When my wife and I got married, we were fortunate enough to have three extra professional…read morephotographers who gave us their services for free. Just weeks after our big day, they sent us a CD containing more than a thousand raw pictures of our wedding day. We loved the photos and we wanted to give our parents and our sponsors their own copies as soon as possible. Instead of printing the photos and manually putting them in albums, we decided to go to Picture Books, a shop specializing in digital book printing. I was expecting that it would be hard to deal with them because most graphic artists tend to be arrogant, especially with regard to layouts. But I soon discovered that we would take care of the layout ourselves by using the software provided at the Picture Books website. Everything was very easy to use and, in just a few hours, we actually finished making a story book about our wedding. The following day we headed back to the shop and paid for four sets of hardbound picture books. After seven days we got our orders and they came out amazing, just the way we had designed them. The pictures were all vibrant and the pages of the books were thick, they are sure to last a lifetime. Aside from picture books, the shop also makes calendars, yearbooks, and picture cards.

Artistically presented, often with an antique touch. That's how I would describe the gifts and…read moredecorative items displayed in this rustic, country-style store: Simple notebooks made special because of the brown recycled paper used and the beautiful lettering of the lines inscribed on the cover. Cuckoo clocks which help you keep time in style. Card and envelope holders individually crafted, clearly not just factory produced. Unique earrings to bring out a quirky, creative you. Period paintings on wooden frames to help your relive the spirit of a romantic, bucolic age. Small lamp shades to bring a touch of class and historical context. Wooden panels, fixtures and cabinets that can bring the store's rustic vibe into your own home. In a quiet but effective way, these items grow in the consciousness of the receiver. That's probably the reason why, despite having been around for quite some time, Papemelroti has never lost its charm. So, whenever I am in search of a gift, I always put among my first options a purchase from Papemelroti.

I was walking around SM Megamall not looking for anything in particular when I came across this…read morekiosk that sells customized name tags. I thought of having one made for my dog Frankie. They specialize in engraved name tags, and I got one that wasn't metal (I found the metal ones too large and might be too heavy for my dog, who is just a small sausage dog haha). Their bone-shaped tags come in several colors, and you get to choose the typeface used as well. I must've annoyed their staff because as a graphic designer, I am PARTICULAR with fonts. I am somewhat of a font nazi, and will judge you on your use of typefaces (HAHA kidding, but no really... give that Curlz MT a rest). After what seemed like an eternity, I finally settled on a font called "Porky" which is a round, all-caps type with wonky, angular kerning. The font really represented my dog's personality (he is bouncy and makulit and makes the funniest stick out tongue face). TIP: Choose a readable font! They have a lot of typefaces to choose from, but you know, I'm just a picky, snobby graphic designer. I'm sure you can find something that will suit you. You can get your tags in a few minutes, too! I was very pleased with my dog's name tag, though a comment I have is that it's not very scratch-proof. But it looks great!

I'm a practical person so when I choose gifts for my friends and family, I make sure that the items…read moreI give them have practical uses. Towels are some of the items that I love to give as gifts. But I don't just buy ordinary towels. For years now, I have been giving away Aquazorb towels. As the name implies, this product is made from microfiber, making it soft, fluffy, super absorbent, and quick drying. You can choose from different sizes, colors and types of Aquazorb towels as well. The regular microfiber is a lot cheaper than the ultra-thin type, which is ideal for sporty people. It's also not hard to find an Aquazorb kiosk because they are present in almost all major malls in the Metro. Of all the Aquazorb outlets, my favorite is the one in Shangri-la Plaza because it has a bigger selection of products, plus it also offers embroidery services so you can customize your purchases. The price of the service is a measly five pesos per letter for a maximum of 8 letters per towel only. So unless your name is Bartholomew, you have nothing to worry about. You can even choose from Gothic or Script fonts.

My father passed away last June 2016. It was very sudden and I didn't know how to cope. I actually…read morewanted to do a lot of crazy, rash things. But, during those moments, I was always brought back to my senses because of the "motto" of my Papa: "Life goes on." One day, I decided that I wanted to have my Papa's motto with me wherever I went. Of course, I didn't want a tattoo because he'd be so pissed off with me if I had one done! I also didn't want a bracelet because jewelry isn't my thing. Then, I realized that I had a collection of lanyard bracelets. In my opinion, they are durable and comfy to wear. So, I went online and, unfortunately, couldn't find a shop that had the option of including words or letters on the lanyard bracelet. Did the next best thing and went to Megamall to find a military shop. I thought it was going to be hard to find a shop. But, Phil Dogtags was just at the corner of National Bookstore! They gave me options for the color of the lanyard, the lock and also the custom dogtag where they could put the motto. They were able make 2 bracelets (one for me and one for my brother) in 20 minutes. However, they had to redo one of the bracelets because they didn't check if the locked worked. So, I waited for about 45 minutes in total. Overall, the bracelets turned out pretty good. The downside is, apart from the wait because of their mistake, they only know one style of knotting style and didn't offer other colors for the lanyard. I'm very happy though because, with the bracelet, I honestly have my Papa with me wherever I go. :)