THE daily chronicle SHOW

2005 spelled celebrations and tragedies for most. personally, it marked a major change in my career path that i’m hoping i will face head-on with a new confident air by 2006. before i start ranting about my new year’s resolutions (and the plans on how to achieve them), here’s my take on the year that was 2005.

WORST :

- tomkat
- brad/jennifer split
- the movie dukes of hazzard
- hurricane katrina/rita
- houston astros losing all world series games
- paris and paris pseudo-engagement
- kevin federline
- london’s terrorist bombings

BEST :

- brad/angelina hook-up
- john legend
- tv’s desperate housewives
- mariah carey’s comeback
- the movie crash
- houston’s hospitality to the hurricane victims
- sienna miller’s new do

how was 2005 for you?

~ on saturday, december 17, that evening brought us to phi’s cool, contemporary home and enjoyed a relaxing sit-down dinner prepared by girlfriend, livi. it was a quiet dinner with four couple friends, as we sat and exchanged gifts, stories and wishes for the holiday season. first course was the crab appetizer stuffed in tomatoes with vinagrette dressing. very tasty and delicious. then followed by the main course, turducken, baked to perfection. equally tempting and yummy. this was served with sides of corn, buttery mashed potatoes, green beans and cranberries. second servings were just not enough. finally for dessert, strawberry cream pie. the delightful berries were huge and sweet. a perfect ending for a simple yet delectable dinner treat!

~ on christmas eve, we had a special dinner prepared at joy and loven’s home. it was extra memorable since it’s their first christmas spent in their newly-built house. loven’s mom cooked jamonada, pancit bihon, chicken sisig, sotanghon and baked salmon. for dessert we had fruit salad and suman. we stayed until almost midnight after exchanging and opening christmas presents!

~ bright and early christmas day, ben and i went to the early morning mass. we missed the midnight mass but we opted to wake up real early to beat the church rush and to avoid the crowded chapel. the rest of the day was spent with ben’s relatives. this time again with more food and loads of gifts!

holiday party pictures here.

with work hanging above our heads, i am now eager to go back and do some unfinished business in the clinic and hoping to prepare for the upcoming year agenda.

here’s to another new year to come!

for my favorite local houston gift stores, this three shops are just more than just stores for me. they are my haven for gift-giving search due to their vast supply of endless hodgepodge of novelty items and gifts.

* KUHL-LINSCOMB : not just one flagship store but 5 stores all in one block, showcasing an array of home accessories, bed and bath gifts, music, antiques, garden and jewelry lines. with the owners extensive shopping trips from europe and asia, they brought home to houston a one-of-a-kind, unique store fit to satisfy the pickiest houstonian ever. with one step across the street on to the next, kuhl-linscomb has brought you a lifestyle massive store that completes a shopping trip!

* SLOAN/HALL : owned by two of houston’s stylish men, sloan and hall was one of the first lifestyle stores that opened many years back catering to the few who prefer pampering and personal service in search for the perennial gift. far from a tiny corner shop now, it currently carries rare jewelry and watch lines, european home and personal scents, fancy cards and paper accessories and finally, even clothing and shoe lines from up and coming talented young designers. not too far from kuhl-linscomb, you usually end up visiting both stores!

* LONGORIA : entering into longoria is like stepping into a dream. with it’s white fluffy pillows and silky sheets on antique brass beds, glistening candles and shimmering chandeliers - there is a dreamy serious look to this luxurious home store. my personal favorite for home scents, beddings and bath accessories - this shop carries brands like frette, nancy koltes, peacock alley, tocca, cucina and shabby chic queen, rachel ashwell - to name a few. i never leave the store without an irresistable purchase however minimal it would be!

with just a few days left before christmas, i still need to make a quick stop-over to these stores to complete my gift list! have a great weekend everyone!

before you paint the town red for the holiday parties, make sure you are confident enough to pull off a party outfit and come like you didn’t really try hard showing up with such a cool holiday gear. whether it’s a formal dinner or a casual get-together with a number of friends, the following are a few elements for a sure hit party attire :

* JIMMY WHO? MANOLO WHO? : as a self-confessed shoe addict, i stumbled on these great shoes at incredible prices. and it’s not from some high-end italian shoe house. did you guess it right? nine west.

* CROC ATTACK ! : when alex knight left fashion’s bible, vogue, she had the luxury handbag market in mind. with exotic leather skins as her canvass, there was no stopping back for this native houstonian as she exploded the fashion world with gorgeous handbags, small leather goods and accessories. her custom-made purses come in a variety of colors, finishes, ribbons and fur accents enough to confuse a sane individual. to top it off, your name or initials will be on a silver plate to end the process. with an old brick townhome as her houston showroom, this little shop is brewing with hundreds of orders to match a new pair of manolos or a piece of jewelry. i can’t resist, i ordered a lola in royal blue with silver satin ribbon to match a watch. seems like hillary swank couldn’t resist, too - she carried one at last year’s oscars to match her sexy navy blue bare-back dress. cool, huh? i want this one, too, in emerald green :

* DRESS FOR THE OCCASION : for the girly-girl inside of each one of us, a simple yet lovely dress will stand out in a mass of formal tuxedo suits and blinding holiday ornaments. a dress enough to command an evening. a dress fit for the occasion. i love this dress. i love anything diane, anyway.

ok, go ahead and paint the town red (or green, too, to complete the holiday color scheme). remember, don’t drink and drive!

photos from nine west, alexandra knight and shopbop online.

houston’s very own chloe dao of lot 8 boutique, is in bravo’s project runway. we are proud to be represented by this very talented young designer who’s local boutique caters to the trendy crowd in a budget. i have witnessed this gem of a store grow from a tiny nook of shop and now growing into a major uber-hip store carrying shoes, accessories and custom-made dresses ranging from cocktail to evening gowns. plus, it helps that it’s located a few blocks from where i used to work and where ben’s clinic is!

lately, her shop has been a party central host for every project runway episode showing. on the same day, her store gives out 25 % discount to loyal fans and shoppers. check out her audition video here and take a sneak peek of her cool shop!

i wish chloe luck and i hope she gets that mad scissors snipping away!

after a week of saturday stakeout hiatus, i’m back. this time it’s all about me. LOL!

it’s ALL-I-WANT-FOR-CHRISTMAS-LIST :

photo credits : neiman, eluxury, bergdorf