Goodbye To My Special Bags!!

LITTLE RED TRAIN HANDBAG
2006 - 2013 | Obituary

Little Red Train, nee Handbag, age 7, having served her duties for 7 years, has quietly retired on this May 24, 2013. Little Red Train who was purchased from Korea, was the cherished Handbag of Mrs Yap. Although in the last few years, Little Red Train has been suffering from Peelingitis and wardrobe-ridden, she brought many beautiful memories to Mrs Yap and was her special companion during her first few years of service.

LITTLE LONDON PHONE TOTE
2006-2013 | Obituary

With mixed emotions, we announce the peaceful retirement of Little London Phone, nee Tote, age 7, on May 24, 2013. Coming from a souvenir shop in London, Little London Phone shares Mrs Yap's experiences, having the privilege to travel throughout UK with Mrs Yap. Having suffered from jaundice in the last few years of her service, Little London Phone finally retires to the recycling bin at the Void Deck. She will be missed by Mrs Yap, but also well-wished that she will be able to find peace in her future abode.

LOTD: 5 Years Ago

Yesterday, Mr Yap and I took a trip back to memory lane, looking through our 2008 Taiwan holiday photographs...

"That's a nice top... Why don't you wear it anymore?" Mr Yap commented.

"Oh yah, forgot about it..." [guilty for having too many clothes] "I'll wear it tomorrow!"

And so I did.

Comparing between me then and now, I'm definitely loving my current look. A much better complexion, better makeup skills, slimmer, cute hair cut that makes me look younger, and my signature "Arale" glasses!

The way they do their food...

Last weekend, we went back to Mr Yap's hometown for a dose of protein, calories and cholesterol!

Back in the days when we were dating, these trips were very often. Once in every month or two, we'd head back to Penang to catch up with family, friends, food and shopping!

But nowadays, with his parents here in Singapore, we don't go on these trips as often. The last time I was back was about half a year ago. This trip was long overdue! We were in dire need of a dose of Penang!

Within the span of 2 days, we covered everything on our list and more. Here are some of our favourites!

Penang is known for their hawker food, but you know its good when its crowded! The above Kedai Kopi New Cathay is one example! You can also find Penang Hokkien Mee, Char Koay Teow, Fried Fish Meat Beehoon Soup, and many more here.

Another Penang favourite is their Assam Laksa, and this particular shop is my favourite. There's an option for the Assam Laksa, a sourish spicy base, or the Siam Laksa which is a sweeter curry base. I like the Assam. There's just something about the sourly fishiness that I simply love...

Penang also has many popular snacks, our favourites include goreng pisang and ban chang kueh. Mr Yap dreams about ban chang kueh when he's in Singapore!


He does the regular ban chang kuehs as well as the fancy ones like the Hawaiian Chicken above. Their banana chocolate makes an amazing dessert. Another popular ban chang kueh is the peanut and egg combination...it is one of our must-haves! The key to appreciating them to the fullest is to have them fresh!

If Mr Yap dreams about ban chang kuehs, I dream about these 2 crab dishes below. They are divine. I don't just take namecards from any old store! Only the best!!!

The above baked crab is my favourite Penang dish! No one does it like they do! It's so delish, my photos do not do justice.

So this ends my Penang food trail! There's plenty more amazing food in Penang, till next time!!

LOTD: Indian Style!!

Every wedding involves the dress, getting ready and the ceremony... not just for the bride and groom. Those attending also get to go through the process.

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend my first indian wedding, and it started with the dress.

One month before the big day, the bride-to-be took me and my colleagues shopping at Tekka Market for a traditional indian outfit.

It's not everyday I get to wear an indian outfit so we were all very excited. Getting dressed, I made sure I had everything right, from the gold bracelets right down to the matching purple-gold heels! And of course, a new hair colour!

Everyone looked awesome!!
 

The ceremony was very interesting. The bride had on the most elaborate outfit I've seen, dorned head to toe in gold! For 20 minutes, the wedding couple were on stage doing their prayers, and then we had the opportunity to throw rice at the couple!
 

It was a lovely night! Hopefully, my pretty indian outfit will have a chance out of the wardrobe again!!

The Best Medication from the Doctor

I fell in love with the pink Dr Marts boots when I saw it in a music video. Unfortunately, I never managed to find one and decided to get the most iconic 1460 boots from Dr Marts - adding my own pink touch!



During my hunt for this pair of Dr Marts, I came across a Gold pair that I almost got. A year later, fate brought us back together at the awesome Takashimaya's 'A Shoes & Bags Affair' Sale!



Then last month, after only being able to see (they didn't have my size) the pink pair I've always wanted during my Sydney trip, I decided to turn to good old eBay when I returned, and lady luck was on my side.

Arriving precisely on my birthday:   
And yesterday, Mr Yap suggested that we'd go visit the doctor again and right there, staring straight back at me, was my happy dose.

But I faced a dilemma: They came in both boots and ankle shoes!!! Should I buy another pair of comfortable boots, or should I buy the shoes and sacrifice my ankle in a month of breaking-in?

The answer was clear. It was time to move on:
 

Presenting my family of doctors:
 

I Heart Nylon Free-Stuffies!!

Last Friday, Nylon Magazine celebrated their 1 year anniversary in Singapore!

There was even a section for FREE Shiseido makeovers, but there were so many ladies in the queue for that, I gave it a miss.

Though Mr Yap and myself felt a tad bit old among the young crowd, we had a great time, stuffing our face in cotton candy, munching on popcorn while sipping the freeflow vodka redbull (we're not a fan of vodka).

We left the party with some awesome free-stuffies above! The best part was since Mr Yap received the same goodie bag, I get double the goodness!!!!!

Thanks Nylon for the invitation :D

LOTD: Dr Marts Clemency

I took my new Dr Marts out for a walk yesterday, and the camera clicks followed...

Fashion Tip of the Day:
To make a piece stand out, make sure the surrounding pieces are toned down.

Princess Me!

There's something about princesses and me that I can't explain. I just love being one! And it seems everyone around me knows that :p

As a pre-birthday celebration, Mr Yap took me to Divine at Parkview Square for a grand evening with red wine and some jazz. The interior of Parkview Square is absolutely grand, like a palace set in victorian times. The whole time we were there, I couldn't take my eyes off the grandness of the place!

This morning - my birthday - I was blown away by my colleagues' effort in transforming my office cubicle into a castle! Honestly, it was the most awesome prezzie I've received. The creativity and execution deserves a massive thumbs up!

That afternoon, a little black box arrived at the office! Something I've been waiting for since the past week - the timing could not have been better! My latest addition to my Dr Martens collection: a pair of Clemency boots in hot pink!

Of course I had to get a dose of pink on my birthday! What a princessy day it was for me - WHEEEE!

Give me CURLS!

[Sponsored by HEB Takeshita Girls]

Today, I got a chance to dabble with some hair extensions from Hair Extensions Bar (HEB). I simple love the pony tail hair extensions which mimic those Japanese big waves down to the T.

BEFORE:
I've got naturally wavy hair that's stubborn to the core. Hair curling thongs do not work on me for long. Last night, I slept with hair sponge curlers in my hair and woke to beautiful tight curls which lasted for only 3 hours, despite applying hair spray this morning :( By midday, my curls became untidy big waves.

AFTER:
The HEB pony tail was so easy to attach onto my hair and the curls were sooooo natural, I felt like a princess! It's amazing how beautiful hair (though fake) makes you feel. Hee. HEB is made of heat resistant fiber, which means if I get sick of the curls, I can iron it straight too! Doesn't my 'hair' look healthy?

It comes in black, brown and light brown, but my dyed and redyed hair colour lies between brown & light brown. Too bad...

Can't wait to recolour my hair next month!

Sydney Haul

Mr Yap & I have just returned from a short 1 week hol to Sydney, and we absolutely loved it.

Sydney - the impressive Harbour Bridge, the must-see Opera House, the lovely white sandy Bondi Beach, the royal Botanic Gardens, and not forgetting, the shopaholic heaven George Street!

I absolutely love Sydney's mid season sale, especially in March/April, when the season's changing from summer to winter and ALL THE SUMMER CLOTHES MUST GO!!

It's absolutely perfect for us living in the tropics!

Here's my souvenirs from Sydney's George Street:

Starting off is one of my favourite buys, a Versace-like printed pants at 70% off!!! (Backdrop: the Government House overlooking the Royal Botanic Gardens)

Myers, a mid to high range department store, was also raided by me! They have awesome mid summer sales! I absolutely love the youth/ young adult department, and hidden in one corner is their bargain section, where already discounted clothes go on even further discount! If you have the time, that section is worth the rummage! There are some absolutely great finds:

My absolute favourite Australian chain of female fashion is Valleygirl! Every trip to Australia calls for some Valleygirl time. The mid season sale was a bonus, where most items were at 50% off. Even if they do not have sales, dresses usually go at $40, and tops at $20 to $30. Totally affordable! Here's my haul, against some of Sydney's iconic sceneries.

Will we see you in Sydney next March/ April?