ONE OF COSMOPOLITAN- Manille?s grand hostesses did it again. Only this time, it?s grander when multifaceted lady of all seasons, Consul to Guatemala, vivacious Mellie Romero Ablaza celebrated her mind-boggling birthday bash, dahlings, at NBC Tent with 800 name-droppable invitees. It had a fairy motif, with almost all the guests wearing different shapes of wings.

The tent was transformed into a gorgeous fairyland dressed in four seasons, decorated with hanging angels, created by brilliant designer Junjun Ablaza, no less, who came as a sea fairy creating a totally unique atmosphere, with the cakes laden with mermaids, palanggas. There were bejeweled fairies in four seasons represented by Czarina, the spring fairy; Tessa, autumn fairy?; and Mellie, the awesome winter fairy. The party scene had a surreal tableau of angels hovering in midair; below thousands of yards of draped satin formed into what looked like the bottom of a spaceship.

As always, host par excellence Johnny Litton did not fail and Le Soufflé?s catering was divine.

?Fairy tales can come true when you?re young at heart,? as the song goes, ?di bala, palanggas?

Jewelry artists shine at Firma

When it comes to jewelry, you can be sure the first to dash over to a show of precious gems will be women and a dash of men ogling. That?s exactly what I saw at the jewelry and design show done by young, talented jewelry artists like Pratt and Denmark Design School-educated Kristine Dee. We asked what is her favorite stone.

?Well, diamond, of course,? she answered. Michelline Syjuco crafted the most daring and unusual choice of materials and textures like crushed tin cans, among other throwaways, dahlings.

Her first solo exhibition ?Armadillon ? was a finalist in this year?s Ateneo Art Awards?a first for local jewelry design while Paul Syjuco, who has been in Firma?s roster of designers for the past years, came up with an astonishing collection inspired by, would you believe, science-fiction films.

All made their mark at Firma Greenbelt 3 in an amazing collection, together with Ayala Malls. ?Triad: An Approach to Futurism,? which took Firma?s owners, multitalented duo, Ricky Toledo, Chito Vijandre and store manager Patty Gutierrez a year to plan, palanggas. It?s about 200 pieces by this dynamic triad.

The launch was an awesome success, palanggas, with women grabbing them like hotcakes, faster than you could bat an eyelash, palanggas, which kept the cash register endlessly ringing. The event featured Restaurant Ciçou chef Cyrille Soenen?s special desserts, select wines by Rene Barbier and an amazing presentation by Maxine and Trix Syjuco?s ?Para shakti synthesis.?

Firma is at G/F, Greenbelt 3, Ayala, Makati, tel. 7574009; fax 7574010; e-mail firma2@vasia.com.

Britain?s attractions entice more Filipino tourists

The United Kingdom has undoubtedly made the country as the next hottest destination for Southeast Asian tourists, palanggas.

Announced in a fun lunch with hot executives from VisitBritain, the national tourism agency for Britain, were the upcoming activities in Britain that would draw tourists from the Philippines which is identified ?as its fourth biggest market in Southeast Asia, after Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.?

?We?re looking at strengthening our ties with the emerging markets of the Philippines via consistent promotion of Britain?s exciting attractions leading up to the Olympics, attracting more Filipinos to visit Britain,? said Keith Beecham, VisitBritain?s overseas network hotshot director, who came from London just for this important event.

United Kingdom Ambassador to the Philippines, Stephen Lillie, was the special guest. He excitedly told us: ?Britain has a lot to offer to the diverse interests of Filipino tourists, where they would find Britain as an interesting destination to discover and explore.?

Needless to say, having studied in London and been there loads of times after, London has tons of attractions to really enjoy, dahlings, like the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic Games, and endless British art and music festivals plus tons of activities outside of London.

After this interesting afternoon, VisitBritain will relaunch its award-winning website, www.visitbritain.com, next year to be relevant to travelers.

?With such an abundance of interesting attractions for the upcoming year, VisitBritain will build a stronger following among Filipino tourists for years to come,? said mover and shaker, Edd Fuentes of Fuentes Publicity Network Inc., palanggas.