Spring in bloom

Wheeeeeee

Doing my best hair ad hair-toss

Then a quick change into something more comfortable

Greetings and happy belated Easter to all you spring bunnies! If you love flora but hate the heat, check out the air-conditioned indoor flower domes of Gardens by the Bay. I had a lovely lunchtime visit with my buddy Samson who sacrificed his lunch to take these photos. Check out his work at 7braidstrong.com or follow him on Instagram.

Spring is frequently associated with rebirth and renewal and it certainly feels like I’ve gone through some kind of rebirth of thought. Basically, I’m way crazier now. You can bandy around “dirty” words like “feminist”, “activist” and “eco-warrior” because I totally am. Or at least, I’m trying to be.

Am I pushing an agenda? Probably. But it’s my blog so get ready to be pushed.

I blame two people for my rebirth – David Attenborough, for his wonderful BBC Earth series that made me want to preserve the beauty of nature, and my tree-hugging friend Char who opened my eyes to the fact that we’re poisoning ourselves with chemicals. Being an idea extremist, I decided that I had to be tree + animal hugging so I’ve decided that aside from aiming for that organic eco-sustainable lifestyle, I also have to fight against animal testing so here I am, taking a very minuscule stand against wastage and big businesses who profit off products that are tested on animals – Goodbye Maybelline eyeliner! Goodbye Makeup Forever setting powder and eyebrow pencil! Goodbye my favourite Peter Thomas Roth CC cream (L)! GOOD RIDDANCE TO YOU!

What all this means is:

1. I am phasing out products that are tested on animals as much as possible
2. I am replacing said products with products that are preferably eco-friendly (eg. recycled plastic packaging, biodegradable, etc), organic, and not from companies that test on animals
3. I am trying to reduce my carbon footprint by being more aware of my consumption habits and making small adjustments to reduce waste
4. I am making more of an effort to reuse and recycle where possible
5. I am becoming a larger pain in the butt by nagging at my family to follow in my footsteps, while also becoming increasingly unbearable due to my obnoxious bragging about my lifestyle change, which you are bearing witness to right now

I’ll be honest, I don’t think my actions will ever really make much of a difference, but I guess I like the idea that even though I’m not doing enough, I’m doing my best. At the end of the day, I just want to know that I’ve tried to take some positive steps in saving this planet and its creatures.

I hope you will consider joining me in this personal crusade, or at least spreading this message. So maybe together we can make a difference, or at the very least, we can discover and share kick-ass organic and cruelty-free products that make us ridiculously good-looking.

Thanks for reading!

Ps. If you want to join the cruelty free crusade, check out Cruelty Free Kitty to get started. It’s got a list of cruelty-free brands and suggestions on where to shop for products. On that note, check out iHerb for a buttload of organic products not just for your head and body but also for your home. 

Simply the best

Top: Chicwish | Pants: FCUK (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Brooch: Etsy (Similar here) | Ring: Vintage (Similar here)

I’m prone to being quite extreme when it comes to things that I love – and my treatment of my dog, Nacho, is no exception.

I love yeeeeeeeewwwwwwww

Nacho means the world to me, I never knew I could love something this much. I’m definitely a crazy dog lady through and through.

For fellow dog owners, I’d like to share some of the things I’ve bought for Nacho which maybe you can consider for your furry friend as well! Although, I’m actually well aware that most dog owners are pretty crazy about their dogs and probably have just as many awesome things for their dogs as I do.

Nacho can be pretty intense and anxious sometimes, especially when he’s at the vet or at the groomers. I read that Rescue Remedy was a good homeopathic option to help my dog chill the eff out (they also make it for humans!) so I immediately bought some. It’s advised to let your dog ingest a few drops of it by putting it in their drinking water, or in a snack. I don’t know if it really works because he’s still pretty crap when he goes to the vet. And Nacho’s groomer, sweet Ashley from De’ Pets Salon, describes him as ‘a bit naughty’ after each grooming session but I’m pretty sure in her head she’s screaming “LITTLE FURRY SPAWN OF SATAN”. 

I’m not sure what it is, but Nacho’s breath is horrible. After incurring a $300+ dental bill for him early this year, I’ve decided to take more effort and care in cleaning his teeth. So I bought this Oratene toothpaste from the vet. It’s a $45 tube of clear gel paste that I rub onto his gums and teeth daily using a little finger cloth. The vet told me that it uses enzymes to clean the plaque off his teeth, and so far, his teeth are still looking pretty clean. My friend Mims says her dog Russell gnaws on bones and that helps but Nacho’s never been much of a chewer and he ignores his chew toys.*Sigh* Expensive toothpaste it is then.

I’m a total sucker for packaging and my snobby hippie wannabe nature means that when I see the word ‘organic’, I’m pretty much 60% convinced. Nacho sometimes gets ticks when he goes running through the grass so I get him Richard's Organics flea and tick shampoo and this one purports to be all natural and safe and gentle. Plus, look how chio that packaging is. It looks fancier than the shampoo I use for myself. Apparently it repels mosquitoes too so maybe I should use it as a body wash. 

Ok so this one is more for me than for Nacho but it’s Nacho adjacent. My sis bought this dog food container for me as a Christmas gift. It’s from Hip Van and I love it because I love dogs and it’s got cute little puppies on it! OMG SO CUTE. The only way it could be made better is if it had Nacho pictures printed on it. This year's Christmas gift perhaps??     

It's like he's all "I'm faaaabulous! What a cool drink of water I am!"

Thanks for reading!

Fun police

Top: New Look (Similar here) | Pants: French Connection (Similar here) | Shoes: Charles & Keith (Similar here) | Clutch: ASOS

It’s dawned on me that I am not a fun person. I say this because I enjoy doing really boring things that people typically find to be a chore. I love a good spring cleaning – the joy of tidying up and making everything shiny and new is just so rewarding. Also, I love running errands like grocery shopping and picking up household products. Honestly, doesn’t finding the perfect broom sound just swell??

When the boo had his birthday party at home, I was running to turn down the music every time he turned it up because HELLO WE HAVE NEIGHBOURS WHO SLEEP NORMAL HOURS. And I was theone running around picking up the garbage and clearing the dirty plates which I think is normal since I was hosting that shindig. But I would probably do it even if I wasn’t the host.

Anyway, these things don’t exactly make for a very exciting person that others want to be around, but that’s ok. I’ve become very comfortable with who I am and with my weird quirks (like preferring to spend my Friday hugging my dog rather than chugging a pint).

Thankfully, I have a saving grace - I’m quite good at contributing to the fun others have.

My colleague had a hen’s night party and I became the unofficial clothes lender because apparently I have skanky clothes that would fit the theme of (skanky hos). AWESOME. Anyway, I just like other people to have the fun, and then I do the non-fun prep or clean up so I think I'm very useful. 

Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Hope you are having fun in all the ways you enjoy! Unless it’s gross and/or illegal. Then NO.  

Thanks for reading!

I knew I loved you before I met you

Top: ASOS (Similar here) | Skirt: J. Crew (Similar here) | Shoes: Romwe | Bag: Gift from Cyn (Similar here)

Necklace: Gift from Wens (Marc by Marc Jacobs) | Hand chain: Nasty Gal (Similar here) | Ring: Gift from Mellie (Twentyeight Lane)  

So fresh out of the shower; wet hair wrapped up, I sat at my desk typing and realised there are a few things in my life that I really didn't know I needed until I got them. I'm sure you have these things too, things that make your life so much easier but you really never would have thought of it until it was given to you or you chanced upon it. Kind of like a coffee sleeve, so basic and so brilliant. 

Introducing... The things you didn't know you needed until now: 

Head wrap thingy - This pink terry cloth geniusness sits atop my head and prevents my wet hair from drooping down my shoulders, thus wetting the t-shirt I'm wearing. Plus it keeps the hair away from the face so it's also great during makeup application time. My momster bought this from Japan when she was on vacation and at first I thought, 'what kind of rubbish is this?' But I use it everyday now. You might say, 'that's what a towel is for', to which I reply, 'You foolish human being.' I was like you once, a towel turban wearer but this is great for Singapore because it's basically a snood for the head so it lets the head breathe through the open hole at the top. Much cooler, and there isn't that extra fabric swinging around (for bigger towels). Plus it's better than the small towels they wrap around your head at salons and clip because duh, no need for the clip (economical!) and it doesn't run the risk of falling off. BRILLIANT. 

Body wrap thingy: Ok this is like a sarong towel. It's the more cooling, waaaay more unglamorous version of the bath robe. With its elasticised top, it kiaps on tight to the body so no risk of walking around your house semi-naked only to become fully naked. I throw this on whenever I'm applying a face mask, or while putting on my makeup before I get dressed. I first chanced upon this at my facial place and I was so hellbent on getting one I stole it (Just kidding... Or maybe not... But of course I'm kidding... Maybe...)

Aladdin bottle: A group of us were wandering inside Mustafa shopping centre and my friend and I got waaaay too excited when we saw this. I recall it being kind of pricey but come on, it keeps your water cool for longer while not allowing condensation to form and drip all over the place. That is just pure sorcery. I know Bodum cups are basically the same thing but this is a plastic bottle (safe for kids!) and doesn't cost an arm, leg, spleen and maybe one eyeball. It came with attachable plastic cups but after a few days of pretending to be a dainty lady, I gave up and reverted back to my crass bottle-swigging self. Aaaahh refreshing!    

This nail-clipper: You think a nail-clipper is just a nail-clipper right? No. You are wrong. Please get with the program. This nail-clipper is the bomb. It is super sharp and collects all the nail clippings inside its little nail-clipper body. I know, there are others out there that you can buy at the dollar store with the plastic bit. But no. Trust me. This nail-clipper is not messing around. It is the Michael Jordan of nail-clippers. The boo bought it for Christmas for me from Tokyu Hands. And before you start thinking, 'What??? Nail clippers for Christmas?? Is he the grinch??', well, yes, but that's not the point. Because I am the female grinch and I absolutely love a good functional gift. (Although I also like things like clothes, shoes, purses, and jewellery which are slightly less functional). 

Alright, I've gone on like a rabid dog for a while about all these things that you didn't know you needed. Go forth and acquire.

Thanks for reading! 

Nailed it

T-shirt: Banana Republic (Similar here) | Skirt: Chicwish (Similar here) | Shoes: ASOS (Similar-ish here) | Sunglasses: Pieces (Similar here)

Bag: Gracious Aires (Similar here) | Necklace: Twentyeight Lane | Ring: Glebe Market (Similar here)

So I have a freak hand. It's no big deal really. I was born with a left hand that is lacking a muscle. I guess it might have been a big deal if I was like, really musically gifted and had the potential to be a world class guitar player (my hand is too small so I can't grip the guitar well and my thumb can't hold down the necessary chord... Or something). Although, there are people without limbs who do tons of crazy awesome stuff so maybe I'd have just learned to play it with my toes... But that is not the point and I digress waaaay too much. Seriously, where was I?

Oh yes. Freak hand. No big deal. So aside from not being able to do a few things here and there, I also have the related freak nails. Teeny tiny nail beds on short stumpy fingers. It's clearly very attractive. Because my hands aren't exactly an attraction, among various reasons, I don't usually do my nails.

Freak hand

Buuuuut. I did my nails recently! I met a lady called Zoe and she owns a nail parlour called Thumbelina so I thought I'd check it out and I'm so glad I did because seriously my hands and feet needed some TLC.

Thumbelina is a cute little place that's on the second level of a row of shophouses along Bukit Timah Road. It's a blink and you might miss it place which might really add to its charm since its namesake is a blink and you'll miss her kind of fairy.

A signboard so you won't miss it

 The parlour is quaintly decorated with cute and girly accents - a perfect home for the little fairy.

The rows and rows of nail polishes are from O.P.I. and Chanel so you know this means it's fancy pants. Seriously made it hard to pick a colour.

I sat in the chair by the window so I could look out when I was bored but I ended up chatting my Nora, my manicurist who was really a delight. She told me that she wanted to be a flight attendant when she was younger but couldn't meet the height criteria. She said, "I stopped growing tall but kept growing sideways".

I was given 3 huge books filled with nails, which made me think of a great idea for an episode of Criminal Minds. Like a killer with a penchant for keeping fingernails in a book. How creepy right??? I should be a screenwriter.

Nora helped me pick out complimentary colours for my fingers and toes. I ended up choosing a glittery pink because I thought I should girl it up all the way.

Tch tch tch tch - the sound of filing 'em talons down

It was a very pleasant experience to be pampered by people, although it feels a little weird to have people touching my feet (and scraping the dead skin off it... EW!! Sorry!) 

Freak hand after pampering

Well, the hand is still freaky, can't do anything about that. But now they are SHINY freaky. So YAY!

So if you feel like your freaky hands and feet need some help, check out Thumbelina and ask for Nora. She is the bomb-diggity.

Thanks for reading!