A Dose of Sweetness at Cakelicious

It’s been raining cupcakes since Sundrenched started ‘wishing’ for cupcake shops to open. Being a sweet-tooth myself, Cakelicious is a sure welcome addition to our list.

We discovered Cakelicious by chance, as me and the hubby drove along Thalateen street. From outside, you can see the colorful cupcakes, cakes and chocolates that are tempting enough for a stop. The cupcakes where the ones that drew my attention. I saw the red velvet ones from afar and wanted to try them first since it’s the variant I love the most. As you enter the shop, the smell of sweet icing welcomes you. It’s time for another sugar-load!

What makes Cakelicious different is that they have brownies! I am a fan of brownies and used to bake them a lot since I don’t find them in any of the local bakeshops here. They have them in two flavors: caramel and cheese.

The caramel brownies are love.

These cheese brownies are loaded.

The brownies come in huge and half slices for SAR 15 and SAR 8.  

Their brownies were not that chewy or moist to my liking. They were a bit dry to my taste. However, I like how they weren’t too sweet even with the caramel syrup on top. They were good enough to satisfy my brownie craving. The hubby said it’s the only brownie he’ll finish, so that’s really a compliment! He seldom appreciates the sweet stuff in general.

Now, onto the cupcakes. I was able to try the velvet, carrot, toffee and chocolate variants. They have them in other flavors too like blueberry and vanilla. So far, these are the only ones I’ve seen in the shop. I loved their velvet and carrot cupcakes the most. In spite of the icing being too sweet, it was the kind of cupcake I was actually looking for. The icing and the cake itself was loaded and compact. You can see that they did not cost-cut with the cakes individually. These are sold at SAR 8 each.

Vegetables are good for you.

The vanilla cupcake is topped with yellow.

Stop counting the calories!

The red velvet cupcake is my fave because it's...red. Haha.

The shop sells some mini cakes (SAR 15) and chocolates too. They also offer made to order cakes for birthdays and other special occasions as I was able to browse their catalog.



Wanna try the layered velvet cake next!




Hyperglycemia. LOL.



Cakelicious sure is worth visiting for those who would love to have another dose of sugar in their bloodstream, LOL. Pampa-hyper! You’ll find their cakes irresistible to try, since we girls just love all ‘nice, sweet and cute’ in one package. Watch out for their other branches opening soon in Tahlia, Alrabwa, Alrawda and Exit 9 in case you’ll miss the one in Thalateen Street.

♥Shoegarfreeruby♥

Party Prepping in Riyadh

When I first started my second job as Recreation Manager, my team and I tried to do everything by ourselves. We would scour the riyalin shops for party decors and give aways. We'd make our own banderitas and I've even introduced our native Pabitin game to the compound kids! Often we would drain our energy preparing, that by the end of the event, we were all dead tired.

If you have children, you can probably relate and understand how hard it is to organize a kid's party all by yourself! Especially in Riyadh where there's no Divisoria-esque shops where you can get everything in bulk.

Don't let the facade fool you! They have the newest stocks!

It was then that I realized that we needed the help of professionals. I found The Good Ship Lollipop by searching online. No, I am not talking about Shirley Temple's Goodship Lollipop. They are not related to a song or a cocktail! The Goodship Lollipop is a specialty shop for every party needs. Located near Centria, right beside Chanel (corner Olaya and Tahlia street), the quaint little shop is an event coordinator's wonderland.

Matching paper cups, plates, banners and party hats!

High quality balloons in a variety of colors!

Giveaways and prizes!

Masks and party hats!

They also offer party products and services like bouncy castles, rides, mascots, clowns, magicians, hotdog stands, cotton candy machines, AV setups, chairs and tables!

That bouncy castle is 6m x 7m rented at 1500 SR for the whole day

For our parties, we usually rent the bouncy castle. It's really a big hit with my young residents. They can literally jump around for 4 hours non-stop! The clown provides the games and entertains the kid's with magic tricks and balloon animals! Their parents can finally relax, go over some vendor's merchandise or chat with their friends.

All though some of the products are priced a little higher than what you'd normally find in the riyalin shops, the convenience of finding it in good condition and the time you save is well worth it. So the next time you want to go all out on preparing for a kiddie party, or the "kid-at-heart party", you know who to call! Ghostbusters! Goodship Lollipop!

Goodship Lollipop

Corner Olaya and Tahlia Street (beside Chanel)

Tel: 01-4624064

Love,

Sampaguita Pride

Rockin' Johnny Rockets!

Once a week, I go out with my fave dining buddies - Eyecandy and Sundrenched. They have a knack for finding good places to eat. E in particular is a delight to watch. She not only dines but she savors each flavorful bite. She's a sight to behold, I tell you!

One day, we couldn't decide where to eat so we drew lots and off we went to Johnny Rockets. It's a fancy burger joint along Tahlia Street (across Applebee's). Johnny Rockets has a 1950's diner vibe minus the rollerskating waitresses. I love the decor and the whole concept. The place was well lit and clean. The staff were nice and helpful.

Diner Dash?

It reminds me of Cafe World on Facebook. hehe...

We came in before prayer time but they couldn't serve us immediately because there wasn't enough time to cook the burgers. They grill to order so it takes time. That's okay though because that gave us a lot of time to chat and decide on what to order. What's important is that we were inside the restaurant. While waiting, E gave a colorful analogy of the different "levels" of chilis as she contemplated ordering the Houston Burger, a spicy burger with jalapeños and pepper jack cheese. 

Smileys are a fun way to pass the time.

Maybe it's just me but looking at menus makes me dizzy- with hunger. All the mouthwatering descriptions were making me hungry and I couldn't decide on what to order! But one thing was for sure, I was going to get some Fried Mozarella Sticks.

Mozarella Cheese Stick, 18SR.
 

You see I'm a big fan of cheesy food so this was an instant winner for me. Imagine Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza... remember the cheesy goodness wrapped in those pizza bread? That's exactly how it tasted. Can you see the cheese popping out of the breading? I'm getting hungry just writing about it. @.@ Cheeeessseeeee...

S's Bacon Cheddar Single. 29SR

E ordered the Houston Burger, S ordered a Bacon Cheddar Single and I ordered a St. Louis. I was a bit overwhelmed by the flavor, I only finished half of it. If you're looking for a meaty, flavorful burger then I think you should try Johnny Rockets.

We also ordered Chili Fries, Grilled Cheese and Rocket Wings! Oh and of course, you don't go to a diner and not order their chocolate shakes. Oh the calories! But what the heck! 

Rocket Wings, 27SR

Chili Fries topped with cheese and chopped onions, 23 SR

Grilled Cheese. 16 SR

Oh the calories! Chocolate milkshake for 19SR

All in all, Johnny Rockets is a good place to hangout with your friends and get stuffed. I'll probably come back for some more Mozarella sticks. Hmmmm.... cheese....

Johnny Rockets
www.johnnyrockets.com
Tahlia St, Riyadh
T: +966-1-2791333


Sampaguita Pride

Double Celebration

We're having a double celebration today as we celebrate Sampaguita Pride's birthday and Father's Day! (Okay, triple na since birthday din ni Jose Rizal (the Philippines' national hero)! :D

As you all know, our newest member Sampaguita Pride is this blog's DIY Queen. She does not only act on things she's set on doing but she find ways, sometimes going as far as being eco-friendly and organic, to do them. Behind the beautiful face is a more beautiful personality that had us at first sight... she is a welcome fit to The Pink Tarha!

For the hard work and patience in your studies and career, for the gift of hope you share with the kids in your advocacy, for the care and love you shower your family and friends... we're proud of you, P! Thank you for being a part of this blog, and our lives. ^_^

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sampaguita Pride!

And since you're on your vacation in the Philippines, we're expecting a birthday feast when you get back. Lol!

Of course, today is father's day too. So to all fathers out there, including the men who serve as the pillars of The Pink Tarha's lives...

HAPPY, HAPPY

FATHER'S

DAY!

For Shoegarfreeruby and I (the remaining Pink Tarhas in Riyadh because E and P are on their vacation in Manila), we consider ourselves our fathers' daughters... in all the sense of that phrase. And this quote has always been true:

"There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself."  And their "guiding hand will remain forever in our hearts." 

To our fathers, we love you! :)

How To Survive Riyadh's Sale Seasons

Brace yourself for yet another sale season, fellow Tarhas! The sale season is starting and bet your bottom dollar riyals that it will be chaotic, crazy-fun, and stressful (lol)!

But we have to be realistic here. In our opinion (as veterans of the sale seasons in Riyadh, ehermn, lol), the sales have diminished in value, both in quality and quantity, over the years. It's not like before when we can find really good items at rock bottom prices in large quantities. Now, every thing is just so-so and there are some shops that don't hold it as fervently anymore. But the sale season is still worth going mad over because you'll never know what you'll find. We like surprises! So kung galit ka sa pera, go lang ng go!

Are you set?!

Here's a few tips on how to experience the lows and highs of our favorite season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

1. There are two basic huge sale seasons: the start of the year and the middle of the year. (There are also the less stellar mid-season and end-of-season sales.) The latter is the one beginning this month, if schedules are still the same. Although we enjoy the mid-year sale season, it's the end/start of the year sale (December-February) that we usually wait for when shops go all out!  However, let's not disregard this coming sale season because good deals also come this June to August. Prepare your fulos, ladies! They're about to go to battle! :P

2. Take note of the periods of a sale season, which we'll liken to the stages of "cooking water" here. (Sorry, water is the only thing I can cook, lol. #S)

a. Poaching. This the beginning where the water is kept warm but there's no visible bubbling to indicate heat. In this period, the sale season has started but they're still not advertised loudly. Merchandisers are preparing and any minute now, they'll be amping up the temperature so we can all feel the heat! You should power up your sixth sense shopping radar so you get the latest sale scoops. Also during this time, the department stores are already on sale. Centrepoint and Citymax just went on sale three weekends ago so that's a good sign. They wouldn't want to compete with the bigger brands during the sale season so inunahan na nila. Lol. For those who are eyeing the more known brands, wait for the next period before unleashing your cash... As you know, the "poaching" stage this year is over last week. Hope you got good finds in Centrepoint, Citymax, and Iconic. I know I did. *wink*

b. Simmering. Here we will see bubbles forming and gently rising to the surface of the water, but the water is not yet at a full rolling boil. You will see the red signs hanging and you'll probably think, this is it! It's here, it's sale season so let's go! Okay, hold it! The stores don't go all out at once. If you noticed in past sale seasons, they usually begin at 25% to 50% off. 25% and 50% off are good because well, you still get to save something. But we all know they can get lower two weeks, or even a month, from now so you can wait it out further. However, the advantage of having a major shopping spree during the "simmering" period is you get the first dibs on every thing. There will still be a lot of items that come in your size. The clothing, shoes, and accessories are in tip-top shape. Unlike when you wait out the 75% discount, you get items that were already handled many times. We're currently in this stage now. MNG, New Look, and Parfois are simmering and my wallet's suffering from a first degree burn from yesterday's visit to Othaim Mall.

c. Boiling. Of course, the hottest point among the periods! It's the most exciting part but also the most damaging (to your wallets). During this time, the stores are already offering 75%-90% off, the lowest they can get. The red signs are blaring and glaring and they’re utterly tempting. Unfortunately, this is also the time when a lot of people have already caught on the sale season virus and are in the malls almost all the time scouring for more goodies. You have more competition! You now need to dig deep in the bins for undamaged items and search the racks with passion for your shoe size. Lol. We say that this period is the most damaging to your wallets because even if you don't notice it, you buy a lot! You are attracted to the SR 10 necklace or the SR40 pair of shoes... which leads you to buy more stuff you're not even sure you need or want. Just so because they're cheap. Well, hold on for dear life! The boiling stage this year might be 2 weeks before and after Ramadan, which falls on August this year.

d. Cooling. Every thing is naghihingalo by now. The salesmen rearranging and replenishing stocks over and over, the racks losing shape and stuff, the pockets (of your husbands, lol), your wallets... you. You'll be tried from all the sprees that you will need to rest. And you will need to give the discounted stuff a rest too. By this time, latak na lang ang natitira. These are the stuff left behind by every one else and you will need to let go of them too because they're no longer worth it, even if it's so cheap. Alright, we had that time in our lives that we still went out and check out the latak just because we wanted to and unbelievably, we still had the energy to do so. But now, we know better (we do?!?). We let those stuff go... because we'll prolly see them again next sale season. Hahaha.

3. Mind what you buy. It's easy to get lost in the euphoria of the sale season but it will be a good thing to think before you buy (yeah right!). During the "poaching" period, head to the malls to check out the brands you love and take note of the products you'll want to buy when they go on sale. It’s also a good thing to be chummy-chummy (friendly) with the salesmen so you can ask the exact date when they’ll go on sale. During the "simmering" period, buy the stuff you really, really want (tipong hindi ka makatulog sa gabi sa kaiisip) even if it's just on a 25%-30% off because you'll never know if you'll still see it again during the boiling period. Wag nang maging super kuripot noh at mag-intay pa ng 75% off para sa mga bagay na gusto mo talaga. Sabi nga nila, "The early bird catches the worm." May gan’on?!  Grab and buy the clothes, shoes, and sandals that you love (and can never let off the hook) during the simmering period because they still have it in your size. During the "boiling" period, go crazy in the stores! By that we mean this: get a shopping bag, grab all the stuff you want without thinking, and sort later. During sorting, that’s the moment you think about it. Take the stuff out one by one and debate (in your head or with friends) if you need it or just want it. Discard those which do not make the cut. It will actually be helpful if you return them to the shelves and racks where you got them so other people can check them out immediately. During the "cooling" period, the only thing worth buying are prolly the small accessories that didn't get beaten up in the duration of the past three periods.

Oh my, oh my!

4. Mind your budget. We're the number one offenders of this rule. We go over budget during the sale season and we usually say we'll not gonna repeat it in the next sale season but we do repeat it. (Bad girls!) However, please feel free to not imitate us and work with the money you allotted for the sale season. Allot a specific amount for the sale shopping spree. It will be hard because we're betting you'll want a lot but just try and spend your money wisely. If you're having your vacation on the latter half of the year, then it might be wise to spend some money on pasalubong already. When it comes to saving, we're probably the worst persons to give you advice so we end this tip #4 now. Lol.

5. Have fun and enjoy the experience. It will be more exhilarating and fun when you shop with friends and your family (only if your husband is supportive, lol). You get to ask them their opinions. You get to eat lunches and dinners together. You get to wait out the salat with them. And you get to laugh at yourselves when you think how crazy you are for acting on your shopping impulses. Wives, please don't fight with your husbands when it comes to taking you to malls, orayt? Ask them nicely and sweetly. Threaten for a separation only when he gives you an almost ultimate refusal. Hahaha. Just kidding. It will be good to have one person who’s more decisive than you are. Chances are you will regret a lot of things you didn’t get but don’t fret, there will be more gorgeous stuff coming your way on the next seasons. 'Nga pala, wag namang parang end of the world na at mag-hoard ha?

6. This is the most important: Read The Pink Tarha for sale alerts so you always get informed! :)

Orayt, that’s it. We'll see you in the malls, ladies! Say hi when you bump to any one of us. Hopefully, we don't fight over the same stuff. Haha.

§undrenched

A Fusion of Organic, All Natural Food

Fresh. Natural. Earth-friendly. Does pizza come to mind upon reading these words? No? Well, it better be now that Pizza Fusion has reached the sandy dunes of Riyadh!

If you've been reading The Pink Tarha, you'll know that I'm all for any thing organic but I mostly use organic stuff for bath and beauty rituals. I'm not into organic food, believing that they're bland, flavorless, and pretty much boring. Pizza Fusion taught me that hey, organic food is good! Pizza Fusion impressed The Pink Tarha so much that Sampaguita Pride braved the noon heat just to eat their pizza, then she and Eyecandy waited out more than the salah minutes under the sun, and E and I, while passing a popular pizza brand branch exclaimed "Goodbye D!" ... at the same time! (Wave length much?) You can't hear our exclamations but better believe that this is it! :P

First, what is organic food? Basically, it's the basics. These are fruits, vegetables, poultry and meat that were produced and raised without pesticides and other chemical fertilizers. They're not genetically modified (wow, that is one scary adjective when used on food!). Organic food is better because it does not contain harmful ingredients and bringing these products about does not harm the environment. They also contain more nutrients - delicious benefits, yum! Pizza Fusion offers just that: freshest veggies, tastiest 100% certified organic tomato sauce, juiciest meats, and crispiest hand-stretched all-natural dough.

Pizza Fusion deserves Eyecandy's unbelievable, sometimes obscene (LOL) amazing vocabulary in describing food but she's currently on vacation so you might have to pardon my use of less stellar (er, more prim and proper) words. So... let's start!

Flatbread and dips (marinara and olive tapenade), free

Looks boring? It tastes better! This flatbread is warm, light, and crispy and it goes well with the dips made from fresh tomatoes and olives. We love how simple yet tasty this is. Kulang na lang cheese, pwede na s'yang maging pizza! When we first ate this, we chowed 'em down like crazy. By the time the other dishes came out, we were semi-full.

Mini Meatball Sliders, SR20

Homemade mini meatballs topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella, served on toasty bread. Another winning combination that made us full! The meatballs are tender and savory and the bread is crunchy. Appetizers pa lang, busog na kami!

Chicken Carbonara, SR34

Grilled chicken, cream, parmesan cheese, and fettuccini pasta.   

This pasta is love! It's creamy and scrumptious. The white sauce weaves in and out the al dente pasta making every forkful simply divine! Pizza Fusion uses free-range chicken for their dishes and pizza. What is free range? I have no time to explain but in short, the chickens were raised having fun outdoors. Lol. They were not, uh, abused and imprisoned in fenced areas. So, we're prolly eating "happy" chickens. :P Read more about "free range poultry" here.
 

Large pizza, double flavors

We ordered their 746x24cm pizza good for 2-3 persons and chose 2 flavors: the four cheese&sundried tomato and the BBQ chicken. We further personalized the latter by adding bacon and pineapple. 

Four cheese and sundried tomatoes

We did not enjoy the four cheese as much as we enjoyed the BBQ chicken. The former was a little bit too salty for our taste. The latter is the clear winner because of the various flavors playing in our mouth. And true enough, the onions, herbs, and pineapple in our pizza were fresh and delicious! The bacon had a lot of flavor. Their meats are hormone-free! Okay, we did not totally got that at first (thought the cows were menopausal) but research tells us that the cows were raised without steroids added growth hormones and antibiotics so they're like all natural.

By the way, their pizzas are not round!

Family Pizza

On a separate occasion, we ordered the Philly Steak and we were surprised on how big the steak shreds were! It's topped with roasted bell peppers, roasted onions, parsley, tomato sauce, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, and gorgonzola. Obviously, they are not kuripot with the ingredients! It's full to the edge! We enjoyed the full-flavored meat! 

Try their Big Kahuna pizza also. It's filled with bacon and pineapple. Salty, sweet, and sour... you won't know what hit you (in a good way)! 

Personal pizza, from SR18-25

Pizza Fusion has cocktails to wash down all the food wolfed down. We tried two of their own concoctions and their iced tea (a staple in all restos). They were delicious and refreshing. Perfect for the summer heat of Riyadh!

Banana Berry Shake

Apple Fusion Sangria

Iced tea with crushed ice and froth

But it's this drink that totally got me speechless:

All natural soda

Have you tried Coke Cherry? This is not like it. Coke Cherry tasted like cough syrup (at least for me). Boylan's Black Cherry Natural Soda is something I really, really appreciated. When I sipped this, it tasted like the usual cola with a wallop of cherry flavor bursting in my mouth. It didn't taste like cough syrup or anything "artificial." It tasted like maraschino cherries dripping with syrup. But this time, the sweetener used is cane sugar. I love it! And the bottle looks so retro and vintage that Eyecandy started collecting them. I wish I have a stack of Boylan's natural sodas at home but they're expensive at SR8 a piece. Available flavors include cane cola, creme vanilla, root beer, and ginger ale.

If organic tastes this good then can we request every restaurant to turn organic? Pizza Fusion's motto is saving the earth, one pizza at a time. We don't know about saving the world but this pizza place sure did save us from commercial pizza brands that we're tired of. Try it! I think they're still offering their 25% off on all dine-in and take-out orders. Their delivery service will start next month. :)

Pizza Fusion
Thalateen St., Olaya
Riyadh, KSA
01-4633329
Also in Jeddah:
Al-Rawda (02-2616933)
King Road (02-6050698)
Palestine St. (01-2614033)

§undrenched

Funky Finds at Iconic

... And some are meant for our fathers this coming Father's Day!

Okay, so you've prolly heard about Iconic, the newest "department store" in Riyadh located inside Riyadh Gallery (beside Centerpoint). We saw their signs in most street ads during their first month after opening. Anyway, now that we've pretty much visited the place a few times, we know that we love Iconic because it carries Paul's Boutique bags and wallets. And that is all that matters. Lol. Most of the brands inside can be seen in other department stores. Of course, for New Look... one can never get enough of New Look... so that's always welcome too.

In the middle of the clothes, shoes, and accessories comes Iconic's small stationery place. It carries some rather unusual, fun, and quirky office and personal stuff that will make you smile. Some of them will be perfect gift for your papa on their day this coming Sunday.

Here's a few, which I discreetly took photos of during one of my recent trips there with friends. Let's begin with paper, my all-time favorite thing in the world! :P

Notepads for specific concerns.

I would rather use the Thank You pad more often than the Complaint or Help! pads. :P This is one quirky way to send your message across. You can bombard your boss' desk with the Complaint pads. Lol. You can also bombard your dad with the Thank You sheet and tick "My Hero" or "Forever Indebted." Powerful words said in a cute way!

What can we say? We never run out of cards.

The blue card with the Best Dad will seal the deal but the green card with Superstar will earn me a free trip to the mall of my choice. Hahaha. Maybe.

Flattery and excuses so go together in a greeting!

Guess I don't have to explain these. Use them for your family or friends' birthdays and you'll have a good laugh over it. :D

Yummy prints!

You can wrap your father's day gift for your dad with these! The wrappers with juicy strawberries and colorful chocolate nips are irresistible. And the ones with the roses are just dainty and beautiful.

Instant room makeover!

Ever felt your room here is so plain? It probably is because you're only allowed to have white walls. Ask if you can put stickers on and this wallgrafx can help put personality on your room. The chandelier icons, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and wings caught my eye. I would love to put them in my room... which I need to clean and organize first. :P They're on sale for SR30-SR70, depending on the designs. They're originally priced at SR100 up.

A not-so-piggy bank!

I'm always planning to save for a trip somewhere. But of course, it doesn't materialize. (That's why I'm always just planning!) But these tin cans with specific purposes can prolly help. The Exotic Holiday Fund can is what I need and I will make sure to put it in a corner of the house where my parents can see it too. Because look, it also accepts "donations." LOL. I'll give my father the "Diet Cheating" can. I'm not sure though if he'll consider it a gift if he starts paying a fine every time he eats something sweet.

Tag that bag!

Every one has a camera these days. But not every one has this camera luggage tag! Okay, that was a pathetic attempt of introducing this thing. Lol. Look at this tag and tell me you're not tempted to get it for your boring luggage.

Old-school mouse with a twist

If your dad is as old-fashioned as mine who keeps on insisting on using a mouse while using the laptop, give him one of  these quirky, cute USB wired mouse (mice?!)! The shiny gold bullion mouse looks sleek while the brick mouse looks like, errrr, a lego! The car looks like er, a toy! But it has "real headlights!" Ow, c'mon! So retro!

Designs from your grandma's dress

Speaking of retro, here's some laptop covers which spells vintage. Shoegarfreeruby will be pleased. :)

Remote controls in one place!

It's a constant battle at home who gets to handle the remote control. If you have all the remote, you're the lord of the house. Give your father the feeling that he's in control (if he's not yet controlling enough) by giving him this J-me cozy remote tidy... with all the remote controls organized there, of course. The next time, he sits in front of the television, he'll have the say on what to watch. But don't let that stop you from nagging him to switch to your desired channel, teehee!

And this is the ultimate quirky find, (which you can put in the remote tidy):

Control freak, much? No batteries needed!

This got me at "make them do what you want!" Of course, this can work both ways. You can give this to your dad so he can control his boss or his co-workers or even your mom (hehehe) and then give one to yourself so you can control your dad. If he's crammed in traffic and he's running late for work, he can just push the "Ignore Lateness" button. Likewise, if your father's angry at you, push the "Listen" and "Calm Down." If you did something wrong, no problem... the "Ignore Mistake" is there. And wouldn't it be great to "fire" your bossy boss?! LOL. It would be greater if this remote works in reality though. But as the instructions say, we can only "hope for the best!"

Most of the items are still on sale so go now if something caught your fancy. You'll find more stuff that I haven't mentioned here so make a beeline to iconic if you're in Riyadh Gallery and be amazed. :)

This coming June 19, don't forget to greet your fathers a HAPPY FATHER's DAY!!!

The PEBA 2011 "Where The Heart Is" Photo Contest

We have a new project and we'd like you, fellow OFWs and Filipino expats, to be a part of it!

The Pink Tarha has been tapped by PEBA Inc. and Globe Kababayan to spearhead this year's PEBA Photo Contest. The truth is, we don't know how to go about this; we've never held a photo contest before... but we're not backing out on something new, right? So, here you go...

Okay, it's colorful and vintage-y. Lol. This poster speaks like The Pink Tarha. :P But going back to the photo contest, we'd love to see your photographs! Please read this for the full details. We're also posting at the PEBA blog so please visit us there too. Share this page to your friends too.

Tell us where your heart is! Tell us your story through the lens and light of your cameras. :)

What's Inside P's Bag

I like bags. I seem to collect a lot over the years. But most of them are hanging on my wall, rarely used. I don't know why but I seem to use the same old bag over and over again. There's something comforting about an old reliable bag... and the fact that you know that your keys are right where they're supposed to be.... I'm a bit of a scatterbrain and I often lose my keys, have a mini panic attack and sigh in relief when I do find them... Eyecandy is actually afraid I might develop OCD because of this. Therefore, only one bag for the whole work week... unless I have time to swap bags...

And there are those bags that speak to you... like love at first sight, you zero in on this lovely bag and you know that you can't leave the shop without it... it beckons... it teases... until you throw caution into the wind! Yes, that's what shopping is like for me... it's a guilt trip cum therapy of sorts.

To tell you honestly, brand is really not a big issue for me. Like this bag... it's unbranded... I bought it at Jarir of all places! But it's roomy and has a lot of pockets-- it even has a pocket that fits my iPad! It's durable, it looks like the type that would look wonderfully vintage in a few years... something that I find appealing in leather bags... and the indisputable fact that it pulled me out of my morning stupor.

So what's in my bag? I normally carry around a water bottle, my keys, makeup kit, toiletries bag, wallet, ID, flash drives, iPad and iPhone and of course data cables. It's pretty basic to be honest... 

Of course you must never go out without your wallet and your documents! The most important things I always check before I leave any place are my wallet, my iqama, my medical insurance card, my keys and my phone pouch (with the phone in it!)

Ohhh, I love the fact that I can do almost everything with my iPhone. I think they have every app imaginable to make life easier. Hahaha! The only thing I can't do on the iPhone is read my PDF books (screen is too small)... so that's why I have an iPad. As an online student and a bookworm, it's just really convenient to have all of your textbooks and modules in this really thin package! I just love it! ^_^

And then there's my make up kit. I love make up! It may not seem obvious because I don't glam up a lot but I do keep a sizable stash with me... and I carry it everywhere I go...  I am a self professed MAC fan. Majority of my makeup is from this brand. I have products that I just use in the morning and keep on my dresser and I have some that I bring everywhere!

Clockwise from left: MAC Strobe Cream, Satin MAC Red Lipstick, Vegas Bolts Lipstick, MAC Liquidlast Liner, Lustre, Lipglass, Red Lipliner, MAC Select Cover Up concealer, MAC Studio Finish Concealer and MAC Studio Fix Loose Powder. 

I love to use makeup brushes... well, not all... just those that I can figure out... like that blush brush that I won't replace or that MAC brush that I so love. But as much as I love makeup, I am utterly clueless about color... thus my very safe color palette of browns and nudes for my eyeshadow..  The only color you'll find in my face is my lipstick. That, I can blend! Hahaha!

I also have a stash of toiletries in my bag. Again, pretty basic stuff like mouthwash, toothpaste, portable toothbrush, hand sanitizer, nasal drops, Strepsils, pain relievers, anti-histamine tabs, a comb, a mirror, lotion, some pins and wet wipes.

So that's what's inside my bag. They say you can glean a lot from what's inside a person's bag (my best friend likes to "kalikot"  my wallet too... hehe). I often wonder how people would read my personality based on my bag's contents. Hahaha... Would you say I'm a little OCD?

Hmmm, I wonder...

Sampaguita Pride