Something leather, something lace.
Says who we cannot mix the two together?
Real leather and exquisite lace work wearables from Urban Outfitter.
2.55 Mon Bébé
Mon bébé Chanel 2.55 est arrivé; flown in straight from Paris.
J’aime. J’aime. J’aime.
Need I say more? 
The Chanel shopping bag came with a camellia
East-West meets bigger sister 2.55.
Nicely presented in the box.
Classic bag with gold chain.
Perfect.
Will take more snap shots of the 2.55 and the East-West bag soon.
Le Le Pot
I love my niece very very much.
Ate at Le Le pot at Tiong Bahru some two weeks ago. Simply made for my niece who we lovingly call Le Le too!
Le Le pot is opened by a Chinese celebrity. The eatery is decorated with walls of pictures of celebrities, framed in colourful Ikea frames. The air-conditioned place is also really clean and not smokey at all. I didn’t feel the urgent need to rush home to bath, unlike most other steamboat experience.
Dining in this steamboat place feels like you are eating at home. The service staff are friendly and smiley. A definite plus.
The steamboat buffet is really awesome. You can choose between the ala-carte version or buffet. I would recommend the buffet if you are dining for 5 or 6 (which is approx $25 per pax), and the ala-carte version if you are only eating for 2.
The buffet spread include prawns, chicken wings, mushrooms and poultry meat. Crab, sea cucumber, and cray fish are available at additional cost. All of which are presented in nice clean plates. Drinks are sold separately. Oh, and I love their desert! It is homemade ice jelly, or ice topped with durian, mango.
Evidently, I enjoyed stuffing myself to the brim at this cosy homely eatery.
Visit the Le Le Pot at Blk 58 Seng Poh Road #01-23 (opposite Tiong Bahru Market). Call to make reservations at 6222 9442. They can be rather crowded during weekends.
Verner Panton
On one of my girlies-date with my high-school friends, we visited the Verner Panton collection at the National Museum of Singapore.
It was an eye-opener.
Initially I thought, “Hey what a normal collection this is. They look like things we have seen before in artsy-fartsy deco stores.” That is till I read on the labels that these cool furniture were created in 1950s. What a dumb-ass I am.
Check out these retro-yet-futuristic-furniture that Panton created. (Click to enlarge).
Verner Panton is truly a visionary.
There after, my friends and I did some jumping outside the Big Cherry. Okay, I admit I instigated the crazy jumping act.
After a couple of shots, we decided we weren’t in sync, and decided to let the pro-in-jumping-shots take the photo.
We finally succeeded. =)
The Verner Panton gallery will be held till 12th July at the National Museum. I got in for free! Yay. Do check with the counter if you are eligible for their concessionary rates.
All part of growing up
As I’m going through the post-graduation-beginning-career stage in life, I begin to ponder about life and how my taste in fashion has transformed.
It was not long ago where I shed the awkward teenage years - of not knowing what I look good in - ugly hairdos, baggy tees, flare jeans, and chunky wedges that were large enough to kill a rat (I’m still amazed that I was able to run in those for 20 metres to catch a bus).
And right now, I’m changing my wardrobe from a largely tube tops and jeans combo to a feminine work dress and funky summer outfit closet. I’m still pretty much figuring out what suits my shape and what doesn’t cut it. What is my style, and what is fashion. But hey, even if this takes a couple of years to iron it out, it is still alright. I think everyone deserves the option of being well put together.
After a while, I realise dressing up is always fun. Fashion is dynamic. Subjecting to yourself to the latest trend is a big no-no, but injecting elements of the latest trend into your staples to complement your style, is a big yes. You can be flamboyant one day, and the next, subtle and sweet. All in your signature dress sense of course.
I still remember as a young child, I often sneered at my sister’s extravagant taste in fashion - I really preferred to be dressed in sloppy board shorts and big school tees - then to carry LVs or wear $100 plus shoes. And to buy anything more than SGD$50 was outrageous.
But time has changed, and age has helped me to appreciate my sister’s keen eyes in fashion. It really is not about buying branded goods, it is about investing in classic items that will age gracefully with you. 80% staples, 20% trends. It is also about comfort. Sometimes it does pay to spend a little more for the extra luxe touch - I rather not slip on a pair of $5 shoe, if it will cause my feet to break out in blisters.
Just like most women, I have come to love my Chanels, Tiffanys, LVs, Ferragamos, Tods, Louboutins, and Bottegas.
I know I can’t really score them all, and yes I do realise that it is really a matter of careful selection and learning the art of putting the pieces together tastefully make them work for you. Decking oneself out in branded or expensive goods from head to toe is crazy, it is fashion pornography.
Mix-and-match I would say, is something that I have learnt. Avoid looking too over-dressed or too under-dressed for any occasion. Pair a $10 dress with a $100 bag and you can look spectacular. Pair a $1000 dress with a $100 bag and you may look over-kill.
But at the end of the day, I’m now a great beliver of good classic pieces, vintage are a big come back anytime. And I am working my way on selectively acquiring those pieces that would still work magic 20 years from now. It is all about being a smart shopper.
Enough said, I’m awaiting the arrival of my leather boots, snake-skin print pumps, and (chuckle) my 2.55 to arrive.
Little girl has come a long way ehz?
Harper’s Island - Splash
Aaaaarrrrrghhh.. anguish. My favourite couple died on Harper’s island this week.
Episode 11:
Victim 1: Nikki Bolten. The biker chick. Died by being stabbed.
Victim 2: Shane Pierce. The townie. Died by being stabbed and hung.
Victim 3: Deputy Lillis. Slashed.
Victim 4: Cal Vendeusen. The outsider. Died by being stabbed.
Victim 5: Chloe Carter. The flirt. Committed suicide after seeing Cal died.
We have a killer, Wakefield, on the rampage. Could Jimmy be the long lost son of Wakefield? Or could this entire ordeal been orchestrated by Henry?
Alright folks, Danny and Sully has to go. Shea should go soon. As for Madison. I’m not sure if it’s right for a kid to die. Trish trish, your luck is running out.
I just wished they would have kept Cal and Chloe for an episode or two longer.
Would your fiance die for you?
Enjoy the ending song by Civil Twilight: Letters from the sky.
Sleep over
I had a sleep-over with my best girl friends from high school a week ago. Even though we are probably too old for gatherings such as that, we had a blast.
We played paintball (will upload the photos soon), did grocery shopping, cooked up a storm, and battled out in a 3-hour risk game.
I heart my girl friends - Bing, Min, and Ganny.
Here are the food that we cooked! My badly taken photos (plus unedited) with my lousy camera phone (yet again) do not really do justice to the food. Girlies forgive me.
Ganny’s soya - sauce chicken (only because I did not know where my mum placed the sesame oil).
Min’s pot of mixed mushroom. She does it so well.
Bing’s mah po tou fu. Definitely something I can attempt to cook!
Ganny’s baked asparagus with olive oil and pepper. So Mediterranean.
And my one and only dish - sambal stingray (baked, toasted, or steam - we had like 7 slices to cook in 30 min - my friends bullied me by making me the last to cook).
Supper on the other hand, was a very fun affair!
We made (from scratch) tung-yuan. If I had it my way, I would have just bought the ready made ones.
I felt like I was back in art class, and no, I failed miserably at the clay moulding module.
Making the tung-yuan from scratch. A mash of gooey dough. And Gan’s slim model fingers.
I know my friends heart me back too.
Bing and Gan combine effort. I still think dough-in-the-making smells horrid. But oh the love covers it all. Stop laughing my girlies.
Sorry about the yellowish photo. End result of my tung-yuan with filling. See, I told you I wanted to buy the pre-packed tung-yuans. There was a reason why. But, I had ton of fun.
And the 3 hour-risk game ended with a kamakazi move by me, and a back up plan by my ally, Bing, to try and eliminate Ganny. The strongest of us all though was Min, and she didn’t even know it. She was more interested in watching her tv show.
I heart my girlies very much.
Lisa Ekdahl - Slow knowing smile
Give me that slow knowing smile.
Swedish songwriter and singer Lisa Ekdahl, sure knows how to pull a string or two in my heart.
Compared to her previous work, her latest album is more upbeat, jazzy, and with a touch of romanticism. I love ALL the songs in the album (and that is rare).
I sorta feel like I’m back in the knee deep snow days, gazing at the greyish cloud, and looking at the flurries fall. Standing alone in the sparse city space, and laughing as the cold flakes melt on my icy face.
Hope was what I felt.
Warmth from that cup of hot chocolate was what I longed for.
Slow knowing smile.
And at the end, when I’m really cold, and had too much fun making imaginary snow angels. I know my Papa is waiting for me to pass me my pink mittens. And to give me a great bear hug.
Thanks Lisa.
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson passed away 2 days ago, on the 25th of June 2009. He was 50.
The entertainment arena stands still for a moment to remember the “King of Pop”.
I have always thought Jackson as the successor of Elvis Presley. They were both icons of their time. Great singers who did well in what they were born to do.
Despite his extreme physical changes (generating rumours that he suffered from skin cancer) and eccentric behaviours (hanging his son out of a hotel in Berlin), he still had a loyal fan following.
To be frank, I’m a big fan of his song “Heal the World”. I thought that out of all the songs he has sung, that song was the most meaningful of them all. It always puts a tear in my eye.
I was anticipating his “This is It” tour in London this coming July. Even though I have no luck flying there to watch the concert, I really wanted to read in the news about how great and successful his comeback was. I had hoped that after 4 years, he would have bounced back from his court trials and hopefully somehow erase off memories of his childhood abuse.
Like all great singers, even with his passing away, Jackson will continue to live on as a legend. His songs would be played and heard for a good many years to come.
May he finally find the peace he was looking for all his life. And with his dreams, may people be inspired by his songs.
The “King of Pop” will live on.