Christmas comes just once a year and though it’s everyone’s most favorite time of the year, it is also the most stressful, especially when it comes to gift-giving. Oftentimes, we end up just buying anything that we see when the 11th hour comes, and that is certainly not the way to give a present to a loved one. To help you out, here are some of this season’s favorite things that you would love to give and to receive.
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For comments and ideas, e-mail jacinto.fa@gmail.com.
Tesoro’s: Proudly Filipino
A Christmas belen is a must for the Filipino home and there’s no better place to get one than from Tesoro’s with its 12 stores nationwide. Tesoro’s offers Nativity sets of all styles and sizes from locally sourced materials. Check out the European-style creches with papier mache visages clad in robes of velvet-like fabric, sinamay and raffia made by export-trained artisans, and minimalist hand-carved belens made of sustainably harvested light wood by Tesoro’s’ third-generation woodcarvers from Baguio. There are different items for the home to choose from — from nifty tabletop accents for the singles’ condo to grand installations appropriate for a welcome foyer. Prices start at P700.
Tesoro’s boasts great gift ideas that let us discover what it is to be “proudly Filipino.”
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For inquiries, visit www.tesoros.ph or e-mail tesoros@tesoros.ph. Tesoro’s Philippine Handicrafts’ flagship store is at 1016 Arnaiz Ave. (formerly Pasay Road), Makati City.
Roberto Coin: Dream Gems
When I’m at Rustan’s and can’t figure out what to look at or buy, there’s one person I can rely on: Danny Alibudbud. He started as a charming personal shopper in 2005 and currently works as a fashion buyer for ladies’ designer apparel and handbags. His job takes him to New York, Milan, London, Madrid, and around Asia during Fashion Market Week at least twice a year. His latest finds are most interesting as they show that fashion goes around, with caftans being in once again. They certainly will fit most figures and can be worn for social events.
Roberto Coin’s jewelry pieces are exquisitely made with the finest diamonds and colored stones. The craftsmanship is exceptional and any woman will love the stylish pieces that he creates. There is even a little ruby hidden inside every piece. Like diamonds and true love, rubies are forever. Legend has it that rubies have magic powers. In accordance with an ancient belief, wearing a ruby close to the skin promotes long life, and bestows one with health and happiness. In 1996, Roberto started signing his jewels by setting a small ruby hidden on the inside of each piece, allowing direct skin contact with the gem. Since then, this tradition has been perpetuated in all collections and has become the exclusive signature of every jewelry made.
A man with a social conscience, Roberto Coin has joined the United Nations in its fight against the sale of diamonds coming from areas of conflict — a program which is also supported by all countries producing diamonds, as well as by NGOs.
Thus, all Roberto Coin diamonds are accompanied by the Kimberly Process certificate, which guarantees they come exclusively from “conflict-free” areas. Roberto Coin’s jewelry is exclusively available at Rustan’s.
You’d Better Swatch Out
Still can’t decide what to give those in your gift list? Then the Habitat Swatch watch is the perfect choice as it can fit any gender of any age. Not only is it Swiss-made, you also get to help a very worthy cause — Habitat for Humanity that builds homes for those in need. This watch will certainly give you lots of wear and at the same time, you can back to charity — the best combination ever.
This watch is a project of the Habitat Youth Council, headed by the young, beauty and brains Isabel Martel Francisco with Kevin Yang, Simon Tantoco, and Pedro Roxas Jr.
The Habitat for Humanity Swatch is available at Ayala Malls Swatch outlets for P4,000.
Taylor Guitars: Play It Again & Again
Guitarists worldwide know that the USA-made Taylor Guitars are considered the Cadillac of guitars. Luckily, these can be found at the RJ Guitar Center Stores in Glorietta 5, Makati and at SM Megamall. The Taylor semi-hollow body model T3 soups up the classic sound with an expanded range of electric tones.
Taylor design touches include coil-splitting capability, which allows players to turn their high-definition humbuckers into single coils, and a push/pull tone knob that activates two different levels of tone-shaping, giving players a palette of electric voices that range from rockabilly twang to hard rock to warm, fat jazz. The chrome, roller-style bridge includes two tailpiece options: a stop tail or on the T3/B, an authentic Bigsby vibrato, whose pairing with the roller bridge helps maintain pitch and tuning stability.
Montblanc Writers Edition 2011: Write On!
If you like to write with fine instruments, then this is it! Montblanc presents the Limited Writers Edition 2011, an intricately crafted piece celebrating Italian author Carlo Collodi, creator of literature’s most enduring children’s character: Pinocchio. This tale has enchanted generations with numerous adaptations in film, art, and theater.
As the custodian of writing culture, Montblanc created the first Limited Writers Edition in 1992 to honor literary icons who in their lifetime made an indelible mark on cultural history through the power and beauty of their words. Some of the greatest past masters of literature have seen a limited-edition writing instrument dedicated to them — from Voltaire to Dickens, or Dostoevsky to Proust. Montblanc Limited Writers Editions are sought-after by connoisseurs and avid collectors worldwide. Increasing their rarity and value is the unique handcrafting involved in their production process. The manufacturing tools for the production of every limited edition are destroyed at the end of each production run to make reproduction forever impossible.