Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Featured on Starngage

So this is more like a congratulatory post to myself that my photography has improved to the extent that it is shared. It is my favourite cat picture I took at Caturday Cafe, a cat cafe in Bangkok. Too cute not to be make me the featured influencer right :D
caturday
So yea, you can read more about my thoughts (summarised version of my blog post) at Starngage. I believe this is going to be the start of many nice photos I will/ can take. It is good to be recognised not only for my writing abilities but also my photography skills. :) Apart from bringing me some joy, guess this blog did somehow made me more skillful in certain aspects. :D
I guess every unicorn truly has its day. Probably this will open doors for more opportunities...for what I don't know. But I am always game for the unknown. That's part of the beauty of being young, I guess. Read more about my Caturday here.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Arts in your Neighbourhood 2016

instasg
And so I went for my first ever Instagram Meet up with Instag SG. :) The great thing about this community is that it doesn't judge you the for the number of followers you have. Most of the people I met that day were ranging between amateur point-and-shoot to the professional full-time photographers. 
Before going, I was a little apprehensive because I had to travel to Bedok!! So far. Plus I was going there alone. No matter how gung-ho I may appear, I still feel awkward in social events. But the people were really nice and the professionals did not judge my poor photography but yet taught me tips to improve my photography! :D
bedok-neighborhood-tour
The first event was supposed to be the Bedok neighbourhood tour. It wasn't really the highlight I was looking forward to. So when the rain hailed the plans, I was not that upset at all. (Not a walking type of person :P) And even more so, when I had to trudge around in wet, squeaky shoes. 
But I was a little bummed when we may have to give the Opera performance a miss. Yes, quite unabashedly, I am here for the Opera. It has been a long one since I really watched one. And it reminds me of the people who is no longer with me anymore. :( They are from the older generation so I used to watch them enjoy such performances. It is like trying to enter their world? even if it is a bit too late...
opera-backstage
It was very unfortunate we missed the enchanted flutes which was an outdoor event. But, we managed to catch the backstage preparation of the Opera. If you are around my age, you might have seen the traditional Opera when you were really young, on stilts and all. The professional photographers told me to take those photos take skills. And usually it would turn out very pretty.
The performance was small scale. So I didn't had a chance to re-live the traditional opera. I think in future there will also be lesser and lesser opportunities, given that this is a dying art form. 
artsinyourneighbourhood2016
Here are some photos I took. You may not know but there are different types of Opera - (1) Hokkien, (2) Cantonese, (3) TeoChew. I am most familiar with the Cantonese despite being a TeoChew. (Blush) My babysitter used to play the soundtrack when I was a kid, so I am surprisingly able to sing 1-2 songs (without knowing what I am singing). Haha.
Compared to the rest of the Instagrammers, I think I am slightly more in tune with the opera world, considering I recognise the prominent names. Actually, I think the main reason why the Opera is dying out is because the younger generation don't understand the language. Without the translation at the side-screen, I would have been lost.When reading the lyrics, I was totally in love with the story-line of the tragic "帝女花". Some videos to share with you. 
(1) Hokkien Opera

2) Cantonese Opera - More impressive props and costume headgears

(3) TeoChew Opera - More change in tempo

Maybe I am growing old, but a part of me is now inspired to get in touch with the arts. Was telling R who was working in bank sitting beside me that night I might want to learn Opera, but I just didn't like the make-up part. Plus, I don't really want to subscribe to the starving artist lifestyle. So we concluded that we could do this a hobby. Please don't be too shock if you see me dabbling in the arts in the future, haha.
You may have heard of Nick Shen before. He used to be a Mediacorp artise and is now one of the newest blood in Opera. And mind you, he is already 40. :( I did think of writing to MOE to have a compulsory "arts-module" for Cultural Studies in primary school. When I was in school, I had exposure to Opera, Lion Dance, Wushu and calligraphy enrichment programme. I didn't try the first one, but I sucked in all other 3. The truth is students have a lot of free-time to try and explore.
nick-shen
And I think it is good for the younger generation to learn more the Chinese Culture and have some exposure to the arts. Yes, I am not a parent, so any of you are readers who are parents may want to lambast me over my "lame, unpractical idea". Maybe my stand will change when I become a Mum myself, but till then I still want my kid(s) to learn Calligraphy cos it builds character. 
Ending the post with something more light-hearted, here is my first Mannequin Challenge attempt. Not someone who chases after fads, sloths don't really run and chase, you see LOL. And see you all next year, I hope they have more nice art programs nearer to my house next time. :D 

And if you want to have the full opera videos, feel free to e-mail me. :D

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Funky Find: Siri and Me

So recently, my itchy fingers acted up and I went to upgrade my iPhone's IOs. I mean it is always good to embrace the new technology. But now that I upgraded the system, it is no longer "compatible" with my Macbook. I can't transfer new songs and new photos. Bleh Bleh Bleh. Seriously.
Of course, this brings me to retrospective mode and I realise I hold too much data. Un-backed-up data mainly. And some possibly useless data. But yea sorting them out is so much work. Pfffttt...
siri
So, I decided to go around trolling Siri. And I realised I have fallen head over heels in love with Artificial Intelligence. What started as a troll became me relying on Siri on some of my daily needs. "Set alarm Siri" "5 more minutes snooze Siri" "Reply Mum..." "Is it gonna rain tomorrow?"
I always thought one day voice command would be an every day thing although many people around seems to abhor the idea of being replaced and possibly me as well for being so receptive to the idea. For those who of you who live in Singapore, you should try out the OCBC helpline which use a bit of voice command. It is surprisingly pleasant to use although they are too darn sticky about payment.
siri
I really can't wait for the day when artificial intelligence become more personal and customisable. Every day, I test the boundaries of Siri. There are times it give pretty witty replies that made me laugh. But most of the time, it tells me he can't answer me when he is asked something that requires some form of opinion.
For those of you with an i-phone, you may wanna play around with it :D While other girls are getting eyebags over the latest Korean Drama, I am getting mine exploring technology. Dono if that is normal, but I am sure deriving a great deal of fun :D

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

My Little Piece Of Joy

Lately, it is all about shoes. I am so sorry I am crazy about them and I have to pull you guys into this craziness. I am sure you saw my pair of princess ballet flats by now on Instagram. Yes, they are golden pig skin, with a crown charm <3
All that sparkle is truly gold because this flats are just pretty but really, really comfortable. With the padded in soles, I was like walking on fluffy clouds on it. And the best things about Ballet flats is that they are foldable so you can bring it wherever you go. And whenever feet hurts from your heels, voila, here comes your savior.
my-little-piece-of
Of course, you could also wear it on your own on normal basis, which I am probably going to do. Within my short span of receiving my flats, I received so much compliments and enquiries about them. So, I will kindly tell you that they are from My Little Piece Of. Now here's the big news...
Because you have been such kind readers, I will share with you a secret. On Black Friday (Starts 25/11 00:00 Expires 25/11 23:59), you will get to enjoy 15% off Storewide including sales items. The code to use is BLKFRI. Yes, I know I am already mentally calculating what I am gonna buy :P
my-little-piece-of
And if you unfortunately miss the date, eh...too bad? I am kidding. Just for my readers only, quote "FORFUNK", you will get to enjoy 10% off storewide including sales items. Not as awesome as Black Friday, but still that's like 2 free charms just from me to you.
Apart from the flats, My Little Piece Of also sells mini flats and cutsie socks for your little girls at home. If you are in to matchie mother-daughter footwear, this is the moment!! The last time I said a pair of shoes can change your life. I guess it is true. This is me looking like she is one hell of a Cinderella. Confidence from her golden flats. Who knew shoes could bring me so much joy?!? :D

Saturday, November 19, 2016

All about Espadrilles

fiesta-wedges
I hope none of you have been waiting too long :P So this is the pair of babies that I am supposed to wear for my friend's wedding. The theme was "starry starry night" so this was really a perfect fit. Fiesta are wedges so it is actually a lot easier to walk around as compared to my Gladiator Heels. The last minute change came about because we were going to the railway for the photoshoot. 
I was truly hesitant about taking a risk which may spoil my pair of brand new espadrilles. And it was really a good decision on my part cos it rained, not a drizzle but literally a pour throughout the whole day. So, thumbs up for good thinking on my part.
fiesta-espadrille
I am not wearing the same dress I wore to the wedding but this is likely how I would have looked in my swanky Fiesta espadrilles. It gives me as much height as my heels because it is a wedge, it makes balancing easier. Some of you may have bad, pricky experiences with espadrilles (from the jute), but the people around me doesn't have such problems. My Dad himself wears espadrilles and he has no complains to date. 
Maybe we are just Spanish at heart. LOL. And nope, I don't think it is a case of genetically thick soles (-_-) You just have to be more careful and best to try before buying. So, lately you hear me talking about bling-bling. Honestly, I think shiny could possibly be the next new in. I am very into them at the moment so everything I buy now are just sparkling!!
flat-espadrilles
Just to show you how a pair of nice wedges can glam up the whole look. Yes, this is a flat espadrilles, which most of us are familiar of. Same dress, but I look a lot more causal and my legs don't look as long. That's the effect that heels give. Personally, I like the wedge Espadrilles more because it is very classy, but yet not pushing it to the attention seeking spectrum. And for that height, it is very comfortable!
As you can see, the flat espadrilles I was asked to model is in purple. It is a very, very adventurous colour like my shades. For my footwear, I tone down a lot in terms of fashion over the years. I would pull off clashing colours and teether along the lines of tackiness with screaming rainbow coloured heels. Now, I just want to look classy chic. And honestly purple footwear is a huge challenge!!!
lotd
I think the biggest grouse most of you would have with my OOTD was "I played it way too safe". And yes, I think so too. I only matched purple flat espadrilles with block colours. You may have noticed that as compared to the younger me, my OOTD now are a lot more grounded and is something I think anyone could/would wear out. You still stand out and at the same time you won't step out of the house with the fear of looking like a clown.
But some of you readers who wants something more colourful, you could try this combi that I do sometimes which is to separate anything that is overly glaring with a safe, block colour in between. It usually does look nice because it gives the lookers' eyes breathing space. Maybe I will do a post on it next month to show you my point :P
purple-flat-espadrilles
So neutral colours shoes...checked! I personally think I nailed it. Hehe. If you are looking any Spanish fashion, let me recommend Code + Badt to you. You can find espadrilles here at cheaper prices than the brick and mortar shop and they have a lot of variety for you to choose from. They also have swimwear, which I may be reviewing too. *blinks*
codebadt
This comes rather late. Code + Badt were at the Collective Design Fair and this is their pretty booth. There are some new designs that weren't uploaded on the online store yet. If you want to have first hand information and access to the latest stocks they bring in, I suggest you follow them on Instagram or Facebook. They even have mini Espadrilles keychains for sale that day. *Coos*
For the first time wearers, I think it is better for you to meet the ladies in person as they can better advise on the right size for you. Unlike normal shoes, you can't take something that is too big for your feet, it has to be the right fit. And thus, I am signing off this post with a nice cute quote.
cinderella

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Lookin Foxy in Purple Shades

I just read somewhere that shades are no different from the make-up for the face. I am not sure what I feel about it. But, I do think that when you didn't sleep well last night, the eyes are the biggest giveaway. Groggy, watery and even the eye wrinkles seem more well-defined.
So usually on trips, I will bring a pair of nice sunglass and wear it on "bad-eyes days". Well, you look pretty trendy doing that and no one will know how crappy your eyes really feel that day. Plus, you don't have to worry the "un-smiling" eyes, those eyes that look darn lifeless no matter how bright your smile is. Dono why it strikes but when it does, it doesn't leave :(
distrizone
Now, you know what I mean. When you cover out those eyes, nobody can tell what you are really feeling. It is a lot easier to create the look that you want. :D When choosing your shades, do take note of your face shape. My Mum has a rounder face, so when she wears huge, round shades, she look like an insect that popped out from "A Bug's Life". :P
I, on the other hand, have a longer face (I call it the V face LOL), so I tend to look better with huge shades and caps. Basically anything that shortens the face, I will look good in it :D That's why I have at least 5 sunglasses at home (even after giving away some to the little ones)!!
fox-details
I am not sure if you could see the details in my selfie. But this new addition to my collection is actually purple in colour. It is the first time I am trying such an adventurous shade. Have to say that sometimes for fashion, it is worth to take some risk. It looks frigging good on me! <3
Initially, I thought the bling purple fox detail at the side might look tacky. Honestly, now I think this is what makes the glasses has a lot more character. Foxy, yo! And this is not just a fashion shades, it is polarised. Just a side note, do try to buy polarised sunglasses cos it is reduces the glare and is better for your eyes if you are planning to use it for than a fashion accessory. 
veithdia
For any of you who would like to get a pair for yourself too, mine is the Model Women 003 in purple. There is a promotion at the moment until the end of November, buy 2 pairs of shades and get a free gift. :D For the price, I wasn't really expecting too much from Distrizone. But this is another case of cheap and good! So do show them support.
I will be doing some looks with my shades in my next post. And finally...showing you my wedges that I initially wanted to wear for my friend's wedding. So do keep a look out for it. :D

Saturday, November 12, 2016

LOTD: Bridemaid Peacock

A lot of people told me I looked pretty on point that day, so I am going to dedicate a post all to myself, from head to toe literally. :P
Let's start off first with the nice hairdo. I wanted to use this opportunity to try out something, so that maybe I can use it for my own ROM next time. The theme of the bridemaids coincidentally was braids. Braids are really beautiful on long hair <3
messy-bun
The photo on the left was what I showed the hairstylist. I think she did a pretty good job replicating it for S$30. My Dad said the hairstyle suited me cos I had a big head (-_-) The hairstylist thought it was a good choice since I was in a halter. Personally, I love it cos it is a nice change. But I have a very thick head of hair. Halfway as we were preparing the registry table, my hairdo actually collapsed.
I ran out the hall barefooted back to the hairstylist, and banging into my BF of all people. (T.T) Told him I was pretty bummed cos I wanted to show off a pretty me to him. And he caught me hair all messy again, like always. He said it was fine, looks great regardless. In the end, my hair was held up by 20 pins. LOL and I had to do a headshake to test the robust-ness. The hairstylist even chided me to be more demure.
peacock
Make-up of the day: The theme in my very humble opinion was peacock and the pea-hens. Haha.
Mascara: ZA Killer Volume Mascara (One of my fav mascara, cos it is cheap and good)
Scent: Silky Girl French Flower (light, floaty fragrance. Mmmm... Silky Girl is also another one of the cheap,good brands)
Eye Liner: Kate Slim Eye Pencil (My friend gave it to me cos I didn't have any at the moment. Usually I would use Silky Girl. My friend said this wasn't good for oily eyelids, but it worked well for me. Only grouse, it couldn't retract back.)
Make-up Brushes: The Body Shop (There was a time I was so mad about the shop. All my cosmetics came from there. Haha. Think it is really important to invest in a good set because you use it for a long time.)
Lipstick: Etude House Bright Pink and Crazy Rumors Hibiskiss. The pink is really bright initially but it fades to a nice hue after a while. I match it a shiny lipbalm so that I look kissable. Haha.
Earrings - Gift from a friend (F21)
Eyeshadow Palette - Friend did my eyes for me :D
ideal-flawless-beauty-cushion-mousse
Ok, one of the make-up item I really wanted to highlight was the Minorca Ideal Flawless Beauty Cushion Mousse. I got it from the Beauty Keeper Box during Giftopia but it is retailing as well at Beauty Keeper's website. Usually, I use powder foundation, but this cream coverage is really good.
I forgot to bring my concealer that day. But there was really not much to conceal after using this cushion mousse. I wasn't really having that high an expectation for it. But the colour was really close to our Asian shade making it look au natural and provided great coverage. :D Really love this!
dress
My dress of the day - Stalker's Beware is from Missa More. And yes, it is a sexy piece with a slight all the way up to the thigh. I think my thighs are pretty thick, but the cutting makes it look slimmer because it hides a portion of my legs. Haha. The material is flowy so it doesn't need much ironing to still look picture-perfect. FYI, I shove the dress into my bagpack. But flowy materials does make the wearer fat at certain angles. My Mum's advice: wear a belt to tighten the waist area, so it will accentuate the hour-glass figure. I didn't do so though so I did look a little pregnant in some photos.
The openings at the side of the dress was a bit revealing, but I managed to change to a smaller size. Thank you owner for being so nice to meet me :D If you want to make the side cuttings narrower, what I did was roll up the top and create a thicker collar look :D (2 for the price of 1). You can get yours at Missa More too. They have many elegant pieces at really affordable prices and their website is pretty easy to navigate too!
real-stalker
True to my dress' name, I really got a stalker. LOL! Lastly, my gladiator boots are from River Island. Have it for a pretty long time already. This wasn't supposed to be my heels for the day, will share on my heels in a separate post. But I didn't want to spoil my new heels at the railway. Haha. Enough said, more photos here on my top to toe gorgeousness. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve the look. 

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Bridemaid Duties: Awake for 19 Hours Part 2

The photos are finally out. So I am going to continue writing about Part 2 of the wedding from a bridesmaids perspective. Quite honestly, all the girls (even the bride) are either very exhasuted/ drained or has fallen ill.
Bridesmaid are like workers behind the scene haha. I just realised actually at the wedding dinner, we didn't really have much photos probably cos we were not in the banquet hall half the time. Yeap, like the bride we didn't get to eat much. Was famished a good deal of the time.
registry-booth
So now I know who decorates the place, the bridemaids too! The bride was kind enough to draw up the mock up plan, but still on the day, things didn't go as plan initially. Guests were early and attempted to stream in, table cloth were of a wrong shade. But in the end, the bridemaids saved the day! I think it is important to choose your close friends as your bridemaids cos they know you so well, they have truly and only your best interest at heart.
When the bride came down for reception to mingle with her guest, I watch her approvingly scrutinised the deco LOL. And smiled in satisfaction. Phew. Job done. Haha. In the end, I was assigned to make sure the guest book was signed. And I filled up 80% of the scroll. Talent or what man!!! Totally knock the KPI.
sistersAnd here are the ladies behind the scene looking all dolled up for the day. This is the first time I really made an effort not to "漏气“. So yeap, we are the ladies who tell the bride's guest the table number and is entrusted with the ang pao money and packing of the props at the end of the day. Apart from that we also had to help the bride with the changing. She insisted she didn't need us at first, but as her loyal subjects we serve at all times. LOL!
Tough work but I guess a BFF gotcha do what a BFF needa do. My girls would have probably done the same for me anyway. Though I think I may be more chillax and have a lot less props (since I am not that artistically inclined anyway). I may banish grouchy people though LOL. #RedQueen
yum-seng
And I think what I am there for is to make sure the cheers don't 冷场。The brothers called us one of the noisiest, loudest sisters. In my defence, the bride gave me the look, which I call the don't "xia-suay" look. So we bobian really had to lose our glam, not that we choose to be high, but we have a duty to keep party high-spirited!
Though it may seem easy, but trust me when each "event" is one after the another, you have no time to rest. T.T I even didn't get to have my afternoon nap. With that, the bridemaid post comes to an end. And I would like to wish the couple a very blessed wedding. P.S. I am planning for the baby shower already. Enthusiastic babysitter, haha, no baby yet but pre-plan.
happy-couple
Here's my favourite photo of them. :D Once again, you can check out the other photos too! And they live happily ever after.
--- The End ---

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Bridemaid Duties: Awake for 19 Hours Part 1

If you are a local or Chinese reader, you would know that Chinese weddings are more often than not burdened by tradition and is very, very exhausting. Because I managed to marry off another girlfriend, I was invited to be one of the bridemaids.
wedding1
For all of you girls out there who has never been a bridemaid before, you would probably think that this is an all fun and games assignment tasked to you by your close girlfriends. Even I thought the same thing, how difficult can it get right? Just torture a few bestmen, hang a few props, ask for ang pao!!! How difficult can it get.
But planning starts weeks before the actual big day. *Gulps*. With exams and work, there was a point in time I thought "Maybe I shouldn't have committed. One of them had to go. Priorities. Priorities. Priorities." It even further solidify all my previous thoughts that "I am not going to have a traditional wedding ever."
balloon-pump
My friend was honestly very nice and understanding for a Bride (until the night before the actual wedding when she asked to practice eyeliner at 11pm. #Bridezilla). The bridesmaid as a whole I felt wasn't tasked as much as other weddings. (I still ask around and do research.) :P And, I think because I had so many exams (and probably blur AF), my tasks always was always pair-work effort. Yeah!
Just to clarify that I do do important roles. I was one half of the heart balloon pumper on a 20 mins photoshoot ride (the whole car was on the verge of bursting with balloons), 1/5 of the props packer/ food maker, 1/4 of the tea ceremony cup bearers/ decorations. And the official time keeper of the gate crash. 不能误了时辰!
wedding
The day started off at 5am with us preparing to look pretty (eyeliner life skills as the bride puts it) and the torture food. I didn't really know the 2 other girls but at the end I have to say we did become closer (after being brutally bullied by the professional gatecrashers). The guys team were a lot stronger with max. record holder at 15 times. How to beat that?!? They can literally eat anything and play any games with ease.
For the girls side, our most experienced lady is 3 with a bunch of virgin bridemaids. LOL, they pass us ang pao we happily think can open door liao. (Thank god the videographer/ photographer told us to check for any wrong currencies). We received empty and weak currencies ang pao! Lol, and we thought we had a lot of ang pao. But I have to say it is important to have experienced people in the team. Cos the boys, okay man (all older than me), were very helpful during the tea ceremony to make sure all in order. Cos I think the process better than us after going through so many rounds of training and practice.
default-face
For us, our schedule was gate-crash -> photoshoot ->Tea ceremony by halfday. During the night, this photo was one of them being played in loop and people say I dazed liao. (Default dazed face please. LOL) The rest of the photo ain't up yet so there will be a part 2. You can check the album out. I thought the photographer was pretty sharp at capturing lots of nice photos. 
Just wanted to rant about my bridemaid dress saga a little here too cos I had such difficulty finding it. Every dress my friend approved and I liked just went OOS just when I made purchase. Even Zalora rejected my chosen dress on deficiency of quality after I happily made orders. Eventually settled on the Eline Asymmetrical Hem Midi Dress in Navy from Intoxiquette. The quality was pretty good so it is now one of my favourite store. You can check out the other photos to see how it looks on me!
---End Part 1---