Sip & Gogh: Newest Art Craze In Town

When my friends and I visited Stacy's from my previous post in Capitol Greenstreet, we roam around the vicinity after eating our dinner. We saw Sip & Gogh at the middle of the place and it caught our attention. At first, we actually thought it was an art gallery where they simply sell paintings. It's a great thing Sir Carlo of Sip & Gogh saw us outside looking through the glass windows and he invited us in and introduced us to their Paint & Sip Studio. I felt like we're little kids who were suddenly enlightened upon entering  the carnival, it's so colorful inside. When we were actually outside the studio, we were asking my more artistic friend to go and try to paint and we will just go with him inside and watch him. Never thought  that I will be the one painting as I have never tried it before, no drawing skills and really no experience at this kind of art. This is very different from facing our laptops the whole day at work and the programming/IT related stuffs we deal with every day. But it's a good thing Sir Carlo really convinced us to try it out. No artistic skills or experience is required and he guaranteed that we will be able to finish our piece. (And it was true, thank you Sir Carlo for convincing us!) 

First thing you have to do is to visit Sip & Gogh's website and check their calendar for the paintings of the day and the date you want. 

Second, reserve your spot online or by phone. It is better if you have your reservation so that you and your friends can sit side-by-side together and make sure that you have a slot when there are a lot of people registering for the same class that you wanted.

And that's what we exactly did because we are ready to have some fun. We actually selected a day with an open session and reserved 4 slots for us. In an open session, you can paint whichever you like or even bring your own choice of photo that you want to paint. Then the day of our schedule finally comes! So are you getting excited? 

This is their art gallery, upon entering the studio this is what you'll see at the right side. These are the sample of beautiful paintings where you can choose from. The girls decided to paint the cherry blossoms tree and the boys the more challenging one I think the apples it was not in the picture below but I'll show you their final piece at the bottom of this post. 

If there's bottomless iced tea in restaurants here it's bottomless paint! You can refill the paint in your palette from these bottles of paint and there's a color wheel guide above. You don't have to worry that you might lack some paint in the middle of your painting session.

This is their bar/counter which is located at the left side upon entering the door.

This is the complementary food served. Two of the upper plate was served for the girls and two of the lower plate was served for the boys. I wasn't able to touch this until the end of the painting session, that is how concentrated I am on my piece. The bell shaped pretzels and the cookies are so yummy!

My Margarita. You can choose from a selection of wine, cocktails, iced tea and juices.

Let's start, below is my empty canvas. First step is to flip it horizontally. Because what I chose was actually a landscape painting. The instructors will guide you step-by-step until you finish.

These are the paint brushes that I used. Thinner tip brushes are used for the outline and edges of your objects. 

My palette with different colors of paint.

Tada! My masterpiece! I get to sign at the bottom right of my piece. Unbelievable?! Still can't imagine that I was able to do it! :) The best part is you can take home your own painting and display it in your house or give it as a gift to someone. 

This has been a great bonding experience for me and my friends. After accomplishing this painting, I had a sense of fulfillment plus it is indeed a stress reliever. All the 3 hours, it got my focus. This is really a perfect way to relax, enjoy and bring out your creative juices. I suggest that you try it and don't ever doubt yourself that you can't do it. I would definitely want to go back to Sip & Gogh and paint those other pieces in the gallery. They also have sessions for the kids and paintings for families or couples where each of your paintings can be put together side-by side and it will form a bigger picture together.

Pictures of me & my friends enjoying our time at Sip & Gogh. Our session costs 1000php inclusive of all the materials used, food, & drink and it is worth it - great friends, great activity, great place & great instructors = perfect bonding + perfect way to start the new year with a new experience. 

Do you want to make your reservation now and experience painting the Sip & Gogh way just like us? Here are their contact details:

Sip & Gogh - Paint & Sip Studio

Location : 1 Capitol Hills Drive, 1119 Quezon City, Philippines

Contact #s : (+632) 9611248, (+632) 5332726, (+63922) 8869833

E-mail : info@sipandgogh.com

Website : Sip & Gogh

Facebook : Sip & Gogh

Remarkable Play Which Will Capture Your Heart : The Phantom Of The Opera in Manila

I am so lucky to be able to watch the Phantom Of The Opera live at the Main Theater of CCP. Not to mention, it was at a discounted price. Thanks to Ticket World for having me! :) 

My sister and I arrived early at the CCP theater to avoid the rush hour traffic. Because of this we had ample time to roam around the lobby to take pictures. There was also a snack bar at the back of the main stairs and a kiosk where you can buy you souvernirs such as key chains, teddy bear, accessories CD, shirts, and caps.

I had my seat at the Parterre box where I had a perfect view of the stage because it is elevated and it was not very far from the stage. I saw the theater was in Full House and I believed all of them were as excited as I was to finally experience and hear the songs of the Phantom Of the Opera live.

Photo courtesy of Ticket World Manila's Facebook.

It was so excellent to insert Filipino humor to the play. The cast delivered it so fine that it stroked the theater into laughter. You will never miss the part "if you need me, I'll be in Boracay".

One of my favorite parts were Christine and Raoul's very romantic scene on the rooftop. It was just so magical to have a very beautiful scenery and be with the one you love. The background is so amazing and the buildings at night looks very realistic. "Love me - that's all I ask of you, anywhere you go let me go too, love me - that's all I ask of you..."

My other favorite part was when Raoul is trying to save her beloved Christine from the Phantom. It was a jaw dropping, intense scene that it surely heightened my emotions.

Photo courtesy of Ticket World Manila's Facebook.

This is an evident story of what love sometimes pushed as to do. Especially when jealousy comes into the picture, as humans we do things we never thought we could ever do. But we must never lose hope that everything will be fine and that in the end good heart will still prevail.

This play is definitely a must-watch - spectacular stage, elegant costumes, graceful dancers, great cast and wonderful story. They really know how to put up a good show! It will run until October 14, 2012 - Tuesdays to Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 3PM & 8PM. So don't miss it! 

You may buy your tickets online - www.ticketworld.com.ph or in any of Ticket World's outlets around Manila. They also offer student discount for Balcony 1 and 2 sections. 

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Sing with all your heart at Songbook KTV and Sports Bar

Love to sing & express your feelings through songs? For many people singing is fun and it has been a favorite past time. Not to mention, Filipinos are also very talented in singing. Just like a half Filipina half Mexican, Jessica Sanchez, who even made it as one of the top finalist of American Idol. Very very talented singer! For all those who love to sing or feel singing like Jessica Sanchez, here's a place where my boyfriend and I usually hangout to sing, Songbook KTV and Sports Bar, a KTV lounge in Timog Ave., Quezon City. 

The entrance at Mezzanine Floor, Victoria Towers.

Clean & cozy rooms for small groups.

They have rooms that is very spacious for big groups. This is a great place for team buildings, parties and celebrations.

They also serve ala carte and great deal of food packages for groups.

They also have billiard tables outside the ktv rooms.

Yes, they also have Weekdays Special Promo.

Songbook is located at Mezzanine Flr. Victoria Towers Along Timog Ave. corner Panay Avenue, Quezon City. For inquiries and reservations, you may call [Smart] (0908) 9437133, [Sun] (0933) 5553959, and [Globe] (0917) 7633397. So what are you waiting for? Go and sing with all your heart ♥

Belle and Cats Time

I spent my Sunday with my Mom and sister. Since we were all free, we decided to use one of the vouchers I purchased from an online deal buying site and had our nails done. I  bought the deal from Groupon Philippines(www.beeconomic.com.ph). The deal was a Manicure-Pedicure Package at Belle & Cat Nail and Wax Studio. Moreover, there was also the relaxing hand and foot spa included in the package and I got the voucher for 600php for 3 people or 200 php/person only which was originally for 2730php or  910php/person. We got a total savings of savings: 2,130.00 php. That's awesome, thank you Groupon!

Belle & Cat Nail & Wax Studio has a cozy & peaceful ambiance and has the color pink as motif of the room. The place was quite small and I think it can only accommodate 7 customers at a time.

When we arrived at the place, there were still customers whose nails are not yet finished and we had to wait for some minutes. They immediately entertained us by giving us magazines to read while waiting and gave us their nail polish palettes so that we can choose the color of nail polish we wanted already. Nail art designs were also available but with extra charge per nail.

I loved their fast and quality service, one personnel is doing my feet and when other personnel is vacant already, she started to work on my nails at once. The personnels' team work was very evident. They also put these separators between the fingers of my feet so that the pedicure won't easily get destroyed until they were dry.

The color I chose was China Glaze's International Flame shade of pink and I really loved it.

One Personnel said that there were also a lot of customers during weekdays. There were customers who are working in nearby buildings who are availing of the service during their break times. Sometimes even breaking the service into 2 parts. Their technique was to have the foot/hand spa first during their lunch break and have the manicure/pedicure after their working hours. Oh time is really gold and these women are really making the most of their time. By the way, Belle and Cat Nail and Wax Studio is located at GF Sterling Centre, 131 Esteban Cor. Dela Rosa Sts., Legaspi Village Makati City. You might want to drop by and relax when you are at the heart of the busy streets of Makati.  

Symphony of Lights and Sounds

The Ayala Triangle is a spot in the midst of skycrapers of Ayala. It has now been the favorite place to dine out in Makati since many restaurants opened in 2010. Now that it's the Christmas Season again, people have a new reason to go to Ayala Triangle Gardens. They can visit the Symphony of Lights and Sounds show everyday, every hour from 6PM to 9PM from November 16 to December 30. When your car passes by Ayala, you will actually see the colorful lights from afar. When you're actually standing under the lighted trees, it looks wonderful and enchanting. Despite Makati being known as a busy district, this is still definitely a place to unwind and relax. Enjoying the lights and sounds show can be a short escape to the very busy and hectic world out there.

Hinilawod Experience

September 3, 2011 - I watched a Filipino epic play entitled Hinilawod - Tales from the mouth of the Halawod River with Alex at the CCP. Tickets are courtesy of his sister.

             This was my first time to watch a play featuring a Filipino epic. The play was amazing, the costumes were fantastic, and the actors were really good. The story was about a goddess, Alunsina, who chose to marry a mortal Datu Paubari, the mighty ruler of Halawod. Datu Paubari won Alunsina's heart because of his extraordinary courage and persistent. The other gods knew about this and were raged about Alunsina's decision. The gods bought flood to the human race as punishment. Alunsina's sister and the goddess and guardian of happy homes, Suklang Malayon, was able to warn them so they were able to escape the flood and go to the higher grounds. When the flood had subsided, they decided to return and settle at the mouth of the Halawod River. There she gave birth to 3 sons named Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon, and Dumalapdap. The three sons had their own adventures of bravery, honor and romance. 

With the princesses of the play

Pose with the King 

*** I like the villains in the movie specially the dragon which was presented with glowing lights in the dark. I love all the dancing which made me miss dancing Filipino folk dances back in highschool. The play was really a must-watch for every Filipino. A perfect way to know & love Pinoy art!