Whispers of the Bamboo Forest

Namaste

2009-08-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

I first went back to yoga earlier this year to try and ease myself into the exercise regime. After 15 years, I found yoga has now evolved from what I first learnt. There are so many different types of yoga you can learn now with different benefits and results. When I first started, I was dismayed to find out how inflexible and weak I was. Seeing all the other more advanced students in the class and their capabilities made me want to push myself harder to be able to get where they were faster.

Then one day, I met a lady who has been practising chi gong for years. As we talked, I told her that I was in the midst of getting into yoga and she started asking me how I felt during yoga and after. How did I feel I had benefitted from it? Do I feel the energy when I am doing my poses?

Since then, I've learnt in my classes not to pay attention to others but myself. To listen to my body, push it to reasonable limits, feel the energy through my body and concentrate on my movements and breathing. It worked! Soon I was able to do the crow pose, headstand, chaturanga dandasana, wheel pose...even if only for a short while but at least better than nothing.

*chaturanga dandasana*

*wheel pose*

*crow pose*

I feel healthier, fitter, sleep better, am more aware of what I eat and feel calmer. Dont sweat the little things in life. Choose to take anything negative that happens in life as an experience rather than a regret. As long as you're happy and feel good about yourself, this will be noticed by others.

Thanks for reading my rantings (if you made it this far!).

NAMASTE

Flying On a Jet Plane

2009-08-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

I love travelling...as you can tell from my recent posts but this year all my trips have been wedding-related even if its for work or to just chill with mates. Always some wedding element in there. Kinda takes the adventure out of my trips and shopping ends up being tedious plus I get fatter cos of all the food I do not restrict myself from gorging on during these trips.

For the first month this year, in an attempt to save money and all that malarky, I'm not flying anywhere (or even shopping...*faint*) this month. RBA just had to advertise their $150 ticket to S'pore to try and tempt me recently (doesnt help that Dr A can now offer me free accommodation in S'pore). I shall stand firm. Instead The Boy and I are going for a pre-wedding trip to KK next month. In the meantime, my credit cards get a rest while I try to come up with the guest list for my wedding (its scary I tell ya).

My hen night's (weekend) in October....I cant wait!!

Bali Retreat

2009-08-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

Another destination I forgot to post up is Bali (even if I do go there for my honeymoon). There is a site offering a plethora of retreats in Bali which have totally caught my eye. By next year, I hope to be in good enough shape to be able to keep up with one of these classes and doing Bali in the atmosphere like below....I think you just cant beat it.

Bitten by the Travel Bug

2009-07-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

This year, I wanted to go to a couple of places but time, budget and wedding stuff has hampered me. As H and I discussed options for honeymoon destinations, my "places to visit" list also lengthened.

The initial proposal was NZ and Sydney but when we realised that if we wanted to visit Brisbane and Adelaide in Dec...we also realised our sisters wouldnt be around at that time so we'll probably go next year. Despite my preference for more 'adventurous' destinations like Morocco, South Africa or Turkey, I knew The Boy was more of a city type so HK + Taiwan came to mind. When we decided that we would be spending CNY in Taiwan next year with another couple, we came to the conclusion that the best honeymoon for us after a stressful wedding would be somewhere relaxing. I shall write about that another time but in the meantime, these are my "must" holiday destinations for next year before I have kids and blow up into a big balloon (if I should be so lucky)

Firstly, Taiwan....planning to spend a week here during CNY basically just pigging out. Cant wait!

Secondly, Australia namely Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney....wine, good food, (good potential of) free accommodation, fun company....looking forward to it. Planning to do this when my sis comes back from UK for summer hols.

Brisbane

Adelaide

Sydney (as if you wouldnt know from the Opera House *wink*

I've had my eye on seeing Angkor Wat since last year when LM went with her posse and after I had visited the splendid Borobudur. I've heard so many good things...I dont want to put it off any longer!

So that's my intended travel plans for next year. I cant wait!!

Boiiing!!

2009-07-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

I'm still here :)

Blogging and scrapping hav taken a backseat for now while wedding plans and health plans roll into play....oh not to mention all the travelling.

Since March, I've been to KK, Singapore, KL, Hong Kong and next week KL. Enough!! So tiring...actually more expensive...all this travelling. I love it but time to save for the wedding!! The next thing u know i'll be on a plane again...hehe.

Contracts have been signed at work...meetings in and out, crazy fun times with new and old colleagues and friends. If you have my facebook, you'll know what I've been up to. Its been fun.

Healthwise this new job has been good for me too. Less stressful, shorter working hours, more time for exercise (together) and destressing. In addition to yoga, I now go hiking once or twice a week with colleagues

As for wedding plans...well, they're chugging along. I'm just happy to have the major issues such as venue, photographer, photoshoot, dress, shoes, make up artist, hair stylist, decor, flowers, etc out of the way. We take our pre-weds next week and I hope it can turn out as nice as this

(I'm a sucker for sunsets)

Thankfully my cheongsam is done and I've just bought a gorgeous white gown in HK. My mum is willing to lend me her 'qua' which is great money-saving news. One of our suppliers is gonna help sort out my close toe shoes (cos we're supposed to wear close toe shoes when we leave our house).

The next big headache will come in the form of the guest list and arguing with my mother over how traditional we're going to be for the wedding. Oh plus room renovation *groan*

Oh my 2 sisters are back from UK and Oz and by Friday, my bro will be back from Shanghai. A rare occasion it is when the whole family is back together again even if for a short time. Hopefully we'll squeeze in a family photoshoot before I go off to KL!

I'm Alive!!

2009-05-12T01:46:00.001-07:00

Its been so long and I still havent scrapped. I've realised the wedding is now only 6 months away *gulp* and I take one of my first steps to feeling like a bride when I check out which gowns to wear this weekend to use for my photoshoot in July. Will be great having some girlfriends commenting and helping me choose.

I've been leaving the country about once a month since February....personal trips or getaways. There have been and will be more new things in store for me in 2009. I'm still at my (now not so) new job. Not tempted to go back to private practice for the moment.

I'd like to share with u all what has been keeping me zen tho....

FYI these are not me and the only pose I can do so far without help is the 1st one. I feel fitter than I have in ages and healthier. Even considering attending some yoga workshops....but first....wedding is 6 mths away...YIKES!!

Yesterday....

2009-03-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

.....was our 3 year anniversary.....

we both forgot :P

I'm Alive!!

2009-03-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

He first had cancer at the age of 26 and it came back in 2002. Despite fighting valiantly for the sake of his family, 3 years ago on 13th March, my dad had a stroke and was admitted into hospital. He was in there for 3 weeks before he passed away in his sleep on 5th April 2006. He was and still is the bravest man I know. The amount of suffering he endured over the years is a testament to the great man he was. I still miss him everyday. This is one of the few family photos we took where all of us are in it. That was more than 5 years ago...

If it wasnt for how strong my father was facing his battle with cancer, there is no way I would have been as strong for myself when I was diagnosed in 2003. So to all of you out there who know or have been affected directly or indirectly by cancer, its time to stand up to it....dont let it get the better of you.

After 15 years, I've now gone back to yoga, feeling much better than I have in a while...am contributing to charity through the hobby of baking cupcakes...am trying to see as much of the world as I possibly can despite such obstacles as money and leave....hopefully will start a family soon....there is a lot more to life, its up to you to make the most of it.

6 years on after my operation, I'm still learning, I'm still trying

February Bits n Bobs

2009-02-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

(1) It meant my 2nd month at the new job. Still liking it and the new colleagues that I have. Slowly filling my room and table with junk....hehe. So glad I no longer have to go down 2 flights of stairs for a cuppa or to use the loo. My office is ensuite and the printers and water dispenser are just outside my room.

(2) V-day meant cooking a new dish instead of going out and joining the masses staring into each other's eyes in a room full of couples. Roasted lamb leg. My new favourite home cooked dish. Hate cleaning the oven tho.

(3) 2 days after V-day I got my present. The Boy made me feel bad the whole weekend thinking he hadnt bought me anything after I'd slaved away in the kitchen cooking our weird combo of lamb leg, mashed potato, wine infused gravy, teriyaki salmon fish head, sweet corn soup, roasted asparagus and carrots. Tada!! The most expensive pen I'll ever own....
Mont Blanc Starwalker Doue. Catridge costs $10 so I'm using it sparingly...:p

(4)Huge mistake going down to Miri without a copy of my car's bluecard...it magically disappeared from the car. Had to turn back to KB and get it faxed over to EK's office...I kid u not. TWO WHOLE HOURS that could have been spent touring the new expanded Parksons....tsk tsk. Still managed to get some new workclothes.

(5) I have successfully managed to NOT shop for any new clothes or accessories all month....until #4 above...shucks!! But 3 tops and a skirt for under RM200 is a steal right?

(6) I've re-discovered my talent(?!?) for baking. No breads or pineapple tarts for me this time. Keeping it simple. See previous post.

(7) I scrapped....only a little....dont get too excited. It was a couple of cards. Speaking of scrapping. I really need to collect my stuff from Jazz :p

(8) My sister ends her 3+ month holiday back home...she leaves on Friday. I've hardly seen her tho...haha cos we're with our other halves most of the time. But I paid for her hair treatment and expensive high tea yday....she is going to miss having an older sister pay for stuff (and I never even had the priviledge)

(9) I bought 3 plane tickets for myself (and a few more for others) this month alone for travel in March, May and July. I dont know why I've been itching to fly. Its as if someone has chained me and I need to escape. Worst decision now is having to decide between Nepal and HK cos I can only afford one. I havent been back to see my HK family in 8 years and my cousin has offered to bring me to Macau, Disneyland and Shenzhen....oh so tempting cos I havent been to those places. Oh not to mention eat my heart out...all this before I take pre-wed shots. Hmm....

(10) My wedding is approaching 9 months away....YIKES!!!

Sorry Peeps!!

2009-02-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hope I didnt scare most of you with the title and think that I'm retiring from scrapbooking!! Haha! I've been busy baking actually. I'm helping my sister out to raise money for a charitable cause. The details can be found at http://www.odauk.org/index.php. The trend now is of course, cupcakes and I can make what I call baby or medium sized ones but I dub them "adult cupcakes" cos they're just basic simple cupcakes rich in flavour and less sweet than most of those out there at the moment. It started as a baking exercise to make people happy but I've had good feedback so when my sister told me about her cause, I decided to raise some money with it.

I'm quite flexible in letting people choose the flavours they want with whatever toppings they choose. So far I've made carrot & walnut with cream cheese icing, chocolate with cream cheese icing, chocolate with fudge icing, midori lime cupcakes (topping contains alcohol), red velvet cupcakes, chocolate or vanilla with pink sugar icing (a hit with the kids but personally too sweet for me). Those of you who have me on Facebook may have seen the pics. Below are the baby carrot & walnut and chocolate ones with cream cheese icing. I made those for my CNY open house which was a very last minute affair. They're going for $25 for a box of 36 baby or 25 medi.

Another thing I have to strongly apologise for is the promise of RAKs and fabric yoyo's to those of you. Please do remind me and send me ur address if I owe u a RAK. They're packed up and waiting to be sent to u. I'm taking baby steps to recover from my long break from scrapping. I'll be starting by restocking up my supply of ready made little cards and tags this Friday with Foxyzzz so wish me luck!

On another note, as I now realise my wedding is 10 months away (YIKES!!) I've been scheduling in my travel plans for the year (thank god we have so many Monday holidays) and of course my budget. There is also the dreaded "losing weight" issue that every bride has to deal with too. Cue my initiative to start jogging after work, dragging myself to yoga/pilates classes and re-starting my latin dance classes. *fingers crossed* I lose the 3/4kg I aim to lose before pre-wed pics are due to be taken in July.

So its time for me to get back to work. I hope u've all had a great Valentine's last weekend and are looking forward to a long weekend that starts soon. I'll up date on what the Boy got me next time round. I've been asked to insure it. LOL!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

2009-01-25T07:19:00.000-08:00

To those who still keep in touch with this blog....

GONG XI FA CAI!!

I'm enjoying my work and its keeping me busy in a good way. My hiatus from scrapping is still ongoing and there is just so much the beginning of this year with CNY, Valentines and wedding research and planning...hope u have all have a great long weekend with lots of happiness and prosperity coming your way!

An update

2009-01-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

I've been busy learning the ropes at the new job and trying to sort out my sleeping hours so that I can get into work before 8am (for a nice parking spot). Am unofficially taking a break from scrapping etc for now. Its fun...mad but fun...lets see what the rest of the month brings me!

Happy New 2009!

2008-12-29T11:40:00.001-08:00

Ok I'm saying that in advance since i'm already too late to wish u all Merry Christmas. Lots of changes going on right now...I might take a break from blogging, scrapping, the works....we'll see how it goes. I cant believe I start work on Friday...and my room is still a wreck. At least H and I have sorted out the bridal studio. We both think we've got a pretty good deal and are happy so we've put a deposit down. We're looking to take pics sometime in July. Now for me to loose 3kg and H to lose 10kg...hee hee

Sigh...

2008-12-19T21:58:00.001-08:00

I've been a really horrible blogger and scrapper I know. I've basically been spending time with the family, finishing season one of Gossip Girl (ooooh so b***hy), considering possibilities of what to do to my room (and REALLY need to get down to decluttering), preparing for my farewell party (tonight) and looking forward to my upcoming holiday in a few days...Wow, time has flown....seriously...cant believe half my break is almost gone *sniff sniff*. Oh I've sent out and received some SK Swap stuff....so much fun!! Until i stop by again...take care y'all!

Last day..

2008-12-15T01:53:00.000-08:00

I felt an instant weight lift off my shoulders as I finished my trial just now. It means (1) that I dont have to come into the office tomorrow other than to pack up my stuff (2) I no longer have to wear penguin suits/ lizard s**t outfits officially anymore!! (unless for functions in the new job). I've just started watching Gossip Girls (till 5am this morning...yes despite my trial) so guess where I'll be for the next few days till H comes back from Japan ;)

WOHOO!! NO WORK FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS!!

Little balls of joy

2008-12-11T23:53:00.000-08:00

Hi there, I've been lazy with the blogging world this past week...fitting in mahjong sessions before H's sister left, bringing the sibs to watch Bolt, finishing up my status report at work, wondering what to pack up in the office and my current fix of making little fabric yoyo's. They're cute. If you've seen the Maya Rd ones then they're about that size. Would look much better with a button or brad of some sort in the middle cos I aint the neatest sewing person in the world but its still cute. I prefer the little round ones to the heart shaped ones but I havent ventured to the clover yoyo's. So anyway, I found some leftover fabric from some baju-making some time ago so...I just wanna say hi and thank those that drop by my blog eventho I suck at updating so for those who commented on the last post, I'll be sending some fabric yoyo's ur way...Thanks to Zizi, Mich, Ed, JC, Emily, Vivs and Foxyzz (who immediately sent me an sms wen she saw the post). Hope to see those little things on ur projects soon!

Early Christmas Present

2008-12-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

I so totally screamed when I received this package. I was not expecting it at all!! Julia and I had been corresponding since the advocacy workshop and after she sent me a few goodies and I sent her my thank you card, I didnt think there was more stuff coming cos we had agreed not to do this endless cycle of exchange of presents but then this came!!

Actually I didnt even look to see who it was from before I opened it...LOL...my staff had picked it up from the post office without me knowing. I had told Julia about how I liked the cute Heather Bailey fabric yo-yo's and she told me about this tool that helps you make it. Little did I know she was going to get it for me...but not just that, she also got me the heart and clover shaped ones AND she got me 3 pieces of HB fabric and a book on fabric scrapbooking. This is one of those things that you didnt know was on your Christmas list until you get it. *screams with delight again*

Julia, if ur reading this, I havent met you yet but you're a star! On my next trip to Singapore I'm bringing you a whole box of goodies and will buy you a huge expensive dinner and I wont take no for an answer!

*squeal squeal squeal*

I'm off to play with my new toys *huge grin*

The Countdown Begins...

2008-12-03T02:02:00.000-08:00

In less than 2 weeks, I'll be packing up my office to fit into an (XL size...hehe) Ikea box and stored away for another 2 weeks before it the stuff will be unpacked in a new location. Its been over 4 years and I've moved from a cubicle to a lovely room (and hopefully an even lovelier one). I cant wait. Its all so exciting...a new place, new people, new challenges. Lots of things happening in 2009. A new journey or more to begin so...LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

Fun weekend and some sayings...

2008-11-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

Panic set in when I left work at 5.40pm (very rare so early) and drove up onto the highway only to find that it was jammed cos of a fender bender!! I was DEFINITELY going to be late for SC's anniversary crop. Argh! I called Anna and had to ask her to save me a space. It didnt help that it was end of the month which meant that Gadong would be jammed too! Huff...puff! I got to SC by about 6.20pm which wasnt too bad I guess considering...

Sharon quickly burst into action once we were all settled and had some fun projects for us. We were divided into the pink and blue team. I had Foxyzzz, Scrapperholic, Renoa, Serene and Bee Fong with me on the pink team. Firstly we made a little coaster autograph book and we went around introducing ourselves and getting everyone to sign it. Then we had a little game of listing out the number of items that we were supposed to try and memorise which our team won! We continued with a few questions then altered a mirror which Sharon had brought all the way from Singapore with her for us! The last game of the night was to list down A-Z of scrapping brands...the other team won so we all went home a winner. That's not all though!!

Being Scrapperholics also meant we were shoppaholics! We had a chance at a lucky draw for every $50 we spent (this is still on-going) and I got a kit and a $5.00 voucher...and and and...I got an anniversary gift of 3 6"x6" American Crafts albums!! And and and...there's more! I attended the crop and Emily's class which meant I got a goody bag from each session! It was a weekend full of fun and freebies! Will update this post with pics later on. If u want to see the beautiful creation we made at Emily's class, check it out here. I would have loved to join Lia & Sharon's classes but my weekend was booked up. I hear they had some great giveaways though!!

My sis and I spent some of the weekend pampering ourselves (all paid for by me...broke now) and making cupcakes (carrot & walnut and pink icing) as well as trying to remember how to play mahjong. Ken had a whole bunch of friends surprise his wife with a lovely gathering at Sheraton on Saturday night for her birthday. Aww!! I didnt expect for there to be so many people but it was good to catch up. Dinner with my out-laws (not yet in-laws bah)on Sunday was postponed and I got a head start on making X'mas cards for the kids that will be receiving some lovely goodies from the SK Swap...my brother is going to have a very happy X'mas! I'm soo going to capture lots of pics of his reaction to receiving all the packages!

*the cupcakes*

Anyway I just wanted to leave u guys with some stuff people have told me over the years that has really helped me. I hope it helps u in some way too!

1. When ur rich, everyone wants to be ur friend. It's who is still there when ur poor/normal

2. Its very rare that people find someone who fits their criteria 100%. Be happy with someone who is 70/80% cos remember, ur not perfect yourself

3. Whatever your hubby does with his money is his business, as long as he treats u well and provides for the family, he does what he wants with his extra money

4. Take everything that happens to you in your life as an experience you can learn from, whether its good or bad. U still walk away with something u've learnt at the end of the day

5. A smile always starts things off well no matter what

6. Always make time for yourself no matter how busy, or in love or rushed you are. It really makes a difference...clear your mind, read a book, do what YOU want to do. I find I really cannot go without more than 2 weeks without having a girly session with my girlfriends or taking a moment to just taking time to immerse myself in a good book always helps.

And finally...

2008-11-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

I have completed the SC ASR Challenges. The one that took me the longest was the last LO for some reason. My mojo decided to run out on me just before the last challenge so I wasnt the first 5 to finish but I'm just happy to have gotten it all done. Now I have the crop on Friday and Emily's class to look forward to!

Challenge #5:- Create an LO with 15 pattern papers

Challenge #6:- Create an LO using the title "I Scrap Because..."

TFL!! Good luck to all the others in the running and thanks so much to all those who leave their lovely comments for me!

Christmas Wishlist

2008-11-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

I'm following in WS footsteps and making up a little wishlist of my own. Yeah I'm a copycat, so what? We're going to be related....eventually (I hope cos not many people can take on that fat cat at home). I'm putting up a more affordable and REALISTIC (WS take note) list....keke.

No. 1: Canon Selphy Printer. I just got my new toy (which I have yet to blog about) which is my new little Dell XPS (strokes it lovingly) which matches my phone. This little baby will complete my (new colour of the moment short of getting my Lexus IS300) white collection of gadgets. It's very useful for a scrapper like me (unless anyone has recommendations for better)

No. 2: Flowers from Wilyn. OK so its a bit boring but eversince H got me this last year (which caused me to have a huge silly grin on my face for the whole day) for my birthday...a Wilyn bouquet just makes me wanna sigh with pleasure. Yes, they will be my wedding florist!

No. 3: Provo Craft Cuttlebug. I've been coveting this for AGES cos I love their embossing results...sigh...someone please feed my card making addiction (and scrapping of course)

No. 4: Miss Dior Cherie. The bottle is just too pretty and it smells nice too. Not too overpowering or sickly sweet. I *heart* this.

No. 5: A weekend getaway to KK for H and me just walking around hand in hand, enjoying a couple's spa, eating bah kut teh, seafood & me getting my Starbucks fix! Oh gotta check out the new Wan Borneo as well! Maybe for our 3rd anniversary...

Label Tulip Oct Kit

2008-11-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

Got it last week but havent had a chance to play with it yet. I cant wait to use those cute Maya Rd velvet blooms *rubs hands together*

*pics taken from LT website*

SC's Amazing Scrapping Race

2008-11-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

Its Shabby Chic's 2nd Anniversary and they've got an Amazing Scrapping Race going as well as some fun classes with their current DT's...oh and they have just announced a crop on the 28th! (which I've already signed up for). I must say I wasnt sure if I was going to participate in this but its got my mojo going and I'm happy to still be in the race even if I am most likely not to win the Big Shot seeing the amazing talent that is out there.

Challenge #1: Create an LO with at least 6 photos

Challenge #2: Create an LO with at least 2 altered raw pieces of chipboard

Challenge #3:- Create a totally B&W LO including ONE B&W photo (this caused some confusion for me cos of the word "include")

Challenge #5: Create an LO with 2 ribbons, PP, CS, flowers, buttons and types of alpha.

So far, I'm still in the running and awaiting my next instructions.

P.S. I'm glad to see that I've used totally different types of pictures and totally different themes of LO's throughout. Ideas have flowed to me pretty fast this time around. Hope it continues past the competition. Thank you SC for fuelling my mojo.

Life's Choices

2008-11-13T02:35:00.000-08:00

The bulk of my work at the firm the past year and a half has been divorce matters. When I go to court, I'm amazed at the increasing divorce rate here in Brunei. Yesterday, while I was tending to a client whose case would be potentially very contentious, I was asked if I was married. I told the client that I would be getting married next year. The client was amazed how I would still want to get married after handling so many divorce cases.

I told the client I could be put of marriage by all this or I would be more determined to make marriage work after seeing all the mistakes people make. Most of the time, I notice that people were incompatible to begin with. U can not only learn from your own mistakes but also from the mistakes of others.

I made a similar choice after I had recovered from cancer. I could have chosen to treat myself as a potentially sick person for the rest of my life or live my life to the fullest and achieve all I can while I'm still around. I'm glad I opted for the latter. Life isnt meant to be lived wrapped up in a cotton ball.

Next year, I now have 2 major events to look forward to. A new exciting job with lots of prospects and a wonderful journey of marriage with H.

I cant wait!!

Day 2 in Jakarta

2008-11-10T01:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing exciting happened for me on day #2 (depending on how u look at it) as my stomach was still precious from the night before. EL brought us for some lovely Spanish food that night at Moya after I had more or less recovered. It was delish!! We had a few different types of huge plates of tapas (the UK ones are tiny compared to these). Love love love the prawns...sigh! EL's fav dish is the thinly sliced smoked pork (cant remember what its called) but the prawns won it for me and Dr A. We sighed at having proper nachos with guacamole and cheese...ummm. Oh we also loved that wall mural behind Dr A...cool eh?

Dr A wandered down to the loo after our meal and she insisted I go down WITH the camera afterwards. EL had told us it was a nice cosy jazz club downstairs (apparently they are no longer concentrating on jazz now) and the decor was just fab!! That cushion with the pole was outside the loo area...soo plush! The loo itself was cool cos u got these grafittied walls and u are welcome to leave ur mark cos they provide u with chalk to scribble too!

Restaurant Moya is part of a company that also has Cassis Restaurant which has fine dining and another restaurant in the building serves Indonesian food (I think). There is also a big club and we saw some very nice wheels in the carpark!!

We ended the night buying loads of dvd's (cos it was sooo cheap) and watching them for the rest of the night. The place beats Unitek!! No pics...was too distracted looking for dvd's...hehe.

A Teaser

2008-11-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

Before someone's neck grows any longer, I'm going to talk about my trip to Jakarta. The 1st day anyway. It all started with some drama at the airport...waayy to early for my liking. Dr A had purchased our tickets with her CC a couple of months ago. By the time we had to fly, her CC had expired and she had returned it to the bank. She did not realise that we needed her CC to verify our ticket failing which we could not fly on those tickets and had to purchase new ones. She would further not be refunded for the tickets we had already paid for. She told me to stay calm.....I was ready to thump her!

We were given Option B which was to find out what the last 3/4 digits of her CC were. I thought...Ah! At least this one, she should have statements or internet banking to see the number....She had neither *.*. She ended up calling Customer Service at the bank and after explaining it to the guy more than once, he said he would call her back. I thought it was utterly ridiculous and called a friend of mine who worked at the bank and he got the number straightaway. We were then told we had been upgraded to business class!! Wopee!! (I later found out it wasnt our lovely smiles that got us upgraded but the fact that they had overbooked the flight)

We quickly went into the loungue for our brekkie and while we were there the bank customer service called back and said he was unable to get the CC number. WTF?!! Imagine if it wasnt for my friend, we would have been stranded!!

So, on to Jakarta...

Dr A started looking out the window as we approached and suddenly excitedly called out to me for the camera. She was amazed to see this stadium in the middle of a padi field. It was the beginning of the huge divide between the rich and poor we were going to be seeing during our trip.

We met EL at the airport after waiting AGES for our luggage (dont business class passengers luggage come out first?) and the driver was instructed to send us straight to Pacific shopping centre below the Ritz Carlton Hotel. I like the background of the picture below but the guy didnt take the lift that was behind the fountain and I look fat (gym time)

Realising that most of the shops in there were not within our anticipated budget, we stopped for some food. I had some herbal baked chicken stuff but I just had to take a picture of this absolutely decadent muffin we had...oh the place we stopped at specialised in muffins. It was also at this point that Dr A realised u can smoke ANYWHERE in Indonesia (all my clothes came back smelling of smoke)

We then decided to start from the top floor of the place instead and found the food area. This section caught our eye. Lovely isnt it? U can have ur dinner in that boat or in the lighthouse. Part of the restaurant...

After managing to do some shopping and while waiting for EL, we stopped for gelato. Mmmm....

We had shabu-shabu for dinner with EL and Sunny and the only pic we managed to take was the decor. We were too distracted and fascinated with the fast cooking super thin slices of meat and only realised we hadnt taken pics AFTER we had eaten everything.

The night didnt end there. After refreshing ourselves at the flat, we went out to Equinox which is a really good club. I didnt bring my camera as I was afraid to lose it and thankfully I didnt as I ended up having a tad much of my friend Johnny Walker which lasted me till the next day...but that's another story...

Shabby Chic Challenge #1

2008-11-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

I managed to finish an entry for the 1st Challenge of Shabby's set of 6 challenges after Foxyzzz alerted me to it yesterday. I wasnt too happy with it at first until I added the bling and came back to it again then I was quite happy with how it turned out especially after I created my own "chinese coins". I'm not sure whether I can show the LO so here is a sneak peek...

Btw for those who wanted to know, in my last LO, I used PP from Making Memories and Heather Bailey. I got the butterfly CS from one of me Label Tulip kits, not sure if its sold out yet. The ribbon is a combination of organza ribbon I got somewhere and I layered the top of it with some AC ribbon in a similar colour to the background PP. For more definition, there is a strip of silver pearl thread. Psst...I tied the bow and pasted it down separate on top of the ribbon...hehe.

Young & In Love

2008-11-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

This month's Groovie Cover Challenge had me inspired as soon as I saw it. My initial plan was to make an LO with no picture. However, I changed my mind when I started on my LO and I love the result as I have managed to colour code the LO with the colours of my sister's top in the photo. Oh, my sister may love this or may kill me for posting up the pic of her and her bf (that she didnt know I had)...keke. So, without further adue, here is the cover...

and here is my LO...

H's sister has been making delicious cupcakes since she came back last week while I was away. I came back in time for her strawberry muffins and strawberry and cream cupcakes. Yum!! She also helped me purchase this book I mentioned previously which I absolutely love!!

As I was meeting the gals last night, I felt like whipping up a little something for them and here is the result. Sorry for the bad pic la...it was on my fone and I didnt take my time to focus in...

I know at least one person is waiting to read the stories of my travels. Here is a sneak peek of the wonderful pictures to come of my travelogue...keke. Its the sunset I witnessed at Borobudur but as someone said to me before...no camera can capture the beauty of ur surroundings as well as ur eyes can.

Catching my breath!

2008-10-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Had a blast in Jakarta~eating, drinking, shopping and clubbing...and in Jogja~eating, drinking, shopping and sighseeing. Its been a crazy week of being upgraded to business class (both flights), eating a wonderful variety of food, seeing Borobudur wake up, hearing about all the myths and stories of the Jogja temples and palaces, getting drunk (one night only), enjoying the spa and sauna, travelling in a becah, bargaining for our purchases....

I've got lots to tell u accompanied by pics so stay tuned!

Prelude

2008-10-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

Mummy's birthday was on 21st October. She is finally half a century old. We thought after many outings to Japanese, we would go for Korean (especially with my mum's current obsession with Korean drama) but my siblings were kinda disappointed with the food and that waitress is useless. As they close at 9.30pm, we didnt take pictures at the place. Jer and I bought her a gorgeous bouquet from Wilyn arranged in a lovely basket, a cake from Bakerlyn and I got her two tops. EJ got my mum a chocolate diary free cake and H bought her dark chocolates...she loves chocolates...her two future son-in-laws have scored brownie points this time around! Sorry the chocolate stuff was devoured before a good pic could be taken!

I finally got some scrapping mojo back just before I'm about to leave for Indonesia. Havent been this happy with an LO for quite a while. Thing is I cant show it to you all yet cos its for the next Groovie Book Cover Challenge so all I can offer you is a sneak peek....dont u just love that shiny butterfly lace CS?

Pre departure drinks with the girlfriends was cancelled due to the heavy rain which has been pouring for about 6 hours each day for the past couple of days. Hope the rest of you have a great week ahead. Take care and thanks for stopping by!

The 1st Confirmation

2008-10-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

So I finally went to see this tailor that has been recommended to me about making the only dress I'm making for the wedding. Its a red cheongsam covered in french lace and made of crepe satin. The difference between this and a traditional cheongsam is that the 'skirt' bit looks like a slinky evening gown (with a little train of course). I had called up Singapore to ask how much they sell it off the rack for...and they said $3,000+ *gulp*

I had my fingers crossed the tailor would say she could do it so that I can buy the lace in Jakarta and maybe even the material too *fingers crossed*. I walked in and told her my plans. I didnt ask the price but I know I'm looking at a 3 figure sum rather than 4 figure and definitely cheaper than buying or even making it in Singapore... Asked her what material to get and how much of it and whether she could make it.

And she said.......YES!!!

3 days and counting....

2008-10-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

I've had so many aspirations to scrap....materials all bought....so far....only an LO to show for it...n a couple of cards...sigh....Tonight, I will do at least one project. Lets not be too ambitious. After all, I gotta go present shopping and tomorrow night I start off pilates with V. I've been wondering whether to start it for a while and now that she told me she is teaching, it seems there is no time like the present.

H has come back from Japan...a trip which could have been more enjoyable with my company (perasaan!!)...keke. He din buy me anything....hmpf! Apparently din get a chance to shop....*sulk* Nevermind, he's back! *hugs*

Dr A has been raving that she wants to visit this miniature park in Indonesia for a while. I've been trying to look it up. It basically shows Indonesia in all its splendour in one place (in miniature! The pics of Indonesian pavillions did not attract me as much as this miniature castle inspired by Suharto's visit to Disneyland...huhu...Its got a bird park nearby too.

I'm just thankful we're not visiting Komodo Island cos I dont like 'em lizards! *shudder*

Shopping is (definitely) on the agenda in Jakarta but I kinda went to visit my cousin's shop after I got the sms of their new goodies and bought a new dress *guilty look*........and 2 pairs of earrings.....and 2 tops.....and a skirt....

In my defence, they're really good quality and classic and will last me ages and MAYBE I will save them for CNY :p

Updates...

2008-10-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

OMG I've misplaced or someone has taken my memory card with all my Europe photos in it....Eek!!

H is on his way back tonight so I'll be feeling a bit better *sniff sniff*...sigh

Oh and G and I saw Wuzhun yday at the airport. NO WE WERE NOT THERE ON PURPOSE. Can see him during CNY minus crowds. We are eating at the airport restaurant and came out just as he wandered out surrounded by paparrazi in a cap and shades. He left for KL today apparently. Was only here to promote Butterfly Lovers which I understand is his new film....hmm...RA covered some his promo at Empire here.

Hmm went for a briefing on Monday....quite excited for the change now! I would say cant wait till Jan but I cant wait for my 2 week break in Dec and my trip to Jkt first now. Recently, I come to realise some people say and do stupid things...sometimes even the professionals do that and its just not on...I'm very angry and disappointed but then, cant do much...except to bite back one day. Lets hope it doesnt come to that.

I'll be in tai tai mode again tmr at the salon...finally...some pampering!

Oh btw, up for some freebies? Check out Webster's Pages!

I Love U 2 Love Me

2008-10-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

I'm missing my Bunny. I managed to complete this LO last week following a sketch inspired here. I knew what I wanted to create and althought it didnt totally turn out how I envisaged it (due to my hiding mojo) I'm glad I've scrapped this pic :) Now on to the 2nd sketch which looks so fun!

Miss Bimbo Ting8191

2008-10-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Today I noticed that I am on Day 69 of this game and I havent blogged about it so I thought I'd do so now. Thanks to a certain lady, I have kinda got hooked on this game.

Its kinda like an online Barbie-Tamagotchi thing. Sad? Maybe for some la but who cares. I get to shop virtually and I now know how to play Sudoku and Mastermind cos I have to play it everyday to earn my bimbo money and IQ as well as bimbo attitude. After u start, u kinda dont want her to get ill and die so you just keep playing and there are goals for every level. The only disappointing thing about these challenges that you have to do is that you dont get to see the b***h fights. Oh she has a boyfriend that gives her money (always a good thing) and jobs that pay more as ur bimbo gets smarter. They have all the other stuff like gym, library, therapy, boob jobs, make up, hair, etc......money is the catch so you learn to try and save and organise your earnings. Oh you have to feed and clothe her too la...

Sad? Well, I havent played Barbie for like 20 years so its my little reverie into my virtual childhood! So those who are interested can check it out here.

Wedding stuff

2008-10-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

While I'm counting down my 9 days (wohoo!) to Jakarta and trying to clear my huge workload in the meantime (boo!! Hiss!!), I forgot to post that H and I have bought our tickets to KL for this coming Dec.

and staying here...

I have yet to email the studios we want to visit to check if they are open or Optimax for my 3 month check up for that matter. Opps! I visited Touch Wedding last time I was there and me and my 2 lovely & patient companions fell in love with 3 of the dresses I tried on...ok so i was the most keen on the peach one! So this time around, I hope to check out:-

1) Posh Wedding, who did my friend's photos recently and I absolutely loved them but I'm not so sure about their dresses
2) Wedding Couture which looks quite nice
3) Vogue Collection which was recommended by a few friends

I thought of seeing Love Vision but it is the same group as Touch so I thought it was best to narrow it down to 3 as our time there is quite limited and bearing in mind that most shops are not open on 25th Dec. I've arranged for a surprise for H from this lady for X'mas. Hope my order is ok!

Now I totally forgot about this until I was updating my friend on what wedding preps I've done so far....keke...u'll never guess....WEDDING RINGS!! Haha....hopefully we can find a nice pair that we both agree on otherwise maybe in another trip. We still have to go to BKK for the groom and bestman's suit and another trip to KL for the taking of the wedding pics. While we're shopping for the rings I can check out jewellery and accessories for the wedding too *clap clap* [H is so not going to enjoy this]. My brother said the 6mm Tiffany platinum band in KL is about RM6000 which is rather cheap for Tiffany's so might have a look at that!

Erm yea, that's mainly our KL trip agenda other than friends we can meet or squeeze in between and lots of eating of course...oh yah and my eye appointment :p

Grand Mercure

2008-10-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so I still have not made dem cupcakes with H leaving for Japan for a few days on business *sniff sniff*....we have just been vegging infront of the tv lots. Oh yah and my facial lady has commented I have put on weight so I really really really need to start exercising....sigh.

The countdown to Jakarta has started and as I drool at what Lee and the others got up to here, I thought I'd just make some of the rest of you drool at the lovely hotel Dr A and I will be staying in Jogja :p

Grand Mercure Yogyakatra

We've saved on hotels in Jakarta so Dr A and I are splurging in Jogja. Its not the most expensive but it was the nicest and most reasonable. I thought of a really nice wooden spa type hotel but the prices were astronomical!!

I wanna go on holiday now!!

I wanna make cupcakes!!

2008-10-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

My pregnant friend K and I have been hormonal (though she's pregnant so she has more of an excuse) and talking too much about hobbies and what we wanna do. I've been on a cupcake search for a while...I wanna make some...but I need pretty pictures...sigh. I was totally lazy last night and slept 12 hours!! At least it cleared up my impending sore throat. No rest for my wicked tummy tonight as I head to my 2nd open house of the day after work....but I'm getting distracted here. I found this lady's blog and was completely blown away by what she could do so I've emailed to ask her if she can make me a little surprise x'mas thingy for H (though he doesnt really like sweet stuff). Then while researching for cupcakes, I found this. I think I've found my little online recipe book for now until Mr T so kindly buys the 500 Cupcakes book I showed his wife. Wohoo!!

Groovie Book Cover Challenge

2008-10-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

Ed PM-ed me a while back asking if I would like to join in a new challenge she was setting up on the Groovie Scraps Cafe forum. I thought it sounded like quite a fun challenge so I agreed. She then gave me this book cover to use to create my own interpretation of...

And here is the finished product. I didnt have action shots on hand with me otherwise that would have been great. I tried to go for a more shabby chic look here with all the Webster's Pages paper (yes I finally used them!) and white paint. Just got my cover for next month! Cant wait!! TFL!!

Something fresh...

2008-10-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

I received an email a couple of weeks ago that stirred up my scrapping mojo which has been kinda of dormant...either that or I just dont like what I've been producing lately. I cant reveal it yet but it was fun trying this out and I got to try out some techniques I've been meaning to try. Here is a sneak peek:-

Come back tomorrow for the full reveal! (if I'm not suffering from a hangover as I have a pool party to attend tonight and a wedding to pretty myself up for tmr...yes another one!!)

Sungkai-ed out

2008-09-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

My gals and I started a blog just for us. I wont even bother to link it cos no one can access it but us. I've been giving them food reviews on all the sungkai's I've been to so although raya is about a week away, maybe I should do it here too...

I started off with Villa Mauri with the 3 other lawyer ladies I regularly hang out with. I didnt know what to expect for $20.00 but when we saw the menu, we decided to have the All U Can Eat anyways. Its essentially a 4 course meal and u choose one of each course to have but u have to finish one course before u can move on to the next. There being 4 of us, Maurizio made us a mixed platter of all 3 starters then the 3 pastas (love the Marinara + ordered an additional plate), 2 little pizza's with a mixture of the 3 offered, 3 main course (lamb, fish and beef of which we were given a slice each) and were totally full by this point but could not deny ourselves dessert especially when it was tiramisu!! We also had the fresh fruits and ice cream. We were TOTALLY sated and definitely got our money's worth. Thanks G!

Then on to Ridzqun the next day whose buffet I enjoyed very much last year with the GHK crowd. Lots of variety but of course mostly Malay food. However, it wasnt the main course that I enjoyed the most but the stuff from the stalls outside like the kambing bakar, fresh murtabak, fresh ambuyat (ok so I din eat this but H loves it), curry fish head, fresh teh tarik, etc. I think it was worth $21.00 compared to some of the other stuff out there though I wasted la with H's mum cos she mainly ate satay and beef rendang only...keke.

Next up was Takara. I'd read some good reviews so H, his mum and I went. We started eating at 6pm (this was not a problem as there was only like one Malay table and the rest were all Chinese!). T came in and told us to start eating anyway so we headed off. The sushi wasnt out when I was examining the table (and mistook the dessert for starters) but I got my fill later on together with the gyoza, fried udon, fish furai, fried rice, soba noodles, salmon sashimi (thanks T!!), prawn tempura which came with HOT soya sauce (for those not in the know, please see here for the idiot's guide) and various desserts. Seeing as it was quite a hefty buffet, I was ok having only water and rose syrup to choose from. Definitely very worth the $12.80 we paid cos if u think about it, u definitely would order more if you had ala carte and its Takara!

The next day I was at Airport Restaurant for a lawyers informal do. Lots of variety as usual but cos my benchmark was Ridzqun/OGH for these kind of very "Melayu" buffets. It was rather disappointing. It won points with my on having roti jala but lost when they didnt have sliced almonds as topping for the ice cream. WRONG!! Main course, ok ok only la...they had chilli crab but other than that, nothing any more special than their normal buffet. And its $25.00!! Not worth leh...oh not to mention u have to pay for parking lagi tu.

On my 3rd day in a row of sungkai (I dunno how people do this), I tried the Millenium buffet. That was this year's GHK gathering and the curries were nice. For a change I preferred the main courses to the measely starter and dessert spread though the ambuyat was too watery. It was not a bad buffet and certainly filled me up but I'm not sure its worth $16.80....or maybe its just me...but then I think the I Lotus one is definitely not worth it whereas many seem to think otherwise.

Tonight I will be heading to TT Blues and next Monday, Nasi Kandar Penang...we'll see how those go...

Feeling like cupcakes

2008-09-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Yes again...this time I'm going to make it. Already located some cupcake trays and the 'paper cups'. I've been too lazy this week...time to get off my fat arse and do something...

Small rant

2008-09-24T02:32:00.000-07:00

I don’t like people who don’t work cos they think a job is beneath them and yet chose to spend the money of others just cos they are too ‘proud’ to work. When its crunch time, you need to recognise ur responsibilities and face up to them. I may be a lawyer but that doesn’t deter me from helping the family sell shoes in the shop nor serve food at the restaurant. Sometimes people just have to face reality and bite the bullet….seriously…

From Big Temple to Little Temple

2008-09-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

We had chosen the dates, picked the hotels, decided on our route and game plan so next came the most important thing of all...no it wasnt out leave....it was PARENTS!! Dr A's parents did not approve of 2 gals wandering around Cambodia on their own so yet again my dreams of visiting Angkor Wat were dashed. I was supposed to join this group but it was not to be. Sigh.

Not to be deterred, Dr A and I considered the alternatives...We decided to stick to Asia as I had just returned from Europe and Dr A is making her big plans for Oz next year so...where do we go? Manila just didnt sound exciting enough for me cos all we knew about was the shopping...if Cambodia was out then Laos and Myanmar were too and we were not allowed to go to Thailand with all the politics happening there now.

Then I remembered EL had been hankering for me and H to visit him in Jakarta for a while and conveniently he was in town so I could ask him what there was to do there. When he suggested Yogjakarta, I was sold! Borobudur!! Finally, what was in my history books (again) will be alive in my eyes!! Going to Jakarta also meant that I could possibly try and buy some of that French lace that I'm planning to have for my cheongsam (but that's in another post). Just to be safe, Dr A and I decided on Hong Kong for our fallback plan incase her parents disapproved. Well, I have family there and there is Disneyland should be ok.

We waited with bated breath for Dr A's parents to say yes (My mum was no problem as it is one of the places that she wants to visit too but she cant go cos my sibs have exams). Dr A's parents are delicate creatures so they needed a bit of time to absorb the information (mind you, their first reaction was that there were stampedes in Indon). A few days ago, while shopping I got the following message from Dr A...

"Green light!! GREEN!!"

We were good to go!! (dance dance)

This 9th century Buddhist monument is found in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia and is Indonesia's single most visited attraction. The monument is both a shrine to Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. More can be read about it here.

Before Dr A's parents could change their minds, we booked both our tickets to Jakarta and our internal tickets to Yogja yesterday. There was a slight hitch when Dr A was adamant she rather take a 7 hour train journey than travel on Garuda owing to the latest 'scares' but we found a compromise...hurrah for Airasia for flying the Jakarta-Yogja route!

I'm a happy bunny :D

(Now all I need is for H to renew his passport so we can get our tickets to KL in Dec! Grr!!)

oink oink

2008-09-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally scrapped but I dunno what it is...I dont like what I've produced. I made this LO some time last week...I knew I wanted to scrap the pics as soon as I had taken them and the last SOMO kit was just full of cute girliness that warranted these pics....(featuring Shania)

The Brunei Scrappers Forum also held an online crop today introducing just a few techniques to incorporate into our LO's to kick start us...

Here is my take for using tearing and having a photo in a corner of the LO:-

And for an LO incorporating stamping and using a B&W photo:-

Oh an update on my eyes....they're doing very well...not even as dry as they intially were. I had my 1 week checkup last Saturday and the Dr was impressed at the recovery process so I'm a happy bunny!

Now when I was in KL, I got to visit my sister's friend's house as I didnt really want to bother anyone to entertain the invalid that I possibly was if my eyes took a bit longer to recover. So I tagged along to the Oxford University Malaysian Society's Freshers Intro...yeah I always seem to be at their BBQ/food do's...so anyway...a brother of my sister's mate had just got a new gf and she was supposed to be super gorgeous. She happened to be in town for a few days so I got to see her there but I didnt really talk to her. Later on, we found out that she was a rather famous Mediacorp artist from Singapore. Doh! I was in close proximity with a celebrity and all I could think at the time was...Hmm she's not bad looking! LOL! Anyone recognise Fiona Xie?

On to food...I came back from KL deciding that I really had to lose weight to fit into some of the bridal gowns that I tried on (eventhough admittedly some of them had been altered to fit smaller sized women) BUT...
well, apparently that isnt going to happen considering my current schedule for pigging out sessions this month! Firstly, both me and H have been invited to a wedding every week this month and last night, another wedding dinner had been added for next month so that's 5 in a row!! The rest of my nights are filled with sungkai meet ups with various people or dinners for various functions. In fact, every day this week, I have something scheduled and at least half of next week as well! Maybe I should start fasting during the day too :p

Money Not Enough 2

2008-09-12T01:29:00.000-07:00

I said I wouldnt, I thought I wouldnt and I tried and I tried but I did shed a few tears watching this movie. Darn it! It brought back memories of the time when dad was ill and there were a few moments of who would look after him but I'm glad to say that there was always someone to volunteer their services though I'm ashamed to say, not always me.

We met the newly engaged couple J&J at the cinema last night. H joked that alot of gals are very sad now that Mr J is taken haha....We had a blast celebrating with them last Tuesday 998. Congratulations to them again!

Drastic changes happening to me this month beginning with my Lasik. So relieved to finally get THE CALL. Phew! Thankfully I will manage to fit in some chill time before the madness of next year starts.

I have way too many sungkai buffets lined up for my liking...its fit into the 2 weeks after people start tightening their purses and before they get filled again so hopefully the crowds wont be too bad. So much for my diet....argh!!

I'm in the midst of planning my next holiday (yes already!!). I was supposed to join the fun crew to Cambodia this month but timing just wasnt right so Dr A and I plan to rough it out ourselves armed with their tips in early Nov. Hoping NL can join us too. Thankfully I dont have the glasses/contact lens situation to deal with anymore during my travels. Wohoo! H is also supposed to confirm with me whether we can go to KL again in Dec. Well, I have to and he better!! Grr~!

Soooo on the scrapping front? Erm, I've done lots of shopping! But still no LO's yet....only little things...and I'm going to make little tags for raya....think I will get started on it tonight....toodles!

I'm sorry...

2008-09-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

...that I may not have had time to post up the wonderful awards some of you have given me or leave lovely comments and visit all the blogs I would like to. Lots of work piling up here in the office. Rest assured I do totally appreciate all your comments and they always always make me smile especially those congratulatory ones *wink*

I was a bit mad and took some stuff to scrap while I was in KL...see my little bits n bobs...

Some of you will be receiving these soon...hope u like em :)

My 2nd surgery (Warning: Long post)

2008-09-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

04.09.08
Last Thursday night, H dropped me off at the airport to catch my flight to KL. Thankfully it wasnt delayed but I had to endure a scared crying baby girl throughout the whole flight. The poor mummy was also a few months preggers so she couldnt do much about controlling her baby girl. Thankfully I managed to get some sleep while the kid was pacing up and down the plane. Luggage took ages to come out for some reason and taxi ride seemed to take forever (I'm scared of all the stories I hear abt KL cabs) but I finally reached the hotel at 12ish am. Sis had been waiting for me since 10.30pm and after showers and catching up, we both slept a sound sleep.

05.09.08
Rudely awakened by our alarm at 7am...obviously it went on snooze a few times before we kicked ourselves out of bed to ensure we had a nice brekkie before heading to Optimax. Hadnt booked to have breakfast included in the hotel package so we asked the reception if any eateries nearby were open and the guy said there werent so we paid to have the hotel buffet breakfast. (We later found out that night the guy lied or was a gong gong cos Paddington House of Pancakes was open at 8am!!)

After finishing breakfast, we got the hotel to call a cab to bring us to Optimax for my full eye test and consultation. By 11am I was certified to be a good candidate for Intralasik and my procedure was to start at 2pm but I had to be back by 1.30pm. Following the recommendation of the optometrist that tested me, Mr Chen, we went to June Thai for some lovely and very spicy Thai food. Sis was still full so she just had sticky mango rice. We shopped around a bit in the little shops that we could find to kill time till 1.30pm.

I went back to Optimax at 1.25pm and was called in to get ready for the procedure. After being bundled up in a surgery robe, shower cap n booties, the after care procedure was explained to me. Dr Azlina remembered me from the KB seminar and performed the final eye tests before my eyes were cleaned and preped for Intralasik. I was all fine until I was brought into the room and lay on the operating table and told to look at the green light. Suddenly my heart started beating faster and I started getting apprehensive about the surgery. Thankfully the hardest part (the cutting of the cornea) was the easiest part for me as the light was relatively easy to focus on after they had taped my eyelids open and put some suction on the eye ball as the eye was just placed in this dark void and all I could hear was the technician counting down. The cutting of the cornea took mere seconds and I was asked to proceed to the next room for the eye correction.

As I lay on the 2nd OT bed, I was asked to look at some much brighter lights. I asked for it to be dimmed but there wasnt much they could do as the Dr needed to look into my eyes. The whole taping and clamping process went on and I tried very hard to keep my eyes open (eventho they were taped open) as I watched a series of bright flashes of light and smelt the burning of my cornea happening (they used the hot laser). It seemed more difficult to keep my eyes open for my left eye (they did my right eye first) after that but it went ok and I was ready to walk out after that.

I could see much clearer than before the operation but everything had a blurry halo around it. I later found out that was because my pupils were still very dilated. The lady from Optimax who guided us to the cab stand told us she had just done the procedure next week and asked me to prepare for lots of tears n some pain when the anaesthetic wore off. I hoped to get to the hotel and into bed before that happened. I went back to the hotel, got changed, dropped in the antibiotics and tears drops, stuck on the plastic eye pads and settled to sleep. Sis went out shopping. I woke up 2 hrs later to realise that I had not gone through the painful tears and stinging process. Sis came back at 6ish, turned on the lights and tv and woke me up to get ready to go out to dinner. Eyes still blurry due to dilated pupils but I knew I could see better. Luckily the eateries were just behind the hotel.

After walking a bit, we found Bavarian Bierhouse. I was elated!! H and I love the food and beer here!! We quickly settled down and I realised I couldnt see the menu very well but we decided on a platter of mixed sausages and I ordered a big mug of beer. I called H to happily tell him where we were and he was like...."but can you drink?".OPPS!!! Aiyah my beer was already here la! Well, I finished most of it anyway and the sausages and we walked around for a bit. I visited Papier and I was very good. Only bought 2 PP, a stamp set and 2 ribbon reels. We then went to Paddington House of Pancakes for dessert (call me a glutton but there is ALWAYS room for dessert) then I was tired so we went back to the hotel. My vision cleared up by about 11pm that night and all was clear!

06.08.09
Woke up early-ish to head to Optimax for my 1st day eye test. Dr said I was doing very well (better than most ppl for the day after tests) and informed me that I would need to check my eyes again the week after and a month after the procedure. I told her I would do it in Brunei. She advised that I go back to KL for the 3 month check up incase enhancement was needed (which is free). That works out great for me cos H and I plan to go wedding studio shopping sometime in Dec. Optimax called us a cab and we headed to KLCC to meet Mich after having some grub. As we only finished at 11am and were meeting WS at noon, I told Mich that it was better to just meet her after lunch. While waiting for WS, I contributed my 2 cents worth to the Msian economy by just visiting 3 shops!! Just when we were finishing up in G2000 (which is super expensive now *.*), WS called and said she was waiting for Chilli's. We had a disgustingly huge lunch (*hint* never order the cheese n brocolli soup there) and Mich told us she would pick us up at 12.15pm. We decided to go to Isetan and get KK's luggage then (good for hiding my shopping evidence) and said our goodbyes to WS and hurried to meet Mich.

I was greeted by this totally cool, bubbly lady in her black number who volunteered to be my driver wherever I wanted to go. I decided against more shopping and shopped for bridal studios instead. We found one at Jln Ipoh after failing at Jln Imbi and checked out their packages, photo shoots and most important of all their dresses. After picking a few, I paraded them for sis and Mich and felt fat in some as Msian women are so skinny. I'm happy that Mich persuaded me to try them on though as we now know what styles and colours suit me. Shame we couldnt take any pics. We were quasi satisfied with the dresses and alot of them were out as it was wedding season then Mich suggested I try the designer gowns. Wow! What a difference! We fell in love with 3 (and I know Mich is still rooting for those 3). When it was time to talk about pricing, I was happy to learn that the packages were within my price range and negotiable. The lady was rather disappointed that I didnt sign up there and then but I do need to consult with H first.

Now at least we know that off shoulder or halter neck dresses suit me cos of my broad shoulders. Red and light green are definitely 'my colours'. My fav photo shoots are on the beach, anything near water and with trees background. No abstract arty shots for me. Simplcity and lighting are the key. They focus more on the couple :). H has agreed to accompany me back to KL in Dec for my eye check and studio shopping. Mich (my dear angel of a friend) said she would help me scour for wedding studios in SS2 and Jln Loke Yew in the meantime.

We had to make our way back to KLCC after that to catch a cab back to KK's friend's residence for the OUMC Freshers Intro party which was to last the whole night. Those kids make me feel sooo old but I more or less left them to it and spoke to a few of them...come on la....1st class Oxford kids....feel so outclassed! Oh and KK's friends house....sooo nice....like straight out of a mag!! Former OUMC President sent us back to the hotel and we packed our stuff, ready for check out the next morning, had our showers and fell into bed.

07.08.09
Woke up at 11am...opps!! No spa for KK and salon hair care for me. Ric was coming to pick us up at noon and we had to check out by then so we got to reception at 11.55am (LOL), left out luggage and waited for Ric. We were taken to S17 in PJ for laksa, har meen, kway teow, cheong fun and fried cempedak then dropped back at The Curve for some last min shopping before dad's friends picked us up for yum cha (yes more eating) and sent me to the airport.

Met EK at departures and we chatted all through the flight. Its always nice catching up with old friends. H and his mum picked me up (luggage came out surprisingly fast for a change) and we had some Indon food for dinner.

Things are back to normal now....other than I keep thinking I left my contacts in...haha. So congrats for getting through this post if u've come this far and I will update with the few pics that I took while in KL later :)

Love is...

2008-09-03T02:29:00.000-07:00

Its time to pop over to SIC for yet another challenge and this time its a super easy one called "Embelies Galore!" You may all note that I'm a little late in my submission this month due to an event in my previous post and all the power cuts due to the typhoon storms. Our SIC DT's have outdone themselves again using their fav embelishments. As u can see here, I have my fav ribbons, bling, PP and cut outs. Love the OA paper...was trying to use all of it on my LO...and yes its based on Viv's sketch from last month cos I absolutely love it!

New friends, new beginnings

2008-08-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

*The 3 local co-trainers and myself with our guests* (sorry for bad pic but the lighting in that room was really bad and my sis has stolen my camera cos she couldnt find hers)

Remember my last post moaning about the Appellate Advocacy Workshop? On my last night, I made a short speech to the Singaporean Lawyers and the few Bruneian lawyers present to say that the worst for me was over when the Singaporean lawyers arrived. It meant everything was in place and yes, the workshop did run smoothly. I enjoyed their lovely company (and drinks) the last few days and gained much insight into a profession that I have been in for the last four years (can u believe it? 4 yrs!!). It was my absolute pleasure to welcome, entertain and work with Mr N Sreenivasan, Mr VM Lok, Mr CR Rajah SC, Mr S Singh SC, Mr H Kumar, Mr D Koh, Mr S Chacko and Mr S Nair. Not forgetting also the lovable Ms Gigi. I definitely miss their cherry company already and hope to see them at some point during my next trip to Singapore.

In order to facilitate the smooth running of the workshop, I had to be MIA for many things including family functions, religious celebrations, parties, scrapping deadlines and my monthly spa pampering (fortunately the boy was away) but I'm back and slowly getting back in the swing of things. This does mean that I am oh so very slightly behind for my last SIC submission and was unable to take part in many other contests. The power outage due to the heavy storm on Wednesday night didnt help either.

Tonight I need to get some scrapping done as tomorrow I will be fully pampering myself with a facial, mani pedi, body scrub, massage and hair salon treatment in preparation for my Lasik on Friday. (Oh dont worry, I got deals on all of the above so I'm not spending much) Yup, I'm finally making the cut. Fingers crossed I pass the eye test with flying colours to enable me to have the surgery *gulp*

Oh yes, special mention to go to my sis in Oz for getting all distinctions in her 1st semester exams including 2/3 high distinctions (sorry so late), my bro for getting an A for his AS June Chemistry paper and passing his driving test and lastly me for getting a new toy!! muahahaha...

*yes it came with a beautiful white and red leather strap and leather case and now my diary is completely synched so I dont have to worry about waking up in cold sweat wondering whether I have court for the day or not. Oh btw, I did get the white one!!*

Ho hum...

2008-08-26T02:18:00.000-07:00

I've had this choccie bar sitting on my table for a week and I havent 'attacked' it. Funny how when food is readily available to me, i dont take it. Even in my throes of wanting to kill a couple of lawyers (or at least throw darts at them) yesterday, I didnt grab the bar....wonder what's wrong....

There always seems to be something to piss my off this week. I dread the upcoming advocacy workshop. Today its someone who has really ticked me off by being a smart ass. U know the type back in ur school days who come up to u after the exams and go, "OMG that was so easy. I managed to write like 20 pages and I put in all my points and so did u say this this and this in ur answer and did you cover this point and I so aced that one" Argh!!! I cant believe I'm facing this even at work!! FFS!!

Anyway...........(breathe)......I hoarded 4 new punches at SC's new arrivals last week so I spend the weekend making lots of cute little cards. Marvy Uchida, I love u. I wan more.....hmm....

Dorchester High Tea & Bling

2008-08-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Its been a stressful past week for me trying to get the Brunei Appellate Advocacy Workshop sorted with minimal help from those that are supposed to give most of it. Many thanks to AB (not Reeds) for all his help.

I unwound with Dorchester High Tea with some gals from the profession on Saturday. I was really looking forward to it but I was rather disappointed by the cold scones and un-rich tea (they skimped on the tea leaves). It reminded my why I didnt go last year. Apparently there are a couple of establishments here that you can get scones and even if they are not as tasty, at least they are warm! Maybe I'm just cynical after having tasted Devonshire scones with loads of cream in the English countryside but this is just my opinion and judging from the numbers that were there, I may be wrong. Anyway, here are a couple more pics :)

Now most of you probably already know that I'm (sort of) engaged....no I still dont use the term fiance...dun ask why. As most people that read this blog are women and we all love our bling (dont lie!!), here is a pic. Taken from CL's blog and I know she isnt too happy with it cos she brought the wrong lens but I still think its loads better than what I could have taken with my normal camera (yes I did try).

Some people have asked me why I didnt go for a bigger stone etc but I'm truly happy with the size of this baby and I asked him not to get me something bigger. There is a little history behind the design I chose as well and its definitely a ring I'll be happy to wear (hopefully) for the rest of my life :)

Parking rants

2008-08-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

(1) I hate people who do not park within the lines or so very close to one side so that people who want to park in the space next to it, have difficulty doing so
(2) I hate it when people park at a spot (which is not really a parking spot) infront or near other people’s car where they know that people will have difficulty getting out of a space due to their fricking car being parked (where it shouldn’t be)
(3) People who take more than one parking space….WTF?!! There is a reason why there are lines in the bloody car park!!
(4) Tiny cars just irk the hell out of me….I happily head towards a parking space thinking…FINALLY!....only to get there n see this poxy little car taking up this big parking space….argh!
(5) There is also the motorbikes….Hello!! U can park virtually anywhere but u choose to take a whole car’s parking space…..Grr!!
(6) People who park at the side of the roads where they shouldn’t causing a 2 lane road to become one lane and cause a huge traffic jam or to block the view of cars coming out of a junction hence accident alert!!

Seriously people should just learn to drive and park properly….

20.08.2008

2008-08-19T23:38:00.001-07:00

Hah! Bet most of you didnt realise today's date eh?!

Well, I'm posting just for the sake of posting cos of the date but well, a blog is always more interesting with pictures so I'm showing u this card I made using colour inspiration taken from here. This lady makes cards every Monday and she makes me wanna buy ALL the Stampin Up stuff!! (Btw I have incidently ordered some through someone who is now no longer a demonstrator...cant wait!!)

*Yes I 'popped' it!*

Another album

2008-08-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

This was the pop-up album made with the SK Kids Online Crop last, last Saturday. Due to the colours I chose, I wasnt sure if it would turn out alright but thankfully it did and it looks alot nicer than I thought it would though I may change the cover la!

I could have had a couple of extra pages if I hadnt stuck the 1st and last pages of the inner and outer accordian album together but its ok la. It was 2am by the time I finished it!! LOL! Wasnt really thinking straight but I'm glad I got to scrap this pics and journal about them :)

Baby Natalie

2008-08-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite projects and I had alot of fun doing it. My colleague and his wife had a baby in June (yea while I was away) and I knew I was going to "create" something for them. I just didnt know what. On one of my visits to SC, I spied the SEI album which was all ready to be decorated. I added some cute girly PP, stickers and rub-ons to my shopping list and I was ready to go. It was only a few pages (phew!) and I love the result so much I was reluctant to give it away. However, it already has her name on it so I guess she'll have to keep it!! Haha!

*The card I made from the leftover scraps*
*The album in its gift box*

U will note there are no pics as I have yet to meet Baby Natalie but I hope her parents have taken loads. I have another little girl album to work on as one of my old friends gave birth to a darling baby girl last Saturday and I was surrogate nurse for a while...hehe

We have a winner!

2008-08-13T01:34:00.000-07:00

Gosh, nice to see people are interested in getting an ATC...keke. However Emily was the first person to get her comment in so it goes to her!! Sorry ladies!

I had a horrible day yesterday, a bad start leading to even worse. Dont really want to talk about it cos I'm so tired of relating the story but I'll show a pic of what happened. Lets just say my fiery red ride has had to go to the hospital again.

Things perked up towards the night when I got a call telling me my *bling bling* (I think CL still wants dibs) was ready and I had a lovely dinner arranged with my gals plus a very special lady from KK. Here she is displaying the famous dessert named after Maurizio's wife.

Look where I've ended up for the 3rd time in a week!

My dental appointment wasnt too scary this morning and I spent lunch celebrating the birthday of one of the people below...keke. We'll be going away this weekend for more partying and celebrating. WohoO!!

*However my boss is back tmr* *groan* Nevermind I have another fun dinner with more gals planned tonite and it'll be steamy!! keke

I was a bit silly...

2008-08-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

...and made one too many ATC's for my SK Swap. Does anyone want the above? I'll give it to the 1st person to say yes :)

An award!

2008-08-10T21:04:00.000-07:00

I have been nominated by fab babe Liza for this award. I copied this from her blog:

The rules are:
1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.
2. Put a link to the person you got the award from.
3. Nominate 5 blogs.
4. Put links to the blogs.
5. Leave a message for your nominees.

I'm nominating these talented ladies who are creative in their own field of writing, photography and scrapping (of course)!
Hence I nominate:
1. Caroline (U may still be learning but ur photography is growing on me)
2. Lee Ming (The way u write makes me laugh and I love ur underwater photography)
3. Wan Shin (I just love the way u write and ur cute ok)
4. Vivs (my fellow SIC DT whose latest creations rock!)
5. Edleen (need I say more? Have u seen her altered milk cartons?!!)

On Saturday night, I took part in a very exciting online crop at Scrappin Kids and made an awesome mini pop up album. We also had to make an LO inspired by the Singapore flag in conjunction with their National Day. Here is my take. Wanted it to look like fireworks (which was wat we were caught looking at) but I was too lazy to emboss cos it was almost 2am when I finished this!! Maybe I'll do it later...keke TFL!!

What happens when U give a bunch of Tweens a bag of SB items?

2008-08-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

They make a beautiful heartfelt album for their friend

Sorry for the bad pics but this was taken in bad lighting at night as it was going to be taken away the next morning :p

Remember this?

2008-08-06T01:27:00.001-07:00

and this

Brings back memories doesnt it?

Fun tag!

2008-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is a quiz to find out what scrapbook item you are and I've been tagged again...keke

You are PAPER!
You are an all natural basic person who likes to act as a foundation to others. You are willing to take a backseat in most of your relationships and let others take the spotlight, while you show your support and help them shine! Underneath it all, you are the one who makes it all happen. You are the focus and stability in any group, even if you are not the leader. Others look to you to set the pace and provide ideas for ways to get things done. But Paper Beware - sometimes you get a little edgy with the people who look to you for support and can give them some papercut remarks that can hurt their feelings. Remember to watch what you say, because you are best when leading by example.

Time for me to tag 6 others :)

I'm tagging Caroline, Wan Shin, Lee Ming, Edleen, Felicia and Lia :)

AND Lee is tempting me with her latest blog entry. It will make me so broke but its on my to-do list of things I have to do before I have kids and cant travel anymore!! Argh!

Want to win...

2008-08-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

...a free class? Pop over here to try your luck!!

Project Scrapaway is getting so nailbiting with less than 2 weeks to go!

I read this....

2008-08-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

"In her book, Helen Fisher said this, “People around the world say the exhilaration of romance wanes as their marriage or partnership becomes increasingly stable, comfortable, and secure. I have mixed feelings about this fate nature has decreed. First, many of us would die of sexual exhaustion if romantic love flourished endlessly in a relationship. We wouldn’t get to work on time or concentrate on everything except ‘him’ or ‘her’. Moreover, as romantic love matures, it often expands into hundreds of complex and fulfilling feelings of attachment that produce an enormously intricate, interesting, and emotionally rewarding union with another living soul.”

I guess, if I were to answer my friend again, I would say, “The chemistry is not gone. Strange as it may sound, it has become stronger. It might no longer exist in the same form that it was when we first met. But it has evolved. To stand the test of time.”

... at a blog of an old uni friend that has given up the legal profession to pursue the line of business u will find at her blog here and I think it really rings true for many of us.

This is also why I believe a great friendship between a couple is essential to make a relationship work. I find many couples dont really understand each other and just learn to grudingly accept the other's faults. Over time, this can grow into a cauldron of pent up frustration that will one day boil over and ruin many relationships. A great friendship is needed for understanding and communication. Its taken some time but H and I have reached understandings in our relationship that I never knew would be possible.

I think another important factor is the respect we have for each other. Find out what each other likes/dislikes and try to steer away from the bad stuff. Even if you do stumble onto bad ground once in a while, try to do minimal damage and always make up for it. It doesnt have to be in physical or monetary terms...sometimes we dont realise that even the smallest gestures can move in the biggest ways.

I'm so glad that as different as we are in many ways that we have found each other and H may not be the most romantic (at all) or handsome guy in the world but he's definitely the one that I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with because of the above and more.

P.S. No I still havent got my ring yet :p

On another note, I'm curently coveting this....very much...it sold out in Incomm in 2 days but they only have the dark coloured one....I want the white onneeeeee!!!

Wow-ser!!

2008-07-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am in complete awe at what the SIC guest DT and resident DT's have created for this month. We have come so far in such a short amount of time. Remember showing u what I did with my flocking kit? This is the LO I created. Had to use my flocking kit cos I found that pink wavy bit a bit too plain. So love the result!! Hope u all like it too :) Oh and do do take part in the challenge. I'm going to try some of these sketches myself *grin*

The PP and little pom pom fringe is from one of the Label Tulip add-on kits that they were clearing. Love the colour combo! And do u like my new thickers? Flowers from Prima (just cant get enough of the paintables), BG rub-on, Hambly transparency, MM brad & Technique Tuesday stamps for the journalling. TFL!!

OK on to more fun...8 people commented on my post for a RAK and the other day, my sister came along to take some of my SB stuff away for her and her mates to use to create an album for a friend. Eventho she took a huge bag, it hardly caused a dent in my SB stock so I've decided I've been too greedy and definitely have too much stuff so I'm going to give all of the 8 ladies a little something (yes even u Caroline!!~ to get u started). For the Bruneian gals, we can arrange a meet up or something and as for the overseas ladies, I think I have most of ur addresses still but just incase, just email me at jcypang@hotmail.com and I'll send them ur way. Congratulations to u all!!

I finally played with my flocking kit

2008-07-28T19:07:00.001-07:00

I didnt like that some of the flock fell out in clumps (but that's just me) but I LOVE the velvety feel of the finished product so I turned this...

into this...

Just went over the places I wanted to outline with my ZIG glue pen (my new best scrapping friend)

Some of u that went for the crop at SD on Saturday would have seen me in the initial stages of doing this LO. I've blurred out the picture of the subject as I'm unsure if I have her permission to post this picture and she's outstation so I cant ask her. This was based on a previous Pencillines sketch that I fell in love with at first sight. Had to rotate it as the picture was landscaped but I'm very happy with how it turned out all the same :)

Last but not least, here is a little sneak peek of my LO for next month's SIC Challenge. There's a little twist next month that is oh so fun! U have until tomorrow to submit ur LO for this month's challenge so hurry hurry!!

P.S. Dont forget, u can still post here for a RAK!!

Should I?

2008-07-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Dr A and I ventured down to KB for the Optimax seminar. Any questions or concerns I have abt LASIK have now been settled (helps that Dr A is doing hers first) especially now with Intralase. Most importantly, thanks to my good genes, my cornea is nice and thick for the procedure.

So....my sis will be in KL in Sept and says she will look after me if I do it then. I've just checked the AirAsia ticket for the period I was looking at and its well cheap....oooo so tempting!!

Update:- I've bought my ticket to KL and will be booking my appointment with Optimax as soon as I get confirmation of something on my side. The man says he will try and come along to look after me eventho I have my sister. So sweet!!

Now all I have to do in August is wait....wait for a letter, wait for a ring, wait for my eyes to be clear again!! Its been almost 20 years since I've been able to see clearly!!

This or that?

2008-07-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Few of you may know that I've gone back to dancing again. Unfortunately the bottom of my shoes have worn out (dance shoes have a velvety undersole) which means its time for a new one!! Any views on these 3 (especially Monica)? They have to be ordered directly from UK and are about B$150 each so I will only order one.
I'm drawn to the first one at the moment but the last one allows me to wear the ankle strap in 3 different styles (it comes in the other 2 colours too)

July happiness for all

2008-07-21T19:57:00.001-07:00

Monday has come around again and the weekend was quieter than the last two but I still feel tired. H gave me some $$$ which I've used to treat his mum (and me) to a foot massage and bought my friend a meal. This is why I love him so much, the little things he does for me :). Some of you may have seen an announcement here about us. I was surprised when I went to her site cos we're keeping the news quite low key but a big THANK YOU to CL for her beautiful pics :)

Now for the exciting news for those who visit my blog. I've been rearranging and trying to clear my scrap space and wondering why I so much of the same stuff so I'm giving it away as I go. Currently, I've got 3 RAK's to give away so leave a comment here about what made you smile today and I'll draw 3 names randomly on 1st August :) GOOD LUCK!!

*(LH, I'll consider ur comment for here as I've decided to edit the post :))*

My condolences...

2008-07-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

...to the family of the Singaporen couple who died in a horrific car accident on the way back from KK on Saturday. If any of u saw the papers this morning and the pictures, there is no way they could have survived. The wife was one of the co-owners of the dance studio I used to frequent so I know them both and it was a shock to hear. The only saving grace is that they died instantly and do not have to prolong any suffering.

Update on Project Scrapaway

2008-07-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Remember some time ago, I blogged about Project Scrapaway here? They are now at Round 9 and the competition is really heating up!! A few friends I have made through scrapping are still going strong in the competition and I wish to mention their names here. They never fail to amaze me with their entries every week and in a way I'm relieved that I'm not under the pressure they're in. This week's challenge is to "update" and old LO which is kinda cool and it'll be interesting to see what the entries are like. Gawd, I dont envy the judges!! Anyway here are the talented ladies...

Felicia - This lady is truly original in her work and her creativity is just astounding.

Jessy - Master photographer and amazing digi and paper scrapper. Her foray into paper scrapbooking has not disappointed us fans of her work!

Cookie - This lady never fails to produce astounding work and has the most adorable son!

Oh and I told u I've been scrapping right? This is an LO I produced for the Create Challenge and also for an SK Kids Swap. Thanks for all the items Vivs and TFL!!

P.S. Do U like the little strawberry I made from the sequins? The green bit is actually a folded flower ;)

Some cards

2008-07-17T03:09:00.000-07:00

I've been into card making this past week. Made a grand total of 10 cards and a tag as of yesterday. Here's the tag n a few of the cards I made yesterday. Gave one away already today to an ex classmate of mine who had a baby....isnt she cute?

So here's the tag....

And the cards....

Incase ur wondering, my images have been 3D-ed :)

...and men dont understand why women complain...

2008-07-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

A conversation with the bf yday...

J: I feel like cooking today
H: U very free ah?
J: I'm sick of eating out
H: Cook Maggi then.
J: I feel like home cooked food
H: Fine but i'm not washing up
J: >.<

Hehe we had a simple but nice dinner of chicken n veg soup, baked chicken wings, egg fried with chopped long bean and konyaku jelly for dessert....healthy kan? And I am totally against using MSG in my cooking so all the flavour came from the food n spices. I just hate the way I smell after cooking tho...ugh!

Btw Lia, about ur comment....yea seriously!! Furniture shopping was on Saturday *wink*
*little moan* My mum is turning into a Mumzilla. It ages away yet but she got me so upset yday. H managed to calm me down but I was still in a need to rant so much that I called up my mate in UK (as it was too late to call the locals). Sigh!

Oh and I managed to scrap a bit...an LO (which took me ages) and a few cards from my scraps...its addictive actually....I think I may do tags next...

H is in the papers!!

2008-07-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Kekeke....his team won last night and the sports page of today's Brunei Times has a pic of him.....I'm going to nick it from the office and scrap it...haha

*picture taken from BT website*

On another note, the boss has given us Monday off (as Tuesday is a public holiday) and I have a sudden craving to bake cupcakes to be finished off with lots of icing...hmm...

Oh its boys night out tonite....I guess I can scrap!! yay!!

Basketball season!!

2008-07-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yup, its that time of the year again and despite the little tournaments sprinkled through the year, this is the one that most people look forward to.

Officially the Aewon Cup and unofficially the Sultan Cup as its in conjunction with His Majesty's Birthday, most of the local basketball enthusiasts cant wait to show off their skills. For the veterans, its a challenge and for new players, its a stepping stone to more competitive basketball. Usually the top 6/8 teams of the tournament go on to compete in (what used to be) the Pepsi Cup where we get to see "import players" raising the standard and competitiveness of local basketball here.

H played his first match last Sun with his busted ankle (*roll eyes* Men will never learn) and he's playing again tonight....after a long day at work, I think I will head down to the courts to cheer the bf on...

Oh btw, did I mention that I've restarted my dancing lessons? I seem to remember most of my salsa and some of my swing (though I didnt really study swing in depth) but my rumba needs practise and I've forgotten some of the moves. I dont even want to know how I will fare in Chacha and Jive *groan*

Happy Birthday Dear

2008-07-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Its my darling H's bday today and it was fortunate I planned a surprise for him on Saturday as it turns out that he has a Jap supplier over whom he has to entertain till tmr. A small but very fun group of us gathered last Saturday night and the birthday boy didnt last past midnight (I think...i was gone too). Some (censored) pics to come once my sis brings my camera cable over...

Something potentially life changing is happening to me tomorrow and despite the early notice I only decide to panic today.....argh!! I'll be meeting up with my dear friends tonight to pick at their brains and get them to mentally hold my hands for tomorrow. Urgh! I havent even figured out what to wear!!

Spa, drinks and sleep

2008-07-06T23:15:00.000-07:00

I kicked off my weekend with a facial and a body scrub and massage. Talk about pampering right? I really needed it after the holiday and everything plus my face was breaking out!! Well my facial lady gave me some great tips on....oh ya I cant talk about it yet....keke....lets just say dresses, photos, venues, etc. BUT all that pampering meant I was running late for H's early bday party plans....well, I still managed to wrap his gift, buy the flower and arrange everything in the hotel room before time was up, then we sweated it out watching the opening of the Sultan Cup Basketball Competition before moving onto Sheraton for an absolutely fun night!! Lots of pictures but my sis has my camera cable at the moment so i cant post it yet...sigh....Needless to say, I slept most of Sunday....zzz....

I also gotta reply to some lovely comments on my last post...I know I dont always reply so I'm endeavouring to do so this time :)

*Pearl ~ Haha that cake was on display in this shop in Oxford and yes it was fun in Oxford. Wait up for the London, Prague n Paris pics!!

*Chowchow ~ I did Mich but I think I'm still recovering from it now!!

*Lia ~ Am doing OK babe and I'll continue to stalk ur blog to find out what ur clueing us in for!!

*Yu'er ~ Yes I did la but it was tiring!!

Ready for a picture-ful post?

2008-07-03T23:10:00.001-07:00

Some long awaited pics from my short stay in Oxford....

Strawberry picking (we ate quite a bit too)

With my sis in one of the college gardens

One of the starters at Jamie's Italian (yes its Jamie Oliver's Italian restaurant in Oxford and it was delish!!)
Nando's!!! (need I say more?)

Our pasta at Jamie's Italian (btw the prices are VERY reasonable too)

Yummy homemade ice cream n brownies after we had bagels...it was da bomb!!

No one believes me when I tell them this is a cake....

Delectable Moo Moo's milkshake got my seal of approval!!

Some lovely flowers in St John's College

The courtyard my sister's room was in. The door to her room is behind us to the right...
The first circular library in the world (me thinks). Its now a reading room

Do u remember this courtyard from Golden Compass? Its that of Christchurch College which also has the dining hall where Harry Potter was filmed and the staircase they used for the fight scene

I have to say that my sister makes an excellent Oxford tour guide. She knows all the stories of each college we pass. We turned her down for punting because the weather was crap and she had fallen into the water while punting the week before. LOL!!

Music & Lyrics

2008-07-03T03:23:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I was flicking through a M'sian/S'porean mag when I came across an article about a company that set up dates, mainly for the people who are so busy working, they do not have time to find a mate. I did not recognise the name of the lady as she used a Christian name that she did not have when I knew her but her picture was unmistakable. Violet Lim, one of the founders of Lunch Actually was my senior in Uni. She did law as well and I remember buying some books from her and also remembered the time when she started dating her now husband, Jamie. We had already met a few times before that as she was also actively involved in the M'sian Society and had seen her around the dept. Can u believe it, from a lawyer to a very successful businesswoman (she just opened a new branch in Hong Kong). Wow!! Coolies!!

Anyway, I was bored today so I decided to see how she ran her business n how the website was set up. So I went to her facebook page (she added me a while ago) and checked out her links. I noted that one was kind of a blog so rather than checking out the Lunch Actually site, I checked out Violet Lim's site. I was drawn to this post. Its true isnt it? ;)

How Groovie!

2008-07-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

Another announcement for the 1st of July is that I'm the featured Groovie Guest Designer this month! Please do check out the website and see what challenge I've set for you all to try out this month!

Background:- NL and I were really good mates in primary school and just when we were getting closer, her family decided to move back to KK. Though we kept in touch, the communication kind of petered out then we met up again when we were studying in UK. Again communication dwindled and I thought she was still in London but thanks to FB, I now know she's in KK and we arrange to see each other when we can as its only a 25min flight away. We both think its quite amazing that after all this time we're still such good mates and manage to find each other no matter where we are.

I've inked the around the whole PP background and lightly gold embossed 2 sides of the PP. I also edged my PP flower cut out with Stickles and put some clear KindyGlitz on the flowers at the side to "freshen" it up a bit. Its nice and simple but I'm happy to finally get to use this 7 Gypsies PP from my SOMO kit :) Oh and dont u just love Prima Painterlys?!! TFL!!

I was tagged by Jaz. I think I've done this before so I have to think of more unimportant stuff....keke

1) Link back to the person who tagged you.Ive been tagged by Jonaks.
2) Post these rules on yout blog.
3) List 6 unimportant stufs abt yourself...

a) I love to eat Japanese food
b) I used to hash but now I'm just plain lazy....
c) My current aim is to travel to a new country every year
d) I love to dance
e) I have a closet full of clothes but I always lament about having nothing to wear (eventhough I still have some new clothes in there yet to be worn)
f) I have 3 siblings studying in 3 different continents (Asia, Australia and Europe) and we're now wondering if the next one wants to go to yet another continent (America)

A bit of scrapping stuff

2008-07-01T00:39:00.000-07:00

Last Friday's wedding was an absolute blast! The boys got tortured and we partied the nite away at Baze. I had to leave early however due to somebody *grumble grumble* so didnt get a chance to dance but it was great seeing so many people I havent seen in a long time. Congratulations again to the happy couple!!

I dragged myself out of bed (a bit later than I was supposed to)on Saturday for the SIC Crop Party and we had soo much fun!! You can see more photos and links at their website here. Congratulations to the ladies that won RAK's and well done to all the gals for being so creative with their challenges. The judges had a really tough time picking the winners. I'm still working on the challenge set my Emily which was to alter a folder cos I've changed my mind about it...huhuhu....

While we're on SIC, this month's challenge is about Birthdays so hurry up and dig out those party photos people!! I did mine with a slight twist in that I wrote what I was contented with on my last birthday. There are so many possibilities for this very general subject...I cant wait to see what the other scrappers come up with!!

I decided I hadnt used a black background in a while so I used Bling CS for this one. I cut out the circle from an MM PP but somehow didnt like the combination of the polka dots with the red border so I cut it out and lightly gold embossed and UTEE'ed it. I added my favourite technique of PP cut out's from Tinkering Ink PP and distressed the 2 PP I used to mat my photo. The little journalling at the corner was on my current fav journaling stamp from OA and I'm so in love with my Chipboard Glitter Thickers. I added some little OA birdie stamps to finish it off and outlined a little shadow on each bird with my red Sakura gel pen. TFL!!

Uber busy rite now...

2008-06-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

....came back yesterday and just catching up with family and friends....as well as the dreaded work load (which isnt so bad). Also a wedding this weekend where H and I are the gf and bf of the bride n groom so will prob update after that....and a loooong body massage!!

Oh in the meantime, do pop over to SIC's blog to find out about this weekend's crop party!!

Oh ya, apparently I havent posted up this LO which I did for SIC's May Challenge....u cud have seen it on the site but here it is again :)

Oxford is filled with tradition...

2008-06-12T14:40:00.001-07:00

Since arriving here, we have visited numerous colleges and admired their beautiful architecture and meticulously looked after lawns. Each college has a history of its own and their own traditions. For eg. In St John's college, only fellows are allowed to "step on the grass" so to speak and only members of Christchurch college (where Harry Potter and the Golden Compass was filmed) are allowed to walk in the centre courtyard.

My sister's college, University College was the 1st Oxford University College and is of course full of pioneers in their own field (as is each college). Its one of the biggest and is where Bill Clinton (whose former room is opposite my sister's) spent a year studying as did his daughter Chelsea Clinton (whose former room my sister is staying in now, well till tmr anyway). Australian President Bob Hope was also in Oxford previously and is best known for downing yard of beer in abt 11 seconds :)

There is so much history and culture here. They try very hard to keep their old traditions such as wearing gowns for occasions and during exams (People who get 1st class in their 1st year are upgraded to nicer gowns thereafter....like more than half of my sister's friends that we've met seem to have managed to cross that hurdle so far...and no she hasnt got her results yet so I dont know). Ur college parents (2nd year students) are supposed to give u carnations to wear during ur exams. A white carnation is worn on the 1st day of ur exams then a pink one and a red carnation for ur last day. When u come out of ur last exam, ur friends are supposed to "rag" u by throwing food n stuff at you. This was stopped last year after someone slipped n fell on some of the remains of a "rag" injuring themselves. They are asked to keep to confetti and sprays etc now.

It was warm-ish when we arrived yesterday...comfortably warm but today it was just freezing!! If I was used to UK weather like I was 3 years ago then it wouldnt be a problem but today I was longing for my jumper and a longer jacket!! Oh and I must embarass my sister here because she did not wake up to greet us yesterday and left me on the verge of taking her over my lap n smacking her backside when she turned up. Her phone was off when we arrived at Heathrow yesterday and continued to be off even when we reached Oxford. Apparently the battery had run out in her sleep so she was uncontactable until finally woke up. My aunt and I were sitting in a cafe wondering what to do with ourselves and our luggage after we had finished our breakfast!! The lousy weather ruined our plans to visit Blenham Castle today but we did manage to go strawberry picking. I think I was the only one who picked more than I ate but it was fun all the same.

A BBQ is in the works tmr before we move on to London and meet my dear friend Clarissa and hopefully Edd will come out for dinner :) Thankfully London will be a bit warmer...I do hope the weather gets warmer especially for Prague n Paris next week!! No pictures yet as I have yet to move them onto my sister's lappy cos she's supposed to be all packed up so we can leave with peace of mind tmr but....hmm....we'll hv to see how it goes at this point!!

Just before I leave...

2008-06-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

SC's 20 boxes have arrived....Z told me she would be heading there later so I've asked her to get me the whole MM Passport collection. It just totally suits this big trip (when I eventually scrap it). Got to have it! Not coveting the other stuff as much.

I'm flying in less than 8 hrs.....wohoo!!

I'm flying tomorrow night.....Yipee!!

2008-06-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

...and being a woman who has a full closet and yet laments that she has nothing to wear, I need to decide (firmly) what I'm going to bring with me. Weather in Europe is a bit titchy now cos it's warm (but not hot) though sometimes I would require a jacket. There is also the issue of what shoes to bring, how many clothes, gifts for friends etc. My colleague has a great suggestion of...(and I quote)

"Don’t understand what the problem is……all you need to bring is one change of under and outer wear in your huge suitcase, one foldable/expandable bag, mobile phone, passport, ticket, any confirmation of reservations, some cash, ALL CREDIT & ATM cards!!!!"

Another suggested bringing 3 G-strings which could be used a total of 6 times and get totally skanky!! Eww!!!

My boss only just realised last Fri that I am going on long leave. He also forgot that he was the one who approved my leave. I've been doing all my last minute stuff since the weekend and trying to clear my table too...I've got a new secretary as of today and I bet she's relived that I'm going away after tmr...LOL.

Oooh the gals and I had an absolutely lovely weekend at Empire with lots of snacks, chocolate (birthday) cake, soft fluffy duvets and great laughs and conversation. We got to stay in the Lagoon section which was quite new for me though I liked being quite near a pool and the layout makes u feel like ur not in Brunei.

It was my (remaining) grandad's birthday last night and I ate too much....I think I've had enough of birthday cakes for now...someone's just told me to eat lots in Prague....I'm going to be so super fat!!

Anyways, I'll leave u with an LO I made the other nite when I scrapped till 2am. It was kinda nice to not be scrapping for a competition or challenge or submission for a change. I wanted to call it a night at 12ish then I saw these pics I had printed of the couples spa me and H did in KK calling out to be scrapped and I gave in. I mainly used my April SOMO kit and I loved the texture of the CS here cos it felt like wood. Love the border stamp and the little journalling one. Nice n simply ya?

Btw, shameless plug for my 2nd cousin's new shop at Kiulap Mall called UrbanChic. She has some GREAT stuff there and I especially LOVE the accessories!! I bought a ring and earrings...very bling bling. I'm resisting the necklaces for now. I bought a dress that was way over my budget but just too beautiful to resist and a long white shirt that is just absolutely cool!! I contributed well to her opening with my purchases and its not all expensive (I just happened to pick the more expensive clothes). Some really good deals to be found there. Rest assured I will be back again when their new shipment comes in 2 weeks (since alot of their stuff is gone already)...that is if I havent spent too much on holiday *gulp*

Oh i'm also pleased to record that I have managed to avoid mass SB shopping...I'm being very strict with myself now. The last time was at Jazz's for B&B chipboard which I split with Z, some Perfect Pearls n a couple of things from Scrap4Less. I think I'm being good :)

Pencillines (#87)

2008-06-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at a sketch from Pencillines and it was rather fun. So much easier when u have an idea of what to do and just have to pick the right stuff to "fit" into the sketch.

I popped up the black AC flowers (which looks so easy to cut out but so wasnt)to give the LO some dimension. This is pretty simple compared to the ones I'm used to :)

SIC Challenge #3 - My Favourite Things

2008-06-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned previously the new SIC Challenge has been posted and please do take part this month. Dont forget u'll be up for a yummy RAK if you win. Dont be shy even if ur a new scrapper cos they is a RAK for best effort too!!

I was up scrapping till almost 2am last nite...did 3 LO's. Another 2 to show you but all in good time :)

Btw Ruey is giving away RAK's....lots of em....go check it out here!!

Artz De Scrap Challenge

2008-06-04T19:29:00.001-07:00

For the first time, I took part in a ADS Challenge and I forgot to submit it before I left for KK....doh!!

Lots of techniques here. Painted over the whole canvas. It was already pre-gessoed so didnt have to do anything. I used the "masking tape transfer" method for my photos which I picked up from Scrapscene (love the effect btw). I embossed around the main photo with my 7 gypsies script stamp. I tried to layer my flowers and 3D-ed them so that it would look like a bouquet on my LO. I've also used a Hambly transparency and Prima bling. Oh I played with the bubble wrap too. Can u see it behind the Hambly? TFL!!

One night....

2008-06-03T19:18:00.001-07:00

I was looking after dad in the hospital. He was sitting and trying to practise his signature cos he couldnt remember how to do it anymore. It was like trying to teach a child in a way. He knew it but he couldnt understand why he was unable to do it. This was a signature he used to sign dozens of times everyday and the fact that he wasnt able to do it wasnt a good sign. He had had a stroke the week before where his brain was working but his whole body was paralysed. They said he was dehydrated and after some drips he came back but it had already affected him.

After he decided to rest, he suddenly thought to ask me how much I weigh. Still being conscious of my weight at the time I said I was heavier than my sister (J2). So he asked me how much my sister weighed. I told him and then he asked me how much he weighed. I told him his weight was only 40+ at the time. Then he said "So I must be really short then". I didnt know whether to laugh or cry as I gently told him that he was taller than all of us actually but its just that he wasnt very well and that's why he needed to get better.

He passed away after a couple of weeks....

*This memory is still with me now after over 2 years and I want it to stay with me. I havent found the right picture to scrap it with so I want to blog it first to make sure its at least recorded somewhere*

A Few of my Favourite Things

2008-06-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hi, I know I've been a bit quiet lately. Just lots of stuff to do before I fly off. KK was nice n relaxing but I ended up very tired cos of all the walking and our flight got delayed. It was great to catch up with my dear friend Andrey again and my spa with H was just lovely. Will update another time. In the meantime do hop over to SIC for the latest challenge which is to scrap about your favourite things. Our Guest DT has done a stunning job and so have the resident DT's. Do try the challenge today!!

I asked someone to do something sweet for me...

2008-05-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

...and he gave me something sweet :p

We're staying in a new hotel this weekend :)
I cant wait for the spa to soothe my worries away tomorrow....

In the meantime, I cant get this version of the song outta my head eversince I heard it....

Weds...bleurgh!!

2008-05-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Its only Weds and Aunty Flo is really bringing on the hormones this time around. There has been drama in my office everyday and people have been pi$$ing me off non-stop since yday. Even H knows to be careful cos I'm on a war path. LOL! This weekend better come quickly....

On a better note, I received some happy news today. Not about myself but happy for the person I got the news from. And H won another bet from yesterday's dinner paid for from winnings on Saturday...LOL. Men!!

No SB Shopping!

2008-05-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of extending this thru to June except for my Cuttlebug and must have MM Noteworthy II purchases I think. No more impulse buys anyway :D

Anyone wants to RAK me? LOL! Kidding! I hav so much stash to use up still!!

Oh I want the X'acto cutting knife too as I love detail cutting despite my fingers hurting after :) Especially for cutting like this.....haha. This is the LO I did for Mac at our photo swap challenge at Jazz's place a week n a bit ago :) My hats off to Mich for cutting out the whole PP of the blue flower. I was tired after only this!! (maybe cos she has the X-acto knife...keke)

*Pic taken from Mac's site*

A little under the weather...

2008-05-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

...but still ok. I felt a sudden dizzy spell yday late morning so took the afternoon off work. I think it had something to do with being thrown into the pool on Saturday night even if its a bit of a delayed reaction. I had a rather lazy Sunday so maybe it only kicked in after I started doing some actual work...haha.

After some rest, I decided to get going with some of my scrapping deadlines but I only finished one which is my canvas for Artz De Scrap. I had the idea in my head the whole weekend and I hope to reveal it as soon as I put the finishing touches. I wanna try and get my SIC LO done before I fly off this Friday tho :)

Something totally random here but ever since they stopped broadcasting Capital FM here, I've been listening to the local radio regularly when i drive. As much as I will applaud the local DJ's for bringing up the standard and trying hard to compensate for the loss of a London radio station there are some things that still do need improving. For one thing, some of them need to be sent for grammar and pronounciation classes cos it irks me when they pronounce things wrong like "poh-gramme" instead of programme and last night me and my sis heard a DJ saying "Leona Leweeeez". FFS!! Do u not watch TV or anything, its Leona Lewis!! Give the gal some credit and say her name right!! The worst is a DJ who was talking about not being judgmental of people and asking people not to judge her and the next day on the radio, this DJ was commenting on Paula Abdul's new single basically saying its not very good and there is a reason why Paula should have stayed a retired singer. Hey at least the woman is trying!

Sniff...I'm miserable so in a bit of a b****-ified mode. I had part 2 of my dental visit this morning and its still kinda sore. Part 3 to ensue next week. After going through a life threatening operation and having my epidural break when changing beds after surgery thus doing without anaesthetic for a few hours (my anaesthetist was in surgery n couldnt attend to me), the pain of a dental visit does not compare. But I've realised its not the pain i'm concerned about, its the anticipation of pain. My body tenses up so much jus when I see the drill or some other instrument coming towards me. I'd rather be passed out! Btw, I didnt sue the hospital in London cos they essentially saved my life and I do not have colostomy bags hanging out of my body so a few hours of (alot of) pain for the rest of my life is ok.

I'm grateful to be alive and loved today and every day for the rest of my life (however long/short it may be).

I'll leave u with a funny pic. This was sent to me...supposed to be a marriage sign...lol.

Tunnel Book Tutorial

2008-05-22T23:20:00.001-07:00

I just found this and I wanna share cos I think its so cool!! If any of u hav time to do this in ur spare time, please let me know cos I wanna see!!

Thank you!

2008-05-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a little post to thank all of you who kindly leave comments here for me to keep me going :) I know I dont always leave comments on other blogs though I regularly lurk there but rest assured, if ur blog is on my link list I'm visiting!!

WS, next time we meet, we'll have a 'cartoony' conversation ok? LOL!

On another note...eventho David A singing "Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me" gave me the chills, and I think both are winners, I think the better and more original singer won :)

Tagged!

2008-05-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

Ruey has tagged me and since I didnt do the last one I think I should do this one....6 unimportant facts about me.....

1. I must hug something when I sleep, whether its a pillow, teddy or H...it helps. I think I fostered this habit since I was a kid.
2. I love dark chocolate and the best part is that its healthier than all the other chocolates!
3. I am currently trying to visit one new place a year hence my great travel plans this year (that is making me very broke)
4. My favourite colour used to be blue but now I think its red. But at the end of the day, it does depend on what an item is when I go for the colour iykwim
5. I prefer being warm to cold. One of my best moments was lying by the poolside in KK getting tanned then jumping into the pool to cool off with a couple of laps then back on the deck chair again till it gets too warm etc.
6. I can do cute cartoony voices. My sister finds it amusing. I dont really share it cos its kinda childish *blush*

Now I think I'll tag Pearl, Jasmine, WS, Lee Ming, Vivs and Alin :)

Muahahahaha!!

2008-05-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

I asked H if he could make me one of these and he agreed!! Yay, finally I can throw away or alter some packaging and have all my stuff in view!!

That reminds me, I forgot to pick up more Cropper Hoppers when I was last at SD. Seriously need to organise my scrap space cos its so overrun with stuff!!

Went to dentist this morning, I think my bill hurts more than my tooth *groan* I think I may have to extend my no SB shopping rule.

Btw I know I said previously that I had some stuff to RAK away...be patient ok. I'm in the midst of clearing up my scrap space :) Just lemme finish my deadlines first :p

Phew got my mojo back!

2008-05-20T01:50:00.000-07:00

If I continue scrapping like this, I should have no problems completing all my deadlines and more before I fly off end of this month :)

An LO for Jazz's challenge up at SnC using BG papers and our old photos involving our mothers :)

An altered set of little drawers that look a bit too pretty to be hiding in my scrap space in the basement :)

*big thank u to Jazz for the very very coveted Tinkering Ink PP she RAK-ed me last nite*BIG HUGS!!

Made a few cards for the Sichuan Earthquake Charity...

...and some fellow scrappers...

and one for my darling...

OK now to do the Artz De Scrap challenge, SnC Mod's Challenge and my SIC LO for next month...sorry for the picture-ful post...

Btw, if u wan to see our creations from Saturday's crop at Scrapbook Delights, one of the scrappers has done a little "report" on her blog here. Some amazing talent coming from the scrappers that day. Everyone was a winner!!

A Good Cause

2008-05-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

Victims are victims regardless of gender, race or religion so lets put our crafty/spending hands together and join in the SIC Charity Move. Scrap Inspire Create is putting out a call to all scrappers to make papercraft products to be sold. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Sichuan Earthquake victims and donated to the Embassy of China who will be receiving it on the part of the earthquake victims. More details can be found here.

Notice I mentioned earlier about spending...well, there are some of you out there who would be willing to buy stuff so have ur wallets a ready to shop for a good cause :)

Thank you everyone :)

Whispers of the Bamboo Forest

Namaste

Flying On a Jet Plane

Bali Retreat

Bitten by the Travel Bug

Boiiing!!

I'm Alive!!

Yesterday....

I'm Alive!!

February Bits n Bobs

Sorry Peeps!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

An update

Happy New 2009!

Sigh...

Last day..

Little balls of joy

Early Christmas Present

The Countdown Begins...

Fun weekend and some sayings...

And finally...

Christmas Wishlist

Label Tulip Oct Kit

SC's Amazing Scrapping Race

Life's Choices

Day 2 in Jakarta

A Teaser

Shabby Chic Challenge #1

Young & In Love

Catching my breath!

Prelude

The 1st Confirmation

3 days and counting....

Updates...

I Love U 2 Love Me

Miss Bimbo Ting8191

Wedding stuff

Grand Mercure

I wanna make cupcakes!!

Groovie Book Cover Challenge

Something fresh...

Sungkai-ed out

Feeling like cupcakes

Small rant

From Big Temple to Little Temple

*oink oink*

Money Not Enough 2

I'm sorry...

My 2nd surgery (Warning: Long post)

Love is...

New friends, new beginnings

Ho hum...

Dorchester High Tea & Bling

Parking rants

20.08.2008

Another album

Baby Natalie

We have a winner!

I was a bit silly...

An award!

What happens when U give a bunch of Tweens a bag of SB items?

Remember this?

Fun tag!

Want to win...

I read this....

Wow-ser!!

I finally played with my flocking kit

Should I?

This or that?

July happiness for all

My condolences...

Update on Project Scrapaway

Some cards

...and men dont understand why women complain...

H is in the papers!!

Basketball season!!

Happy Birthday Dear

Spa, drinks and sleep

Ready for a picture-ful post?

Music & Lyrics

oink oink