Noms!

Top: Zalora | Pants: Gift from Manman/Misguided | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Nichii (Similar here)

Necklace: Gift from Cyn (Similar here) | Ring: Gift from Cyn (Similar here): Bracelets: Diva (Similar here)

I’ve been trying to eat a little healthier lately – this is tremendously difficult for me because there is not a single fried or super processed piece of food that I don’t like. Also, whenever I’m grumpy (which is probably 80% of the time), I crave sugary carb loaded processed food. I also barely have any discipline – If you put delicious food in front of me, I will eat it.

Nonetheless, as I’ve matured, I’ve come to see the value in a healthy balanced diet, or really, a healthy balanced everything. This isn’t just for the obvious vain reasons, but also for my general well-being.

Because I have the appetite of a bear that’s just woken from hibernation, I pretty much always need to snack and I’ve found a delightful healthy snack to curb my midday munchies. 

QUINOA CUPS!

I first found the recipe from here (I was trying to find a breakfast substitute for my normal Nutella but let’s be serious here, I am NEVER giving up Nutella), and I tried it out using spinach and it was good but tasted a little too healthy, so now I use ham and mushrooms and that’s much yummier, but seriously there are so many options, I might try broccoli one day although it may give the quiche a kind of moldy appearance. 

You can mix up the proportions but I guess you'll need a proportionate amount of eggs to glue it all together

 The Alex style recipe:

• Three quarter cup of uncooked quinoa – this will become about 2 cups when cooked
• Half cup of diced up ham
• One cup of chopped mushrooms
• Three-quarters cup of chopped onion (it really depends on how much onion I have and feel like chopping)
• One cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
• Two tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese
• Three to four eggs (the original says two whole eggs and two egg whites which probably would be healthier but I don’t know what I would then do with two leftover egg yolks and also I don’t know how to do that fancy egg separating thing using the shells)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Get cookin':

1.       Cook the quinoa and let it cool

2.       Chop the ham, mushrooms and onion, shred the cheese, beat the eggs

3.       Put everything into a bowl and mix it in evenly

I chop everything quite finely so it sticks together better

I use mixed quinoa (black and white) but all white probably would look nicer and less like it has ants

4.       Pre-heat the oven to 175 - 180 degrees Celsius 

Sweet Breville* oven of gloriousness

5.       Put the mix into an oiled muffin/cupcake baking tray

Carefully scoop the mix into the tray - Don't drop a single grain, quinoa is EXPENSIVE

6.       Bake in oven for 15 – 20 minutes

7.       Enjoy the deliciousness (actually, might be best to remove it from the tray and cool it a bit or risk burning your mouth. True story.  

Swivel and scoop 'em out

Get in ma belly!

Not only are they healthy, they’re easy to make (chop chop chop mix mix bake NOMS), easy to store (in mouth like a hamster, or in a fridge/freezer for another day) and obvs easy to eat (pop in mouth, chew, hot or cold, it tastes good!)

There are a few cons to making this of course, mainly the price of quinoa (but with my cupcake try of about 2 inch diameter per cup, I make about 24 cups so it seems reasonable I think) and the fact that the things need to be chopped up, which can be a little time-consuming. I’m considering getting a processor because I’m committed to making these babies.

Anyway, I urge you to try it out, and go crazy with the variety of fillings you could possibly use then let me know how it turns out.

Thanks for reading! 

* No seriously, this toaster oven mousie bought for momster is DA BOMB. It cooks so evenly, is so easy to use, have a ton of cool settings (like reheat, warm, bake, toast, grill, roast, zumba... ok maybe not that last one) is large enough to roast a chicken. It's a really great addition to the kitchen for those who are oven-challenged. My regular stove connected oven sucks. 

Merry Christmas!

Top: Chicwish | Skirt: Chicwish | Clutch: Tangs (Similar here) | Shoes: Prada (Similar here)

Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here) | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Gift (Similar-ish here)

Who doesn’t love a little schadenfreude now and then right? I was reading some posts by my second favourite blogger in the world (the first is me, DUH) and it was all a bunch of people who had tweeted her with their own embarrassing stories. Since I’m basically a walking lump of embarrassment, I thought I would add on to the list with my own horror stories as my gift to you this Christmas. Ready to cringe?

The time I fell off the stage

It was my secondary 4 graduation dinner (kind of like prom but only for the graduates of our all-girls school) and I was onstage. I didn’t realize the back of the stage and the wall did not connect, I took a step back… And fell off. I couldn’t get up so two of the girls onstage had to hoist me by my arms back up where I had to remain till the end of that segment.

The time I let my bras go flying… with bonus second time

I was going through security before boarding the plane and the airport security thought he saw something dangerous in my bag so I unzipped it for him to poke around. When he was satisfied with his search, I somehow thought he had zipped up my bag, so I lifted it up and all my clothes tumbled out, with my bras being dumped right on top of the heap. I was frazzled so I stuffed my clothes back in and then like a real freak, lifted my bag again without zipping it and this time I swung around so basically my clothes flew all over the floor. Another security officer had to help me put all my stuff back in, unceremoniously handing me my boring beige bra. 

The time I thought I was cool shit

I was walking to my seat through the aisle of the airplane and all these people were staring at me so I naturally thought, I must be very very very ridiculously good-looking today. One man stood up to talk to me and I thought, omg I’m being hit on on a plane. He leaned over and whispered, excuse me, your blouse is undone. And indeed it was. The button right at my chest was undone exposing my chest to everyone on the plane.

Ok that’s enough laughing at me for today. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Clown

Dress: Romwe | Shoes: Romwe | Bag: Charles & Keith | Earrings: Vincci (Similar here) | Ring: Vintage (Similar here)

Where has time gone? It's nearly the end of the year! Also, wasn't I just sixteen yesterday? WHAT HAPPENED??? 

So recently I've been daydreaming about my dream home of the future. Being the ultimate planner, I've got it almost all planned out except for the part where I pay for it. DAMMIT. 

I've visited a whole bunch of showflats and actual flats (is there a different way of referring to them?) recently and here's what I've learned about house-hunting:

1. Interior decor really makes a difference and I'm really easily fooled by nice furniture.

2. Apartments are tiny these days but also really really really really really really really expensive. 

3. The windows in showflats are 'for show only'. 

4. Real estate agents like having long pinkie fingernails.

5. Asking questions like 'hey is that other flat across the road cheaper?' will not get a desirable response.

I'm so grown up. 

Anyone have any apartment hunting tips? Or actually, more importantly, does anyone have any tips on how to make a ridiculous amount of money in a very short time without having to sell one's soul or body?

Thanks for reading... Now give me your money.

Obliterate me

Dress: Dorothy Perkins (Similar here) | Bag: Charles & Keith | Shoes: Sheinside

Sunglasses: Karen Walker | Ring: Gift from Jee Fang from Lovisa (Similar here)

I somehow imagined my dress to be covered in polka dots and even tagged it as such but then I realised that actually they're more like raindrops. Anyway, doesn't matter because I love polka dots so I'm just going to pretend it is what I thought la la la la la la la I can't hear you la la la la. My love affair with polka dots is really only second to my love affair with fatty foods.

So you can only imagine how much I wish I could check out the Yayoi Kusama Obliteration Room in person and paste some stickers and be a part of the art. This is totally going to be my inspiration for the house of the future.

Obliteration Room image taken from here

My aunt first told me about Kusama a couple of years ago. She's an incredibly fun artist who uses dots on everything she does in a myriad of colours. I checked out her 'Dots Obsession' when I was in France and I loved it so much, I wanted to take it home but it didn't fit into my suitcase.

Photo taken by uncle John.

To fulfill my Kusama Kraving (this should totally be a thing), I got a keychain and a folder. But the room is the one I want (Please note for future birthday and Christmas presents. Thanks.) She also did a collaboration with Louis Vuitton in 2012 so LV bags and such are also welcome.

So kawaii and so useful

Anyway, if you're a more fortunate individual than me, please please please check it out and maybe get a souvenir. Thanks for reading!

Sticky situations

Top: New Look (Similar here)

Skirt: ASOS (Similar here)

Shoes: Aldo (Similar here)

Bag: Y-3 (Similar here) | Ring: Lovisa (Similar here)

Earrings: Vintage (Similar here) | Sunglasses: Karen Walker

In a bid to not be mistaken for a yeti, I've been through various hair removal processes since I was 20 years old, I think. It's been so many years of torture that I can't even really recall when it started but here I am, at... a certain age... a near-hairless ape.

It started with waxing, where a therapist would apply hot wax to various bits of my body, then lay on a fabric strip, let it cool and RIIIIP the hair right out. I went to Strip since it's one of the larger and more well-known chains. I have to commend them for their professionalism, cleanliness and efficiency. Eventually, instead of waxing, the therapist started up-selling IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) hair removal where they basically shoot lasers pew pew at your skin and your hair dies at the root (after a few sessions and depending on the thickness etc etc and all that science stuff I don't know).

Doing IPL is waaaaay better than waxing because you don't have the hot sticky wax applied to your body and it doesn't hurt the way it does when you freaking rip hair from your body, although some warmth and tingly laser sensations are to be expected in IPL.

But even though Strip wasn't ripping hair any longer, I felt like they were ripping me off because their packages weren't exactly cheap and as hair regrowth really varies from person to person, I ended up needing maintenance packages even after the first 8 sessions so I felt like I was bleeding money.

Several bloggers were promoting Datsumo Labo so I thought I'd try it out because it was known to be more affordable.

Datsumo Labo packages do appear to be much more affordable and they have quite a few packages catering to your hair removing needs. They are a no-frills kind of place so the layout is basic with no fancy interior design, you're expected to come in for your appointment having already shaved yourself beforehand (although you can pay for them to shave you too), get zapped, then leave, no magazine-reading-while-sipping-hot-tea-while-you-wait kinda thing.

No fancy tea and magazines!

Sweet. Free 1 ply toilet roll.

My first session there gave me quite a shock, I went in, removed my clothes, put on the protective eye gear and lay down on the bed. All of a sudden, maybe three or four therapists came in and stood around me to begin the process. As two of them slathered the ice-cold gel, likely gathered from the jelly mountains of the Antarctic, onto my shivering body, another one started up the IPL machine and started zapping away on the areas that had just been covered by gel, and yet another therapist would start scraping the gel off the areas that had just been zapped, wiping it down, and then laid cold wet towels on my body. I felt like I was a test subject in a production line of alien experimentation and it was bizarre.

I'm from the future.

Obviously you can't always expect the four to one body ratio, I think it depends on the number of available therapists for the day but having so many therapists at once was good in that it shortened the amount of time I needed to lie there exposed so I was done in about 15 minutes or less. However, one thing you'll realise is that each room is separated by curtains, and between two rooms, I think they share their IPL machines mid process. So I'm lying down and so is the lady next to me, and maybe they're zapping my leg, then moving the machine across and zapping her crotch. That's weird right?

Lie down and PEW PEW PEW!

Anyway, once you're zapped, they leave you in the room with the cold wet towels on your skin and leave the room and you are allowed to rest a few minutes (maybe recover from the icy shock) after which you get up, try your best to wipe your sticky self down, and get dressed. I recall at Strip, they did a lot of wiping down for you, so it wasn't so sticky but Datsumo relies on more self-service so aside from coming pre-shaved, you also need to wipe your own body more thoroughly unless you enjoy being a sticky date pudding. Then you go outside and make your next appointment for about two months later, which allows you to almost completely forget all the weird sensations you just felt until your next appointment.

Bye bye hair

But at least I'm more or less hairless. I guess I'd recommend Datsumo Labo to those who are looking for affordable hair removal and who aren't that fussy about ambience. The therapists are all quite nice and professional just that you definitely get what you pay for.

Thanks for reading!

Haunted

Dress: Modcloth

Clutch: New Look (Similar here)

Shoes: Aldo (Similar here)

Have you noticed the weird flare around my stomach in all these photos?

Rings: Old (Similar here and here)

Sunglasses: Aldo (Similar here)

So I am not exactly sure why there's this ghostly white flare thingy in all my photos. I remember checking the lens for condensation and it seemed fine at the time. So this can only mean one thing - there was a ghost standing in front of me as I was getting my pictures taken. That sucks because this dress is so vibrant and cute. What the hell, ghost? Can't you give a sister a break?

Anyway, this reminds me of an awesome ghost story... Actually, quite a few, because although I'm a scaredy cat of the highest order, I still love to be told ghost stories (I'll usually be spooked out and unable to sleep which means the boo suffers too lol).

Story one
About a week after my granny passed away, my mom was playing mahjong at home. As it got pretty late, my mom let her friends, a husband and wife couple, sleep in her room, while she took the guest room. Apparently, sometime during the night, the wife awoke to find my granny in the room looking at her so she said 'hello aunty'. Think my granny vanished after that but can you imagine how confused my granny was? She probably thought my mom had done some serious plastic surgery, and found herself a man or that she had gotten the wrong address. Poor porpor!

Story two
My company organised team-building workshops in Montigo Resorts in Batam for various departments. I heard this wicked story from another colleague about one department that had gone. Apparently a bunch of women had gathered to take a group photo and when they returned to Singapore, the two ladies on the extreme right side of the photo fell terribly ill for one week without any real reason. Then someone noticed something weird about that group photo that they had taken after it was uploaded to Facebook. On the right most lady, there was a disembodied hand around her shoulder that was large (like a man's hand) and clearly didn't belong to anyone in the photo. So the suspicion is that there was an evil ghost who maybe did some bad juju to the two ladies on the extreme right of the picture hence they fell sick. I saw the actual picture and I got mad goosebumps and then immediately deleted it because GO AWAY BAD JUJU.

If those didn't creep you out, you're a robot with no feelings or you're a ghost. GO AWAY BAD JUJU! Thanks for reading!