celestial

travel with tokidoki this Spring

2012-01-26T20:10:00.002+08:00

we all love to travel, don't we? visiting new places, experiencing new sights and sounds, new tastes and wonders, shopping, exploring, meeting new people, the occasional holiday romances.. lol! there's just something about holidays, vacations and travelling that's simply magical.

now take that magic and throw in some tokidoki, voila! that's what makes this Spring 2012 so wonderful. how so? check out these awesomely adorable travel-inspired tokidoki collections:

(tokidoki Ramblers handbags collection - from USD68)

(tokidoki airways palette - USD42)

makes you can't wait to book your next holiday and hop on that plane, and bring these lovely bags and make-up along with you, doesn't it? :)

a lunar new year gift for myself :)

2012-01-26T00:09:00.006+08:00

i simply love hearts and polka dots and ribbons and butterflies... can't explain why - guess it's part inert, part cultured.

it was love at first sight for this little pouch from coach - shiny patent leather in a sweet subdued lavender shade, debossed monogram prints, and *gasp* the most adorable little bow with a worn-gold heart charm! <3 <3 <3

yea, i know i didn't need a new pouch, but in the spirit of the lunar new year celebrations, i've decided to indulge myself and splurge a little, a new year's gift for myself ;) a pretty, new money purse for the new year, that should be a good token, right? *smile* ok, i'll be good now... no more indulgences.

cheers to a happy lunar new year 2012!

HAPPY 2012!

2012-01-01T11:12:00.003+08:00

another post, another day, another year...

there's a Chinese saying "三分天注定，七分靠打拼" - we are what we are because of 30% God's will, and 70% hard work.

life is often what we make of it - whilst fate plays a part in bringing us people, things, opportunities (even good luck) at a specific place, a specific time, a specific intersection; it is ultimately the decisions we make, how we respond, that determines what happens next... and then beyond.

2011 has been a whirlwind of events, despite it having passed by so fast, there were many significant moments - good ones, bad ones, crazy ones, rewarding ones, experimental ones, embarrassing ones - that made me discover more about myself, about people around me, my own strengths and limits, and the marvels of nature and life.

as we welcome the brand new year, i am thankful for all who has been there with me through the journey. it's easy to take things and people who matter for granted - i hope i will always remember to show appreciation in whatever little ways i can. i'm not a vocal or expressive person by nature but i am grateful for life and its gifts, and constantly remind myself to be a better person - to be aware, to share more, to appreciate more, to smile and give thanks more often, to count my blessings, to be happy, to live with conviction.

so in the New Year 2012, let us approach all things with an open heart, accommodate differences and shortcomings, show respect, dream big dreams, laugh out loud, share love, make time for people who matter, make time for ourself, and lead a happy, fulfilling life.

may 2012 bring us love, warmth, good health, good figure *wink*, good company, good dreams, good fortunes, and a good life.

happy new year to all :)

the creepy one...

2011-12-28T02:05:00.001+08:00

sigh. i've been counting my blessings as i recalled not having seen one for a while now (and i certainly don't miss it! in fact i have a weird theory, don't think of them and they won't appear). anyway, given the recent constant wet weather, i knew it wouldn't be long
before one would show up.

and true enough, the flying cockroach (a brown one) invaded through the door just now, fluttered right into the living room, sent me jumping instantly out of my seat (i have a "roach"-dar) and dashing straight into my bedroom - shut all windows, closed the door and pressed tight against it.

i stood panting behind my door as i listened out for my dad, trying to figure out whether he had managed to catch the 'you-know-who'. my dad's against killing of anything, including pests, said they're innocent; so despite saying he would catch it, i knew it's going to be a half-hearted chase on his part. after just mere seconds, it was silent out there already, my dad had sat back down onto the couch. i shouted out from my bedroom to ask if the coast was clear, he gave an unconvincing response... so i knew "it" must still be at large! *yikes*.

so i have no other choice but to lock myself in tonight - no air circulation, no air-conditioning, a little suffocating but i shall just put up with this and pray that the roach will miraculously find its way out and disappear from our home by morning.

*sigh* why does such an ugly and frightening creature exist? why did God make them so hardy and resilient (and even flying ones!)? and why do i have to be terrified of them? why oh why oh why...

when will this be over?

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-25T15:43:00.007+08:00

wishing all a heart-warming holiday, one filled with peace, hope, love, kinship, friendship... and all things beautiful.

thankful for what I am, for all I've received throughout 2011.

merry Christmas & happy new year.

obsessed with bows!

2011-11-21T23:33:00.002+08:00

if you are as obsessed with ribbons and bows as i am, then you would certainly fall in love with this as quickly as i did too!

check out this adorably feminine bow ski hat from Kate Spade; keep yourself warm and still look chic and fashionable at the same time!

priced at US$85, will you be splurging your year-end bonus on this? ;)

tokidoki rollerball fragrances...

2011-11-18T14:43:00.003+08:00

these are toooooo adorable!
i wonder if sephora singapore carries these... shall drop by to check it out this weekend :)

adios & ciao ciao rollerball duo (US$30)

rollerball collection (US$18 each)

jingle bells...

2011-11-15T15:21:00.000+08:00

i love the harajuku lovers fragrances, have always loved them since i first set eyes on the original collection at a Macy's store in Seattle :) and of course, that's also the beginnings of my (evil) little collection of those cute little fragrance dolls... hehehe.

confession: after all these years, i must have a total of 6 or 8 bottles to date (a few of which were gifts) - selected ones from every single collection, as well as the special edition "Gwen-only" ones :)

yay! there's a new release from HJL, its latest but also the very last fragrance from the line. *sob sob* such a pity because it's been fun looking forward to each new release, but also a BIG sigh of relief, after all no one can go on collecting them forever, can they? ;)

i am definitely getting the 10ml (S$38) for this festive "jingle gwen" fragrance doll. i've heard from colleagues that Robinsons Singapore already has this in store, so get yours early whilst stocks last!

related posts:

show some kindness today

2011-11-13T13:39:00.001+08:00

it's world kindness day.

i believe kindness should be shown every single day; but for today, let's all just make that one extra act of kindness.

something small, something big...
make someone's day.
make someone smile :)

http://makesomeonesday.sg

this very moment - 11.11.11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.003+08:00

the time is now 11:11am, on the 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year of this century :) some people may never even get the chance in their entire lifetime to live this very moment.

so whatever you are doing now (unless it's dangerous), take a minute, look around, feel your existence, feel the world, take a deep breath... and soak it all in :)

hi world, happy 11.11.11, 11:11! :)

enjoy this moment, enjoy this day.

happy birthday to me :)

2011-10-09T01:24:00.001+08:00

one year older, one year wiser...

this would be the first time i'll be flying overseas on my birthday itself (wonder if SQ would bring me a birthday cake if i told them so during check-in? lol! just a thought, i won't ask for it anyway) :p

i'd just like to thank everyone, near or in a distance, who have remembered the date and have sent me greetings and wishes, treated me to sumptuous meals... all the lovely presents and most of all, your smiles, your thoughts, your time and your company. without your love, friendship and care, life would never have been the same. so even though i don't say it enough.... thank you, thank you <3 <3 <3

i hope it will be another good year for me, a progressive one in every aspect of life, afterall it is 09.10.11.... that should signify progress, right? ;)

ok, i gotta head to bed now. only a few precious hours of sleep before i'd have to be up and ready to head to the airport. yay! Taipei here we come!

tokidoki Barbie - finally got my hands on her! :)

2011-10-03T23:49:00.039+08:00

i finally picked this up from the post office today! thanks to a gf a. who helped facilitate the pre-order and have it re-directed all the way from the USA to me. yay! :) the official release is scheduled for a week or two later, so i'm actually one of the lucky folks who managed to get this much earlier than most other fans <3 <3 <3

tada!! my very own, limited edition, collector's tokidoki Barbie doll!!!

i just knew i wanted this the very first time i set eyes on her... what a unique piece of tokidoki art! and now it's finally in my hands, feels almost unreal, love it!

see how it all started in this earlier post.

pictures say so much more than words, so i shan't say anymore... enjoy the photos:

isn't she a beauty? :) i feel like a 5-year-old all over again! hehehe...

check out all those intricate little details and accessories, the super tokidoki-fied touches and Barbie's oh-so-sexy sultry look ;) aren't they amazing?

news release on tokidoki website.

what do you think these are?

2011-09-13T21:26:00.005+08:00

make a guess...

(scroll down for the answer...)

(((tada!)))

(view more on these pages: modelling pics. 1 and pics. 2)

pretty remarkable, aren't they? so delicate and beautiful, almost like art... remind me of those paper cuttings, like these traditional ones, or the contemporary ones, don't you agree?

a colleague had directed me to this post on Scrangie's blog, and that's where i had come to know of these fancy stick-on eyelashes from the brand paperself. i had in fact checked out the actual products at the Sephora store here the other day (retails SGD30 per pair) but the packaging is so plain, you'd hardly notice if you weren't looking for them in the first place... such a pity.

i personally have not tried any form of stick-on lashes before, but have certainly witnessed how some of those 'falsies' do wonders to one's eyes.. amazing! :) pretty as these are, i don't suppose we would start seeing these fluttering about in public on the average days... would probably make more sense as some eye-catching pieces for the runway, or fancy costume / themed parties.

this is my favourite pair - deers and butterflies :)

available from paperself.com; sephora; urbanities australia etc.

die-die-must-have: tokidoki Barbie! heart

2011-08-23T20:59:00.009+08:00

here's my "die-die-must-have"....
the tokidoki Barbie doll!! OMG! 110% tokidoki-ness! *silent shriek* :)

isn't she pretty? so edgy, so chic, so top-to-toe tokidoki... i love!!

fellow fans will notice that this Barbie girl is truly authentically tokidoki - tattooed punk rock, chic and sexy, signature pink hair and pouty lips, sporting the tokidoki skull-heart-and-bones t-shirt and leopard-print tights, carrying a real tokidoki miniature purse in hand, walking her cute Bastardino cactus pup... all that attention to these tiny little details, oh wow, i'm impressed!

well, you may be shaking your head and clucking your tongue, thinking i'm no longer 16... but if tokidoki could get me acting like one, then why shouldn't i indulge and just give in to my occasional insane little fancies *grin*.

available from Sep/Oct at selected collectible stores, i am so going to pre-order this right away! if this arrives in October, then just a perfect little birthday gift for myself ;)

references: Lovetokidoki; Hong Kong magazine

absolutely tokidoki-fied! :)

2011-08-23T20:57:00.004+08:00

i was at the STGCC (Singapore comic con) over the weekend, and so thrilled to be able to meet my idol Simone Legno again (4th year in a row!) - got his autographs on a couple more of my tokidoki items, and of course, a photograph together :) my friends said i looked like a starstruck teenager with a schoolgirl crush in my photo... LOL.. well, i have to admit i did feel quite like a 16 year old that day... hehehe.

so for the comic con, my colleague - who's well aware of my love for all things tokidoki, promised to make me some tokidoki cupcakes (one-of-a-kind) specially to commemorate the event! they turned out super duper adorable! i kept the Timidina cactus pup and the chilli ones (because i love all things spicy!) and gave the cute Adios and Ciao Ciao pair to Simone Legno when i met him at the autograph session *grin*.

so yeah.. i did the schoolgirl crush thing. LOL! ;P

all this tokidoki excitement has gotten me catching up on the recent tokidoki news and happenings, and... OMG! i found something that i am sooooooo definitely getting! (perhaps as an early birthday gift for myself) :)

check out the next blog entry (above) for more...

ps: while at this, be marvelled by the way awesome tokidoki art installation at K11 mall (hong kong)! how i wish i was going there sometime soon...

hey, i can 'see' you from here! :)

2011-08-17T21:53:00.006+08:00

i have been so occupied with work and all, just haven't had the time to sit down and update my blog in the past month or so. what started out as a bid to show a friend that i can keep at this for more than three months, has over the years, taken on a life of its own and became a personal little outlet to vent, to share my little mundane snippets, excitements and stories with people near or far, friends and strangers alike.

i was just checking around and scanning my site for any new features, and noticed that my ClustrMap (yes, that small little rectangular map on the right navigation bar, right under the 'visitors around the world' subheader) is now spotting some yellow dots too.

technology and its features just keep improving and getting better and more advanced each day. see, now as you are reading this on your computer screen (or perhaps your smart phone), i can spot you right there on my ClustrMap - in real-time... that tiny little yellow dot, yes! that's you! :)

there's even a small table recording the date, location and estimated time of the recent visitors to my site... so cool, erh? :)

has anyone used Skype via CallByText on your iPhone?

2011-08-17T21:24:00.004+08:00

i was just surfing around for some information on Skype and stumbled upon this site called CallByText. it claims to allow you to make phonecalls via your Skype account even when you are not connected to the internet. sounds too cool, isn't it?

but has anyone actually tried and tested this?
does it really work?

here's how it supposedly works:

it's free, it offer good savings, and there's even have a free app for iphone users, what's there not to like about it? so i tried downloading the app onto my phone, and went on to register myself for a free account. i got all the way through to the email verification part, and then i stopped and decided to just drop the whole idea.

so you see, this site that claims to be "not affiliated with Apple Inc. nor with Skype" actually asked for my Skype login and password as part of the registration process? oh no no no! that is one big security compromise! as attractive the thought of being able to access Skype calls without internet connection is, i just don't agree to the idea of providing my Skype login access to an unauthorised third-party.

not even the fact that CallByText was listed on CNET download.com, and its mediocre presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter could convince me to do otherwise. on the contrary, after giving it some thought, the realisation that this service has been around since october 2010, yet hasn't quite taken off or garnered warm response or reviews... made me all the more skeptical of it.

don't get me wrong, i so look forward to the day when i can make Skype or some form of VoIP calls without relying on my data plan or WiFi access - that would be too good to be true. but for now, without positive reviews and affirmation from the general target audience out there, i shall not risk it... and will just continue to pay for my international calls or enjoy my Skype-to-Skype free calls via the internet / data plan :)

Watsons pink ribbon walk 2011

2011-07-02T01:46:00.013+08:00

the annual breast cancer foundation pink ribbon walk is here again... and Watsons continues to be the anchor sponsor for the 2nd consecutive year, bringing us the Watsons pink ribbon walk 2011.

i was excited to receive the e-newsletter call for registrations earlier tonight but am quite disappointed when i found out that the organisers have decided to do away with the competitive run this year! also, together with the change in venue from the past two years' big splash @ the east coast park to the waterfront promenade @ the marina bay, the distance is now reduced from the original 5km to 3.2km :(

not that i'm exactly an athletic sportsperson, but the BCF pink ribbon walk/run has, over the years (since I first took part in october 2009), become my annual motivation to train and prepare myself to complete the whole course. even though the inaugural pink ribbon walk back in 2008 did start out without the run component, but as the competitive race got introduced in 2009, and carried on in 2010, the decision to suddenly revert back to a "walk only" event in it's 4th year, just doesn't seem to make much sense in terms of progress for an annual sporting event.

i guess i can understand if the organisers decided that it's more important to make this an opportunity to cheer on the breast cancer survivors, and encourage them to participate in a fun walk, hence the rationale in reducing the distance and intensity of the activity as well as the competitive nature of it, but i can't say that i'm equally enthusiastic about this year's pink ribbon walk.

i wonder what were the real reasons behind BCF and the organisers' decision to make such changes (including the change in timing from morning to evening) to the annual affair. anyway, now i'm in two minds about this whole thing, i do like the new location at the waterfront promenade, scenic dusk view and all... but i'd very much prefer to participate in the 5km run. oh well, i shall give myself some time to think over it, and decide if i'll still sign up just for continuity's sake.

date: 1 october 2011 (saturday)
time: 6:00pm
venue: marina bay waterfront promenade

the voyage night festival 2011 is here!

2011-07-01T19:22:00.002+08:00

the museum night festival is here again!

renamed the Voyage Night Festival 2011 this year, i'm looking forward to some spectacular outdoor performances, beautiful art installations, fires, lights and all... as good as the previous years! what's more, you get free admission to selected museums through the night (till 2:00am)... what's not to love about it?

so don't miss this chance, gather your friends, block your calendar today! :)

participating museums and locations include:

national museum of singapore
singapore art museum
peranakan museum
the substation
stamford green
singapore management university campus green

recap: night festival 2009; night festival 2008

yay! Singapore NDP... here i come! :)

2011-06-30T21:35:00.008+08:00

well... one of the combined rehearsals, that is :)
not the actual parade on 9 august, scaled down fireworks and such, but still cool!!!

C. and I had originally planned to meet for dinner this saturday, but she had called earlier to ask if i would like to change our plans and go watch the combined rehearsal for the Singapore National Day Parade (NDP) instead. C.'s friend had some extra tickets, and she's so nice to ask if she could bring a friend (me!) along. wow! between dinner and the NDP, my answer was a sure no-brainer! hehehe..

so here i am, finally going to attend my first ever NDP (even if it's just a combined rehearsal show) this weekend! yay yay yay! lucky me! *happy dance*

in fact, i did think of balloting for tickets to this year's parade sometime back, but had somehow missed the deadline. i had even bought one of those tacky "I <3 SG" Giordano t-shirts two weeks ago! LOL! perhaps i'm now being rewarded for that ;)

this year's NDP theme is Majulah! The Singapore Spirit.

"The 2011 NDP is the third one to be a full time musical, just like in the 1996 and 1997 editions, but for the first time will include the popular parade and ceremony segment. The entire show was written by Haresh Sharma. It revolves on the history of Singapore through the eyes of a mother and her son who was born on the same year as Singapore gaining full independence, and later on through her grandson, who sees the Singapore of today as well as in the coming future." (abstract from wikipedia - National Day Parade 2011)

i'm looking forward to the scenic waterfront, the live fireworks, the thundering Black Knights, the magnificent national flag flying above us, the mass singing of all those patriotic national day songs we were all so familiar with as a child, and that whole awesome experience of everyone in the crowd cheering on Singapore, the advanced celebration of our nation's 46th birthday together... and since this saturday is the 3rd combined rehearsal, i think we'll be receiving the NDP funpack too! AWESOME!

i can't wait.. :)

BIG thanks, C.!

btw, i'm bringing my buddy along. i think he'll really enjoy the 'lion city' celebrations too ;)

so what else is there to do if you didn't get any NDP tickets this year?

would you like to own a petite lap giraffe?

2011-06-21T14:18:00.003+08:00

this is not exactly new but i've only come across a picture of the oh-so-adorable petite lap giraffe (PLG) on Facebook over the weekend via a friend of a friend's profile picture.

the utter cuteness and intriguing (tiny) size of the giraffe made me stop and instantly google for answers... i just had to find out for myself, whether a giraffe that tiny really exists in this world.

and here's my answer - the petite lap giraffe - nothing but another make-believe story spun off as the anchor of a viral marketing effort of DirecTV.

here are the two TV commericals that started it all (courtesy of directv on youtube):

read all about it here - Petite Lap Giraffe Story Controversy - and visit the website to see how unsuspecting audiences worldwide fell in love with the cutest little fictional creature, and fell into the marketeers' trap :) even more remarkably, there is a 24/7 live feed of the farm on the homepage, if you're lucky, you might even spot the PLG strutting around right in front of your eyes!

in today's buzzling world of social media and citizen journalism, it is getting increasingly difficult for one to differentiate between real vs. fiction. there is often controversy around such tactics and the unorthodox engagement of social media marketing. but if you asked for my take on it, i'd say that's the beauty and power of the social media today. it's the flexibility, the possibility of creating anything out-of-the-box, things so bizarre and unbelievable, and actually making it convincing and viral. the onus is on you and i, to have an open mind, to question and investigate, to understand what's real and what's not, and while at it, take time to enjoy the ride, and appreciate some of these "how does anyone come up with something like this" kind of strange ideas and marvels :)

enjoy! and perhaps indulge in the thought that somewhere out there, in some far far away land, there could really be a colony of petite lap giraffes, yet unknown to the rest of the world...

if you don't have a basketball court near you...

2011-06-15T14:47:00.003+08:00

... just bring one right into your office! :)
simply no better way to practise your three-pointer shoots without even having to move your bum.. LOL.

btw, if you remember this older post...
now that we have upgraded to a new office, surely the old 'basketball court' needs an upgrade too, right? ;)

probably the most effective alarm clock you'll find...

2011-05-31T19:07:00.005+08:00

my brother used to set 3 alarm clocks around his bed, simply because he had the tendency to oversleep for school. i remember back in those days whenever i'm on leave and wanted to enjoy the luxury of sleeping in later, i would be super duper annoyed by his non-stop, repetitive shrills of alarms going on and on and on, one after another.... (and after 10 minutes of so, you would still find him sleeping like a log! *argh*)

so, for those of you who have difficulty waking up to the alarm clock too, i think this might just be for you! :)

(source: Mashable - Money-Shredding Alarm Clock is Completely Unforgiving)

as crazy as this may seem, i am actually convinced that this idea will work for most people! (especially if you insert a high denomination into the shredder... ouch!) :P brilliant!

but while you don't mind wasting an occasional $100 or so in exchange for a few extra minutes of sleep, bear in mind that it is actually a criminal offence to shred or destroy currency! haha!

we have moved!

2011-05-30T19:15:00.008+08:00

we have officially moved into our ~~spanking~~ brand new office today!

and i like it here! :)

actually, the physical move (all that unpacking, cleaning and personalising) took place last Friday.. but we sort of started a new work day afresh at our new location today.

everyone seems to be enjoying the new office so far, it's a bigger and brighter environment, the interior decor is nicely done up - fresher air, fun and coordinated colours, warm and comfortable, with enough space and rooms for meetings and break out activities. all in all, a more cheerful and conducive office, professional yet fun and casual enough, hope that bodes well for everyone.

there are many more corporate offices in this area too, with people dressed up in proper business attire.. makes us all more mindful of our own dressing too (far cry from our casual slippers and t-shirt days back at the Phase Z. Ro container-office or Holland Village residential unit)...

the lunch queues are longer here as well (not liking that so much) but i guess we'll soon get used to that or find our way around to some other favourite lunch spots in no time.

ooh.. and check this out too! our new office has a security biometric fingerprint reader at the door, it's so cool! i feel like a secret agent every time i get that "verified" message. LOL.. ;) awesome!

an epic marriage proposal - 13 million hits on YouTube!

2011-05-25T19:11:00.003+08:00

although i wouldn't exactly consider it the 'greatest marriage proposal ever'.. it is indeed a special and sweet one, made me tear up a little at the beginning when the girl realised what was happening...

i applaud the guy's creativity and courage (it must take some level of certainty and confidence for a guy to pull off such a 'involve everyone' kind of proposal, doesn't it?) :)

(courtesy of MattandGinny on youtube)

first posted on 16 May, this youtube clip has already garnered over 13 million views, and still counting! whoa... incredible! they're like some mini celebrities now. if you're keen on 'stalking' them further, you can follow their very own website at www.MattandGinny.com

thanks to davis for sharing this on FB.

remember your first kiss?

2011-05-11T16:20:00.002+08:00

haha.. so cute.. young and innocent, yet with a little cheekiness ;)

(courtesy of heyharmony on youtube)

check out this insane burger....

2011-05-09T14:30:00.008+08:00

if you've always thought burgers = fast food...

this video will re-define the way you judge them.

Dave Arnold's Burger Of The Future from Eater NY on Vimeo.

this is one seriously insane burger indeed!! all that time and effort... whoa!

i wonder if the taste was truly worth all that work??! if you hadn't watched this clip - just by looking at the innocent little burger, you wouldn't have imagined all those painstaking steps behind it, would you? :)

impressive, but crazy too.

source: Gizmodo via S. :)

mille crepes cake - mini teddy bear version :)

2011-05-03T22:07:00.005+08:00

i made a mille crepes cake over the long weekend again.

i was quite pleased with my first attempt at making the cake but there's definitely room for improvement, so this time i just wanted to make the crepes thinner and try the blow torch caramalised-sugar top.

the cake turned out pretty decent looking, it's still chilling in the fridge right now, so i can't quite comment on the taste yet (though i suspect the pastry cream was better the first time because i didn't whip the cream long enough this round so the consistency is a tad bit runnier)... oh well, that leaves room for a third attempt in the near future ;)

anyway, because i had made such a conscious effort to keep each and every crepe real thin and even this time, i actually ended up with some leftover batter after painstakingly completing 20 pieces of crepes (notable improvement considering i only made it to 17 layers the previous time before my batter ran out.. hehehe).

so, what good would some remaining 4 - 5 spoonfuls of crepe batter make?

i pondered for a moment... and this was what became of it *smile*..

tada! meet my special edition teddy bear mille crepes mini! :D

so cute, isn't it? hehehe.

i was able to use the last drops of batter to create 3 full-size crepes, then carefully etched out 20 identical teddy bears with the cookie cutter, and sandwiched each between a layer of the vanilla-baileys pastry cream, topped with sugar and blow torched (like creme brulee). small as it is, this sure is a complete mille crepes cake on its own too, not even a single layer short ;)

i'm not sure if i will go all out to make plenty of minis the next time, it's simply too time-consuming and exhausting. but i might have fun with a few other different cookie cutters if i have some leftover batter again the next time. so stay tuned...

my favourite moment of the Royal Wedding...

2011-05-01T15:02:00.002+08:00

i feel like a stalker posting this, but then who isn't? the whole world is probably a bigger stalker than i am, when it comes to the Royal Wedding that just took place 2 days ago :)

so, i don't feel so bad putting this on my blog. afterall, how many fairy tale royal weddings do one get in a lifetime anyway? *smile*.

such a sweet, happy, lovely picture... beautiful couple.

Congratulations to the new

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

(source: via news.xin.msn.com/royal-wedding)

harajuku lovers - G of the sea

2011-04-26T17:41:00.008+08:00

me likey this!! sooo adorable! :)

should i, should i not?

too pricey though.
i would get this if they have it in the smaller 15ml version.

to add to my tiny collection of the small HL fragrances *wink*.

sooo cuuuute...

Harajuku Girls G of the sea perfume (USD64)

edited to add: good news, fellow H.J.L. fans! this limited edition mermaid "G" is now available in Singapore! :) in fact, to my surprise, they have actually brought in the 15ml version of it too *woohoo*. as i had promised, i went ahead to get myself a 15ml bottle of this at a 10% discount ;) original retail price S$38, available at Takashimaya shopping centre fragrance department. go get yours now!

bunnies unite - happy easter! :)

2011-04-24T15:54:00.000+08:00

all the little bunnies at home came together to wish everyone...

HAPPY EASTER! :)

we are Singaporeans. double confirm! :)

2011-04-24T12:30:00.004+08:00

i'm a true blue Singaporean, grew up in the HDB neighbourhoods, love the hustles and bustles of the old estate, the familiar hawker centres, void deck shops, comfort food (and teh siew dai) :) even managed to tolerate and survive the noisy common corridors and screaming kids from the playground beneath the block.. hehe.

of course, i do have my fair share of complaints, discontent and gossips about the society, the education system, the not-so-gracious behaviour of some fellow Singaporeans etc. but at the very core of it, i am still happy and very proud to be a homegrown part of this little red dot.

once in a while, we come across local TV/movie productions that just blow you away - movies like "i not stupid"(Jack Neo), "881" (Royston Tan) etc. that have made a name even outside of Singapore, and i am proud of their achievements.

even on our local TV, i have gotten addicted to some very entertaining 'homemade' small bites that are simply hilarious. here are two current must-watch on Mediacorp Channel 5, if you haven't already become a fan:

1) The NOOSE

premiered back in 2007, the Noose is now already into its 4th season, yet i have enjoyed and continue to enjoy every single episode of this (thanks to the recording feature on HubStation). don't miss the most entertaining impersonations from funny bones like Chua En Lai, Michelle Chong, Alaric Tay etc., on local news and heartlanders stories with a twist (and lots of humour)!

2) We are Singaporeans

"... a gameshow about everything and anything to do with Singapore - from history to culture to trivia! Hosted by Hossan Leong, contestants will get the chance to walk away with $10,000 every week. We Are Singaporeans debuts on Channel 5 on 6 April, Wednesday at 8pm."

i think the trailers are superb and very successful! just seeing how funny Hossan Leong is makes me wanna watch the gameshow and find out what it's all about. if you don't believe me, watch the series of trailers below (my favourites are the supermarket and 'kopitiam' versions). i couldn't stop laughing everytime it comes on TV, and i didn't even mind watching them again and again! lol. soooo good and soooo Singaporean! :)

(all clips courtesy of mediacorpch5 on youtube)

happy easter 2011!

2011-04-20T18:34:00.009+08:00

it’s a short work-week this week, and who doesn’t love short work-weeks? :)

Easter is just around the corner, and it’s time for this self-declared Easter Bunny to hop by and leave little surprises for everyone in the office again!
(a personal little tradition - see previous years surprises: 2010 / 2008 / 2007)

our staff strength has certainly grown over the years... from a handful 4 years ago, to a little more.. and now i have 24 colleagues to plan for! *whoa* :P

well, more eggs to hide, more fun for everyone.. hehehe.

i certainly enjoy doing this, and it's so much fun seeing everyone go crazy hunting for their treasure eggs.

ooh.. and this year, the Easter Bunny herself received a very special HUGE version Easter egg too! awww... :) THANK YOU!

HAPPY EASTER 2011!

so much pollen...

2011-04-19T17:42:00.001+08:00

just saw this random video via xinmsn.
wow! the amount of pollen from that one single tree.. it looks almost unreal!
no wonder people in some countries get serious hay fever.

hmm.. is it just me? think my nose is feeling a little itchy now.. hehe ;)

(courtesy of peaveykid2 on YouTube)

my new uni STYLE FIT multi-colour pen :)

2011-04-12T15:43:00.004+08:00

there is just something about pens, writing materials and stationery... that makes people like me go a tad bit crazy and out of control. lol.

blame it on the colleague who wanted to stock up on some stationery, we popped by Evergreen stationery store after lunch today, and alas! i had to spend S$12.65 on a single writing instrument! *tsk tsk* :P

people who know me should know NOT to tempt me by taking me to a stationery shop or any place where you can find lots of unnecessary but too unresistably adorable little items.. hehehe. my weakness. sigh.

anyway, i have no idea how long this range of Uni STYLE FIT pens has been available in the market, but the concept of it is all so cool, and appeals much to someone like me who just can't resist switching my pens every now and then, changing the colours, and be surrounded with all things pretty, even around my desk.

so this is how it works:
1) select one of the 3-pen or 5-pen empty plastic barrels that come in several colours, prints and designs (plain, metallic, polka dot, ribbons etc.)
- honestly, this was what really got me :P

2) then customise your own barrel with the ink refills of your choice - pick from thickness of 0.28mm, 0.38mm or 0.5mm

3) of course, there are many many different ink colours to choose from - pinks, reds, oranges, greens, blues, browns, violets, black etc.

take your pick, mix-and-match, and voila!
that's how easy you can splurge over S$12 in an instant, just the way i did ;)

ok, now would you please just say WOW to my new pink girly ribbon-polka-dotted multi-coloured pen *wink*.

the origin of "angry birds"...

2011-04-11T19:00:00.000+08:00

received this in email from a colleague today, and it makes so much sense :)

if you are a fan of the game "angry birds" on iPhone / iPad etc... this certainly will not be unfamiliar to you.

just a happy monday.

2011-04-04T19:06:00.005+08:00

it's a happy day today.

you know... one of those seemingly ordinary days, but you just can't help smiling every now and then without an apparent reason.

ok, maybe it's because i had an enjoyable, relaxing weekend - spent time with good old friends, met some new friends, had some sumptuous and satisfying meals...
maybe because i got to chat with a good old friend via whatsapp over the weekend.
maybe because all that good wine i had at sunday lunch is only beginning to take effect now.. lol.
maybe because i woke up much earlier this morning than i usually would, so it felt that i had a few bonus hours to myself.
maybe it's because the much dreaded client meeting this morning actually went better than expected.
maybe it's just one of those very rare mondays when i actually don't feel super stressed or pressurised by multiple deadlines all at the same time (at least not for today *smile*).
maybe once in a while, God decides to just grant you an unconditional special happy day, so that you'll remember how wonderful it is to just feel happy, and that urge to smile silly to yourself.

whatever it is, i just want to remind myself what a sweet feeling this is.

that's why i'm posting this here, right now :)
perhaps this may bring on a little smile to whomever reading it as well.

ahh... bliss *smile*.

Denver, did you do this?

2011-03-27T19:59:00.008+08:00

lol.. saw this via Yahoo! news today.
some animals just have the funniest and most incredible personality and expressions :)
makes you go awwww....

can't embed the original clip from Good Morning America, so you'll just have to view it here on YouTube. see how guilty Denver looked when confronted by her owner... hehehe.

yay! it's a success - my first mille crêpes cake :)

2011-03-07T21:32:00.017+08:00

since it was the weekend
since i was feeling relaxed and nice
since i had a tea party with the girls to go to on sunday afternoon
since i was in the mood to whip up something nice
since the mille crêpes cake i tasted was oh-so-yummy
since i had the recipe from the link in my previous post

over the weekend, i attempted to make my very own mille crêpes at home :)
and i personally thought it turned out pretty well! *excited* hehehe.

ok, i have to admit.. the recipe called for 20 layers of crêpes with homemade vanilla pastry cream spread between each layer, but i wasn't careful with the portions, so i kinda ran out of batter by the time i got to the 17th slice. lol. i guess my first few slices were a tad too thick, the crêpes got smaller and pathetically thinner as i depleted my supply of batter :P next time, i must remember to make every slice real thin, even and nice. nonetheless, it's really rewarding to be able to make something i like - of course, having it look so good and taste yummy, that's an added bonus! *smiles*

surely, pictures express more than words, so i shall let them tell the rest of the story... :D

TADA!! :)

ps: i switched the regular sugar in the recipe with raw sugar (healthier choice), and substituted the kirsch with baileys (since that's what i had in the fridge).. works well for me.

mille crêpes... ooh yummilicious!

2011-03-01T19:15:00.007+08:00

wow! the yummiest cake i've tasted in a while... the mille crêpes!
i've never heard of or had this before.. until today. we had a combined birthday celebration for several colleagues earlier today, and a sweet colleague brought in a mille crêpes birthday cake from classic cakes... mmmm... it's heaven in a tiny slice!

*yumm yumm yumm* i'm so ordering this for the next birthday gathering or party :)
flaky, soft and light.. the texture is simply amazing!

click here for the recipe

i guess it's somewhat like the indonesian kueh lapis, but done with a french flare.
well, i can make the crêpes, will someone please assemble the rest for me? hehe..

a beautiful reward for an early-bird...

2011-02-18T07:00:00.001+08:00

sunrise this morning... *smile*.
really thankful for the momentarily peace, especially with the insanely stressful workday ahead. thank God for this. TGIF.

happy valentine's day

2011-02-14T14:14:00.004+08:00

happy valentine's day!

hope everyone will get to enjoy a lovely day with your loved ones - whether it's your significant other, family, good friends, or someone you love... just some special moments together :)

ps: happy birthday, carolyn!

my office became a 'crime scene' this morning...

2011-02-11T10:38:00.005+08:00

lol.

oh my, i so love the crazy bunch sometimes. i mean, where else would you find people who play pranks like these on... their boss? (he actually thought it's very cool and even posed as CSI Horatio with a 'live victim' lol).

my colleagues are really good with 'art installations' around the office... hehe ;)
take a look at what they had done to me sometime back.

new directions to my workplace...

2011-02-07T14:36:00.005+08:00

new directions to my workplace:
1) drive through the one-way lane along Jalan Kilang.
2) when you arrive at the junction, lift the metal lid, then go down the sewage drain.
3) you will find us at the other end of the tunnel (where there is light) ;)

ps: this picture has not been photoshopped, the sign did fall off. took this shot earlier today on our way back from lunch...

nissan LEAF commercial - so awwww..

2011-01-28T13:14:00.007+08:00

not a new one but this is such a cute commercial (yes, a little corny too), makes you go awwww... :)

it's also very sad though, being reminded once again, the cruel effects of global warming on magnificent creatures like polar bears and many many others.

(courtesy of on nissanusa youtube)

high school students now get to use iPad for lessons..

2011-01-18T20:49:00.011+08:00

Yahoo! News: Nanyang Girls' High students use iPad for lessons

wow! fortunate students.. to think i was once a student of NYGH Singapore too :)
whoa.. S$878 x 140 iPads... you do the math. anyway, i bet their school feels are like 100 x more expensive now, compared to what i had paid for back then.. *smile*, so i guess their parents must have paid enough for such luxuries anyway.

really cool initiative but pricey too, and how much it actually contributes to the students' learning... guess no one can really tell for sure.

i wonder though, how did the school select the exclusive 140 students from the entire cohort to enjoy this privilege?

1 day only - Apple store lunar new year specials (Singapore and selected countries only)

2011-01-14T02:33:00.014+08:00

deck yourself out in all things Apple this lunar new year.
don't miss this one-day special promotion, only at the Apple Store (Singapore and selected countries).

hurry down to your nearest store now, or check out www.apple.com.sg - remember, reduced prices only on 14 jan 2011! :)

happy new year 2011!!!

2011-01-01T01:11:00.001+08:00

some time ago, i looked at the rate i was posting on my blog and thought that i would be breaking my own record and hit the highest number of posts in a single year in Year 2010. well, looks like i got distracted, occupied, and lazy. the final count for 2010 was 112 posts - that's 5 whole posts short from the previous year :P

i guess if i had set that as a concrete goal for myself and had perservered enough, that would have been done, i could have easily surpassed that figure. life is often so unpredictable. sometimes we come so close to something we want, yet we take it for granted - an object of desire, a simple goal, a dream, a passing fancy... if we're not careful with it, it'll just slip through our fingers. nothing is guaranteed, nothing is unchangeable.

but that's not always bad.

through the years, i've learnt to accept that things change, and allow myself to be less rigid, to move with the flow, to enjoy and appreciate life one day at a time. i still believe in dreaming, in fairy tales, in working hard and giving my utmost to what i value, but at the same time, even as i often pray and look forward to the best outcomes of my wishes, i don't pretend that the possibility of things going the opposite direction doesn't exist. change is not always bad, it forces people to be fluid, to be less stubborn; and change sometimes also means a second chance, an opportunity to do it better, a glimpse of hope.

another year has gone by, another year older (and wiser, i hope) :)
2010 has made me more aware of myself, of the environment and people around me. it has taught me to cherish the people, the things, the experiences - whether good or bad, in my life. they collectively make me who i am, constantly shaping me, changing and yet reinforcing the way i think, the way i act, the way i am... the person i want to be.

2010 had been a good year all in all, some ups and some downs, some gains and some losses, some new insights, some silly mistakes, some new friends made, and perhaps some toes stepped on too :P

i thank everyone who's been there with me, for me through 2010, and i hope you'll continue to bear with me, root for me, stand by me through the new year 2011 as well.

to everyone reading this,
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

and, however cliche this sounds... may all your dreams come true :)

see the world through Barbie's eyes (or chest) :P

2010-12-10T09:41:00.006+08:00

toys nowadays are really changing so quickly to catch up with the times. meet VideoGirl, this very cool Barbie doll released earlier in July this year - she's a doll and a video camera at the same time! makes me wonder what's the age of the youngest film-maker on youtube now :)

anyway, as with all things, with the good stuff.. comes some bad stuff too.
check this out too: FBI warns Barbie doll could be used for child porn

to squeeze... or not to squeeze?

2010-12-02T18:30:00.009+08:00

i once saw a documentary on TV, showing a giant octopus squeezing through the tiniest of holes (probably 100 times smaller than itself), and yet possesses such amazing instincts and perfect familiarity of its own body and limitations, that if the hole was made just a notch smaller, it would know in an instant that it's too small for it to fit, and wouldn't even bother to waste effort trying at all.

i was in total awe of the magnificent slimy creature after watching the entire documentary - such an intelligent, witty, quick-learning aquatic 'transformer'. so much so that i've decided to avoid eating octopus if i could have a choice.

with that in mind.. the following youtube clip just says a completely different story of another curious creature.. lol.

i love kitty cats. this one is just too funny.
you HAVE to wait and watch the part at time stamp 2:08 - simply hilarious!

intelligent? cute? stupid? or simply unconcerned with the conventions?
you decide. hehe ;)

(courtesy of mugumogu on youtube)

today's horoscope..

2010-12-02T08:18:00.005+08:00

horoscope reading for Libra today, sounds lovely :)
i especially like the last line, so nice, so true.

"You may feel less emotional today about an important issue as the moody Moon leaves your sign, but you still have unresolved stress to handle. Fortunately, things should take a turn for the better and you'll be able to dream your way through the day. Just keep in mind that the beauty you see out there is a reflection of what you have within your own heart." (Rick Levine via Tarot.com)

the polar bears have swum their way to Long John Silvers

2010-11-27T23:38:00.011+08:00

gotta check this out if you:

love the white fluffy polar bears
are a huge fan of coca cola and all things coke
enjoy Long John Silvers

i haven't stepped into a Long John Silvers restaurant for the longest time. in fact i think i can count with one hand, the total number of times i've ever had food there. by fast food standards, it's actually not a bad place but somehow it just never comes up to the top of my list even when I do crave some fast food *shrugs*. i have to admit though, i do kinda like their salty crispy fries, the coleslaw and the extra crunchy flour bits they throw in whenever you order fried stuff :)

this evening, i passed by a Long John Silvers restaurant after running some errands, wasn't thinking of getting anything there but the promotional pullup banner at the entrance stopped me in my tracks. it said - purchase any combo meal, upsize your drink, and get one of the featured coca-cola-branded stuffed polar bears for only S$1.80! :) yea, i know... i really don't need another stuffed toy, but the picture of those cute little palm-size wintery white fluffy bears with their festive red scarf, fleece hat and coca cola bottle in hand, just made it so hard to resist, you know? hehe. so i succumbed and walked right into the restaurant... figured i could have a mango fish wrap combo for dinner anyway.

just look at him, isn't he super uber adorable? wouldn't you be tempted if you saw it too? ;) promotion started today (27 nov), one new bear each week.... so hurry down to your nearest branch, and collect all 4!

the 'unhappy meal' in San Francisco

2010-11-08T21:08:00.011+08:00

looks like kids growing up in San Francisco will never know what a happy meal really is anymore :P

McDonald's slams San Francisco ban on Happy Meals

honestly, i do remember very fondly of my childhood Mcdonald's (singapore) toys - the tiny muppets dolls, the annual lunar new year animal characters, cartoon figurines, ronald mcdonald and friends etc. wow... i guess it must be a miracle i'm not obese by now :P

i'd have to agree though, that most kids don't really associate the big fat yellow 'M' with the 'high-calorie', 'too much fat and sugar' food it serves; it is the FREE toy that most definitely does the magic, or at least the aspiration of going to McDonald's (just like when Mummy steps into a Louis Vuitton or Gucci store for the first time). i remember when my nephew turned two, he could excitedly call out 'McDonald's' whenever we drove pass the big yellow sign... and that's even before anyone ever took him to one. i wondered where on earth did he get all that excitement and knowledge of McDonald's from, and then he said, "i want that toy on the TV!"

yup, sometimes even Auntie Celest wants some of those toys too.
remember the hello kitty extra value meal craze many years ago? uh huh, 'happy meals' are definitely not for-kids-only.

does it make you wonder now...
if you took your child to McDonald's, and gave him/her two options:
(i) a happy meal with healthy fruits and vegetables AND a free toy, or
(ii) a super tasty, crispy deep-fried, 300% salt and fat overloaded 'unhappy meal' with NO toy

which do you think his/her choice would be?

M.A.C. - a tartan tale

2010-11-08T19:42:00.011+08:00

i'm usually on the fence with M.A.C cosmetics. i know there is a huge fan following for M.A.C., making sure that all limited edition new collections get snapped up within days or even hours of their launch, but for me, M.A.C. is usually a hit or miss, and i always still have my soft spot for stila, too faced, Paul & Joe and such... what can i say, i'm a packaging kind of girl, the makeup has to look pretty in the palette before i can be convinced that it'll look pretty on me :)

M.A.C. launches a new collection every month or so, they're usually very bold and loud, hardly my cup of tea. once in a while though, i do get attracted and even tempted by some of their whimsical, mod-style collections.... just like its current Tartan Tale collection, totally spot on for me! gosh, shall i make a trip down to CK Tangs this evening? ;) wonder if there's anything left...

a tartan tale
We're telling a slightly twisted Tartan Tale to celebrate holiday, in all its posh, punk, ancestral, anarchic, noble and naughty glory. Royal and raunchy, colours and patterns collide, fantasies come true, punk fairies take flight with enchanted new looks. Be transformed! (abstract from maccosmetics.com)

gee, i'm so loving these... the scottish checked prints and crest on the cases/pouches are soo pretty! ooh tempting tempting tempting :P

view more gorgeous pics. here:

next stop - mega zip @ sentosa singapore

2010-10-28T10:54:00.009+08:00

people who know me usually wouldn't associate me with the outdoor, adventurous kind, and they're right. i'm quite conservative and am generally happy staying within my comfort zone most of the time. but that doesn't mean i don't like to try new things, i do! and i also enjoy an adventure or two every now and then - be it new food, explore a new place / city, attempt a new activity or a new experience... i guess it depends on who i'm doing all that with :)

two weekends ago, i tried the forest adventure @ bedok reservoir park and enjoyed myself more than i'd expected. it was not entirely an easy breezy course for me, but i guess that makes it all the more exciting. and now that i've tried my first 'flying fox' adventure here in singapore, i'm actually craving for more *smile* - so this is what i would love to do next...

(courtesy of MegaZipAdventurePark on youtube)

check out the megazip adventure park @ sentosa singapore.
i've heard of this when we're planning for the forest adventure earlier, but haven't actually checked out the site until i received an email mailer two days ago. whoa! this looks like a lot more challenging and exciting than forest adventure. there seems to be only one 'flying fox' (they call it the MegaZip) but from the pictures, it looks much higher (75m high), steeper and further (450m long) than the one at the bedok reservoir park! it goes across the Imbiah Walk, pass the Siloso Beach, all the way over the water, finally landing on an offshore smaller isle. so cool!

the forest adventure @ bedok is a complete outward-bound-type course that incorporates 3 - 4 'flying fox' rides within it, like a combination of activities that you can find at megazip. whereas the MegaZip @ sentosa is one single ride on a longer and probably more exhilarating 'flying fox' journey across the zip wire. they do have other activities such as the ClimbMax, ParaJump, NorthFace but can be done as a combo package or separately on its own. everything looks really fun and hugely challenging (at least to me), i'm sure this will be a big hit with extreme sports lovers. i've experience something similar to the ParaJump at the forest adventure, and it sure was the most dreadful part for me. lol... i hate the part where you step off the platform and just jump into thin air, but it's also the part where i felt the most accomplished after :) so i'm very certain ParaJump will be a 'killer' activity for me, one that will so tempt me and yet repulse me at the same time.

i haven't actually set a date or make plans to do this yet... still looking for the right friends to try it together. but this is a definite to-do on my list. if not everything (i'm not sure if i'm fit enough to conquer NorthFace), at least MegaZip and ParaJump, and perhaps ClimbMax too, if i feel confident enough *adrenaline rush*... woohoo!

what: megazip adventure park
where: imbiah bill, sentosa
prices:
- (MegaZip) S$29 per flight
- (ClimbMax) S$24 per circuit
- (ParaJump) S$12 per ~~suicide~~ jump
- (NorthFace) S$20 per climb
- (Combos) S$49 - S$69 for combination of activities
URL: www.megazip.com.sg
see what you're in for (virtual tour)

kung fu cats

2010-10-25T16:26:00.006+08:00

i don't know why this is so funny... perhaps just because it's so silly and totally meaningless. lol. life's simple pleasure - to be able to watch a silly youtube clip about two cats, and laugh ;)

beautiful felines by the way.

(courtesy of on hkbecky youtube)

baby in watermelon

2010-10-21T14:48:00.003+08:00

hahaha.. there's been debate whether the watermelon is real or fake...
but whatever it is, this is just super cute :) the baby looked pretty content licking within the watermelon.. lol.

(courtesy of sharma193 on youtube)

my first forest adventure...

2010-10-17T22:56:00.017+08:00

this was what my girlfriends and i did yesterday, probably the most adventurous and fun outdoor activity i've done in a long long while :) it was absolutely nerve-wrecking and oh-so-thrillingly awesome at the same time.

i loved the 'flying fox' - the parts when i'm cruising high above ground flying across the reservoir, not so much the initial big step off the platform - i had to psych myself up for that, and take a huge breath and hold it before each and every jump... but once your feet are off the platform, cruising through the air, it's just a wonderful adrenaline rush all the way :)

my scariest station was the free-fall 'tarzen swing', that may seem simple but trust me, the very moment you stand at the edge of the platform, looking at how high and far the drop is, taking that step off the platform suddenly seems like the most impossible thing to do. lol. well, we all did it anyway. woohoo! *a round of applause for everyone*

so who says there's nothing adventurous to do in Singapore?
go try this yourself.

what: forest adventure singapore
where: bedok reservoir park (alight and walk from the car park)
prices:
(grand course) at least 1.4m tall, max. 130kg
- S$36 per adult
- S$34 per student
- S$32 per youth below 18 (must be supervised by an adult)
(kids' course) at least 1.1m tall
- S$24 per child
URL: www.forestadventure.com.sg
see what you're in for (promo video)

remember miffy? part 2...

2010-10-14T19:45:00.012+08:00

when i posted 'remember miffy' on here back in August, i mentioned it to a colleague and she clearly remembered miffy and we got into a mini conversation around the little illustrated character, history and what we had remembered of it.

little would i know that the little conversation actually brought miffy to me! hehe.. this was what i received for my birthday from the colleague when i came back to work middle of this week :)

new case (with front flap) for my iPhone!
weee... miffy + polka dots + pink!!
what more could i have asked for? hehehe.. ;)
thank you!

btw, you can now download desktop wallpapers of miffy and other designs from women'secret online. check them out here.

this is how a McDonald's Happy Meal looks like after 180 days...

2010-10-14T17:23:00.006+08:00

let's take a look at an interesting photography project - the McDonald's Happy Meal Project, or view the original photos posted on Flickr by Sally Davies.

granted this 'Happy Meal Art Exhibit' was created and photographed in New York City, where weather conditions are generally cooler and less humid than it is here, it is still quite scary to imagine how the 'meal' could withstand decomposition for that long.. 180 days, that's 6 whole months!

and if you think the insane amount of preservatives in the food is the sole reason protecting it from decomposition, read this...

"But scientists say preservatives aren't the main reason why the Golden Arches' food won't break down -- it's fat. Fries and burgers sold by McDonald's are high in fat -- more than 50 percent of the calories found in McDonald's french fries come from fat, the same amount as in the restaurant chain's burgers.

"Anything that is high in fat will be low in moisture," Washington State University Professor Barry Swanson said. Low moisture on a surface means mold can't grow, which means the food can't decay. And don't forget the salt." (Source: ThirdAge.com)

i really can't decide which is worse :P

my high school class reunion

2010-10-10T22:10:00.002+08:00

today, 10.10.10, may be a special day for weddings (i'm sure the total number of marriage registrations at the R.O.M. today is a record high)... but it's also a special day for me because my first ever high school reunion in 15 years, happened today!

thanks to the power of social networks, reconnection between old (or long-lost) friends are no longer a tedious and time-consuming affair. even though i'm hardly on Facebook (honestly, i actually avoid it), i happened to stumble upon an old high school class photo on a friend's profile page, just at the right time, to find out about the impromptu breakfast meetup this morning! talk about perfect timing.. hehehe.

i don't actively add friends on Facebook, and have not actually established a connection with these former classmates, but i decided to 'gatecrash' the gathering anyway :) at first, i was a little hesistant, not sure whether it would be awkward meeting these girls for the first time after such a long while. i could barely even remember some of these classmates' names, but i figured the feeling would probably be mutual, and i sure didn't want to miss this once-in-15-years chance to catch up with old classmates...

at the end, i'm certainly glad i showed up for it. it turned out to be quite a cozy gathering, just 9 of us (about one-third our class size). i'm not close to most of the girls present but it's amazing how we all broke the ice very quickly, and started sharing details of our lives just like old friends. it's very interesting to see the diversity even in such a small group, how each of us have branched out onto a different path, a different career, a different kind of life, despite having shared a similar educational background. it is encouraging, and inspirational, hearing about everyone's stories and experiences over the years... realising that success and happiness can take form in so many different ways, at different aspects of life, in whatever we choose, even with the occasional challenges that life throws at us. sometimes it's easy to get caught up in our own little world, and forget that other people too, share the same trials and tribulations of today's world, that we're not the only one whom has been through difficult times.

what i thought would be a 30 min. quick meetup eventually became a 3 hour cozy and fun all-girls chit chat session. at the end of it, we exchanged phone numbers (oh you wouldn't believe how many iPhone users there are amongst the 9 of us. lol!), and were already starting to plan for a next gathering at one of the girls' new bacherlorette pad :)

it was a really nice gathering, i had fun.

ps: i just realised THIS entry marks my 100th post for the year.. what a 'perfect 10 day' coincidence, erh? ;)

happy perfect 10 day! :)

2010-10-10T10:10:00.010+08:00

today is 10.10.10.
whether you input this date in the UK or US format (or even in the Chinese format of
年/月/日), it's still the perfect 10. isn't it beautiful? :)

some people wouldn't even get the chance in their lifetime to experience this - a once in a century event. i feel special just being a part of this day.

so, happy perfect 10, everyone.
have a perfect day!

here's a little message to share (excerpt from a Chinese short stories book by author 黄桐):

《幸福就像狗尾巴》
其实，幸福就像狗尾巴，
当你兜了一圈又一圈，费尽心力企图抓住它，
它将永远跑在前头让你追，
但是只要你放下追逐，只管往前走，
幸福的尾巴，就会永远跟着你！

happiness is like a dog's tail,
no matter how you pursue it,
around and around, you'll never catch up...
but as soon as you abandon the chase, and carry on ahead,
you'll find the tail of happiness, following closely right behind you!

CSI: the experience @ singapore science centre

2010-10-06T12:58:00.004+08:00

ooh.. i'm really keen on going for this one.
anyone else interested in being a CSI agent for a day? ;)

what: 'CSI: the experience' exhibition
where: science centre singapore - 15 science centre road, singapore 609081
when: (from 16 october 2010) tuesdays to sundays, 10am - 6pm, closed on mondays and public holidays
URL: http://singapore.csiexhibit.com

i've got swings on my wall :)

2010-10-04T18:45:00.005+08:00

i like whimsical items, and that shows in the things i have around me - personal items, cosmetics packaging, notebooks, pouches, desktop decorations, outfits etc.

now i even have whim on my bedroom wall.. hehe.
check it out...

isn't this just so adorable and sweeeeeeeet? :)
it was love at first sight, i like how carefree the kids look, the simple colours, the silhouettes. i didn't plan on getting this but when i saw it, i could immediately picture it in my bedroom, exactly where i wanted it to be.

i chanced upon this tiny corner booth at Plaza Singapura on saturday, and saw this in their catalogue. i had previously seen wall decals/stickers at friends' homes, mostly in their nursery or baby rooms, and knew there were plenty of designs and styles for different preferences and surfaces, but just never quite paid much attention to them until i found the perfect one for myself. the prices were quite reasonable, between S$10 - S$50 for most designs/sizes, and they're reusable too. i got mine at S$20 (approx. 1m x 1m size).

the entire picture came in over 20 separate parts, took me about 20 mins. to carefully peel off and transfer them piece by piece onto the wall next to my bed. i had to pause and take a few steps back to survey the entire view a few times, to make sure everything fits correctly and nicely in place, not too low, not too high. it's fairly simple and easy to do it yourself, a very fun mini bedroom makeover project too. i really enjoyed putting it together and seeing the whole picture come together at the end, it's simple fun and somewhat fulfilling too :)

last night, i went to bed smiling as i admired the image on my wall. even as i laid in bed, i couldn't stop staring up at the wall until i drifted off to sleep....

check out other designs here.

Harajuku Lovers are wicked ;)

2010-09-25T20:32:00.019+08:00

if something this cute ain't wicked, then what is it? lol.

i first came across Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers fragrance (original set) during my vacation in Seattle back in 2008. it was love at first sight. i KNEW i had to bring home some of those even before i had a sniff of the scents. as it turned out, they were all very pleasant and i even got oddly hooked to the unusual fruity coconuty scent of 'G'. so i ended up with a big splurge at Macy's, left the store with the 10ml petite bottle of 'G' and 'LOVE', and the entire set of solid perfume cuties :P

in mid-2009, the brand launched a limited edition seasonal collection featuring the same 5 dolls dressed in warm fluffy winter coats and each spotting rosier cheeks - the 'Snow Bunnies' collection! even though i wasn't in the USA then, Harajuku Lovers eventually made it to the departmental stores here, and so i added the new 'G' and 'BABY' to my collection. from then on, i knew there was just no turning back *gulp*...

and right i was. earlier this year, when Summer came, the Harajuku Lovers left their thick winter clothes behind and showed more skin :) these 'Sunshine Cuties' looked sooooo adorable in their tiny bikinis and bathing suit, they even had tanner skin, and oh.. look at 'LOVE' with her over-sized sunshades! hehehe... how could i resist? *tsk tsk tsk*. i chose the 10ml 'G' and 'LOVE' again. this time, other than 'G', each doll's scent was slightly different from the original, so that made it more interesting.

when i saw the new 'Wicked Style' Harajuku Lovers on sephora.com, i must say Harajuku Lovers are just wicked! lol. i'm gonna be broke collecting them, even though i limit myself to only 2 dolls per season, it all still adds up :P

initially, i thought i would be safe with the 'Wicked Style' cuz it's darker, more 'emo' and not quite my usual fancy, but they actually grew on me. yikes! the scents are new, and they now have fuzzy felt heads, new hairdo too! cute. i've already taken a liking to 'G', 'BABY' and 'LIL' ANGEL'.

hmm.. i don't think they'll be available on our shore for at least another month or so, let's just see if i'll still be tempted then ;) oh wicked wicked wicked...

Kotex designs - sanitary pads with pretty prints..

2010-09-24T22:31:00.020+08:00

(both clips courtesy of kotexspore on youtube)

hmm.. i can't figure out how i feel about this.
i mean, i do like the pretty floral (and butterflies) prints but i don't see the point in this. i can understand where the marketers are coming from... i'm just not quite buying into the idea.

don't get me wrong, i'm ALL for pretty, girly, sexy underwear and lingerie - polka dots, satin, lacy, florals, wild safari prints etc., you name it. some ladies may not be particular with them since underwear stays underneath our daily outfits, but i like the way i feel in the pretty ones.

i tried to apply that same 'feel-good' theory to the Kotex printed sanitary pads but it just doesn't feel the same. short of getting into the details, i'm sure everyone knows where that pad will eventually end up no matter how pretty it is.. erh was. besides, i'd be a little paranoid with the added colour/inks, it can't be too good that close to our skin.

hmm.. but you know what's the odd thing? for me, i suspect i would actually be lured into buying the product if all those pretty designs were to go onto the exterior packaging, not on the pad itself. hehe.

so what do you think? will you give this a try?

mila's daydreams..

2010-08-28T02:39:00.011+08:00

once in a while, you come across a blog that you really like.
and then once in a while, you come across a blog that you simply love.
THIS is one of them :)

i super uber adore this blog - Mila's daydreams. reading it makes me smile.

"This is my maternity leave hobby. While my baby is taking her nap, I try to imagine her dream and capture it." ~ Adele Enersen

such creativity, beauty and sheer ingenuity... a very special and sweet activity between a mum and a newborn daughter; a cute, meaningful way to document the baby's growth through the days/months as well. i'm sure this would make a lovely keepsake for everyone in the family for many years to come, even for Mila herself when she grows up.

i wonder if Mila sleeps soundly through it all as her mum goes about building 'dreams' around her *smile*.

thanks to Davis who shared this in email - her eldest daughter happens to be named Mila too :)

remember miffy?

2010-08-18T18:32:00.006+08:00

any of you remember miffy?
if it rings a bell, then you're probably born in the same era as me.. lol.

women's secret has just launched a new miffy collection for the casual and underwear, so nostalgic! i like these - miffy accessories and paper pins :D

i remember how i used to love going to the national library because i would always max. out my loan limit on miffy look books.. hehe. they're just so cute, simplest shapes, cutest bunnies with "x" shaped mouths... image filled books, minimum text, interesting texture (sometimes they had cut out shapes with woolly fabric bunny prints) - guess i've always been drawn to visuals more than words :)

anyway, i haven't seen miffy around for a long time now. just heard from a friend that it's actually still very popular in Japan. check out the official website.. super cute! even the cursor is a miffy bunny paw.. awww. lol.

oh well, sometimes a woman just needs her 2 min. of childish time :P helps keep one sane on stressful days.

Ris Low's YOG cheer

2010-07-26T17:39:00.008+08:00

i don't really know why i'm posting this here, i don't even find this amusing.
looks like Miss Ris Low makes a come back again *horror*.. her attempt at creating some YOG cheers in response to The New Paper contest.

makes you wonder what was she thinking again.
view only if you really wanted to.

perhaps in a week's time, she'll issue a press release to say that The New Paper paid her for this, to draw publicity to the contest... just like her "guest appearance" joke on april fools' day for radio 987FM? remember?

(courtesy of ElectricNewPaper on youtube)

weird things happen...

2010-07-22T21:38:00.006+08:00

something weird just happened.

for the first time in my life, i actually felt sorry for a cockroach!
anyone who knows me will be aware that i'm deadly terrified of them.. the sight, sound or idea of these yucky, disgusting flying creatures just horrifies me. unfortunately, i seem to never be able to shake them out of my life.. they're just super resistant, existing in every corner, everywhere around the world.

anyway, i was at the office female toilet earlier. i had first checked around for any signs of the 'terror', confirmed that i was safe before stepping into a cubicle. just right after i was done using the toilet and about to flush, i saw a very tiny (ladybug-size) cockroach appear under the seat. i jumped, and that sent the mini-roach scrambling frantically around trying to avoid being stepped on. it was so tiny but so fast, darted from one corner to another and finally dodged right under the tiniest ~~sheet~~ ~~piece~~ fragment of toilet paper on the floor. as much as i loathe cockroaches, at that very moment, i actually pity that tiny little thing. no it was not cute, but it was so scared (and looked pretty harmless). that fragment of paper is no larger than a thumb, yet it stayed so still under it, right in the middle of the cubicle floor. it's almost amusing.

i could have just stepped and killed it in an instant (i wouldn't in any case), but i just let it be. i hope i will not regret this some day, when it grows up to its full adult size and really terrorise me in the toilet...

anyway, on this day, that creature got lucky. the toilet paper act saved its life. and right after i stepped out of the cubicle to wash my hands, it came out of hiding. hmm..

coca-cola on the go...

2010-07-22T20:59:00.012+08:00

i'm not a coke fan, but i know many friends who are. i'm like an old auntie.. hehe, my favourite drink is hot milk tea, and i seldom or almost never take cold drinks, especially the carbonated ones. nonetheless, that didn't stop me from bagging a set of these coca-cola cuties the moment i saw them at the store! ok, i don't use 4 lip balms/gloss at the same time - the regular coke set is a surprise gift for a gf, mine's the vanilla lip balm *slurp.. yummy* (it smells and even tastes a little like the real thing!)

i've always read of lip smacker and their wide range of very interesting co-branded and food/drink-flavoured lip products online, but sadly they're just hardly available here in Singapore. in recent years, thanks to globalisation, expanding retail giants and even the more enterprising smaller blogshops, we're now beginning to find more exciting, cutesy merchandises on our tiny little island too :) besides the regular coca-cola and vanilla coke flavours, i also spotted sprite, fanta - strawberry, orange & grape too! such lovely collectibles.. hurry, go grab yours today before they're all gone!

available at Guardian Pharmacy at the following prices:

regular lip balm (S$4.90)
clear lip gloss (S$6.90)
roller-ball lip gloss (S$7.90)
packaged set of all 3 lip items (S$15.90)

i hope they'll bring in the lip smacker paul frank lip balms set too.. way toooooooo adorable! (don't ask me how i'll ever get to finish my lip balms) :P

this July, be pretty in Paris with Chelsea and stila!

2010-07-20T21:14:00.018+08:00

following up on my post in June about stila's 'wish you were here' U.S.A. road trip... here's the second part of the road trip - this time to romantic Paris, with virtual girl Chelsea! ooh la la...
this looks so pretty too! i simply love the packaging (haha.. yes, you know me) :P and what's there to resist when each adorable palette goes for only US$10.00! eeks! why oh why don't they sell this in Singapore too? *sob*

i soooooo sooooo wanna collect the ENTIRE collection of 5.
if they still have all in stocks by the time the 5th palette is released, i will so do a spree for myself ;)

next up on the road trip map in mid-August is kawaii Tokyo (Japan)! take a sneak peek here:

btw ladies, the Borderlinx Singapore 15% off shipping is still valid, all the way till 31 jul 2010. so if you like what you see, there's still time ;) simple apply discount code 440067 or 804062.

i lost my voice

2010-07-20T10:53:00.008+08:00

down with a sudden fever, throat infection and such last week, i've lost my voice for the past two days, could not utter a word at all. i was back at work in the office yesterday, armed with a mini stack of recycled calendar paper and a pen, scribbling everywhere i go.. guess it was pretty fun, and quiet. lol (actually, in my case.. laughing in silence.. hehe).

this morning, i finally got my voice back, well.. somewhat - if you can consider the hoarse and muffled sounds i am beginning to make, a voice. at least i don't have to rely on the pen and paper anymore. if you listen intently enough, you'll get what i say.

i just logged on to igoogle and here's my horoscope for today... such an irony, thought i'd share :P

Libra - You can trick yourself into believing nearly anything today, but you probably won't be inclined to share your experiences until later this evening. However, once you begin talking, it might be difficult to know when to stop because your judgment isn't as sharp as usual. Remember, less is more. You're likely to get into trouble for what you say, rather than for what you didn't. (tarot.com)

the Internet acronyms test - what is your score?

2010-07-16T23:09:00.025+08:00

how well do you know your Internet acronyms? :)

in this day and age where ~~anything~~ most things quick, easy, shortcut are associated with better efficiency, we find ourselves bombarded with an ever-growing list of acronyms everywhere we go. ok, i'm not referring to the almost gibberish text-message-style abbreviations or slangs such as 'dunno', 'i luv u', 'wer r u', 'nmd abt tat ger who bot ur reserved makeup, more stks wil cum in tml', 'wat wer u tinking', 'i tot i saw u der'... *shudder* or the informal chat style short forms such as LOL, ROFLMAO, BRB, IDK, IIRC, IMHO, TMI...

what i'm talking about here are the common, universally recognised Internet (or tech) acronyms that we use so often in our daily lives that we wouldn't even stop to think twice about. so short, so quick, used so easily, that we probably didn't even realise that we didn't know what they stand for in the first place.

so, let's try this quick little test.. see how well you fare (without cheating) ;)

ps: this list is by no means exhaustive, i'm just listing those at the top of my mind. please feel free to add on in the comments too.

WWW
URL
HTML
HTTP
FTP
RSS
DOS
SMS
MMS
PDF
MP3
JPEG
GIF
EPS
SEO
CSS
API
CMYK
RGB
ATM
bonus: IBM
- yup, the company that recently messed up DBS ATMs islandwide

(scroll to the end of this post for the answers)

inspirations and resources:

(scroll further down for the answers)

answers:
(1) world wide web (2) uniform resource locator (3) hypertext markup language (4) hypertext transfer/transport protocol (5) file transfer protocol (6) really simple syndication (7) disk operating system (8) short message service (9) multimedia messaging service (10) portable document format (11) moving picture experts group-1 (MPEG-1) audio layer 3 (12) joint photographic experts group (13) graphics interchange format (14) encapsulated postscript (15) search engine optimisation (16) cascading style sheets (17) application programming interface (18) cyan, magenta, yellow, key black (19) red, green, blue (20) automated teller machine (21) international business machines

would you smile for an ice-cream? ;)

2010-07-12T18:15:00.006+08:00

i would! :)

check out this really cool smile-activated vending machine - Share Happy Ice-Cream Machine, commissioned by Unilever.

(courtesy of LionsDailyNews2010 on youtube)

it's a very cute idea, though i doubt it'll continue to give our free ice-cream forever...
i certainly wouldn't mind smiling for a free cone or creamy scoop on a hot summer afternoon, though i'm not so sure about the uploading to Facebook part, but i guess it'll be quite funny seeing photos of grown-up men and women trying to smile as big as possible to pass the detector. lol.. cute.

also check out: Coca-Cola Happiness Machine (both developed by SapientNitro)

just a little child biting another little child's finger...

2010-07-12T17:24:00.007+08:00

disclaimer: these kids have absolutely no relation to me at all.

given that this video was originally posted back in 2007, they're probably much older by now, but this is just so funny, i guess it's never too late to pass it on... and look - over 200 million views! haha, sure scored much better than many big-budget viral campaigns ;)

i guess the video became such a phenomenon, the family even started a blog titled Charlie Bit My Finger - Again! lol.

oh well, just some of the cutest and funniest things little children do. lol...
i love both their expressions :)

(courtesy of HDCYT on youtube)

Watsons Pink Ribbon Walk & Run 2010

2010-07-09T19:04:00.009+08:00

the Breast Cancer Foundation's charity walk / run is here again. switching up its sponsor this year, the event is now called the Watsons Pink Ribbon Walk / Run 2010.

last year's pink ribbon walk / run was my first ever experience at a charity walk.. it was fun, and i've decided to continue and make it a mini tradition for myself *smile*. this year, instead of signing up for the leisure walk, i've decided to attempt the 5km competitive run :)

i'm not a competitive sportsperson, but i think this will be a nice achievable challenge for myself, a short-term goal to look forward to, a birthday milestone (since the run is exactly a week away from my birthday this year).

so, i have less than 3 months to train up.. time to hit the tracks more often now. i'm actually quite excited.. *smile*.

FYI - this year, they're opening up the run to male runners too.

what: Watsons Pink Ribbon Walk & Run 2010
where: Big Splash @ East Coast Park, Singapore
when: 2 October 2010, Saturday
time: 8:00am (5km run) / 8:45am (5km walk)
usual price: S$45 (5km run) / S$30 (5km walk)
- sign up early to enjoy early-bird discounts
URL: event details / signup here

sherie: please signup too? :)
anyone else?

baby carrots are not "babies" at all..

2010-07-08T15:50:00.021+08:00

in an attempt to say no to the "sinful stash" in the office, i've decided to prepare my own healthy snacks to feed the mid-day cravings at work today - some ready-to-eat baby carrots and strawberries i'd picked up from the supermarket.

i was just having a conversation with a friend earlier, and learnt something new about these baby carrots i'm munching on at the very moment (ooh so exciting.. hehe)... *drum rolls*..

did you know that baby carrots are not what we think they are?

the common belief:

baby carrots are sweet tiny young carrots that are harvested in their baby stage

the truth:

most baby / cocktail carrots that are sold in supermarkets are actually adult carrots pre-cut and processed to look like baby carrots *duh* - think french fries...
U.S. farmers first invented "baby carrots" because their deformed, odd looking adult carrots wouldn't sell, so they conceived the idea of cutting them into uniform sizes, pretty shapes to enhance their appeal (and it worked big time)
and because these carrots are pre-cut and exposed to bacteria, some farmers treat them with chlorine before shipping.. *uh ok*

Grimmway Farms explains the process:

read more here:

isn't it interesting? :)
i mentioned this to a few colleagues and, like me, none of them were aware at all!
examining the carrots up close, they're shaped so nicely it's almost hard to believe these babies are not that "baby" afterall. how deceiving! hehehe..

i do like munching on baby carrots and the tinier cherry/grape tomatoes. i guess from tomorrow onwards, i'll buy adult carrots and cut them into cute little shapes on my own. the healthy-snacking will not stop, perhaps the chlorine intake may... :)

hilarious: why never to ask favours from designers...

2010-07-07T18:50:00.014+08:00

i received this email from a colleague.. too funny, i just had to post it here. it's a little long, so bear with it.. but it's so hilarious, i assure you it's worth the read (make sure you follow through to the end of it) :)

special thanks (no offence) to "Shannon Walkley" and "David Thorne" - for creating this entertaining piece, whether it's for real or just for fun :)

gosh, i'm still laughing... lol.

edited to add: i found out that David Thorne is a real person in Australia - a writer, a humourist. this particular piece apparently brought him to fame back in 2008, though i think the new "Missing Missy" shown below has gotten even better. check out more on his official website - 27b/6.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.

Thanks Shan. From:David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone... possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out "Shannon, where are you?"
Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
I never said I don't like cats. Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling Malibu & coke onto his t-shirt, and he punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a foul stain down the back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.
Attached poster as requested.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
It's a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don't come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was just for fun.
I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say Lost.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean faeces, I wouldn't have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.
I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?" you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.
I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I dont have $2000 dollars. What did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

wait no more, SMS a cab

2010-07-07T17:31:00.022+08:00

this is certainly not a new service (launched since april 2008), but i've only recently started using this and only then realised what a breeze it is SMSing a cab. so now i'm a convert :)

i'm sure all of us have had the experience of waiting endlessly in the taxi queues during peak hours in town or in the CBD area on a workday; sometimes calling for a cab on a rainy Friday evening and being put on hold for over 20 minutes without any luck. my worst experience was calling the CityCab hotline for 20 minutes without any luck, and when i finally managed to get to an operator, they put me on hold for so long that the line got cut off on its own, and so it's back to square one in the end *sigh*

anyway, i'm not saying Comfort Delgro's SMS-a-cab guarantees you a taxi at all times, but it sure beats having to call and wait for eternity before getting to speak to an operator, especially during those dreadful peak hours. to start, all you need is either the taxi stand number, the fastcall pin code, the exact address or postal code of your pick up point, then send an SMS to "71222" with the following details (in the exact format):

so far, all my SMS-a-cab experience have been pretty good. prompt reply within minutes (even when it's a reply that said "We're sorry all our cabs are fully occupied in your area, please try again later"). i've also been going around strongly recommending this to my friends.. hmm.. perhaps when everyone starts using this service, the response rate may dip :P

whistle yellow card! red card!

2010-07-05T17:22:00.009+08:00

riding on the FIFA World Cup fever, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Tiger Beer have jointly produced this very simple but cute and timely advertising campaign to drive traffic to RWS.

my mum received these when she bought lunch from the food court on Saturday.
i thought it would be really cute if the organisers could get people to dress up as referees, make them walk about Orchard Road and blow their whistle at passers-by to stop them, then issue them with the yellow or red card.

the cards are a neat idea anyway, sure caught my attention :)
and now, more cards to pin up on my office wall..

the 'de-stress' stash...

2010-07-05T17:08:00.009+08:00

you know what's my boss's favourite way to show that he cares?
he makes sure the pantry is always stocked up with an overwhelming supply of "good stuff" for us lol..

oh gosh, each time he does this, i get a mini heart attack!

i try so hard to avoid that sinful corner whenever i fill up my water at the dispenser... but i have to admit, it's so tempting! especially during mid-day when you get a little peckish and start hearing other colleagues tearing open and munching on packs of mamee or chips *yikes!* sometimes i could smell it too! but it's just sooo soooo sinful! *tsk tsk* :P

good thing my seat is as far away as it could be from that corner...
of course, that doesn't mean i'm 100% safe from the evils.

SMRT green campaign = fail whale?

2010-06-22T19:23:00.010+08:00

my colleague pointed this out today.
check out SMRT's latest "SMRT is Green" campaign.

i wonder if the agency behind the web design meant to put some pun on this.. but i just can't figure how "fail whale" can imply anything good for the campaign.

those of you who are on twitter, do you see the uncanny resemblance to twitter's "fail whale" too? lol :) hmm... so weird.

how cool can candles get? :)

2010-06-18T18:14:00.010+08:00

sometimes, i just take my hat off to creators like this..
this took 2 weeks to create, so much patience. *smile*.

(brusspup on youtube)

i'd previously also posted another cool creation by the same guy, check it out.

play the 'winter wacko' and win a trip for 2 to Melbourne

2010-06-18T17:30:00.008+08:00

here's a new promotional campaign by tourism of Melbourne.

whether you win the trip, limited edition Crumpler bags, or nothing at all..
a harmless 30-second simple little interactive game :)
my personal best score so far = 860.. hehehe.

take a road trip round U.S.A. and more with stila!

2010-06-18T16:41:00.022+08:00

wow. i really like this "wish you were here" stila online campaign.
of course, i may be a tad bit biased because i've been a stila cosmetics fan forever *smile*... but when i first saw the landing page of this campaign, i literally went "wow!" :) me likey!

stila has been a little boring in recent years, and honestly i don't expect even this new campaign to revive much of the dwindling interests from the general public. BUT i just gotta give special mention to this because it really is quite something i've not seen from the regular cosmetics brand for a while now. i like how simple, integrated, cute and fun this whole idea is..

so, follow Kylie (the 1st virtual stila girl) on her road trip in U.S.A, then meet other virtual stila girls in other countries - France, Russia, Japan, Fiji - along the way, and pick up more awesome new deals too!

to kickstart the trip, get your hands on this lovely compact palette (worth US$65) for only... US$10! unbelievable! i want one too.. or rather, i want ALL 5 of them! :D

well done, stila!
wish i were there...
spree, anyone? :P

ps: Borderlinx Singapore currently has a '15% off shipping' promo.
apply discount code: 440067 or 804062 (till 31 july 2010) :)

serious flooding on Orchard Road

2010-06-16T15:10:00.013+08:00

this was what happened to Orchard Road (Singapore), after 2 mornings of seriously heavy downpour...

pictures were taken this morning (16 june).

source: unknown (forwarded by colleagues via email)

wow. i have never seen Orchard Road like this before. Lucky Plaza, Liat Towers.. many of the lower-level shops were semi drowned in rain water. there are video clips showing ankle-high flooding in the basement of Lucky Plaza too... poor guys. i bet the losses and damages are quite bad, and if Orchard Road was this flooded, i'm sure some other areas might be worse.

see more photos of the flood here and here (scroll to bottom).

news articles:

my new Old Navy swimwear

2010-06-16T00:17:00.005+08:00

say hello to my new swimsuit from Old Navy online :)

this was on sale and i just couldn't resist the marked down price (US$19 + further 20% off), plus all my favourite things on it - ruffles, polka dots, ribbons, brown... you get the idea :)

needless to say, i got this in 'brown dots' colour. too cute!
confession: all my one-piece swimsuits are polka-dotted *oops*. well, what can i say? i stay true to my style. lol. i just keep getting drawn to them.

i'd never purchased swimwear online before, too risky without actually trying it on (especially for international orders) but i decided to give it a shot anyway, and so glad i did. this fits just right when i tried it on last night - a classic piece, fully lined, not too flashy, covers enough and shows off just enough too ;) i'm loving it.

yay! can't wait to go swimming this weekend..

Paul & Joe lets you play peekaboo with your lipstick ;)

2010-06-15T17:10:00.007+08:00

i'm not sure whether to call this cute or freaky..

hmm, maybe cute in a freaky way, or freaky in a cute way. lol.

looks pretty normal on the outside...

roll up the tube and... *gasp* - boo! lol.

(source: FAnet via Rouge Deluxe)

i have no idea how to apply this on your lips without 'killing' the cat or ruining your lip makeup. hehe.. so weird. i seriously wouldn't know where to start applying. i guess a lip-brush might be the only logical way. nonetheless, i have to admit the kitty carving is quite delicately done on the lipstick.. very pretty, it's almost like chocolate.. hehe.

not the most practical of lipsticks but definitely a unique collectible and conversation piece. Paul & Joe always has the prettiest packaging and girliest makeup and beauty sets. i don't think i'd be getting one of these (likely very expensive) kitty lipsticks, but the face colour collection for Fall 2010 sure looks very enticing ;) not the usual Paul & Joe single eyeshadows. check them out.
i love the swans packaging, but the colours on the other set look simply gorgeous!
this is sales strategy, the product designers always pair the less interesting colours with the nicer packaging :p

the Vuvuzelas - to stay or not to stay?

2010-06-14T17:54:00.027+08:00

i'm not a soccer fan, hardly even follow the hugely popular (in Singapore) English Premier League, but who can resist catching a match or two of the one-in-four-year FIFA World Cup, even for a soccer noob? :)

my brother's not home these days, so we did not subscribe to the World Cup channels on cable. i did however sit down to watch the 1st opening match between South Africa and Mexico on local mediacorp TV Channel 5 last friday.

when the match started airing at 10:00pm here, i noticed a distinctive constant honking noise around the stadium. i couldn't make out what it was, thought it was perhaps caused by some international broadcast connectivity problem. so, i temporary switched channels and came back to Channel 5 again about 15 mins. later. but it didn't work, the constant droning in the background remained and it was beginning to get so annoying it drowned out the excitement of the match. i couldn't feel or sense the crowd or hear the commentators clearly, and it made me wanna stop watching. and finally, after another 5 minutes of staring at the screen with the increasingly annoying noise at the back, i gave up and decided World Cup was just not for me. so i switched channel and played my pre-recorded NCIS TV drama episodes instead :)

of course, i must admit, i am not a soccer fan nor a World Cup fan. my first attempt at watching a World Cup 2010 match failed, and i still had no idea what made that annoying buzz at the stadium... until i read a few articles today. apparently, this had already sparked off quite a controversy, with many international players and viewers rooting to get it banned.

so what exactly is it? do you feel the same way about it too?

the Vuvuzela

reactions to the Vuvuzela at the World Cup 2010:
- Reddif sports: Ronaldo slams ear-shattering Vuvuzela trumpets
- Yahoo! sports: Vuvuzela might yet be banned from the World Cup
- AP: Vuvuzela drone killing World Cup atmosphere
- AFP: Vuvuzelas stir online debate at World Cup
- Vuvuzelas: the sound of 2010

the Yoshimoto cube

2010-06-11T17:43:00.011+08:00

i have no idea what is the purpose of this Yoshimoto cube.. but it sure has mega wow factor.
it may look ordinary at first glance, but wait till you watch the short youtube clip below..

whoa.. impressive :)
geeky too.. lol.

and i kinda lost him when he mentioned the engineering technical term for this.. "the transformation of two stellated rhombic.... " :P

(Stedwick on youtube)

btw, if you have a lot of extra time on hand this weekend (coupled with incredulous patience), you might want to try create a DIY version yourself ;)

source: make: online

TGIF! :)

2010-06-11T17:11:00.008+08:00

TGIF! this must be the most sane, peaceful and quiet day at work in a long long long long while :)

several colleagues are out for meetings and events today, clients are not bugging us for deadlines.. wow. unbelievably serene, happy friday.

just plugged in to my itunes on headphones and leisurely preparing some documents for next monday's meetings. decided to have some fragrant strawberry milk i bought at lunch earlier.. yumm yumm. oh, looks like strawberry to-fu is asking for some too.. hehe :P

ok, yes.. dumbest post of the month.. hehe.
please ignore me.

feeling wild..

2010-06-10T15:07:00.009+08:00

switching up the mood a little today...
just changed my igoogle theme from sweetie preppy theme to safari wild *roar* ;)

from 'Red & White Dot Scrapbooking' to 'Dolce & Gabbana'.

also switched up my blogspot theme yesterday..
something a little victorian, lady-like :)

if you like what you see, get yours from thecutestblogontheblock.com.

see how our eyes get tricked

2010-06-09T17:27:00.006+08:00

(brusspup on youtube)

this is awesome.
just a simple optical illusion, such interesting effects.

i like the Pacman at time 1:10 :)

cheezels biskitz

2010-06-09T16:53:00.012+08:00

i went to NTUC fairprice (supermarket) on my way home after work yesterday, stocked up some snacks for the office and saw these near the checkout counters.

you know i love to try anything new, let alone cheesy snacks! :P (ok, not really anything, but you get what i mean). there are 3 flavours available - original cheese, chilli cheese, sour cream and cheese - i bought the latter 2.

priced at S$4.20 @ NTUC Fairprice, each box comes with 6 x 30g mini packs inside, and the box can even be folded to display nicely (like a convenience store) on your table top, so cute :)

i enjoyed them both, yumm yumm.. salty, cheesy, tasty.
and everyone can smell it when you pop a pack :P

the only complaint i have.. these 'biskitz' stick to your teeth when you chew into them, so prepare a toothbrush, rinse or floss if you have an important meeting after ;)

if you like cheesy flavours, give these a try!
oh, and if this is of any consolation... these are 'baked, not fried'. lol.

11 - 13 june 2010: L'occitane Singapore - Marina Bay Sands promotions

2010-06-08T18:39:00.014+08:00

ooh.. a new L'occitane Singapore store will be open at Marina Bay Sands this weekend (11 - 13 june). check out the store opening specials below:

perhaps this shall be incentive for me to drop by Marina Sands to check out the stores there. guess which sets i'm eyeing... hehe ;)

21 june: get Apple iOS 4 for your iPhone

2010-06-08T11:14:00.013+08:00

come 21 june, watch out for the new iPhone operating system - Apple iOS 4.
existing iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch will get a free upgrade on the handset.

read more on ZDnet.com.au.
looking at the list of new features... i am most looking forward to getting 'multitasking':

"at long last, we'll be able to run multiple apps — including third-party apps — at the same time."

yay! glad it's finally here! *happy dance*

ps: while you upgrade the OS, give your iPhone a mini makeover too.
download some fancy icons or wallpaper to go with it ;) browse iphone toolbox for more.

one day, i will buy myself one of these...

2010-06-06T23:41:00.014+08:00

aren't these some of the prettiest rings you've seen?
they say diamonds are a girl's best friend, i don't know why. perhaps it's the charming sparkles, the glorious glittering cuts, or the beautiful promise of eternity... but there's sure an unexplainable allure about them.

i've secretly wanted to buy myself one of these dazzling diamond rings for a very long time. many many years ago when i received my very first full-time salary, i quietly stood outside a Lee Hwa Jewellery store and drooled over a tiny diamond ring named 'Celestial'. it was a really simple tiny dot of a diamond, but was retailing over SGD400 at that time - tempting but still too much for me to stomach then.

many years have since passed, and now Goldheart has an entire gorgeous collection of diamond pieces trademarked 'Celestial®'. so for me, that means more temptations, bigger price tags, fatter lemmings :)

of course, i haven't really gotten around to realising that big splurge, but i know one of these days, i will get myself a truly breathtaking solitaire piece. and it will be named Celestial, because who can resist a solitaire named for you? ;)

for now, i shall just continue to drool over the catalogues.

ps: the Great Goldheart Sale is now on, check the stores for details.

get chic nails even with shaky hands ;)

2010-06-05T18:50:00.011+08:00

i could never do my own manicure well, so i've given up and usually just go bare on my fingernails, except for special occasions when i'll get them done, professionally.

now there's hope for people like me with shaky hands :)
check out these ultra chic nail patches (thin film stickers) from Sephora by OPI.
USD15 for a set of 16 nail patches - good for fingers or toes.

ooh.. don't they look so very good on the model's hands?
so which is your favourite? :)

the most brutal bike you'll ever see...

2010-06-05T18:16:00.007+08:00

i think this could be a prototype for the latest workout machine of the year.. lol.
just look at how much effort this guy had to put in just to pedal the bike.. hehe.

touted as "the most brutal bike" and "the bike to destroy all bikes".. yea, right. lol.
you gotta see it for yourself. so funny :)

(wautur on youtube)

celestial

travel with tokidoki this Spring

a lunar new year gift for myself :)

HAPPY 2012!

the creepy one...

Merry Christmas 2011!

obsessed with bows!

tokidoki rollerball fragrances...

jingle bells...

show some kindness today

this very moment - 11.11.11

happy birthday to me :)

tokidoki Barbie - finally got my hands on her! :)

what do you think these are?

die-die-must-have: tokidoki Barbie! *heart*

absolutely tokidoki-fied! :)

hey, i can 'see' you from here! :)

has anyone used Skype via CallByText on your iPhone?

Watsons pink ribbon walk 2011

the voyage night festival 2011 is here!

yay! Singapore NDP... here i come! :)

would you like to own a petite lap giraffe?

if you don't have a basketball court near you...

probably the most effective alarm clock you'll find...

we have moved!

an epic marriage proposal - 13 million hits on YouTube!

remember your first kiss?

check out this insane burger....

mille crepes cake - mini teddy bear version :)

my favourite moment of the Royal Wedding...

harajuku lovers - G of the sea

bunnies unite - happy easter! :)

we are Singaporeans. double confirm! :)

happy easter 2011!

so much pollen...

my new uni STYLE FIT multi-colour pen :)

the origin of "angry birds"...

just a happy monday.

Denver, did you do this?

yay! it's a success - my first mille crêpes cake :)

mille crêpes... ooh yummilicious!

a beautiful reward for an early-bird...

happy valentine's day

my office became a 'crime scene' this morning...

new directions to my workplace...

nissan LEAF commercial - so awwww..

high school students now get to use iPad for lessons..

1 day only - Apple store lunar new year specials (Singapore and selected countries only)

happy new year 2011!!!

see the world through Barbie's eyes (or chest) :P

to squeeze... or not to squeeze?

today's horoscope..

the polar bears have swum their way to Long John Silvers

the 'unhappy meal' in San Francisco

M.A.C. - a tartan tale

next stop - mega zip @ sentosa singapore

kung fu cats

baby in watermelon

my first forest adventure...

remember miffy? part 2...

this is how a McDonald's Happy Meal looks like after 180 days...

my high school class reunion

happy perfect 10 day! :)

CSI: the experience @ singapore science centre

i've got swings on my wall :)

Harajuku Lovers are wicked ;)

Kotex designs - sanitary pads with pretty prints..

mila's daydreams..

remember miffy?

Ris Low's YOG cheer

weird things happen...

coca-cola on the go...

this July, be pretty in Paris with Chelsea and stila!

i lost my voice

the Internet acronyms test - what is your score?

would you smile for an ice-cream? ;)

just a little child biting another little child's finger...

Watsons Pink Ribbon Walk & Run 2010

baby carrots are not "babies" at all..

hilarious: why never to ask favours from designers...

die-die-must-have: tokidoki Barbie! heart

whistle yellow card! red card!