common ware

Our latest venture: Common Ware

Anton and I started out with Fellow about a year and a half ago. We still continue to make accessories and we actually just launched our Summer Collection yesterday, but last month we decided to expand a little and work on what Anton has been wanting to do for more than a year now: clothes. I think it was last year when he mentioned his idea of Common Ware to me, but it was long delayed because we were both concentrating on work--he's a full time contractor (until now) and I was (then) a full time producer. When I left production, we both decided that it was time to work on Common Ware since I had more time on my hands.

We released our first line last March 23, which we call Common Ware Swim Ware. This first release is a line of board shorts for men.

Solid Colored Swim Ware

Printed Swim Ware

As of now we're working with only men's Swim Ware, but eventually we'll be able to work on some women's clothing. Hope you can check it out!

For orders and inquiries, please email us at commonwareclothing@gmail.com
Like Common Ware on Facebook www.facebook.com/commonwareclothing
and follow us on Instagram @commonware

magnum manila

Got a sneak peek of what's to come in Magnum Manila last week! I was there to take photos for a two-day press conference, and in those two days, I ate the world! Here are some of the dishes and desserts I got the opportunity to try:

Crostinis Three Ways

What I remember from this appetizer is that I enjoyed the truffle mushroom and the seared tuna on tomatoes very much. 

Cajun Spiced Chicken Poppers

IF ONLY. If only this came with rice. I would've been stuffed even before the main dish!

This was the second appetizer served during the event and it sold in an instant. Once the chicken poppers came out, everyone attacked it and there were even requests for extra orders. It was delicious!

Asian Steak Salad

Two reasons I enjoyed this: steak and vinaigrette dressing. The chips, nuts, corn and other ingredients made it all the more enjoyable. I finished one whole serving by myself!

Braised Beef Cheek

I didn't get to enjoy this dish as much because by the time I got to it (after taking photos), it was no longer warm. I ate it anyway because I was hungry, and I liked that the beef was really soft. It was good and I liked that it had carrots and mashed potatoes, but I kinda wish there was a little more flavor to it (kind of how the Cajun Chicken Poppers got me at my first bite).

Seared Salmon with Basil Creme and Chorizo Confit

I don't usually choose fish meals over meat but I had to get this as main dish during the Friday press conference because I couldn't eat meat (Lenten season). I must say I actually liked it! The presentation was pretty too.

Carbonara

They served the Carbonara with bacon and some bits of ham I think, but because i ordered it on a Friday, I had to settle for the plain Carbonara sans the meat, but with egg--yup, they serve it with egg! It was okay, nothing great for me. I would have to say that I enjoyed the salmon more.

I forgot the name of this one, but that's strawberries + cheesecake + vanilla Magnum. It was good! But still not my favorite dessert.

I forgot the name of this too, but it's a rainbow butter cake with a side of vanilla Magnum. Of course it was also good, but I think out of all the desserts this was my least favorite. Only because the next one.. WAS THE BEST!

The Cookie Skillet Pie

THIS. This one I enjoyed the most! Vanilla Magnum on cookie dough. This is the dessert that's similar to the Pizzookie from Bamba. I really love vanilla ice cream on freshly baked cookie dough, and Chef Miko executed this perfectly--so soft and moist! I prefer this over Death by Chocolate--a common favorite.

I don't have a photo of Death by Chocolate, but it's the dessert that also comes in a skillet and has Magnum bar over chocolate lava cake. It was also really very good, but if I had to pick one I'd go for the cookie!

 Of course you can't go to the Magnum Cafe and NOT make your own Magnum. After eating everything I just mentioned above, I drank a cup of hot water and proceeded to the Magnum making station!

This isn't mine--I just like the color combination of the Gold chocolate, dried raspberries, pistachio, almonds and milk chocolate dressing. Mine had a vanilla filling, milk chocolate coat, almonds, pistachio, some sea salt and marshmallows with Magnum Gold chocolate drizzle.

As a whole I would have to say I really enjoyed the food in Magnum Manila. The appetizers, main dishes and of course the desserts were all delicious, it's impossible to leave that place without a food coma. I will definitely schedule a trip back to the cafe once it opens to try more dishes and desserts!

Magnum Manila will only be up for 500 days, so enjoy it while it's here! It opens on April 8 in the SM Aura Sky Park.

food love

Here's a mini food post on the things I've been munching on lately. If you're an Instagram follower, you've probably seen the lot of food photos I post almost daily. Today I'd like to share with you some details on the food behind @danielamgamboa and #danielaeats (yup I made a hashtag!).

Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza at The Palms Country Club

I don't know why I always opt for Margarita pizza when this exists. It was my first time to try it this year (SO.LATE.) and I absolutely love it. The Palms pizzas are cooked in a brick oven so the slightly burnt taste you get from the brick oven cook makes it extra good. I also always have my pizzas come in thin crust because I enjoy the little crunch you get at the end of eating a slice as oppose to the thick, filling crust, so I was happy that that's what I got for this one.

Spicy Tuna Salad, Sea Breeze and Cha Soba at Omakase

I don't even need to explain! My heaven. 

Dumplings at Mandarin Palace

I'm not really a Chinese food lover, but I can eat a whole lot of dumplings. Pork Siomai and Hakaw forever! And Mango Sago. YUM. I also enjoy jellyfish once in a while, but I didn't like the one they had here. 

I forgot the name of this dish, but it's from Bamba Bistro in BF. That place has such good food. It may appear tiny in serving, but I shared this (and a few other dishes) with some friends, and we were stuffed! I suggest you share different dishes when you visit so you can try out more than one. And order a Sangria!  

 Huevos from Bamba Bistro

This was my favorite. The chorizo + ground beef + chilli + egg (and a few other ingredients I might be forgetting) was so good! The burger I posted above actually also contains Huevos that's why I really liked it.

Pizzookie from Bamba Bistro

The perfect end to the Bamba experience. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookie topped with Vanilla ice cream, coated with some salted caramel syrup. It also comes in a small serving size but it's actually perfect since you'll be so stuffed from the main dishes. It's a must for anyone that visits Bamba!

Random, but now that I think about it, the Magnum dessert I had a few days ago in Magnum Manila is somewhat like this. More on this in the next food post!

Sambokojin in SM Southmall

Okay, not exactly the best Japanese place in the south. It's no Omakase or Hanakazu, but I love eating here because it's affordable (Php 600-700 if i'm not mistaken), it's a buffet, and it's a fusion of Japanese and Korean food--my two favorite cuisines. Just a side note for those who plan on eating here - watch out for their sashimi. I've visited this place I think more than ten times, and most of my visits were pleasant. It was just maybe twice or thrice that I encountered tuna sashimi that didn't look fresh. I didn't even try it to spare myself from a bad stomach, so I just requested for a new batch and they replaced it with fresher looking fish. 

Sukiyaki from Krazy Katsu in BF

Sweet! I think this is the sweetest Sukiyaki i've ever had but I kinda enjoyed it. Anton also liked it but we agreed that you need to have an order of something else to alternate it with so you don't get tired of the taste. I got some of Anton's meal to get a taste of something else in between, and I enjoyed the Sukiyaki more that way. 

That's it for today! Here's a random food quote I saw on Tumblr today:

"People who love to eat are always the best people" -  Julia Child

I agree!

the edison

I present to you my first accessory stand: The Edison. 

A stylish rack to hold all your everyday accessories, made to be both functional and sleek in design to match that dapper lifestyle. It comes with a bulb and switch which lightens up the rack to help you easily identify your accessory pieces. 

 

For orders or inquiries, please send an email to fellowaccessories@gmail.com

#fellowbayanihan

HELP A FELLOW. #FellowBayanihan

We have all seen and heard of the destruction that typhoon #Yolanda has brought to the Visayan region of the Philippines. Up until today, relief operations continue to aid people in need, and different Philippine organizations and even other countries are coming together to help rebuild what was lost last November 8.

To be able to help those who were affected, Fellow is releasing a Bayanihan bracelet that will help rebuild homes that were lost. For this, we will be donating to Adopt A Bahay, a rebuilding effort that aims to restore the homes that were damaged on Bantayan Island, an island just off Cebu that was directly hit by super typhoon #Yolanda. 

For more information on Adopt A Bahay, please check out their pages:

Website: http://adoptabahay.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Adopt-A-Bahay/255928404561303
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adoptabahay

One Bayanihan bracelet is Php 250. For every bracelet purchase, you will be helping a family restore their home.

TO ORDER:http://www.facebook.com/fellowaccessories/app_190322544333196

(If the order form does not work on your browser, please send us a private message)

Bayanihan Bracelet release will start on Wednesday, November 27, but you may start sending in your orders now.

"You can help rebuild the homes and lives of those on Bantayan Island. No donation is too small! Please help rebuild the Philippines." - Adopt A Bahay

mac divine night

Last Monday I did my first ever photo coverage for an event. I've done some day time coverage for mini events, but this was my first time to do something at night, for something more formal. 

The coverage was for MAC Divine Night. I was pretty nervous for this one because i've never done photo coverage for a night event before. I've done video, but that's totally different from taking photos. 

Here are some photo samples I did for the event. 

One of the models. 

One thing I liked about this event was the fact that everyone working that night had to be made up--from the models, to the MAC team, the interns, and even the photographers!

The venue (Whitespace) was packed that night. The event was graced by bloggers, celebrities, magazine groups, gorgeous people and a lot of other known people in the make-up/beauty and fashion industry.

It was one successful event, and I congratulate the MAC team for a job well done. I had a great time, and I'm hoping to be able to do more projects like this in the future!

words of wisdom

Truthfully, almost anything is possible if you’ve got enough time and enough nerve.  What you need to remember is that you can’t always wait for the perfect time and conditions, because there may be no such thing.  Most of the time you must simply dare to jump.

And don’t say you don’t have enough time.  You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresea, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, etc… 

Remember, the strongest people are the ones who feel pain and discomfort, accept it, fight through it, and learn from it.  They turn their wounds into wisdom and growth.

Don’t worry about mistakes too much, because some of the most beautiful things we create in life come from changes we make after failures.

Read up on it here. 

Stop talking about what you have done or what you are going to do.  Just do it and let your actions speak for themselves. 

There is only one thing that makes your dreams and goals completely impossible to achieve:  Your lack of action.

It is easy to live for others, and so many people do, but I challenge you to live for yourself and your own values, ideas, and dreams.  

Read up on it here.

Not everyone is going to see your beauty.

It will always seem like something wonderful might be happening elsewhere.  And that’s OK.  Let it go, and realize you have everything right now.  The best in life isn’t somewhere else; it’s right where you are at this moment.  You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to value the things that are only yours.

Waiting for someone else to make you happy is the best way to be sad.

Needless worry gives small things a big shadow.  In the end, you can either focus on what’s tearing you apart, or what’s holding you together.  You have to roll with life instead of against it.  And sorry for spoiling the ending for you… but everything is going to be OK – you just need to learn a lesson or two first.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Comfort is state of being in which to find rest and renewal for a short time; it is a dreary and dismal place to remain permanently. 

Your failed attempt is simply evidence that you are reaching higher.

Start small, but start now.

Read up on it here.