5 days to Christmas

It was R's twin brother's wedding yesterday. Long hectic day which started off with the local traditional gate-crashing session at the bride's place in the early morning (we're talking 7am here), followed by the church ceremony at 9am, before proceeding back to my in-laws' place for the tea ceremony and lunch. Everything ended off at about 3pm in the afternoon, and then there was time to sneak off to get my hair blown into curls (curls are growing on me slowly) and then it was off to the hotel for the wedding dinner. We were all extremely worn out by the end of the day. But it was good that almost everything went about without a hitch and the couple is happy.

R and me at the church after the ceremony.
Dress - D&G
Bag - YSL Croc-embossed Muse II
Shoes - Jimmy Choo silver strappy sandals (not shown)

ODJ for the wedding dinner
Dress - Nicole Miller in raspberry
Bag - Nancy Gonzalez Gold Python Clutch
Shoes - CL Armadillos in Nappa Black

And the back of the dress - which was exactly why I got it many months back.

R and me at the wedding dinner.

Looking forward to the holidays! A peek at my Saks sale haul - big thanks to R!

Summer da(ze) and Sparkling Nights

Fall's already creeping in as we speak, and all the knitwear, fringed boots, lovely cashmere coats are making their way into the stores everyday now.

It's never a better time to clear the Spring / Summer stocks off the racks - just look at Neiman Marcus' Last Call. Amazing stuff...

Here's my pick for the remainder of Spring / Summer 2008 (not to mention Gucci's drool worthy runway gowns!)

1. Chanel anything
(K Lagerfeld will never go wrong)

2. Gucci Chic
(the all famous bamboo and exotics)

3. YSL everything
(think "tribute", Y-Mail, and last respects to YvesSaintLaurent himself)



1 - MARC by Marc Jacobs Criss Cross Back Dress
2 - YSL Star Heels
3 - DvF Black Boat Neck Dress
4 - Nicole Miller Satin Dress in Fushcia with Black Trim

Have a good weekend!

xoxo, J

The night

"Journey to the center of the earth" (starring Brandon Fraser) was a pleasant surprise. R and I both thought it was good. Entertaining and kept us glued to the screen the whole time :)

Anyway onto the exciting part...we got home and I could not wait to open up the parcel that R had picked up from my parents this evening! Finally, my loubies* have arrived! :) Advanced bday gift from R...They are classy (as I'd expected them to be), and above all, beyond comfy (even after the initial pythons, I'd just imagined it to be luck that they were so comfy, apparently it's starting to be a common trait in Loubies) - I'm a convert - enough for 2008!

And, in fine print...

*Loubies - Christian Louboutins (pronounced "Loo-boo-tan-s")

I'm a happy girl...pictures another day - I'm tired, am gona veg myself out in front of FTV in a minute...ciao!

"I have spent $40,000 on shoes and I have nowhere to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!" -Carrie from "Sex and the City"

Every little item that sits in our apartment, in my wardrobe, on my shoe rack, seems to tell a story of its own. And the recent additions are no exceptions - stories of love. R's been pampering me with gifts for the last month or so.

I was so excited to see the little orange boxes...the first orange box from Paris...then the coveted clutch from London, and now the second orange box from Bangkok airport...

Hmm now I'm beginning to suspect, R's trying to buy nods from me for more golf games...lol

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." - Franklin P. Jones

Sale season

It's sale season every where in the world now...but I guess I miss the US sales a lot more now that I'm back...

So here goes -

My selected pieces from Gucci's 08 Spring / Summer RTW...The pink silk ribbon top's already all sold out! It's a beauty...

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” - Coco Chanel

la vie est trop courte pour s'habiller triste

As the Parisiennes say, "life is too short to dress boring". Indeed. What more can I say? This marked the "beginning" of a long love affair which commenced more than a decade ago.

I can't speak for anyone else, on my own I have never really been a clothes girl, which translates to say that I would not spend my last shopping d$llar on a dress. A shoes girl? Perhaps, but it is probably not going to be difficult for anyone to guess that my ultimate indulgence lies with my handbags.

Over a decade (or perhaps even more) my handbags have built up into a tiny fortune. R calls me "the collector of beautiful things" - and it is not unusual to see just why. I suppose I am not proud of my spending legacy, and to set the record straight, personally I believe it OKAY to be in debt for a mortgage (but not a car!)...However, I would never be in debt for a pair of Manolo's or a Kelly, goodness, talk about getting your priorities wrong. I buy something luxurious (and often quite unnecessary) with the money that is left over from investments and everything else, the money that I could afford to miss/lose/waste. For instance, if I get double pay at first quarter earnings announcement, then....WOW, yes, I would splash out into something gorgeous. And with this, a gentle reminder again that I have to remain employed or it would mean the end of my Chanel love affair.

I learned over time I have grown to love what I buy. My paintings, coats, shoes and bags live their lives with, grow on and grow old with me. It might be hard to fanthom but I've also grown more comfortable in my own skin and with time, have begun to carve out for myself my own tastes, and style. R also started showing me how to really take care of clothes. He can fold, stack, organize like crazy - inevitably makes me wonder if he was a Parisienne woman in his previous lifetime ha! Just like art. Stepping into the largest Fendi boutique in Rome made me go "wow" and it wasn't simply because the Fendi handbags were amazing - but the boutique looked like an amazing museum showcasing some of the designer's best creations. I left empty handed but so very much inspired such that even over coffee after, I was still smiling thinking back on some of the amazing pieces I saw at Fendi. Priceless!

And this was the exact feeling I had when I saw the 2 handbags winking at me...

The YSL mombasa (Limited Edition, Tom Ford era) which I acquired second-hand, fresh back from the cleaners - with the current season V-mail pouch...


And...look what the mailman brought me from London!

Yes, Chanel teaser....leading up to the gorgeous Chanel Timeless Classic in lambskin with Gold Hardware...

My heart stops. Once again, I am reminded of what I'm working for...it's the start of a long love affair...

Will update again from NY if I manage to find the Apple store...Salut!

"Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them." - Coco Chanel

of death and daffodils

It's been too long. Seems like I've been away for what has been more than a week. A funeral, and puffy sore eyes didn't help. I grieved for the loss.

Durrow Gal and I checked out the live fish spa somewhere near town (Novena area to be exact) - what an experience...it was a slight tickle but I guess it was slightly effective...I'm beginning to think the fishes were really starving at the rate they were clinging onto our feet and skin! Worth a try still nonetheless, for the experience if anything...

Elin came back from Tokyo with goodies! Am gonna repay the favour when I transit in Tokyo :)

R and I sneaked out to the showflat launch of the most expensive HDB (read, public housing) in Singapore...Cityview @ Boon Keng...furnishings look pretty fine, but personally though I won't find myself paying SGD600,000 (approx USD430,000) for that tiny unit on a 99year leasehold land, and it's only gona be built in 3-4 years' time. Not now, amidst the whole US sub-prime problem...really, it's a hefty price to pay for public housing, it's no wonder people aren't snapping the units up!



And that's my cue - I'm off to bed...this is really random but it's truly unbelieveable how earholes remain even after being untouched for 6 years...

Ah! I have to check out Marc Jacobs in Boston - can't wait :)

Hope you guys like the new song by Babyface on the blog - I love it - enjoy!

Ciao!

X'mas colours...

GA hopped on down to the Bobbi Brown warehouse sale last week during her leave, and she was sucha dear to help me pick up a few items :)

Love the lip / brick shimmer palette and the pretty pink summer limited edition palette...and now I've finally gotten my hands on travel sized Bobbi Brown brushes! Got a set for my sis Jo too...

The best bit? All at the bargain price of S$25 per set for everything :)


And now unveiling...X'mas season shoes from the Guess by Marciano sale :)

Can't wait to wear them out!


R's gone off golfing for the weekend, and the house is way too quiet. Glad he made the effort to ring home earlier...even though the whole internet screw up got me quite pissed...in a way, I was glad to hear his voice...

Alrighty, I'm going back to my book!

It's beginning to feel like X'mas!

The streets are lined in gold and lit up with pretty silver lights :) I think mainly what I'm trying to miss out on is the X'mas crowd - way too many people squeezing around and I think it's something I'd gladly give up for a cup of nice tea just chilling at home!

R and I went for dinner last week at this amazing Japanese pasta restaurant - Pasta de waraku. We loved it! There's a newly opened branch at Central (Clarke Quay) but we went on down to the one at Marina Square which was a lot less crowded! The pastas and their pizzas on display look so yummy and to be honest, when we finally tucked it, we can see why friends have gone back for more! :)

On the topic of food, LX and I made our way down to the foodcourt down at Takashimaya's basement the other day and yes it was as crowded as ever. And here's her recommendation - Japanese fried noodles which was an interesting twist from what I'd normally have - it's pretty unique but maybe not that all my cup of tea...too much of that mayo sauce for my liking...

X'mas shopping is never quite complete without a new colour palette for the new year...haha or so I'm discovering as the months are passing. Just added Lancome's day and night eye colour duo to my collection and am awaiting the Jill Stuart mixed blush compact I've ordered to arrive - check it out - it looks so very pretty with all the crystals! I can't wait!

More makeup from Jill Stuart...just look at the gorgeous packaging right - I'm melting...

Ah yes, I got my second X'mas gift today! :) (The first one being the gift from R) - Thanks to Durrow Gal, I'm going to be a lot more financial savvy in the new year! More resolutions, more determination...

"Think of all the beauty thats still left in and around you and be happy! " - Anne Frank

a joyful season of buying momentum

I had been excited all of last week, looking forward to the Sunday that just passed, so that we could finally put up the Christmas tree we bought last year (!!)...Initially deep down though, I think R was really dreading to take it out again, as the dismantling was messy. Now, imagine going through all the stuff in the storeroom just to put up the tree all over again...

Yet (BUT, I stress!) once the tree was up with the bright gold lights twinkling away, I felt so happy - ha, like a little girl in a candy store - with the simplest little joys in life! Now that the tree is up, I'm really tempted to buy more crystal ornaments to adorn the tree (and perhaps I just might), or even change the colour scheme, however we've come to the consensus that it would be classic gold...for now, we love it!

And the lovely Christmas gift (the neverfull MM bag!) I got during lunchtime from R :) I love it! Plus, look at the Burberry Blue Label scarf I got from a Japanese importer near office...That's the end of Christmas shopping and I've got all the wrapping to do!

Back from Shenzhen and the trip was really packed. The three of us girls did so much in sucha short time, I think the most amazing part would have been the tailoring we went for.

Have a peek - one of the tops and suits I got done :)

Yes, other than that, I really enjoyed the massage! Fell straight into slumber...it was perfect!

So, even though we had the horrible incident with the luggage we lost in the Shenzhen cab, the trip was a good break we all deserved.

Now, back to studying for my FRM coming Saturday!

Feeling v tetchy today. Am unsure whether this is to do with some fairly disappointing news I received yesterday, or the fact that I was up tossing and turning on Thursday night.

Life is rough sometimes.

I know I haven't really been in action of late. The market has in some sense (with its constant sideways trading) flattened me out. But yes, survival is vital key.


Very much so recently, I have been so inspired by Blair in the new Gossip Girl series that even though her wardrobe is supposedly catered to that of a 14-year old upper east side Manhanttan teenager, I was propelled into looking for more work wear. Well, something classy enough to fit me in my comfort zone yet with a pinch of detail enough to make me arch an eyebrow up slightly. Hmm doesn't say enough does it? The email I received in my inbox from R read "Raoul sale 3 days only". So it's out to the shops for me. Crisp white 2-ply egyptian cotton in luxurious lines.

Shopping with LX was enjoyable. Enough shirt buys for the rest of the year.

More, later.

We are almost one!

So much has happened just this week alone. Let's see...with a re-cap...

The good:

1. I've got positive feedback finally after so many months of search.

2. The free scrub and massage I got at lunchtime was amazing - really relaxed me!

3. Got a finalised date for another event I've been hoping for.

4. Booked my ticket to Shenzhen (with Shir & IC).

5. Baby Josiah was delivered this week to beaming parents, Joshua and Ching Ni!

6. Got beautiful sandals from Charles & Keith!

7. EY came back from the famous Florence outlets I told her about - with a lovely silver Prada wallet in tow for me! :)

The not-so-good:

1. Positive feedback I got amounted to status quo - still much ado about nothing...

2. Haven't managed to finish my translation at work...

3. Professionalism has been lacking in some areas which has some way or other managed to find its way to involve me...

The markets really rushed this week after the Fed announced the more than expected rate cut in the US. Yet, in my own opinion, I don't really quite see how that will soften the whole credit crunch coming down in the days ahead. Well, granted that we made a couple of pennies from the fluctuations I'm not complaining!

R's rushing back on a flight tonight to have dinner with me tomorrow! :) It's our one year anniversary tomorrow...(can't believe how time flies!)