We haven't built the pet door yet so I have to open the door for kitty each time he goes out or comes back in. Which is all very well for me cos I can choose NOT to open the door. So I can cuddle him till he meows for a breather. Only after do I let him out.

Tuesday night, I spotted kitty enjoying a moonlit night on the patio. So I decided to open the door and say Hi but I was greeted by the sight of a racoon coming up the steps to my door! The raccoon stopped when I opened the door. Equally stunned, I was hoping it would leave. BUT it started ambling up the steps. So I had to slam the door in its cute face.

Contrary to its cute face, raccoons are wild animals which can turn ferocious. Besides they have wonderful memories and I don't want them remembering that my house = food!

Wednesday night as I was opening the door for kitty, I spotted something dark squeezing through the gaps of my gate towards the house. I called Hunter to come in but he just sat there staring. In that one moment, I started imagining Hunter being ripped to bits by this thing and I HISSED.

Erm, I don't know why my first instinct was to do that but it worked. Dark thing ran away and all I saw was a long rat-like tail. Which probably belongs to a possum.


There is some upside to my nocturnal activity after all!

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Within 5 minutes of spotting the raccoon again, I saw a shooting star! I was so shocked I forgot to make a wish. Damn!

Time is running out on my current black bag and I definitely need a replacement. But since this is going to be a wardrobe staple, I am extremely picky and cautious as to which bag to invest in. Of cos if I had all the money in the world, I would throw it into a Balenciaga City with no hesitation. Alas, I can't bring myself to splash out that sort of money. I have narrowed it down to these 3 options. What do you think?

i was never good at negotiating.
that's how i ended up trading one for one
and ended up with nothing.

I never realise how lucky I am that Kelly loves Asian food. In fact, every weekend he craves either ramen or dumplings. Which is all very well for me because there is only so much burger, pizza or Mexican food that I can stomach.


Source

Today we bought mochi for my parents-in-law. Kelly's dad has a sweet tooth like me so I reckon it was something he would like even if he had never tried it before. Even Kelly who has a selective tolerance for sweet stuff likes mochi.


Source

Their reaction. A fine balance of trying not to spit it out, wanting very much to spit it out and politely smiling to be appreciative. It's like how we 'treat' foreign visitors to durians even though we know they are very put off by the smell. Only this was mochi. Pretty to look at and quite tame no? Well, we ordered 100 pieces of mochi to serve our wedding guests, primarily American. Erm, I hope someone likes them. A lot.

While at the seamstress for my wedding dress fitting today...

Seamstress: Your dress still needs some alterations but I cannot do them today. I have to finish up Angelina's (of the Jolie fame) dress.

Me: Oh. I thought Angelina was in France?

Seamstress: No, she's in New Orleans. She will be in LA for the premiere of her new movie tomorrow and after that, she goes back home.

Me: Changeling? Ya, I will definitely go watch once it's showing. Seems like a great movie. Based on a true story.

Seamstress: Ya, Angelina is a good actress. Plays the mother very well. (et cetera et cetera... at this point, we start talking about the movie)

So yes, I am on first name basis with Angelina. ;)

one year older.

Me: How come we don't have a stormy relationship?
K: ???
Me: Do we not question ourselves enough?
K: ???
Me: Are you in this because you want to or because you feel comfortable?
K: ???

Me thinking out loud, not expressing it adequately, half expecting an answer and not wanting to hear the wrong ones.

Hunter was cat-napped!!!

Ok, now I have your attention, I must tell you it's 3am here and I have no intention of telling the story now. All I can say is that it was a good Hercule Poirot detective story. So check back soon.


Lately, Hunter likes to squeeze himself in odd corners.


Spot anything strange?


Hunter gets comfortable with the printer.


After my constant worry that Hunter will get poisoned from imbibing bath water, we finally got him a pet fountain! Cats like fresh water and their definition of fresh is fast moving, cool water. Hence anything gushing out of a spout must be 'fresh'. Kitty still sits in the tub waiting for me to turn on the tap for him. So I have to carry him up and put him in front of the fountain. After sniffing at it suspiciously, he eventually laps the water. Which makes me very happy. ^_^

haven't had a date night for so long. even if it was just watching a movie, it felt good not to have 'wedding' on our minds.

I love Miu Miu more than Prada. It's like the fun, quirky sidekick to its prim classic older sister. I am not so sure about these 2 pieces from Miu Miu's S/S 09 collection though. I mean why would you pay hundreds/thousands of dollars to buy graffiti-painted prints and slashed clothing?!



I hope we are not seeing a slasher flick trend next year!

I was walking past Forever 21 the other day when I spotted a faux bronze (yes bronze, yes i know.) leather jacket in the store window. The window dresser did such a good job of layering it with other pieces that I actually wanted to buy the whole ensemble. So I decided to step in to check out the jacket. Horrors! It costs $150.80! I thought this is Forever 21, home of cheap imitation designer clothing?!

Just as I thought my little excursion was over, hanging on the same rack was a solo black leather moto jacket. I swooned. Happily picking up the piece, I gasped! $300+! Am I in Forever 21 hell? Why all so expensive wan? Hastily putting it back, I went in search of the actual rack. Found the jacket and tag still read $300+! Fabric description was 100% leather. Sigh, even if it's 100% leather, can you trust something you buy at a Forever 21 store to last? AND at $300+?!!!

I didn't have the moolah so I put the jacket back on the rack. Thought of showing you all how it looks like but I couldn't find it online which makes me wonder if the $300+ tag was a mistake. Found 2 other moto jackets I like though.

100% leather, $150.80. Will definitely get a leather jacket but in a store I trust.


$36.80, faux leather. I really like this! Though I am sure it's going to look more PVC in person.


Faux croc clutch, $16.80. I bought this to jazz up my fall wardrobe which is still non-existent right now. haha.


Another croc clutch, $16.80. There's like a whole series of fake leather clutches but I think they are great for a night out. Especially when cheong-ing. Why bring your nice bag when it's going to be stuck in between sweaty smoking party-goers?

Pleated croc clutch, $18.80. I like the shape though I wish it was less fake in person... oxymoron I know.


The requisite satin clutch, $18.80. I like the pleats! Didn't see it in the store though.

Coke explodes sperm and plants have dignity.

Never knew Chinese knots can be such a statement piece. I love how it comes in 2 tones - brass and white gold.

1926 - 2008.

The sun had set as I caught the evening bus home. It was almost empty. So I chose a seat in front of two girls. Immediately I felt eyes boring into me. Not wanting to be obvious, I pretended to look out of the window but scanned its reflection for clues. Immediately I spotted her.

A thin lady dressed in a long burgundy prairie-like dress. She had messy wire hair. And circles so dark under the eyes it made them pop out. Those eyes. Still, unmoving, lifeless, staring at me.

I wondered if she saw me looking at her reflection because in the next minute, she moved across the aisle and took the seat next to me. And stared.

Not wanting to acknowledge her presence, I took out my People Magazine and flipped the pages calmly. But my mind was churning. What if she follows me down the bus? Where should I stop? Who can I call? Will the 2 girls at the back help me if she whips out a knife? Should I move to another seat now? Should I even try?

I peeped from the corner of my eye. Her head was down like she was dozing. But as I flipped another page of my magazine, her head shot up and she went back to staring mode. This dozing and staring pattern went on for a while. I resigned myself to staying still and screaming if she attacked me.

Mercifully, she eventually got up and moved back to her original spot. By this time, more people had boarded the bus and I felt safer. So I didn't move. She continued to stare from her vantage point until I got off the bus. It was a huge relief that she didn't exit with me. I wouldn't have known who to call really.

We had an exciting weekend amidst an unexpected happening, lots of meetings and some planned fun.


Thursday night, my kitty came home with a bleeding gash on his tail. It's the first time I've seen him injured so I slipped into first time parent anxiety. Hunter kept licking his gash. Totally bad idea. I had to fight with him to keep him still so I could clean his wound with tissue and cotton buds. Of course, he didn't like it very much and kept trying to break free.


Next day, I made an emergency appointment with a vet and we transported Hunter in his new carrier. He didn't like being carried around AT ALL and whimpered throughout the whole car ride. It sounded like a kid crying and made K so heart pain, he kept flinching every time Hunter howled.


After the visit to the vet, we rushed home to pack because K had booked us a night at the *Magic Castle* for our anniversary celebration!


Looks like Hogwarts?


Built in 1908, the *Magic Castle* is an exclusive club for magicians all over the world. I love love magic and have been harbouring a wish to visit it. Whenever we drive past at night, it always looks like something right out of a fairytale.


Too bad they don't allow Muggles in.....

UNLESS you have a reservation at their hotel AND their restaurant. So I was absolutely floored when K decided to indulge us!


Too bad they don't allow pictures inside. To enter the Castle, you have to find an owl hidden on a book shelf and say to it 'Open Sesame'. I tried but nothing happened. K had a go and the shelf immediately turned around to reveal a hidden room. Must be an American owl, don't understand Singapore accent. Hahaha.

Inside it was an American society ball where everyone is secretly/openly checking everyone out. And that includes the roving eyes of a portrait on the wall. There were holograms, dark passageways, a phone booth with a secret and a haunted piano that could play any song you requested.

And of course there was magic. The performances were held at 3 different venues called The Palace of Mystery, The Closeup Gallery and The Parlor of Prestidigitation. Try saying that 3 times fast. It's a tongue twister. Anyhow I learn a new word. Prestidigitation means sleight of hand. So we have the stage magic, closeup magic and sleight of hand magic.

I was most awed by Johnny 'Ace' Palmer in the Closeup Gallery. As his name implies, he is a world famous magician who specialises in the art of closeup magic. While stage magic and sleight of hand are dependant on special props and charisma, closeup is really all about skill. It was absolutely amazing to see Johnny turn small coins into one big coin and balls into chicks into doves. While I knew how he did it, it was visually impossible to see how he did it. He was that fast and that good.

K was initially skeptical about this place but he ended up having a great time. In particular, he was super amazed by a magician who could 'read his mind'. I wish to go back again!


I have been in love with the Georg Jensen fusion ring since 2004. It's something precious that I want to get for myself. Of course it has always been out of budget. I mean, I can get a Chanel caviar 2.55 for the price of a basic gold ring.

Before we left for wedding band shopping on Sunday, K warned that it would only be a 'window shopping' trip. But when I tried out the ring on my finger, K loved it so much he decided to (gulp!) make the investment. =D

The Fusion ring is designed by Nina Koppel. While looking for information on the designer, I was surprised to find... nothing. I did find Nina's inspiration for the ring. which was 'to capture the dynamic synthesis of different elements in our spiritual and physical worlds'. Huh???

Anyhow I love this ring because it is unique, it is dynamic and as my friend Xin reminds me 'It's like the bible verse in Ecclesiastes. A cord of three is not easily broken.' The Fusion ring is meant to be personalised and you can do it in so many ways. Choose either 2, 3 or 4 sections and for each section, select either white gold, yellow gold or rose gold. With or without diamonds. I am keeping my combination a secret for now. =)


We went to Tiffany, Cartier and David Yurman for K's ring but had no luck. As we walked down Rodeo Dr, we spotted a row of white shirted salesmen outside Gucci. Wonder who they are welcoming.

Next time you are travelling long distance, you might have to hope the passenger next to you isn't Malaysian or Filipino unless you are in a chatty mood. Because according to a recent survey by Synovate, Malaysians and Filipinos are the friendliest while Thais, Hongkongers and Taiwanese are the most reserved. What surprised me was that Singaporeans didn't top the DND list. Until I realised that the survey didn't include any Singaporean traveller. Which is odd since Changi airport is one of the busiest in Asia where I am sure a lot of Singaporean business and leisure travellers are flying out of. Wonder which airport the survey was done at.

Source

Brides seeking elegance and sophistication need not look further than Audrey Hepburn for inspiration. Her iconic character in Breakfast at Tiffany remains a fashion classic till this day. One defining wedding style would be her tiara. Personally I find the Beauty Pageant style crown too showy and unoriginal. There are definitely more (much much more) attractive options for modern brides today.



Though I'm not a tiara girl, I can't help but fall in love with these delicate pieces from Swarovski. They look like pieces Evenstar, Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings, would wear for her wedding to Aragon!







For more flair, Belcanto makes these cool one-of-a-kind tiaras from vintage jewellery.

Am very very sad. My mermaid style gown has arrived and to my utter horror, I can't zip it from the middle of my back up.

Considering the bride who wore it before me is 1.7M and has bigger boobs, I don't understand why I can't fit into the gown.

Not only that, it didn't arrive in perfect condition. Some beads had been torn off a strap and the hook fastening the back of the dress together is broken. I am not sure if it's the fault of the bride or the rough ride the dress had.

In any case, I learnt a big lesson. NEVER ever buy secondhand unless I can physically check out the quality. Good thing K was so tired from all the wedding errands it hasn't sunk in that I bought a white elephant.

Hope a seamstress can work miracles. Or I wouldn't know what to do with it. *prays hard*

Add On: Today as I was packing the dress into the box it came in, I found a pair of gorgeous earrings hidden under the bottom covers of the box. It's a lovely gift from the previous bride. How thoughtful of her!