:: the new word ::

Oh! Was watching Oprah the other day and I am totally inspired by the word

CLUTTER BUTT

Peter Walsh, who wrote
was on the show. He said how things, food, practically anything has 'power' over us and it wears us down.

Peter Walsh, the bestselling author of It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff, believes that the secret to successfully losing weight is to forget about calorie counting and weekly weigh-ins. Instead you need to focus on how, why, and where you eat. When it comes to clearing clutter (the fat in our homes) it isn't about the stuff itself, it's about the life you want to live. The same is true for losing weight: It's not about the pounds, it's about living the life you deserve in the body you want.

Using his expert techniques honed from years as a clutter expert and organizational consultant on TLC's Clean Sweep, Peter helps you address how the clutter in your kitchen, your pantry, and your home is directly related to the clutter on your body and negatively affects your ability to lead a full and healthy life. This book shows you how to clean up not just the spaces where you eat, but the routines around them: from planning meals and shopping to dinnertime rituals.

Peter knows all the pitfalls and all the excuses. In Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? he gives you the tools (and courage) you need to get over all your excuses, face the issues, and make the change to a better life.

This is not a diet book. This is a book about your life -- about creating the healthy life and body you have always imagined for yourself. Peter helps you kick the food-clutter habit forever. You have only one life. Start living it today.

As usual, he helped to 'clean up' a lucky family's house and it was so neat!
I am so inspired and I want this book!!

:: D.I.Y ::

I've been in an organising / clearing / throwing away old stuff mood :')

The past few weekends were spent in my room as I took things out, pondered over how long I've used or even seen something, whether to keep or throw. I've cleared away many things, reorganised as much as I can. I have 2 HUGE bagfuls of clothes that I am passing on to my granny's helpers clearing little corners of my room.

I even took the measurements of the 2 door cupboard so that I can buy some plastic containers to organise things in it properly. Unfortunately the ones that I like from Ikea are slightly too big (the door can't close fully after I put the plastic containers in), so I was happily sawing away 1 of the handles from the containers. Now my shoulders ache badly but my things are nicely organised in the cupboard and I have mini drawers :D I'm pretty happy!

Only bummer - I need to buy another 2 more containers as I was worried that the ones I bought don't fit and to be safe I only bought a few to test. Ah well ,think of the hotdog that I can eat when I'm there! haha...

I'm halfway into the clearing... more to do more to sort more to throw more to reorganise... I quite like such weekends, even if it's tiring at the end of the day, nothing bets an organised room! No scrap space yet, not planning to create one in my room anytime soon. I just want clean empty space! haha

Managed to scrap abit too...

hidden journalling


While, I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to not working tomorrow as I feel like I'm coming down with something :'( Hope I get over it soon!!! Lots of reports to write!

Have a great long weekend!

:: miss ::

image taken from this comic: http://xkcd.com/99/

Sudden pang of missing my friends who are aboard. Somehow just talking on msn seems so impersonal and it's no longer enough just to talk over the screen.

to Ming, Jane, Wendy... I miss hanging out with you all. My younger bro just asked me about Kyoto the other day and I said the owners left to go back to Japan :( It was such a fun hang out place for us, drinking sake by the cartons and the yumy food.

to Nat-chan whom I've not met in several years, now a mother of 2. I hope I can see you soon.

I miss the times when we hang out in your beatup VW van, your smiles, your delicious tamago and sushi, the jamming sessions.

:: my mind right now ::

My mind feels like a video player now.

Sounds, images, words, actions keep replaying in my head.

At the moment I'm trying to separate the surreal from reality...

the reality bites... quite painfully..

:: my brother the model ::

Did you read Today? Someone familiar was in the papers but for all the right reasons. My elder bro really do have a Masters (for some 'chim' financial/statistics related subject) under his belt. I guess if he ever gets out of job (which is hardly unlikely) after surviving a couple of bank retrenchments & the recent USA bank turmoils he can become a model... hahaha

image from: http://www.todayonline.com

I was just commenting to my SIL the other day about my family, that everyone seems to be on a constant learning journey. My elder bro is still studying, so is my younger bro for a finance qualification (although one is at the final level, while the other is at the 1st level) and me & quest for further studies. Even my mom's learning something new - dressmaking & mandarin (through karaoke!). Only person that's not in 'formal' learning is my dad.

I had a nice relaxing day today saw some nice eye candy that I so lust after...
it's back to face the 'reality' tomorrow.. at least I'll be having a shorter 4 day week... :P

:: A layout and a tag ::

{random thoughts}
I seem to be in a hurry all the time! I was out at Orchard Road by myself, with the agenda to buy some presents and to bring my tiffany & co charm for a polish and hopefully purchase a 'house' for my homeless charm. After completing these 2 errands, I went straight home... Weird hey? As it must have been almost a couple of months since I've been to Orchard Road and now that I had time on my hands to walk around, I didn't do so. I didn't even walk into Zara or Mango, or Novo or any other shops! I guess I was trying not to be tempted into buying something?? after all, 'see no evil, buy no evil'... HAHAHA...

{a layout}
A random picture that I took in Melbourne.

As my friends and I were walking along the quaint little shops, we entered one that sold many handmade stuff! We were so fascinated... but what really caught my eye were these HUGE metal alphas that were on the floor! I just had to sneak a pic! :D


To emphasis on my 'addiction to alphas', i used different alphas on purpose for the title. I also used papers with journalling lines, and words to keep in the mood that with alphas, it's always writing.

up close of the alphas

{a tag}
& I got tagged by her!
Thanx babe!! You have been relentlessly leaving wonderful comments on my blog!! Muakz !!!

So here are the rules!

1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

Unfortunately, I've never been one to pass on chain letter/sms/emails etc... you get the drift!
Basically I love reading friends' blogs to find out what's happening to them esp when they're overseas.

But but there's one blog I've gotta tag and that is... bagaholicboy

bookmark it / Read it / blogline it & you won't regret it!! It is one of my must read everyday!! I found the blog by accident and I've been loving every moment of it! It keeps me updated of my other obession. Eye-candy for my eyes... pain to my heart and wallet 'cos it makes me so tempted everytime!!!

:: happy ::

It's October!!


Happy because:

1) it's a School Holiday - Children's Day ~ Have a great day all kids out there!

2) Public Holiday - Hari Raya Pausa ~ to my Muslim friends out there Selamat Hari Raya

3) Only another agonizing month to go before to the moment of truth!!

4) I'm been in a scrappy mood...

one of the layouts that I did last weekend:
Finally something other than my aust trip album.

I'm out of the house soon... never ending to be on the move even though it's a PH...
Have a great day everyone! :D

:: fever! ::

image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso

It's F1 Fever in Singapore this weekend. I didn't get any tickets (boohoo)... anyway I know that although I love the sound of the roaring engines, I would probably be frustrated by the jostling crowd, so what's best is to watch the thrills and spills from home. Thankfully it did not rain this weekend and YIPPEE!!!!! Alonso just won the inaugral SG Night Grand Prix... I liked Lewis Hamiliton too :D and glad he came in 3rd. Well he's still holding onto his spot as the Champion Driver at the moment. It was a real good race and there were several heart stopping moments with Massa's 1st pit spot incident and Raikkonen's accident nearing the end of the race.


on the crafty side, I did another LO for my Aust Trip album... it's going slow but steady.
This one of the a family that I visited when I was in Melbourne. Both kids were in my Nursery class when they studied in SG. They went back to Australia about 2 years ago and it was really great seeing them again!

the 2 page-r

page 1

page 2

I was inspired by this picture of many frames so I decided to 'frame' the various pictures that I had in 'page 2'.

image from http://www.easylivingmagazine.com/

:: scrappy week ::

Did some scrapping last weekend and some of the weeknights. Took it easy and started on an album for a dear friend...

using Maya Road chipboard album and adding various papers to cover it. While I had to scrumble to find the correct colour combination, it is such a great way to use up odds and ends of papers!

Also I managed to do a couple of cards... nothing fancy, just used some dolly lace, added flowers, hearts, some journalling spots and viola!


one suitable for a wedding????

obviously one for a birthday!!

I've never been good with doing cards. Either I over embellish to make it look horrible or i just have no scales!!! I've been borrowing Creating Keepsake mag from NLB and searching for ideas... finally got inspired by 1...

Thanx for looking...

:: lost ::

I am currently lost for words... lots of things on my mind. I've added on my mobile phone a 'STAY FOCUSED' note to remind me to be focused... on everything!!!

Where do I start??
I've never been one who can be called patient... seriously! When I want something I will go all way out to get it. When I want to go somewhere, I will also do that there and then. Of course, I've mellowed along the years, but that impatient streak is still in me.

I've really run out of patience waiting for the reply for the course... Last week, I finally called the Admin office to ask for a definite date as to when the result will be out. To my dismay, I've to wait another one and a half months!! gosh!! So much things hinges on the reply.... my ability to go mobile and my holiday plans (and with all the adverts on holidays in the papers I am so tempted!!!).

I've also been tempted by lots of online surfing.... Weird though, as much as I would like to purchase something, I am always consciously holding back. As I enter a shop, be it for clothes, shoes or bags, I would look around and for sure something will catch my eye. It's usually nothing expensive (sadly, but LUCKILY my work don't bring me to Orchard Road), but somehow I'll be unwilling to part with my money and I'll just put the item back. It's been like this for quite some time, almost 2 months?

Which leads me to believing that I live in PHASES... there will be a time when I don't buy anything... (SB not inclusive, although that's also in control at the moment, REALLY!!!). I've also noticed when there are moments of time when whatever I shopped for was for a particular item, i.e. for several months it would be for shoes, another period of time for a particular style of skirt, or bags... you get the drift... Is anyone like me??

Anyway, I'm pretty glad about my hiatus in shopping. It just means a fatter & bigger bank account :D

Maybe it's also the mid-week! I need a break so badly!!! haha yes and on my mind I'm been thinking of applying for a 1 day leave just to go shopping!! (but most prob I won't be able to buy anything cos I'm still in the 'not willing to part with my money' phase... which will lead me to unhappiness) gosh!! help me!!!

Anyway, I scrapped again, this time a couple of weeks ago but I did not post it till now.
Another pic taken while I was on holiday in Perth... still surfing and msn-ing away....

couldn't think of a title, so just used {http://www} as my title although I can't find any // so didn't put it in! ha!

the close up of my journaling... something cool that I thought of as I was scrapping, just piling journaling tags on top of each other and staple them together.

OK sleep time.. I think my brain cells are lost out there... & before I start rumbling nonsense I better rest! Nitez...

:: long overdue ::

More layouts that I did some weeks back.
Unfortunately the mojo is not going as strong as I would have like it to be currently but at least I managed to finish 1 layout this week. So ain't complaining as I'm halfway through my Aussie album!! yippee!!!

[ art ]
ok trying to be artistic...
anyway... seriously, the photo was taken in fremantle market perth, where there is a stall that sells mosaic items & when I saw this lovely mirror I can't resist not taking a photo rite???
Yes! I was still eating the oh-so-delicious crepes

[ what do you do in a bus]
bored people playing around with the camera in the bus while travelling around melbourne.
if you look closely expressions are FUNNY!! hehe

AND finally some layouts from the wedding in Perth

[ the morning events]

[ the dinner]

[Jie-mei ]

I can hardly believe 1 more weekend is over & there are only going to be 16 weekends left for this year!

Most of the time, my weekends are quite "fully booked" in advance as I am usually left with 1 & a quarter of the weekends, with a good part of my saturdays taken up by my weekly commitments. Usually it's a family gathering or catching up with old friends, or I at least make it a point to take some time off to relax.

Today as I parted with a friend as we headed home in our separate ways... I felt sad, with a heavy stone nestled deep in my heart wondering how often we actually managed to catch up with one another & to sit down and really talk. This, afterall, having been friends for more than 10 years, we seldom get to just sit down over a meal to just talk about how's life, how's work, how we are? In retrospect, I guess my sadness comes from not being able to have such a day as often as I would like it, to just purely enjoy each other's company not having to worry about work, to rush off to another appointment, and to just make time for a good friendship to bloom.

oh well.... The precious weekend is over again in XXX hours... now to simply enjoy the homecooked dinner mom is preparing consisting of delicious blue flower crab congee, roasted goose that was lovingly handcarried from HK to SG and young asparagus & finally to get an early rest to face another week at work...

:: give up ::

tried to change the skin for my blog...
did some searching & found some really nice ones but Blogger is not reading the XML / HTML of it...

so I give up...

Simple is still the best :D

Time to get ready & darn the sky still looks dark... looks like it is contingency plan B for today's event?

:: month end ::

Yup 31st of August... time sure flies! it's finally month end & the company event is today.

1)

Renovations at my division is over. I've a new chair & new workspace. Tables are old ones, & I have my own hand me down steel cabinet to keep my 'tools of the trade'. I'm happy though as the new tables look smaller than usual, something that's peeving my boss (one day she took out a measuring tape & measured the new tables /cubicles vs the old ones & complained to the execu who was handling the renovation).

2)

As my colleague walked over to my *spanking new* cubicle on Friday and asked,
"So how? Everything done? Prepared?"

I was in the midst of preparing the certs & tickets so I told her showed her what I've done & will be bringing, I asked,
"Enough? Anything else I missed out?"

She just has to add that somehow something feels missing / odd? WOW! thanks for the vote of confidence. Anyway, I prepared what I can do & ran through in my head what happened last year, to the best of my knowledge, as I helped out in a different area last year. So fingers crossed that everything run smoothly today! & that includes the weather!!

3)

It's been a productive month on the scrapping end too! So real happy about that.

Some of the layouts :D Enjoy & thanks for looking & to my dearest friends who leave comments thank you so much! I love receiving them & thanks for making the effort to visit my & leave me a note :D

[ Doing Candid ]

morning of wedding, while waiting for the groom to arrive...
Being trigger happy!

* Finally used the sewing element in layouts

[ Be Silly ]

just having fun while waiting for the rest of the gals finish their shopping

[ Need I say more? ]
just expressing my love for Kookai...

closeup I used all the variations of the word "shop" here :D Yes yes I am an shopaholic..

[ Going Gaga over Shoes ]

hey very envious rite????

[ Autumn in Perth ]

picture taken in from of Hay Street

closeup

It's been 1 month since I handed in my application & it's going to be another 2 more months before I get any reply... arghhh... really don't like the waiting game...
Or should i say, I DON'T LIKE WAITING... PERIOD!

:: it's midweek ::

*reminders to self*

thou shall keep all comments to myself

thou shall just do it & be done with it

thou shall have a smile on my face irregardless of how I feel

so forgive me... it's mid week & I am swamped

:: in 2s::

sorry for the lack of posting... friends have been complaining -_+

As usual all I can say is work has been busy... August is a busy month for me in office with lots of events lined up
1) National Day event to the Parliment House
2) Team building workshop
3) Renovation at my department & trying to co-ordinate the removal of some furniture
4) Another National Day observance event
5) Family day at the end of the month, in which I am involved since may???

Luckily new staff is coming in Sept.. but by then bulk of the work for the year has been completed so to date I've helped with admin work, on top of my own job scope, for 5 months!!! gosh!

&!!!

I managed to scrapped finally!!
Mojo going pretty strong as I managed to complete at least 1 layouts every night! so that's like almost 8 layouts the past week!!
I also did some 2 page layouts! ;p

Sorry for the poor picture... computer is cranking up so it's just a quick edit & posting here!

{ Melbourne, Australia }

Page 1Page 2

{ Crepe Luv }

Page 1
Page 2

more layouts to come!! yippeee...

oh! Hope you had a great National Day.. I did.. it was rest time :D

:: signed, seal & to be delivered ::

Yes!!! finally the forms have been filled in.

The essays were read at least 3 times by me and I asked a dear colleague to vet through.

Boss has signed...

Additional information printed out & attached to the form.

Everything is in the envelope to be delivered on Thursday as I am not going to trust the post system in Singapore for this important mission.

& so after years of me saying how I wanted to do it... I've finally gone ahead and got it done! yeah!

Everything looks bright and beautiful... with the financial part & the application...

so do not burst my bubble!

now I just have to wait patiently & unfortunately patience is not my middle name!!

*fingers crossed with nightly prayers to add*

Hoping & wishing I receive good news SOON!!!

heh.. I need to sleep!

:: missing ::

king st in perth

Reading this made my throat feel kinda funny & I realised that reading someone write about a place that you know so well really brings back the memories... gosh I miss Perth alot!

I've been asked many times, why I didn't stay there after Uni... there were many reasons but I've never regretted my decision. I am glad that I'm back in Singapore with my family, being close to the extended family too, although I certainly miss my friends there. Somehow it's very different knowing someone (i.e a pri / sec school friend) to knowing another friend because for 3-4 years you lived, study, played, shopped, or cried together...

Well, as long as my dear friends are still in Perth, they better expect me as their, i hope, yearly house guest!!

On a happier note, I'm almost done with my application. Now just for the last application essay to write... & even that I'm one-third through.. yippee!! Gotta be fast only 13 more days till application closes! & I've to get my boss to sign too!

Oh yes.. very random I know... I told a lady off today for stealing my cab!!! I was there 1st! I am so proud of myself!! haha....

:: ... ::

I've spent the last 2 hours on the computer with the intention to start filling in the application form.

Instead, I've:

1) check my email (only 1 of 3 account though)

2) surfed through all 38 pages of a taiwan online clothes shop, i believe twice

3) made a list of my purchases.. not much only 3

4) sent out a quick email of my purchases

5) checked bloglines & read the updated blogs (something I did this afternoon!!)

6) read more blogs linked to the usual blogs that I read, specifically on bags & fashion

7) surfed a bit for a bag that I thought is really gorgeous

8) ate 3 OOIISHI machi filled with azuki that E.Bro & SIL brought back from Japan last night...

9) downloaded the online application form

10) checked out more blogs (?!?!?!)

11) started filling in parts of the application form especially the part that just need me to type in name/IC/boss's name/designation... you get the drift.. the brainless part of the application form, wrote several lines each for 2 out of 3 of the short essays needed..

& maybe 10 minutes later or more or less???

12) FINALLY here blogging....

*note.. #5 to #10 might happen concurrently -_-

gosh I really need to write that essays.. they're not difficult just don't know where to start. Arghhh... Can't I just write standard reports?? why is it so hard to say what I do, why I like what I do, and something about myself????

does this ever happen to anyone else or is it just ME????

now... I am sleepy *faint*

:: mystery solved? ::

After living for more than a decade with my skin condition, I finally went back to the National Skin Centre for a check. The last time was in 1997!

I did not have "high" hopes as the last time I went, the dermatologist just concluded that I should stay out of sunlight & wear long sleeve tops to cover my arms! Then, I thought it was ridiculous to do such a thing as Singapore is so hot!!!!

Anyway, I started sneezing like crazy since March this year and I thought I should really do something... whether to find out if I am allergic to anything *other than the sun!!*, maybe I can make a conscious effort to avoid?

So there I was last friday at the NSC and the dermatologist *Snr Consultant* (I always pray & hope I don't see inexperienced docs.. keke) gave a name to my particular ezcema condition!

It is called .... .... keratosis pilaris!!

Miraculosly my sneezing has stopped.. it's so embarassing as I can be sneezing anywhere anytime!!! (especially so when there is food around! imagine the glares that I get!) but i still get runny nose :( oh well.. one thing at a time??

At least I know what & why about my ezcema.

:: adding to the album ::

Yup I scrapped the past 2 weekends and I must say I'm pretty happy with the result..

something very simple with little embellishing... I must say this is something quite different from my usual designs but I guess trying to start the mojo 'engine' this is still forgivable??

So it gets better along the way.... as the engine starts warming up
Thanx to L who passed me lotsa ink! I played with the distressed look...

and ta-da!!!

*apologises for the bright lighting, took the picture at nite*

I must say I really like this layout!
I experimented with colours (?!?!) purple being no where in the pattern papers I chose
I also made the ribbons look curly-wurly (as with the last layout too)

Woo hoo... I hope my mojo engine continues to chug on as the weekend is coming & it's time for some scrapping again :P

Looking forward???