faith, trust & pixie dust.

all about the dog.

2012-02-06T09:52:00.000+08:00

still quite enamoured with the fact that there's a new little one at home who loves pattering after us as we walk around the house, who can't stand to be alone for more than 5 minutes and who's favourite toy is a rat which he gleefully carries into the garden when its playtime.

its quite worrying how smart he is sometimes, he's managed to escape from his playpen about 3 times now, and each time he's mastered the stairs to run upstairs to look for someone to play with him. if you don't like puppy shots i suggest you skip to the bottom of the post but this is basically how my little one spent his weekend:

#1. playing with his treat. or sleeping? i can't tell T_T

#2. Toby had his first bath! (he didn't like it very much)

#3. and then went to roll in the grass after -_-

#4. he has the attention span of a goldfish

#5. his favourite past time is clambering into laps to get belly/head rubs

#6. usually it works!

didn't spend all weekend playing with Toby of course. had brunch at Loysel's Toy with the boys who are down from KL (long weekend, lucky buggers). as usual - decent coffee, mediocre food.

dress // asos

necklace // minz

belt // anarchy street

cuff // asos

bag // zara

sandals // steve madden

word to the wise: wear heels when wearing a midi dress or risk stumpy looking legs. but if you're like me and incredibly lazy, walk around with stumpy legs for the sake of comfort and hope no one notices :P

Toby

2012-02-01T13:45:00.000+08:00

we got a puppy! :)

let me preface this by saying that if you are ever thinking of getting a puppy, for every ounce of cuteness you get from the cuddly, cutesy, fluff ball, there's about ten ounces of pain coming your way.

Toby was bought from a home breeder which effectively means that until yesterday, he lived with his mom, dad and brother, and has never been seperated from them. they probably all slept in a combined ball of fur every night. obviously this means seperation anxiety + strange new environment = WHINING ALL DAY.

for some extremely odd reason, he was okay last night. we fed him, peed him, poo-ed him, gave him some water, a blanket and a stuffed toy and he curled up and went to sleep for 6 straight hours without even a peep.

and then this morning, IT started. he absolutely would NOT stop whining. and if you think whining isn't so bad, try it at an extremely high pitch. and on the top of his lungs. for two hours STRAIGHT. if he didn't look so loveable i would've probably tried sleeping pills just to make him shut up.

the noise drove me nuts. it drove me to the point where i had a 20 minute call with the breeder close to tears, trying to figure out if i was a bad puppy owner or whether he was simply displaying normal puppy behaviour. the breeder assured me that every puppy he's had does this, and that i should just be patient and ride out the first few days with good grace.

thank god the whining stopped abt an hour ago, but now i'm worried he's a bit depressed T_________T all he does is flop around the room and stare at me sulkily when i try to give him a treat to roll a ball across the floor T______________T

oh well. the perils of motherhood i guess wtf.

and makes me end where i begun.

2012-01-30T19:05:00.000+08:00

the optician proclaimed my astigmatism quite bad for someone my age and recommended that i wear my glasses more often. what better opportunity than that to buy a brand new pair of Tom Ford frames? :D

also featuring my very soundly (and slightly drunk) sleeping boyfriend who couldn't even stay awake for the 40 minute plane ride back to Singapore.

shades of red.

2012-01-29T15:21:00.000+08:00

#1. super fascinated by these bulb plants which appeared out of nowhere one morning

#2. my favourite thing EVERY new year - my aunts flower biscuits <3

#3. dad obviously preparing for much drunkardness

#4. bright orange toes :)

#5. mom made the house unbearably red :O

#6. eve dinner outfit :)

#7. nommers.

#8. Day 1 outfit

#9. kampung lunch!

#10. outfit day 2.

#11. POP POP!

#12. day 3 reunion dinner outfit! (still stuck on red lipstick)

#13. part of my azorias spree. their clothes just keep getting better and better.

#14. bkt this morning before heading back to singapore tonight

can't believe my 10 day break is finally over :( i've had so much fun over this holiday, its been a LONG time since i've spent this long a stretch in KL. couldn't come home without running to klang for BKT so woke up to bug my dad to bring us there this morning.

a part of me is okay with the holiday ending though, there are so many things to look forward to over the rest of the new year. we are welcoming a new package into the family come Tuesday and we're quite excited about that :) back to Singapore tonight - see you all on the other side!

ang.

2012-01-26T12:24:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! :)

been super addicted to the MAC lipstick that i bought in Changi before i flew home. super appropriate for CNY (especially when i'm wearing black :P). quite impressed that it managed to last through dinner last night without any reapplying or touch ups!

it's been a whirlwind week at home - kampung visiting, gambling sessions, endless dinners and catch ups with friends. nick is flying back tonight and i can't wait to see him and then its back to Singapore and work on Sunday night :/

off the enjoy the rest of my break - photos soon!

contented

2012-01-20T20:05:00.000+08:00

am now rather happily ensconced in my favorite chair, munching on fruits (not giving a sore throat a chance to pop up before CNY), surfing fashion blogs and still marveling at the fact that my dad managed to make our kitchen a theater -_-

one of the reasons i love being back home is that is gives me a break from what i call the 'real world' in singapore. all i need to worry about when i am here is where i'm going to eat my next meal and how i'm going to get to the mall when my sister has stolen my car.

hope everyone's having a lovely start to the very long weekend. i spent my first day of holidays prowling around the Gardens, snapping up some sale (and some not sale) items from Zara, planning my CNY outfits and getting my nails and hair done in time for the festive season.

sounds like the perfect day aye?

we are young.

2012-01-14T23:32:00.000+08:00

apparently i've over-exerted myself and haven't quite recovered from last week's sickness T________T maybe it was the extremely long week that i had (which included one 16 hour day) or the fact that i rushed all over Singapore today (not an exaggeration) but i came home today and felt extremely nauseous and woozy again.

next week doesn't really look like its going to be any easier so i'm praying i'll be able to make it through at least til Thursday in one piece and then i can get as sick as my body wants. so now this is why i am spending Saturday night sipping hot water and watching Grey's Anatomy.

i can't really complain about today though, went to one of my favourite bak kut teh places in Singapore!

excuse the super random place - we were in an extremely dodgy industrial area picking up SUPER AWESOME wasabi chips when i realised that the carpark was quiet enough to take an outfit shot!

top // topshop

pants // megagamie

bag // balenciaga

shoes // steve madden

sunglasses // raybans

necklace // minz

bracelets // wanderlust & co and LV

narcissism 101

2012-01-10T14:41:00.000+08:00

second week of work and i'm already feeling super tired! i don't know how people in our parents generation did it - work for 20 to 30 years without retirement in sight, and not think about taking a days MC/long leave along the way.

on the bright side, i managed to sort out my resolutions for the coming year!

some of my more frivolous 2012 resolutions:

1) quality over quantity - which means less blogshops and being more picky with online shopping

2) to have the perfect wardrobe by the end of the year - and by perfect i mean NOTHING unusable in my wardrobe

3) less credit card debt (don't know if this counts as frivolous but it highly relates to shopping which is ALMOST always frivolous)

and because i'm feeling super vain, here are a shitload of photos of myself :D

yah i know, super pointless post right? this is what happens when you run out of blogging material :P

traipsing.

2012-01-08T22:52:00.001+08:00

my first non sick weekend in what feels like AGES. yay! saturday was burnt cause we were at Nick's cousins wedding at Capella. wore this gorgeous Azorias dress which got more compliments than i expected since it was a last minute (LITERALLY last minute) change before i left the house :) can't say enough how much i love their stuff. added bonus is that i know there is a lesser chance i'll bump into someone else wearing the same dress!

dragged Nick out on Sunday afternoon for my favourite weekend past time - BRUNCH! went to fix my hair after that after 3 months of not stepping into a hair salon :O my ends were all disgusting and dry and it was all out of shape. i feel so much more relieved now that my hair is all fixed! and just in time for chinese new year :D

top // azorias

shorts // zara

bag // mulberry

rings // ysl & h&m

sandals // steve madden

deo domuique

2012-01-06T23:52:00.000+08:00

these are my best memories of the three years i spent in Tiddeman:

prep time. Winston the Tiddeman bear. our red flag. muck up days. free first periods. Audrey Hepburn nights. Doritos and Ayamas. microwaveable popcorn. vending machine. sunroom. music room. nelly fitchett's ghost. box room. possums. east wing door. head girl. a walk to remember. wagging class. principal in her bathrobe scolding us for making too much noise. MISS CLARKE. midori. glenferrie road. cactus jam. nandos. asian supermarket. curfews. guardians. socials. formals. BOYS UPSTAIRS. chinese new year. mail pigeon holes. string orchestra. year 12 jumpers. moving rooms every term. closed weekend trips.

it's been over 11 years since i first stepped into Tiddeman House but it still feels like yesterday that i was curled up in bed on my first night there, crying because i was homesick and scared. a week later, homesickness forgotten, i settled into my new home with my new family. a year later, i met one of my best friends and we giggled over a video of Lee Ryan taking his shirt off.

those girls were such a huge part of my life. good, bad, they were there when i needed a place to hide from the shit my family was going through. i met some of the BEST people i know there, girls who have gone on to do extremely wonderful things with their lives, and have become some of the most talented, dedicated and inspiring people i know.

i'd like to believe that one day if i ever had a daughter, i would send her there, to take part in what was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

you say goodbye, i say hello!

2012-01-04T11:01:00.000+08:00

happy new year everyone!

i started off the new year extremely sick - on NYE instead of counting down with everyone, i was fast asleep on the couch. tried to go out to meet some friends but barely made it through an hour with them before i broke out in cold sweat and had to tug on nick's sleeve for him to drive me home.

okay la but it wasn't really that bad. NY itself was quite romantic. at midnight, nick shook me awake and we watched the fireworks from 4 different spots in KL from my balcony. after which i crawled back to bed and slept like the dead wtf

2011 was a GREAT year for me. fulfilled MOST of my resolutions (failed at 2 dammit) but shall focus on the ones that i did *denial

1) travel to places that i've never been before - check!

2) get to my ideal weight - CHECK.

3) to get my Australian PR by 2012 - in the hands of DIMIA

4) to get my Singapore's drivers license - CHECK.

as for the 2 that i failed...let's just say in 2012 i resolve to be more disciplined with my monies wtf

to be honest i haven't really thought about my 2012 resolutions yet. i know that this year will be a year of many changes and big decisions to be made. there are so many uncertainties and i don't want to make resolutions only to find myself in a situation that has no relevance to my resolutions whatsoever

i know for certain that 2012 will remain a year of travel though - Korea, Hungary, Australia, Czech Republic, UK, Bali....i'm SO looking forward to my holidays this year!

hope everyone's had a good start to 2012! may the coming year bring you lots of happiness and love :)

coffee and toast

2011-12-29T08:00:00.002+08:00

top // azorias

skirt // forever 21

bracelets // wanderlust & co

necklace // forever 21

shoes // also

bag // chloe

in my head.

2011-12-28T15:21:00.000+08:00

deciding that stray/abandoned dogs deserve some Christmas love too and donating 72 kilos of dog food to Action for Singapore Dogs. (i hate it when people mistreat/abandon dogs. if you cannot handle the responsibility of one, then don't adopt or buy them. THEY ARE LIVING THINGS AND NOT T SHIRTS THAT YOU CAN DISCARD WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THEM)

going to start therapy next year to fix my spastic neck :/ praying this doesn't hurt too much. i should really also do something about my posture.

post Christmas shopping included 8 pieces from CK Underwear for 200 dollars (SCORE) and 2 pairs of sandals from Steve Madden (sister #1 consequently stole a pair but awesome boyfriend replaced them!)

finally settled next years holiday destinations. Korea, Hungary, Czech Republic, Vienna and UK here I come!

still craving for a pair of sequinned shoes.

but slightly horrified at the amount of damage done to my bank account and credit card, so have decided to keep the latter in storage for the month of January.

ingrown toenail = swollen toe which made me reach for a pair of work appropriate open toed shoes only to realise...that i have none. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE.

3 more days to the new year. have you made your resolutions yet?

sleigh bells ring.

2011-12-27T13:55:00.000+08:00

#1. spent a good part of the weekend wondering whether this macaron postbox could be eaten :O nick even went so far as to stick his head next to it to try to lick a macaron (i stopped him)

#2. yucky gloomy weather which turned the water in the bay BROWN.

#3. LOVE hotel toilet lighting! and also long awaited azorias gold tipped collar top <3

#4. paired top with what my brother in law refers to as my 'indian sandals' -_-

#5. what's Christmas without a gingerbread house?

#6. TWG for tea with the family :)

#7. le fam. err little lego car courtesy of neffy poo who was busy terrorising some auntie

moved into the hotel with my family for three GLORIOUS nights (i love hotels and hotel breakfasts with a passion). i'm quite sure housekeeping at Fullerton hates us now though, 3 rooms with toys, wrapping paper, presents, clothes, makeup and bits of ribbon strewn all over the place. eep.

was feeling rather homesick yesterday which caught me by surprise. after so many years away from home i thought i was rather immune to goodbyes but watching my family load their luggage into a cab on the way to the airport made me feel quite sad that i wasn't going home to spend the rest of the holiday season with them.

lucky for me that nick suggested driving up next weekend since we have four days off anyway :) so yay! KL here we come.

hope everyone had a really good Christmas, and if you haven't - don't worry! there's still 10 days of Christmas left!

its beginning to look at lot like Christmas.

2011-12-22T10:12:00.000+08:00

never underestimate the power of a nice cardigan to complete your outfit :)

i know i haven't been using the S95 much but let's face it, its so much more convenient to whip out my phone and take pictures whenever (even in toilets :P) and then be able to use photo filters like immediately after!

also, today is the last day of work before Christmas break. HALLELUJAH.

coffee, tea or me.

2011-12-21T15:30:00.000+08:00

apparently i look like a 60's flight attendant today - i suspect its the necktie. people have been coming up to me and commenting on how interesting my top is, even the boyfriend msged and went 'miss, coffee please.' -_- there WILL be retribution.

as you probably should have guessed by the frequency of my blogging, work has lightened up a bit! ran to City Hall during lunch ytd with a colleague and bought canele/royce for all the managers and directors to spread some Christmas love.

another day of work and then 2 consecutive 4 day weekends! can't wait for the rest of the fam to arrive from KL so i can move into the hotel. major LOVE.

what doesn't kill you makes a fighter.

2011-12-20T16:10:00.000+08:00

how crazy has the weather been the past few days?!

i managed to get drenched yesterday despite having an umbrella with me. by the time i got to the train station my feet felt like they were soaking in puddles and the only dry spot on my body was my head. i've now started to lug flip flops everywhere i go so i don't ruin any more pairs of nice shoes T_____T

last weekend was pretty awesome, managed to get a mani/pedi after four (gasp) months, finished up all my christmas shopping for family, scored cheap shoes and managed to see hui wen who was down in singapore! as usual no photos of us from the meet up except for this picture of toast while we were waiting for another hoe sister to be done with dinner wtf.

outfit picture for a friend's birthday a few nights ago. LOVE this dress to bits but unfortunately by the time we left there was no daylight left to take good outfit photos :(

dress // stylestalker

cuff // asos

clutch // zara

the stars aligned.

2011-12-19T10:56:00.000+08:00

#1. the SMALLEST char siew pao ever. i can't even believe they'd call this char siew pao -_-

#2. hello! spot the cute moustache necklace.

#3. first time trying Gelish :D verdict is still out as i've heard prolonged exposure to UV light isn't good for your nails

#4. happy toes for Christmas :)

#5. 40 dollar Steve Maddens are EXTREME WIN.

#6. Paul Frank salesperson threw a green...thing (she said it was a monkey but i think thats debatable) and it made itself at home next to the vuvuzela

#7. spark has a MOHAWK! officially makes him the coolest 10 year old dog i know

#8. one of the nicest wedding invites ever. love the antique chinese vase shape

#9. don't drink stout but who can resist a vintage poster?

#10. root beer float FTW :D

crochet again.

2011-12-14T10:22:00.000+08:00

in and out.

2011-12-12T12:07:00.000+08:00

#1. boyfriend now obsessed with iPhone 4S. SPOT THE CELEBRITY IN THE BACKGROUND. +10 if you know who it is!

#2. how i didn't feel the entire weekend because we lost our dream puppy by a mere 3 hours :(

#3. love how artichoke changes up their spice wall once in a while

#4. stole half of his breakfast :D

#5. because mine was just yoghurt and pistachios. which i'm sure contributed to my bout of diarrhoea this morning

#6. dim sum sesh with nick's parents at Grand Shanghai

#7. second contributing factor to diarrhoea. did you know that 1 cup of bubble tea has the calorie equivalent of 2 1/3 bowls of rice? been trying to ignore the fact but it keeps popping up :(

clucky.

2011-12-09T12:04:00.000+08:00

energy levels are ebbing quite badly, stress levels are at an all time high and i'm really annoyed at the way certain things are panning out. all i really want to do is buy a puppy, stay at home and take care of a super cuddly, cute ball of fluff.

we've been thinking about a dog for the longest time now, but the serious hunt began last weekend when sister #2 (who absolutely hates dogs btw) annouced that she bought a momo.

whats a momo? only my newest nephew who unashamedly trounces my older nephew in terms of cuteness and loveability!

her explanation made less sense than her actions. i told her she was being very strange because for the past 20 years she's proclaimed she has animal phobia but now she has a dog and she just went...'momo is not a dog. momo is a momo.'

-____________________________-

sometimes i can't believe we are sisters.

escalated stress levels also means higher than usual levels of frustration which nick has had to bear with for the past 2 weeks. i have to say that he's taking it quite well, and at the end of the day i'm always reminded that i have to be grateful for my amazing boyfriend who will pick me up after the end of a long day, nudge me into the shower and be there after to tuck me into bed before he goes back to doing something undoubtedly soccer related.

all i hear is raindrops.

2011-12-02T11:11:00.000+08:00

lazy comfy outfit for a very rainy morning. i'm extremely glad its the weekend - need time to process all the big news i've gotten this week. i actually super love the paperbag type top of these pants, i just didnt think to take a photo of them. paired it with a crochet top i've been trying unsuccessfully to use mostly because i don't want my outfit to look granny-like.

top // lacepipe

tube // marks & spencer

pants // luella

necklaces // mouche

bracelet // wanderlust & co

twelve

2011-12-01T10:26:00.000+08:00

i feel that its quite apt that i'm having a toffee nut latte on the first day of Christmas month - the best part being that a colleague got it for me on the way in just because :)

i've been pulling 12-16 hour days for the past 2 weeks, but i'm surprisingly okay with it. getting home and barely having enough energy to shower and pull yourself into bed sucks but the nature of my current job is pretty damn amazing - not a lot of people have the opportunity to do what i'm doing now so i've been quite willing to sacrifice my nights (and a LOT of sleep T____T) for the sake of learning.

i've found that comfort is becoming increasingly important when i dress for work though. i've completely eradicated heels from my wardrobe (its quite a hike from the train station to the clients place) and tight skirts are a huge no-no cause it makes it hard to pull my legs up on the chair when i work wtf

dress // megagamie

jacket // h&m

headband // diva

bangle // bangkok

bag // prada

'if the skirt is short, its Friday'

2011-11-29T13:11:00.000+08:00

dress // mng

blazer // zara

necklace // minz

poutine & creme brulee sunday

2011-11-27T19:49:00.000+08:00

perspective

2011-11-24T20:49:00.001+08:00

i really believe that every challenging situation that you may find yourself in always has a silver lining. and in this case, my silver linings are my amazing colleagues:

the first one who will console me and tell me not to panic when i am about to freak out and then proceed to brief me on my next engagement even though he has nothing to do with it

and the second one who will walk past my desk at 11pm when i look like i am about to pass out, and tell me to keep my chin up because i am lucky enough to find myself in the midst of something that is making news GLOBALLY.

perspective is important :) and even when i feel extremely unsettled at this point in my life, i am grateful for the people who constantly keep me optimistic, and open to looking at things in a different way.

please excuse the messy room and the haggard look! was in the midst of another wardrobe clean out when work got extremely stressful and busy so i now live in what looks like the cross between a pig sty and a natural disaster area.

top // asos

skirt // azorias

bangle // bangkok

earrings // chanel

imperfection

2011-11-17T12:03:00.000+08:00

having one of the worst weeks i've ever had at work - i hate not being good at something and it seems like the more i try, the more i fail miserably. disappointing my seniors and manager definitely wasn't on my list of goals this year. hopefully everyone else is having a better time than i am!

also, this is the laziest way ever to post backdated outfit posts :D

Dakota & Elle Fanning x W Magazine

2011-11-15T12:54:00.002+08:00

hold your pants up.

2011-11-14T09:25:00.000+08:00

inspired by Tyra Banks ala ANTM All Stars cycle, i ordered a pair of suspenders the other week. Nick (as usual) gave me super doubtful 'when are you ever going to wear those' look when i pulled them out of the parcel but i thought they were extremely fun to experiment with!

obviously i forgot that the main purpose of suspenders (or braces if ur from the UK) is to hold your pants up - i thought they were purely fashion statements wtf. the result of wearing them with hot pants was perpetual underwear up my ass T______________T

i've been dared to wear them to work this week which is a bit daunting because my partner is a real stickler for 'appropriate' dressing in the work place. will see what i can come up with :)

top & suspenders // asos

shorts // supre

bangles // bangkok

rings // h&m

bag // mbmj

shoes // bangkok

this week's investment lessons.

2011-11-11T15:51:00.000+08:00

i wonder if my dad realises that i am the kind of person that learns by doing. and if he is, then he really is a very smart man.

1) the way to really look at a balance sheet is this: an asset is something that generates income, and a liability is one that incurs expenses. so a) why do people look at homes as assets? and b) who REALLY owns your house?

2) your expense is another person's income. why fund someone else's desire to take over the world when you could be doing it yourself?!

3) the smartest way to invest is to find a way to turn your income into an asset that will in turn generate MORE income.

4) if you don't understand the investment, DONT INVEST IN IT.

5) only a few company's actually really fit the Warren Buffett investment phillosophy: buy a piece of a company who's business you understand and is currently undervalued, and one which will hold intrinsic value in 5,10,15 and 20 years.

6) all your life you will work to put money into someone else's income - mainly the government and your boss (oh how true!). why not find a way to put money into your own income instead? :)

7) rich people buy luxuries last, poor people buy luxuries to look rich.

8) pay yourself first. you will be less hard on yourself than the other people chasing you for money (eg, bills, tax, mortgage), and the motivation to find more income will come from the pressure of being a debtor.

if you are observant you've realised new buttons on the right. promise i'm a very nice person if you choose to use them :)

okay to end a rather serious post, here's a quick inspirational picture!

source: weheartit.com

quality versus quantity

2011-11-09T10:48:00.000+08:00

i've been meaning to do this post for quite a while but a recent event got me peeved enough to finally sit down and write this.

WARNING: LONG POST AHEAD.

i have gone through many fashion phases when it comes to the price of my clothes -

Phase 1: striving for a French woman's wardrobe, ie only going for things that are of high quality (also high in price) and not buying in bulk.

unfortunately this severely limits the types of pieces i can buy or experiment with and also ensures that i shop at either Massimo Dutti or Zara (which is what i can afford).

outcome: i wear stuff that EVERY OTHER PERSON DOES. but ok rest assured it's not going to have runny thread and its going to fit me DECENTLY well (it still is mass market after all), so i am reasonably happy with doing this.

Phase 2: buy cheap and in bulk so i have more things to experiment with! this usually means buying from blogshops or online stores, which are of abundance in Singapore. or in Melbourne this used to mean running to Bridge Road or Smith Street and totally going BINGE shopping for 5-20 dollar tops/skirts/dresses whatever

i realise that i do this only when i am extremely bored with my wardrobe. especially when i read fashion blogs and i go like...wow i never thought to pair that with that...or wow how come they manage to make something so eccentric look so wearable...or wow why my dressing so boring compared to theirs ah, maybe i should try this and see what it looks like!

so i hunt for the equivalent in blogshops/online stores/thrift stores and try to put my own spin on the outfit.

many times though, i realise that i am a pretty conservative dresser (that plus the boyfriend always ends up laughing when i experiment with stuff) and this dampens my experimental mood somewhat...plus the fact that working in the corporate environment hardly inspires you to wear anything other than pencil skirts and nice blouses

also, half the time i am peeved at the quality of the clothes i get from online stores/blogshops and end up giving away a 20 dollar dress/top/whatever which may not seem much AT FIRST. then you add up all the things you have 'mis-bought' and it turns out to be about 100-300 bucks a year. WHAT?!

outcome: reversion to Phase 1 after about 2-3 months of being in Phase 2

after a LOT OF TIME spent ping pong-ing between the 2, i've realised that the most important thing is BALANCE.

i want to have the fun wardrobe but also want to have pieces in my wardrobe that i can go to when i feel like i have nothing to wear but still want to look good. and i can give away clothes that cost me less than 35 bucks without guilt...in fact, i feel quite good when i pack up elements of my cheap wardrobe and cart it off to a women's shelter - good juju points AND a chance to clear out my ever exploding wardrobe: DOUBLE WIN!

one of the things about the fun wardrobe is that you have to be super realistic on the quality of the clothes you are buying - you can't expect a 30 dollar skirt to last as long as say...a 60 dollar one.

which brings me to why i was peeved in the first place...

over the years i've made many MANY mistakes buying from online stores. i've spent maybe a few hundred on clothes that i have never used because the quality was really that bad, or they look different than they do on the model.

but i've also come across online stores/blogshops that i genuinely like and will buy from again and again because the clothes are of reasonable quality for their price.

there is nothing more that i hate than buying something quite expensive online only to find that the quality sucks...like recently, a skirt's back seam RIPPED when i was walking, leaving my ass to say hello! to the rest of the world (true story)

so i've compiled my very short list of blogshops/online stores that i do buy from again and again, in no particular order - shops that have good quality clothes for reasonable prices.

(disclaimer: by reasonable, i don't mean cheap. i mean clothes that match the price for which you pay)

1. asos.com

okay duh this had to be on the list. but I LOVE ASOS. free worldwide shipping? check. ability to satisfy my weirdest fashion cravings? check. reasonable quality for price paid? well...that depends. i earn SGD so its extremely worth it, especially when asos is on sale.

some of my favourite wardrobe pieces are from asos! leather strap top and super versatile crochet piece i can use to work or for weekends

2. momoteapots.livejournal.com

i met the owner of MMTP brieftly, she currently works at my ex firm, and one of my ex colleagues highly recommended her blogshop. i started shopping there after a LONG exodus from blogshopping - i hated the shitty quality that i got from other ones, even 20 bucks seemed too much to pay for pieces of clothing with loose thread and which color ran all the time.

happily, i don't have that problem with MMTP :) i have loved all the clothes i've gotten from her, in terms of quality they WAY surpass the price that i pay for them :)

yellow dress with open back which i wore for our anniversary (for some reason i dno't have a picture of the back :/) and one of my favourite maxi dresses on a bad hair day :(

3. azorias.com

no surprise here. i super love the owner, and i super love the clothes. i think some of the pieces really reflect hui wen's style, and while some of it is too daring for me, i've found some of my favourite work staples from here!

examples in point - my favourite grey tulip skirt and my favourite navy top :)

4. agneselle.com

one of my favourite blazers is from here, and everything else that i have ordered turns out pretty nice! i don't think the pieces here are for the super fashionista - they tend to be more simple and easy to pair with other things that already exist in your wardrobe :)

the only gripe i have about them is that when my favourite blazer arrived, they left a pin in it, leading to a very painful poke in my side -_-

umm...no better picture of blazer....

other memorable blogshops include The Velvet Dolls and Megagamie - the reason they didn't make it to the list is because i don't buy enough from them to judge the consistency of their quality.

shops like Love, Bonito i feel are quite overrated, ESPECIALLY for the price. Shops that i have tried but will never try again: Tracyeinny, love&bravery, berrybow, MDS collections, mostly because the clothes have disappointed me in terms of cut or quality.

other ones that i've been wanting to try are the Queens Wardrobe and Romwe which are the ones that many fashion bloggers use but the price point is a bit steep for a piece of clothing that you cannot see or try on :/

more folklore.

2011-11-08T10:06:00.001+08:00

there was once an old man who had three sons and he gave them each 10 gold coins and told them to do whatever they wanted with them.

the first son buried the 10 coins under a rock.

the second one put the 10 coins into a bank.

the third son invested the 10 coins into a business.

after the end of the year, the old man called his three sons back and asked them what they had done with the coins.

the first son gave his father back all 10 coins, safe and sound.

the second son gave his father back 10 coins plus 2 extra gold coins earned from bank interest.

the third son however, gave his father back 30 coins.

xx

lesson learned?

tuesday lemming.

2011-11-01T14:23:00.000+08:00

Tom Ford lipsticks in Scarlett Rouge and Spanish Pink please!

five oh one.

2011-10-31T18:02:00.000+08:00

i seem to have run past my 500th post without even realising it. oh well!

my weekend included dragging nickers around the island to have some of my absolute favourite food here (ironically didn't include anything local) - from the best pizza at Greenwood Avenue to the best chicken wings in Sentosa and my new favourite coffee haunt in Kallang <3

weather was all weird over the weekend - one minute it was scorching and the next we had world-is-ending type thunder and rain. was also feeling super bloated and fat so slapped on my biggest pair of sunglasses and a super loose top and out the door i went!

top // azorias

shorts // topshop

sunglasses // prada

bag // balenciaga

shoes // steve madden

ring // asos

spotted: Halloween cupcakes

2011-10-27T13:51:00.002+08:00

HOW AMAZINGLY CUTE ARE THESE?!

Tuesday obsession: SHOES.

2011-10-25T15:04:00.001+08:00

the first picture is my new favourite quote!

currently DYING to revamp my shoe-drobe starting with a pair of Mary Janes. funny that i used to hate them when they forced us to wear them for school - i opted for Doc Marts instead because the yellow stitching seemed infinitely cooler than dainty strapped shoes.

i've found that i have too many pointed toed, modest heeled shoes for work. come the weekend, i'm usually left with a few pairs of overused flats or my trusty havaianas.

T minus 5 days til my shopping ban ends and i can go crazy hunting! :)

misalignment

2011-10-24T09:16:00.000+08:00

my aching shoulders finally irritated me to the point where i had to run to a chiropractor last week to figure out what was wrong. i already knew it was going to be bad posture. a) EVERYONE has bad posture nowadays and b) i've been slouching since i was old enough to walk wtf.

what i didn't expect though was the chiro telling me that my head has moved 1.8 inches from where it's supposed to be, effectively making me look like....a turtle -_-

if thats not scary enough he told me that our shoulder and neck muscles are built to comfortably carry 10 pounds of weight but since my heads moved totally off axis, my muscles are straining with around 28 pounds (WHAAAAAAAAAT) of weight which explains the constant ache in my shoulder area i've been having for the past 2 weeks.

he tells me that he can fix me with 18 sessions of therapy over 6 weeks (how am i going to explain to my boss that i will be disappearing 3 times a week?) but unsurprisingly wants to charge me the equivalent of a Balenciaga bag for it -_-

okay on to happier things...

only my best friend would notice that i've been hoarding accessories like crazy and got me this for my super super belated birthday present! :D

apparently the color is from the S/S 2012 collection and isn't even available in stores yet so excuse me while i go run around with my new toy :D

s'cuse me ur a hell of a guy,

2011-10-21T09:40:00.000+08:00

so my job usually runs in tandem with the financial markets. can someone explain to me why i'm being put on back to back deals when everyones saying we're on the verge of another recession? :/

i've gone 20 days without buying anything new but surprisingly i don't really feel it anymore. its probably the fact that i staggered all the buying i did pre-shopping ban so i'd still get new clothes during the month without spending a cent :)

my favourite pieces that i've received were undoubtedly from the Azorias parcels that i collected over my last weekend back home and i've managed to wear an Azorias piece everyday this week :O

inspire.

2011-10-17T09:21:00.000+08:00

i had the most brilliant conversation with a friend over the weekend - one of the perks of hanging out with inspiring people is that they challenge you to think about things not as stressors but as OPPORTUNITIES. and that has made all the difference in the world :)

have an inspiring Monday everyone!

THINK PINK.

2011-10-13T14:22:00.000+08:00

image from flickr

In Singapore, more than 1,400 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and close to 330 women die from it annually. There are two simple ways to prevent yourself from becoming a statistic: If you are 18 and over you should perform a breast self check once a month. If you are 25 and over you should be having a clinical breast exam at least once a year.

These are REALLY simple steps to remember so spread the pink message today!

(and also macaroons happen to be my next baking project...once i find a kitchen i can commandeer)

pink October!

2011-10-10T09:47:00.000+08:00

top // asos

dress worn as skirt // zara

belt // dorothy perkins, gifted

bangles // lv & gifted

finally got the chance to break out my box of belts and picked the hot pink one to add color to my otherwise bland outfit. and since its shopping ban month (poop), had to find new ways to wear old clothing - in this case, one of my favourite zara ballerina dresses.

its still pink October over at Azorias, and if you take a snapshot of yourself wearing pink and post it on their FB wall, you'll get a 10% discount voucher AND a chance to win a pink outfit from them! YAY! :D

1955-2011

2011-10-06T13:34:00.000+08:00

sweet tooth

2011-10-05T10:09:00.000+08:00

an inadvertent glance at a picture of a macaroon on facebook left me craving REALLY BADLY for the joel robuchon ones we had in HK but i wasn't going to find any of those here. nick went to Canele in Raffles City to pick up a box of six of these for me instead:

no fight with Joel Robuchon's (duh) but they definitely didn't disappoint :) not too sweet and super gooey on the inside. shall have to run down myself one day to browse all the other flavours.

all in all, a six pack of macaroons, some boyfriend time and a 25 minute long distance call was all it took to make a super grueling work day feel better. last night made me realise that i am eternally grateful for the people in my life who are incapable of pulling the bullshit that other people do so often.

count to ten.

2011-10-03T10:36:00.001+08:00

i'm quite excited October is here even though it means the first 9 months of the year have just flown by in a (happy) blur. it'll be quite an exciting month work-wise i think, or maybe its something else about this month that makes me inexplicably optimistic!

on the other hand, October is also a bad month because i've embarked on a month long shopping ban, god help me wtf :( the frequency at which i clean out my cupboard scares me and i always seem to find clothes that i have not used or old favourites i haven't touched in a while.

and realistically speaking, NO GIRL REALLY NEEDS CLOTHES IN THREE COUNTRIES.

pictures from brunch over the weekend!

top // azorias

shorts // h&m

rings // topshop & h&m

bag // chloe

reminder to self: CLEAN THE MIRROR.

when i bought the leather shorts from h&m in hong kong nick gave me a half amused look and asked me when i was ever going to wear it when singapore was so hot. well i showed him WTF. i actually really loved the way that it went with the azorias top that i usually pair with a pencil skirt for work.

and speaking of azorias!

October is breast cancer welfare awareness month! in support of the breast cancer welfare association (BCWA), Azorias will pledge 10% of any pink item sold in store to the BCWA which i think is an AMAZING cause. breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst Malaysian women, who has a 1 in 20 chance of getting breast cancer.

so help spread the pink message this month and buy something really pretty from Azorias while you are at it! :)

packing light

2011-10-02T16:28:00.002+08:00

samsung galaxy s2, mac lipstick in modesty, chanel compact and foldable wayfarers

my phone became not so special anymore as they released it in spore yesterday :( its still my current favourite gadget though and though i miss bbm ~~a bit~~a lot, i'm never going back to blackberry until they come up with something with an amazing camera and a more user friendly OS

also love my foldable wayfarers to bits - its the best pair of sunnies to travel with and its the easiest thing to bring around when bag space is a problem

birthday suit

2011-09-30T10:34:00.000+08:00

but if you think you are going to see me naked then you have another thought coming wtf.

dinner was at Mortons which was preeettyyy damnnn amazzinnggg but before we left the house, the following chain of events occurred:

i come home from work early and decide to nap ----> nick sees me napping and goes to watch soccer ----> he wakes me up 20 minutes before we have to leave ----> i freak out because REALLY which girl gets ready for dinner in 20 minutes ----> hair looks like crap....crap. ------> try to fix hair but its really beyond repair to tie it into a ponytail instead -----> face looks fat. how?! ----> dragged out of the house by boyfriend anyway.

outfit shots below! already warned you about the fat face and the weird hair...

top // armani exchange

skirt // h&m

rings // ysl & h&m

bracelets // gifted

shoes // stuart weitzman

bag // chloe

loved.

2011-09-29T11:58:00.000+08:00

how its gone so far:

my joker friends got me a box of belts for my birthday because a) they have never seen me wearing belts - which is true i guess, for some reason spending 60 bucks on a strip of leather is against my principles and b) because they didn't know what else to get me.

there's a bunch of white roses waiting for me in the office (which caused Nick some anxiety cause he's not the one who sent them)

love from melbourne/kuching and back home has effectively been annoying my manager the whole morning as my phone won't stop beeping/pinging/vibrating and i refuse to turn off the sound because goddammit its my birthday and i will do what i want.

am super looking forward to dinner with Nickers tonight, i know that we've been pretty much living together but it still feels like after HK there hasn't been much one on one time *clingy

its been a pretty awesome celebration so far (and its only 12pm) because really, what more can a girl ask for on her 21st *cough* birthday? :)

i love you like a love song

2011-09-28T09:32:00.000+08:00

a lot of the times i feel like i'm quite lucky to have a boyfriend that understands my obsession with bags/shoes and clothes. he kicks up the occasional fuss now and then about how my stuff is encroaching on his wardrobe space or taking over the shoe cupboard completely, but for most part (and as long as he knows my spending is within control) he's pretty chill about the whole thing.

my chloe fund was completely unexpected though. and while it might seem shallow to say that thats why i love him so much, it really is part of the reason why i do. i love him for the times when he does things that are unexpected because he thinks that these things really do mean a lot to me, and for the times when he takes the time out to see things my way.

i've spent birthdays with boyfriends who have made me cry, with boyfriends who've just let the day pass them by, i've spent birthdays single and partying, and single and miserable but this birthday is different. and its different because i'm with someone who doesn't care about the pimple on my forehead, or the fact that i spend too much, or the fact that my mood is about as stable as melbourne's weather - most of what he cares about is that i am healthy and happy :)

Hong Kong Day 4

2011-09-26T10:07:00.000+08:00

another reason to love the 'droid - my previous blog post was from my phone!

we actually went to this really interesting exhibition in HK on our last day there called Dialogue in the Dark. it is an awareness raising exhibition where they put you in a totally dark environment (think PITCH BLACK) for an hour and 15 minutes and you are led by blind guides/trainers to experience everyday situations as a blind person.

our guide, Daniel, was amazingly helpful and even told us the story of how he wasn't born blind but lost his sight at the age of 30 because of a brain tumour :( despite the circumstances he was still a very cheery person.

my greatest challenge was my spatial judgement in the dark. i couldn't tell my proximity to anyone or anything in the darkness and the only way to help myself was to swing my cane around in front of me but even then still managed to bruise my shins on a low lying bench.

for more information, go here - http://www.dialogue-in-the-dark.com/

they have one in Singapore too if i'm not mistaken and it is definitely a MUST DO in my opinion.

after DiD we found our way to Mong Kok to hunt for the very famous one Michelin star dim sum restaurant.

if you ever go visit the place you MUST HAVE THE CHAR SIEW BAO. it is unlike any other char siew bao on this earth. i'm not the biggest fan of char siew baos (cause i don't want a bao face wtf) but i managed to stuff two in my face and would've ordered more if it wasn't for the fact that we ate until we literally couldn't move.

its extremely reasonably priced as well, we paid 200HKD (or 32SGD) for the amount of food that we ordered!

the rest of the day was spent running errands like picking up gifts for our colleagues and family but i did have time for one last Hui Lau Shan:

abrupt end to Hong Kong posts wtf.

Blogaway

2011-09-24T12:51:00.001+08:00

View from our grandstand was a pretty good way to start the weekend :)

Hong Kong Day 3

2011-09-23T11:03:00.000+08:00

I AM LOVING THE NEW SEASON OF AZORIAS CLOTHES.

*cough

okay now that i have that out of the way.

photos from substandard dim sum at Maxim's Palace. we literally TREKKED from the central MTR station (nobody told me Admiralty was closer!) to where Maxim's was and i was nearly dying from heat and starvation when i got there.

the dim sum was quite meh but the place was EXTREMELY CROWDED. i guess people go for the atmosphere? the one thing that i hadn't seen before was screens on the side of the dim sum carts though :O so high tech!

hopped on a bus (T_______________________T) after to get to Ocean Park where the absolute highlight were the PANDAS. i super super love pandas and the main reason i dragged Nick to Ocean Park was to see them. could've spent all day in the panda enclosure but super spoil sport said all they did was eat and sleep so dragged me all over the park instead -_-

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA too lazy to pick the leaves off so just shove the whole shoot in his face

dead people playing mahjong! :O

cable car on the way down (while Nick looked a bit green in the other corner cause he absolutely hates heights)

CURRY FISHBALLLLLLSSSS <3

-_- beef tripe. super gross okay.

random make up haul for the day: Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser (love), NARS nail polish (untried), Orgasm blusher (overhyped), Eve Lom rescue mask (love)

look who we found in Yung Kee! my second favourite boy in the whole world :)

the boys were having a VERY serious discussion about what to eat that night. so much good food and so limited tummy space.

the must order - roast goose.

i actually don't eat goose and don't get the fascination with it but the 2 boys polished off half a goose by themselves so i guess it must live up to its hype.

yah we really had a lot of food. after dinner headed to Lan Kwai Fong and then back to Causeway Bay for the 9 course mango feast at Hui Lau Shan T_________________T

top // topshop

shorts // supre

talon bangle // asos

rings // asos & topshop

shoes // steve madden

bag // marc

'eh boo can i bring a panda home? they're so cute and they really wouldn't be much trouble! all they do is eat and sleep!'

'hah but we already have a panda at home! all you do is eat and sleep too. same right?'

-_-

i have the greatest boyfriend ever. really.

Hong Kong Day 2

2011-09-22T10:36:00.000+08:00

also known as Nick's actual birthday!

and THE BIG SHOPPING DAY.

okay it was quite mean to drag him shopping on his actual birthday but really, its not like he didn't expect it and i plied him with lots of food stops along the way to keep him happy!

the best zha leong i've ever had in some random Causeway Bay cafe. i hate soggy you tiao and usually avoid the ones soaked in gravy but this one managed to stay crispy AND gravy soaked at the same time. ITS A MIRACLE I TELL YOU.

no photos taken over the next few hours because i was obsessed....with this:

i gave a little squeal of delight when i saw the rows and rows of shoes (think louboutins, stuart weitzmans, ferragamos, chloes) and i swear i heard nick sigh in defeat.

next thing you know i looked around and he had wandered off to find a seat wtf

but an hour later (or two?) it was my turn to wait for him while he agonised over a belt -_-

ran back to the hotel after to chillax (we stayed in the coolest hotel ever) and grab some fuel

and then we headed off to the Peak for some touristy sightseeing!

happy birthday boy after convincing me (more like dragging me) to get on a Hong Kong tram 'just to see where it goes'. thankfully we ended up somewhere near Causeway Bay and it wasn't really too far a walk from our hotel!

HK city is definitely more densely populated than Singapore is....

damage by the end of the day :/

ended his birthday doing what he loves best - Hoegaarden + soccer

top // supre

skirt // love, bonito

scarf // witchery

bangles // LV + wanderlust & co

rings // topshop + asos

shoes // beverly feldman

bags // marc by marc jacobs

Hong Kong Day 1

2011-09-21T11:47:00.000+08:00

back in Singapore! and at work :(

our first day in HK was pretty short - flight landed at 12pm and by the time we made it to the hotel (after getting lost!) it was 2pm. dragged ourselves out for a quick lunch down the street and then took the train across to Kowloon where my the best boyfriend in the world bought me an early birthday present!

hello s95!

(pictures are going to be XL from now on :P)

we went to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon for Nick's birthday dinner and i was actually a bit worried about the location. see, i was doing my research online and quite a few of the reviewers mentioned that the waiters there were extremely snobbish and rude...and if there's one thing i HATE about service staff is when they act that way.

i was quite happy that my fears were completely unfounded - the staff were extremely nice and helpful from recommending us wine to putting a small dessert platter in front of us with a wink and a 'just in case'.

hands down the best dish of the night was the bacon and lobster risotto followed very closely by my steak tartare. all in all though, the food was pretty damn excellent and i'd definitely go back on my next trip to HK.

boyfriend deciding whether to take a bite of the macaroon by scrutinising it carefully wtf

happy birthday darling :)

outfit for the night:

wearing one of my favourite blazers with lace detailing on the cuffs (although its too dark to really see it in the photo) and a dress that i haven't worn since i was 20.

dress // topshop

blazer // agneselle

bracelet // alexander mcqueen

rings // asos & topshop

bag // marc by marc jacobs

shoes // pedder red

blue blue blue

2011-09-16T12:37:00.000+08:00

finally a proper outfit post!

i've spent the last week at a client's place which meant that i could go to work without makeup and nobody would say anything cause their office is in the middle of an industrial area. today is my first day back in the CBD and i took an extra 15 minutes getting ready (less 15 minutes of sleep T_______________T) just so i could look presentable.

i absolutely love my laptop bag but my director saw it the other day, laughed and told me i could probably only use it for another year or so (until i'm a second year senior in other words) before i had to change it to a 'serious' laptop bag.

i smiled and nodded but was thinking how boring it would be to tote around the standard black laptop bag. maybe a year from now i'll find an even less serious bag :P

top // zara

skirt // zara

rings // topshop & asos

bag // balenciaga

i'm off to Hong Kong tomorrow for a much needed holiday - there's been so much going on career wise lately that i've been dying for the opportunity to hop on a plane and escape having to think about work life for a while.

hope every has an amazing weekend planned! :)

septembre.

2011-09-12T17:15:00.000+08:00

have been feeling rather uninspired lately which is unusual because i am usually (and ridiculously) hyper when my birthday month comes around. even my girly facial/shopping/manipedi binge over the weekend didn't help.

hopefully the dreariness will clear up after our upcoming HK escape though. can you believe that Nick's never been there? :O

image from fuckyeahcuteanimalss.tumblr.com

a little bit of melbourne

2011-09-09T11:30:00.000+08:00

i initially didn't want to do an outfit post today because i'm not wearing anything particularly interesting - in fact i was running late for work when i was deciding on what to wear and just reached out for whatever looked familiar and comfortable.

what i ended up with strangely reminded me of life in Melbourne though. like i could pull on a pair of boots and grab a jacket, skip out of the house and land on Chapel street instead of on my street in hot humid Singapore.

outfit deja vu? :/

okay end most random/nonsensical post ever.

top // ralph lauren

pants // gap

you really got me bad.

2011-09-08T11:34:00.001+08:00

came into work this morning to find that my colleague left her stuffed reindeer on my keyboard because 'it really missed you yesterday!'. aiyoh why are the people i work with super sweet.

the last few days have been super emotionally draining, i've been sleeping an average of 8 hours (12 last night!) but still manage to wake up the next day feeling like i've hardly slept at all. i think in a way yesterday was a relief for my family, when someone's quality of life has deteriorated the way it did with my uncle, death can only bring peace.

back to work today (after an immense struggle to get out of bed) and decided to keep my outfit super simple.

top // azorias

skirt // azorias

bag // balenciaga

bury me in satin

2011-09-05T10:10:00.000+08:00

it has been a difficult few days watching my mom's siblings struggle with coming to terms of slowly losing one of their own.

i'd like to think that the fact that my uncle never lost his sense of humour throughout his final few days was a testament to his strength of character.

the past two years have been a huge challenge for my uncle and his family and i hope he's able to rest in peace now.

i love shiny things!

2011-09-01T16:14:00.000+08:00

i adore the metallic smokey eye look thats been seen in the AW11 fashion shows from chloe to roberto cavalli to dior. lisa eldridge did a pretty cool video on it recently and her take (second picture) on the look is amaaazing. i only wish i had bigger eyes to be able to pull off so much eye make up :( oh well for the time being shall stick to the illusion d'ombre eyeshadows which have been treating me pretty well!

cheetah girls

2011-08-31T10:13:00.000+08:00

does anyone remember a show called the cheetah girls on the disney channel? :/ no? just me then.

i'm really not well rested despite it being a 4 day weekend. i spent a bit of saturday and tuesday in the hospital with my uncle and the other half of it struggling with a super stubborn strain of flu. if i look a bit haggard in my outfit shot thats probably why.

one of the great things about the impending birthday month though is my early birthday present which arrived in the form of a new marc jacobs bag! :)

also, my search for amazing cakes in singapore has yielded Flor's Patisserie in Duxton Hill which quite simply has the best ice cheese tarts EVER. unfortunately by the time i got there at 4pm, their signature strawberry souffle was sold out but I WILL BE BACK earlier next time.

dress // love&bravery

bracelet // alexander mcqueen

shoes // aldo

bag // marc by marc jacobs

the wedding dress.

2011-08-25T10:18:00.000+08:00

i think midweek always calls for bright colors, but yesterday was a super exciting day because...i can finally fit back into an asos size 6! i've had this dress for about a year now, its been sitting in my closet with its tags still on because a year back i reached my all time high weight and no amount of wriggling could get me into it.

i wore it to the office yesterday and one of my colleagues said that because of the side folds it looks like something that something that she'd wear to a wedding -_- then for the rest of the day the guys wouldn't stop calling it my wedding dress -____________-

super love the details on it though. accessorising kept minimal cause the dress is already quite attention seeking wtf

dress // asos

necklace // minz

current obsession ~ stereo hearts

2011-08-23T17:18:00.000+08:00

i only pray you'll never leave me behind

because good music can be so hard to find

i take your hand and hold it closer to mind

thought love was dead but now you're changing my mind

to the left.

2011-08-22T10:30:00.000+08:00

nick pointed out over the weekend that i'm really very boring when it comes to brunch. i tend to go to the same places and order the exact same thing everytime i go somewhere. yah so okay i might have super predictable tastes when it comes to food but i'd much rather know that i'm going to enjoy my lunch than sit there and wonder whether the food will be good!

am i the only weirdo that does this? :/

dress // momoteapots

bracelets // lv & wanderlust

necklace // minz

bag // lv

putting on my face

2011-08-18T10:37:00.000+08:00

Chanel Vitalumiere foundation, Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerville, Mac Mineralize Skinfinish, Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liner, Mac Mineralize Blusher in Pressed Amber

my super desperate quest for makeup in under 10 minutes (cause y'know...less makeup time equates to more sleep) has led me to condense the products used to about 5-6 in the mornings.

i am super in love with the chanel eyeshadows, applies like a dream and really easily blendable. picked them up in Emerville and Epatant at Changi Airport, along with nail polish in Graphite.

another social media thing

2011-08-17T17:38:00.002+08:00

http://formspring.me/allycontrary

whats in my bag?

2011-08-16T09:43:00.000+08:00

medicine pouch (aka the doraemon pouch), card holder gifted by my bestie, Lucas paw paw cream for everything from chapped lips to blisters, blackberry and ipod gifted by other bestie.

i didn't know i liked red that much :/ seriously.

Chanel autumn 2011 makeup

2011-08-15T16:08:00.000+08:00

i know i'm super duper outdated but i saw Chanel's autumn 2011 makeup collection at the airport and i absolutely HAD TO HAVE IT. i know smokey eyes and nude lips have been around for a while now, but there was really something about the collections colors that captivated me.

it inspired me to pick up a couple of eyeshadows (and people who know me know i don't use eyeshadow ever - its just too much work). will blog about those soon but in the mean time here are some of the runway looks that i love!

do the pretty girl rock

2011-08-15T10:14:00.000+08:00

i dont know what it is about grandfathers and grandsons that makes for an instant bond. while i have to spend my time bribing my nephew with bits and bobs, my dad seems to have rather effortlessly gained my nephew's affection.

bit unfair i must say.

still, it was quite cute watching them zoom around the house on nephew's new toy. moments like those are why i love weekends home :)

outfit worn out to dinner with parents on Saturday night :) i finally got a Minz name necklace of my very own! i had a slight dilemma of whether i should put 'alison' or 'ally' on it, mostly because ally has a double meaning and what if people mistake ally as meaning an associate instead of thinking its my name -_________-

still jam pointed out that ally would be more personalised. nobody actually really calls me alison anymore (sorry mom wtf)

top // topshop

skirt // azorias

necklace // minz

jezebelle, i knew her well

2011-08-12T11:21:00.000+08:00

its been a draining week which is funny cause work has been quite slow. looking forward to a weekend back home alone to recollect and recenter myself.

random things that caught my eye this week. lusting after the Tory Burch flats and the Michael Kors dress but a second 2 week shopping ban has just been put in place.

have a good weekend ahead everyone xx

red on red.

2011-08-11T10:00:00.000+08:00

yesterday, after a year and a half of sharing a bed, my boyfriend has finally discovered that i drool when i sleep.

oops :D

someone told me that a photographer boyfriend is a must for any blogger and i would have to say that i agree. unfortunately Nick doesn't really have an artsy bone in his body (i'm not being mean, he admitted to it himself) and the result of that are outfit shots like the one below -_-

okay la but in his defense at least he managed to make my legs look long. and i should've known better than to stand with my back to the light.

top // zara

pants // saba

ring // house of harlow 1960

bag // balenciaga

absolute lust

2011-08-09T19:11:00.000+08:00

i first spotted this bag on a colleague's wife and was extremely intrigued by its shape and color (hers was a deep burgundy). so over the weekend i ran over to Chloe to see if it would as good on me and what colors it came in. i absolutely fell in LOVE with it, so hello to the new bag on my lust list: the Chloe Paraty Medium.

the ones below are in python skin - the black one retails at 1,884 pounds on NAP. they are both totally out of my price range but a normal calfskin one costs 950 pounds.

for those wanting to buy this in Singapore, be warned. the Chloe shop assistant in Takashimaya is really not very pleasant - and this is me being nice. i feel that SA's really make or break the shopping experience, and trying out this gorgeous bag with an extremely reluctant and snooty one talking to me like i was a retarded five year old really soured my 10 minutes in the shop.

mantra

2011-08-08T10:06:00.000+08:00

i have a mantra i repeat to myself every monday morning while i am still buried under the covers:

'if i do not acknowledge the monday, it cannot acknowledge me.'

unfortunately it hasn't worked for me so far but you are welcome to try it and see if it does! *generous

so my shopping ban is over today! but that doesn't mean that i will rush out and buy the first hundred things i see. i'm actually thinking about extending it a little bit more to moderate the amount of money that i spend so that i can save for my holiday next month.

don't worry, my self control probably won't extend to beyond this period.

pictures from Sunday brunch below! :)

top // azorias

shorts // topshop

necklace // minz

ring // ysl

shoes // bangkok

tears in heaven

2011-08-05T10:01:00.000+08:00

happy birthday khai ron :) we'll have a pint of beer for you tonight, i hope you are happy and well up there.

it is now coming to the end of my shopping ban (3 more days HALLELUJAH) and i think that what was most painful to me was to see all these new items come out on Azorias but not be able to buy them :( many items that i wanted are now gone but i guess it was worth it to save my wallet...right?!

as for my wardrobe challenge i know i haven't been awesome with posting outfit pictures and one of the main reasons why is because the mirror at Nick's place is in the most awkward position ever to take pictures in. plus its awfully smudgy which makes me look like i have weird spots on my face.

anyway i finally decided to wear a skirt i had made in Vietnam! it is actually a copy of my black Zara skirt, but for half the price. when i first picked the material i envisioned it to be more beige but then it turned out a really nice butter cream yellow and i loved it anyway!

top // saba

skirt // vietnam

bracelet // house of harlow 1960

earrings // chanel

my coping mechanism

2011-08-04T18:21:00.002+08:00

i've been extremely uninspired to blog lately. i haven't even really had time to recover from the last weekend when work sort of went full swing and now i'm drowning in all sorts of crap, yearning for my next holiday.

my colleagues complain that i go away too often but really, i think that its therapeutic! its also how i deal with the mountains of stress at work. i remember last year in London my travelling buddy pointed out that being on holiday, we tend to dress more 'kua zheong' and i think that is absolutely true!

more accurately though, i believe that we behave more OURSELVES when we are away just because there is no one to judge you when you are on holiday.

thats probably the reason i take one every three months, i think it is a chance for freedom of expression, and just being to do things that i normally would supress because it is not work appropriate or whatever.

this is me and my sister last year in what happens to be my next destination. absolutely CANNOT WAIT.