Vanilla Cupcake and Bakery

Hi!  I'm back.  Remember my first experience with a cupcake place from my previous post (read it here)?  Well, I tried another cupcake place.  I really liked the cupcakes from Larcy's that I had a craving for one a few weeks back.  I did not want to travel far, so I decided to try Vanilla Cupcake and Bakery at Alabang Town Center.  The interiors are very fun and welcoming.  The cupcakes look really nice.

 

However, the cupcakes are not really good.  The base cake is dry and the icing tastes like old butter or bad margarine.  I really did not like any of the cupcakes I bought.  I'm sorry but I forgot the names of the cupcakes I tasted.  However, I have put in a little description/caption.

Chocolate base with caramel frosting

Coffee base and chocolate frosting

 

Left - coffee base and caramel frosting; Right - pink vanilla cupcake, vanilla base and pink sugar frosting

All in all, I did not like the cupcakes I tasted.  I would not go back to this store.  If ever I have another cupcake craving, I would go back to Larcy's where the cupcakes are moist and their frostings are yummy.  That's just my opinion.  I think other people really like Vanilla Cupcake and Bakery since they have other braches in Metro Manila.

That's it for now.  Thanks for dropping by!

P.S. My heart and prayers go out to all those affected by the floods.

Janina for Jul B. Dizon

Hi guys!  And this was what made my The Peninsula stay truly special...

Janina by Jul B. Dizon transformers earrings

I will be attending 2 weddings this September and I thought I'd buy myself nice earrings.  I had my gown made already and it is very simple.  So, to amp up the style, I wanted va-voom earrings.  And I got this.  This pair is really cool since it can transform into 3 different designs.  Take a look...

Studs

 

With green enamel drops

With Carnelian drops

These are made from different precious stones and set in silver.  The studs are made of citrine, amethyst and peridot.  The green enamel drops also has a tear-drop citrine in the middle.  The last picture shows the carnelian drops.  These earrings are really versatile since you get 4 designs in 1 set.  You can even mix-and-match studs and drops.  Janina by Jul B. Dizon sells multiple drops which you can anchor to to the base studs.  I'm so excited to wear these.  I actually wore the studs already and got multiple compliments.  I can't wait for the weddings so I can use the full set of earrings.

The price of the earrings are actually separate.  There's a different price for the base earrings and the drops.  The total price for the full set is pricey but worth it since you get 4 designs out of 1 set.  The quality of the stones are good but the setting is a little bit flimsy.  I kept fixing the "pakaw" after each use because it gets loose (probably because it's made of silver and very pliable).  The sales lady also said that they offer free gold-plating and cleaning.

All in all, I like my purchase.  I can't wait to wear these soon.

Thanks for reading!  Talk to you soon.

The Peninsula

Welcome back!  Here is another hotel review for today.  I attended a conference last week and the sponsor booked us for a night at The Peninsula.  I have attended multiple weddings at The Peninsula, but this was my first time to stay in one of their rooms.  Here's my room...

Bed	Office area

TV and bar

View from my room window

Bathroom sink

Bath tub

I failed to get a good picture of the shower area and the water closet.  The room was roomy (sorry for the pun) and the bathroom size was just right.  I didn't expect much from the hotel since I know that The Peninsula has been standing on the same ground ever since I can remember.  My mom used to work in Jupiter street and we would always pass by the hotel when we get the chance to pick her up from work.  I vividly remember the nice water feature/fountain in the corner of Makati Ave. and Ayala Ave.  Surpisingly, the rooms were well appointed and did not look old.  It actually was semi-modern (if there's such a thing...the decor was a cross between traditional and modern).  The room did not feel old or look old.  I actually liked the room.

My stay also included free breakfast buffet.  The buffet was not bad but I've had better.  Nothing beats my favorite Heat (buffet breakfast of Shangri-la Edsa Hotel).  The array for the breakfast buffet was limited but you won't go hungry.

All in all, I had a good stay in The Peninsula Manila.  The best part about my stay was that I had the chance to buy a very nice pair of earrings from one of their jewelry stores.  I'll blog about it next time.

Thanks for dropping by!  Leaving you with my requisite hallway picture...