SMRT green campaign = fail whale?

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? :)

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

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!

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

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:

• The Straits Times: Floods hit shops, business
• The Straits Times: Flash floods wreak havoc
• TODAY Online: Wet, wet Wednesday

my new Old Navy swimwear

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 ;)

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?

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

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! :)

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..

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

(brusspup on youtube)

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

i like the Pacman at time 1:10 :)

cheezels biskitz

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

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

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...

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 ;)

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...

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)

if you can't eat them, lick them ;)

saw these lovely fairy cakes lip balms on vie couture, sooooo cute! :)
i love how pretty these look, and the packaging too.
would make wonderful stocking stuffers or little party favours.

available from asos at £6 per set of 4.

ooh.. and check these out too.. flower power!
ooh la la!!
also available from asos at £5 per set of 2.
anyone spreeing from asos soon? ;)

kinda reminds me of the one donut lip gloss i have.
mine's the pink donut - plain gloss version. *happy smile*
if you're also into girly funky lip balms and glosses, check out more on these sites:
- asos
- totally funky
- cupcakes & cartwheels via amazon.com
- sweet shop via amazon.com

small living spaces

take a look at these 2 tiny but very innovative living spaces...
could these indicate the future of our living conditions?

1) roll it

"Roll It, a cool experimental house, resulted from the collaboration among different institutes within the University of Karlsruhe. This cyclindrical design is a modular protype that provides flexible space within a minimum housing unit. Three different sections are dedicated to different functional needs: there’s a bed and table in section, an exercise cylinder, and a kitchen with a sink." (read more on www.archdaily.com)

hmm.. does this remind anyone of the hamster rings in a cage? :P

2) cool transformations in a tiny apartment

(JellyWoo1014 on youtube)

the second idea is very cool, it's like 'transformers for houses'!
but it made me wonder... the amount of money that went into the renovations of that apartment, could it have been enough to buy another unit next door? :P

"melt-away stress promise" found on a bus ride

i was standing idly on the bus yesterday morning, on my way to work. listening to my iTunes on the iPhone and eyes wandering around the bus, out to the busy streets outside the windows and then back to the interior of the bus.. (yea, i know, the usual routine almost all passengers go through everyday on a typical public bus ride).

then my gaze landed on these handrail advertisements - you know, one of those door-hangers ads. they place on the metal handrails on the ceiling of the bus. i took one off to read, found it quite interesting and very apt to ease off the Monday stress especially after a long Vesak Day weekend before.

it made me smile, so i kept it. and thought i'd share :)
i think i can definitely do some of those listed everyday, just to unwind.

ps: the gentleman seated nearby got curious and took one off the railings after me too.. hehe.. peer advertising.

The Johnson's® Melt Away Stress Promise

I promise to do at least one or two of these things for myself every day:

1. I will talk my problems out with friends or family.
2. I will not skip my workout - exercise creates happy endorphins.
3. I will relax in the shower, not just wash.
4. I will smile more.
5. I will not spread myself too thin.
6. I will learn to accept what I cannot change.
7. I will ask for help when I need it.
8. I will breathe deeply and visualize calm.
9. I will not be ruled by my to-do list.
10. I will not be perfect. Or even try to be.
11. I will not think about work when outside my workplace.
12. I will not constantly worry about what others think of me.
13. I will learn to say 'no'.
14. I will schedule time for myself.
15. I will take up a relaxing new hobby.