Owned and operated by fashion blogger, model, and art student Pat Henson, Costa Swimwear offers…read moretrendy neoprene bikinis and unique original designs that I think Pat makes herself. It's gotten a bit of a following with its cheeky tagline "Never stop beachin'." The designs are these basic one-color styles that only play on necklines, straps, and strategically-placed cutaways, yet remain simple and tasteful. They're quite minimalist but are still eye-catching and not too plain. I love how most of the colors are neutral blacks and whites with the occasional pop of colors like coral, mint, or cerulean. Check out the Luana bikini. Or the Kalini bikini, which is their most classic design. Pictures are all on the official Instagram (@costa_swimwear) of the online store. Ordering is simple- you just have to send in your "order form" which is this standard message template with your name/number/shipping address/payment date through text or viber, and then you make the deposit for payment. Your item's then shipped to you within 1-2 working days. Easy peasy.

The place to go in Manila for handmade leather shoes for gentlemen…read more Great craftsmanship, beautiful products and a manager who is not in it for the big money but for the satisfaction of giving a wonderful product to the customer. Really worth a visit, even though Marikina is not next e.g. to Makati. Indeed, some hope that not all is lost in Marikina's once famous shoe industry. Good luck to the Black Wing team for the future.

The trouble with shopping online is you run the risk of getting the wrong size, the item not…read morelooking like it did on the picture, or you even losing money from fake sellers! Yikes! But the tradeoff is that you really find so many unique items that you just don't find in the average brick and mortar store. So when you hear of a place that bridges the gap, omigod it is a godsend! Empire Fashion Cafe is a new shopping mecca that does exactly that by putting up physical stores for your favorite Facebook and Instagram shops! It's a building that stands right along Lilac so it's perfect for after indulging on some good food from the blossoming eat street. All those uniquely designed bikinis, day dresses, minimalistic casual sandals from homegrown, independent fashion brands all under one roof! It's like the curated bazaar of your online shopping dreams, heehee! Super cute stuff! P.S. The "cafe" part in the name is cos there's literally a cafe in one half of the place with a real coffee shop atmosphere. Nothing too fancy but they have your cappuccinos and cold frosty drinks, along with some cakes. Haven't tried if they're any good though.

We got to try Josiah's catering when we attended a wedding recently (I know! I've been attending so…read moremany weddings lately!) and to be honest, I only have good words for this catering service. I've heard of Josiah's catering before but I only got to try it out now. Their food is really delicious! The wedding spread included a Potato and Garlics Cream soup, green salad and butter and bread to kickstart our scrumptious dinner. Their entrees included a fish fillet that came with two different sauces (one dried tomato and pesto, and the other a tomato-based sour sauce), both of which were spectacular! I also like their Fettucine Alfredo as the cream-based sauce wasn't too overpowering to the taste buds. I also have to say that their roast beef was TO DIE FOR. Pau and I enjoyed it so much, we ended up getting seconds right after! Hahaha. The waiters of Josiah are also pretty friendly, and when we would have special requests, they'd indulge us. I think Josiah's catering definitely helped make the night better because of their delicious food and great service!