playing dress up

Is a favourite pastime of mine. As is evident from multiple posts on this blog. Since I was lacking in ideas for post subjects and was in the mood to up the count for July, I thought I'd just do a frivolous pictorial-based post on some of my new stuff. Well, mostly new paired with some already worn stuff. Excuse the dark pics, I don't particularly have great lighting and I seem to like to do this nighttime so.....


The first pic in the collage is of a five dollar dress I got during my work trip at the beginning of the month. It was after dinner and we were taking a walk along this street market and I came upon this stall. Thought the dress was really cute. I'm not really a fan of the mid-calf length but I liked the pattern enough to not let it bother me too much. And for 5 bucks, I'm not complaining. I cinched the waist with a corset-style belt to give it a bit of a harder contrast to the feminine pattern.

The next pic is me wearing the first maxi dress I ever bought after the whole maxi dress explosion in 2008. I paired it with one of my new slub cardies/faux blazer, the charcoal grey one. Since the dress is poufy and the cardie is shapeless, I put on the elastic belt to cinch in the waistline and give the outfit a bit of shape.

It's summer and every summer, tie-dyed pieces are de riguer. I do have a tie dyed strapless maxi in turquoise but I thought I'd get this one cos it's a different style. I have to say I got to wear this one sans bra since the sides/underarm is basically exposed. It's truly fine since the dress has built-in cups but I'm not really one for over-exposing my skin so I decided to cover up with a white tank inside, give myself no chance to be cited for indecent exposure :) I love this dress and I find it truly flattering. Plus, the compliments I got when I wore this two weeks ago on casual Friday didn't hurt.

Next up, we have a long beige overcoat-style cardie I got at one of the factory outlet stores in Bandung, Indonesia during the company trip. Since it's of a slightly thicker material and it's been hot, hot, hot these past few weeks. I actually have not had the opportunity to wear this out. But I did come up with a work appropriate ensemble when it is time to take this out for its public debut.

Then we have some of my online purchases. That's the beloved Just Cavalli clutch from Gilt that I paired with my f21 Relevant Military Vest and Newport News sheer tunic blouse. I absolutely adore each and every piece. I can't even pick a fave outta the three cos each one is just spectacular in its own right.

The tunic is cut in the most flattering of styles. Sometimes tunics can make you look shapeless but this one has a little cinch just under the arms before flaring out and stopping just below the butt. The designers truly got things on the money with this blouse.

Looking at the close-up of the vest, I really can't believe I paid 18 bucks overall for this. Now, F21 is cheap dispensable fashion but the workmanship on this vest astounds me. It's good. And I really think it's a great piece that transcends the military fashion phase.

And my clutch. All I have to say is that I truly love it. I love the colour, the construction, the lavendar lining. The length of the chain is perfect and the size of the clutch is just right for holding sans chain. It was definitely 119 bucks well spent. I can't wait to go for my friend's reception and show this off. It's just so cute!

sisterly charms

I would say that I'd count my sisters as my best friends. Despite the big age gap between the two of 'em and moi, I like to think of myself as my parent's happy "accident", we are super close and we do rely on each other for everything and anything.

To symbolize our relationship and friendship with one another, we've been mulling on a piece of jewelery for each of us to invest in. Naturally, the jeweler of choice is Tiffany & Co as they make quality and timeless pieces. The best part is that the pieces usually can be interpreted to mean different things to different people.

At first we all thought about getting gold Tiffany charm bracelets and adding one symbolic charm every year. However, that would be a costly investment for some of us, namely my sis with kids, so we put that idea on hold for a while.

Until yesterday when my eldest sis suddenly came up with the idea to get the Tiffany Keys Heart Key Charm & Necklace in Rose Gold. I have to admit, although a gold necklace isn't my first choice, since I'm wearing two yellow gold chains as it is, but this piece in rose gold looks truly pretty. And for the relatively reasonable price of USD475, it's not too burdensome on the purse strings for all of us.


I was thinking that if wearing 3 gold chains is excessive, I might just wear it bracelet style, wrap the chain around my wrist and secure it with the charm. Might work, have to see the piece in person first though. But anyways, it's truly a viable option. I like it. Perhaps this will be my first Tiffany piece.

Disclaimer: Pic is courtesy of Tiffany site.

on to happier things!

So, I know the tone of the blog posts of late has been angstsy and an overall bummer therefore what better way to cheer it up with more shopping exploits!

Ok, some people might think that I use shopping as an emotional crutch, try to associate some form of psychological explanation to all my spending but let's just say, I really do like to shop. I just do. Yes, it makes me feel good. And at the end of the day, as long as there's no remorse, I know I got the stuff for the right reasons.

Anyways, got some more stuff from Lush. My parents are in Perth visiting some relatives and I thought I might as well take advantage of that and order something weighty and easily perishable. My sis and I both wanted to get stuff so we did the research, gave the name of the mall the Lush store was at to my mum and the next thing we knew, my mum was texting my sis back to tell her she's in front of the store. After much back and forth and my eldest sis suddenly joining the Lush train, my mum probably walked out of the store with a big shopping bag worth of Lush stuff. The image of this 60-plus year old lady going to town at Lush makes me smile. Especially since she doesn't even know wth Lush was prior to this. My mum is simply the best :)

Now, the weighty product I got was the big tub Ocean Salt cleanser(250g) for AUD35. The smaller tub was AUD20 for 100g so even though I have never used it before, I took the value for money train of thought and just went for it. The main reasons I got this cleanser are:


1 - I have a thing for salt-based (like bath salts and whatnot) beauty products. I just like the idea of using ocean salt as a scrub on my face though, honestly, I've actually never bought any salt-based products prior to this. But I'm feeling like this Ocean Salt stuff is going to be right up my alley.

2 - It has lime in it. Salt and lime, what does that remind you of? MARGARITAS! I know I mentioned I don't drink but I have had mocktails before and one of my faves is non-alcoholic Margaritas! The salty, the citrus, the sweet. Love it! Furthermore, apparently, according to the description which I've lifted verbatim, the antibacterial effects of lime and the trace of alcohol in the product is ideal for blocked pores, blackheads or blemishes. The minerals in sea salt soften as the salt scrubs away dirt and blockages. I'm always game to try anything that purports to get rid of my stubborn blackheads!

3 - It's got coconut and avocado in it. I love the smell of coconut and in beauty products, I think they are very moisturising due to the rich nature of coconut milk. And avocado has that good fatty stuff in it. Plus it's green and I do love geen stuff in my beauty products!

4 - It's blue in colour. Love the fact that it's blue. I have a thing for blue/green products. Blue drinks, blue face mask, blue cakes, blue ice cream and in this case blue cleansers. I don't really know why I find the idea of putting blue stuff on my face so damn appealing. I mean just look at that image - does that not make you want to slather salty blue goo on your face?

5 - It's supposed to be really, really, really good. And I am willing to try anything once :)

There are reviews that say the salt granules in the cleanser are a bit harsh for daily use so I'm thinking if that's the case for me as well, I'll primarily use it as my bi-weekly face scrub. I still have my Deitenseki charcoal soap for normal use. And if it's still too scratchy, I'm just gonna make it into my body scrub. The current green tea body scrub I'm using is halfway finished so it might need a replacement soon. Always a silver lining ;P

Aside from the bluetastic Ocean Salt cleanser, I also decided to get the easily perishable Aqua Mirabilis body butter; something I would describe as an in-shower massage scrub bar. Now, when I think of body butter, it always conjures up the image of gooey, creamy moisturisers. In the case of Aqua Mirabilis (such a cool name), it looks like a hunk of sand that was patted down into a solid square form. Which makes me think of Egyptian beauties bathing by the Nile. Yes, I'm imaginative that way.


It's made out of cocoa and almond butter and it sounds so divine that I just had to get it. The mixture of the two produces a perfect consistency to moisturize the skin without leaving it feeling greasy. Also contains ground almond shells to give a gentle exfoliating effect that will lightly scour away any dead skin cells. It also has sandalwood and rose oils that act to calm skin and leaves a beautiful fragrance after usage.

I wanted to order this through Lush UK last time but due to the potential shipping melt factor, I had to forgo. There were a number of stuff I wanted that didn't pass the shipment test so with my mum being able to personally get the stuff, this was a chance to test out some of the more easily perishable things I wanted to buy. However, since I had been spending quite a bit this month, I decided to narrow down the choices of melty products I wanted and pick the one I truly would love to try. Aqua Mirabilis was it.

This should definitely be it on the whole skincare, haircare and body product purchasing. Till I finish these products, I doubt I'll be getting any more. This upheaves my skincare regime a bit as it will now include my alternating between the charcoal clay soap and the Ocean Salt cleanser/scrub. Then I have my two toners; the Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion and the Lush Breath Of Fresh Air. I'm hoping they are both going to be good. The Lush one seems lighter and I think can be used as a face spray as well while the Mario Badescu one has more of a calming property. Then there's the trio of problem skin fighting products from Mario Badescu that I'm hoping will keep those PMS zit gremlins at bay, my two solid shampoos, New and Godiva, from Lush and the Aqua Mirabilis body butter solid shower scrub. If there is anything I need, it's moisturiser. I still haven't truly found a HG moisturiser but the Garnier one I'm using is great enough for now.

Can't wait to go back Homeland now. I've got soooooo many great stuff waiting for me! Oh, and yes, family time is awesome too!

what's happening on July 30th?

Well, in the States, today is their National Cheesecake Day!

I love cheesecake and think it's great that there's actually a whole day dedicated to celebrating this dessert. Although I am not in America, I unwittingly found myself participating in the celebration as well.

As a gesture of apology from colleague Y due to an argument we had yesterday regarding a misunderstanding in which he was completely at fault, he got me a box of Sara Lee Raspberry cheesecake. I had mentioned in passing to him a week before while we were in a supermarket that I've been wanting to try Sara Lee's frozen baked goods for some time now and that come pay day I wanted to get the cheesecake. I totally forgot about that conversation but apparently he hadn't.

Though I am still majorly pissed at him, I still accepted his peace offering. At first I told him I didn't want it but then there was 10 minutes of my refusing and his asking me to take the cake till I finally relented and just gave in. This doesn't mean I am going to easily sweep things under the rug. I think he thought I'd be so touched he remembered that I'd act as per normal and not give him the cold shoulder. Buddy, you were so wrong :)

It gave me great pleasure to see the surprise on his face when I kept refusing. Serves him right. It completely pisses me off that he keeps allowing his personal feelings to cloud his professional judgment and yesterday's thing was the last straw for me. I refuse to roll over and play nice this time. I'll hold a grudge as long as I can so it'll teach him a lesson not to be so quick to draw conclusions.


Anyways, Sara Lee makes great cheesecake. It was surprisingly good, I truly enjoyed it. I mean, it may not be the Reese's Peanut Butter Choclate Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory that Lee DeWyze got first dibs tasting yesterday but it sure was some mighty fine cheesecake for frozen food :)

ughh, i'm feeling bad

So, I'm having other boy related issues aside from the G thing and my flirting with Juan. It's been bugging me since I got back from work and I thought I'd try to vent here and see if it makes me feel better.

Colleague who's in love with me, we'll call him Y, is making me feel crappy. I don't think I should feel bad about him but I do anyways. It's not within my power to reciprocate his feelings and when he goes into his bouts of...of...longing (?), I get irritated and I act indifferent. Then his feelings get hurt.

Since his confession/admission last February, we have talked about his feelings (and the lack of mine). All these times, I have tried to be supportive and encouraged him to meet other people and give other girls a chance but he says that he feels burned by the thing with me and is scared. Again, not my responsibility. I have not encouraged him further (if at all) and have tried valiantly to keep maintaining a friendly but firmly non-romantic demeanor.

And why is it should he expect that his confession should warrant the result he hopes? That's what baffles me. This isn't the first time someone has declared their love for me and seem to have expectations of me falling at their feet in gratitude. Why do these guys don't get that feelings are a two way street. Just because one of you have 'em does not mean that the other person will too once you reveal your hand to them.

He's talked about moving on to a different job and whatnot and though I feel he's an integral part of the team, I don't discourage/encourage him in his decisions. If any changes are forthcoming, it will be wholly his decision and I will play no active part in him taking it. For selfish reasons, I want him to get over me and just stay put because if he leaves, I am screwed on the work front, what with having to undertake his side of the job on top of my own. On a personal front, at least I will more comfortable without having him making eyes at me.

Today he kept staring at me during the ride back home. During the times when it started irritating me, I would look back at him but keep my face blank until he looked away but the last straw was when we had the staredown and he wasn't backing down so I looked away first but before that, I made sure he saw the irritation on my face. I narrowed my eyes and frowned in annoyance. I had told him before that I despised being looked at as it makes me feel uncomfortable and I will always frown when I find him looking at me. I guess he now understands the subtleties of my expressions cos he looked sad afterwards.

Then I kept seeing him rubbing his left eye. I suspected he was trying to not cry. I am not saying he was teary because of me. When we got back to our house, I asked him why he looked sad. He didn't say anything but kept looking at me. I asked him if he was crying. Then he just shook his head and said that it was nothing. I then walked off to my apartment but said for him to not feel sad.

I don't know that it was me that made him sad but he has me feeling bad right now. I cannot help the way I feel and I cannot help the way he feels. It's just a messy emotional landmine that sometimes I just don't have the patience to deal with. I don't know if I am not being clear enough about my non-feelings for him. I have told him directly that I am not intersted in him that way, that I don't think I'll ever fall in love again and so on, so forth. Despite his saying he understands, I can't help shake the feeling he hopes I'll change my mind or that his actions will change my mind.

I remember during one discussion we were having and I told him that I am not the girl for his first serious relationship and he said to me that he didn't want me as a girlfriend but to make me his wife. I cannot comprehend how you can come to the conclusion that you want to marry someone without knowing if the other person feels anything in the same ballpark as you. Why do you do this to yourself? It seriously baffles me. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?

i don't want to feel like it's a big deal

.....and I don't want to think of it as a big deal but I'm afraid I may begin to blow this out of porportion.

Ok, came home today and after checking my work emails and doing all the necessary replies, I log on to my Gmail account and find 7 new ones waiting for me. Not unusual as I am subscribed to multiple ecommerce sites. I als tend to get a lot of Facebook emails which I tend to delete cos I am just not a big fan of social networking. Yes, I'm on it anyways but I don't have to like it. I think of it as a necessary evil.

I saw I had a Facebook email and some small part of me might have hoped it was from Juan, even though I didn't reply his last message, but it wasn't. Instead, I saw a friend request from someone I just didn't expect - my first ex, G.

Yea, the one I keep claiming I don't think I'm over. OMG. I just don't know what to think. I went onto Facebook to look at the request. He sent me a message - "Hey stranger...." Umm, I vividly recall that I was the last person to email in our last attempt to keep in touch 3 years ago so it's not like I dropped the ball. Ok, I'm nitpicking, I don't know why. Part of me is pleased, part of me is confused (like I'm thinking why now?) and part of me is just scared. I really don't want to have an insight into his life and to have myself be crushed. Well, I guess that kinda confirms the whole "I'm-not-over-him" thing.

I am giving it a day. Or two. Oh, I know I will end up adding him. I just want to prepare myself for any untoward (in my opinion) developments in his life. It's not a big deal, it shouldn't be. Not after all these years anyway. God, I just don't know what I want. And I know I'm making mountains out of molehills but he was the love of my life. I can't help that he brings out this reaction in me.

UPDATE:
No, I didn't go and add him immediately after I wrote this post. I did go back into Facebook just to have a looksie at his profile. Can't really glean much since, like me, he keeps it private from non-friends but it does list his current location and he is now in New York City. Hmmmm, I wonder if he was already there when I made my trip back in 2007. Missed op there. Or not, I dunno.

Well, instead, I decided to reply Juan. I have a habit of doing this kind of thing. To distract myself from going stir-crazy about G, I'll go and pay attention to some other person. I don't particularly like that habit of mine but I can't help doing it cos it makes me feel safe. I'm a complex and twisted person, even I have trouble understanding myself some days.

am going through one of those nights

It's been a while and I wished that it would have stayed away but alas, it is not to be. Here we go again. It's my PMS week and I am having mucho trouble going to sleep. I felt sleepy earlier and had gotten ready for bed, switched the lights off and then just lay there.

Once I realized how futile my attempts to fall asleep were, I just gave up, got up and started playing dress up with my wardrobe :) Yes, I'm still a little kindergaten girl at heart.

I just got the most amazing open slub cardigan. Three of them! In navy, dark choclate and charcoal grey. I am completely loving them! The design makes it look like blazers. And I know how much of a blazer hoarder I am. I might go and get a few more, maybe this time one in black, dahlia and beige. Or green. I dunno, I'm just excited there are multiple options (is stating multiple options an oxymoron?). Anyways, they look great with work pants as well as when paired with maxi dresses. I've been trying to come up with the perfect maxi dress-blazer combo but have almost always failed to get it just right but with these cardie/blazer hybrid thingamajig, I have finally managed to strike a stylish balance. Tres magnifique!

Aside from that, my Vince Camuto "Edon" Wedges/Rue La La order has shipped to Oregon. My Mario Badescu/Gilt stuff is already in Oregon but, last I checked, awaiting delivery to my US addy. My KMart stuff is waiting for the other stuff to arrive before I can get 'em shipped to the Motherland. I also went on eBay and found myself a spare lamp for my Epson S7 projector. That cost me USD99 (around USD115 with shipping) which I was EXTREMELY happy about since other places I checked out were mainly in the 150 bucks onwards range. Also, the rest of my Lush order was shipped Homeland-bound yesterday so I hope I have that to look forward to when I take that trip home next week. In fact, I should have all my goodies arrive while I'm back. The thought makes me very, very, very happy.

That's about all the new happenings since I last posted. Nowt much going on although work was really stressful this morning. I'm overseeing a colleague's responsibilities while he's on his annual one-month trip back to his Homeland and am barely tolerating having to do his work on top of my own; counting down the days to August 1st when he will be here to relieve me of my torture. Then last week, I got the news that he is extending his stay for another month. Which means I'll be babysitting his job for another month. Despair! I wish I could get mad at him for it but I can't. He underwent minor surgery back home for a pre-existing condition and is having a bit of trouble recovering so how can you begrudge that, right?

So, I will keep on soldiering on, in life, at work, awaiting the 6th of August when I will be jumping on that aeroplane headed for home. Even if it's just for 5 days and I actually have to go to work Friday, Monday and Tuesday. That doesn't matter, seeing my family is what's important. I miss all of 'em :)

Ooh, I have a new song I'm obssessed with - Rascal Flatt's Unstoppable. Yes, yes, I know this came out last year but I hadn't watched the episode of CSI where the guys from Rascal Flatts guest starred so I hadn't managed to appreciate the awesomeness of the song till then. Not to worry, Lee, I still love your rendition of Use Somebody. I think your best version yet was during your performance in Philadelphia. You sang it beautifully then, it was gorgeous :) But I'm resting your vocals and giving Rascal Flatts a chance to wear out their digital voices. Yes, late at night I do tend to get weird. And I'm off to try sleeping.....

forced to do a makeover

*Grumble, grumble* The title of the post says it all...I was forcibly made to change my blog's look by TheCutestBlogOnTheBlog.com.

It's not much of a biggie as I make it sound :) I'm guessing that the background image I was using was retired so I just went over to their site and picked a new one.

My initial blog background was a sea green floral motif. Very girly and I continued with a feminine theme when I went all pink on myself with the last background. So this time I thought I'd go for a more neutral shade. I was in a retro kinda mood and the whole oil paper look seemed like a throwback to school days art class. I was also attracted to the swirls of colour on the right. The multitude of bright shades makes me feel peppy instead of monotonous. And somehow, the blobby shapes remind me of flowers, butterflies and peacock feathers; all things that I find attractive.

Well, I'm really digging the wrapping paper feel of this new look. Here's hoping it's another year before I'm "forced" to do another change :)

of goodies galore and flexing some (more) shopping muscles

My Epson S7 and Newport News goodies arrived today back in Homeland. As per usual, my sister is modeling the items for my viewing pleasure. Though, since both of 'em got so excited looking at the Newport News catalogue that came with my stuff, they forgot to take pics of my brand new, totally spiffy projector. So, I only have some very mediocre images of the Newport News kimono sweater and clogs, taken using my sis's Blackberry.


My Lush goodies arrived as well but minus one New bar solid shampoo and one shampoo tin. I am quite disappointed and have emailed the orders centre for an explanation. I included a pic of my package but considering I have a file attached, perhaps their mail server will reject my email. I figure this might be the case since I have had no response whatsoever from them since emailing a number of hours ago.


Anywho, this did not deter me from enhancing my shopping mojo. I had no intentions of buying anything but since I was helping my sis get some stuff from Newport News, I decided to get another sheer tunic blouse but this time in black. I think this tunic is one of the most flattering piece of clothing I own and I would have wanted to go crazy and get 'em in all colours but some common sense did prevail. It's now just 15 bucks but I had a 15% off coupon code, free shipping code as well as the deferred billing code (which I think is working since I do not see the clogs/kimono charge on my card thus far).

Besides this, I also decided to take a look around Rue La La and ended up with these Vince Camuto "Edon" wedges in black that retail for $98 but were on sale for the nice figure of $39 bucks. I had seen these shoes on Rue La La during the Vince Camuto boutique sale and did click 'em into my basket but I think at that time they were selling for $79. Since this was a clearance sale and sizes were limited, the price went down a further 40 bucks and as luck would have it, there was an 8.5 pair left so I clicked and paid :)


I loved the look of this shoe ever since seeing Reese Witherspoon rocking her Christian Louboutin "Almeria" wedges in tan as seen in the pic below. She looks so good in 'em but at the retail price of $495, I wasn't about to follow in her footsteps exactly.


All in all, I spent $48.95 on the shoes (inclusive shipping) and $12.75 for the tunic which brings the shopping total to a grand amount of $61.70. That's a good days' worth of shopping right there. Am pleased. Now, if only Lush will sort out the merchandise snafu then I will be completely hunky dory.

P.S:The Reese and Vince Camuto Edon images are courtesy of my using Google Image.

UPDATE (24/07/2010):
Ooh, Lush has responded with this:


Hopefully the stuff will arrive when I'm back in Homeland :) I love when Customer Service reps are so accommodating.

I'm running on four hours sleep right now. For some reason I couldn't get to bed till 2:30 am and then had to wake up at 6:30 am for some work-related thing (yes, on a non-working Saturday morning). And since I downed a cup of joe to keep me awake, I'm now unable to go back to bed. But it's been a pretty ok start to the day so far. Completed all the work stuff by 8 am then I decided to finally make the Betty Crocker Apple Streusel muffin mic I had bought eons ago. As per usual, taste came out great, presentation is just plain fugly :D. Also had two potato pastry puffs for brekkie and now am just surfing my online haunts and trying to convince myself that I do not want to check out my Target.com basket. Also, for some unusual reason, I am feeling super-excited for my Rue La La purchase, the Vince Camuto Edon wedge. Ok, to take my mind (and credit card) off of shopping, am going to finish watching the latest epi of Rookie Blue.

just found this sweet yet hilarious

My last blog I talked about a guy that I barely even remember speaking two words to, finding me on Facebook and adding me as his friend. Right after I reciprocated, he sent me a message to say thanks for the add, it's been a while since we saw each other and that I looked the same since our pre-uni days. A while is an understatement...it's been 10 years :D

I didn't reply him straight away, I try not to encourage this whole keeping in touch via Facebook thing with mere acquaintances seeing as my last attempt in February ended up being quite disastrous. But like I mentioned in the post before this one, was feeling that boyfriend tug and thought I'd relieve the itch, so to speak, by replying to this guy.

I responded in kind, saying that since I did know him, the add was no biggie and I was happy he reached out after all these years. I flirtatiously (as much as one can via words) inquired if my not changing much all these years was a good thing. I also said that he looked as if he hadn't changed much either. I nearly went as far to say that he had filled out in a good way but since I'm not after anything but superficial compliments on my looks, I thought it best to leave it at that. After sending it, I kinda had a pang of regret. I felt I shouldn't have been so transparent.

It worked anywyas. He bit and replied by saying that it's definitely a good thing and that it must mean I was happy that I managed to maintain such a youthful look. All I have to say that if this is true, "Thank you God Almighty for the great genes you have bestowed unto me!". Then he was all "Aww schucks" about his looks, being all self-deprecating.

Since I was a bit intrigued as to why he would suddenly want to get in touch with me, I decided to be honest and say that as far as I was aware, he was very quiet when I saw him in our lecture hall and I don't actually recall him speaking to me. I also said that what I did remember was that he used to hang out with these two other dudes and I always felt they were a lil judgy about me.

This is a screenshot of his reply to me:


Firstly, no idea why the message is in the future since it's still July 21st where I'm at. Ok, back to my point (if I even have one). Not to be tooting my own horn or anything but I will admit that I wasn't wont for admirers during my one and a half year matriculation stint. At one point, my roomies made a count and there were 8 different guys declaring their affections for me. I never pursued any of them as I had broken up with G, my first boyfriend, at the end of the first semester, and was most likely holding out hope of a reconciliation. The reason why Juan's confession surprises me into laughter is because we really did not say anything to each other. I just recall my seeing him and thinking that he was this cute tall guy in my lecture hall but he always seemed to give off stand-offish vibes to me. Then at the end of that first semester, he transferred out to a different college closer to his home state to complete his matriculation.

So, why would I have had such an impact, if any at all, in this kind of situations. Don't get me wrong, I am truly flattered and humbled (oddly) but it does beg the question, "Why?"

man, i'm really feeling it tonight

Well, thought that after I expelled all my feelings regarding my work worries that I'd be able to sleep soundly but I guess that that's not all I'm feeling melancholy about.

Aside from the glass of iced white coffee I downed after dinner tonight (big mistake I realize now), I'm now feeling a bit blue about not having a boyfriend. Hehehehe. Yes, Ms I'm-Loving-The-Singleton-Life is feeling a bit nostalgic for the days she had someone to talk to on the phone in the wee hours of the morning.

I find it tres amusing. I guess it started cos my family is in town to visit. I was feeling nostalgic for life at home. Then it morphed into this whole lack-of-love-life thing cos I took my niece to the site office and people kept thinking she was my kid. That got that biological clock of mine slightly ticking. Which leads to the whole no-boyfriend situation :) LOL. It's really funny when I see it in print.

Anyways, I finally realized the craziness of it all when I suddenly became aware that I was missing Lee DeWyze. 1, 2, 3, 4....yes, let's all explode into bouts of incredulousness at my complete lack of hold on reality. And Leon James, if I were you, I would be a lil afraid right now. Lol. Ok, that's totally not it. I have a thing about being obssessed with certain music every year. 2007 AND 2008 belonged to Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight and subsequently their whole discography. 2009 was a collective of Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, Stiff Dylan's Ultraviolet and Linkin Park's New Divide. This year is the voice of Lee DeWyze ESPECIALLY when he sings King Of Leon's Use Somebody. I can listen to him sing that one over and over and over, the whole day through, I have no idea why. That being said, I was simply having withdrawals of not listening to his singing. I have listened to him everyday since the beginning of May and of this past weekend, for some reason or another, I wasn't. Still wanna call me crazy? Ok, go ahead, it is a lil nutty I guess :)

Ok, let's just move onwards from that. It did get me thinking that I was wasting those feelings (the missing feeling - irrespective that I missed his voice and not the person himself) on someone who will NEVER know I'm alive (and whom I may not even like if I really got to know). So instead, I decided to go on Facebook and reply this message from this cute guy I knew back during my pre-university days. A week ago, he had found me on FB and added me and I reciprocated. He immediately sent me a message but I didn't bother answering till I had my moment of weakness just now. After doing that, I decided to look at the page of this guy I dated way back when and with whom I've always remained friendly with though it has tapered off after he married. I was surprised to see he just got a baby girl as of a few months ago. I don't know why it surprises me since he did marry back in 2008 anyways. That bore the thought that this could have been my life. Which I guess is basically me having baby pangs rather than man pangs since I keep feeling this way when there's a baby/kid involved. After all, the whole thing with this guy didn't work out cos I wasn't interested in him enough then and that hasn't changed now so it's all good in the end.

Bottom line: am still enjoying my life well enough not to tie myself down, pangs notwithstanding. The pangs will recede :)

of being sick, family visits and overzealous corporations

As the title suggests, I have been sick throughout the weekend only to have a greatly unexpected and happy visit from my parents and youngest niece on Monday ending with the stress of having to research everything and anything about this company that is claiming to be buying us out of our project contract.

However, alls well, ends well. I'm recovering nicely, I have managed to spend two completely relaxing days with my 'rents and my lil niece AND I manage to get some nice and juicy stuff on this company that has supposedly inked a USD700 million deal with the government for projects that do involve the current work I'm doing in this country.

We've had overtures like this before in the past three and a half years I've been on this job but none on this magnitude. Although our local attache has written a recommendation to rebuff this company's overtures, as this company really doesn't have any proven experience in providing the service the company I'm working for is providing, they are apparently going to try to go through a different project and see if they can then gain a hold from that angle. We, of course, have to cover all our bases. What I found out today is that this company is in hot soup with their investors. They constantly announce the procurement of mega projects since 2008 but rarely have delivered.

Simply put, their implementation track record is downright abysmal. Not to say that i'm confident that this overture will result in nothing but the way in which they procured the contract in itself is garnering a wave of dissatisfaction and outright criticism of the deal since many parties are decrying the lack of transparency in the award of the tender to them.

Ok, my worries has lightened significantly and now I feel I can at least get some good shuteye :)

raise your hands if.....

Option A
You love sipping overpriced fancy coffee on wet evenings
No? Just moi? Lol. Yup, it was raining steadily for most of the afternoon and I got off work and went to pick up some work stuff from this printing house but it wasn't ready. Instead of whiling my way in front of the shop and whipping myself into an annoyed frenzy, I thought I'd rather go to Gloria Jeans and drink some pricey caffeine concoction while reading mags/surfing net. And I thoroughly enjoyed my small Choccie Macadamia Latte. Evey $3.20 drop of it :D

Option B
Your favourite pastime is spending copious amounts of money buying anything and everything from online retail sites
No? Again, it's just me then? Yup, I caved, I could not resist the power of Lush and those solid shampoos. But it's ok, I managed to rope in my sis to share with the cost. I set her up and she walked right in and fell for it, MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok, the shopping (and fsncy caffeine) high has obviously short-circuited some of my brain cells.


We got two solid shampoos each. Both of us went for New, I then went for Godiva and she went for Squeaky Green. Since we were trying to take full advantage of the GBP15 shipping cost for packages weighing less than 1kg and our weight was only 0.27 for the 4 solid shampoos and 2 free shampoo bar tins (yup, it's buy 2 solid shampoos and get a shampoo bar tin for free, ladies and gents!), we decided to scour the site a little further. I found myself getting the Breath Of Fresh Air toner and my sis went for the Herbalism cleanser.


I'm quite excited about my side of the purchase cos I have wanted to get these solid shampoos for the past 2 years. I really like the idea of the New bar as it purports to help with hair growth. As we advance in age, the hair fall rate increases and I'm just trying to help myself out for the future :D I got Godiva cos it is a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner bar that received primarily rave reviews. I was also looking for a toner. I know I already bought the Mario Badescu Special Cucumber Lotion but since that is only shipping in mid-August and my current toner is going to be finished soon-ish, I thought I'd get Breath Of Fresh Air in the interim since I'll be going back Homeland in early August and can pick the stuff up then. I read the description and reviews of this toner and if it really can do what it says it should do, I'll be extremely happy and a fan for life. Reduction of pores....I don't have a problem per se but I do want the pores in that area on the sides of my nose to be miniscule and if you can visibly make 'em look smaller, I'll love you :)

I think I'm pretty much done for July. I can't fathom what else I can buy. Though knowing me I always manage to lust over something. I've got my Newport News, my KMart (yay, it's being readied for shipment), my Epson projector, my Lush stuff and my Mario Badescu stuff. I think I've spent roughly about $584 dollars just shopping for me, myself and I. There comes a time when even the frivolous know when to say, "Okay, enough already"

more adventures of the inner workings of a shopaholic

Looks like my KMart/Sears stuff is going through so yippee! for me :) It's awaiting shipment

That and the great news that my projector is paid for and awaiting shipment to my Oregon addy before being DHL-ed to Homeland. I hope all is well with the projector considering it will be a major pain to have it sent back. I also need to thoroughly check it out within 7 days of receiving it since that's the time period the seller will be accepting returns. I'm praying real hard that all's A-OK since the seller has a 100% positive rating. But you just never know :)

i am the winning bidder!

I got the projector, my dream projector, the Epson PowerLite S7, that I've been coveting since January! And the best part is I got it for a mere $399.99! That's nearly a $300 savings from retail prices! WOO-HOO!


Now, I just need to make sure that the nice seller will agree to deliver to my freight forwarder address. Then I can get it DHL-ed ASAP to my Homeland office to avoid paying considerable tax charges!

Other than that, I've been keeping busy trying to NOT spend anymore money. Especially at LUSH. I keep looking and wanting those solid shampoos and the Back For Breakfast shower gel and the Wiccy Massage Bar as well as the Aqua Mirabilis body exfoliator. But since I was/am making a big purchase re:Projector, I figured I should hold off on the LUSH stuff.

I even managed to evade buying a Meg Cabot's Kindle version of Airhead: Runaway. Although the price is only USD9.99, I figure I can wait till I can download it from somewhere for free. Just like how I did with Candace Bushnell's "The Carrie Diaries" which I got on Friday night and finished yesterday. I thought the story was great. I loved the lil Samantha Jones intro at the end of the book though I did see it coming a mile away :)

Also, been watching Rookie Blue, a Canadian cop story that is billed as the Greys Anatomy of the cop world. Not too sure about that description but I have to say that I do like it. The major eye candy does help draw me in too :D

Ok, am off to figure out my sports channel, been waiting for hours for the World Cup Finals to start. Viva Espana!

the kmart experiment

When extremely bored, I shop. Ok, let's be honest, it's a pastime for me so bored or not, I like to shop. Period.

Again, in my efforts to test the boundaries of my AMEX card, I decided to check out KMart.com and see if the wonderful powers of AMEX and comGateway would enable me to purchase. I just finalized a purchase and so far, everything looks good. However, I am having a feeling that my order might be cancelled sometime in the not too distant future.

Anyways, the reason I was on KMart was because of Selena Gomez. I was electronically flipping through the August issue of Seventeen magazine (yes, I realize I'm in my late twenties but really, there is no age limit to enjoyment of fashion) and saw this really cute nautical inspired blazer from her KMart collection. Hence the virtual trip to KMart.

I didn't find the blazer but I did manage to find a nice heather charcoal light blazer for $17.99. Now, to make a shopping expedition truly worthwhile, you need to get more than one item. Therefore, I found a pair of white slim fit pants for $12.99 and this 'bluffy' Cougar-town inspired wearable balnket (?) and fluffy slippers for $2.99. Inclusive of shipping, the total was just a little over 40 bucks.


I'm truly liking the look of the blazer with the less formal material ala my Walmart Miley Cyrus + Max Azria and the paisley cuffs are totally cute, IMO. I've also been wanting a pair of white slim cut jeans but was not willing to pay a lot for a pair. These Attention Women's Slim Fit Jeans I got are just within the price point I am willing to part money with. And yes, I do realize the fugliness of the wearable blanket sack I got but the zebra print one I originally had in my cart was most likely sniped while I was trying to find other stuff I liked and the peace signs seem cute. Plus, it's just for me to sit around the house at night in, who really cares if it looks like that. It's a mere 3 bucks.

I should be done on the clothes front since I have finally gotten the grey blazer I've been hankering after. It does depend on the order not being cancelled though. But I will be turning my attention towards getting some beauty stuff now. I've been lusting over Lush's solid shampoos for quite a while now and since my parents are headed to a relative's house in Perth, I was thinking of getting some Lush Australia stuff shipped on over to their place. I'm interested in the Godiva and NOW! solid shampoos as well as the The Greeench deodarant powder. I'm looking to go less chemically in my beauty products and Lush has a great rep for producing great products that are vegan and chemical-free. I'll be looking them over carefully before I make any decisions. Ooh, and so far no bidders yet for the Epson S7 projector I'm watching. A little over a day left before the auction ends, hopefully I'll get it :)

Right, need to go shower, I have a night out and my ride is coming at 6 for pick-up. Totally not feeling it but it's a business-y thing. Sort of like a bonding dinner. Which is why I need to go. Toodles!

new on the shopping front

Just bought something off of Gilt for the first time. Well, first time through my own account and not that of my sisters'. I had a $25 store credit burning a hole in my Gilt wallet and I've been wishy-washying on different events; clicking things into the cart and then abandoning them and whatnot. But today, the Mario Badescu event finally got me to spend my store credit (as wel as a bit extra). I've wanted to try this range of skincare for some time now but considering it is a bit on the pricey side, I always hesitated. The sales event on Gilt, however, offers a selection of Mario Badescu products for a good discout and I finally thought, "Why the hell not!" The items I got were the Special Cucumber Lotion for $20.50 and the Acne Repair Kit (Drying Lotion, Drying Cream & Buffering Lotion) for $37.00.


I'm not going through a particularly spotty period but I like to have these items on hand so I can pre-empt my PMS zits. I've always heard great things about the Drying Lotion but at 17 bucks was hesitant to put money down but with the Acne Repair Kit, I get the opportunity to try out a myriad of Mario Badescu products at a fraction of the price I would have had to pay for each product individually. I'm also in need of a toner since I'm running out of the Boots Tea Tree + Witch Hazel and thought this sounded good. I don't eat cucumber if I can help it but I like them in my facial products. Since the stuff is on an extended delivery timeline and will be shipped only in August, my AMEX charge card gets a bit of a breather from my other purchases this month.

Which is only the somethings I got from Newport News. I mentioned I shopped with them again in one of the more recent posts. Although while I was researching their shoe reviews I actually found disconcerting reviews of their service instead. They've been knocked down a bit on that front but they still get my business because my experience with them has been quite stellar. Items I got this time around were a kimono style cape-sleeve cardigan sweater in Olive and a pair of faux-leather platform clogs in Tan.


The main item I was lusting over were the platform clogs. I think they look simply cute chic. Then I decided I could not waste my one dollar shipping nor my 15% discount and searched around for something cheapie, coming across the cape-sleeve cardigan. I love these type of belted cardigans and this one in particular looks so comfy yet totally stylish. I decided to go for the more neutral shade of olive instead of the displayed orange so that I can mix and match the cardigan with existing tops and pants in my wardrobe.

I am thinking of taking a break on the clothes front since I have been buying quite a bit online. I might do one little visit to Charlotte Russe because they are having the most perfect oversized knit jersey blazer in charcoal grey that I want but the $30 price tag is what's keeping me shy. Other than that, am still waiting on the Epson S7 projector on eBay. That should really satisfy my shopping lust for awhile. Granted, I'd have to win it first :)

P.S: The Newport News collage images are courtesy of the Newport News site and do not belong to me but since I did some modifications I watermarked it. Same goes for the screencap of my Gilt order.

i get an extra trip

Yay for me! I am homeward bound next month for FIVE WHOLE DAYS! I'm needed to pick up some stuff for work so I get to go home and see my family as a bonus. WOOHOO!

I am already going back in September, October and November but any opportunity I get to see my family, I take it! I am sooooo excited to get to go back on worktime :) I probably only realize how much I miss my family when I get these unexpected chances to see them. Otherwise I bury the feelings so that I don't get depressed about being away as much.

I'll be headed back on the sixth of August and be Workland-bound 11th. It's a month away, I realize that but I am still going to be excited about it now :D CAN'T WAIT!

Btw, am still crushing majorly on Lee DeWyze. Saw his performance of 'Use Somebody' on the American Idol LIVE 2010 tour through Youtube and I can't believe how AMAZING (hehehe, a Lee DeWyze inside joke - lol, that sounded kinda crazy since Lee and moi are not on the DL together so lemme rephrase and say Lee DeWyze fans inside joke) he sounds on it. His voice seems to have really come into its own these past coupla months. I still love his version done before his time on American Idol but this tour version he's performing really ranks high up there. Plus, love the whole rockstar pick throwing thing he's got going on. So S-E-X-Y! Yes, he's still younger than me but I'm ok with that now. It's a teensy coupla years difference and it's not illegal to simply crush on someone :)

body wooooeees

There are moments when being a woman really irritates me. A prime example, those times when I'm feeling completely unattractive and looking in the mirror just makes you want to either cover it or perhaps, more aptly, cover yourself.

I am soooo having a FAT weekend. I was standing in the hotel bathroom on Saturday night and looking at myself and I just couldn't help thinking/ruminating the fact that my hips look a size up from the rest of my body. Thunder thighs was the expression that came to mind. Tree trunks also made an appearance in my head. It's really depressing.

I've always had a bone of contention with my hips. I'll admit that they are the part I dislike the most about my body. I was doing so well with the exercises and whatnot and I was losing inches off of them but all that didn't matter because when I glanced at my reflection, I felt as if all the work appeared for nought. Also a result of the PMS, I'm going through a spotty time with my chin, lol. I hate how hormones mess my body up like this. It is tres annoying and delivers blows to my self-esteem. Especially when you're actually making an effort to be healthier. Like I've been exercising and eating a LOT of veggies and then when my skin acts up or it seems as if my pants are a bit tight then it gets me down because I've been making a conscious decision to lead a more healthy and active lifestyle but all that work isn't (or perceived as not) reflected.

Ok, I understand there are more pressing issues in the world to worry about but these little things just annoy the hell out of me!

off on a working weekend getaway.....

I'm a teensy bit excited to be going away tomorrow. Even though I'll be going under the guise of work, I'm actually more tagging along than anything else. It'll be a, hopefully, relaxing car trip :)

Today was a bit hectic with multiple issues cropping up at work. Job-related problems not those of a personal variety. I've actually been rushed off my feet all week so, yea, I definitely deserve this mini-break (although it is work :D).

Anyways, the last time I visited this place was back in December 2007 and then, it was truly a holiday. I went out there for a 3 day weekend just like tomorrow's trip and had one of the best times ever. It was a gal pal trip with my former roomie. Our first time travelling together in a personal capacity.

Ok, aside from that, today is my colleague's birthday so a birthday shoutout goes out to him:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KS!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

He held his birthday do at one of my fave seafood places and I practically inhaled the calamari. And dessert was a delicious Swensen's Macadamia Green Tea ice cream cake courtesy of the bosses. Yum! Ooh, I also broke out my Newport News tunic blouse in Dahlia; pairing it with my 7 boyfriend jeans, DKNY bracelet watch, black wedges and Just Cavalli clutch.

Other things I've been up to.....well, I finally caved to my shopping craving and purchased 2 things off of Newport News since I am so satisfied with my experimental buy. I got myself these clogs that I've been lusting over for the past 2/3 weeks as well as a cape sleeve belted cardigan. And I spent a mere 44.++ bucks. The shoes were $39 and the cardie was $14.99 but I had a 15% off coupon code and a shipping for 1 buck code so that's what saved me about $7.50. I also had a deferred billing code and put that in. God only knows if it'll work since I'm kinda scamming them on the whole freight forwarder US address as my billing addy. If it goes through, I think the charge will only appear in November. So, fingers are definitely crossed that defferred billing is a go since then I'll have cheated a bit on the whole curbing my shopping issue.

Right, I haven't packed a stitch, have a ton of clean clothes next to me as well as in the laundry basket waiting to be folded and I'm already sleepy. I will most likely end up going straight to sleep with all the stuff unfolded and unpacked cos I'm just too lazy right now. Will get up early instead to do some housekeeping before the departure time of 7:30 am.