RenaiXance

Ever since I had that relaxing experience at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney nearly a year ago, I want to go to galleries (which are more accessible to me than museums) when time and opportunity permits. For me, its the cheapest way to relax, especially if entrance is free.

And the opportunity came when I went to Megamall for a Jobfair and saw the gallery featuring the  RenaiXance art exhibit. I recall, Jim Paredes (1/3 of the APO Hiking Society) mention his work will be featured in this exhibit so I was intrigued and wanted to see them. So I planned to drop by after my spying duties at the job fair :-)

The RenaiXance Exhibit is on going until June 29, 2013 at Megamall 4th Level. So do drop by when you are in the area.

 

I was greeted by a huge sculpture of a sitting child, where there are chalks on the side, which implies you can write on it. And so I did wrote my twitter handle.

@mumshens was here

Scrap is art when you are creative enough to re-create something out of it... Like the airplane that I thought my 7year old son would love to have like a chandelier inside his room.

The photographs by singer Jim Paredes were displayed at the left corner of the gallery which I felt very personal and was captured beautifully. That little girl is her grand daughter.

Photographs by Jim Paredes

Below are other photos from the exhibit that  caught my interest too. I don't think i have the talent for making art... but i sure do have the talent to appreciate them.

This art is brought to you by Letters A-Z and Numbers 0-9. Look closely and you know why. 

This is used to be a part of a door. now its art. and who would have thought it could be one? only a true artist can.

The full view of the child sculpture. Can you see the chalks around it? Its was my opportunity to vandalize an art so i did what everybody did :) it was fun!

 

 So Relax.... Don't watch a movie but instead go and appreciate ART!

XOXO,
S

My Ladurée Experience

My curiosity about macarons, specifically the Ladurée brand started with that bathtub scene with Blair Waldorf where she was munching a green macaron. It was the one thing that can keep her mind off Chuck and her heavenly satisfying "no-care-in-the-world"  look that made me want to try what she was having (or maybe Leighton Meester is really a good actor).  The search was on! I blogged that back in 2010.

Fast Forward to 2012... While on a 9-day visit to Sydney, I passed by the Ladurée shop at Westfield... And boy i was too tempted to buy but I'm on a budget and a $3.20AUD per macaron (PhP134.40 each)  was just not part of the plan. So i settled with $1.20 worth of Bon Bon Truffles (which was good btw).

Feeling Blair Waldorf, noticed my headband?

But this year, when Hubby was called to go back to Sydney for the third time, I've only have one thing in mind... the Ladurée Macarons...Unfortunately, they only have 12 flavors available... No Lime & Basil and Rose Petals...however, The Strawberry poppy tastes and smells floral enough to  pass as Rose. The black macaron Liquorice was scary to eat because it was the fear of what will a black macaron will taste like.. But it was delicious! just the right amount of sweetness. The Raspberry was like eating the fruit itself.. a mix of sweet and sour. The Salted Caramel is sweet and gooey.. as its should be. Any caramel lover would love it. The Chocolate macaron has a classic taste of cocoa, that rich cacao taste that when it leaves your taste buds, you end up wanting for more. The Almond Marshmallows didn't leave that much of an impression on me except that its nutty. I've never been a fan of Vanilla but the  Ladurée macaron was as classic as it is. you will never go wrong with Vanilla if you want to play safe. The Coconut was just like as the name it implies the filling is coconut so it was like a "sosyal na macaroons" (with the double O that we Pinoys are familiar to). Coffee was just too plain for me it was like a cookie with a mocha filling.The Blackcurrant Violet, aside from its my favorite color, its berry taste is natural and just like the raspberry, its like eating the real fruit, but with chewy, gooey texture. Strawberry marshmallows like the other berries tasted the sweetsour flavor of the berry but the marshmallows kept the sweetness intact. It was subtly sweet. And a unanimous winner (feeling foodie expert) is the truest purest flavor of Pistacio we have ever tasted in a macaron. Now I know why this is Blair's favorite... its Love at first taste.

Overall, what i love about Ladurée macarons is the filling. So many shops might have replicate the crust and might even have perfected them too to taste the same as Ladurée but the one thing that sets Ladurée apart is the filling. They stay true to the flavor (especially pistachio and the fruit flavors) and it does not harden even if you put it in the refrigerator... it stays chewy and gooey. 

perfectly boxed up

Ladurée box of 15

Ladurée Macarons & Tea Party

eat only with tea

Bucket list checked for Keevee

Shenski's Top Laduree Favorites (in no particular order):

1. Liquorise

2. Pistachio

3. Chocolate

4. Fruit Flavors (you'll never go wrong with these)

And don't forget to have your favorite hot tea with your Laduree Macarons.

xoxo,

Shenski