TAGAYTAY CITY, Philippines?As singer-actress Jolina Magdangal tirelessly says: The concept behind Memory Lane?a country diner, gift shop and beauty salon in this popular summer destination?was developed by her enterprising parents Jun and Paulette.

The idea hit Jun when he realized that they had run out of space in the attic of the family home in Quezon City. ?We couldn?t walk around the attic anymore. There were too many things there?souvenirs from Jolina?s trips and our country home collectibles.?

Jolina?s parents originally wanted to turn their Tagaytay rest home, which is a stone?s throw from Memory Lane, into a fine-dining restaurant.

But Jolina vetoed it: ?I wanted a place where I can unwind.?

Instead she encouraged her parents to build a separate haven, an extension of the rest house, where they can display their excess knick-knacks and share their passion for ?all things country? with other people.

Tagaytay is her escape from the hustle-and-bustle of the biz, she confessed.

?When I?m here, I can truly relax and enjoy our specialties like spaghetti, sinigang na lechon and leche flan,? said Jolina.

Jolina and boyfriend, Rivermaya drummer Mark Escueta, loves biking around Tagaytay with friends early in the morning. ?Our last stop is always Memory Lane, where we have breakfast.?

The Magdangals were inspired by the quaint country inns, gift shops and homes they saw in travels abroad?particularly in Monterey, and Solvang, California.

?All the things that are not within the gift shop are not for sale,? Jun explained.

And the Magdangals are hesitant to part with them.

?Instead we encourage our guests to take lots of pictures,? Jun noted. ?We envision Memory Lane as a one-stop-shop for the entire family.?

They?ve received inquiries for debuts and seminars. ?But I think the first wedding here should be mine,? Jolina jested.

For the Magdangals, this is a gift of a place.

Gifts

Most of the items on display are gifts from relatives and friends, Jolina pointed out.

The huge clock in Vintage Hall, the function room at the back of the compound, is a present from a San Diego-based uncle.

?Our family and friends know that we collect antiques and country stuff,? Jolina said.

His-and-hers frogs sitting on the café?s ceiling are presents from the Magdangal children to their parents.

The frog band in the garden is a gift from Jolina who got the ceramic figures in the United States.

The St. Nicholas of Bari figure is a gift from a family friend, Ely Rodriguez (former owner of the lot where Memory Lane now stands).

Gramophone

Centerpiece in Vintage Hall is an antique gramophone, a gift from ?Party Pilipinas? director Rico Gutierrez.

?He gave it to me four years ago, while we were working on the horror series ?Hoooo U?? He told me then that it was his advanced wedding gift to me,? she recounted.

Rico, she said, is a certified antique collector as well.

?I think he didn?t hesitate to give the gramophone to me because he knew that I?d take good care of it,? she said. ?I always wanted my own working gramophone. I plan to buy a portable one that comes in a small suitcase.?

More antiques

Jun brought the antique telephone (which is working, he asserted) from their QC home; while he had the 1950s box case of the TV custom-made, in keeping with the nostalgia theme.

While in the US with boyfriend Mark last June, Jolina found the perfect gifts for her dad: antique cameras and vintage toy cars?now on display in the main dining area.

?We attended a Swap Meet in the US,? Jolina recalled. ?We went crazy when we found an entire section devoted to cameras.?

Jolina and Mark are shutterbugs themselves, like Jun.

?We bought a camera for my dad,? she said.

The other old camera on display in the diner is Jun?s first acquisition when he was a teener.

Jolina said that Mark had found the store that sells vintage toy cars in the US. ?He thought my dad would love the cars. Mark is very supportive. He made Memory Lane?s Facebook account.?

Country décor

The ceramic white ducks lined up on the ceiling are her mom?s cherished possessions. The black cat figure is from the QC kitchen.

?We thought the cat is better suited here in Tagaytay,? mom Paulette said.

They met a country décor supplier in a bazaar who supplied them with the items in their home and shop? like the gaily painted CD cases, birdcages, birdhouses and mailboxes.

The Magdangals plan to join this year?s Noel (Christmas) Bazaar again. ?But this time we will focus on a country motif,? said Jun.

The silver pots and pans and beer mugs on the bar are from the personal collections of Jolina?s mom and dad, too.

Accessories

Jolina has parlayed her love for accessories into a booming business, the Jolina Fashion Gallery.

Trinkets from her personal collection are available at the gift shop.

?My sister Miel sources the raw materials and we make the accessories ourselves,? Jolina said. ?That?s our bonding time.?

True to form, she adores crystal beads and bangles that come in a rainbow of colors.

Accessories holders

The accessories hang from unique holders made from headless Barbie dolls.

?These accessories holders are special to me . . . because they are gifts from my ?Unang Hirit? family,? she said.

The miniature dressmaking dummy figures can serve as accessories organizers, too. These colorful figures were hand-painted by Miel and her daughter Hannah.

?The entire family is involved in Memory Lane. My brother Jonathan helps manage it, too,? Jolina said.

Bags, wallets

Most of the items in the shop were hand-picked by Jolina herself.

?I chose and bought the bags and wallets in the United States,? she said.

She often arrives home with a balikbayan box of goodies for Memory Lane.

?If I could fit them all in my luggage, I would, but I always ended up with a big box ... some were décor pieces; the others were for the gift shop,? she said.

She has developed a keen eye in choosing what would click with guests.

Key chains, souvenirs

Jolina related: ?My mom bought lots of key chains every time I had a concert abroad: from Hawaii, Las Vegas, Singapore, even Amsterdam and Barcelona.?

There are also boxes of coasters from Spain.

Jolina?s parents initially intended them as homecoming presents to friends.

?My mom noticed that she had accumulated lots of souvenirs in our attic. First, we had a garage sale in our rest house. That proved to be successful, so we put some items in the shop as well.?

It?s quite a treasure trove. ?We have assorted memorabilia, like towels from the US, crystal globes from Italy and ceramics from China.?

Jolina would sometimes man the fort. ?I like hanging out here. I get to meet new friends every time.?

Memory Lane is along Magallanes Drive (Sta. Rita), Maharlika East, Tagaytay City. With numbers: (046) 4832479, (0922) 8298487; facebook.com/memorylane