MIG's Gold and Stones

Remember the gold souks I featured before? While they have a lot of jewelries to offer, our indecisiveness can't be satiated still. What's the solution? Go for customized, handmade jewelries, of course! 

Today we feature a jewelry shop that makes amazing and well-crafted jewelries. MIG Gems and Jewellery  (Ashoor Jewellers) has been in Riyadh since 1985. They specialize in gold and precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. Being in the industry for 15 years, MIG has branched out to Qatar, Dubai, and Sri Lanka. 

Lovely rings in gold with various stones

Pick your color!

They do not only sell ready-made jewelries. They're also very good in custom-made jewelry. You give them the design you want and they'll make it for you! How great is that? You get the finest quality of gold and stones and craftsmanship. And since they're very much familiar with the Filipino market, they have installment plans that are budget-friendly and flexible. I plan on having my name necklace and ring with my birth stone peridot done by them (good luck to my wallet... but this is good investment, right?!).

What huge stones!

Simple designs.

More "blue" jewelries

Remember when I told you about my brother and his then fiance (now his wife) were looking for wedding rings (that led to my entry on gold souks)? They couldn't find a design they wanted so they looked for a design in the Internet and went to one of Manila Plaza's gold store to have it custom-made. While they got it for a pretty good deal, it didn't quite turn out to be what they wanted. The design wasn't followed accordingly; the rings were thin and the edges were a little bit rough. So, I'm suggesting they take them to MIG because according to Jefry, the salesman in the KFSH&RC branch, they can "correct" it. They can re-design it, if wanted. MIG Gems can take your old jewelries and re-design them to match the modern times or your style. 

I do!

The stones of MIG Gems are sourced from other countries as well. You can pick your birth stones and voila! They have it. Even those colors of stones you didn't know existed, they probably have it. Just look at these blings...

I'm soooo tempted to run away with these! Hehe!

I love anything royal blue! Princess Kate's engagement ring, anyone?!

I looove the shine of the blue sapphire. It was dazzling! Can you guess how much this ring is? Well, tumataginting na... over SR35,000!!! Approximate lang yan. Whoahhhh!

Woman's bestfriend!

Necklaces with stones

What a bling!

Not as shiny but as precious.

What a rainbow of semi-precious stones!

Now let's talk about gold, because MIG has taught me one or two about it... 

The allure of gold is long lasting.

Many of you have asked what's the difference between Saudi gold and Italian gold. Try as I might, I couldn't even look for answers in Google but MIG explained it to me simply. Most gold are imported from other countries, mainly from Africa. Contrary to what we believe in, Saudi Arabia doesn't have a lot of gold mines. They don't have a lot of gold. The Saudi gold pertains to gold that are manufactured here (meaning the mixing and designs are done here). The same way that Italian gold means the gold (imported from some where else) were polished and designed in Italy. What makes Saudi gold cheaper? No taxes, of course! 

Name pendants

What's the difference between yellow gold and white gold? (Ehermn, aside from the colors!) The metals used in the alloy mix. Remember that not because it's called gold, it's already pure gold. You can't wear "pure gold" because it's soft and malleable. Pure gold needs to be mixed with several metals to make it into jewelries. So does it mean that yellow gold is more valuable than white gold because it has more pure gold (which is yellow)? Nope. The gold content of yellow gold is the same as that in white gold. It's just the metal components in the alloy mix that makes the color different. Yellow gold has copper and zinc while white gold has silver and palladium. Let's throw in the rose gold for some tri-color action. Rose gold has more copper, which gives off the pinkish color. Now you might ask, what's better... yellow gold or white gold? That depends on your taste and style. I see yellow gold as traditional while white gold, modern. It's not bad to have a mix of both, diba?

A nice, simple ruby ring

Like what I said on my gold souks entry, I'm not really into jewelry but if I have to buy anything, it would have to be something like the ring above. Simple and classic. And of course, nothing too expensive. 

What kind of jewelry are you into? What's your favorite gem stone? We will try to make a schedule and tour the factory of Mig Gems and we'll tell/show you more about it. For now, we can ogle at these pictures. If you plan to visit Jefry, mention The Pink Tarha orayt? ;) ~ Sundrenched

Ashoor Jewellers
MIG Group of Companies 
Social Club Building (in front of the grocery)
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
Riyadh, KSA 
(Another branch is in Olaya)
T: +054-7994505
E: jefry1979@yahoo.com

Oh Bohol! (Part 2)

On the way back to our hotel on our first day (if you haven't read it yet, you can read back about Day 1 here) we passed by this monument, depicting the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez De Legazpi in 1565. From there you can see the beautiful horizon of Panglao Island.

The Sandugo Shrine

Such a beautiful island!

Day 2: The next day, we set out really early for Panglao Island because we wanted to catch the waves without tanning. Plus we wanted to have enough time to explore the rest of Panglao. The beach is open to everyone who want to rent a cottage. There were some part of the beach that were a bit rocky but generally this side of the island was great.

A beautiful sunrise at the beach! :)

After breakfast, we decided to explore other island sites. We passed by a Shell Museum on the way to the Bee Farm so we decided to check it out as well. Aside from the large shell exhibit, they also sell various shell-made products like jewelry, lamps and home decors.

Oh so many shells under the sea...

I really love these capiz decors!

The next tourist site we visited was the the Hinagdanan Cave (which literally translates to "Laddered Cave"). The cave was discovered by the land owner and it was later developed into a tourist spot with steps going down into the Cave. Like most tourist attraction in Bohol, the caretakers charge a small fee to maintain the area.

The cave entrance

It was a bit hard to take photos without using the flash so I hope that you'll bear with the photos I took. The cave itself is very very humid and the damp air is mostly due to the enclosed space and the lagoon inside the cave. Supposedly, this lagoon connects to the sea.

Inside the cave

Cave Lagoon

The cave was discovered because of those holes.

This is a very popular photo op spot within the cave.
"Santino, is that you?" haha...

After coming out of the Hinagdanan Cave, we decided to visit The Bee Farm. They offer tours around their bee farm and they sell organic products in their nifty store. 

The Bohol Bee Farm Entrance

All native products, all natural!

My sister and I just love the Pesto Spread from this shop!!

They also sell honey-derived and natural beauty products here!

Walking further down, we discovered that they also have a seaside restaurant open to public. We then decided to have lunch here as well. The food they serve are also all organic and of course, delicious. 

Looks like a beautiful set for a prenup photoshoot. :)

Lovely table setting

All seafood plate... sorry, I forgot to take a photo because I was tempted to dig in immediately!

Organic rice, spare ribs and salad with edible flowers. nom nom. 

Bohol Bee Farm also offers hotel accommodation by the sea, so if you're looking for a secluded place to relax, I think the Bee Farm would definitely fit the bill. 

 

Imagine waking up to a view like this!

We don't have photos of their actual rooms since we didn't check in but their facilities that were open for public are really nice. :)

Indoor Pool!

I really liked our trip to Bohol and I hope to return soon. The next time, I want to go during their famous island Fiesta. It is said to be the best time to go around Bohol! I hope you enjoyed this photo blog of our Bohol trip and hopefully, you'll plan to visit this wonderful island as well. 

Love, 

Sampaguita Pride

Random Thursday {September 27}

Good morning, beautiful people of Riyadh! How are you feeling today? Well, I'm feeling upbeat this Thursday despite of a tooth extraction done to me last night. Haha. Although I can't eat solid food just yet, I'm happy to say I now have the license to eat ice cream and fro-yos... as much as I want! 

We didn't have Random Thursdays last week because of The Pink Tarha Mornings but it's back today. I'm bringing you scenes from the city and random snacks (as if I needed more photos of food to tease me from not being able to eat them). 

Here's a very good morning photo I took of Tahlia Street. It was taken one random Thursday morning when the ladies and I were having brunch in Buffalo's. I'm reminded once again of how Riyadh has changed for the last couple of years. The traffic nowadays is horrible but you can get some respite from all that craziness when you go out on a bright Thursday morning and drive by Tahlia Street (or any street for that matter).

What's a morning without coffee? When we don't have moolah for store-bought coffee (Starbucks and Dr. Cafe anyone?), we drink 3 in 1 coffee in sachets and one of our favorites is Kopiko Java Coffee. It has the right amount of sweetness. Our ultimate favorite is Nescafe Brown but it's not available here in Riyadh so we settle on what's here. Kopiko is available in leading grocery and supermarkets. 

And what's drinking coffee without some sweets to go with it?

Have you tried Dixie Cream's donuts found in Tahlia Street? While we applaud the addition of another donut store in Riyadh, we're not too impressed with Dixie Cream. There's nothing new with their donuts. But hey, we all want to taste something new every day right? Grab a donut here in case you're in the area.

You know how much we loved macaroons, yes? While our heart was definitely taken by Laduree, we also sample those which are available in the pastry shops here in Riyadh. Like this macaroon from our recently-featured Saadeddin Pastries. The colorful rounds weren't exactly uniform in size but they were good on their own. It has a crisp outer layer and chewy center, a consistency I really like in a macaroon. But the almond scent was a little bit overpowering that my brother was bothered in eating something so fragrant like a flower or a perfume. Haha.

Another sweet treat we couldn't get enough of is Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists. No, they're not bread sprinkled with cinnamon but crackers (like prawn crackers) with cinnamon powder all over them. They're crunchy and sweet and salty... we're addicted!

And now we go to heavier snacks...

The first pizza chain I've ever eaten in Riyadh is Pizza Company. I got to revisit it again with a friend last week and we enjoyed their personal sized Hawaiian pizza (basically with pineapple and shrimps). The pizza as thick and chewy with gooey cheese to boot. We love the sweetness of the pineapple chunks and the plump shrimps that went with it. Busog!

Ahhh Coke. Who doesn't drink it? (Okay, please do not start a Coke vs. Pepsi war in here.) I personally am a Coke fan. (I was a Pepsi fan when I was in high school... I didn't know what happened.) So I'm glad to find this "sakto" size in Alrajhi Supermarket. And it was so cold too! Perfect thirst quencher  on a scorching hot afternoon. 

And so I end this entry with a night photo...

Taken from one of our favorite coffee hang-outs in Riyadh... Cafe Lenotre in Centria Mall. We like the ambiance on their terrace where we get to see Olaya Road along with glimpses of the Olaya Twin Towers, Faisaliah Tower, and Kingdom Tower. It's fun to catch up with friends in this cafe... only when it's not too crowded. ;)

Remember that tomorrow is Mc Donald's A Day Offline. Can you handle the challenge of not being able to use your gadgets like phone, computers, and television to spend more quality time with your families and friends? Can we? Let's see. ;)

Have a fun, fun weekend everyone! Don't hesitate to share fab finds and your desert city adventures to us! ~ Sundrenched

The Pink Tarha Mornings: Blogging in Riyadh

Our first ever "morning" in The Pink Tarha Mornings series happened last September 20, 2012. It was a success! I'm not saying this just because we're the organizers but because our lovely participants said so. They gave us such good feedback I started to wonder if it might be because of the "Gorgeous" that we placed in their IDs. Haha. So here's a photo diary of what happened, serving also as an acknowledgment page for the people who helped us make this event possible ...

What a Pink Tarha ID looks like... pretty chic? :P

I designed most of the labels, tags, and signs that you'll see in the event. I had a theme in mind... something lovely, chic, and refreshing and what better way than use pink flowers right? Haha. I had a thing for cutting and pasting papers. This is like my very own craft project in school. Feeling student. :P I have to thank my father and brother for letting me print these labels and signs in their office printer (sssshhhhhh! don't tell!) and also to a friend who I bothered time and time again.

Gifts from Whites Pharmacy

Greenland and Cottage samples

It was a blessing that I met Mr. Turki, managing partner of Whites Pharmacy one day when I was visiting Nouf of Four Nail Spa and Salon (thanks, Nouf!). He introduced me to their marketing executive, Ms. Haifa, who was friendly and helpful. Long story short, they gave us samples of their products and we got enough to give away to our participants! Thank you, Mr. Turki, Ms. Haifa, and Whites Pharmacy! ;)

The making of a Pink Tarha folder kit

While Eyecandy and Sampaguita Pride were rehearsing and studying the presentation and lecture the night before The Pink Tarha Mornings, I was assembling the folder kit. What's inside this white folder? Apart from the fliers from Whites (on the left), there's a notebook and pen (not in photo) for the participants to use. Of course, the program, which come to think of it looked like a menu, hehe, is in front. And several blogging and photography prompts we got from the Internet that participants can use after the workshop.

You might wonder, when did The Pink Tarha Mornings begin? Ay, nung September 20 lang. Haha. Just kidding. I was hit by the idea one fine Thursday morning when my friends and I were having brunch in Tahlia St. I thought, why not have a small gathering of ladies on a Thursday morning and talk about one topic that is interesting to everyone present? Nothing grand, nothing fancy. Just a bunch of friends getting together for brunch and discussing something relevant, something different. (Para sa mga walang magawa? Bored? Stressed?)

I shared the vision to The Pink Tarha ladies and our friends. They were supportive but I was the one skeptical (weird huh). While the idea was novel, was it really possible in conservative Riyadh? Will there be ladies interested? I mean, who would be enthusiastic to come when most of the ladies here in Riyadh would probably have their own friends whom they go out with? Which restaurant will open their doors so early in the morning for us? A break (and rays of hope) came when we spoke with Sir Neil, Piatto's main marketing man. He was interested with the idea. I worked on a presentation during the Eid holiday (thanks to the prodding of friends) and when he and Piatto's management gave the go signal upon seeing it, I squealed in DELIGHT (okay, probably not 'squealed' but 'beamed')! This was truly happening!!! I guess the moment that that really sunk in was the time we were already talking about the final details with Sir Albert, Piatto's gracious manager. (To the management and staff of Piatto, thank you very much!)

We opened The Pink Tarha Mornings registration for the first workshop titled "Blogging in Riyadh" for 20 participants. I was nervous the first few minutes... "What if no one registered?!" But after a few hours, the slots got filled and we had a growing waiting list! Whoahhh! Almost all the participants, we noticed, were long time readers of the blog and our Facebook page. We recognized their names instantly!  And so everything quickly settled and we got to "work" on the event. Remember the first time in a long time that the PT ladies came together? It was a meeting regarding this event. 

And the day finally came...

WELCOME!!! R, SP, and I with our friend, Jamila

It didn't look like we crammed, yes? Because we didn't. Really. Hahaha. We arrived early in our venue, Piatto Italian Restaurant in Exit 5 and quickly decorated the place, rather sparsely, because the Piatto already looks good on its own. This is our registration desk, manned by Shoegarfreeruby and our friends. The ladies are required to sign. Required talaga?! Just so we can take note of those who were present, of course. Two out of the 20 participants weren't able to come but all in all, we were so happy with the turnout.

Shoegarfreeruby with our friends Grace, Jennie, and Jamila. Thanks, ladies! :)

IDs and kits ready!

The tables were bare but stands with quotes caught their attention.

We love Piatto's ambiance!

One reason that made us really thrilled to have Piatto Restaurant as The Morning's venue is its ambiance. We love the rustic yet bright interiors of the place complete with fountain and a sun roof. The sunshine streams inside the courtyard steadily creating a fresh, bright, sunny atmosphere that you can't get from any other restaurant in Riyadh. It's the nearest thing to being outdoors! 

Cielo and her sweet treats

Cielo Algaeed x The Pink Tarha Ladies

Who can't resist?

Cielo, whom we featured recently, was also one of our sponsors. She brought her bestsellers: cheesecakes, coconut macaroons, cookies, and chocolate cake. (Thanks, Cielo!) Everyone enjoyed her samplers! 

Have some Kitsch! :)

The Pink Tarha Ladies x Kitsch Cupcakes

Awesome Kitsch!

Pick your flavor!

We were also fortunate to have Kitsch Cupcakes that day. I thought they were giving away the small cupcakes and I was genuinely surprised when our friend, Jennie, who received the cupcakes arrived with boxes and boxes filled with their regular-sized cupcakes. Woah! Talk about being sweet! We love how they packaged each cupcake and how they instantly prettified our setup. (Thank you, Mr. Moustafa and to the staff of Kitsch Cupcakes Riyadh.) 

Home bakers we LOVE!

We also have home baker friends who sent in their bestsellers Ms. Meredith featured her delicious chocolate chip cookies while Ms. Shirley had her yummy chocolate cake and cheese cake. (Thank you, wonder women! ;)  

And what goes really, really well with pastries?

"Good things happen over coffee."

Coffee, tea, or water? Whatever you choose, Piatto has it! And even this...

More room for cookies eh?

And who better to enjoy these treats? Of course, aside from The Pink Tarha ladies and our friends, these are for our participants who arrived one-by-one before showtime the workshop starts! Wow, we really have the most beautiful readers huh? Seriously, why do we attract the pretty ones? Birds of the same feather flock together, yes? ;) And now, we go to the program proper...

And now we begin...

Eyecandy takes the "stage" to introduce The Pink Tarha.

And goes to the Writing discussion.

Some audience participation in here...

Sampaguita Pride, our teacher, goes on to discuss the "Quality of Writing."

Participants can freely have some coffee and pastries while they're listening.

And we go to the Photography session...

Participants are asked to take photos of their salads and bread. 

Eyecandy and Sampaguita Pride, the Toastmasters of the group, did a fine job in delivering the lectures. Good job, ladies! :)))

The brunch arrives!

Yes, that's brunch. That huge dish and we call it "brunch." Guess what's for lunch? Haha. I think I was still full until dinner when I finished my pasta. Most of the participants chose the cream-based pasta. Good choice! The staff of Piatto were efficient and very professional. They prepared the food ahead of time and were attentive to the needs of our participants. (Yes, even to my constant questions and requests... ang kulit ko lang! Haha!)

And so the lecture and the brunch ends around 1:00 in the afternoon. The participants took home more of the baked goodies and this...

A huge canvas bag we got from Camel Corner. Thanks for the discount Mr. Isam and Sam!

This served as souvenir, along with the certificate of participation designed by Eyecandy. We kind of rushed towards but overall, we had a fun morning. We also like to thank Mr. Ronald Blanco of Balitang Middle East for coming. And more thank yous are on the way...

To God Almighty, thank you for our talents and gifts and for this opportunity to share them. To my fellow Pink Tarha ladies, thank you very much for supporting my idea and vision. To our families and friends, thank you for helping us make this event possible. To our sponsors, thank you for being a part of this event and making it better. To our readers, thank you for inspiring us. 

And of course...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to our GORGEOUS PARTICIPANTS!!! 

I may sound like I'm gushing too much in this entry... that's because I am. I still can't believe that we held the first Pink Tarha Morning and that we did all those. And that it was a success! For me, this is not just a simple event. This is not just my vision or dream coming true. It's a validation for The Pink Tarha that indeed, we're touching and inspiring lives in our simple ways. And we are GRATEFUL for the support, for the belief, for the overwhelming wonderful feedback.

We hope we can do this again next time. Yes? YES!!! ~ Sundrenched

For more photos, visit our Instagram {thepinktarha} or click here.

PS. To our participants, kindly send us photos that you took from the event. Pretty please? Especially the ones where you're there with us. :)