how I found this pretty girly dainty store. I mean it. The inside is girly princess galore. You can find all sorts of crafting stuff here like carving tools, cabochons, beads, and whatever it is you might need for your next craft project. They have many clay brands that are hard to find here in Metro Manila on their shelves. Unless you wanna go online. And if you're not much of a crafter yet, you can attend one of their workshops, which I admit should've done before splurging on all those supplies and stuff. They're in good hands now though.

hindi helpful ang staff, tapos pinababayaran ng 1000 pesos per picture in excess sa package mo and…read moretake note soft copy 1000 pesos each! Great image sm aura bad experience

Kultura Filipino is conveniently located in the Mall of Asia. The Mall of Asia gets a lot of…read moretourists each day (especially those who might be flying back home soon), so that was a brilliant idea to put this store inside the mall. Kultura Filipino has a wide variety of pasalubong (souvenirs) to bring back as gifts for loved ones or as keepsakes for yourself. The prices aren't the cheapest, in fact you can for sure find cheaper souvenirs elsewhere throughout the Philippines, however, the items here shouldn't break the bank (especially if you are on a budget). I for one like Kultura Filipino and their items due to the variety and the convenience, since I can make last-minute pasalubong purchases before going home. I look forward to visiting the store again on my next trip back to the Philippines.

For anyone coming to the Philippines and don't have time to go to other places for souvenir things,…read morethis is the store to go to! They have all the native items to buy from clothes including barong, shelled dishes to frames, pasol (lighted stars), jewelry to sweets. Very surprised there was a store like this in the SM Megamall (mega A side). I liked everything but only limited funds to buy a lot at the time for me. The prices of course is a little expensive here but if you have no time and still have to travel to get to the cheaper store, I would just buy from here. It's organized and clean. [121/100]

Best place to find those one-of-a-kind accessories and furniture. Even if you're not shopping, a…read moretrip down here is just so inspirational!

From the owner: Furniture & Home decor/Interior Designread more