Ann

Nearing the end...

2012-03-10T13:01:00.002+08:00

I'll be right back! It's been really busy, stressing to churn out 6,000 words for my final (YES FINALLY

FINAL) thesis. It'll mark 1/2 the end of my school journey. It's been a crazy, head-banging on my laptop, soul destroying experience which will come to an end on Monday. Yay!

Blog posts that are coming your way:

- Valentine's day! <3

- Lace & Ebony's last outdoor shoot

- Food places to introduce :)

Can't wait can't wait! Stay tune!

My furry little monster!

2012-03-01T14:15:00.000+08:00

Meet Bebe, my furry little monster who very sadly doesn't belong to me :(

He is sooo adorable isn't he? A toy poodle with overgrown fur :D

If you know me well enough, you'll know of my insane love for dogs since I was little! They'd melt my heart in many unimaginable ways and they are what really really what makes me smile like a silly girl.

G & I rented better lens for the day, and decided to bring it along to my cousin's house to play!

Happy & excited over all the attention he gets when my extended family are all over.

Truly the "baby" in our family and the apple of everyone's eyes (especially mine, heehee!) Sometimes he goes all hyper and starts licking your hands and uses his paws to hold down your hand just so he can play and get his saliva all over it hahaha!

"Y U NO PLAY WITH ME?"

Love how we're both looking at each other when G captured this :P

Bebe: "Arghhhh let me go!!"

G really loves him too :) I don't what I'd do if my boyfriend doesn't share my love for dogs.

Favourite shot of him! :) :)

Ending off with a really tired dog getting his well-deserved rest :)

I really needed to blog about happy things/events to keep me going through this crazy period, and these pictures really really make me smile :) So glad we managed to rent the lens too, don't you love the images it produces? :) I know it's not crystal clear, and we really are amateurs when it comes to cameras. This lens prove to be difficult to handle to get the clarity I hope for, but practice makes perfect, there's just so much more to learn!

I met up with the best friend last night for Itacho and boy was it goooood. I hardly splurge so much on food (besides buffet) and I must say, it's well-spent money! Itacho has always been one of my favourite restaurants to go to - offering the best quality for what you're paying for! It's not that cheap, but neither is it very expensive :) Value for money. Happy tummy has loads of salmon, foie gras (!!), soft shell crabs, yellowtail, etc etc. Ahhh so pleased! It was really nice catching up with her and I'm really happy for her being where she is now. Hard work does pay off :) Above it all, it was really comforting for someone to understand where I'm coming from, my emotions and reactions. I really needed it.

The weather has taken a turn for the better... ah, perfect!

A much needed respite from the bad morning I had...

Wanderlust: Happy Birthday G!

2012-02-26T13:44:00.000+08:00

G's 23rd Birthday Surprise!

I love celebrations! Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, it's like a special mark in a year for me to look forward to in spite of the mundane "normal" days. People who know me well knows how special these occasions are to me, and would hopefully take the extra effort, go the mile to make those days worthwhile. Of course I might be placing too much of an emphasis on these occasions but, I just love how we indulge in a little more luxury, sinful delights on such days!

So, for this year's birthday celebration, I took the opportunity to book a hotel stay for us :) The surprise wasn't really the hotel stay (but the choice of the hotel remained unknown until the day itself), but rather, that I invited his friends over for a mini gathering as well! I know how he doesn't play up his birthday celebrations, and how he prefers intimate gatherings to huge ones where he can't interact with everyone... so yes! Much thanks to his very wonderful & awesome friends who helped co-ordinate the inviting of people!!

I checked in at 4... bringing along a few crazy big bags that I wouldn't imagine myself carrying ever again. I had the whole room to myself!!!!! :D For a few hours at that! Here's some snapshots of the beautifully decorated Space Loft that I picked out.

A pity coffee isn't my thing because of my poor gastric ridden stomach.

Cute stuffed animals around the room!

Luxurious bathtub :)

Okay... so no pictures of the surprise part but... it was quite hilarious! His friend, V, bumped into him while he was making his way to the hotel to meet us! LOLOL. Thank goodness G didn't smell a rat. After we settled everything, I went to pick G up and brought him to the hotel... and yes, surprise! :D His reactions were... "Err..." *expressionless but not in a good way* and we were all worried for a bit that it proved to be too much of a shock for him. Well I guess that's how he is, slow to reaction and limited emotional range HAHA. But after the initial shock, he kept expressing how thankful he is for everyone who took time off to come down :)

Birthday "cake" time!

It was a cupcake tower of salted caramel and nutella cupcakes. The nutella ones were simply amazing but the salted caramel ones didn't rise as I hope it did. Tasted a little like pancakes though, haha. I'm glad everyone liked it... or pretended like it's awesome to make me happy.

The cam-whoring fun ensues!

We headed out after, to PS Cafe! :) Thank goodness for cars!!

Yuppp, this is how we take our photos!

Truffle fries & Key lime pie. Both are soooo good. Especially the truffle fries - must try!

The day ended well and we got a lift back to the hotel where we fell into a not-so-deep slumber on the very comfortable bed.

Woke up early the next day for some brunch!

Breakfast @ Coquette was relatively good. We had a semi-buffet! Back to the room for more lazing + BUBBLE BATH!

PLZ ignore the eyebags. Very ugly, I know...

Shades to conceal!

A close up of my creations :)
Hee. I love baking and if I had more time on hand, this is something I'd very much like to be good at.

A game of foosball right before we head home..

Happy 23rd birthday baby!

I hope you enjoyed your birthday party! ♥

Summer Strut

2012-02-22T13:49:00.003+08:00

SUMMER STRUT!

Lace & Ebony is back with another collection, and yes more outdoor shoots this time! I wonder when we will actually exhaust ourselves because outdoors are absolutely crazy. Maybe in time to come, less pieces per launch, but more outdoor fun, how does that sound? :) I absolutely love this week's collection! Resort inspired summer fun! Special thanks to G for making it work, week after week, capturing the best for me :)

Min crochet cropped top in Cream & Kitsh midi skirt in Burnt orange

Liliann maxi dress with swallow prints

The open back detailling is gorgeous!

Gretel dress

Peterpan collars and buttons on the front proved to be too cute for me to not get this dress! Simple touch to add on to make a dress stand out.

Terric polka dot blouse & Keane wrap skirt

The polka dot top has to be my favourite. It's so so flattering. Definitely one basic to keep!

Suri stripped top & Tinsel cropped pants

I love this vibrant combination of the clashing colors. Sometimes colors don't need to compliment. Clash to stand out!

Bernt two toned cropped blouse & Hearts all over the world maxi skirt

I have a feeling that the maxi skirt will be a hit! Hehe. What's not to love about hearts?

Min crochet cropped top in Black & Hearts all over the world maxi skirt

Bernt two toned cropped blouse in Navy

Love a little more cropped top

Another basic to love! Oops, I realised we paired a lot of navy & red outfits together. Haha, but you can't deny that the combination rocks!

Awwww look at all the doggies that came out to play :) There was one golden retriever that was honestly limping a lot.. and had a collar messily strapped across its face / neck. Heartbreaking scene...

Signing off with one of my favourite photos of the collection. See you on Thursday night! :)

xoxo

Brunetti & some sneak prints!

2012-02-16T14:28:00.000+08:00

Brunetti

We headed to check out this new restaurant at Tanglin with the gang to celebrate Yanna's birthday! The decor of the restaurant was really unique. Love the black & white tiles. Plus there's a huge display of gelato, cakes, desserts etc etc near the entrance. Talk about stirring up an appetite! A few cam-whoring pictures before we get to the food! :P

The girls in all angles... haha!

And yes, the food! The menu for mains was really small :/ Mainly pastas and sandwiches and some sides? We each decided to order one pasta to ourselves. The portion turned out to be really small and at first we were thinking that this looks like a kid's meal but looks can be deceiving! The girls who ordered the baked truffle macaroni couldn't finish our pastas (yes, me included!). Maybe it was just that particular dish... but I'd recommend sharing the mains then attack the delicious looking desserts! The pastas were all really good by the way. Managed to grab a bit of everyone's, hee!

Really really good pastas, but kind of pricey for the portion! Look at all the desserts we ordered, hehe. I can't remember all the names but some were a hit and some were misses. The lemon meringue tart was pretty good though!

Girls! <3

A sneak preview of some prints to come up on Lace & Ebony :)

What's to come? Midi, maxi skirts. Long sleeve crop tops & this flowy top which I think really rocks in this weather even though it's somewhat long sleeve. A maxi dress in that gorgeous swallow print. Plus lots more surprises! :) Haha can't wait to see them all up!
Add us on Instagram if you haven't! (Laceandebony)

x

Dancing in the sunlight

2012-02-10T16:48:00.001+08:00

Lace & Ebony's first outdoor shoot!

Boy was I ambitious. The sun was raging hot that very day, and both G and I were dying under the heat in the late morning/afternoon!! It took much longer than I expected because the place I originally had in mind was built up and replaced with new establishments. Singapore is moving way too fast, we are losing our nature appeal. Yeah sure there are sufficient trees and greenery but it's getting too modernised. It takes a lot more exploring if you want to achieve the au natural theme.

But nevertheless, it was quite an achievement for photography noobs like us :) Thanks to G for the amazing photos and his perseverance to getting the kind of shots I want. I've got to take my hat off to him, truly. Here are my favourite shots from this collection.

Look at how I'm cringing and frowning because of the sun haha, and the scorching rays on my face! Silly of me to not apply sunblock on my body. Think I've gotten a little more tan?

And lastly, my favourite photographer, driver, support, helper, boyfriend and confidante. Love you :)

I'm pretty happy from all the support LE's been getting and every so grateful to everyone. Hopefully there would be more outdoor shoots because honestly the colors do pop in natural sunlight & I do love the pictures a lot more. Jusssttt got to compromise our schedules to make sure that everything ties in with schoolwork as well. I honestly can't wait for school to end in another 2.5 months. A release indeed! Here's to more lovely shoots & clothes! :)

Back to life.

2012-02-08T12:45:00.000+08:00

Happiness comes from Within.

Are we really enslaved to all that makes us happy? It could be our partner, our job, material goods, friends, but these are all external factors that can be altered at any point of time in life. If we tie our happiness to these things, what happens if they are gone?

We can't be blamed if these things make us happy. They simply do. But is there a way to juggle the dependency of our happiness on these things and the fact that we are going to be okay when they don't happen / are gone? That truly is the question isn't it? Can happiness come from within? Yes, I think it can. But no, I haven't found out how to make it happen. To me, it feels like it's essentially asking, if you can be happy even when you're in a empty room, alone.

"Everything is going to be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end" Everyone goes through a grieving period after the loss, but we know that we are going to get back up on our feet, and go on in our pursuit of happiness, aren't we? I guess in some ways, it's okay to be dependent on external factors for happiness. We all are. On food, on company, on our careers, on people. As long as you don't make one thing your sole source of happiness. Spread it out to different sources, different people. We are all in the same pursuit of happiness, and we would all love to be happy in our lives, regardless of what constitutes our definition of happiness.

A random musing of one particular phrase that went through lecture yesterday. This came up to me 2 months ago, but yesterday when I heard my lecturer say, "It's easier said than done", only did I realise, humans are fallible.

But yes, a post to say I'm alive & back! Here's a picture with minimal make-up. Without the colors, I'd look very much pale and sickly. What will we do without iPhone's photo editing apps :P

Lace & Ebony has launched last night! Thank you all for the amazing support thus far. I think outdoor shoots really gave the clothes life and made the pictures seem much more engaging. We hope to do more of such shoots in the future. Of course, I'd put in the extra effort to make the shoots seem less like a normal boring out-of-studio pictures. Pet peeve to see outdoor shoots for the sake of being outdoors! More about the last outdoor shoot in the next post, hee! :)

Pause.

2012-01-17T17:28:00.000+08:00

HIATUS.

For a bit. Until I regain the peace in my life.

I'm still on twitter anymore! Updates in 140 characters.

Lost in myself

2012-01-06T21:56:00.000+08:00

"God knows I'm tough, he knows

We got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it"

This is a song reflective of the present situation on hand.

This is a song for me when I feel strong enough to hope.

When courage precedes reality.

When who I'm not becomes who I'll have to be.

Ode to Joy

2012-01-03T00:39:00.001+08:00

Time to fill this up with pictures from the past year! The end of November marks the commencement of the holidays for real because G's semester is done too! Plus, I was doing a lot of interesting events absolutely out of my comfort zone. Talk about socialising with people from the financial sector, and the aristocrats. An experience to remember!
Here's a shoot which I did with the darling Claire for Guardian! I never knew Guardian had a magazine, but I heard it's going for $1 and it's filled with lots of goodies (samples) inside! It's a tri-monthly magazine and the sales have been good I've heard! Anyway the edition I did isn't out yet :( but here's some sneak peeks!
We did a feature on the Balestier trails. Part of Singapore's heritage trails. It was fun going around Balestier, seeking out the good old places with lots of history.

These were all I could capture before we were too busy trying to get to all the different locations despite the bad weather!

After the crazy hectic shoot.... G & I went out for dinner at Paradise Dynasty! It was my treat to him for ending his exams! Hehe, and of course, I wanted to have good food. We were quite skeptical of the restaurant because of its not so good ratings on HGW, but honestly, it isn't thatttt bad!

The MUST TRY XLBs! For novelty's sake. There are only a few that we especially like! The truffles, garlic and cheese! The others were alright... but haha, why not try it once right!

We ordered the pork ramen as well, and it has got to be the best ramen I've ever tasted! It really surprised me! G was saying that it was probably because we left the noodles to soak in the broth while we munch on the XLBs, that made it so nice. Nevertheless, it was so good that we both promise to head back to Paradise Dynasty just for the ramen!

After a scrumptious dinner, off to town to explore the X'mas lights! I love Christmas. It really has got to be the favouritest time of the year. For me at least. I don't know why, but there's this warm fuzzy feeling about Christmas that is filled with a lot of love, hope and joy. Valentine's Day doesn't even give me that sort of joy! Sorry for the picture spam, I absolutely love the make up that was on me that day! :D

Now... looking forward to the next holiday, CNY! Hahaha, oh gosh. The feasting never ends!

Anyway, Lace & Ebony has launched! I love the high neck slit top & denim jumpsuit! Kept them both for myself, hee! Too pretty to resist! :)

Hello 2012

2011-12-31T13:17:00.000+08:00

2011 has been a year of many opportunities, many disappointments, more happiness, and definitely there was the sadness. Nonetheless, I'm ever so thankful for the people in my life, and the love that they have shown to me when I really needed it. Yup. This is the sad emotional reflection on the last day of 2011. But I don't want to dwell on the sad moments and memories, because well, they are sad.

Here's to new beginnings, a new start in the new 2012. Here's to more opportunities that I'll do my best to grab and make good use of. Here's to us. To that love that we believe in. May we get stronger in love and strength, and overcome life's greatest obstacles with plenty of faith and trust.

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.

I know I'm absolutely dying to dedicate more time to this blog, penning down thoughts and putting up pictures to share. A new year's resolution then? :)

Tis the season to be jolly

2011-12-25T15:49:00.002+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone's having a splendid time this yuletide season. Tis the season to be happy. Forget your sorrows, forget the pain. Let the joy fill our hearts and make merry! A nice family dinner on X'mas eve with Xbox Kinect - bonding time with the cousins! I've discovered a way to lose weight effectively! Midnight mass at the good ol' trinity. I miss that place.

I love our X'mas traditions where we put in effort to make each other pretty and heartwarming Christmas cards. a lot of effort goes into our handmade gifts and I'm really glad we do these little things to show that we care. And guess what, I've got tickets to go see Wicked! ;)
Today, it's family time over at his place! Ah, more good food and good and company...

xx

It really isn't all that difficult to love

2011-12-24T14:10:00.002+08:00

"Love isn’t as complicated as we make it out to be. It’s the most simple, most elemental, most pure, most beautiful feeling, emotion, thingamajig, whatever you want to call it that beats in our hearts.

Unfortunately, it’s also the most intangible sentiment. We can’t quantify it. Your ‘I love you so much’ could be so much less than my ‘I love you so much’ and there’s no way to prove who loves who more and therein lies the whole fucking problem.

We’re never happy with how we’re loved. We complicate things. We make things difficult. We expect too much. We receive too little. We can’t accept that so we prod and push and ask for more and when we don’t get what we want, we question their love and affection because they don’t love us the way we love them. They don’t love us the way we were told they should. They don’t love us the way we want to be loved and we don’t believe anymore. We lose faith. We allow ourselves to be consumed by hatred, by anger, by desire, by greed, by anxiety, by insecurity and we give up even before we try.

It really isn’t all that difficult to love. We just have to love unconditionally, love selflessly, love altruistically, love acceptingly. We just have to love them the way we can, the way we know how and allow them to love us the way they can, the way they know how. We just have to love loving them and love them loving us."

♥

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Twirlin' times

2011-12-21T18:38:00.002+08:00

Lace & Ebony

Here's the preview pictures! I really liked how the photos turned out this time - all thanks to my really supportive photographer/do-it-all man who has helped and supported me throughout this. I kept a few items + all the accessories for myself. Surprisingly, the necklace goes on really well with a lot of my outfits. Especially if I want to make it more dressy. So go go shop, http://laceandebony.com and support!
I think I've reached a point in my life when I realised that all I want is to be happy. The kind of happiness that material goods can never match up to. Not to say that money can't buy happiness, or a Balenciaga bag wouldn't make me happy... but honestly, I really want to be happy, content, and to be at peace.

xx

Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.

2011-12-18T01:31:00.000+08:00

A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. “Never leave that till tomorrow,” he said, “Which you can do today.” This is the man who discovered electricity. You’d think more of us would listen to what he had to say. I don’t know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I’d say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure. Fear of pain. Fear of rejection. Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you’re wrong? What if you make a mistake you can’t undo? Whatever it is we're afraid of, one thing holds true: that by the time the pain of not doing the thing gets worse than the fear of doing it, it can feel like we're carrying around a giant tumor.

The early bird catches the worm; a stitch in time saves nine. He who hesitates is lost. We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the damn poets urging us to ‘seize the day'. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore, until we finally understand for ourselves like Benjamin Franklin meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst most intractable mistake beats the hell out of never trying.

- Grey's Anatomy

I still love you anyway.

2011-12-14T11:27:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I stumbled upon a phrase in a book that has guided me for many years now. Someone gave me that book, and told me to pray and read it, for my answers and guidance lies inside. And I did. I prayed, opened up to a random page, and read. It sounds like the bible but it's not. I would share it if anyone asks, but I'd rather not share something too religious here. After reading and more praying, I felt this calmness overcome me, making me lucid. For days I've been going through a lot of turmoil and agony that made my heart physically ache, but when I entirely turned myself in to Him, it felt so relieving.

Today I woke up and even as the pain plagues me, constricting my chest, I know that I need to trust in His plans more than ever. For the past few months, I've been fighting fate. And I've also opened my eyes to the man in my life. The good and bad characteristics you carry, the man you truly are. So they say, if you love someone, you've got to accept his/her good and bad traits. This has never felt more relevant. It doesn't only apply to bad habits, his pet peeves. It carries on to loving him when he is selfish, loving him when he has hurt you to the point of no salvation. Of course there is a fine line between being a lover and a fool. It's up to the individual to discern and judge.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

This has been my favourite love phrase from the bible. I've always loved it since I heard it during my secondary school days. I always knew that this phrase would shape the way I love someone. But I have never once carried out what this phrase is about until... now. This is also why I am staying.

My friends have been nothing but amazing - my great support system. I can't say how grateful I am to have people coming up to me because I would usually sit it out alone and not approach anyone. So without their wonderful initiative, I would never have shared and let so much pain out of me. I appreciate all the texts, whatsapps, chats. I really really do. All the advice, experiences shared, really helped me to decide on what to do. And I'm more than honoured that you are willing to share the painful parts of your life with me... Thank you all. ♥

Heartless

2011-12-12T15:50:00.001+08:00

I believe in giving my all into building a relationship with a man. A strong relationship that can last. A strong relationship not built on the fact that he is willing to sacrifice me. That choice is given to you for a reason. You chose otherwise. Painful as it may be for you, difficult as it was for you to come to this decision, ultimately you made that choice. And as we go on, I have to live with that choice. That decision you made to sacrifice me. Assuming that we managed through this... what's to assure me that I am not just a part of your life that is dispensable, a part you're willing to cut off for your own selfish gains. If I were to chose to carry on, I need to see for myself that you don't use your words to tell me that you love me. I cannot believe in a selfish man to love in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health. For he, is only going to love me through the good times.

I believe that a good relationship doesn't constitute taking advantage of each other. Nor does it mean stepping on each other so you can get over to the other side. For their own good. I believe in loving a man who after seeing me break my heart, bawl my eyes out, be in agony and a constant mess, to find a way, any way at all to ease the pain.

I don't believe that I can live with someone who puts me under so much pain, watch me as I go through so much pain, and insist on putting me through so much pain despite knowing all that. Pain is sometimes good, pain is sometimes necessary. But there's a fine line between doing things for my own good and doing things at my expense.

A relationship requires two to clap, as cliche as it may be. I believe in compromising. But when you insist on being selfish, you give me doubts on what you truly want this to be about. You believe and insist that going through this test (not this current situation) would make us stronger. Citing this as one of the reason why you chose to go ahead with the decision that I have extreme opinions for. I don't dispute that going through it will make us stronger. But choosing one of my extremities and making me kill myself going through it is the kind of test you want to force upon us. I don't believe in you exerting your views on me and in the light of all that you've shown me, the gaps in your morals leave me questioning if this is the man I want to take me through life. And on top of it all, it saddens me to know you use such shabby lies to comfort yourself that your selfish decision is truly the best for us. Because you never once thought and considered what's best for me, let alone us.

Denial is the next best medicine

2011-12-12T12:57:00.001+08:00

I apologize for the sad quotes and images. It really isn't very nice if I start blogging with happy pictures and sound happy when I'm not. I hope that my blog would be a true reflection of myself, happy or sad, when my life is up, or down. I don't know how long we will stay in this limbo, nor how long this hurt is going to linger. But for now Debbie is right. Denial is the next best medicine that I can give to myself. My alcohol so I can breathe, forget, and go on. When the hangover comes it's going to get me good, but for now, I just want to breathe and pretend that everything is okay...

Time will tell.

2011-12-11T03:20:00.001+08:00

I die a little everyday knowing the decision you would make, even if you had the choice.

My heart aches for the promising relationship that went up in flames. All that's left are the ashes that scatter. People often provide an analogy of a glass to a heart. Something once broken can never be fixed back. But you know that if the pieces are big enough, you'll find some way to fix it back together, though it can never go back to how pristine it once looked, you'll still get back your heart. When I realised what the words you uttered mean, my whole world could never go back to what it used to be. Ashes are all that remains. You can never mend it back.

The heart aches for days and more to come. The mornings when you just wake, and the moments at night just before bed are the worst periods I have to endure. Every morning is another nightmare, and every night I have to fight the painful thoughts. I run away from every thought that relates to it yet it doesn't conceal that fact that the heart knows why it has to ache. It feels like it's been computed into my subconscious and wouldn't go away.

Will we really be happy compromising? We both fear that if one of us step down and give in to the other, the future will be conflicted and what if we don't eventually work out? Wouldn't all that we have sacrificed come to naught? We hold on to the fear, hold on to our stakes not wanting to take that risk. No one can guarantee happiness. Both are selfish decisions, and both of us are not relenting. Then what can we do? I can't believe in the man you build me up to believe, the very same man that wants me to believe that as much as he loves me, he wants to sacrifice me.

Time will tell? Perhaps...

Lace & Ebony

2011-12-03T12:29:00.000+08:00

Our first time trying Coldstone Creamery after all the hype about them. The queue was crazy long but we decided to join in. I love all the flavours (they sound so good!!) and look at all the colors!

Mixing our order! :)

And here it is! Our cheesecake ice-cream combo... which I totally forgot what it's called. I loved what they mixed it there. Berries, graham, and cheesecake flavoured ice-cream. I didn't fancy the overwhelming cream flavour in the cheesecake, but it's still a really good combination and absolutely worth us queuing >10 mins.

Brunch date @ Forlino
G and I grabbed a coupon deal for a brunch at Forlino. I went there twice actually. One with Debbie 2 weeks ago but we only got pictures of the food! ;) I especially love the decor of the area leading up to the restaurant, but when I actually entered the restaurant, it definitely looks a lot more duller than the walkway. Food wise? The appetisers scored! Parma ham & melon, foie gras, crab cake, and the pasta, what's not to like. We felt that the main courses were a bit disappointing. Debbie and I had the beef cheeks and mashed potato. It was good but the sauce wasn't complimenting the dish. G and I had the duck and the halibut fish. Both were just passable. The dessert saved the day with our favourite chocolate lava cake, yums. Less words, more pictures!!

This dress is from Lace & Ebony's debut collection! Preview pictures are not up yet so... hehe sneak peeks here! This dress comes with pockets and I love how versatile this dress can be styled. For dress-up dates or casual outings!

Anyway, if you like this dress (comes in a lovely shade of orange and hot pink), stay tune to Lace & Ebony updates here:FB: http://www.facebook.com/laceandebonyTwitter: https://twitter.com/LaceandebonyWebsite: http://laceandebony.com

&&& of course there's an ongoing launch contest!Share, tweet about Lace & Ebony and stand a chance to win this

OPI Muppets Mini Nail Polish set. Lovely colours for this holiday season!

More details here on our FB page - remember to "LIKE" it!

Dress me up!

2011-11-26T12:43:00.001+08:00

Here are some random pictures of the past 2 weeks from my iPhone! So please pardon the quality of the images. The iPhone works best in good lighting.

Longines!

JP photoshoot!
An experience I'll never forget! It definitely was fun to do a photoshoot and have all the limelight on you (hahaha!), and first time having to shoot with another male model! :/ But most importantly, the experience taken away from this was amazing. I really really love the hair and make up done by the talented make-up artist, Sherry! The way she does it especially to highlight my features and did up my (really difficult to style) fine crop of hair really does deserve compliments! I loved it so so much! :) Pictures of my hair below. She did two other styles but I love this and the picture taken with G - that's the last hairdo!

Dramatasy @ Nex Mall!
The much advertised event from Mediacorp Channel 8 and I was thrilled to be part of it. Got to see the celebrities too! My outfit was really really retro and I felt like I stepped out of the 80s, hee!

Been down with a cold for the past one week and boy it sucks. There's this lethal virus spreading around and I've already spread it to my mom and G :( With the crazy hot & cold weather, it's only gonna get worst. Take care everyone!

A for Antoniette

2011-11-22T18:38:00.001+08:00

I was looking for a place that serves great afternoon tea, and after hearing all the rave reviews about Antoinette, I was intrigued to check it out. We chose to try the branch at Mandarin Gallery (there's another one at Lavender)! The interior was especially lavish and I really love how the whole place is done up. Exquisite and aristocratic - just the way I like it! The menu includes a small list of brunch options, followed by many other tantalising sounding desserts. Oooo wish I could try them all!!

What we ordered - Nougatine icecream with crepes filled with nutella and some chantilly at the sides! Sounds rich doesn't it? It certainly got a litte gelat even with two people sharing it, but it was delightful! Love this! It'll probably be better with more people sharing it.

Dish #2 is a brunch item. I can't remember the full name but essentially, it's scrambled eggs with ham and tomato sauce. Doesn't sound so tempting, but this is really really nice! If I'm not wrong it's the pricest item on the brunch list, but it's definitely good!

Antoniette333A Orchard Road, #02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery_______________________________

After our really late lunch / afternoon tea, we headed back to the East to celebrate Deborah's birthday. We wanted to check out some other cafe at Changi V but because of the rain, we settled for something at Ehub instead! Food was really meh..... but..... I guess better than bad!

Happy birthday Deborah!! Hope you like our surprise and the present though it's not much! :)

Love this strawberry shortcake! Yanna recommended the bakery, Rive Gauche and the cakes are amazing! They come in various sizes as well so it'll cater to a smaller group/people who are having this right after a heavy dinner. The cake tasted so light and refreshing. A good way to end off the meal :)

The Coastal Settlement

2011-11-17T16:11:00.001+08:00

Last Friday after my horrendous submission and terrible sleep debt, we went out to celebrate freedom at a quaint cafe in the corner of Changi! Well known for its chalets and army camps nearby, I was very surprise to hear of a Demspey look-alike cafe sprouting at the far end of Singapore. And since most of us are East siders, we decided to check it out - The Coast Settlement!

Hungry us got there half an hour late, so the rest had already ordered their food!

I ordered this mushroom pasta. It had truffles, cheese and lots of mushroom in it. Loved this dish, except that nearing the end it got a little gelat! Otherwise, two thumbs up.

G ordered the roast chicken that came with truffle fries. If you are a fan of truffle fries, do go there to try it! It's really good! Now I'm on the hunt for good truffle fries and next up I hope to try PS cafe's!

The following pictures are from Deborah's (hee!). More pictures of food to show you what they ordered! First up - Prawn Aglio Olio which I heard was so-so, otherwise I'd pick this! Love aglio olio!

Bacon & Egg burger - which wasn't too bad

Rosti - I heard it's good!

More appetisers - Wagyu beef cubes and calamari with a unique passionfruit mayonnaise sauce. Really like how it tasted. These two appetisers were quite good I think! Didn't get to try the Wagyu.
And to dessert... Bread and butter pudding! :) Favourite dessert for the girls. We wanted to try the salted (?) caramel cheesecake but next time I guess! We requested for more vanilla sauce and they very kindly accommodated us. Made it taste so much nicer.

The girls!

The guys... budding photographers because they kept playing with our camera.

Random decoration around the place. It definitely gives the cafe a unique edge above the rest with their comprehensive decorations and displays! Look at the other pictures and you'll get what I mean!

The outdoors!

We loved the decor of this cafe and even though some of the food are misses, the hits were good enough to give this cafe a shot! Though it's really obscure, it means lesser crowds and more chill-out sessions. The range of desserts and alcohol looks really good and worth a try. The prices are a little on the higher side and very much comparable to Dempsey! It really feels like a mini Dempsey in Changi, heehee! Don't sit outdoors though! While we were snapping pictures outdoors, the mozzies came to attack!
Yay to exploring new food places with the best company, and more to come!

Longines 2011

2011-11-13T17:07:00.001+08:00

All made up on a Sunday and nowhere to go.

Just came back from Longines 2011. Had to be on standby today but thankfully I didn't have to work! :) Instead, I enjoyed a fabulous buffet spread (think bread and butter pudding, smoked salmon, lamb, a wide variety of desserts), and got to look at how high class and prestigious the whole event was! Aaron Kwok and the President are present, but sadly I didn't get to meet either.

The first day of Longines 2011 was when the horses numbers were picked up and which barriers they will be stationed at. I felt I was like a lottery number girl (Robin from HIMYM - if you watch, you'd get what I mean!!), but it was fun!! It was also a pretty cool experience because we got to meet the people who owned the horses, and got to go up to a horse and take pictures. Well it might sound pretty strange to get excited about it... but honestly, how many times do you get to go up to a horse in Singapore!!

Some polaroids from the event

Jockey girls!

A very rare occurrence with a cab driver took place today. Since I had no cash on hand, I needed to hail a cab that allows Nets/card transactions. And waiting for a cab at Turf Club is like waiting for water in the desert. Rare and well... just very rare. The first cab came by and nope he didn't have the Nets equipment. The second cab that came in later didn't have Nets either! In my head I was thinking, "Sigh, definitely have to wait for another cab now". But to my surprise, he suggested sending me down to an ATM near my place, and furthermore, he suggested for a bank transfer! With the recent bad spate of horrible customers who don't pay up after their ride, I would think most cab drivers would be wary and not suggest such alternatives for customers to pay, but no, not him. So at the end of it all, he gave me his account number and his handphone number, entirely trusting me to transfer it to him when I'm home. Omg people like him are rare!! Btw he is a 70+ years old uncle? So wow, I am amazed and really thankful for such uncynical people, giving me hope in humanity!

To end off, here's some inspiring advice G's dad gave me yesterday,

"Walk the tight rope without the fear of falling. Walk it with the determination to get to the other end. Don't let failure be an option. If you want to do it, give it your best shot."

End of School!

2011-11-12T14:23:00.001+08:00

HELLO HELLO HOLIDAYS!

My projects finally came to an end as of Friday, 11/11/11, and BOY WAS I DELIGHTED! I've missed the holidays sooo much and finally its here for me to enjoy! I was so happy yesterday and G even said I was smiling and laughing when I slept, heh. The past three weeks were absolutely insane. Day after day I was hogging the laptop, typing, designing, going crazy with the amount of work I had to complete in three weeks. I guess it's typical of a private school to have such a terrible project flow/management and lecturers... hence affecting the progress of our work. I'm tired of being frustrated at the lousy school and I think I've done enough negative word of mouth marketing. Just 4 more months of more nonsense, and I'm done. Done with tolerating such atrocity.

But on a happier note, here's a picture filled update of my dear friend, Joanna's 21st! We've known each other for like... 7 years now? Wow. Time flies and finally, the youngest member of OSG is 21! :) It was held at Aloha chalet and strangely it was my first time there. The place was really big and have about 4 rooms? Perfect for family stays!

The above pictures are edited from my iPhone, and the others below are credited to Yanna's! :)

It has been a good one month since OSG last met up for a short dinner, and it's really amazing how strong we still are together and still catching up, hanging out and celebrating all our birthdays. It was a nice catch up, but 3 of us (including me) had pending exams and submissions to stress about then, but it's all over and done with right now! We all loved the pictures taken by the Olympus EPL2. The colors are nice, and photos are fast to capture! Can't wait till I get my hands on the EP3, but thats not till late next year and probably a new EP will be out by then. Oh, and spot the jack russell! My highlight of the night. When Bubbles the jack russell came over to us, and I immediately squeal in delight and patted the dog, G was like, "Okay I've been dumped". Hahaha. Yup, that's how much I love dogs ;)

Enjoying the lazy Saturday afternoon... time to truly relax and enjoy the festive season that's nearing!

Time stands still

2011-11-07T14:10:00.001+08:00

I've come to this realisation that I no longer blog like how I used to in secondary school, and when I was in polytechnic. I feel like I've mellowed down into this girl who has kept her thoughts, opinions, words more within myself. Less enthusiasm, less optimism, seemingly less happy. Is this what you call, aging, or to put it more pleasantly, maturing? In truth, I am a much happier person. Very much in love, very much at peace with myself, but still the same old person, trying to find my way in this crazy world.

At the same time, things that are ruining me slowly are still ruining me slowly; a.k.a School. Is this the wrath of design school, and pursuing what actually makes you happy? How can pursuing what makes me happy make me so unhappy? That, I really can't figure it out. It's been 5 years coming and I still can't figure out if it really makes me happy to do what I'm doing now. Like many of my classmates, fashion has thoroughly and absolutely disenchanted me. The illusion that surrounded it 5/6 years ago have slowly fallen apart, taking me with it. Thankfully, there still is a part of fashion that I am madly in love with, and hopefully with hard work and support from everyone, I'll make it work out. For that, I'm willing to stake all I have, to work multiple jobs, to push myself hard enough to make it work. With that comes many boundaries I have to break through within myself. The walls I'm all too familiar with... and breaking through would mean being better and standing out.

I'll slowly ease my way back here... making sure I document important and significant events, so that next time when I look back, I know I have many many wonderful memories that I have kept :)

Happy Hari Raya Haji to everyone! And happy mugging to me. This Friday truly is Thank God it's Friday! Marks the end of submission and the end of another painful semester of my last year. Sooo excited for it and I really am counting down the days. 4 more days to go!

Stop, and breathe

2011-11-05T16:06:00.000+08:00

In life, you've got to learn how to stop and breathe.

Dream of paradise

2011-11-01T16:15:00.001+08:00

I have half an hour left before having to get ready to leave the house, and instead of continuing my work, I decided to blog!! I can't handle facing my thesis 24/7 and have my heart breaking at every devastating fact that plagues the earth and the human race. My topic touches on fast fashion, child labour, and how farmers and workers are harmed just so we can wear whatever we are wearing now. The sad facts of life...

+++

Some pictures from my iPhone from the weekend! :)

Me before going out of the house for the weekend event I was working for!

Singapore Scooter Show! :)

Starbucks.... mmm. White chocolate mocha is indulgence :)

I wanna have the toffee nut latte, christmas flavours ARE BACK.

Samantha's birthday and her cheena poster. This is uber cute and totally a reflection of who she is, hee!

Enjoyed the party just watching how much her family loves and teased her ;)

Jo & I, our signature photo pose!

If I posted a year by year photo of our signature pose, Jo will always look the same! Which is a really good thing btw. I am rapidly aging!!

Me & G <3

Thank you for coming to pick me up, then drive to (ulu as hell) Jalan Kayu. Such a blessing!

Day 2 of the show and trying to take an artistic picture while on the scooter

The skies are gray, rumbling and threatening rain once again. It tells me that Christmas is coming soon! The warm fuzzy lovely Christmas. My favourite! Time to go get ready to head out, then for dinner and church with G's family.

Happy All Saint's Day! :)

The Fable of the Porcupine

2011-10-30T23:24:00.000+08:00

The Fable of the Porcupine

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.

The moral of the story is:

Just learn to live with the little pricks in your life!

______________________

Learning to live with the little pricks in my life taught me how to be more patient, more enduring and forgiving, and to also learn how to let go. It is never easy to overcome, and even harder to learn. It took a lot of tears, pain and heartaches, but after a while, you'll realise how useful it is in life. In every relationship there's friction, and in every person, our own habits and idiosyncrasies. It's how we work them out, compromise, and eventually be stronger together that matters. The pricks are the hurt and the pain we have to endure, to better understand and deepen our feelings for each other.

I came across this passage on FB, and found it strangely applicable to a situation in my life right now. Still reeling from the hurt, but at the very least, we now know how much we want each other, and how we want to grow stronger; understanding each other. <3

I hope this little passage would help all those who has had their hearts hurt, but hang on, and believe :)

I like it like that

2011-10-26T18:37:00.000+08:00

“I asked myself why, and in that same breath, as I watch you, I got my answer. It’s everything about you; it’s that teasing smile, that warm scent. It’s the curve of your arms, the tousle of your hair, the ring of your voice. It’s just everything about you. But more than that, it’s everything about me. It’s everything about the way you make me laugh, cry, smile, and hurt. It’s everything about the way you make me feel.”

A little post to say, I'm still alive! Though really just drowning in my whirlpool of doom. A step at a time, to finish off whatever needs to be done, and I can breathe again! So many pictures in my camera waiting to be shared! More food to come... of course ;)

Reaching for the light

2011-10-21T13:59:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I last posted a photobooth picture! :D

This is me before heading out to a casting! I'm trying to wear less falsies these days especially for school, but when it comes to any event whereby I'll have to take a picture, they definitely need to be on! My natural eyes and the camera don't go together quite well... or after so many years, I can't go back to the days of single-eyelid-looking eyes!

Taking a breather in my crazy hectic days. G keeps telling me to persevere and I know I should... but sometimes I just wish I can drop everything and just breathe. Anyway I have loads of pictures yet to be uploaded... which I can only do so after the load is off my back, in 3 week's time! Praying really hard I'll get over this ordeal and GET A LIFE SOON.

Attack of the Cute

2011-10-17T12:44:00.000+08:00

Been on a bout of moodiness lately. Twitter tells it all. (should learn to blog more than to tweet!!) Occurences, school, the intense pile of work awaiting me... sigh. 3 more weeks to the holidays! I can't wait till then, when I can finally breathe a little better, and to concentrate on what I love doing best. A little project, my 'baby' and brainchild! :)

Dogs always, always cheer me up. Looking at these pictures makes me smile a lot more :) My personality seems more like a cat person... Eat, sleep, laze, basically a very feline personality. But I love dogs so much!! Opposites do attract I guess! :P

1st Anniversary

2011-10-11T19:35:00.002+08:00

1st Anniversary

. . . . .

We had a long weekend due to the Hari Raya holiday, and boy were we excited about it because we have a whole string of events planned, and when I mean events I mean, FOOD! Food is our #1 past time. It makes us insanely happy when we go on nice food dates! ;)

So on the first day, we had lunch at a dimsum restuarant at Crowne Plaza! No pictures though. It was a special treat from his brother and girlfriend, with their families involved. Feeling pretty stuffed with just simple dimsums!

Then it was off for our little walk around date in town, armed with my cousin's DSLR for the weekend!

Sour Sally really is awesome and lives up the the hype that surrounds it! Loved it! :D

Wished I really looked this fair... :(

The second day was the date out. We went over to MBS, Caffe B for lunch. I do love Italian cuisines as much as I love French, Japanese and Chinese. My top 4 favourites! :) So yes, Italian this time round! We chose the 4 course set meal to share!

Starters of breadsticks and this heavenly cake-like bread!

Lobster and seafood salad for appetisers!

Mushroom and bits of foie gras for soup. G likes this better than I did!

I especially love the decor of the place (not the backdrop that is behind me though). It was strangely quiet on a weekend though... but I'm not complaining as long as the food is good! ;)

Seafood risotto that wasn't too bad!

Rack of lamb that was so tender and juicy! Love it. Pity the serving is a little too small.

Sigh my fat cheeks... still trying to rid of them!

And to end off the meal, panna cotta which was really rich, just the way I like it! <3

Toured MBS after lunch!

Walked over to City Hall and decided to cam-whore around Chijmes too! Must check out the restaurants in there soon... they look so tempting!

The third day of feasting - JAPANESE BUFFET. That explains my fat cheeks and the weight I've been gaining from my birthday till then. It's really difficult to lose the weight on your face, sigh! Back to Shinyuu after the buffet impressed us so much, we decided to bring his family back to try! Thank God I drove... that place is insane to get to! Especially if you stay in the east!

I love love this complimentary plate of sushi. I don't know why but it's so good! I wonder if we can keep ordering this!! Shall try the next time!

Need I say more???? -dies-

Must try - White Tuna. It's actually a mackerel but it really melts in your mouth, without the fishy taste and all. Soooo good!

The last program of the weekend, off to the dog farms in Loyang! G knows I'm a crazy dog fan and I've been dying to get a dog ever since I was a little girl, but my parents were against it. And he knows they really really make me happy, so whenever I'm down, he'd suggest a trip to Pet Safari, or if we have the car, the doggie farm! :)

Happy us! :)

So thankful for the man in my life.

Happy 1st anniversary to us! <3

R.I.P Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T12:12:00.001+08:00

"Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

Two truly inspiring quotes that resonate with me when I heard this speech.

R.I.P Steve Jobs. A man whose life impacted millions others.

Thank you for your inventions.

Travelogue: HongKong 2011 Pt. 4

2011-09-26T10:53:00.001+08:00

Day 4 (Night)

We decided to check out the newly opened Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, and headed to the highest bar in the world - Ozone! Such a spectacular view from the 118th storey! They had special lifts that would take you specially to the bar. And loveeee the hotel interior!

Cute little chocolate tarts!!

Day 5

Our last day in HK, and it was shopping madness! Couldn't resist checking out every shop we haven't been in, and tried to squeeze in as much shopping as possible before leaving! Here's me at the fitting room @ Monki. I love the fitting room... mirrors all around and cute butterfly hangers for you to hang your clothes. Somehow wishing Monki doesn't open in Singapore. Unlike the whole H&M fiasco that happened earlier this month in SG, I would very much love Monki to be exclusive!

Last meal! So we decided to head into any ordinary looking cha chaan teng, and almost every eating outlet in HK serves authentic HK dishes that we can never get enough of! It's making me really really hungry now... *salivates*

______________________

Been severely lacking in sleep, rest and luck lately.

The demise of my poor little toe's nail. Well nails are dead, but yeah this is worst than it :( I don't do well with personal injuries, worst if it bleeds/cuts/wounds, I cannot, ever, deal with those. I don't understand why I'm so afraid of the pain. I think the fear hurts even more than the actual pain! Gotta be brave, and hopefully, ~~the doctor wouldn't kill me by yanking the nail out later!~~ Scrap that, I think they have to. I just hope I'll survive and not make a fool of myself wailing in the clinic!!

High society

2011-09-19T23:57:00.001+08:00

My Haut Monde 21st :)

For more pictures, click here!
This entry is finally up! I had my epic birthday celebration at NSRCC, and it is really, the event of a lifetime (so far at least!). I've had comments saying that it really resembles a wedding. Hahaha. Mainly because I'm in a off-white gown and some of the guys are in suits! Kudos to my friends who were absolutely spontaneous about dressing up!
Definitely a night to remember, and definitely never felt so stressed, tired, and loved all in one night. I gathered all my secondary school girls (SACians!), my poly friends (Ophix & ADMers), and G's friends! I cannot be happier! :P
Plus, the month leading up to the celebrations was really painful. Endless planning. LOOK AT THE DECORATIONS! Okay, maybe it's not entirely and substantially reflected in the pictures, but G and I did tons of planning on it and after a lot of squabbles (yes) we finally came down to what we can get done within 4 hours, to make a chalet look as classy as it can get. We definitely kick ass!! ;)
All these pictures wouldnt be possible without Bobby, the AMAZING photography of the night. Look at his pictures and they speak for themselves. Here's a link to Multifolds FB page and more beautiful wedding shots they did recently! I can never thank him more to agree to capture my 21st, and brought out the best of it.
And lastly, to all my friends, whom with all my heart, thank you for coming down to share in this celebration with him. I feel all the love and sincerely hope it was a memorable night for you too! Your presence is more than I can ask for! :)

And this... is what he surprised me with earlier in the morning on my birthday. Sneaked into my house while I was showering, cooked heart-shaped pancakes for me, and arrange this surprise on my bed. What did I do to deserve a man like him?? :) Touched to me tears! I was trying to hold back my tears while eating his very delicious self-concocted vanilla pancakes! Heehee! I loved everything about it. How did he know what to do, and get, to make me so happy??

So yes, I'm officially 21st now.Hello adulthood!!

xx

Travelogue: Hong Kong 2011 pt.3

2011-09-14T15:46:00.000+08:00

Day 3

We started the day by heading out from HK to ShenZhen! Another shopping haven... gosh, in HK, it's all about shop eat shop eat, you lose all the weight by shopping and walking (climbing stairs, slopes)! It's insane. Definitely top on my list for a summer shopping escapade!

Shops after shops, malls after malls. And we only spent our time at one station/area! My mom went crazy with the shopping too! Everything here caters to the young and old! :)

Before we went back to HK, we did a foot reflexology and a shoulder massage. We totally needed it!! Back to HK late and so thankful that some restaurants in the malls open till late. Settled for Crystal Jade, and the food there was actually really good! Definitely better than SG's.

Day 4

Woke up early despite our aching muscles and off to check out the 1 Michelin starred restaurant, Tim Ho Wan. When we arrived there at 10am, a queue was already forming outside, so we took a number, and went exploring nearby!

And we FINALLY got in!

My verdict: 3.5/5! It was definitely good dim sum at the price you're paying for, but I think only some dishes were extraordinarily good, the others were just good but normal in HK standards. The baked char siew bun is a must try! Loved how fresh the food tasted though!

SO GOOD!

Off to attack Mongkok in spite of our afternoon drowsiness and food coma!

The Happy Lemon in HK, is so cheap and so good! The price you're paying for a large cup in HK, is equivalent to a normal cup in SG. Rip-off to the max, but I still love Happy Lemon! ;)

G brought me to Mido Cafe, a place that is highly raved on the web! I wasn't too impressed with the decor because I was expecting something to blow my mind... but I think I spoke too soon. The decor boasts of old school cafe interiors and the upstairs is air-conditioned! To my relief! The summer sun is really really bad :/

The food there is simply heavenly!! Must trys are the French toast + Yuan Yang. You won't regret it!

Onto Sushi for dinner! I tried Itamae the other time when I came to HK, and it's comparable to Itacho (sister company), or even better! :) It is definitely cheaper than SG as well! Why is everything there cheaper than SG? Isn't the standard of living supposed to be the same?? :/

Immensely in love with salmon.

And foie gras. I know its bad but... it's so nice. :(

These times are hard

2011-09-11T11:27:00.000+08:00

Inadequacy

Sometimes I would like to say "I knew it!!" for the events I've correctly guessed would happen and eventually happened. But in these times, satisfaction is not gained realizing that the bad things you felt would happen, really did. My intuition has always been a mix of emotions and pure intuition. It's hard to tell the difference when I sense something bad and when I feel emotionally against that particular bad thing. It has always been so confusing for me. But in light of recent events, I've learnt to trust it a little more. Address it with the due attention it needs. As they say, always trust a woman's instinct. There's some truth in that.

Inadequacy, the root of all insecurities. Cuts deep into the core. Knowing that you're never good enough, and lacking the confidence to act like you're good enough. I'm tired of pretending that I am. I'm tired of putting up that facade to defend my inner monster. What you think matters, but what I think, matters most. I'm vulnerable, and I embrace that. I don't put up a strong front when I know I can't, and especially in front of you, I know I can't. Ultimately, it is upon me to believe the things you do, and the things you say, that show me all these don't matter to you. I know I need to believe.

In the past, this used to be a superficial issue. But with more and more events that reflect this fact to my face, it has a bigger impact on me now. No matter how small the trigger is, the aftereffect gets bigger over time. Take into comparison a country whose structure has been weaken by numerous earthquakes, mild and massive ones. With it's unstable core structure, no matter how small a quake on the richter scale, it will cause a severe impact as compared to a strong structure and small quake. Same logic applied.

When this happens, I've got to wait for it to blow over and start from scratch, rebuilding the blocks one by one... And just wait, wait for another quake to topple it down, all over again.

Streets of Manhattan

2011-09-07T11:20:00.000+08:00

Chanced upon these new pictures of GG season 5 and *squeals* I'm so excited! Though I haven't watched the entire season 4... but I can do so now with anticipation! Serena, forever looking the goddess, I'm in love with her style and poise... sigh, some women just have it all!! AND CHUCK BASS is still to die for.

Been so caught up with school/work/birthday parties lately that I really don't have a lot of time on my hand. It's scary how time can zoom past you in a blink of an eye and I'm just panting to catch up on my work. Project week is in 2 weeks and I can't wait to take a small breather, and to at least catch up to the pace I'm supposed to go. School work needs to go complete themselves!!

Anyway, just an interesting quote that the guest speaker of today's lesson mentioned and it hit me,

"The more you criticize yourself, the less people can criticize you."

Set fire to the rain

2011-09-02T18:41:00.001+08:00

Off to a few parties, don't you love em?

I hope to get all my HK pictures backlog up soon, and our 1st Anniversary!

I shall make it a personal mission to not let this blog collect dust.

Happy Weekends everybody!

Prive: A brunch date!

2011-08-31T17:08:00.001+08:00

Brunch date @ Prive Bakery!

Hehe, small eyes :P

<3

Spamming pictures because my hair was nice that day!

My Tiffany! Slightly tarnished! :( Went to google it and realise silver do tarnish easily. Contemplating whether to send it down to tiffany to get it polished, or buy a silver polish to DIY.

The beautiful keppel view.

My babycinno! It's called that way cos it's just milk!

G's chocolate and banana milkshake(?) Tasted pretty good at first but it got too heavy and gelat after a while.

Finally, breakfast came. I ordered Eggs Royale. A generous serving of hollandaise sauce on top of poached eggs, smoked salmon, and english muffin. Delish! :)

G's Eggs Benedict. The ham and bacon are covered by the sauce!

Yum yum yum!

It's realllyyyy making me hungry now!

Love this picture! You don't need a DSLR to capture such shots :P

Delightful poached eggs!

Very well ventilated. Even when we were dining al fresco at 12 noon, it wasn't that bad!

Never knew milk and marshmallows could taste so good together!

Futuristic looking houses!

Us! :)

Loving my Love, Bonito maxi and wedges (can't be seen though)

I love such dates. Exploring and experiencing new food adds a lot of fun to our mundane lives! After posting my food adventures and checking in to foursquare (which appears on my twitter timelines), people have started asking me for food recommendations! It's always a pleasure to share good food with people. Food always makes people happy... and honestly, it's one of the only things to do in Singapore when you want to catch up with your friends! Every time you find yourselves lacking a place to go to hang out, only food places come to mind! Don't know if it's a good or a bad thing! ;)

Our first anniversary just passed and I had an amazing weekend with him and his family. More pictures and posts to come! <3

Travelogue: Hong Kong 2011 Part 2

2011-08-20T00:13:00.000+08:00

You know how sometimes life gets so weary and comes at you with everything it's got? And how everyone tells you to not give up. Carry on, stand up again, keep going. But all I really want to do now, is to stop resisting it, to give up, to let it engulf me. To lay down my arms, even for a while, would prove to be of much comfort now. I'm tired of fighting when I know, no matter what, I can't win.

School woes. Sigh.

They've got nothing on you, baby

2011-08-15T00:56:00.001+08:00

So a few weeks ago... I was very honoured to be part of B.O.B's new music video shot at MBS Skypark with two other beautiful girls, Petrina and Lydia! I was stoked! It was my first time at the Skypark as well, plus I got a chance to dip in the infinity pool! ;)

A picture with the man himself! ;)

HENCE,

I had 4 tickets to his concert the very next day! Invited G and two of his friends to join me! :) Held at the coliseum at Hard Rock Hotel! It was an open spaced event... and judging from the weather, I expected a nasty experience. But to my surprise, it was well ventilated (with fan at the back) and they were selling drinks too!

Top: Whatisdope, Clutch: Ohsofickle, Shoes: Eatingzombie, Bracelet: Flea

Every one of us loved his concert! The energy was kept at a high level throughout the night and when he belted out popular songs like Nothing on you, Airplanes, and Magic, everyone was just singing along! I had to stand on my 5 inch wedges throughout the concert, but because we were having so much fun... I forgot about the pain in my feet until it ended. And it was baddd. Haha! So so thankful for this once in a lifetime experience! Hee! Thanks Mint & Serena, and most importantly, thanks to B.O.B and his amazing crew! :)

My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room

2011-08-11T22:20:00.001+08:00

"I gave you my heart and that’s all I can give you. And if that’s not enough for you, then I’m not enough for you."

— One Tree Hill

A prelude

2011-08-08T02:14:00.000+08:00

A prelude to my 21st
All the surprises he planned for my pre-birthday celebration were decoys for the real surprise he had instored for me! Nevertheless, the decoys were extremely thoughtful and yummy. He knew Japanese food were in my top three favourite cuisines, so he brought me to a Japanese buffet restaurant! Shinyuu, located near Greenwood Avenue, is a fantastic Japanese ala carte buffet restaurant located in the midst of the private properties. It's such a gem! The food is fantastic, so is the service. The waitresses were so eager to clear our plates. The variety of sashimi they served were rarely found in other Japanese restaurant. We were really impressed. The dish that really made us wanting more, was the scallop. Clear winner of the day, but not by a huge margin. All these pictures are making me crave Japanese food at 2am in the morning. Oh dear.
Surprise #2 had him driving all the way to Holland V, to 2am dessertbar. Reminiscing one of our first dates together. It brought back a lot of heartwarming memories of us and made the place so so special. Imagine me grinning from ear to ear when he told me about the surprise! The menu is changed every now and then, and every time we're back there, we're constantly amazed by the selection of desserts available. Love that place so much.
Well the real surprise came on the day itself so... till the next post!

xx

Travelogue: Hong Kong 2011 Part 1

2011-08-05T01:40:00.001+08:00

Hong Kong feels like a second Singapore to me. The areas so familar, the food I love, and the fashion I desire. I love that place. Of course only as a holiday destination, not for a long term stay. I love Singapore way too much to want to go somewhere else. "Home" is defined as a place so safe, a sanctuary that lets me sleep in peace, something really close to my heart. It's not easy to replace "home". I would love to travel, go from places to places, experiencing life like never before. Just to always, at the end of it all, be able to return to a place I call home.

xx

Hi, I'm twenty one.

2011-07-31T00:32:00.001+08:00

I AM TWENTYONE! :)
Under all the stress about the birthday party... there's the cake, decorations, list of things to buy/bring, goodie bags, catering, my dress, photographer... and the list goes on and on. No one told me planning a party would be THIS insane. Or to advice me to not be so ambitious, or crazy with my plans. Should have had a nice, small, private gathering with my favourite people. But no, I guess I'm crazy like that! :P I feel like I'm having a smaller scale version of a wedding! Except, I'm not paying anyone to do up the venue. I really really wish I could though. Gonna see all my favourite party people tomorrow and gonna bring down the place, HIGH SOCIETY STYLE!

xx

For all that you are...

2011-07-26T09:33:00.001+08:00

"Every girl needs a man; the kind that will treat you right as well as others; the kind that has enough respect for himself, family, and others; the one that will change for you to just be with you. The kind that searches for you with his heart, the kind that can be trusted alone with a room full of many other beautiful ladies, the kind that won’t cheat on you cause he knows he’s got all he wants and needs already, the kind that’s willing to be your friend and lover, the kind that doesn’t mind calling early in the morning to say good morning and late at night to say good night; maybe even sing you a good morning and tell you a good night story or talk to you until you fall asleep. That kind that will do anything for you, even if it’s just to buy your favorite kind of candy. The kind that will defend and fight for you, the kind that won’t ditch you for his friends when you need him the most, the kind that won’t leave you lonely and wondering, the one that calls you surprisingly, even if he’s with his friends, just to tell you that he loves you and misses you a lot. The kind that isn’t afraid to smile to his friends every time you’re around and tells them, “She’s the one.” The kind that appreciates you for the things to do for him, even if they’re little. The kind that actually thanks you for the little love notes you leave him, the kind that is willing to wait for you when you’re falling behind, the kind that will actually open the door for you, take you out on dates once in a while and buy you flowers cause it’s a Wednesday. The kind that notices your hair when you just got it cut or done beautifully for him, the kind that reminds you that he loves you and that he’s happy with you in case you forget, the kind that just doesn’t want kisses and hugs but to actually be loved and to love the kind that calls you “beautiful” instead of “hot”. The kind that kisses your forehead when you’re down, the kid that tells you to be strong and not to cry, the kind that will go through think and thin with and for you, the kind that just loves you for who you are. That kind of man, that’s the kind you keep."

xx

As Spring ends, Fall approaches...

2011-07-23T14:38:00.000+08:00

Gucci Fall Winter 2011/2012

I love this collection. The jewel palettes, the sheerness of the dress and how it flows naturally around the body as the model graces the catwalk. Such beautiful dresses by Gucci! Femininity captured brilliantly. Spring exits with bright pop colors, but fall doesn't disappoint this season. Bringing in a fresh change from the dull colors associated with Fall, brighter colors continued to rein on the runways. My wardrobe definitely needs to draw away having too much of the monotonous colors! Colors really seem to cheer me up!

Pictures from style.com

So its true when they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

2011-07-18T12:23:00.001+08:00

13 more days to 31st.

It's definitely fun to handle every aspect of the planning, and give fruition to what you have in mind. I'm counting on Murphy's law to do me in but nevertheless I'm going to try my best! * determined* Expect the worst but hope for the best! I really want to give everyone a good time... Going to be running around quite a bit this week, hoping to get everything by then, and of course filling in with summer fun things I can't do when school start. I'm really really gonna miss Summer when it's done. Not the hot weather, just the super long holiday period...