Friday, October 31, 2008

Teh Sweeteste Yumminuess Evah!

*Don't worry about the title. Just a sudden wish to do random spelling mistakes*

If you haven't heard of Strapya until now, may I rightfully suggest that you give yourself a bang on the forehead. XD

Ok, I feel the bump. :D So you wanna know? You really wanna know? Don't blame me if your housemate slaps you again on the head for screaming the place down. Or if you're overpowered by the urge to scrap your savings account empty after you see the images below.

*Dun dun DUH dun~*

{ All images are taken from Strapya.com }

{ Chocolates + Jam cookie + Japanese chocs + Strawberry parfait }

Straya is your online superstore supplying the coolest, hotest, most bizarre Japanese cellphone straps and accessories! From absolutely weird ghost radars to plain crazy sexy underwear bra cellphone straps, Strapya is set to wow you with its vast variety of Japanese eccentricity.

{ Almost too life-like muffins }

{ Fancy some cookies to hang on your phone? :D }

I for one am particularly in love with their selection of miniature food straps. If I had the money, I'd certainly see myself immersed in the wonder of desserts, cakes, doughnuts, cookies, ice creams and sushi. ^-^"

{ Ah... Doughnuts!!! }

{ Pretty yummies~ }

Have you broken that piggy bank yet? :D

Internet Marketing Tips

In the midst of crafting and creating, I'm sure most of you Etsy sellers do take time to promote your business through various forums and communities. One of the areas that I'm particularly curious about is, how do you increase chances of search engines displaying your website or shop link. Ryan Pitylak writes an internet marketing blog, on which I found an article concerning search engine optimization myths. I suggest taking a look at the brief yet informative article to learn the basis of search engine optimization. In addtion, the blog also provides useful information on relevant internet marketing tools such as pay per click advertising and e-mail marketing.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Repurposed Fabric Bags + Recycled Leather + Zakka Pouches

I'm forever fascinated by the creativity spilling from Etsy. Love these bags and pouches made from recycled clothes, jeans, produce sacks and even plastic bags!

Do mother earth a favour by supporting recycled and repurposed goods. Here's another material that can be re-used to make fabulous accessories. Leather!

Here's extra eye candy for you. Frame purses and pouches! Looking at these, I realise that fabric design and colour is all it needs to make you want that bag. ^-^"

The proven solution for fire protection

Most of the time I came across a news article about a building or shoplot being destroyed in a fire, I always wondered how a small source of fire, maybe a lighted match dropping on a pile of paper, could cause the whole building to burn down, even spreading to neighbouring buildings. My perception was that the fire could not have spread through cement and concrete. Only after reading about ways to fireproof construction did I begin to understand that fire normally spreads via electrical cables and PVC piping systems. Therefore, in order to minimize fire-induced damages to a contruction building or structure, it is important to equip it with passive fire protection. This means fireproofing the building's construction materials, which can be done using fireproof sealant for electric cables and pipes. Taking extra measures with steel fireproofing as well as using fire barrier sealant on walls and floors provide further protection.

Kbs_logo

KBS, an established company specializing in fire protection systems, has introduced an intumescent sealant which is suitable for use in all manufacturing facilities and buildings. This sealant can be applied to steel, aluminium, PVC pipes and electric cables, and is capable of retarding fire for up to two hours.

Protect your home with fireproofing and firestopping methods today with KBS's fire protection system.

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Peachy Cream Cheese Mousse

I've been craving for something rich and sweet again recently. The simplest way to satisfy it is to make something so quick that I won't even remember having made it. ^o^

{ Choo~ }

Well-creamed 250g softened cream cheese + 480g drained and pulped canned peaches in syrup + half cup of sugar + 2 tablespoons gelatin powder soaked in half cup water + about half cup of syrup from the peaches.

Cream the cheese well together with sugar, add the peaches, and the syrup bit by bit, making sure the mixture turns out smooth. Add the gelatin last. Pour everything into a large container, or into individual cups if you prefer. Set the mousse in the fridge for at least an hour.

I made a mistake *when have I not?* again with this self-created recipe. I dumped the cheese without creaming it into the peaches, syrup and sugar, and stirred, hoping the cheese will dissolve. It did, but because of water-fat incompatibility, the cheese remained as small lumps even after my manual hand-mixing that could have matched that of a high power electric cake mixer. -_-" Impatience does not reward.

Well, the mousse tasted good at least. ^-^"

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Home Insurance in Dallas Texas

As oblivious as I am about insurance policies, it is among the crucial aspects that one should consider when planning to own property. Therefore, be smart and search for a policy that fits your needs and provides adequate coverage without burning a hole in your pockets. If you have property in Dallas, visit and take a look at Dallas Home Insurance, which advises on how to find ways to save on your Home Insurance in Dallas. It also helps you determine the amount of coverage you need to meet the state law's requirements for property damage or loss as well as accidents that involve human injuries.

Yumminess~

Hehe... Just thought to share these uber yumminess with you. :P I have not touched my polymer clay for ages. T-T The hands are starting to itch again. AHHH!!! I must concentrate on EOS first....

T-T

Discount Printer Ink & Toner Supplies

I bought my own HP LasetJet P1006 printer in June this year, and it came with a half-full catridge. After only 3 months of printing lecture notes, I was left with an empty catridge. It really is quite scary to see how much paper a pharmacy student can use up for printing just a day's of powerpoint slides, let alone puzzle over how fast the printing ink seems to disappear.

Printer ink and toner can really eat up your expenses, especially if you do a lot of printing daily. Even if you don't need to use the printer every day, it is good to know that you can now purchase printer ink and toner supplies at up to 80% off retail prices via Inkjet Deals.

Not only does the website list online stores that sell discounted printer inks and toners, it also provides information about major printer brands such as HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark and Dell. In addition to that, there are also useful articles on how to save printer ink and troubleshoointg inkjet printers. If you've never bought a printer and you're planning to to so, I suggest taking a look at one of the articles that advises on what type of printer to buy so that it suits your needs and budget.

So the next time you're thinking of getting a PhotoSmart C7280 cyan C8771WN, or any other printer or printer supplies for that matter, hop over to Inkjet Deals to get discount codes.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Nothing's more beautiful than this song

Nope. No kawaii. Again.

^-^"

Just finished watching Soulmate. There was no satisfactory ending to the story. Instead, viewers have the choice to decide for themselves how they want the ending to be like.

Despite that, I must say it's one of the best Korean dramas I've watched. :) Heart-moving yet not a sob story. Never a boring moment, always with surprises and not a few funny scenes.

As always, I can't help being attracted to the drop-dead gorgeous lead actor. ^-^" So, searched him on youtube. And found this music video that he was in. Instantly fell in love with the song, the moment I heard the first note. The tune made me I feel like I'm in another world, all worries forgotten. The lyrics are absolutely touching. I found myself linking the ending of Soulmate to the song.

Been playing it over and over the whole night. ^-^" With Applied Biopharmaceutics forgotten. -_-"

{ The song is not as clear as how it should be. I have it up on the Imeem player on the left side bar :) }

Get your Rolex from Perpetual Diamonds!

Whether you are planning to give a Rolex to someone special this Christmas or thinking of treating yourself to a luxurious timepiece, check out Perpetual Diamonds for genuine and authentic Rolex watches that come with serial numbers. The store is an authorized independent dealer that offers Rolex watches at lower prices than what the manufacturers suggest for retail pricing. Apart from Rolex, the store also sells quality fine jewelry, watch dials and watch bezels.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Eyeing Chic Dresses

My brother's getting married end of this year. :) The wedding's been decided on since back in the stone age. -_-" It's supposed to be grand and all.

Bro's only 25 this year, and his girl 24. :) Both sides compliment one another too well. I'm just relieved that at least, my parents are in a state of intoxicated happiness and wouldn't be bothering me with hints to faster-find-someone for the time being. Well, not till the wedding's over at least. -_-"

My mum had asked me to search for a dress or two to wear to the church ceremony and for the wedding dinner. For a girl who's not worn a lot of dresses, apart from the school pinafores and the occasional Chinese New Year two-piece outfit with a skirt, I'm quite at lost of what sort of dress is appropriate for that big day.


{ Chic Dresses that I sort of like :P }

I'm thinking of doning on any one these styles. At traditional Chinese wedding dinners, most of the ladies will be wearing long gowns and such. I don't think I'm that old yet, but then again, I'm not at all comfortable with sleeveless numbers and full cocktail dresses. ^-^"

I really like those high-waisted dresses, especially those with a black dress and a top. Nice! :D

Shop Online Safely with buySAFE

With tokidoki standing as a brand by itself without collaboration with LeSportsac, it will be more difficult to find the new bags here in Malaysia. Not only that, unstable fuel prices only contribute to increase of the bag prices even if they do get to retail outlets here. Therefore, I prefer buying them online, specifically on ebay. However, with a single bag priced for an average of not less than $130, I've hesitated making a purchase many a time.

There are several factors that made me contemplate whether to proceed with an online purchase or not. More often than not, it is the fear that the the seller is not trustworthy, and I would end up not receiving my purchase. So far, I've encountered such an experience twice, and on both occasions, I had purchased from individuals on social networking forums.

Buysafe_350x400__2

To avoid falling victim to online identity theft and fraudulent merchants, I suggest taking a look at buySAFE shopping advisor. It is a free downloadable application, which you can display as a toolbar on your web browser. The advisor connects you with the safest online merchants when you click on 'safe shopping results' on the application, while providing ratings of such searches that include those of Google, Yahoo and ebay. You gain instant access to products from Bonded Merchants, who are exclusively inspected and monitored every day by buySAFE. You are automatically protected with a bond guarantee of up to $25,000 if you buy from a Bonded Merchant.

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Wishing to Escape My Mundane Life

AHHH!!! I'm sick of studying every single day!!!!

T-T

If not for the internet, I shudder to think what forms of entertainment I might have to resort to *read - sitting and staring into space* to keep insanity at bay during this absolutely depressing pre-exams preiod.

Currently, I'm watching this Korean drama called Soulmate. I like how the storyline never gets boring, and how events just come after one another in an unpredictable yet satisfying way. In addition, the songs that accompanied several scenes just pierced through my heart. Well, they grew immediately on me, and the neighbours might have been wondering the past few days what form of miscreation was croaking Lasse Lindh's C'mon Through tirelessly every night. -_-"

The drama is a must-watch for you drama-addicts out there! :D

P/S : A big thank your to Ciyou for awarding me the Butterfly Award. *blushes* You're one active crafty girl. :) Way to go!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

All-in-one shopping with Getprice!

With the current trend of online shopping, anyone can set up a shop, using an ecommerce host, on social networking websites and even on blogs. I admit to being one of those online shoppers who thrills in finding unique webpages that display attractive wares.

However, such one-to-one browsing can be time-consuming and by the end of the day, I might not get the product I that suits my needs best at the best price. Take the lcd tv for example. There are probably hundreds of models, with countless mind-boggling features, to choose from.

Shopping at GetPrice speeds up searches for consumer products. This Australian-based shopping comparison engine allows consumers to compare prices of products from over 350 merchants. I did a search under 'clothing & fashion', and was pleasntly surprised that YesStyle is one of the merchants. This signifies that GetPrice displays products from merchants worldwide that ship to Australia. The site also provides product reviews, merchant reviews, and interestingly, price history of a particular product. Apart from that, extra features of the site include daily buying tips for consumers and top tens of a specific type of product.

Craftiness + Kawaiiness Put On Hold

Yeah. I'm sure you have not failed to notice that there has recently been less and less posts that kawaii-fies you. T-T

Approximately two weeks ago, I was under great obbligation to imprint the contents of the entire blue section of the Pharmacology textbook into my brain cells. T-T After that 2 weeks of disastrous, seemingly non-progressive and non-effectiveness-of-making-me-remember-punya revision of CNS, I began going through voluminous chapters on thyroid glands & disorders, diabetes mellitus & pancreatic hormones, pituitary glands and whatever else glands yang ade lah. T-T

Today, I've just about finish half of the female reproductive system and ovarian hormones. I want to cry. Is there any way to forever remember all the teenee details? *whines* I don't wanna memorize the stupid unwanted effects and drug interactions. *whines somemore*

End-of-semester exams are getting scarily nearer. T-T

Hokay. I think I'll have to leave off posting handmades and kawaii. T-T Please bear with any strange or kawaii-unrelated posts that you may be seeing from now till end of November.

^-^

Thank you bunches~!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Stylish maternity clothes at great prices!

Fashion has not forgotten this special group of women; the pregnant mothers. Now, maternity clothes come in all designs to suit all style palates. Check out Kiki's Fashions for uniquely cute and trendy maternity clothes at discounted prices. The store also offers sexy plus size clothing and juniors clothing that is priced from as low as $9.99. Select from a wide range of styles as the inventory is constantly rotated to bring in new designs.

Shop with confidence as your online order and personal information is protected. International customers are welcome as Kiki's ship to most participating USPS countries.

Here are some of the current promotions at Kiki's Fashions :
Free shipping over $75 (coupon code: freeship)
20% Off your entire order (coupon code: BIGSAVING)

Both offers expires on 22nd October 2008.

Friday, October 17, 2008

tokidoki Carnival Carezza

I woke up early Wednesday morning. To bid on this tokidoki Carnival Carezza.

{ Front }

{ Back }

I really must learn the proper way of bidding. The secret to winning a listing. Some strategy to win that listing. T-T There had been no bidders for this bag, until the last 10 minutes. Seeing the reasonably cheap price at $135, when it's sold at $184 in retail, I thought it a good bargain. So, I confidently put my first bid. From past experiences, I know there will be lurking bidders, waiting to outbid the highest bidder at the last minute. I apprehensively refreshed at the '1 Click Bid'. I did this constantly, every 2 seconds till the last 10 seconds to end of the bid, and found that suddenly, there's a second bidder putting $137.50.

I knew this would happen, and I put my luck into speed at bidding $140. But when I submitted my bid, the lisitng had ended. T-T I was really really pissed off. T-T

This Carezza has the perfect placement of the Carnival print. T-T

I know it's really too much, wanting yet another tokidoki bag when I already have 2. ^-^" I can already hear suggestions thrown at me to save my bucks for something needed, or invest it in something useful. But let's put this as such; I have an obsession of collecting all tokidoki bags with the prints I like. :P

Bleh.

Find out who just called

Find out who just called you by using this free web service that allows searching of phone numbers; Who Just Called Here? . You can track the number, whether it is registered or not. By looking it up first on the site, you can decide whether it is a call that you need to make.

Branches are cool~

Branch-themed jewelry is the in thing surrently. I actually saw such a necklace in a boutique at Bangsar. The necklace is bronze and vintage, with a branch-shaped pendant that has a butterfly and acorns dangling from it. I was surprised to find it as I thought it would be a few years later that such a western style penetrates the Asian market. Looks like fashion is really a global thing. :P

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Talk Reviews

Just bought something from an online webshop recently and dying to share your experience with other online users? Found a good website offering photos- and files-uploading services that you would like to share? Want to let other people know about your experience with certain online social networking website?

Why not Write a Website Review? You can write reviews about top websites like Yahoo, Ebay, Craiglist, Youtube, Myspace and Google. Go on. Your opinion counts!

Squirrels, Teh Cuthe Sequel~

Besides owls, birds and elephants, squirrels are one of the hottest animal species in the fashion industry. Or should I say, the indie fashion scene. :) Popular products from what I could see on Etsy are Japanese cotton fabric with printed woodland animals on them, including the ever famous squirrel. :P

Have a squirrel in your jewelry box or drawer today. :P

Locate your area code

When shopping on ebay, you can check for the specific shipping cost for a particular item listed if you know your area code; that is if you live in the US. Besides assisting online shopping, knowing certain area codes also facilitate in providing information for potential US customers that may buy your products.

Find Area Codes of areas in the North America. Locate all 372 areas with just a click or two away.

Super Unlucky Day T-T

I'm currently using the uni's electronic lab. Was kicked out of class by the lecturer. Please don't feel alarmed yet. Let me tell the whole story.

This is the second week of the supposedly 'simulated' industrial training. We were actually to go to the real industrial pharmaceutical manufacturing plants to observe and experience the processes and regulations of manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

But due to circumstances that can't be helped, the whole plan was aborted and here we are, stucked in campus every day, forced to attend ultimately boring presentations and watch meaningless videos for hours on end.

Wonder why I sound so miserable about it? Our end-of-semester exams are closing in. And to think we have to spend whole mornings and whole afternoons sitting in the lecture theatres, with monotonous speeches droning on and on and on and on and on. I don't see the point of attending such unproductive sessions when I can revise for my EOS subjeects.

So what happened was, this morning, I went into class, opened the paper I brought with me, and began reading. I did this while some of my batchmates were presenting their PowerPoint slides in front of the theatre. But it wasn't as if I made a hurricane of flipping the pages. Well, all I can say if that I didn't realize the facilitator *lecturer* was watching the whole class from his position at the back of the theatre.

I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and then, "Can you please leave?"

The facilitator was standing behind me, and that was him asking the question - or more like ordering me to leave the lecture theatre. It's clearly due to my reading of the paper while someone's talking in front of the class.

So far in my entire uni life, I've never crossed any lines with rules and regulations, or troden across anyone's path. But I guess there's always a first.

T-T

I feel really bad at the moment. The facilitator is actually a very gentle and soft-spoken, round burly fatherly man. It might not have been so bad if he had shouted at me to throw the paper aside and pay attention. Instead, asking me to leave made me felt like being cast out from the class. I feel really lonely.

Shouldn't have taken that damn paper this morning. T-T

Get to know your family tree

Being an 80's baby, I take very little notice of my relative's whereabouts, unless we have played together as childhood friends. To get to know who your relatives are, where they live and most importantly, how they are related to you, try a genealogy search. Genealogists will try their best to trace back your family's history of birth certificates, registries and other genealogy documents to help construct your family tree.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

JSR #29 Konpeito (Kompeito)

I've seen these little sugary things posted up one several Japanese culture blogs and websites. So I decided to give it a try. I bought a packet for RM4+ from Bangsar Village.

{ Konpeito }

These are actually just little rock sugar clusters, shaped like stars, with a little food colouring added in some. I find them quite cute. :P

{ Konpeito ♥ crystal candies }

At the moment, the router at home is damaged. The connection's ok, but somehow my laptop just can't detect it. T-T Hence using of the uni's wireless. T-T

Delicious + Chocolate Coated Yummies + Two Bimbos

*Sigh*.... I really have no motivation to put my all into studying at the moment. T-T No matter how I hard I try to concentrate, I just can't. It's really beginning to scare me, because I have this thought that oh, I just need to pass the damn paper, that's all. I really don't care if I get an A or C. T-T Someone please wake me up.

After going through Rang, Ritter & Dale on AffectiveMood Disorders, I'm wondering if I'm having depression; unipolar depression. Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorder affecting the public. Emotional symptoms include misery, pessimism, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, indecisiveness and feelings of guilt or tendency to blame oneself for something that went wrong. I have all these symptoms, all the time. I'm not kidding. I've been feeling this way for as long as I can remember, since I . Except for those occasional days *just one a few days ago* that I felt exceptionally high. So instead of unipolar depression, I may be having bipolar disorder II, which manifests as dominance of depression with bouts of mania in between.

I wonder what I should do about this.

Well, I don't want to bore you further with details of my absolutely depressing life.

Let me share with you the deliciousness I tasted at Delicious in Bangsar Village :

{ yokie's Banoffee Pie with bananas & toffee }

{ My warm chocolate cake flooded with rich chocolate fudge sauce and topped with vanilla ice cream. And there I was, praising Secret Recipe's Chocolate Indulgence to the skies... ^-^" }

After that amazing sugar-loaded session, I reached home to make some more chocolate sweets.

{ Chocolate-peanut-butter-covered marshmallows + Chocolate peanut butter rice crispies clusters }

{ Nothing beats chocolate in giving me that sugar-high }

Chocolate works wonders. Even with self-diagnosed affective mood disorders. :P But the effects lasted for not more than 24 hours. I'm feeling down again today. T-T

I had fun yesterday though. The two girls yokie & chin2 came and made a ruckus at my teenee Vista appartment. -_-" Chin2 suddenly had this idea of displaying on herself all jewelry pieces found in one of my jewelry boxes.

{ My temporary model ♥ }

And then I made her do a pose like Superman :

{ You notice someone's butt there? XD }

After that, we went crazy with the Cinnamoroll patch I made ages ago. We tried sticking all over yokie.

{ Kawaii desu ne? ♥ }

{ This is the cutest pose ever! ♥ }

Yeah. Yesterday was a crazy day. ^o^ Witness the process of pre-craziness :

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Find Your Ideal Web Host

With the internet becoming the hub for e-commerce, social networking and online marketing, more and more people are able to connect with each other with just a click as a barrier. Having a domain or website of one's own is something that would have crossed every net user's mind at some point. But the difficult part of realizing that thought lies in searching for the ideal web hosting provider that suits your needs and budget. To start off the search, you can always refer to reliable articles about web hosting. From there, you will soon get the gist of it; the features you need and which web host provider best accomodates for them. This web hosting rating website provides information about categories of web hosts, including blog, forum, ecommerce and budget hosting.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

JSR #.... I really lost count... T-T

Today's a great day. Somehow, I felt quite happy. Dunno why. :P *lalalalalalalala*

Perhaps this is the after-effect of watching Big Bang's all natural interviews. XD I love the way Sueng Ri and Ji Yong talk at each other. *omg* So funny! :D

Oh, and I just came back from my friend's raya open house. :P I really must hand it to the girls la. They all cook amazingly yummy dishes. *drools* Eat 3 rounds also cannot didn't finish tasting all of them. :D

Hehe... Just some eye candy for the moment :

Lotte Airs Hamchimitsu Milk Choco + Milk Choco

Price : RM7.10 each

Weight : Didn't write (12 pieces)

Found : Isetan KLCC

{ Hachimitsu = honey }

{ Diseased chocolate -_-" }

Frankly, these two chocolates are the worst I've tasted amongst Japanese chocs. T-T Lagi lah with the white-ish fungus-like thingies covering the milk chocolate. T-T Those are actually some of the ingredients in the chocolate, leached out and crystallizing on the chocolate surface *if I'm not mistaken*. But still, they look absolutely gross. -_-"

G-Dragon Ji Yong!!! Sarang hae yo!!!!!!!

Shopping.com UK / Dealtime UK

Searching to break away from your normal shopping routine? Why not try Dealtime.co.uk, an ecommerce website that allows users to compare prices of consumer products available from different online shopping sites? Take the TomTom Rider for example. This is a portable GPS car navigation system. The search result for this product will bring you to an informative list of all models available on different websites. You can then choose those those you are interested in and compare prices. Additional search filters include price range of the item, location and special features. As, the company Shopping.com is an eBay company, it is well established and portrays a professional outlook which will aid you in ease of searching for what you need.

Try out online comparison shopping today. Grab the chance to find great deals and bargains.

G-Dragon = Have you ever seen a guy like him?

I'll be regretting for having rushed through antipsychotics and then switching to watching Big Bang on youtube tonight. T-T

Ah... But I'm getting flutters in the heart just listening to G-Dragon talk. ♥ ♥ ♥ And looking at him too. :P

Yeah, my love for Big Bang had just gotten iteself re-inforced these few days and becoming stronger than ever. Previously, I loved only their songs; didn't take much notice of the members. But then, my lil sis kept pestering me to go watch part 2 of Haru Haru, their new song in their 3rd mini album. Being the good sis that I am *ceh~*, I watched la. And from there, I was lead deeper and deeper in the realm of Big Bang!

Ok. So the main thing I want to talk about here is the leader in the group; G-Dragon. That's his stage-name. Real name is Kwon Ji Yong, 'Yong' meaning dragon in Korean. Gawd. Gotta love him. He composed and written lyrics for Big Bang's hit song Lies, and a score of other songs as well, including Haru Haru. He's got creativity alright, mad style and crazy fashion sense. LOVE his personality, his confidence, his ease and natural self on stage. OMG. Can't stop liking him. He's only 20 though. ♥ Lagi the reson to like him. XD

He's not your drop-dead gorgeous, handsome guy. He's the cute guy, the ever confident leader. And I love every bit of him. ♥

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Discount Coupons & Promotional Codes for Your Holiday Shopping

With Christmas just around the corner, it is high time to start scouting for gifts for family members and friends on your list. I'm happy to find a savings alert on fabulous handbags and apparel, because I'll most likely purchase these items for myself if not as gifts. Online discount coupons are great for your own shopping too.

Besides women's accessories, there are great deals and discounts from electronic and digital product makers too. Take HP for example. It is giving a $400-off web-only special offer coupon for purchase of a HP Pavilion Notebook PC. I've been using my Compaq Presario V3000 for almost 3 years, and I find that HP laptops really do work well with good efficiency.

If HP is not your cup of tea, perhaps you may want to take a look at Dell's range of computers. The giant electronic company is offering deals on monitors including the SE198WFP and the E248WFP models, as well as refurbished Studio™ 15 laptops. You're particularly lucky if you're living in Canada as you can save $100 on select Dell Canada Desktop and Laptop Systems when you spend over $899.

With so many special deals, you may be spoilt for choice. Have a look at some of the suggested shopping tips and gift ideas to help you make the most of your buck while getting the perfect gift for that particular someone.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Chocolate Truffle Fun~!

Yesterday, I was suddenly inspired to make chocolate truffles. :D Took the opportunity to get the required ingredients while I stocked up on groceries at Carrefour.

An advantage I had while making the truffles was that I've got a number of ceramic soup mugs *free from purchases of food stuff*. These are great for melting chocolate over hot water. :) And have a few types of chocolate to coat the truffles with at one time. :)

{ Rows of yumminess to fatten me up ♥ }

This was actually my first time making truffles. Learnt a few lessons. >.<

I made a few varieties. The first one consisted of finely crushed McVites' digestive biscuits, cream cheese spread *whole tub leftover from the carrot pancakes*, condensed milk and puffed rice. Except for a mistake I made, they tasted absolutely yummy~! Well, shouldn't have included the puffed rice with condensed milk present. The milk somewhat soaks into the puffs and took out their crunch, making them a little bloated with sogginess. T-T But still, the cream cheese and sweet-smelling biscuts made up for it. ^-^" Coated these with chocolate rice and cocoa powder.

The next truffle I made with melted Van Houten milk chocolate and Lady's Choice peanut butter, with Rice Krispies *the puffed rice*. This was was good, in terms of moldability and rice puffs's crispiness. :) And then I tried coating these with melted Toblerone white chocolate. *white made them into a gigantic ball*.

Then, I made yet another truffle with the left overs of milk chocolate and a little whipping cream. Added raisins. :P And topped these off with chocolate curls from my Marks & Spencer's cereal. XD

And finally, the last truffle was made with Hershey's milk chocolate chips. This one turned out a total failure after I added a tablespoon of condensed milk to it. The whole thing just acquired a plasticine-like consistency. So I rolled it out like a fondant, and cut out flower shapes. :P *Phew* Glad it didn't go to waste.

Had some of these wrapped into gifts. :)

It was fun making these. :P I know I should be poring over antipsychotics and psychotomimetics then, but I just couldn't help myself. ^-^"

{ I ♥ chocolate truffles }

Furniture for your space

Looking for furniture sets for a new home or office? Searching for unique individual pieces to fit in that look you want for your living room? Trying to find quirky bar stools to compliment that new bar corner you just set up?

Look no further. You can now search within a wide range of furniture. I did a search on the site for 'oak', and a complete list of available furniture sets and pieces with detailed photos. The website is easy to browse, with options such as colour, material, style and room for furniture for you to choose from. This allows you to refine your search to specific home office furniture, bedroom furniture, living room furniture, or any other types of furniture for that matter. Click on the set or piece that you want, and you will see the price list for each piece in a set. The great thing about purchasing from this website is that you get to choose whichever piece you want to include or remove from a set.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Carrot Cake Pancakes + Cream Cheese Sauce

I was getting ready for a great outting yesterday. Then, out of nowhere, I kena FFK. T-T Felt a little pissed off. *ya owe me an air ticket, girl!* Well, at least I did enjoy myself browsing through Kinokuniya's vast selection of Japanese craft books. Spent a good two hours there. :P

Before heading back home, I dropped by the supermarkets to get some ingredients for making Carrot Cake Pancakes.

{ Carrot cake pancakes with cooked apples and cream cheese sauce, sprinkled with raisins }

I had a large packet of cake flour left over after I made the Steamed Cheesecake. I figure I might as well give myself in to that constantly-there craving for sweet stuff that occasionally gets overpowering.

So, I made a load of pancakes, topped them off with butter-stir-fried cooked apples, and drizzle on homemade cream cheese sauce. It's weird how I couldn't taste the 2 cups of grated carrot I've put in the pancake batter. The recipe stated that there'll be a little crunch to the pancakes, but I didn't get the slightest nip of carrots. Perhaps it's because I grated the carrots too finely. ^-^"

Oh, and I did not follow the recipe strictly. I omitted quite a number of ingredients, including chopped pecans, ground ginger, nutmeg, sugar and vanilla extract.

{ Devilishly yummy pancake ♥ }

The 'homemade cream cheese sauce' was created from evaporated milk, light cream cheese spread, and wildflower honey. If there's a lesson learnt while making it, it's that cream cheese won't melt, no matter what you do to it. I tried standing it a pan of boiling water, but the cheese never budged a centimeter. In the end, I had to manually scrap the cheese against the bowl to get it to mix with the honey and milk.

After feasting on a couple of pancakes, I finished off today's lunch with a teenee bowl of Marks & Spencer's Triple Chocolate Crunch, which yokie introduced me :

{ Light & crunchy oat clusters with dark & white chocolate curls & Belgian milk chocolate pieces }

This is no health food. Though oat is clearly one of the ingredients, it constitutes only 36%. The rest is chocolate. Sinfully sweet, melty chocolate. *mmm....*

I can actually feel my tummy wobble a fraction of a second there.... T-T