Looks are deceiving
Friday, December 31, 2010
Freshness Burger
Thursday, December 30, 2010
2010, in retrospect
As the year draws to a close (has it really been a year?!), it’s now my turn to take a step back to reflect.
I probably remember more about 2009 than 2010 though.
In 2009, the boy proposed and we commited ourselves to the biggest investment in our lives. We also experienced our first live game at the Emirates Stadium and visited the City of Lights (two items off the travel checklist!).
In 2010, on the travel front, we satisfied our backpacking or flashpacking (to be exact) itch in Vietnam (Jan), enjoyed comfort food and shopping during a quick birthday getaway in HK (Mar) and went on a road trip Down Under (June). I feel most spirited when I travel and I am grateful for every opportunity to see the world a little more.
Workwise, the bigger part of the year was rather painful. I was stuck in a role which I didn’t enjoy. But thankfully, I had two wonderful colleagues, M and S to turn to and I am grateful for their friendship. Just as we entered the last quarter of the year, I embarked on a new job in an organization which I’ve always wanted to work for, in an industry which I am passionate about. I keep my fingers crossed that I will continue to enjoy work satisfaction in the company.
Then of course, there’s the wedding prep which has unfortunately resulted in us arguing a lot more in recent months. It hasn’t been easy, preparing for the big day and a new phase in our lives. To say the stress gets to you is an understatement. Imagine having to manage this logistics of a nightmare while trying to please our families and ensuring that our decisions are not made at the expense of our happiness, all at the same time. But we're almost there and I can’t wait to let my hair down, literally, after the dinner!
And that’s about all to my 2010, really.
I guess it is what I would call a transition year, gearing up for the wedding, the new home and a life together.
Although the year wasn’t as exciting as the previous one, it was decent.
I am contented, in a good place and I can't ask for more.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Time Out
It used to be just our weekends being used for running errands but now even weekday evenings are burnt with appointments with wedding vendors.
As maybs puts it on her blog (i’m sorry I don’t have your name nor initials!), it’s a tough life… being a bride-to-be.
Off the top of my head, these are the remaining to-dos.
* To confirm a florist for venue decorations
* To consolidate RSVPs and do up the table arrangements/seating plan
* To finalize song list with our wedding band and compile our own playlist
* To go for my make up trial
* To develop photos for our wedding
* To look for a wedding guestbook
* To book our post- tea ceremony buffet
* To go for our final gown and suit fittings
* To go for a haircut
* To brief our best men and bridesmaids
* To finish up on miscellaneous DIY décor (i.e. table number cards etc)
* To confirm our interior designer for the new place
1 more month to go.
We can do this.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Mt K in May
Together with some friends, we will be climbing Mt Kinabalu in May next year. It's now or never, before we get creaky with age.
I'm excited but filled with trepidation. I'm not the fittest person around so climbing a 4,095m high mountain is very daunting.
Training at Bukit Timah starts next month but we will only be able to join the gang after the wedding.
Which leaves us with about 3.5 months to train.
Gulps.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Confessions of a Bride-To-Be #16: Our Wedding Invites
The good - freedom to personalise our invites to our whims and fancies. The bad - designing our cards from scratch is a daunting task for two not so artistic people.
We turned to the Internet, which gave us plenty of inspiration. But our customised cards would not have been made possible, without the help of our very talented friend KH, who not only helped to design but print two designs! And not forgetting Angie, who sacrificed time to help to despite her packed schedule.
The floral design for friends, which in our humble opinion, suits our wedding venue/theme to a T!
Yours truly wrote the addresses while he stamped the back of the envelopes. After an afternoon of writing, stamping and sealing yesterday, i'm proud to say that our wedding invites are ready for mailing!
Keep a lookout for them y'all and don't dump our envelopes into the bin, just yet k?
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wedding Eye Candy: Rouge
I love how the bride looks like she walked out of an Audrey Hepburn movie.
Absolutely adore her vintage dress/hairstyle and I wish i have the aplomb to carry off red lipstick too!
Floral Dilemma
We have been talking to some florists for our wedding and I'm just appalled by how expensive flowers can be in Singapore. And by expensive, i am talking about anything from $1000 to $2000.
I know I'm being practical and budget conscious here but I don't feel comfortable parting with this amount of money for something that only lasts a day.
It will be nice to have some basic floral decorations on our big day though.
Decisions, decisions.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
What The Flea!
My sister will be at Booth no. 12 at What the FLEA! this coming Saturday (18th December), 2-9pm at *Scape. Besides the usual second-hand clothes (including mine which have been washed once but never worn!), she will be selling new clothes and bags.
A preview of what you will be seeing at the flea.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Confessions of a Bride-To-Be #15: Thinking Outside The Box
We found a tissue box holder to double up as our wedding ang pow box. The icing on the cake was a 10% discount by the owner because she didn't have it in a new piece.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Egg3 Cafe
Tucked in a cosy nook in Mountbatten, the place was quite hard to find, but well, that adds to its charm, doesn't it?
I don't know if it's the norm, considering the great reviews i've read on the cafe, but there were only two tables of guests, including us. Not that we mind. I just hope business sustains because it will be a shame if the cafe doesn't survive eventually.
The food was reasonably good in general but I wish the menu offered more choices. Read on Foursquare that the chocolate lava with ice cream is to die for but we didn't try that as we were too full. I would devote an entry to the Fish and Chips if i could but all i would be able to say is it's the best fish and chips we've tasted (even better than the ones we tried in London and Down Under).
We had an enjoyable, simple lunch, away from the weekend crowd, flipping through interior design magazines to get ideas for our new place. Time seems to come to a standstill at Egg3 Cafe. I could linger there all day.
It was a lovely respite from the usual wedding planning.
Weekends should be made of these.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The Pursuit of Happiness
How wrong I was.
These days, i find myself devoting more effort in managing certain relationships than fussing over our wedding details.
Fending off certain demands and expectations of the wedding/marriage are taking a toll on me.
I just want to be happy.
Why does it have to be so difficult?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Confessions of a Bride-To-Be #14: Hey, I'm Not For Sale!
Maybe i am too modern for my own good, but i don't believe in betrothal gifts, dowry and what nots. This tradition probably made sense in the past where matchmaking was prevalent but it just seems archaic to me in today's context.
A marriage should not be a transaction between two families. I don't want to have a value placed on me.
But as we both realised a while back, a wedding or marriage isn't always about the two of you. It also involves your families.
And that's why we decided we should arrange for our parents to meet to discuss this iffy topic. So at least both sides can come to an agreement, no matter whether they decide to do away with this. And yes, the date has been set for this Sunday.
It will be interesting to see how the talk unfolds. If our parents decide to go ahead, we will respect their wishes. But I sure won't be practising this in future when my kids get hitched.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
The Final Countdown
And this just came in the mail today.
Dinner with M and S
Although i enjoy the new environment and job scope, I miss the company of my ex-colleagues, M and S and how we used to drive out for long lunches and go for retail therapy after work.
Ah, good times!
It's not everyday you meet colleagues whom you can bond with and I'm really thankful for their friendship.
Here are some photos from our catch up/belated b'day celebration for M last night.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
H&M IS COMING, FOR REAL!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Fish Spa-ed
For those who’ve never tried this, you basically immerse your feet into a pool of Turkish fish which nibble off the dead skin from your feet.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friends from Deutschland
Over cheap cocktails at a pub on Cat Ba Island on our second night, we shared stories on our countries, cultures, taught each other German and Chinese phrases and bonded as we discovered a mutual love for travel. The conversations continued over breakfast the next day and on the bus journey back to Hanoi. Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye and we were exchanging hugs, email addresses and extending mutual invitations to visit each other in the near future. It was really sad when we parted ways because there was still so much to talk about. I wish we could have more time together.
Thanks to the Internet, we've been keeping in touch over email and Facebook. Earlier this week, they shared photos of their new bundle of joy, Paul.
I’m so happy for them and I think they will be wonderful parents. Isn’t the photo of Michael sharing a moment with his son lovely? I hope very much that we get to make a trip to Munich next year to visit them and their baby boy!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Missing the Sun, Sand and Sea
Like many people, i enjoy urban holidays because i get to shop, eat good food and soak in the buzz of the city. But if i really wanted a relaxing vacation, I’ll choose bumming on the beach anytime. And right now I’m dreaming of clear blue waters and being able to read a book on the beach with my toes in the sand, especially since it's so long since my last beach holiday.
Wanna make a guess where we are heading for our honeymoon?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Confessions of a Bride-To-Be #13: The Wedding Shoes
Photo from here
I’ve been on the search for shoes, ever since my gown and cheongsam designs were confirmed with Dang last month.
Although the wedding shoes tend to get less attention because they are mostly hidden from view, I think it’s important to find a pair you feel happy and pretty prancing around in. Kinda like underwear, no?
While I had no trouble looking for shoes for my cheongsam (settled on a strappy pair from Aldo), the hunt for the wedding shoes proved to be more problematic.
Over a few weeks, I combed the shelves at Aldo, Charles and Keith, Hue, Nine West, Pedro, Pedder Red, Anna Nucci, Tangs, Isetan and Takashimaya. I avoided Christian Louboutin like the plague, for fear of falling to temptation to something out of reach.
But still, i found nothing.
For the record, I did think long and hard about a gorgeous pair of crimson, satin peep toes from Tangs (much to my Mom’s dismay), but in the end, I went with the safer option of ivory or silver. I also contemplated ordering from Zappos but didn't want to take the risk of buying a pair of shoes that might not fit.
Well two weeks ago, I found the elusive pair at Essex Walk, now located at the Mandarin Gallery (thank you Miss Ene for the tip!). Would highly recommend brides-to-be to check the shop out because they offer a good range of bridal shoes. The shoes aren't cheap but I guess you can be assured you are paying for comfort and quality. One thing I like is that they allow you to customize your designs i.e. change the colour, increase/decrease the height of the shoes.
I chose a simple, peep toe design which I’ve customized in ivory (the original comes in silver). I was on the fence on whether to add additional height so I could fulfill my near impossible dreams of being an Amazonian bride. I decided against it, because that would require adding a platform, which would kind of spoil the elegant feel of the shoes.
So the shoes are settled. Yay to striking off another item from my list!
Monday, November 15, 2010
The Sister's 21st Birthday
My sister celebrated her 21st with a belated birthday party with family and friends yesterday.
No effort was spared in DIY-ing her decorations to the door gifts, to match her 'Garden Affair' theme. This girl's a potential bridezilla in the making, i tell you. Well I guess some things run in the family :P
Happy birthday sis! Though you drive me mad at times, you know i love you lots!
DHC
Each time I step in, it’s hard to resist not buying anything, especially with the recent Japanese brands like Hada Labo, Aqualabel, which they have brought in.
I had gone to the VivoCity outlet over the weekend, to replenish my Vichy toner but it was out of stock. Just when I was about to leave, I heard this lady lamenting to her bf about how she should have waited for the 3 for $80 promotion to stock up on her DHC Acerola items.
I turned around to look at her and boy, did she have a clear, porcelain complexion! She might have been in the good hands of an excellent dermatologist for all I know, but surely, it still says something about the stuff she uses right?
Coupled with the sales assistant’s marketing spiel about how the products contain the highest concentration of Vit C from Acerola berries to brighten your complexion, are good for those whose skin is dehydrated but oily on the surface (me!), help to minimise pores, sans fragrances, colourings, alcohol or preservatives, I was sold.
This is what I bought - the Lotion (toner), Extract (essence) and Gel (moisturizer).
My verdict?
I wish I had discovered the brand earlier.
True to what the sales assistant had promised, the products helped with oil control and hydration. As I’ve only used them for a day or two, I can’t tell if they will help to lighten my freckles and blemishes, but I certainly hope they do. A downside is the faint Chinese herbs smell that comes with the au natural product but at least i know no fragrance has been used. Also, because I tend to sleep in an air-conditioned room at night, I’m not sure if the Gel (or moisturizer) with its light texture, can adequately keep my skin hydrated. Because of that, I have only used the series in the day.
I also tried the samples for the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, which I’ve read good reviews about and the DHC Olive Soap, which you use as a second step to the cleansing oil.
I don’t usually use cleansing oils because I’m not used to them (can your face really get clean from using oil to cleanse it?), but I have to say the DHC one worked rather well in removing all my make up, except my mascara. I couldn’t remove my Majolica Majorca mascara entirely, even after a minute of massaging my lashes. But MM’s mascaras are known to be heavy-duty and it always requires great effort to remove (if you know any products which can remove MM mascara well, let me know!), so I’ll let this pass.
Together with the olive soap, the cleansing oil left my skin feeling supple and clean without that feeling of tightness which you sometimes get when the cleanser is too strong. Again, in line with the brand’s philosophy of organic simplicity, the cleansing oil had no fragrance and smelt like its key ingredient, olive oil.
(P.S Would love to try Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil someday, but I find them too pricey. For now, I’ll stick to this.)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Favourite Fifteen Films
I love lists. Packing lists, to-do-lists, shopping lists, wish lists... you name it, i've got it. So when Miss Ene and The Pleasure Monger each did up a list of their favoruite 15 movies, I knew it was time to compile mine :)
1) Inception
Love the concept. Love Leonardo. Christopher Nolan, you know you’ve successfully incepted the minds of your audience, if you leave hundreds of thousands of people over the world debating over your film’s cryptic ending.
2) Romeo and Juliet
I used to study English Literature in school and enjoyed Shakepeare’s works (although Macbeth and not R&J was part of my curriculum). I liked how Baz Luhrmann put a modern twist to the story. Again, love Leonardo. My best friend and I were so crazy over this show we watched it at least twice.
3) Closer
A depressing but very real portrayal of relationships and infidelity. And Natalie Portman, in my humble opinion, can do no wrong.
4) Lord of the Rings
I’m usually a bit apprehensive when it comes to book adaptations, but I think Peter Jackson exceeded all expectations with this movie trilogy.
5) A Beautiful Mind
It’s difficult to pinpoint what I love about this show. Is it the moving story of how John Nash's fiercely loyal wife stands by him while he struggles with schizophrenia? The brilliant John Nash and his formulas? Or was it the stirring soundtrack by the prominent James Horner? Whatever it is, it definitely deserved the Academy Awards it picked up.
6) Up
I laughed, I cried and till today, I am still inspired to follow my dreams and make my trip someday to my Paradise Falls’, wherever that might be.
7) Harry Potter
I loved the books which obviously are richer in details but there’s nothing like seeing Hogwarts come alive on screen. Would love to visit the theme park in Orlando if I could!
8) Life is Beautiful
A poignant story of a father’s love, set against the backdrop of the concentration camps during World War II. This movie celebrates what matters to us most - life, hope and love.
9) Avatar
This is a show which you either love or hate. Despite what some people might say about the storyline being contrived (Dances with Wolves meets Pocahontas), I love the mysterious world of Pandora and I think James Cameron is a genius.
10) In The Mood For Love
In all honesty, I thought the pace of the film was a little slow. But I included this because Maggie Cheung (in a cheongsam) and Tony Leung make an irresistible combination. Plus, who can forget the beautiful cinematography?
11) 27 Dresses
Like The Pleasure Monger, I adore this chick flick and can relate to Katherine Heighl’s character. Like her, my favourite part of a wedding is the look on the groom’s face when he sees his bride walking in. Why do you think I’m keeping my gown a surprise (hopefully a pleasant one) from the fiancé? :)
12) Titanic
Again, another one of Leo’s shows. If I could, I’d include all of his shows in this list. Hey, I’ve got to be objective, right? But seriously, I had to include this movie.
13) Brokeback Mountain
I thought the leading actors, especially Heath Ledger, acted really well in this show and I was touched by the characters’ love for each other. A quietly powerful movie about forbidden love. Until today, the line "I wish I knew how to quit you" still resides in my memory.
14) Twilight
Don’t ask.
15) Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Audrey Hepburn. New York City. Tiffany and Co. Poor boy and wannabe rich girl fall in love. Moon River. A classic romantic comedy!
P.S I feel like re-watching some of these favourites this weekend!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Happy Long Weekend!
Instead of being a coach potato or reading a book, I watch amazingly put together wedding videos on Vimeo or should i say cinematography, sob at the speeches and vows and feel a little gutted that we are not having a videographer. Yes, my friends, i'm sinking deep into the abyss of bridezilla-dom.
Anyway here are some of the lovely videos (including that of the gorgeous Coco Rocha). If a picture speaks a thousand words, i guess a video speaks a million more.
Enjoy, but don't forget your tissues :)
Christie & Andrew's Arthouse Feature at The One & Only Palmilla from Elysium Productions on Vimeo.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Confessions of a Bride-To-Be #12: Confirming our Justice of Peace
Thanks everyone for your recommendations! :)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Confessions of A Bride-To-Be #11: The Wedding Rings
We started our search for wedding rings a month ago and made our rounds among the usual suspects such as Love & Co, Lee Hwa, Soo Kee and Goldheart.
I was disappointed by the service provided by the local stores. Sales assistants were not forthcoming to serve but maybe that’s what happens when you both look like you are fresh from college. Not once, did anyone ask “What kind of designs are you looking for?” when we were browsing. Wouldn’t that be the most basic question to ask your customer, so you can recommend designs to sell to them?
If you ask me, I would say Love & Co had the best service among the stores we visited. But even so, the sales assistants were generally not well-trained and couldn’t answer some of our questions.
Just before we visited the jewellery stores, we had purchased an Agnes B bag from the Raffles City outlet, for his Mom’s birthday. I wish I could remember the name of the sales assistant who had served us, because he was patient and provided commendable service, from beginning to end. When we told him that we were worried the recipient might not like the design, he gladly offered to write an exchange card, so she could bring the bag for an exchange, without the sales receipt (and hence without finding out the price).
It’s ironic that the level of service you receive when you shop for wedding rings which easily cost at least 4 to 10 times than an Agnes B utility bag, is nothing to shout about.
Pardon the digressing, but if you’ve been following this space for a while, you would know that one of my pet peeves is poor service. Anyway, one of Love & Co’s designs did catch my eye but we decided to look around more.
Thanks to Eadwine’s recommendation, we bought our wedding bands at eClarity, Shaw Centre, where we were served by Amanda, the owner. eClarity offers engagement rings, wedding bands, other jewellery and lots and lots of diamonds (from what I understand, their diamonds are cheaper because you don’t pay for the marketing).
If you like personalized service and reasonable prices, this is the place for you. Don’t forget to make an appointment though, because I don’t think they don’t accept walk-ins.Tuesday, October 26, 2010
3 more months
That’s still more to be done, though.
This weekend’s agenda includes a trip to the tailor to get the fiance’s suit made, eFiling at the ROM website, firming up our guest list, hunting for ideas for our invitation cards, and going for our food tasting session.
With 3 months more to go, I’d be lying if I said we are not starting to tear our hair out over the stuff to be done.
I can’t wait for the big day to be over so our weekends, stress levels and finances can resume normality. But mostly, I can’t wait to embark on this new journey, with you.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Confessions of A Bride-To-Be #10: Selecting Our Photos
"It's too similar to the other shot."
"We must have this."
"But that means we will have too many photos of us kissing!"
And now, I understand why people say selecting your final pre-wed photos is a mean feat.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Lobster Porridge
The porridge broth was very tasty, although i'm not sure whether it was due to MSG or the sweetness of the lobsters (i'm not one of those with taste buds discerning enough to tell when MSG has been used).
I still prefer Crab Bee Hoon soup if you ask me.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
The Accidental Find
Love the peacefulness and tranquility of the place. How nice it would be to have a picnic with friends by the water someday.
I wonder if it's crowded during the weekends.