lesportsac laptop sleeve

i'm quite into lesportsac (LSS) bags lately, especially LSS-tokidoki bags - absolutely love them! :D as for the regular (classic range) lesportsac items, i have a few cosmetic pouches that i carry around in my handbags, love the cute bright prints and surface-washable material.

i never knew LSS made laptop sleeves (think its part of their recently expanded range of products). i was browsing lesportsac website to check out their latest prints and saw the laptop sleeves... i like this in pictopop print! niceeee!

not sure if the singapore LSS counters carry this laptop sleeve, i'd get it if they do... but then again, singapore LSS prices are way too marked-up. i did a comparison for some bags, the local prices are almost 2 times or more that of the US retail price - converted to SGD (not to mention the occasional departmental store discounts/ outlet clearance prices they have in USA) *sigh*. wonder how much this US$39 bag will sell in singapore... hmmm...

another great local movie that does us proud - "881" :)

i first saw the trailers of royston tan's "881" movie on the big screen while watching the recent "harry potter and the order of the phoenix". the movie officially opened on 9 august, singapore's national day, and i finally went to watch it at the cinema with mum this evening - really enjoyed it! recommended!

for some reasons, not many of my friends seem to support local-made movies, quite a pity. my family, on the contrary, is a big fan of local-produced chinese movies. we've watched most of jack neo's movies at the cinema ("i not stupid", "i not stupid 2" being our favourites). we really like the "singaporeaness" of the local-made films.

back to "881" - the movie is named "881" because the 3 numbers sound like "papaya" in mandarin/hokkien. this film's about a pair of young singers called "the papaya sisters", with their story set against the background of the 7th lunar month (hungry ghost festival) "getai" - literally "song-stage" - a very unique cultural scene of singapore.

i love the vibrancy, colours, loud costumes, dramatic perfomances (sometimes cheesy) and strong local-flavours of this movie - easily one of the most entertaining movies i've watched this year. most notably, i LOVE the music - aka the hokkien songs - performed throughout the show, all of them! (some very touching pieces) in fact, i enjoyed the music so much, i'm gonna buy the movie soundtrack when it's released - that'll be my first hokkien music CD ;) i thought my colleague described this movie perfectly, when she called it a "hokkien musical"... i couldn't have found a better description for that :)

if you haven't seen the movie trailer, check it out here:


links:
- zhao wei films
- royston-tan.blogspot.com
- funkie monkies blog

free laugh here --> click play ;)

if you've played the tetris game before, you'll need no explanation for this....
warning: you're about to see what's possibly the silliest AND most hilarious version ever made in history - the japanese human tetris.

i emailed this around the office, and none could contain their laughter.
so... enjoy and laugh away!


(courtesy of axiertxo on youtube)
and thanks to ben for sharing this on his blog.

THINK: to plastic bag or not...

(courtesy of ceecookie on youtube)

i first saw this live earth short film (tv commercial) on mediacorp channel 5 monday night, right after "desperate housewives". simple production but very interesting and memorable - lasted almost 3.5 mins :)

this clip got us all talking about it at work the next day, and today i finally found the full clip on youtube *yay* - so here it is... courtesy of ceecookie.

i wonder why this short film is no longer available on MSN live earth site, it's certainly a great conversation piece - i like it :) nonetheless, do still explore the MSN live earth site - lotsa climate-crisis-related discussions, videos, photos and resource links. if you like, download some pretty wallpapers too!

.... and while doing so, take a few moments to consider the environment and think how we can change some habits and contribute too.

hello kitty cookies!

sherie baked these hello kitty cookies for me! aren't they just about the cutest cookies anyone can have? THANK YOU, sherie!

my colleagues and i ordered a yummy cookies & cream cheesecake for alex's birthday earlier this week and she brought along 2 packets of surprise gifts for us :D thoughtful her even made 2 separate packs so that i could share one with colleagues, and bring home the other for myself/family. hehehe... they're really buttery tasty and crunchy (and so pleasing to the eye!) - though sherie feels that they're a bit too sweet.

ok, next time they're sugar-reduced, i'd like some too! lol...

pocket mints with personality (and a mirror)

i love all things pretty and cute (who doesn't? just that some people are able to control their excitement better) lol... so when i first chanced upon these adorable mirrored-slide-tin mints from little i early-2006, i knew i had to go grab myself one. FYI - it was actually a male ex-colleague who spiked my interests on this. he got the original plain black version, and i just loved how cute it looked with the mirror hidden inside (it's a great way to carry around a pocket mirror without being too intentional) ;)

very soon, little-i came up with more packaging options - personality slide-tins (i got the "flirt" and "hottie" ones!), limited edition christmas-tins (i grabbed a bunch to giveaway as christmas gifts last year), and more recently started to appear at watsons stores here - the equally chic flip-top-tins.

this time, my aunt beat me to it... she was the one who introduced the flip-top-tin-mints to me and mum (looks our high "cuteability threshold" runs in the extended family lol).

here are our new little i mints - available in 3 flavours: original peppermint, citrus, chocolate (sugar-free and tasty) :9

0707hr - 07/07/07

*smile*... sometimes people do things "just because".
for spontaneity, for thrill, for the sheer sake of doing it, for no apparent reason.

as you can see, this post has not much content in it.
i stayed up late last night watching rented DVDs, by the time i went to bed, it was almost 2:00am.

i should still be snoozing in bed but here i am, up and awake earlier than most usual saturdays, only because i wanna leave my mark right here, right now...

on 7th july 2007, at 7:07am :)
as you read, thank you for being a part of this lucky 7 moment with me too.

btw, check out the live earth concert happening on this day.
show your support... answer the call against the climate crisis, wear green today.
i will :)

harry potter and the order of the phoenix

the long-awaited "harry potter and the order of the phoenix" movie is finally coming our way! what's more exciting, i just realised that golden village now has an advanced sales feature that allows patrons to make online/phone bookings 2 - 3 weeks in advance for this movie :) of course i couldn't wait any longer, just logged in and booked 2 tickets for the saturday 14 july show... and at really good seats! yay!

so if you too can't wait to catch the latest harry potter movie, hurry log on to gv website and make your booking now (great seats are still available)!

oooh cupcakes! :D

i pre-ordered cupcakes from sherie some weeks ago, and finally they were delivered right to my workplace yesterday (for our company BBQ party) - YUMMY ;9
my colleagues had been dying to try these cuppies for the longest time, so when we started planning the BBQ, they specifically requested for "cupcakes from celest's friend" *lol*. and when they caught the first glimpse of how pretty & cute these cupcakes are, all of them went "WOW! so pretty!" hehehehe...

of course, sherie's cuppies are not just pretty, ok? they're tasty and full of home-baked goodness too! light creamy buttercream-icing topped on not-too-sweet moist chocolate bite-size cake... mmm... it's very hard to just stop at one... :9
luckily i ordered enough to go round the office and then one set to bring home for my family! even my mum who's not a big fan of baked-stuff enjoyed them too!

good things must share right?
interested folks, please email sherie at maameemoomoo[@]gmail[dot]com :)

sherie: suki LOVED her special b'day girl cupcake! she said the doll was so pretty, she almost couldn't bear to eat it.. hehehe. THANKS for the yummy cuppies!

toki idol

i love tokidoki - personally own a few pieces of tokidoki for lesportsac - they're just so cute and unique :)

but if we're talking about serious collections, these ladies will show you what that truly means...

check out the TOP 10 FINALISTS here

Pulse - a fashion store based in missouri, usa - has organised a "Toki Idol" contest. the person who submits the pic. showing the most impressive tokidoki collection will win for herself one new bag for each of the final 3 tokidoki-prints in the line (yes, tokidoki-LSS bags will cease production by end of 2007). the winner will also walk away with a trophy + reign as the "Toki Idol" for an entire year.

you may or may not be a fellow tokidoki fan but join in the fun, cast your vote too! it doesn't cost you anything... so do it now! :) results will be announced on 7 july 2007.

and while doing so, marvel at the a-m-a-z-i-n-g stash of tokidoki bags each of them owns..... wow. wow. wow.

laughter guaranteed! :D

i know this is not something new, i've seen it some years back (in fact it was first released in 1996).... but just saw this again on a taiwanese variety TV show earlier this evening, and i HAD TO put it up here.

found tons of short funny clips on youtube - check out the one below.

presenting *drum roll*... the tickle me ELMO - T.M.X.!
ps: turn on your speakers...


(courtesy of liracomp on youtube)

try keeping a stern face or contain your giggles while watching this bright red furball do his thing *lol*... it's impossible! i can't think of a better way to loosen up after a long day at work. if they ever make a miniature version, I WANT ONE! ;)

go pink! windows live hotmail.

like most people, i own a few webmail accounts in the virtual world - hotmail, gmail, yahoo...
i use hotmail mainly to receive my older subscription enewsletters and emails from old-time friends + as the "signoff" email address for sending ecards. for some reason, i hardly use hotmail to create and send out emails anymore.

then i realise that's cuz hotmail doesn't allow easy customisation of email, and i really like sending html-coded emails (bold some words here, some italics there, some underlined-phrases or colours to highlight a point etc.) - it's just my style, i don't really enjoy sending plain text emails (unless i'm left with no choice), find it boring and hard to catch attention :P

today, i just switched over to the new Windows LIVE Hotmail... and yay! it's so much more fun now! the "create new email" now comes with html option, customisable theme, more features, more colour options, easier navigation/organisation of sub-folders (somewhat like the new Yahoo! Mail Beta), better junk-mail management, and even comes with language selection... i like it!

so take a look, sign-up or be a convert too!
be girly, go pink! (that's the theme colour on my hotmail now... hehe) :)

i want a donut, p-l-e-a-s-e :)

saw this on an online forum...

*gasp* donut keychains - aren't they cute??!!
i want one! hmm... maybe 2 or 3 ! :P
i don't care even if you call me childish... hehehe.. i want i want!!
available on www.kidrobot.com (in "tikam" boxes - ie. blind assortment).

anyone seen these around in singapore? i gotta pop by our local comic/toy shops - action city, mini toons etc. this weekend to see if i'll get lucky :D

final tokidoki print - vacanze

word has been going around that tokidoki for lesportsac will be releasing its final print (vacanze) in late-october this year. this will be the last of the tokidoki-LSS frenzy started by designer simone legno in spring last year.

i'm pretty sure this won't be the last of tokidoki though - these cutesy japanese anime-like characters will probably continue to show up in different forms of co-branded products other than lesportsac.

meanwhile, if you're looking to grab a few collectors' items (before they're gone forever), here's the remaining line-up for 2007:
- spiaggia (hawaiian/beach theme, as seen in pic. above - new in stores)
- famiglia (july)
- tutti (july)
- trasporto (august)
- vacanze (october)

finally - i'm blogging again!

i've been trying to blog for the past 2 - 3 nights without success. kept getting the same error message on blogger whenever i tried clicking on the "create new message" tab:

Blogger Problem
This server is currently experiencing a problem. An engineer has been notified and will investigate.
Status code: 1-500-19
Please visit the Blogger status page or the Blogger Knowledge Base for further assistance.

initially i thought blogger was experiencing some temporary server problems, but when i noticed other friends being able to blog and my problem seemed to have lasted longer than it should, i searched around for help on the blogger forums.

turns out that many other bloggers have been experiencing the same problem too. someone even identified that the problem seems to affect only bloggers who are singnet users in singapore. for now, the cause of the problem is still unclear but someone managed to find a temporary fix (thank you geniuses!). so if you're also in the same boat, try this solution - works for me:

You have to apply Manual proxy settings on your web browser.
The more detailed instructions as follows:

For IE 7.0 & below:
Tools -> Internet Options
Click on "Connections" page tab
Click on "LAN Settings" button (if you are using Broadband)
Check "Use a proxy server for your LAN ..." checkbox
Click on "Advanced" button
Under HTTP type, input "proxy.singnet.com.sg" for proxy address and
"8080" for port
Click on "OK" button 3 times to confirm changes

For FF 2.0:
Tools -> Options
Click on "Advanced" tab
Click on "Network" page tab

>From the "Connection" frame, click on "Settings" button

Select "Manual proxy configuration" option
Under HTTP proxy, input "proxy.singnet.com.sg" and "8080" for port

more on forum discussion: there is something wrong with my 'create post' page. (151 messages)

smells good, looks good, feels good...

gap's website named 3 good reasons why you should check out their latest bath & body products.... simply because they: - smell good - look good - feel good.

now, let me add on a 4th reason.... because they sound good too :) with "scent-sational" names for each collection, such as "island hop", "rain check", "love shack", "sugar snap", "peace train", "night fall".... don't you wanna bring some of them home too?

ps: carolyn - now you can splurge the money you saved from the origins bath products on these instead ;)

what m&m's are you?

if i were an m&m's chocolate candy....
would i look like that? *lol*

create your own m&m's character now - click here ;)

also, check out the new ogre-sized peanut butter m&m's - shrek 3 edition - click through to explore the interesting games and adventures!

sweet surprise

lately i've been working hard, sleeping little for my projects at work. yesterday i had to be on standby between 3am - 6am to wait for freelance web-designer's phonecall to check through/launch the campaign website. then i went in to work as usual 9:30am - 6:30pm - dead tired.

my boss is aware of the crazy hours i've put in for the past couple days, and he knew i had to wake up super early friday morning, so he and his wife came into the office with a special little surprise for me....

this lovely bouquet of fresh flowers totally made my day - so sweet of them.
*smile*.

butterflies in the rain?

just sometime last week, my colleagues and i were on our way out to lunch and saw some yellow butterflies "crossing the road" at the traffic lights. the sky was getting a little dark, so out of curiosity, i asked, "what happens to butterflies when it rains?"

of course, no one really did give that a serious thought... i got some funny answers from my colleagues, some wild guesses, some ridiculous nonsense... in the end, we came to the conclusion that perhaps butterflies have some kind of "sixth-sense" that helps them foretell the weather, so that they can go hide under some plants or bushes before the rain starts to fall.

anyway, this evening it poured cats & dogs as i was making my way out to the bus-stop (heading home). the rain was so so heavy, the brolly didn't even help at all. by the time i got to the bus-stop, my capri pants were already wet up to my knees. and just as i was nudging myself towards the dryer corners of the sheltered bus-stop, i saw a frail white butterfly caught in the downpour! *awww* it was quite a heart-wrenching sight - the helpless little creature fluttering with all its might, struggling against the ferocious rain to stay in mid-air, attempting to find somewhere dry and safe. i watched it for a while, quietly wishing that it'll be able to make it to that tree some 10 metres across the street (wonder if it could see that far?)... then i lost sight of it.

sure hope it survived the ordeal.

since we're on the topic of butterflies, check out this guy - Landersz's amazing photography works on flickr. i chanced upon his pictures on "butterflies & moths", really awesome stuff! try viewing in "large image" option - so intricate, so beautiful! :)

some of my favs. (i) a stunner (ii) leafy-looking (iii) got the blues

workaholic

lately, i've turned into a workaholic... been going into office earlier than other colleagues (i used to be one of the last few to show up), and leaving later than anyone else - working till wee hours in the morning (like now - 12:45am).

i have to admit it's extremely tiring and taxing on myself (i hate that pimple on my forehead) but i know i have to do it. i want to do it well and get the project launched in time with a big bang! it is stressful, especially with the added frustrations of having to work with someone who doesn't turnaround and deliver work on time, but somehow i know my hard work will eventually pay off, and if i put in enough effort, hang in there through it all... things will work out well.

a few more days - i keep telling myself. there are many other projects that i've set aside and have been sitting on for a while, not sure when i'll be getting another restful break even after this - but for now, i'm just fueling myself on the adrenaline rush, the kind that you get when work gets done, when you do something well - or at least, the prospect of it. it gives me a temporary "high"... and that keeps me going.

of course - some loving, some good company, warm words, shopping and cupcakes (i'm getting some from sherie soon *wink*) would certainly help too! :)

hi-tea buffet: carousel (royal plaza on scotts)

it's my 3rd aunt's birthday yesterday, so my gift to her this year, is a hi-tea treat at the newly refurbished royal plaza on scotts hotel. i invited my mum and 2nd aunt along too, so it's a rare and cozy ladies-only family meal. reservations were made for hi-tea today at carousel - quite an interesting, asian-mediterranean fusion restaurant. none of us have dined at royal plaza on scotts before, so this is our first, and a nice experience too :)

my mum and aunts are not very adventurous folks when it comes to food, so i know the asian fare is going to be a safe bet for them. hi-tea serves from 3:30 - 5:30pm everyday (S$23.50+++ weekdays/S$28.50+++ weekends).

when we first stepped into the restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised with the wide selection of food for a hi-tea spread. it's almost like what you can get for lunch, just more of finger-food. i really like the ambience - it's spacious, contemporary, colourful... yet at the same time, warm & cozy. we got a table by the window which gave us some sunlight - i like that too.

i'd brought my camera to take pictures of the spread but got so distracted by the food, only managed to snap a few shots of the first 1 - 2 dishes in front of me *lol*. so, sorry for not being able to post more droolicious pictures here :P

reviews: food-wise, i like the wide selection.. the kind where you can just take a tiny piece from each tray and you'd be full by the end of it (no room for repeats). but in terms of taste, i'd say it's pretty average... ok, but not fantastic, mostly local fare eg. laksa, popiah, chicken congee, fried bee hoon, nasi goreng, rojak, gado-gado etc. there's also a small selection of salads, soup, japanese sushi, sashimi and cold noodle... along with savoury pastries, curry samosa, fried crab-cakes, mini chicken pies, quiche, scones, wafers, hot & cold desserts, ice-cream with condiments, cakes & pastries, fruits/chocolate fondue etc. i would have loved to see more meaty stuff (eg. fish, chicken satay, fried chicken drumplets etc.) but i guess i'm happy enough with what i get for hi-tea. oh, do remember that carousel is a halal restaurant, so strictly no pork/no lard.

my favs. today: salmon sashimi, shrimp bisque, laksa, mini chicken pie, chicken char siew puff (char siew soh), bread pudding, vanilla wafer with honey & ice-cream.

service is good: staff are friendly, cheery and attentive - they'd even sing a birthday song on request (a group of 5 - 8 service staff would clap, do a mini acappella and sing their way from the entrance to the diners' table), really cute.

current promotions: 15% discount off total bill for HSBC, UOB, citibank credit card payments.

all in all, a good and happy meal - my guests loved it too :)

other reviews for carousel:
- asia one
- uniquely singapore
- street directory reviews

tokidoki amore (summer 2007)

well.. tokidoki may not be everyone's cuppa tea, but I LIKE! :D esp. the new tokidoki amore prints... ooohh, so sweet and lovely! *thumbs up*

check out this tokidoki fan-blog - the owner has a pretty impressive collection for almost every single tokidoki print ever launched (since spring 2006). take a peek at her new amore-print buon viaggio bag... oooh, isn't it sweet?

now i wish money would grow on trees.. lol.
i like the amore prints! the lovey-dovey sweet pinkish cutesy (sometimes too kiddish) cartoonish style works for me :) but unfortunately lesportsac tokidoki bags are really pricey for nylon-like material - a regular handbag retails for S$200 - S$300 on average.

the amore collection is already launched at lesportsac DFS - singapore (since last friday). tokidoki bags sell like hot-cakes, popular styles usually sell out within couple of days... so do make your way down early if you're keen. the outlets at takashimaya and isetan scotts should also be launching this collection quite soon.

i ought to drop by for a peek too :P

links:
- more tokidoki @ nordstrom
- about tokidoki
- tokidoki for lesportsac
- lesportsac classic

in the easter mood

it's easter sunday tomorrow, so i wanted to do something nice for my colleagues before the long weekend. saw these cute easter-themed m&m's figurines on wednesday night, so quickly grabbed one in each colour/design just right before the cold storage counter closed for the day :)

i fondly remember those years in primary school, when we'd have school-wide easter egg hunts every year (convent girl school's practice). even though i never once came close to finding "the eggs", it was still a lot of fun.

so i went to office exceptionally early on thursday morning and went around to hide the m&m's at different places - under the desks, in the document cabinets, behind drawers, beside printers etc. after that, i left a note on everyone's desk telling them to go search around the office for their surprise. hehehe...

it turned out more fun than i'd expected. everyone (including boss and his wife) were really serious in their hunt. they went up and down the stairs, rummaged around the house, opening cupboards, sliding drawers.. hehehe.. it was fun for me too, seeing how they enjoyed the little fun - the occasional stress-breaker.

happy easter, everyone!

practise typing on the go ;)

saw these quirky pieces on the online forums the other day.
if you are the type who simply can't stop typing on your keyboards... this is the bag for you - the keybag! way tooooo cooool! guaranteed a conversation starter!

dying to get your fingers (hands) on one?
check out the price tag - US$280 each *gulp*... maybe you wanna try your hand at creating something with your damaged old keyboard first? ;)

vintage chinese tea...

some wines are better and more valuable the older they get... the same goes for certain types of cheese.... so, how about some aged chinese tea? :P

after dinner tonight, i asked everyone for their choice of post-dinner beverage. mum opted for 3-in-1 coffee, i wanted 3-in-1 milk-tea, my brother asked for chinese tea. i recalled that we only have a box of japanese green tea but my brother said he'd prefer chinese tea. so i dug around the kitchen cabinet and found this:

a brand new box of rickshaw chinese tea-bags (chrysanthemum). perfect!
out of regular habit, i turned the box around to check for the expiry date.... almost couldn't believe my own eyes!!? hahaha... check this out!
we actually have a pack of brand new unopened tea-bags that's almost 9 years old!! wow! can we enter this for the "guinness world records" or something? :P

my new vintage earrings - i love!

latest addition to my earrings stash :) lovely lovely!!
got this from yesterday's conversation pieces close-door sale event.
for other accessories, check out: www.chillipadi.tk

weirdometer

the blog-tag is a game "invented" by jeff pulver to tag and link people up in the big wide blogosphere. just been tagged by cherie (slightly modified version).. so here's my answers to her tag:

1. i'm a perfectionist...
to some extent. i like things to be in perfect order, so i have the tendency to do things half a beat slower than most people. as a student - i liked my pens placed in a certain order in my pencil case (all tips pointing up); at work - my documents, stationery, mugs.. even the namecard box have to be arranged in a way that pleased me; at home - my bed must be made in a certain manner, pillows and blankies arranged nicely. BUT that doesn't mean my all my personal belongings are in perfect order. in fact, some parts of my bedroom are a complete mess! if i'm too tired or lazy to start putting something in perfect order, i'd just let it get messy and rather not look into the details at all (it's like temporarily switching off the "perfect mode"). guess that's what happens when you have a lazy-perfectionist. there are only 2 buttons to toggle between - "perfect" vs "utter mess" :P

2. i freeze at the sight of cockroaches
ok.. this may not be new to most of my close friends. i am terrified of cockroaches, to the extent that mentioning them eeks me out sometimes. i had several terrifying encounters with them since childhood.. when i had to spend the entire night sweating beneath my blanket on super hot humid nights (i'd rather sweat to death than to remove my only form of "shield" between that creature and me). whenever one of those flying creatures get within my radar, i literally stop functioning - can't move, can't sleep, can't think, can't eat, almost can't breath. just last night, one huge cockroach flew in through the living room door and fluttered into my bedroom entrance. i froze. all i managed to do was grab a towel, throw it over my head and wrap it around my shoulders & body. and since it was near my door, i couldn't risk making a dash out. i ended up using my mobile phone to call my mum (at our home phone number) and asked her to come over from her bedroom to rescue me. NOT the least bit funny to me, mind you.

3. i can eat almost anything (savoury-type) with chilli (esp. belachan chilli with dried shrimp *yummy*)
i love all things spicy. i've already cut down a fair bit in recent years (all thanks to my gastric problem). i used to spread belachan chilli on homemade ham-&-cheese toast, add them into my soup, congee and maggie mee (instant soup noodles) :P i still do that occasionally whenever i need a stronger flavour.. but really, more controlled now.

4. 30 mins - my average shower time
i know it is a long time, but that's honestly how long i spend in the shower. it is my personal time to cleanse, relax, unwind and pamper myself... so i suppose there's nothing wrong, right? my shower routine: get wet - shampoo - throughly scrub and cleanse body (with bath towel) - apply conditioner to hair - brush teeth (while waiting for hair conditioner to set in) - rinse off conditioner with cold water - finally, wash face with cleanser - towel dry - apply leave-in hair conditioner - tone/moisturise face - (optional) apply body lotion :) i get quite stressed when i wake up late in the morning and have insufficient time to shower :P

5. i sleep with...
3 stuffed toys in bed. i even gave each of them a name *hehe*. 2 of them just sit by the corner near my pillow, while the doggie-beanie one (my fav.) - i hug almost everynight (fyi - i "bathe" the doggie in the washing machine together with my bedsheets). too childish for my age? maybe... but i don't care :P

6. i love to take long walks
i am not an athlete, i can't run (lack of stamina).. but i love talking long walks - the kind when you're not in a rush, not under the hot scorching sun. love it most when it's dark and cool, slightly breezy and the night's not completely quiet yet. best to unwind and people-watch.. feel everyone's pace slowing down. that's why i enjoy the 10-min. walk home from the bus-stop every evening after work. recently got bitten by the "walk-bug" again and took a slow stroll all the way from wheelock place (orchard) back home - 40 mins... pretty therapeutic :)

ok, now i'd like to pass the baton on to carolyn - tagged you, your turn!

yay! my first ipod shuffle!!!

today i received my very first, very own MP3 player - an ipod shuffle (1gb)!
yea, i know i'm so super late to the ipod-party... and also ironically, one of the last person in my family to own one.

my brother was the first person to own an MP3 player - also an ipod shuffle, but the older generation 512mb version (his 21st birthday gift from me). earlier this month, my dad received his first MP3 player - a less funky creative MuVo 100 - his birthday gift from me too. guess good things do come to nice people afterall.. hehe.. cuz i too, didn't have to pay a single cent for my new-found-love :)

it's totally unexpected - our company had our regular internal progress meeting in the office this morning. after a brief 1-hr session, our boss went around the room and got each of us to pick out a number from a plastic bag - he said it's "lucky draw". we never had this before, so we're all pretty skeptical at that thought. to our surprise, boss and his wife whipped out 6 brand new ipod shuffles and gave each of them, according to the number we drew, to us! they bought all the colours available - i got the silver one... my other colleagues got metallic pink, blue, green and orange. i wish i had gotten a coloured one instead (would so love the pink!)... but that's not a big deal, i'm really thrilled with my silver baby too - it's versatile! besides, i'm pretty sure i'd get myself one of those cute interchangeable-cases or accessories for it in no time ;)

it wasn't for any particular reason, my boss and his wife were shopping the other day and just decided to surprise us with a nice gift! wow! aren't we just lucky or what? :) *thank you*

always thought i didn't really need an MP3 player, so kept putting off the thought of getting one for myself... but now that i have my very own ipod shuffle - it's such a compact and tiny clip-on - i'd be sure to lug it around with me all the time!

now please excuse me, while i go upload some fun music onto my shuffle :D

free burger... anyone?

thanks to irene for sharing this link with me, pretty amazing stuff... you just gotta check this out yourself: the "hamburglar" (video clip)

magic, illusion or supernatural power?
you decide.

links:
- cyril takayama's magic
- wikipedia: cyril takayama

don't you wish your girlfriend was...

don't you wish your girlfriend was HOT like... the pussycat dolls?
"dontcha.. dontcha.."

following the success of the search for "america's next top model" reality-tv series, CW now launches yet another new "talent-search" tv series... only this one seems hotter, sexier (maybe trashier) and a lot more seduction and booty-shaking involved. so good news for guys out there... stay tuned, eye-candies and cat-fights guaranteed.. m-e-o-w!

not sure if this will ever make it to singapore channel (think it's already showing on cabletv) - check out CW website for more details.

"The CW's new music/reality series, "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for The Next Doll," is a behind-the-scenes look at the process of selecting a beautiful and talented singer/dancer who has what it takes to join one of the world's most successful performing and recording acts. Out of the thousands of gifted hopefuls who audition, only one young woman will make it through the challenges and undergo a total transformation to win her place in the spotlight as the newest member of the Pussycat Dolls....." (more)

latest hot stuff from GAP ;)

last week i bought the april issue of CLEO magazine to catch up with what's new in fashion. came home, made a cup of tea and sat down at the sofa to flip through it. the first few pages were the usual key advertisers - lancome, clinique, estee lauder, SKII....

then, i flipped to this page that made my heart skip a beat - here's what i saw :)

wentworth miller (yes, that oh-so-cute-too-cool lead actor from "prison break") is one of the new faces for GAP ads. and he is just soooo HOT! there's a subtle magnetism about him, and i find him especially charming when he doesn't smile much or looks as though he's deep in thoughts. i'm not usually this crazy over celebrities or cute guys but for some reason, wentworth miller just makes me feel like a teenage girl with a huge crush *lol*...

i found myself actually staring intently at that ad. with a grin on my face for about 30 seconds! (and i didn't just look at it once) :P fyi, i checked him out (his poster) at the window display outside GAP store at vivo city yesterday too... *swoon*... hehehe. if GAP were to print his photo on their paper bags or have some kinda "spend $20 and get a free wentworth miller poster" promo, think i'd be the first to walk in and grab a random t-shirt, accessory or something :P

so happy that "prison break" is finally back on our tv screens again. so for now, every thursday night - 10:30pm, you know where to find me ;)

barbie loves M.A.C

every girl knows barbie. i guess at some point or another, almost every girl have dreamt of being barbie doll herself - pretty and sweet, sexy and hot, owns tons of gorgeous outfits, shoes that come in all shapes and colours, lives in big dollhouses, a fun life, a cute boyfriend (*oops* ex-boyfriend now ;P) ....

M.A.C cosmetics paired up with barbie (mattel) to launch a new makeup collection "barbie loves M.A.C"! i don't play with barbie dolls anymore, but all these girly pinkish stuff sure hasn't lost its appeal to me :P me and irene were at vivo city friday evening after work, and managed to catch the official launch of the collection at the atrium. but *argh* i forgot to bring my camera!!?? so guess what? i pulled carolyn along and went back to vivo city again for yesterday evening's show... hehehe.

a 2-storey "dollhouse" + real-life barbie and ken dolls, shocking pinks and pretty pretty vanity makeup desks... it's almost surreal, yet so much fun! :)

off-topic links:
- 2004: barbie and ken doll split
- 2006: madeover ken hopes to win back barbie
- other juicy barbie-world tales

nordies dresses - spring/summer 2007

it's time of the year when nordstrom comes up with their gorgeous collection of spring/summer dresses again! i always enjoy browsing through their online catalogue and get inspired seeing how pretty those dresses look on the models :D

posted some of my favourites above, don't they just look sooo sweet and elegant? oooh... absolutely feminine!

some more...
ps: sherie/carolyn - i think you ladies will love some of these dresses too ;)

the old-world charm of the 1920s...

the crystal mirror has premiered in singapore this past friday, and it'll be here until 15 april. i soooo wanna watch this, i mean look at the glamour, poshness of the mirrored-tents, the interior decor, the table-settings - WOW! all look impressively stunning!!

"In the resplendent setting of an antique “Mirror Tent” from the 1920s, acrobats, singers, comedians, musicians and eccentric wait staff – along with a 4 course gourmet dinner designed by internationally acclaimed star chefs – come together to deliver an evening that moves between dreamy poetry and breakneck pandemonium." (extract from the crystal mirror website)

*swoon*...

if only the ticket pricing is just a slight bit more.. ehem.. pocket-friendly :P i've always wanted to experience one of these "dinner theatre" fine-cuisine/ entertainment shows. it's just so.. classy, poshy, showy :) my very fortunate colleague got to watch the show with her mum for free (sponsored by her mum's business associate) - *envy*...

now let me go sleep over this and seriously consider whether it's something worth indulging in *sigh*.

show dates: 9 mar - 15 apr 2007
where: the padang, singapore
ticket price: S$159 - 350 (www.sistic.com.sg)
official website: www.thecrystalmirror.com

DIY chocolates

sometime in january this year, i bought a big packet of dark chocolate bits from tangs for my chocolate fondue set. in the past 3 months, my fairly new fondue set has already been to 2 - 3 house-parties (including our chinese new year reunion dinner at my aunt's place last month), and it's always been a hit! :)

of course, now that the year-end holidays seaon is over, i find myself left with too much chocolate bits in the kitchen cabinet (about 500 - 600grams). can't possibly make my family sit around and have chocolate fondue everyday, so here's what i tried to do this evening...

i melted some chocolate bits, scooped them into paper moulds, added some raisins and assorted nuts, and then chilled them in the fridge. here's how the mini-experiment turned out:

not too bad, erh?
because the original bits are made of pure dark chocolate, they don't taste sickeningly sweet. only problem is that the chocolates melt very fast (because they're supposed to be easily-melted for fondue dips), so it literally melts between your fingers if you hold one for more than 3 seconds :P other than that, it's pretty alright. hmm.. next time i'll play around with other toppings or add flavours like mint/hazelnut/cinnamon mix to the melted chocolate. gotta wait till the do-something-different-in-the-kitchen mood strikes again ;)

red alert! :)

i've always been quite adventurous when it comes to colours - and that's pretty apparent in the way i dress, my accessories, bags and such etc. some of my friends welcome the "loudness", while some others (one girlpal in particular)... well let's just say the colours are too blinding for her *lol*. nonetheless, here's sharing my recent favourite buys in one of the all-time-girly shade - red!

love this polka-dottie bag! somewhat retro, a little "school-girlish", large/roomy enough to lug things around, and goes great with jeans. reminds me of strawberry shortcake, but in a slightly more grown-up version :) i tried to resist this bag when i first saw it in the store, but finally succumbed and bought it the 2nd time i returned and saw it again *tsk tsk*.

then yesterday, i went shopping alone at orchard road after work (uh oh... :P). since i was wearing my red fluffy silk top and red pendant, paired with my red polka-dot bag, i naturally got into the "hunt for red stuff" mood - everything red and bright seemed to appeal to me :P ended up with this ooh-too-cute pair of red/white checked flat pumps. so pretty!! makes me happy :D

it's been a while...

this must be the longest "blog-break" i've taken since celestial came about. it all started when i got busy at work, then came the holidays/festivities, and then i got lazy... some other excuses yada yada yada... somehow i just lost my momentum along the way and kept putting off new posts till now. anyway, did any of you miss me? *blink blink blink* :)

my last post was made on 7 jan - that's more than 1.5 months ago. many things had flown by in the course of my "cyber-disappearance"... sitting here in front of my PC now, i don't even know where and how to recollect where i had left off. i had bookmarked many interesting sites and ideas in my favourites-folder even when i wasn't posting, so i'd share some of those up here bits by bits.

meanwhile, 2 interesting sites:

a) jk rowling's official website
if you are a hardcore harry potter fan, you'd have known this site long ago. i only stumbled upon rowling's website sometime last week when i was web-loittering - wow - i was really impressed! it is a very interesting and attractive site (interactive)... don't laugh, but i spent close to 2 hours that evening exploring every section, every page on her site just to crack those subtle (sometimes impossible) clues to get my "rewards". i got so tired by the end of the night, i gave in and googled for spoilers to get my remaining half of the missing clues.. hehehe (oh well, at least half of it was sheer hard work).

b) the crimson room and others...
rowling's interactive mysterious "treasure-hunt" game reminded me of the once highly-raved crimson room game. i remember those sleepless nights cracking my brain and senselessly clicking around every corner of the PC screen (till my mouse almost went dead), in search of clues to break out of the room. of course i have since solved the crimson room, the blue chamber, viridian room... (and just last week) the white chamber. i love these mystery games! some of them a little creepy, yet still always very fun to play - especially when you finally get to crack all the clues and solve the ultimate puzzle - huge sense of satisfaction :D if you haven't tried any of these games, treat yourself to one or all this weekend. if you're the persistent type, be prepared to lose some sleep ;)

i want this!

lemmings strike again - this time, it's the limited-edition makeup collection from tokidoki for smashbox!! i want i want!!!

i'm nuts about tokidoki, absolutely adore the girly-cartoonish illustrations born out of italian designer - simone legno's love for all things japanese. in spring 2006, tokidoki and lesportsac joined hands and introduced tokidoki for lesportsac - a new line of limited-edition accessories, totes and handbags that immediately created a whirlwind trend across major cities around the world! simply too cute for the faint-hearted :P

now in addition to bags, clothes, toys and illustration projects, tokidoki has finally ventured into the makeup arena too. check out the beauties of spring 2007:

the eyeshadow palettes remind me of shu uemura's palette designs... so pretty.
i want i want i want!! :D

links:
- tokidoki
- smashbox
- sephora

shopaholic makes a return

sophie kinsella is back with her latest addition to the much-loved "shopaholic" series. her 5th book - shopaholic & baby will be released in february 2007 (hardcover).

i'm an avid supporter of her shopaholic series and have every single paperback book - including non-shopaholic "can you keep a secret" - in my collection :) just can't wait to lay my hands on the latest release *yay*! hope she hasn't lost her touch... somehow i find the first 3 books better than the more recent ones. nonetheless, still one of my all-time-favourite novel-series... one that makes me laugh out loud on bus-rides, like a lunatic :D

click here - watch sophie's vodcast on her new book.

victoria's secret PJs

we all know that victoria's secret sleepwear are somewhat overpriced, but somehow almost every girl i know wants to own at least one item from this label too :) maybe it's all that hype, maybe it's because we can't get them here, maybe it's because they look soooo pretty on the website.... whatever it is, these new PJs sure caught my attention and now i want them too!

check them out:

tank pajama

t-shirt pajama

aren't they pretty, girly and sweet? :)
i esp. adore the "pink dots" design, those are real pearly accessories sewn all around the neckline, so cute! black-pink colour combination is perfect too - genius! *lol*

priced at USD$29 per set (on sale now)... if there's a VS spree happening soon, think i might get that if still available :P

customised lipstick case

received another christmas gift today - wasn't expecting it, came as a pleasant surprise. it's a crystal-studded lipstick case with my name engraved on the lid - very thoughtful. certainly adds on to my collection of "vanity fair" :P besides using it as a lippie-holder, i think it'll also work well as a keepsake box to store little trinkets, earrings, jewellery etc. in my handbag.

thanks for the thought, S.! very sweet. :)

a special visitor

yesterday, we had a special visitor in the office. my new colleague was doggie-sitting for her neighbour, so after seeking everyone's agreement, she brought our special guest to the office.
meet 3-year-old golden retriever - cookie. he's such a sweetie! well-trained, super-friendly, mild-tempered and likes wagging his tail at everyone. even the little girl next door couldn't help squating outside our gate all day long just to get cookie's attention and play with him :P

boss said this doggie's a "de-stresser"... so throughout the work-day, everyone just took turns to go out to the backyard and ruffle up cookie's fur... hehehe, our excuse to "de-stress". we love him!

too bad cookie's only able to hang around for one day, we'll certainly miss him!

the perfect 10!

oooh check out this new bronzer/highlighter from benefit cosmetics - benefit 10!
the duo-pan looks so so pretty in the box (love the box too!) - how come we just don't get benefit stores in singapore? *sigh*

benefit 10 - new!
"Bronze & highlight in one sexy sweep. For a supermodel glow & sleek, sculpted cheekbones, this duo of satiny pink & bronze powders tantalizes your complexion and decollete...and makes you a perfect 10!

Tips and tricks: Lightly sweep brush over powder so pink highlighting powder appears on half the brush & bronzer on the other half. With pink side up, whisk from the apple of the cheek up to the hairline. Now you've done the sexy sweep!"

always loved the way benefit stuff look - the colours, the retro-packaging... their blushes/bronzers/highlighters are the best! :D

*drool drool drool*...





other faves/hotsellers:
- dallas
- dandelion (i have the palette! :D)
- georgia