Saturday, August 30, 2008

Buyer's Remorse?

Buying things online has always given me that thrill and satisfaction. But not all my shopping experiences have been smooth.

I've experienced non-received items twice, and on both occasions, I bought from livejournal users. I must have lost a total of UD$50. Then, I wasn't aware that I could open a dispute with the seller on Paypal. Should I have known it, I might have been able to get back that $50. This is unarguably a blunder on my part.

This brings me to think about all the kawaii I've bought over time. I'm beginning to have some buyer's remorse, because my recent craze for tokidoki is still very fresh and is getting increasingly overwhelming. I'm constantly having these thoughts; if only I hadn't bought this or that, I'll have more than enough funds to buy two more tokidoki bags! But then again, there's no guarantee in the years to come that I would not have buyer's remorse over the current tokidokis I have!

Even with so many material wants, I'm determined not to resort to Debt consolidation when I start working. Money is useful, but it should never become our master. But if you find yourself in a tight financial situation, perhaps you may want to refer to established sources for Debt help and Debt relief.

For_opportunities

Strive to live debt free!

Sponsored by Bills.com

Miss Braches Inc. - Absolutely Chic!

I'm utterly captivated by these stylish outfits found in Miss Brache's shop. If I'm not so fat, I might have gotten the Mod Jumper Dress a long time ago. :P That dress is to die for! But with my body size, I doubt I'll look good in any of these gorgeous pieces. T-T

Chocolate! Cheese! Cake! Why on earth were you created???!!! *wails~*

Are your finances under control?

I've taken the Bills IQ test. My score is 93% A. This quiz is actually not relevant for me because I'm still studying, and I have not started work. So what I did was to select answers that I would like to follow in the future.

Have you started any Debt consolidation? It means paying off all your existing loans and debts with a new loan. If so, you are in need of Debt relief and Debt help.

On BillsIQ, there are questions about saving for each month. My ideal call would be about 10% or more. This may seem a bit too idealistic, but if I reduce my retail expenditures on unneccessary items, I might be able to acheive that.

Managing one's finances should start from young, as my dad had taught us. From little details such as setting a budget for one's monthly expenses and keeping records of expenditures, one will be able to set a clear picture of one's finance management and do some positive changes if required. Practice of good bill management is also important. Up to date, I confess I've delayed my rental and bill payments for our appartment a few times. It's not because of shortage. It is due to my hectic schedule that I forgot to pay on time. Not only did this make me feel irresponsible when I realized it, it should never become a habit.

So, take the quiz and find out about more about your personal financial control.

Sponsored by Bills.com

Ele... Ele... Elephant!


I've always love those cute little elephants on Etsy. I wish to have that jazzy little pencil pouch with all those teenee little phanties all over it. *drools*

That aside, this weekend will be a relaxed one. Although I have the attachment log book to fill in, there is no class test the coming week. I shall kick back, perhaps take out my craft supplies and do something. :P I haven't crafted for so long.

Great American Seafood Cook-Off 2008

Seafood makes fabulous cuisine, provided they are freshly obtained and prepared immediately. In my hometown, Sibu, there's this Chinese restaurant that serves stir-fried black pepper crabs. Once, my family ordered this particular dish when we went for dinner there. We were not disappointed. Instead, we were finally enlightened as to why the restuarant is always fully seated, throughout 7 days of the week. The crabs are caught in the morning, and sent to the restaurant in the afternoon, so that they can be served when the customers flock in by night. This ensured the completeness of taste of the dish. Freshness of ingredients is vital, and so is the method of preparing as well as seasoning. The chef must be oozing skill and expertise.

Which brings us to www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookoff.com/. The Great American Seafood cook off is a prestigious competition whereby chefs from all over America competes with a seafood dish that can be easily recreated at home. 5 finalists have been chosen, and you may vote for your favourite recipe on the website.

My favourite will have to be Louisiana Shrimp and Andouille Cassoulet by Chef Brian Landry. The recipe is a healthy combination of seafood, herbs and vegetables. With tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and parmesan cheese, I believe the shrimp and andouille sausage will taste heavenly. A bonus for this recipe; all ingredients can be easily obtained from your local supermarket.

Take a look at the 5 recipes, choose your favourite, and stand a chance to win a prize package consisting of a trip to New Orleans!

Sponsored by Lousiana Seafood

Slow Down ~

I got myself into trouble with sponsored post. Taken two opportunities for "US only", without first reading the requirements. T-T If you've taken sponsored posts before, you might have noticed that once an opportunity is taken, there's no way to cancel your reservation. I've submitted a help ticket though, but I still doubt reply will come soon.

I'll take this as a reminder that greed gets me nowhere. T-T

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Feeling Flirty?

Then flaunt your stuff with Extreme Style by VO5! If you're so good that you're among the top players with most points, you might just win yourself some cool VO5 products!

Do you have a favourite Hollywood pickup line? Or any quotes from movies that you remember well? I once stumbled onto this web page that listed quotes from several movies. I remembered one particularly - "May the force be with you".

I know, it's a totally geeky remark. But it's notoriority has gain it popularity. It'll be crazy to start off a conversation with that quote with someone new. But then again, wouldn't you like to find out how the opposite sex would react to your pickup line?


For more widgets please visit www.yourminis.com

Try out the Ultimate Flirting Championship! Win a Victory Hair if you can!

Sponsored by Extreme Style by VO5

Community Pharmacy Attachment Pt 2 + More Bag Addictions! + Cupcakes!

During the two days of the attachment, I learnt quite a lot. Before this, I took it lightly, what our lecturers told us about real life customers. While observing the store pharmacist at work, we witnessed for ourselves, all forms of character each customer had.

These are true observations, people.

One lady came in, headed straight for the pharmacy counter, and said, "I want the cough syrup, for child one. The box yellow colour one, got teddy bear in front one." I forgot what the pharmacist told her, but after some questioning, the lady was recommended another product. Even with an alternative, she kept saying, "But the teddy bear one very good wor. Not sleepy one." And so on.

Some time after this, a guy came shuffling to the counter, looked up, shifty-eyed at the pharmacist, and asked, "Do you sell sleeping pills?" She replied him, "No." He walked away, with a crest-fallen look. My friend said the pharmacist probably didn't want to give it to him because sleeping pills are potential suicidal agents if taken in large amounts. And the guy looked like a sorry soggy piece of pau down with depression, so maybe her guess was correct. I didn't bother checking up what the drug contents are, even though we have had the lecture on hypnotics and sedatives. *super lazy bum* I was thinking if the active ingredient causes addiction as well. *still dunno the answer*


Other than that, I was able to finally differentiate between class A, B and C drugs. I lost count of the number of times this was mentioned in workshops, tutorials and lectures. My slow brain can't fully register the difference, until Ms. Chin (the pharmacist) put it in simple words, as to what is what.

{ Corrected!!! So sorry for the mistake! }

Class B drugs - Pharmacists can only dispense these with a doctor's prescription.

Class C drugs - Pharmacist's items. Only pharmacists can dispense these, and it can be done without a written prescription from a doctor. Sales of these are recorded.

OTC - Sold over the counter. No prescriptions, no pharmacists, no records.

There are a lot more things learnt, but I don't want to bore you senseless with more useless information. :D

Recently, I've begun to take a liking to Roxy. Previously, I deemed it as a snob's utility to show off her I've-got-more-money-than-you-ness. I'm not sure if I'm turning into a snob. I hope I'm not. Am I? *uh-oh* After doing some searchings on eBay, I found out about Betsey Johnson. I fell instantly in love with these :

{ Taken from here }

Snob or not, one thing is for certain - my pockets will never be full again. T-T

Here's an Etsy version of cupcake goodies.


Cheesy Pickup Lines?

I came across this online flirting game called Extreme Style by VO5 on quite a number of blogs. Today, I finally got a chance to talk about it.

Flirting is actually not my thing. I'd rather go through a year without chocolate than start flirting with the opposite sex. And I admit, no one ever flirted with me, unless you count my doggy pawing at me as an act of flirting.

But after I created a character on the game, curiosity began to poke at me, asking, "What would a guy say to a girl when he flirts with her?" So, I googled, and found some really cheesy pickup lines.

Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?
This one got me laughing.

Take an ice cube to the bar, smash it, and say, "Now that I've broken the ice, lets talk"
This one is so lame that it made me laugh.

Hey...somebody farted. Let's get out of here.
I nearly fell out of my chair at this one!

Go on and try out your flirting prowess by participating in this Ultimate Flirting Championship! Create your own pickup lines by all means, and see what the opposite sex thinks of you. If you manage to attract him/her, you might just acheive Victory Hair! Have fun!


For more widgets please visit www.yourminis.com

If you find this interesting, grab the widget and post it on your blog!

Sponsored by Extreme Style by VO5

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Community Pharmacy Attachment + Starbucks Mooncakes

*Flops onto chair* Oh... I'm so SO tired the past two days.
I had my attachment at a Guardian Pharmacy. The attachment was set for us students to go in pairs.

Monday morning, at 7.30am, took the train with KK to Masjid Jamek. Got a shock when we arrived at the Putra terminal. The place was jam-packed and there were two queue lines at each of the train entrance. @-@ First time taking the train at this hour mah. So, we queued at the furthest line at one end, just to have the train pass us by 7 times. All the people lining up in front of us got into the train, only sampai our turn - that took 7 trains. @.@ Imagine our wait.

Luckily, we arrived on time at 9am at The Great Eastern mall, off Jalan Ampang. Headed straight to the pharmacy.

We were introduced to the pharmacist/store manager, Ms. Chin. She's not super nice, but instead her professionalism, knowledge, experience, dedication to her profession and leadership earned our respect and awe instantly. And she's really sharp in noticing whether we truly understand something she said. *sweats* But once we got to know her, we found out that she's got a subtle sense of humour. :)

During our journey that morning, I was saying to KK that I would never consider the community setting for my work in the future. Sure very hectic de! Somemore, who wants to be selling medicines? *ppffffttt* I'd rather a cozy little shop selling zakka, handmade and etsy-style pretties any time.

After a day of listening to Ms. Chin's sharing and witnessing communication between her and the customers, I may have to eat my own words. ^-^" The community pharmacy is indeed a challeging setting. Yet, to be able to meet and talk to so many people present a satisfaction not unlike one of savouring Secret Recipe's Chocolate Indulgence after a month of abstinence from anything chocolate. bad analogy, but I can't think of a better one at the mo...

By the end of the first day, I was having these thoughts - I want to be like Ms. Chin! I want to know every medicinal product's name, active ingredient, use and how-to's! I want to be as professional as her!

Woah. A wonder, the power of influence one may have on another.

I'm very certain who my role model is now. :P

Yesterday, we went to Starbucks to get a slice of cheesecake for Ms. Chin, as an appreciation gift. I saw mooncakes! Ooh... Starbucks makes mooncakes meh?

{ Yes, they do! Lame monologue, I know... }

{ ♥ Berries Cheese ♥ Tiramisu ♥ }

Costed a bomb. I can almost hear my sis yelling at me - You can buy dis la? I cannot buy L'Oreal mascara lah!!?? she bought it anyway...

But I wanted to try ma. *bleh* Didn't know there were actually 4 flavours, until I read the leaflet insert when I got home. The other two is Green Tea Chocolate and Hazelnut Latte. Would have gotten all 4 if I knew earlier. But then, I only saw the cheese and tiramisu ones on display. *shrugs*

{ Can you taste the yumminess? Taunting you~ }

I like Berries Cheese. :) There's a distinctly pleasant hint of berries, and a sweet milky cheesy flair. Mmm.... As for Tiramisu, I don't know what to say. I don't quite like it. :( Coffee all the way, with a cheesy center. Not my cup of coffee thank you.

Big Bang keluar 3rd mini album liao!!! I waaaaaannnnt!!!!!!!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

JSR #.... (I Lost Count)...Bourbon Alfort Mini Caramel

Price : RM5

Weight : 67g (12 pieces)

Found : Erm... *can't remember the name* some grocer at Bangsar Village

{ No Engrish here. This is perfect English. :) }

{ Yes, this is the actual colour of the chocolate. }

Each piece is an assembly of milk chocolate and a wheaty biscuit underneath. The colour of the chocolate is very light - made me wonder if it is actually chocolate, or a something-like-chocolate with some brown colouring added in insufficient amounts. But the label stated 'cocoa mass' and 'cocoa powder'. *shrugs*

The taste was ok. Nothing to shout about. ^-^" Will not buy again if it's more than RM5. ^0^

Oh... You might remember my claim in a post some time ago, to not take anymore sponsored posts.

*prepares self for the outburst from readers*

Erm.... This material world contains too many temptations.... ^-^"

Well, I hope to at least compensate for that, with more frequent postings of kawaii and Japanese related stuff. I hope la.

Hmm... These few days asyik rain only. Makes me glum. Cannot go jogging. If go also I'll pose myself to the risk of slipping in mid-jog and breaking my back *or bruising my butt*. Even branded running shoes cannot withstand the rain-slick tracks covered in healthy green moss. T-T

Tomorrow, I'll be going for my attachment at a community pharmacy. I'm super unprepared for it. I have a bad feeling I'm going to mess up everything - lousy communication skills, apprehensive eye contact, most of the time sending wrong body signals *erm... like hostility and such*, words stumbling over one another when I open my mouth, static brain function in the presence of any medical discussion *which is why I'm passive in PBLs, driving my PBL mates crazy*.

Nevertheless, I'll try my best.

Would you save a life if you had the chance?

A few weeks back, my batchmates and I were shown a video on Parkinson's disease, to help us understand the symptoms present in affected patients. Halfway through the screening, I was trying not to break down and cry. This may seem a bit of an exagerated reaction to a video. But seeing each patient's helplessness in controlling his/her body movements (dyskinesia due to medication side effects), and slow initiation of voluntary movements, made me feel much more than just a little sorry for them.

Neurodegenerative disorders are treatable with medication, but not curable. Medicines can only do so much. They are able to slow down brain cells dying, but they cannot halt the process completely. Makes me wonder what more I can do as a pharmacist in the future, other than dispense medicines and counsel patients about such disorders.

C_elle_kit_image

{Click on the picture to view its full size }

This brings us to an alternative to drugs - stem cell technology. C'elle has done a research which shows existence of self-renewing stem cells in menstrual fluid. About the Science, such stem cells can be preserved and used in the future to grow specific required body cells, such as bone cells, skin cells, and possibly neurons too. This provides a medical breakthrough, whereby hope can be given to patients with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinsons, as well as other diseases like stroke and diabetes.

I do not doubt that health is your first priority in life. Sometimes, our journey in life may force us on to unexpected turns, with no turning-backs. Therefore, do think about investing in your personal future healthcare and well-being.

Watch C'elle Client Testimonial. Think of the number of deaths that can be prevented if more people knew about this stem cell option.

Sponsored by C'elle

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Sakae Sushi~

Yup. We went to Bangsar Village to get some sushi yesterday. :P Not because there's some special sushi there la. Just thought of the place, since I haven't been there before that. :)

{ yokie ~ Japanese pizza + chicken katsu }

First time eating at Sakae Sushi. Ooh.... And first time I see can order use computer one... XD So canggih. :D Previously, I've seen computer-orderings la, but done by the waiter/waitresses of the restaurant/cafe. Now the customer sendiri order use the computer. :D

The bonito flakes on the pizza actually MOVE. :o I was like a person-out-of-kampung - kept 'EEEEE!!!"-ing at the thing. -_-" I think Yokie was a bit irritated... ^o^

{ California temaki + tako yaki *yum!* + soft shell crab crepe*YUM!* + kakiage }

The fried veges (kakiage) so cheap. Threw away my careful watching of diet for the past weeks and stuffed my self with these yummy fat-laden crispy morsels.

{ Soft shell crab + salmon nigiri + roe sushi + soft shell crab makimono }

The fried soft shell crab really hit the spot. Deprived of anything fried these days, a bite of it nearly made me faint on the spot from ecstasy. Salmon nigiri and the roe sushi I didn't touch. I prefer my food well cooked and generously seasoned, thank you. :P

I think we ate too little, though by the last plate, we were already stuffed to the max. ^-^" To little, in the sense that tried too few dishes. I'll definitely go back for more. :P

That aside, I found out about this online boutique that sells chic wear. :) Check it out!

Oh, and I've meant to introduce this a long time ago. ^-^" Our BPharm senior (really senior - first batch student) had started a health blog, which he updates almost every day. The content is relevant for public read, and each article is well documented with reliable reference. Some articles site interesting studies, such as dementia prevention using statins and shrinking tumours with vitamin C.

Get your daily dose of health updates via Alan's Health Blog! :D

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

22nd~

Hah.... I'm happy today~ Much love to my friends, who made this day a joyful one. :) As always, I really feel I don't deserve such attention and love. I can be a really monotonous person at times, and so quiet that you won't notice I'm there. I hope to cheer up and become a better friend from now onwards... ♥

{ yokie ♥ Farah the pink girl ♥ Jui Jien ♥ }

They surprised me, with mini cupcakes from Wondermilk! :D

{ ♥ }

Thanks girls~! :)

=============================

Currently, I'm trying to hold myself in one piece. We're having a class test tomorrow - CNS (Central Nervous System). This module is the paling crazy mia. No words to describe the heaviness of it. T-T In spite of that, I can't seem to gather enough motivation to really concentrate and churn information into my brain. It's not because today's my birthday. The motivation-less-ness started days ago ady. Can't seem to gear myself up. T-T

This situation is a far cry from what I went through during the first 2 semesters. I started studying 2 weeks ahead of each class test, and made sure I have every scrap of fact imrpinted in my brain before I go for a class test.

Can't find that determination now. Am I aging? I mean, real fast aging? Are my brain cells dying from information overload?

Silly question, seeing that I'm studying CNS.

T-T

Friday, August 15, 2008

Sweet Roses + Interesting Day

{ Some beautiful roses found on Etsy }

Today, I went jogging as usual, after the last class in the afternoon.

I was halfway across the platform on the little hill, when I saw a tabby cat sitting nearby a drain. She was sitting so poised-ly, so I stopped, crouched and initiated a 'meow?'.

The tabby's reaction was; "PSSFFFTT!!!" - complete with teeth-baring. -_-"

Then, she jumped into the drain.

I walked quietly pass the drain, and peeked in to see where she went. And guess what I saw?

A litter of kitties!!! ZOMG. :D There were 3 or 4!!! The tabby was licking and licking each one of them. *dies from too much cuteness* That made my day. :P

After savouring this very cute scene, I continued on. Just to be called by an aunty sitting at the wooden bench of one of the many so-called picnic-sites.

I've seen this aunty quite a few times already at the park. On two occasions, when I jogged pass her, she commented, "Hmm... Slimmed down already ho?" in Mandarin. I just smiled. :P No, I'm still very fat, in case you're wondering. T-T

Today, she called me over and said, "Come, teman me talk for a while". In Mandarin of course. :P

She began by saying that she went for a medical check-up today, and was disconcerted by what the doctor told her. It was about weight issues. She seemed quite worried about her current body weight, and told me about her diet and lifestyle. I suppose it's because I'm quite on the heavy-and-big-sized side, that made her wanted to pour out her thoughts to me.

In turn, I related about my own weight problems. I suppose that was what she needed; someone who understands the difficulties she's facing, and to empathise with her. She even asked me if I took medication for slimming or if I went for any form of counseling. I told her no, and emphasized that medication is not the best solution for weight reduction *ceh... pharmacist in the making ah*. And added that it's good to 'come for walks regularly'.

After some more chatting, we parted, and I continued with my exercise routine.

This unexpected, but not unpleasant encounter made me realise that everyone needs good listeners to their worries. It's not easy to listen and show emphathy at the same time, especially if the listener has not experience similar problems. This, I hope, I'll learn to do better over the years to come. :)

Of Candylands, Octopi and Blue Birds

Ok... I feel I owe you all an explanation. T-T You must be wondering what the hell I was thinking, putting up posts on automobiles and number plates. T-T I started this blog, with a principal; which was to try not to post anything other than kawaii, handmades and crafts. Recently, the draw of the material world somewhat wavered the determination to keep to that initial principal. T-T I was quite happy to find some sponsored posts to keep the money coming in. And then an offer from an advertiser. Temptation won me over. T-T

After this, I hope to steel myself and not fall for such lures again. T-T From now on, you may safely anticipate full blasts of kitsch, chic, frou and kawaii!

{ 10% off everything till August 19th!!! }

As announced in the previous post, the shop is having a 10% off everything sale. :) I've listed a few new items. Have a look and get yourself some well-deserved candy. :P

To make up for the past few boring posts, here are some Etsy goodies for your eyes to feast on.

I'm fascinated by the awesome octopus and squid accessories found on Etsy. :P Been wanting an octopus necklace all along. :P

This set of blue bird jewelry really makes me drool. Beautiful, no?

==============================

Before going for this afternoon's class, let me share with you some new words I learnt this week :

Cha-pa-lang

Ke-len-tong *this is not new, but re-newed*

Oh-chi-ba-lah *this is not new either - just recalled it*

Thank you, Mr Cheah, for enriching my vocabulary with such colourful words. XD

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Northumbria Numbers - Private Number Plates, Personalised Car Registrations

I'm sure you've heard of cherished number plates for cars. Majority of us would certainly want to personalise our car number plate with the initials and numbers we prefer. Maybe not so much the desire. But then again, I'm sure I speak for the Chinese when I say we would not want anything to do with number 4 but everything to do with numbers 8, 6 and 9.

If you're thinking of migrating to the UK (maybe not anytime soon, but as a future plan), or you're already staying in the UK, you can search for your desired cherished number for your vehicle via Northumbria Numbers, a member of The Cherished Numbers Dealers Association (CNDA) in the UK.

There are apparently two searches available on the site; the prefix style and the current style. The search will be presented as a list of number/letter combination which are closest to the combination you keyed in. Once you decide on a number plate you like, you have the option of letting the site carry out the transfer administration and changing your vehicle documents into the registration for the new number, or buying the number but asking your local car dealer to set up the number once you purchase it from the site.

Northumbria Numbers also purchases from you if you have a quality private number to sell. All you have to do is submit the required information, and the site will handle all the paperwork for transfer and send you the agreed sum on the number.

Ohoho....

Erm.... You might have noticed the sponsored post right before this one. -_-" I'm currently at a desperate high to gain more monays. :P But then again, I still can't believe I resorted to posting about something totally unrelated to kawaii, handmades and such. -_-"

I wish to have Lynn Xuan's skilled writing of sponsored posts. :P

Ah...

Oh, yeah. :P I just updated my Etsy shop with a 10% off everything sale. Prices on the listings are not reduced. Please submit your order as usual, but wait for a revised invoice to be sent to you. :)

Happy shopping!

Buy handmade~!

Support indie~!

You won't be disappointed~!

You'll get addicted~!

StreetBeatCustoms.com - The Online Automotive Retailer

Though I know nothing about cars, except that they take me to where my legs can't, this description of Performance Chips from StreetBeatCustoms.com; "Chipping" a car is an easy way to make more horsepower and get better fuel mileage reliably ... makes perfect sense to me. Ever took a cab that goes faster than only a bicycle? You know what they need; performance chips for their vehicle!

StreetBeatCustoms offers customers the option to browse its stock of automotive parts according to the year their car was released, the car make (brand), and the car model. I find this a highly useful browsing tool to aid potential customers.

Monday, August 11, 2008

More tokidoki + The Cloudy Parade

Ok... So almost one week already no updates. T-T Oh... I was occupied... with stupid Pharmaceutics. T-T What's the point of hafaling the stupid Production and Process Control? *pfffttt* I mean, it's something we should practise la, come on. Why bully our brains into hafaling the stupid thing? *sheeeeesh*

Despite the gloom of forthcoming weeks; with a class test each to get us all grumpeh, irritated, stressed and depressed *yes, depressed*, I only have one thing on my mind now.

tokidoki. TOKIDOKI~~!!!!!!

The more I see, the more I want. Human nature. T-T Can never get enough one. *Bleh~*

Currently, I'm eyeing these watches :

{ tokidoki Blue Latte Watch - pics from and listing found here }

{ tokidoki Red Momo Watch - pics from and listing found here }

I was practically drooling over the all-over straps. Typical tokidoki print all over the straps. *I waaaant*

Well, there are actually tons of tokidoki stuff I want. ^-^"

{ Most wanted : Carnival Carezza, all-over shirts. The others, if you gimme, I will adore you forever. XD}

I mentioned a new line of bags by tokidoki in my previous post. This pic is too kawaii to pass, I just have to put it up here :

{ tokidoki Carnival - pic from shop.tokidoki.it }

It's really painful, to be dry of $$ at the moment. T-T Accumulating $$ has almost become an addiction. All I can think of these days is how to draw people to buy stuff from my Etsy shop. T-T At the moment, the shop is almost non-existent; I'm not promoting enough in forums and such so I guess there's not much traffic. To make being noticed more difficult, Etsy is sprouting more and more competition. T-T Argh....

In times like this, I wish to have one of these to wear :

Etsy has never failed to delight me. :P These necklaces are the kitsch-iest things you can find to go with your outfit. At $10-$20 each, they're quite worth the buy considering the amount of head-turnings you'll get when you don on one. :P

So, with a determination to make some sales but without a marketing strategy in mind T-T, I'm going to make some updates to my Etsy shop. This set of clouds will be listed. :)

{ The Cloudy Parade }

Made this during the last days of Sem 4 hols. It's actually a necklace - deep blue satin ribbon tied into a little bow, with a glass pebble/polymer clay charm dangling, and 4 felt cloud pin brooches pinned. It's the versatility of the pins that I like - take them off by all means, and have them up on your shirt or bags. :)

{ ♥ The Cloudy Parade ♥ }

{ Close-up of the charm - The surface is super smooth and shiny :D }

==============================

I'm super hating Sem 5. T-T No interest in any of the subjects. Especially Radiopharmacy. Particularly Radiopharmacy. Makes me puke each time I hear 'Radiopharmacy'. Like Tuan Chin said very accurately, 'xian ou' when she look at Applied Biopharmaceutics II. -_-"

Nuff said.

But the stoopeed Radiopharmacy project is really stoopeed la.

Ok.

Monday, August 4, 2008

tokidoki Ciao Ciao Trasporto~!!!!!

Wheee~!

Finally my tokidoki Ciao Ciao Trasporto has arrived safely! I bought this from eBay seller fashiondefinition together with the Ciao Vacanze. The smaller bag reached faster, within one week of purchasing, because the seller shipped by express mail. This bag arrived almost one month after the purchasing date. T-T

I'd even opened a Paypal dispute with this seller. We were at the point of processing the Final Value Fee, from which she will get funds to pay me for 'non-received item'. Luckily, the bag arrived before the process was completed. :) Otherwise, there'd be more transactions to go through; return the bag or return the refund.

So, on to the bag. It's seriously H-U-G-E. A bit bulky to wear, but still, I LOVE the print! Got so many characters... ♥

{ Mah 2nd bebeh~♥ }

{ ♥ ♥ ♥ }

{ Closeup of characters }

tokidoki is launching new bags with new prints!!! The new line of bags will be produced by the same manufacturer as LeSportsac's, just not under the brand. It's tokidoki as a brand by itself. :D There's a whole range of new styles for the bags.

{ Found on tokidoki freeforums }

Picture above is of bags with the Carnival print. It's totally cute! So sayang they don't make Ciao of Ciao Ciao like messenger bags anymore. T-T If I can, I'm gonna get me a Carezza. :P

For more info on tokidoki and its products, Tokidoki Blog and tokidokizens are two good blogs to have a look at. :)

Key Ingredient the Cooking Website

Since the start of online food websites, cooking has never been more convenient. Gone were the days of looking up a traditional recipe book and flipping through recipe cards. With just a few clicks, it is possible to find a reliable website that holds a collection of good recipes for just about anything, from desserts to single meals. Key Ingredient is one such online portal that holds a library of recipes posted by its members.

Key Ingredients allows users to search for recipes by name, ingredients or tags. It also provides a feature whereby users can browse through the latest recipes posted up onto the site's library. For each recipe posted, other users may rate it, or give comments, which I find useful, as these features serve as feedbacks from those who had tried out the recipe.

One other feature which I find interesting is the Grocery Shopping List. When I see a recipe I'd like to try out, I can add the ingredients needed to the Grocery List, and edit the list by removing any item that I don't need to buy. I can add any number of recipes to the List and the amount for each ingredient involved will be accumulated. To suit my preference, I can rearrange the order of the items on the List, and print it out. Totally handy!

Key Ingredient not only offers an inventory of recipes; it is also a place where cooking enthusiasts meet and make new contacts.

For a hassle-free cooking experience, sign up for free and become a member at Key Ingredient to enjoy all the features available!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Lil Sis + Patrick

Spent the weekend with my parents again. :) This is probably the last time I'll be walking around a shopping mall in KL with my lil sis. T-T She kena the TESL scholarship and is back *by the time I get this post up* in Sarawak to do the course. I'm so missing her already. T-T

{ The one person with whom I can be myself and who makes me laugh 24/7 }

Saturday morning, before heading for my sis's place with my mum, I had buffet breakfast at the hotel. I had it the last time, and was amazed by the spread they offered. I just had to have it again. :P

*I can never take good pics of food in their proper places T-T*

{ Just a portion of what I ate. :D The dim-sum sucks though *bwuerghhh* I didn't have it the last time, and thought I'd try it this time. *bwuerghhh*}

{ Lots of people were there, particularly Saudi Arabians. And you know why. :P }

So, after that, we went and helped the sis do some last cleaning up and packing.

I was overjoyed to see Patrick again. :P

{ This is Patrick. He is HUGE. And soft. And cuddly. And squeezabuhls. :D }

{ I like to plop onto his tummy~ }

I wanted to take a video of Patrick *though goodness knows what there is to take a video of -_-"*. But the session was repeatedly interrupted by the sis. -_-" Witness it yourself :



{ My mum was like What the hell la? Dis two girls memang siau. }

Then we walked around the Pyramid for a bit. Nothing much to relate here, just that we visited inQbox there. It was very small. The walls were exactly as I imagined - lined with square white open boxes like pigeon holes. And the things displayed, many of them were not handmade. :( A large portion looked like those cheap, can-get-anywhere accessories. :( I was a bit disappointed. But nevertheless, I'll still make a visit to the one in 1U. Hopefully, it'll be better than this. :(

{ Great view out of the hotel window... }

Had a camwhoring session with Patrick. He's very photogenic de. :D

{ ♥ I lub biu Patrick! ♥ :P Why I mata juling de... -__-"}

Then, we went for dinner, at Italiannies. :P Recommended it to my parents. :P My sis didn't join us because her friends wanted to eat the last dinner together with her. So, the 3 of us, with our small appetites, ordered 2 main dishes and 2 desserts only lah.

{ Carbonara + Pan Fried Fish and Angel Hair + Tiramisu + Creme Brulee }

Everything tasted great, except the pan fried fish dish. T-T The angel hair got no taste one, but the fish ok ok la. Carbonara was simply mm-mm. :D And the Creme Brulee *gasp* was totally awesome! :D The best custardy thing I've ever tasted! It just melted in the mouth....

Even with so few dishes, we couldn't finish them. T-T If I hadn't had my sis's hazelnut and chocolate cream pie that afternoon, I might be able to sapu the baki.

Well, after dinner, had another camwhoring session with Patrick.

{ Heesh sho cute~! ♥ ♥ ♥ }

And the camwhoring became more teruk. -_-"

{ Choo~♥ }

Love ya sis. Gonna miss you lots. *sobs*