If there anything I love more than my family and food, it has to be shopping!
But I dun even think its even a surprise to anyone of u here.. hehee.

So last week, while I was contemplating having lunch at a nearby hawker center - I decided that it was a lovely day so I went shopping!

And no I didnt make a trip down to town, but instead I decided to do something that I haven had the chance to do in a long time..SHOPPING IN THE HEARTLANDS!

I think Singapore is a place dotted by so many shopping malls that surely, but slowly they are intruding into our traditional shophouses in the heartlands.
No sooner will everything become air-conditioned and state of the art, but sadly they tend to lose all characteristics of being a middle-class Singaporean hangout.
:(

Growing up in the east, I have always spent time in hawker centers, bus interchanges and buying stationary in family-owned provision shops.

If the weather was very hot, we would go to MacDonald's and buy a coke and sit down and talk until the manager chases us away.
Sometimes we pretend to study there, but God knows we were actually talking about our weekends and some cute boyband like Take That or Boyzone.

I reminisce about those times fondly when I see students in school uniforms and wonder how can 11 years pass by so quickly?

So last week when I stood in the bus interchange and looked at bus 227, - I find myself having such an overwhelming wistful thinking of being a kid once again.
:)

But sometimes I feel that I still am.

Ok back to shopping.

I loved how those little shops that resemble Daiso have cute little gadgets going for a dollar twenty, or how I bought 2 pairs of Tweety bird toothbrushes for $2.50.
They even come in different colours, including pink!

I walked by countless chinese medical shops and I have the strangest inclination towards herbal teas.
Perhaps they remind me of the times when my parents forced some down on me when I grew a pimple!
Becoz 'all pimples' are caused by heatiness, they say.

Lo and behold, I still strangely drown myself with those when I feel a pimple appearing.
:)

Then I got alittle hungry and having kway chup in the middle of the busiest hawker center at the interchange with a cup of teh makes me incredibly happy.

I know some people would never have a meal alone, but I feel it so therapeutic to watch the world go by while eating.

And as if it I didnt enjoy myself enough already, I strolled by a little gem of a shop - so nondescript that I wouldnt even notice it if I walked alittle faster.
And I bought a chiffon off-white top for a mere $10..!

Prices that u can only find in my beloved heartlands! :D

Who says u have to spend alot to shop?
Your next buy might be in yr own neighbourhood, - so happy shopping everyone.

Am so going to check out new stock tomorrow after my swim n yoga in the morning.
Cant wait.

God bless.
Take care all!

xoxo
elaine

p.s Sorry for the lack of updates and pictures!
Jungle Boy has been sick for a week and is slightly better now.

p.p.s Am in need of a new camera!
Pray I get one soon so I can post pictures! Else everyday I got to bug the bf to take picture for me.

Byeeee everyone, love.


HONEY AND OATMEAL MASK

Here's a really quick and simple nourishing homemade mask that could benefit all skin types.

You need:

- Two tablespoons of Honey
- Two tablespoons of Oatmeal

- A mixing Bowl
- Tablespoon

(I use Quaker Instant Oatmeal and Manuka UMF 15 Honey)

Oatmeal is great for oily skins especially because it absorbs excess facial oil.
Honey is great for soothing skin.
It contains high proportions of natural AHAs and it is gentle on sensitive skins too.
Honey is anti-microbactiral and it acts as a natural antiseptic so I love using honey in all my homemade masks.
:)

(Some information credits to http://beaut.ie/blog/?p=534)

Instructions:
Mix well and apply to face.
U may add afew drops of water if u find the mask too gooey.

Wait 15 mins and wash off with lukewarm water.
Apply toner and moisturiser as per normal.

Tip:
I pour my SKII Treatment Essence into a spritz bottle and apply as a toner after washing my face.
(In the mornings only. At night I use my regular toner to make sure all trances of makeup is removed.)
Its extremely hygienic, is not wasteful and easy to put in ur handbag for quick perk-me-ups in the day.

Ok bye all..!
Am waiting for Jungle Boy to have dinner at home with the family!

Tags to be replied later.
Promise.

xoxo
Stay healthy, all.
:)

EDITED TO ADD:

My Surprise Gift from ThePurseHeaven.Net!



I came back from work and the next morning I had personal present from the lovely owner of ThePurseHeaven!

Miss P is such a sweet girl, and it was such a real pleasant start of the day.

As u all are aware that I do not accept monetary benefits for doing advertorials, Miss P has very kindly taken upon herself to surprise me with this extremely lovely PINK cosmetic pouch from her line of most delicious looking small bags.

And hor.. *say softly*  I think she realised I like pink, heehee.

Thank you ThePurseHeaven.Net, and most of all - Miss P.

Romantic Rose Pouch



If u like the pouch here, or would like to look at the range of bags, acessories and wallets that PurseHeaven has, - please click on ThePurseHeaven.Net now, girls!

Remember to quote ELAINE73 in ur order and get 5% off!

Got to go, 9pm show start liaoooo..!

xoxo
elaine

p.p.s
Miss P:
I wanted to surprise u back with this post!
:D

Tags replied!


shanie: Thanks babe! Aiyo but i can tell u i got alot of hidden fats lor...trust me! ;)
Elaine Y: Im 158cm short, hehehe.
Evilin: Do u wan this recipe too? I email u??
ann: Jungle Boy has afew lens! He even has flash kit, white balance thingy, and some others. Do u need the names of all? I can ask him later! :D
jacque: Er... I dun clean my bags at all.. :P N no.. I wasnt at Great World, did u see someone else perhaps keke.
kirs: Hi babe! Did u enjoy urself?? How was the weather? Great I hope! :)
siyin: She charges about $35 I think, but now Twister has an on-going promotion for all haircuts and treatments so do call them to check them out! 63874044 Twister Hougang
missy: Hello babe! Thanks and yesss lor imagine everyone getting married already, so scary! So when's ur turn? :p
S: I soooo agree with u! But all good things will come to an end one day and I hope I will have the strength to carry on n embark on another journey of my life! :D
ping: Thanks! I do love my EDWIN jeans, I have two pairs and I rotate among them all the time.
anony n C : Its really a ulu ulu neighbourhood salon wor! And I live in the east so Im not sure if u live nearby and if u r willing to come all the way to my side! LOL!
yixuan: Sorry dear! But I was back by the time u saw my post wor! :(
c: See above post.
pat: They are Shu Uemura's fakies! :D
anon: Pls email me, thanks.
anon: Wahahhaha true wat!I always buy n buy in Daiso but end up putting them all in a corner. :p
j: I bought the black gown from Anner.Dorrell at Vivocity #01-93 Tel: 63769654
mikotang: Thank u girl..! I've seen u tag before coz I recognize ur nick! :D
Anon: I use the DARK BLUE range of dove! :)


Sorry for the late replies.. I've actually replied these tags and even blogged a post but accidentally deleted everything hence the late updates!
Will blog abit more before I get back to work on Wednesday so in the meantime, take care all!
Bye loves.

Im sorry if I haven been updating, guys!
Been so so so busy at work then suddenly Jungle Boy came down with a flu.
Last night I sponged him to sleep even when I had to wake up at 5am!
Poor boy developed a sudden fever after taking his medicine n I was so worried!

I kept telling him," Hey! U kena Heee...neee is it!" (H1N1)
But he was too weak to even reply me.
:(

Thank God he's better now.. n even had to go work this morning coz he's so busy these days.

I have pilates tomorrow noon and then I shall have a cuppa latte at Bakerzinn!
Am pretty addicted to their coffee nowadays ~ even went to Akashi with loves ones just now and coerced them into having desserts at Vivo's bakerzinn!

Dessets are half off until end of this month and their EVERYTHING is to die for!
We slurped up everything and even fought for more.
Hehee so old already but so greedy for sweets!

But it was one hell of fun.. and I enjoyed myself so much I blew $22 buying rubbish in Daiso.
Bought the worse tasting carrot juice so dun go Daiso n buy any drinks!
Just stick to rubbish like eyelashes or laundry bags for ur undergarments and u'll be just fine.
;)

I'll reply tags tonight coz I have to go wash my car now!
Very dirty coz it rained this morning when I took it to work.

I hope Jungle Boy comes back soon n I hope he doesnt drive while on medication!
He can be quite stubborn sometimes.. Grr.

But I look at him and realise Im quite a lucky girl la.
:D

Coz he can be bery sweet sometimes.

Last week while I was overseas, I came home and realised he bought a cute car tag with the words, "IM A PRINCESS THATS WHY."
N the words are in pink!

Very cuteeee hor.
:D

And oh.. if u want to see the lashes I wore to the wedding, it looks like this!



They are from Shu Uemura and they feel amazing!
But seriously lor, not for the faint-hearted.
:)

Bye loves.
Back laters.

Jungle Boy had some guests to entertain this evening, so he graciously invited his very greedy girlfriend to join in to have some marvelous seafood by the sea.
She got so excited by the thought of sumptuous chili crab, delicious steamed prawns and yummy fried rice that she totally forgot to put PARKING COUPON.

And in true blue Singaporean style, the < insert expletive > very accurate parking warden had to walk by her car 15 mins before she leaves and summon her $30 for her carelessness.

Jungle Boy put one 1 hour coupon but neber kena.
And he laughed his head off when his girlfriend called him to grumble.

"SEE! GREEDY TO EAT HO LIAO LA YOU! HAHHAHAHA.." came his reply.
"!@#$%^&*..."

Early early know I order mac delivery.

Hello everyone!
Im currently in Amsterdam now and my legs are aching from all the walking we did yesterday!
It was such an impromptu visit to the famous RED-LIGHT DISTRICT here in Holland and being a friday, - the streets were littered with people and it was a weekend here in Europe at its very best.

Thankfully I had such amazing people with me and we took our own sweet time to explore the place.
(I've been here before but its been few years so I'm re-doing touristy stuff)

We walked through the Flower market and some of them bought tulip seeds to plant back home.
We had a typical 'european' weekend lunch where we sat for nearly 3 hours dining and talking while people watching.
The weather has been nothing but great with the sun shining but generally the temperature here is cool.

And so we talked.
Sitting on the porch of the italian restaurant, we dined alfresco and talked about everything, - life, work and fun.

It was great fun.
:)

--------------

WARNING: A TON OF PICTURES ALERT!

Prelude to Simon and Wendy's wedding night.
It happened early this month but still feels like yesterday.

Sometimes I stop and think how surreal everything is.

Im getting older now and everyone around me are either engaged, married or having babies.
But wasnt it just a moment ago when I was sixteen and wondering what to do with my life?

Now suddenly we are getting married and buying houses and cars.
Arent these the people who were with me through my growing up years and didnt we played, laughed and cried together?

Whats next, I ofter wonder?

Being a mummy and someone's wife seems like such an adult thing to me.

But then again, like wat Napoleon had said, - "Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”.

It feels so apt with regards to marriage and motherhood.
People procrastinate all the time, and Im no exception.

Jungle Boy has asked me to stop working many times but while I joke about quitting, - I dun really think I can do it.
I like being financially independent, and that includes buying my bags and shoes at my own whim and fancy.

How do u rely on a man when u are not even married to him?
Jungle Boy has so many friends whose girlfriends are able to do it, but while I applaud their courage to leave their jobs and take the plunge, Im really not that sort of person privately.
(Although frankly I know alot of people think otherwise of me. :/ )

Anyways, when an acquaintance asked me the other day when I was planning to get married, I was listing a whole bunch of excuses when she casually added, "Well, u can never be ready for marriage, trust me. You just have to do it."

And it got me thinking.
:)

Hokies! Back to the pictures and BFF's wedding.
The delightful venue.



All the pretty jiemeis at the reception table.



We had acouple of hours after the morning gatecrashing session where we all went home and took a power nap before arriving for the dinner.
I got home so exhausted I couldnt even hold a conversation with Jungle Boy without nodding off.
So I got some shut-eye, did my makeup before heading to my neighbourhood hair salon to get my hair set.
Jungle Boy n me went for kopi at the hawker centre where I was met with stares coz my eyelash thick thick, makeup thick thick but I was wearing t-shirt and shorts!

So I nearly run to the salon with my head down, haha.
After many pins and ALOT of hairspray, I went home to fix my makeup alittle and got dressed.



The bride doing her makeup.



Before we know it, it was time to welcome the guests!



With the team of Monsoon people and mutual friend, Debra jie.



After the guests arrived, we got prepared for the very important march-in!
My dearest BFF wanted to include the brothers and jie-meis with the march-in, hence we had to literally grab a brother and walk in too!

It was hilarious and we were all giggling non-stop, much to the exasperation of the poor banquet manager.



The lovely bride and groom having a laugh too.



The highly anticipated march-in.



Then dinner commenced shortly.
Sitting down for dinner.



Below: Bride and groom sharing an intimate moment.




Jungle Boy took many pictures for us too!



The 2nd march-in after a quick change of dress and hairstyle for my BFF.
Champagne pouring begins... YUM SENG!



Sharing a laugh.



He oso yum seng!
Sooo cute leh he..!



Then the fun really begins!




The groom drinks.. and drinks.. and even had to stand on the chair to drink.. with Martell in a milk bottle...!
Wonder which poor baby they stole the milk bottle from.



After merry-making, the dinner ended as soon as it started coz we were having such a wonderful time.
Time flies when u are having fun!

At the end of the night.
Pictures with our best friend, the bride.



I wish my BFF all the happiness in the world and may she be enjoy her marriage in bliss and joy forever.
:)

Besides her husband, we the BFFs love her just as much too.
And we hopefully wait eagerly for the pitter patter of little feet soon!

Before I become a mummy, I shall be GODMA first!
Hands-on training with BFF's kid before I and Jungle Boy accidentally kill our first-born maaa.
:p

Wahahaha... dun let BFF see this, she sure smack me.

Okie-dokie sweets, I really got to go.
Spent a whole day here doing this up already, and its way after makan time.
(I is hungry...!)

Take care all.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine


When you meet someone who can cook and do housework, - don't hesitate a minute. JUST MARRY HIM.
- Unknown

Tags to be replied soon!
Keep tagging, loves.

p.s Evil-lin, I hope u got my email already!
:D

p.p.s
If u're wondering where Jungle Boy is during the wedding... he's the one taking all my pictures!
Kudos for making his girlfriend photogenic, I love that man.

Hi girls!
How was ur looong weekend? :D
I was away for work last week and now that Im back this morning I woke up bright and early to torture myself in Yoga and then even managing to do afew laps in the water.

I met my girlfriend at the gym and she is so so slim even after a baby!
Omg... its madness how Im fatter than her although she's about a decade older with a 6mth old daughter.

Therefore I must GAMBATTE..!
I think I better stop eating suppers everyday.. but grr.. its so difficult when u have a super skinny boyfriend who is like the devil egging u to order Macdonalds, or go grab a mutabak at Sempang Bedok.

Basket.. I shall not give in to temptation!
But everytime I say that I end up still eating a Fillet O Fish with Shaky Fries.
(My favouriteeeeee!)

Anyways.. Im a bery happy girl!
My new cutie makeup case arrived in the post last week promptly.. courtesy of THE PURSEHEAVEN WEBSITE!

Its so cuteeeeeeeeee!
Look at the two little diamond zippers.



I guess after shopping for clothes online, u could try something different and shop for bags and wallets!



Click The PurseHeaven.Net now!

The PurseHeaven has frequent new arrivals and their bags and wallets are Japanese/Korean inspired so they are very unique and goes with ur cute dresses very well!

But what I love most are their adorable makeup pouches and beautiful accessories like their multicoloured bangles which the very kind people of The PurseHeaven.Net gave me in addition to my cosmetic case!



There is also a 5% discount off storewide just for readers of ELAINE73!
Simple quote ELAINE73 in ur order and start shopping...!
:)

Take care all, tags to be replied below.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine

p.s
ThePurseHeaven.Net even sells Coach items at unbelievable cheaper prices! Do check them out now!
p.p.s
Even if an item is sold out, u could request for ThePurseHeaven.Net to bring it back! Yipppee..!
:D

TAGS REPLIED!

ping: Hi ping! How r u? :D I bought my jeans from a shop called Woonderland and the brand is EDWIN VIENUS JEANS. (Edwin's ladies jeans line.)

Fan: Thank u babe! Im not stress-free.. I have my worries and problems like everyone else! But I would prefer to have a positive attitude in life.. like they say,"DUN SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!" It has always been my motto and mantra. C'est la vie!
p.s But I do have a bad temper... laallala ~ :P

anonymousvan: OMG thank u thank u! Mai a neh.. I will paiseh one... *shy*

Lyn: Thanks babe! R u referring to the blouse from ILOVEBEINGREAL? Ahahahhaa its grey but look very very blue! :D

polarie: Sorrieeeeeee!!! U come join me at AMORE babe!!!!!!!

serene: Hi serene! Thank u! But my hair is very straight naturally with alittle wave underneath. But I would usually blow dry my fringe n hair when its wet so its not a problem for me. No, I dun rebond my hair coz I find rebonding expensive n rebonded hair is too straight for my liking.

missy: Hi missy! I am using the Kose sekkisei with WHITE cap. It does have alcohol I think, but its not drying for me becoz I apply moisturiser right after.
:)

wendy: Thank u babe! I buey paiseh go n take a picture of Song Hyo Kyo to show the hairstylist ma! I went to a neighbourhood salon only, and yes... ALOT OF HAIRSPRAY N ALOT OF PINS!! Hahahahah!

polarie: Who glowing?? My BFF ah?? Ahahahhaha I will tell her coz she sure bery happy one.. kwa kwa..!

anony: Hi hi! Yes loooooor..*nods nods!* My own lashes oso come out when I peel my fake lashes off! The trick is to do it slowly and gently. Coz u are not supposed to use any oil near the lashes or else u can reuse them again.
:)

S: Hi babe! I signed the CRYSTAL CLEAR FACIAL (Its the most basic one) package coz Im quite blessed to have relatively problem-free skin so I only need monthly maintainance.
My girlfriend who went there got recommended another package due to the needs of her skin.
So I guess its different for each person.
I paid $625 for 6 sessions of the CRYSTAL CLEAR facial.

anon: Thank u! I bought it from a boutique selling gowns in Vivocity. I cant remember the name now off-hand but I do know that its at Level One in Vivocity. They specialise in evening gowns and dresses. My dress cost around $899. Hths! :D

geraldine: Im so sorry babe! I should have emphasized that u must enter the code in CAPITAL LETTERS like wat Mich has replied on my behalf. My apologises again! :)

Mich: Thanks for answering sweetie! *hug*

anony: Hello! Do u mean my HAIR salon? Wahahha coz I bery vain, got facial salon, got massage salon, nail salon and lastly hair salon.. :p
I go to TWISTER AT HOUGANG MALL and my hairstylist is my BFF Wendy Lau.
However I do have my regular salons where I blow my hair and its Jean Yip at Parkway, or this ulu salon which I cant remember the name at Lucky Plaza level 2.
:)

Will be back soon with pictures from the wedding..!
Take care all.

P.s
I hope Jungle Boy bring me go eat ice-cream today!
Ooops! :x There goes my diet..! kwa kwa.... :(

Hi everyone!
The weekend is coming along and Im (very sadly!) coming to the end of my very beloved leave.
I had so many things to do, people to meet and places to go that it was such a overwhelmingly great time!

But ho-ho.. now its back to reality and like everyone else, - back to work!

Jungle Boy surprised me with a dinner reservation last night when I was waiting for him to come home. (See previous post)

He wasnt even going to tell me where we were going even though I keep asking so I had to keep guessing by the direction he was driving to.

And just when I thought we were going to Vivocity, he made a left turn and we went straight to SENTOSA!

But it was perfect timing coz I was wearing my new top from ClubCouture!

And hence the many coconut trees behind me.
:p



Many thanks to the kind people of ClubCouture for allowing me to pick any item I liked!

I chose a lacey corset, - matching it with my black cigarette pants.
These pants are a staple in my boring wardrobe, coz its so easy to match!

My new corset top looked exceptionally chic in pants and I wore nude heels to accentuate a sexy look.
(Ok... I mean I TRIED to look sexy la!)

Notice that I pinned up my fringe coz I didnt want to look too girly in them.
Corset tops are absolutely risqué clothes and they remind me of burlesque dancers ala the beautiful Dita Von Teese!



And if u quote ELAINE15 in ur order to CLUBCOUTURE, you get a whopping 15% discount off everything!
(Please make sure that the code is in capital letters. :D )

ClubCouture even have dresses, skirts and shorts up for grabs. If u spend more than $85, shipping is free!

I like how extremely professional they are and all orders are sent out via registered mail so that u can easily track ur item.
They even accept major credit cards so there is no hassle at all.

p.s u can even shop for clothes at 3am in the morning..!



Do remember to sign up for ClubCouture Fashion Flash where u get exclusive private sales and members only privileges!

What are you waiting for?

Click ClubCouture and starting shopping during the weekend ~

Take care all.
God bless.

xoxo
elaine



TAGS TO BE REPLIED SOON!

Im feeling extremely healthy today, - having woken up at 830am for a yoga session followed by a quick swim and then after running errands.
So now all I have to do is to wait for Jungle Boy to go have dinner with me after he comes back from work.

Alrighty.. guess I'll post alittle pics from the wedding day first!
We have nearly 2000 photos from day n night, so can u imagine??

We reached there at 430am!
Even before the sun came up...

The bride doing her hair and makeup while we think of devil-ish ways to torture the groom n his brothers..



Changing into her gown and we wait with bated breath from the groom to come..!



We had a couple of games and we had to strategise the tekan session coz we had to abide by the 'auspicious time'.

We even told the groom that if he gave us a REALLY big ang pow, all the jie-meis would willingly play the games ourselves..!

Hahaaaa bery cheapo but wat to do.
Recession u noe?



Sorry guys for ending this alittle too abruptly.. coz Jungle Boy bringing me for dinner..!
I need to go change clothes and put my thick thick eyelash already.
:p

Hi-tea session tomorrow and hopefully I can squeeze in a pilates class in the morning.

Take care all, got to go.
God bless.

Will be back soon!

xoxo
elaine

My best friend got married.
:D

I wish her everlasting happiness and a blessed, blessed marriage.
May she glow in love forever and be doted on by the man who vowed to stick with her through thick and thin.
God bless their union and may each day of her married life be filled with warmth & care.

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
- George Sand

xoxo
elaine

p.s
More pics will be coming up soon!
:D

Helloooo everybody!
Im so sorry for being busy coz I am..! :p

Being a jie-mei is not easy okie, been cracking brains finding ways to tekan the groom in order to get a BIG BIG ang pow.. (BFF bride.. if u are reading this can u help us hint the groom..?Thank u!)

Went to a BBQ recently, and becoz the weather is killing me - I chose something light and airy from ILOVEBEINGREAL!

Ilovebeingreal Webpage

I like loose, blousey tops paired with bootleg jeans.
:)



Heart the colour totally.
Light Grey.
(Actual piece comes with a white tube top)

If tops are not your thing, rest assured that ILOVEBEINGREAL has tons of dresses that will suit any gal of any height and size!

I have a dress too.. but I'll post that next time!
:D



Just quote "elaine73" along with ur orders to the team of ilovebeingreal and u get a cool TEN PERCENT.. YES.. 10% OF EVERYTHING!

And while u are there, simply join their mailing list and u get FREE NORMAL MAIL!

I reckon that its a really good deal coz I know that the people at ilovebeingreal are genuinely extremely sweet.
My clothes came within a working day and I had a lovely personalised note with washing instructions.
:)

What r u waiting for?
Go take a look coz their 5th collection have just been launched!

Have fun shopping online, girls.
Til then,

God bless ~

xoxo
elaine



Be a fan on their facebook at Ilovebeingreal facebook for latest updates & promotions!

p.s
Going to sleep liao coz later got panda at the wedding not bery nice.
Bye!