Benefit!

Benefit Cosmetics has hit town finally.

There's a lot of hype, partly due to its cutesy, cheeky 50s taglines, media coverage and girly packaging.

I dunno why i love it...i just know that it reminds me of shopping in Australia.

Then, all department stores across Oz has a Benefit counter.

And it was always soooo pretty and mesmerising.

They are not so commercial, mass and huge like Estee Lauder or Clinique.

Just pretty, fun, girly and good enough.

Now its at Tangs.

I checked it out yesterday, and my, wat a crowd alredi!

A tiny counter by the escalator, but still, I'm happie it has arrived.

I so missed their Dandelion blush, which is like every Aussie girl's fave.

You just can't get that perfect pretty pink anywhere else, though Shiseido & MAC come pretty close.

I ordered the Pocket Pal lipgloss, cos they dun have the full stock in yet.

It's basically a more portable/compact version of the famous Benetint + extra gloss.

fatigue

I dunno y i am a lil dreadful of this weekend.
Maybe cos Sunday is Qiuli's wedding... and much work/no rest is anticipated.

As i progress in my pregnancy, i treasure rest more and more.
There's no fatigue like that of a fat pregnant working woman's.
I can't even handle a 5-day work week anymore, and have cut it to 4 since June.
Weekends are my perfect time to really R-E-S-T.

But looks like its not likely this time round.
Being part of her sisters troupe, we need to reach her house at 5am.
That is deadly.
When she announced her wedding, i was only 2 months pregnant.
And had no clue how different being 7.5 months pregnant would be.
If i knew, i would have opted out of being her sister.

Much as i love being in the thick of her wedding, it's just too inconvenient now.
I can't stand/walk for long. I can't endure long car rides. I get tired v fast n easily.
I constantly feel warm. I constantly need to go to the loo. etc etc.
It's a whole load of inconveniences u dun wish to know.

So i approach this wkend with a bit of dread, despite feeling excited for her wedding.
But it shld be a nice affair at Amara Sanctuary.
I do look forward to the banquet though.
It's the first wedding me and Terence are attending together!
And i am super happy tat another of my closest girlfrens has found her prince.

Work No. 2

A tug-of-war between 2 sales execs in my office currently.
I do think their job is tough.
Or any sales/pitching job is tough.
The chasing for the commissions, the endless back-stabbing, the bootlicking of clients, just the PR-ing is overkill for me.
They are sqaubbling over a client whom both claim as theirs.
Man, tis gonna be a long drawn-out fight.

On another note, have i talked abt my students?
Dunno if I'd mentioned this before, but i'm now teaching at a study centre at Bugis.
Teaching Sec 4 English to a small class, since April/May.
It really is great fun.

I used to hate giving tuition, despite the easy cash.
So I never thought classroom teaching can be so fun and engaging.
Also, compared to tuition, time flies in the class.
And the kids are also less bored, laugh more, and more engaged.

It's really fun, and it's a shame i gotta stop for maternity.
I'll miss them for sure.
And i do prepare for each class, with handouts and assignments.
It may sound tiring, but even the preparation work is enjoyable.
The kids are not so young nor too aloof/cool...so its a great age to relate to.
They remind me of our school days and make me feel refreshed and younger.

Just finished a class today, and was just thinking, i'll be sad to leave them in August.
We discussed how to avoid feeling sleepy today...and they said in unison - "Eat!"
So next week, i'll bring in some snacks for them for tea-break.

Oh no, am i turning into a... teacher?

do u miss Blythe?

Oh goodness gracious, look wat i found?
A site that sells Blythe stuff online!

Short of gog to Japan and hunting down every Blythe shop,

this is the best!

I am so in love with the pretty doll and her stuff.

They've got stationery, books, large prints etc.

If I were living alone, I'll stick one up on my wall right tis minute!

If only i can fly to Japan and franchise all the Blythe merchandise here.

Other than a pathetic 1-2 shops in Far East Plaza and Dollz at Wheelock Place,

nowhere else stocks the original Blythe in Singapore.

It's so sad.

Most of these places sell the dolls, not the merchandise anyway.

I do like the dolls, but they're mighty expensive at $250-$280 each.

I need to go Japan pronto!

hot mamas

Gwen Stefani & Katie Holmes

Kate Moss + Jennifer Garner

I need some encouragement.

See, there is life after a baby.

It is a fact.

You can look the same, and gasp!, even be happy.

I think Kate Moss' & Jennifer Garner's daughters are super pretty.

Both natural blondes!!!

Fave New Looks - that I'm missing out on!

I love casual dresses like this.
And comfy, useful, compact sling bags that don't weigh you down.




Can't see the outfit well, but the nude shades are gorgeous teamed together.
It's the bag that I love!



A casual nice look for shopping/dating/going about.
I've been looking forever for a white tote.
This one may be a tad too big, but the dress looks great.
Love that dusty pink.


My fave picture of the lot.
Gorgeous gorgeous styling.
The beautiful long sheer top is just so.... perfect!
Teamed with so-dark Sass & Bide jeans and that also-perfect leather bag.







Shop with a Conscience, people!

S-P-R-E-E

I'm sorry u can't read the prints well.
But oh man, what beautiful print it is.

FYI, for 3 short days, prices are off at these gorgeous places:
- Marc by Marc Jacobs @ Ngee Ann City
- CK + Calvin Klein
- DKNY @ Ngee Ann City
- Blackjack @ Forum
- Diesel
- Armani Exchange @ Ngee Ann City/Vivo/Paragon
- Paul Smith @ Isetan Orchard


It's a crazy crazy sale season!
I know i've never really been a sales person.
I mean, i was at the MANGO members' exclusive GSS preview yesterday,
where for the first time, gosh, i really felt like a privileged shopper.
The store was closed to members only, and it was nice shopping in an enclosed area where everything is still neat and tidy and hung.
I was there when all the size XS-M are still available, in crisp condition!
A never before at a MANGO sale.

But i didn't get a single thing.
Shopping when you're fat is no fun.
But... anyway, i vow a mighty comeback post-pregnancy!

Will be getting Terence's birthday present at the Club 21 sale, not my stuff.
And i'm eyeing a Marc Jacobs or CK bag, will see if i get lucky.

These are the good sales - the ones worth gog for.
Where they are not laying off junk/old wares, and ur shopping experience is still preserved.
No haggling, no pushing, no mess, no ugly Singaporeans.
In fact, it feels great to get designer items at knocked-down prices cos prices are really so incredible otherwise.

Some of the other good sales around town that I recommend:
- On Pedder @ Ngee Ann City (great leather goods and so-this-season wedgies)
- Ted Baker @ Vivocity (a quiet, unadvertised 15% off - not enough to entice the messes, but just enough for fans like moi!)
- ESPRIT bags (30% off. Nothing caught my eye though.)
- All Dressed Up @ Mandarin Gallery (gorgeous stuff by local designer Sven Tan, looks v European)
- Lingerie at Tangs + Fling @Heeren


Happy shopping!

Fei Zai

That's me and Terence's 11-year-old cousin Jiaming.

We were so bored so we started taking pics in the shop.

Everyone calls him Fei Zai.

Super adorable and one of my favourite frens in Chinatown.

how to save a life

What is tragic?
When a fren kills himself.

Terence's childhood pal killed himself by jumping down from a fren's 12th storey flat on Wednesday.
Leaving behind his grieving mum, elder brother and a whole lot of frens wondering why he would ever want to die.
His life was relatively smooth-sailing, with no commitments, no cash problems and he's not the depressed/quiet type either.
He had a boyish face, alwaz with a smile on his face, happy-go-lucky.
His family was doing well, they owned the coffeeshop just opp. Terence's shop.
And his mum had just signed some new businesses in his name, to ensure he had a gd future ahead.
He's her favourite son.

That nite, no one would have guessed it.
He had met some frens for pool in the evening.
After that, while some headed home, he and 2 others went to a fren's place.
These 2 other guys were hated by everyone, but he went ahead with them cos he's got nothing else to do that nite.
Apparently, they sniffed glue. Though the police has yet to confirm it.
Next thing anyone knew, he'd jumped.

Just the week before, another fren of theirs died the same way.
That makes it 2 suicides in as many weeks.

Today is his cremation and Terence is there now.

I don't know him that well, but we do eat at their coffeeshop a few times a week.
He and Terence were pals, though not particularly close.
He'll always give us extra stuff whenever we ate there, and though i hardly talked to him, he'll always smile or wave when he sees me walking by.
A very nice chap.

He's already 32, why would he still dabble in drugs/glue sniffing?
Isn't that what wayward teens do?
It's really sad.
Everyone else had no clue that he was involved in such things...not even his mom.
She weeped her heart out, saying she wanted to go too.
She's already a widow, and now this.
Everyone's so worried for her now, worried that she may not cope and give up.

He had no apparent problems, just a single guy with too much time on his hands.
Who had the wrong type of frens, and who wasn't strong enough to say no.
A guy who didn't know what to do with his life.
And who didn't know how much his mum loves him.

I have utter contempt and disgust for the people I work with.
In my whole life, i've never come across a worse, or rather, better bunch of morons.
Why can people be so dumb?

I saw some pregnant ladies at the coffeeshop yesterday.
All they do is sit around all day and gossip and eat. They eat and eat nonstop.
And gosh.
How did i feel?

I wondered if being pregnant has dumped me in the same category as them.
Standing next to them, i felt way too young for this.
I felt like some unwed underaged mother.

dreamy nite

I had very real and striking dreams last nite.
So into it that i did not stir the whole nite.

I dreamt of my 2 good frens, zenny and gerald.
In separate dreams.
I think it was the zen dream first.
We were eating a pasta/salad buffet at Marina Square, and it was somebody's party or wedding.
And the party/wedding was so boring that we sneaked off to eat by ourselves at some cheap buffet in Marina Square.
Really strange.
And i remember we were commenting on how good the food was, for that kinda price.
And we happily ate.... there were other people there too, like my cousins (??!!).
We were having a great time, as we alwaz do when there's gd food involved.
Very odd, but so real!

Then i hopped to the Gerald dream.
I recall less of this one.
I think it was just us hanging out like we used to.
Goofing off and doing stupid dumb stuff.
We were at some remote playground, with the slides, ropes and swings.
And we just talked and talked and made funny faces and goofed off the whole time.

It felt so real too, cos that's how time passed when we are together.
He always makes me feel 'in the moment'.... like nothing else mattered then.
Each time we are together, I'd always think
"Why am i not with this fella?"

Cannot explain my dreams.
Except that perhaps, i really miss my frens and the me when i'm with them.
I felt kinda sad when i woke up, becos reality is so different.
For one thing, both pals are not here with me anymore.
Zen till late this year, gerald...maybe forever.

And since getting married, i've not spent tat kinda time with them, or any fren, that way.
That way when we were younger.... and un-commited.
When you really jus enjoy each other's company and do silly, irreverent, fun stuff.
Cos you are young, you have no agenda, no stress and no pressures.
When you don't meet just to do "adult" things like have a sit-down dinner and talk abt work & relationships.
When we spent a lot less and had a load more fun.

Like meet in the afternoons and spend a whole day together doing loads and talking less.
Going about places, laughing and laughing.
I feel like i laugh a lot less these days.
Perhaps i feel a different kinda of contentment, but i do miss my own laughter.
That sounds real dumb rite? Missing your own laughter?

Life just seems so adult now.
So serious and with so much to lose, so much at stake.
I miss my old self.
I was....just purely irreverent, almost all the time.

I miss being my parents' daughter.
When i didn't need to worry a thing and they'll do all the worrying for me and see me as a kid still.
I miss being my fren's fren.
I miss the idiot/joker/vainpot/nonsense person i am when i am with them.
I just miss laughing out loud, going abt places and just spending time with my best frens.
I miss being one of my siblings.
Just goofing ard at home, insulting each other and feeling like we are all still 12.

Now, life feels a lot heavier.
I am somebody's wife.
Somebody's daughter-in-law.
Somebody's mother.
Somebody's pregnant fren.

The trouble is, perhaps in essence, I haven't changed that much.
Reminds me of that Avril Lavigne's song, Complicated.
Have we become our jobs/partners/spouses/pay cheques/what we wear/ etc etc?

VS

Who'd have guessed?
Great looking apparel from Victoria's Secret.
The black top and black dress especially, gorgeous.
Well, then again, its Brazilian bombshell Alessandra Ambrosio wearing 'em.

simple Sunday

A simple Sunday today.
I love it like this. Nice & unhurried, no agenda.

We had a nice lunch at the Asian Kitchen @ Vivo.
Then walked ard Terence's fave haunts Nike, Adidas + Ted Baker.
We spent a lot of time in Ted Baker, can't believe we didn't buy a single thing.
Probably cos i'm pregnant.
I saw at least 5 items i loooove, but all off limits for now.
The top is still there, as are new beautiful dresses. UrgggghhhH!!!!
I need to tahan another 5-6 months!!!
He was eyeing some duffel bag, but couldn't make up his mind.

And there was this impressive Renault car showcase at the atrium.
They brought the whole F1 car down for serious ogling action.
Terence loved it. Checking out the brakes, the steering, gears whatever.
I look at him and sometimes think he's just one big kid.
Guys are like this right? They never grow out of their toys.

Had some really nice Tiramisu ice-cream b4 heading home.
And that's it.
He went straight to sleep in front of the TV when we reached home.

This pregnancy has made us spend more time alone together.
Maybe cos i'm quite anti-social these days.
He notices it too.
I used to hang out with him + his frens a lot.
Chatting at coffeeshops, having dinners, clubbing, gog fishing, watching soccer etc.

These days, I usually opt out.
Maybe cos i'm too self-conscious abt the pregnancy, or i jus dun feel so light n carefree as before.
Lugging a huge tummy around is hardly anyone's formula for a fun nite out.

He's tried reassuring me blah blah blah.
But social stuff just feels awkward for me now.
I hate it when everyone asks abt the pregnancy. Tired of talking abt it.
As a result, our days are quieter.
Usually just the 2 of us out & about.

Last nite, we had a really good dinner at the Village @ Heeren.
Their pork knuckles were really good.... and i dun even like pork!
We then walked ard town, ogling at all the designer boutiques at Paragon + Ngee Ann City.
We promised to get each other stuff from Dunhill, Aigner, Gucci + Prada.
It was funny! Lovely time.

Something tells me i'll miss these days when the baby is out.
Our lives may not be as quiet and simple, with a plus one to fuss over.

Anyway, life at home has evolved since the arrival of my PC speakers!
Now, i can easily spend time at home downloading music, watching videos etc.
My PC has went 3-dimensional!

2.55

I really really want the Chanel 2.55!

hitching a plan

Local supermod Charmaine Harn.

One of my faves of all time.

Saw her at Cold Storage and she is strikingly tall, like 2 heads above me or someth.

She's so beautiful. Perfect face.

Just thought this was a really nice non-fashion pic of her.

On another note,

I went shopping with Terence last nite at Mustafa.

It was my perfect plan to devise wat to get for his bday.

I'd been wishing to get him an Omega Speedmaster, but it really blows my budget way off.

Even with Dennis' 20% lobang at Sincere.

Thought about it long n hard.... with the baby coming, i really shouldn't splurge on such an expensive bday present for him, knowing we both need the cash badly.

But i do want to get him smthg nice.

He's very sweet to tell me way beforehand not to hav any dumb ideas of extravagant gifts, and instd save the $$ for our baby's bills.

But you know, that only makes him sweeter and me, more wanting to get him a bloody nice gift!

It'd been too obvious to lug him around those expensive watch boutiques in town to find an alternative (read: cheaper) watch, and he'll definitely 100% call my bluff.

So i brought him to Mustafa centre late last nite, on the guise that i need to get toiletries.

And we slowly wandered to the watch section.

It's pretty amazing, but unglam Mustafa stocks a helluva lot of major watch brands like Tag H, Rado, Longines, Omega, Fendi, Gucci, Hamilton, CK, Movado etc etc.

Impressive enuf for an Indian supermart.

We pretended to look at diamond-studded watches, cos i lied n said i wanted one.

And along the way, I noticed 2 he really quite liked.

The Tag H Aquaracer ($1680) and Hamilton Khaki Chrono-Auto ($1250).

I guess if i got Mum & Dad to chip in, I probably can afford it.
I'm trying not to blow more than $1K myself...wondering if I shld rope in my in-laws & his brother as well.

The Hamilton's more affordable, but a Tag seems more fitting for his grand 30th.

I wish i can get him the Omega, but it's kinda off limits for now.

Decisions, decisions.

I'll make a trip down to Mustafa later again to check out the 'best price' for these 2.

Didn't dare ask anyth or make my buying intent too obvious last nite, so we didn't even respond when the sales staff approached us.

Hope I remember how to drive myself there.

So anyone got more lobang for these 2???

baby shopping

We bought:

- White baby cot in beautiful NZ pinewood (totally baby-ish beautiful!)
- Baby shower tub
- Infant car seat (lovely!)
- Cotton bedlinen
- Tollyjoy steam steriliser
- Set of milk bottles
- Super cute bibs
- Blue changing mats
- Bedside musical toys

It was really fun!
Turning the next room into a nursery any moment.
Can't believe it....
We're gonna welcome the lil' kicking one in less than 3 mths.

I'm so sure Terence will be a great dad.
Probably better than I'll ever be at being a mother.
He's just so full of love and so very excited abt the baby.
He wanted to buy so many things.... so different from his usual shopping self.
I think its wonderful having our own family.
More than any hot jeans or It bag, this is really something of our own to love n hold forever.

housing

Finally, i see the weekend.
The end of a horrible, terrible week where I seemingly argued with Terence everyday.
Not over disagreements or anything either of us did/said.
Just unhappiness and dissatisfaction over things in general.
Venting our frustrations over huge, helpless issues like $$$ etc.
I'm just glad to see the end of this bad week.

Drove to my parents' home on Wednesday.
Had a few hours to kill, and nowhere to go.
And gosh, that sweet relief + silence is priceless.
I've almost forgotten how paradise-like my Cashew home is.

Do you notice how extremely noisy living in flats is?
The cars, the motorbikes, the neighbours, the kids, the construction... there is irritating noise every single moment.
I still cannot get used to communal HDB living.
The noise, the ugly sights, the people who form your neighbours, the whole communal thing.
Sharing a lift, a corridor, a staircase, carpark etc etc.
It's just.... very, very difficult.

Half a year in, i still wish i live elsewhere.
I like my home, just not the neighbourhood and the HDB thing.
When can we afford to move out of this place?
With his turbo-charged car and a baby on the way, it looks most unlikely.