Seasons Greetings!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I'm back from my adventure in Seoul and spending time with family and friends in YVR. I hope you're having an awesome yuletide season and partying it up for New Years to ring in, *gasp* 2010.

Photos of fun times to follow...

Counting down till SEOUL!

Oh I am so excited!

Kimchi, bulgogi, kimbab, dukkboki and korean fashions & cosmetics HERE I COME!

Oh and of course being reunited with my man :)

Daddy came! :)

See you at Christmas Dad! :D Don't forget to put up the tree!

Woodbury Common Run #2

Dad's in town during Thanksgiving season - so a must-do is indeed another trip to the outlets to cash in on the Thanksgiving sales and complete my Christmas shopping. So off we went bright and early this morning at 9am.

It started off relatively peaceful and civilized and eventually became madness resulting in my Dad exclaiming how he never wanted to do Thanksgiving shopping ever again. But we left (11 hours later!!!) with a full car trunk and exhausted from the day's shopping, not to mention my Christmas list all checked off. How awesome.

So here's the highlights from today's run (without giving too much away for Christmas surprises):

• COUPONS!!! Thanks to being a VIP at Chelsea Premium Outlets
• Workout gear from Lululemon (the lowest prices I've seen so far!)
• Renewing my love for cardigans at JCrew
• Longchamp (another unbeatable deal!)
• Juicy Couture & Betsey Johnson trinkets
• And finally, an awesome, early Christmas gift courtesy of Dad from Burberry :)

Low lights include:

• Skipping several stores because of the long lines, including Coach, Prada, Banana Republic, UGG (the UGG line was INSANE!!! guess those boots are still very much in demand..)
• Trying on 2 gorgeous Emilio Pucci dresses realising I cannot afford either even at outlet pricing
• Looking old in DVF
• No size @ Nine West!
• Disappointing selection at Neiman Marcus Last Call & Saks Off Fifth
• Not going back to Barneys to get a Marc Jacobs knit motorcycle jacket :(
• Never ever being able to go to every store you want to in Woodbury Common...

I'm exhausted and won't be shopping till Seoul (fingers crossed). Time for bed. Good night and happy Christmas shopping to you all because, I'M ALL DONE!!! Hee hee hee...

Updatorama

Wow. I realised its been a while since my last post - 11 days being quite a while for my standards at least. So to anyone who cares this is what I've been up to:

• Online shopping way too much - Urban Outfitters has amazing sales and I picked up goodies for my apartment to prepare for the arrival of my Dad this US Thanksgiving and of course a cute dress I've been eyeing for myself @ a reduced price of $29.99! SCORE!
  
  
• Frantically packing my apartment for Dad's visit
  
  
• Reading a couple of books, one of which is a Korean language book in preparation for my vacation to Seoul (Thanks to HSBC where I redeemed points to get Amazon.com gift certificates!)
  
  
• Preparing a Black Friday list for Woodbury Common -Potential Burberry trench in my future perhaps?
  
  
• Cooking: Namely a pretty good beginner Bak Kut Teh, Soy Sauced Chicken Stew, Creamed Spinach...etc.
  
  
• Making my Christmas lists
  
  
• Working out 3 times a week! Woohoo!! With the exception of this week because I forgot to bring my gear today. I spin, I kickbox, I pilates & now, I ZUMBA! :D YAY! Note to self: Get thee to a spin class/kickboxing class this weekend!
  
  
• Bonding with my guinea pig: letting Willi run wild around my living room - floor time is her favourite thing especially being cooped up in the cage all day. She loves sitting under the ottoman or behind the sofa. Also when I insist, she snuggles in her Etsy cuddle cup and occasionally gets to hang out in my bedroom on the window sill bench.
  
  
• Missing the boy - who's far and away in Beijing & counting the days till we're reunited again! 1 MORE MONTH!!! YAY!
  

Have a great weekend! :)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

To the 1st and most important man in my life.

I'm glad I'm the first one to ever send you flowers!

They won't be the last! :D

Love you lots & see you at Thanksgiving! xoxo

Harrroooween!

2 sailors and a table = fun night of falsies, festivities and fotos! :D

This may not be the best picture of us...

But I don't care, because I miss you so...

Counting down the days till sweet sweet December.

我爱你！

Twitterbug

I feel I've not been blogging as much thanks to Twitter...ahh, the wonderful world of microblogging. It saves time and makes for fast & efficient nuggets of things I found interesting or musings. I've also found it to be quite a useful resource for mini news feeds and updates on anything from the Straits Times in Singapore, Vancouver Sun or even my favourite fashion/lifestyle blogs. Many articles online are Twitter-friendly too - with sharing options so I can share what I read with the rest of the world or anyone who cares to read my ramblings.

And just an FYI - I'm not paid by Twitter.

Happy Tweeting guys & feel free to follow me!

My 1st write up

I got a great opportunity to do a review of the newly opened macbar in Soho by partly sunny - one of Vancouver's foremost fashion industry insiders. Check it out! :)

+J

Today Jil Sander's collection +J, at Uniqlo opens and boy was there a line! As much as I've been practicing great self control over my shopping habits - I couldn't say no to a grey woolen pea coat, one out of Jil Sander's 100 piece collaboration with Japanese basics mecca. *Sigh* With prices this affordable, it was hard to resist. My pea coat came in black & grey - Jil Sander's signature minimalistic and monochromatic aesthetic.

The selection was great for basics - cashmere cardis, sweater, crisp shirts, woolen blazers & coats. Apparently according to some line-bloggers, there were more men than women. My co-worker picked up 2 coats for her husband. Great shapes and well-fitted, I slid into the heathered charcoal pea coat and was thrilled at the fit :) I had to get it. It was Jil Sander afterall - probably the closest I'll ever be to the designer :P

I spoke to a salesperson and asked about replenishment - word is they will replenish tomorrow morning and that's it - the collection will be sold until its all gone. Happy Shopping & welcome to October!

ps: those Uniqlo cords that I wanted, aren't on sale anymore...good for me I guess! :P

My Money Saving Tips

After my big splurge a few posts ago, I decided I need to scrimp & save on some things for the next couple of months or so. Sadly, those Uniqlo cords I wanted to get might be out of the picture, though $19.90 for a pair are really unbelievable..so we'll see how long I can hold out for...

But I did come up with some money saving tips that I thought I might share with everyone, so here goes:

• Find inventive ways to style your hair - curl it, mimic a salon blowout. Whatever it is, styling your do refreshes it & buys you time before your next trim. So dust-off those curling irons and wake up a little earlier & put some effort into it. People notice, trust me.
  
  
• Save on color cosmetics - especially the trendy stuff. Eyeshadows and lipsticks in experimental colors for the season don't have to be expensive. Drugstore brands will do just fine and if you're worried about the colors not being pigmented enough, just make sure you use an eyeshadow base/primer.
  
  
• Always be on the lookout for good sales/deals - Old Navy has fantastic deals on basic tshirts and tank tops. Forever 21 and H&M are my go-tos for current trends. Uniqlo is awesome for affordable basics too. Being in NY, we have sample sales galore - so hit them up and stock up on the classics.
  
  
• When shopping online - ALWAYS look for coupon codes. You never know when you can get an extra 15% off or free shipping.
  
  
• Buy handmade - I've found great items for very affordable prices from Etsy.com These are up and coming designers trying to make a small living from their crafty hobbies.
  
  
• Buy refill packs of shampoo/body wash etc instead of new bottles. You will often save a few dollars by reusing your old containers.
  
  
• If you have small pets like I do, like hamsters or guinea pigs - recycle things around your home for them to play in or use instead of buying feeders or bowls from stores. An old tissue box, toilet rolls and paperbags make fun toys, makeshift feeders & hideouts for them.
  
  
• Jojoba oil is a great multi-purpose product! Use it to treat split ends or as a hair treatment. It can also be used as a makeup remover (since it leaves no residue) and foot & hand treatment for dry skin & cuticles!
  
  
• Invest in neutral nail polish to save you trips to the manicurist. Neutral colors last longer and chips are less obvious and they're easier to paint on.
  
  
• Reinforce the soles and heels of your new or current shoes to make them last a lot longer and always consult a cobbler before throwing away a pair of old shoes/boots to see if it can be salvaged.
  
  
• Pack your own lunch to work!
  
  
• Drink your own homemade coffee or tea rather than ringing it up at Starbucks while on the way to work
  
  
• Make use of a water filter rather than bottled water or if you are the bottled mineral water drinker - look out for deals. The other day at Rite Aid, I saw Smart Water on sale for 5 for $5!
  
  
• Don't ever be shy when asking for samples. This gives you the opportunity to try new products without paying full price.
  
  
• Make use of drugstore coupons and weekly deals they have. Often, essentials are featured like toothpaste or toilet paper and even cosmetics are sometimes buy one get one free!
  
  
• Subscribe to magazines - its MUCH cheaper!
  
  
• Never be afraid to look for cheaper alternatives online. Especially if you know what you're looking for. I found my Hot Tools curling iron for more than 40% off online than if I bought it at a beauty supply store. My vacuum was also at least 50% off too. Amazon has books which are sold used but really are in quite good condition and you save anywhere from 30%-70% off the retail price. This doesn't exclude designer/branded items too, my gf got awesome deals at Yoox.com - she paid $70 for a pair Giorgio Armani flats and $60 for a Marni skirt!
  

I do hope this proves to be useful information - in this economy a little bit can go a long way. Would love to hear any other money saving tips any of you might have! :) Go forth & save!

Golden Shopping Mall, Flushing

Today, my girlfriend & I decided to venture Flushing, NY - famous for good Chinese food, cheap Chinese groceries and all around Chinese goodness. Our goal Anthony Bourdain's featured spot on the "Outer Boroughs" episode on No Reservations - Golden Shopping Mall.

Armed with an empty stomach we made the trek out of Manhattan into the burbs of what is a predominantly Asian/Chinese area. All the signs are in Mandarin, no one speaks English and not a single Caucasian soul in sight. Feels like Asia already! And of course being Sunday, its universal grocery shopping day so Main Street is bustling!

With our iPhones and Google Maps in hand, we find our destination and eventually find the entrance and walk downstairs to enter a bustling, cramped, dirty food court. Ah! At last! & it feels so authentic too. Brought me back to the days in Singapore where hawker stalls are cramped together, while patrons sit on make shift seating consisting of stools and foldable tables and orders are always yelled out. PERFECT!

We do a quick look around and settle with dumplings first. We place our orders and dug in. Note: they aren't any menus and if there are its all in Chinese so if you don't read or speak the language, be prepared to point and pay. I also think its cash only but that shouldn't be a problem, our dumpling feast was $5 with a side of fried chive pancake. Disgustingly cheap for NY's standards but also fresh, handmade and piping hot. Plenty of chilli paste and chinese black vinegar. Slurp and all 12 are gone. Next stop, Xi'an Famous Foods - another foodstall toured by Mr Bourdain. Famed for Liang Pi & their lamb burger. Seeing how I don't eat lamb we went for the pulled pork instead which was well-spiced and seasoned to perfection. Mmm..Mmm...The Liang Pi was a first for me and it was AMAZING! Apparently, the recipe from this stall is several generations old and very authentic. Chewy, tangy, spicy and peanuty all in one - its a flavour that's hard to define and must be tried.

Stuffed and sweaty, we decided to pop outside for a breather and some bubble tea and before venturing home. We swung by for cheap groceries and hopped back on the 7 to return to the city. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

My Emmy Picks

I only watch this for the gorgeous gowns.

My top 2: Blake Lively (HOT!!! in Versace) and Drew Barrymore (Divine in nude Monique Lhuillier)

This song always makes me cry

I was surfing Youtube and came across a few unsigned but incredibly talented artists which I felt were worth a listen. In this cover of Death Cab for a Cutie's I Will Follow You into the Dark - is Jinah & Gerald (aka singindork888 or afraid of everest).

Everytime I listen to this song, I cry. More than just cry, I bawl. Partly because its such a sad song and partly because its so profoundly sweet. I don't profess to know the intention of song but it invites me to long for a type of love described here. It's incredibly hard to articulate but the lyrics of this song speak it so clearly and never fails to touch my heart.

It's the type of love only time can mould and inspire. The kind which supersedes death, separation & hardship. The kind of epic love stories and deep but quiet relationships are made of. The kind shared by an elderly couple or tragic young lovers.

It's the kind of love I should be so lucky to have one day...with time, age, wisdom and a deeply intimate partnership with the one I love and who loves me.

I've got you under my skin...

Holy cow. I think I just about spent the most lavish amount of money on my skin EVER. I decided it was about high time I treated myself to a facial. So off I went after work to Amore Pacific down the street. An hour and a half later, I walk out with glowing skin and a hole in my pocket from what I consider an obscene amount of money on my face.

Walking back home, I try to justify my indulgent purchase. 2 products & 1 facial treatment and my credit card is crying from the burn. I'm sure gonna feel it this next month...But I was thoroughly impressed by the impeccable service and quality of products. It better be, for what I just paid! I also remembered something my mum once told me: "You only have one face, so you better take good care of it" And with that, I decided recently that I will take better care of my skin. I realise youthful skin doesn't come to the lazy or complacent and once the damage is done - its done for good. Unless of course, you have no qualms spending even more obscene amounts of money to fix it later.

Good quality products go a long way. My mum used to always advocate spending a little more to keep your skin looking flawless and well-maintained. My mother had AMAZING skin - right till the end mind you, despite her illness. She always encouraged me to have facials once a month, always moisturize and use eye cream. She was the 1st person to introduce me to a proper skin care regime (cleanse, tone & moisturize!) along with a starter kit from Clinique at the age of 16.

Having facials once a month is a little out of my budget these days but I do try to maintain a good routine. I'm no product snob - I use drugstore brands as well as Japanese and other more professional/higher end products. I'm a big fan of Asian brands because I feel they target my skin better than generic products :) Although as I get older, I feel the need to invest a little more in the professional brands which come with much more extensive and advanced R&D.

Whatever your skin type - remember that you only have 1 face so the best thing to do is understand your skin's needs and be proactive about taking preventive measures rather than dealing with your skin issues later. So with a large hole in my wallet, here's looking forward to glowing skin :)

Fashion Week begins!

The end of Summer is commemorated by NY Fashion Week and to begin the festivities: Anna Wintour's brain child - Fashion's Night Out. A celebration of fashion where brands and retailers all over the world in fabulous cities come together to encourage shopping :)

Being fortunate enough to live in the ultimate city of fashion and work in the heart of a fashionable neighbourhood, I strolled the streets after work with some friends and checked out the festivities which involved freebies, appys, lotsa cocktails and champagne and apparently celebrities - which I was completely oblivious to :P Boo. I think I left Tory Burch a few minutes after Russell Simmons arrived. I missed Anna Wintour at Bloomingdales and I did see the crazy line-up at Bathing Ape which must've had some sort of celebrity (it was Kid Cuddi - WHO?)

Of course, I was also following the tons of live play-by-play tweets as I roamed the streets. But an early day of work the next day prompted me to retire early and head on home at 9pm. I do hope this is repeated every year - it seemed like a great success and apparently Jason Wu alone, moved about $30,000 of merchandise so I hope it did the retail scene a little good this slow back-to-school/fall buying season.

It's a Friday night, I'm exhausted from work and chilling at home with Willi and am in dire need of catching up on NYFW's first shows & my September books, doing my laundry and general apartment cleaning/tidying up.

Ah...it's nice to be home :) Happy Housekeeping!

Always listen to your mother/grandmother

You know how your mom or grandma used to tell you to never go to bed with wet/damp hair because it will give you a headache? Well, shame on me. Always listen to your mom/grandma - their advice/old wives' tales may sounds ridiculous and totally unscientific but there's always some truth in it.

I know she must be laughing at me right about now :P

Say hello to Willi

Meet my new roomie: Willi, an Abyssinian guinea pig. He's a gift from Jordan to keep me company while he's away. We adopted him from a Columbia med student who named him after Prader-Willi Syndrome. He's slowly but surely getting used to his new home and me. He loves wheatgrass and tons of veggies and Timothy hay. He loves cuddles too but still get nervous every now and then. I look forward to lotsa bonding time! :) *wheek*

NEW UPDATE: Willi's actually a girl! :D Willamina then? :P hahahaha....It's an honest mistake! But I was told it was a HE! :P

Walk this Way

This weekend I get the opportunity to be part of a wedding party and lo and behold, a dance routine is in store. I just hope we can look as cool as this! :)

Congratulations to my good friend, E & her man! See you in LA this weekend!

Philly

Our weekend away from Manhattan left us hot & bothered but it was a pleasant time exploring a new city with my better half. Philly reminds me much of Boston, colonial and old with tons of heritage & history. We ate well, slept well and enjoyed each others company. Highlights included an amazing omakase meal at Morimoto, a spectacular lightning & thunderstorm viewed right from our waterfront hotel room, savouring Philly cheesesteaks for the 1st time and an insanely comfy hotel bed.

I miss you already. Thank you for an amazing month and for being more than anything I could ever ask for.

I'm way behind on blogging about things that have surfaced in the past week or so. Namely 1 extended weekend in Philly but I had to write this as soon as I could or else I burst of excitement and glee. I just got back from a lovely luncheon with my man and he presented me with a divine surprise.
As a result, I've been rendered completely unproductive at work. *GRIN*
THANK YOU my love!!!

Highlights of The Highline

The Highline

A fairly new addition to NYC's parks. Take a stroll above the fray from the pedestrians and traffic and settle in Meatpacking for a lovely meal. That's what we did :)

Summers are spent...

Eating lovingly-made tapas courtesy of my man :)

Online shopping resulting in a newly purchased wall clock...

And brunching on weekends with my favourite person in the sunshine.

How we do love to brunch! :)

Happy Summer everyone! I do hope yours is as lovely as mine

He's home...

Just for a while...but its more than welcomed all the same.

It's good to have you back, babe.

Simple pleasures

After a great spinning class, I made myself a piping hot bowl of homemade comfort. Ground pork porridge (aka congee) with scallions, garlic and fried shallots. YUM! A perfect end to the day, without compromising my good workout! :D I'll consider making this more often. As a child, porridge was always seen as a meal taken when I'm sick. But as I get older, my appreciation for a good piping hot bowl of porridge is greatly appreciated!

The secret - use old rice! And I like to season the meat before cooking and throw in the rice after the meat is half cooked so the juices will soak into the porridge, rendering it tasty! :) And my favourite toppings? Scallion and a must-have, deep fried onions straight from the motherland!

Healthy and happy me! :D

Splatchy

So I went to CVS and on a whim decided to check out a self spray tanner. Lo and behold, my 1st attempt was splotchy and patchy. Hahaha..so much for spray tanning in the bathroom...Time to exfoliate!!! :D And perhaps next time I'll opt to go for a moisturizing cream-type or just go pro ;)

Either that, or I'll simply embrace my porcelain pale complexion.. :P

Home Sweet Home

Ah, its good to have some quiet time. It's been a busy the past few weeks and I'm finally

alone in my apartment and I'm enjoying it.

A little packing, organizing, cleaning and pottering around the apartment is something I never thought I'd enjoy. Ha! But look at me now! Surfing Crate & Barrel, West Elm and Etsy.com for cute pieces I can add to my new home

and apartmenttherapy.com for decorating inspiration.

Lazing my Saturday morning away with a hot cup of "teh tarik", with

Dog Whisperer on the telly PERFECT!

Here are some snippets of my work-in-progress pad:

*yum*

Remember Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift? Well they're playing re-runs of it on TNT in HD tonight and this is guy appears for like 5 secs in the movie...

Meet Satoshi Tsumabuki.

YUMMEEEE...

I really need to stop

shopping...Perhaps after Woodbury Common, I've gotten a little carried away with my recent purchases.

Fab coral wedges from 80%20 on sale and today, half off a Foley + Corinna Mid City Tote...What's a girl to do??? It seems Summer in the City is ridden with unbelievable sales. ARGH. Time to put away the credit card.

Fallen Princesses

In recent events with Iran, I came across Dina Goldstein's photography from A Cup of Jo and this marvelous set of photographs, here's a preview:

Woodbury Common Run #1

Two fifth's of the Lee clan are staying with me and we decide to hop into a zipcar and drive to Central Valley, NY - home of the famed Woodbury Common - designer factory outlet mecca! We clearly did not estimate our time correctly and ended up forgoing several stores but that always means we'll be back again. Nevertheless, we did quite well for ourselves.

Woodbury Common is quite overwhelming - with hundreds of stores both high-end designer like Chanel, Dior, Balenciaga etc to Chelsea Premium Outlet regulars like Banana Republic, GAP, Nine West etc. We planned a strategy of attack and at the end of the day, we did pretty very well for ourselves and scored awesome deals.

The highlight? A fabulous pair of DVF peep-toe patent pumps from Saks Off Fifth (with additional 30% off thanks to the VIP coupon book! SCORE!) - and they make me smile when I wear them & actually are quite comfortable.

I'm looking forward to my next trip there already! Thanksgiving sale perhaps?? *wink*

The Graduate

He did it! The Sloanie is offcially a grad. And this photo says it all.

Well done babe!

Spent our last weekend in Boston together with the Lee Clan and did the sights & sounds of New England. Namely, Essex, Gloucester & Rockport. Fried clams, sun, sand and sea and tons of jumping shots.

Congratulations J! I'm so proud of you. xxx.

my boyfriend's back

hey-yah hey-yah! my boyfriend's back!

e-shopping.com

So ever since I started working full-time, my hours aren't quite 9-5. I spend alot of time at work and realise I have very little time left for myself. As a result, laundry gets piled up, the apartment gets messy and cluttered, my legs remain fuzzy and my hair overgrown. Which leaves no room for frivolous shopping of course. No room whatsoever. In fact, I actually have to make time to go shopping. Even grocery/supplies shopping.

Thankfully, stores open late in Manhattan, even on weekdays and there's always the internet. Recently, I made several big purchases online because I simply didn't have the time to buy it in-store. Having moved into a bigger, better space - I needed a 2nd air conditioner and, much to my father's insistence - a bigger tv. So I bought them online via Amazon.com and Bestbuy.com respectively and am awaiting their deliveries this week. Whilst perusing Amazon.com, I also invested in a small safe and found some great photo frames for cheap! Click add to cart and I was ready to checkout :D How easy!

I am still in need of a sofa and unfortunately, IKEA doesn't let you buy sofas online. However, upon looking at my fairly empty apartment, I feel inspired to make sure this cosy abode will make my mother proud. Hence, I spent a great deal of last night in bed browsing www.apartmenttherapy.com and getting plenty of good ideas for small spaces and decluttering tactics. Clutter seems to be my biggest problem as my dad pointed out to me this weekend. I must somehow overcome it.

So, off to IKEA I go this weekend, as well as other cool websites and thrift stores with eclectic housewares. I intend to do all of this on a decent budget and come out with a fabulously decorated apartment. And then, photos will follow to document my interior decorating work-in-progress project :)

The one thing I can't seem to get away from...

The Harajuku Lovers Label has FAB shoes. I found this delicious fact @ DSW and my girlfriend and I tried on these lovelies and I'm smitten! I'm sheepish to buy them because over the weekend, I already purchased 2 pairs of shoes... :S Yeah, I just might have a problem...I can't say no to a gorgeous pair of shoes. Bags, clothes, jewelry - I can pass them by...but a FAB pair like these? It was so hard. Plus, they are comfortable! Sigh...should I???

My Memorial-able Long Weekend

I'm tired from a bustling long weekend of running around the city, spending quality time with family. Much to my delight, this means the following:

Dining at restaurants I simply cannot afford

Seeing a fabulous Broadway show

Sightseeing in the city I've resided in for almost 2 years

More eating

Shopping at places I cannot afford

But the most important, spending quality time with the 2 men in my family

What could be better than that? :)

And then, there's this:

Arguably the best photo all weekend. Elmo & Cookie Monster lost in Times Square. LOL!!!

My Everything

And you play it coy but it's kinda cute. Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do. Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.'cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times. It's you, it's you, you make me sing. You're every line, you're every word, you're everything...
...And I get to kiss you baby just because I can. Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through, And you know that's what our love can do.

I'm thinking of you, Mum.

Happy Mother's Day Mum. I miss you & love you very much.

Moved in

I'm sitting by the window (I have windows! YES!) in my new apartment's kitchen, trying to hook onto any free wireless internet until my cable guy comes on Thursday. Thanks to some very good movers, a very sweet significant other and so much more space - I am happily moved into my new pad, boxes and all.

I'm pleased to announce that I've got more than double the room that I used to have in my tiny studio on the ground floor. I'm in a doorman building, with a live-in super, on the 10th floor with more than 1 window. J and I slept so well on my 1st night here - there were no slamming doors, no sounds of people walking in and out of the building, no construction, just peace & quiet and pigeons that come visit my window sill every once in a while.

I can walk between rooms, to get to the kitchen. I have more than enough closet space (for now..) and I am actually in need of more furniture! Namely, a sofa! The apartment is work in progress for now, so no photos until its actually complete and pretty enough to show the world. But if I can I will definitely do a before and after post as recommended by J. I think I did good this time! :D YAY!!!

Boxes...Packing...more boxes...

I've picked up my keys and I'm surrounded by moving boxes big & small. Woah. It's hard to believe so much of my life fits in all of this cardboard and I'm not even done yet. Eeeps. Move day is Saturday! Gotta hustle! :D

Bathing it old school!

im a rubber duckie
Originally uploaded by rizalgeo

So over the weekend when J arrived, my shower decided to die on me. For some reason, it won't divert the water from the spout to the shower head and so we end up bathing old school style with a pail.

Hahahaha!! Its been a long time since I sat down in the shower with a pail to wash my hair and it sure brought back some old memories! :D Hope you had fun too babe! I promise it'll be fixed next week when you come over :p

Let me see if I can stay away from H&M tomorrow

Matthew Williamson's capsule collection for H&M is available starting tomorrow at select New York locations. Thankfully, none of the Soho stores will feature this vibrant collection which means less likely a detour for me.

For those of you who aren't trying desperately to save money, go splurge at the following locations: 34th & Broadway, 51st & 5th and 59th & Lexington. Happy shopping while stocks last!

Once you find it...Buy it!

So after a long day at work and amidst the torrential downpour, I popped next door to Old Navy to see if I could pick up some of my favourite sheer long sleeve tshirts. I couldn't find them, partly because it was a winter basic and its spring now. Though our weather today wasn't indicative of spring-time warmth. So I browsed and saw that they were having a swimsuit sale.

I've always liked Old Navy swimsuits. They're affordable, cute and fit me to a tee. Most of my swimsuits/bikinis are from Old Navy, often bought on sale prior to Summer. (Smart eh?) Recently, I've developed an attraction to one-piece swimsuits. Partly because my figure isn't exactly 6 pack, toned abs but also because its so chic and subtly sexy, when you have cut outs and plunges in the right areas. I purchased my first one-piece from Old Navy about 2 years ago - it was cute: navy, white & blood orange, geometric graphic prints, in a retro boy shorts cut. Sported it in Cape Cod and in Mexico!

Today, my attention turned to 2 distinct pieces: A sexy, sleek black deep plunge halter, with ruching and a racy, brown & white zebra print deep V cut out one piece with a brass ring between the bust. I peeled off my layers of clothes and slipped these 2 on and fell in love. Damn did I look good! :D All for the price of $20 a pop. SCORE!

Can't wait to hit the beach again and bring these sexies out! RAWR!

I GOT IT!

So, after a couple of anxiety episodes, many miles of walking to see apartments, hand shaking with brokers and doormen, trawling craigslist, nytimes and other real estate rental websites, I've found my new home for the next 12months. It's about 2 blocks away from my current apartment but probably triple the size.

Thanks to the economy and lowered rent, I've managed to find and my broker negotiated a great deal on a beautiful 1 bedroom apartment with all the amenities I desire and so much more! A doorman, a regular sized fridge, plenty of windows, air-conditioning, laundry (a luxury in Manhattan apartments btw), elevator, an oven and an extra bonus, a concierge/doorman! :)

So I will be signing the lease next week and hopefully I'll get the keys soon!!

In the meantime, I gotta arrange for movers, pack my tiny studio and perhaps shop for new furniture, namely a sofa/sofabed to fill my new, HUGE space!! IKEA? Crate & Barrel? CB2? Where to begin?? :D Wheee!!! So EXCITING!!!

Anthropologie in Canada!

It was only a matter of time when this eclectic chain would come to Canada. Its urban sister, Urban Outfitters has already entered the malls and streets of Canada and I'm pleased to hear that Anthropologie will open its doors in Toronto on April 22 at Don Mills and then in West Edmonton Mall in May and Yorkville in July. Eventually, I'm hoping to see stores in Vancouver!

Apartment Hunting

Sitting down with a glass of milk and $1 ginger cookie picked up from the Farmer's market on a Friday night, with House playing in the background.

I've begun my search for the next apartment again - it seems its a very New Yorker thing to do: be on the constant lookout for the next best apartment. I've decided I've outgrown my tiny shoe box pad and I'm moving onto greener pastures now that I have a job. Also in my favour, rent prices in Manhattan have come down a lot so bigger place for the same amount of money is definitely an advantage! :)

Off hunting I go! Wish me luck, I'm running outta time and still need to pack & arrange movers!! ACK!

Not too shabby for a Singaporean Government ad

I must...

I must profess my love for Uniqlo again. Being back in the workforce in Soho allows me to peruse the store at my leisure. Recently, they're having this amazing jean sale - $49.90 for 2 pairs with free alterations of course. So I picked up a pair of skinnies (which closely resemble J brand's) and a pair of straight legs (the season's hot boyfriend style)! I simply couldn't resist :) Uniqlo is awesome for basics - the other day, it was absurdly cold in the office and I wasn't dressed for chills - I popped over and bought a merino wool cardi in baby blue for $19.90! How convenient! My mecca for basics!

PS: for all you Singaporeans out there, you're getting a Uniqlo of your own too!