Stories Are Gifts: SHARE!!!

...so Starbucks' new slogan for the holidays go.... Yes, Indeed!!! I could not Agree more... am Loving this so much, it makes me want to go and have a cup each and every time I pass by a Starbucks....

First saw this in Manila last month, but sadly, I was not allowed to photograph at all... not sure why??? I was totally disappointed as I was really loving the TAG LINE.... and thought it was IRONIC that Starbucks was asking us to share and yet, they do not let their shops share by forbidding them to photograph... I even went as far as asking for permission first and talking about BLOGGING it... still, they would not budge... the employees, though friendly, was afraid their Bosses will be upset and they will be terminated...

Then I came back to Taipei, and saw the same familiar illustrations... yet, it is a bit different, as gone was the Tag Line... the focus more is on playing in the snow.... not much about the Sharing of Stories... which was also a disappointment...

That is until my Annual get together XMas dinner with the girls - and Juliana gifted us all with this year's cookie jar (oh so cute with a Rudolph lid cover)... as if it was not enough - the added bonus for me was that it came in a Brown Starbucks Holiday paper bag with the tag line I love most...

Truly a Double treat!!!
More Starbucks XMas 2010 Photos Here

1st Official XMas Get-Together

So I had my first official Holiday Get-Together for lunch today with Juliana... Since I had stuff to pick up from her and momokos to deliver to her - we decided to make just go ahead and make a lunch outing out of it... at our FAVE hangout, too - TGI Fridays, over at Chung Hsiao East Rd... right next to the ever festive, SOGO Department Store... which is nicely decorated for XMAS btw... we got to enjoy their XMAS decor a bit right after lunch, as we walked around the Department store - mainly, the Toy Section, of course!!!

Lunch, as always, is GREAT - nothing like good all American burger now and again... plus the Three To Share Appetizers is always tasty and filling - Potato Skins, Buffalo Wings, plus Mozzarella & celery sticks.... but the food always takes a back seat from our GAB fest.... catching up with this and that and everything in between... 2 or 3 hrs is never, ever enough....

we did an early exchange gift as well... love our SNOWMAN pair from Starbucks & Bumble Bee Molly is just the cutest... so basically I had two firsts today - 1st Official holiday Get-Together plus 1st XMas Gifts for 2009...

COMPLETE PHOTOS HERE

Orange You Glad It's Dec....

So I got another early XMAS present... this time from my roomie, Lyn, who just came back from her -- what seems like -- bi-monthly trip to JAPAN... this year - she decided to give everyone Fleece Jackets... so she came home with a suitcase full of Fleece Jackets in varying colors... as she knows that i love colors and am a bit more adventurous when it comes to wearing colors, she opted to give me the brightest one of all - ORANGE!!! Works fine with me as I even have a nice scarf to go a long with it... HAHAHAHAHA....

And it just so happen that, yesterday the 2nd of DEC, I had a get together, catch up, coffee break @ STARBUCKS with Juliana (hey did we not just see each other a lot? Hahahahahaha) -- so I had an excuse to put it all on as weather here is quite cold lately... freezing to be exact, only thing missing is the snow... PERFECT really to wear such a coat....

@ Taipei Starbucks... same XMas Decor as Manila's Starbucks -- but alas, NO PLANNERS/NO STICKERS!!!!

STRABUCKS Planner 2009

Am soooo EXCITED to see that STARBUCKS will have another planner for 2009.... I enjoyed the one for last year and though, this is not as good as the leather bound one from 2008 - some of the graphics inside are really, really nice.... so am working on getting one...

PROMO is already running.... and will run till the 6th of JAN.... you will need 8 stickers from the coffee purchases... and 8 from 3 of the HOLIDAY SPECIAL drinks: Dark Cherry Mocha, Praline Mocha & Toffee Mint Latte = a total of 16 stickers!!! Not too bad as I remembered last year being sooo much more.... Thanks to Juliana's recent trip to Manila, am 4 coffees and 2 special drinks away in completing mine... Imagine, even on our way to the airport to catch a flight back to TAIWAN, we still managed to stop by a STARBUCKS for two more stickers... LOLs....

Not sure where else this PROMO is running... certainly not here in TAIWAN... boo hoo... but it is available in all STARBUCKS in Manila...

Be Sure to check out this really cute HOLIDAY REINDEER they are offering.... it is small enough to fit inside a mug for a SPECIAL GIFT.... and of course, cute enough to buy for yourself!

PS:
am not a SHARE HOLDER of STARBUCKS - I WISH!!! I am merely sharing INFO... hehehehe Below are a couple of ILLUSTRATIONS from the planner that caught my eye....