21.1.11

Simple Things Please Simple Minds

This is actually the title of the album I created on my Facebook account when I posted the photos last night. I thought of using the same title as I think it suits perfectly.

What are the simple things I am referring to? Crazy friends, great food and good laugh. I don't need luxurious dinners or glamorous party nights to complete me. Sincere conversations (or sometimes silly talks) over dessert or coffee are enough for me to relax after a day's work and to re-connect with friends. And yes, that night with my girlfriends at Caffe Ti-Amo in Greenbelt 5 definitely spell F-U-N.

My J and I had Caffe Ti-Amo's Tiramisu gelato after one of our random dinners and we really loved it so I thought of bringing the girls there. Let me first show you a view of the interiors.






Cozy, right? Modern and casual yet classy. The stunning brown interior design creates a warm atmosphere. I would really love to sit on the inviting sofa couches but since there were a lot of customers, we only got tables at the farthest corner. We shared half of the couch with two other customers and got extra wooden chairs to accommodate us all.

On our table:


This is my Stracciatella gelato (P89 for regular). It's chocolate chip gelato. I adore it because it's not very sweet and the texture is oh-so-smooth.



Y's Strawberry Caffelato Frappe


Savoury waffle in four-cheese flavor (P189 for large). I super like this one! It tastes like French toast with gooey warm cheese. Yummy! (I prefer it without the butter, though).



Triple Chocolate Muffin (P50). It's rich and moist but nothing so special to consider it exceptional.


While enjoying the luscious food and feeling the homey ambiance, we talked about Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin. I don't even remember how that topic came about! We just let our crazy ideas flow and laugh our hearts out.

Sometimes, simple things mean the most.

Caffe Ti-Amo
Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5 (across Mango),
Ayala Center, Makati City
(02) 501.37.85

18.1.11

Back from Hiatus

Whew! It has been days since I made my last post here. I absolutely miss blogging and reading all the lovely comments from my readers. I’m sorry for being MIA these past few days. It was quite a busy December at work and at home, preparing and attending Christmas parties and entertaining relatives who visited during the holidays.

If you ask me what else I was up  to lately, I have been  actually spending my me-time with books. Yes, I love reading!  It is a healthy and rewarding past-time; I get to enjoy the plots and also improve my comprehension and vocabulary.

I would like to share with you the three books I have read these past two weeks.

Back in the Game by Holly Chamberlin

I got this book for P95 only. While my J was looking around a hardware store, I dropped by Book Sale and scanned the shelves and decided to purchase it. There’s no particular reason why I bought it since I wasn’t familiar with the author and I haven’t heard of the title anywhere. Or maybe I bought it because it was one of those properly-stored ones in the store.

The plot is similar to Sex and the City but the characters are four divorced women who are back into the game of dating. Their friendship is built on their similarity and they each deal with their past marriages and the new guy/s in their respectively lives. The plot is usual and no twists exist so there’s no so much thrill in reading it.

Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella

I love the Shopaholic series! I have read all the books by Sophie Kinsella (except the newest Mini Shopaholic) and I am really entertained all those times. When my friends ask me for book suggestions (chick lit), I always recommend Sophie Kinsella’s books.  They are light-hearted and feel-good fiction reads.

Shopaholic and Baby tells the story of a pregnant Becky: (i) how she cures her morning sickness by shopping for designer nursery and baby clothes and the latest, coolest pram and (ii) having the most-coveted celebrity obstetrician who turns out to be her husband Luke’s intelligent and sophisticated ex-girlfriend.

I believe there is a shopaholic in each of us and I am sure you’ll love the hilarious Becky and the witty way she can always get out of any trouble.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This one is a mystery/thriller book and although I have always loved chick lit, I’m surprised I got hooked on it. The text is quite long but you will need all the details to be able to follow all the assumptions/hypothesis formulated in order to solve the mystery. The plot revolves around a serial murder, corporate fraud and the complicated and dark past of a wealthy Swedish industrial family. There are quite a number of characters but don’t worry about getting lost just as long as you are focused. The book gave me goose bumps and made my heart race a bit as every revelation unfolds. I was gobsmacked by the investigative (and hacking) skills and explosive personality of Lisbeth, one of the lead characters who played a very significant role in the story. She is one of the most unique and interesting characters I have ever encountered.

This is my favorite among the three books and I am looking forward to read the other two books in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. I think I am now hooked on his writing (and on Lisbeth).

How about you? What is the latest book you’ve read? Share it here and maybe we can all get ideas on our next book choice. :)

P.S. This is a Christmas gift I received from office mate L. Isn’t is cute? I always have it with me and my books. I just love it!