Hi guys!
How has the new year been so far?
I hope its treating u well.
:D

Peektures from waaaaay long ago!
BBQ, shopping, dinner, New York & then some.

*WARNING*
LONG POST AHEAD!

I'll start from the very beginning.
Keeping in touch with ex-colleagues who had firmly become close friends is a lovely thing to do.
The world doesnt function solely with two people and Im grateful to be surrounded by family & friends at the end of the year.

Sometimes we like having hi-teas in afternoons, but we love our BBQ sessions most!
To drink, make merry and eat like there's no tomorrow.

The BBQ was a blast, and we had so much fun talking & talking non-stop.
(The girls la, mostly!)



I love buying presents for little ones, and since I have no kids (yet!) I relish giving kids tokens becoz no matter how small the gift is, these innocent ones will always be just glad to receive something!

N I really think that is the spirit of Christmas isnt it.
An innocent and childlike enthusiasm in accepting presents, regardless of how much it costs and whats its worth.

Its not what u give, its really the thought that counts. And I treasure every little thing my friends & family have given. To me, thats priceless.
:)

Little sweethearts.



Haha and yes.. I refused any Xmas present from Jungle Boy this year becoz recession u noe?
LOL.

Seriously, I just didnt feel I need anything.

After my birthday holiday in November, I realised I am quite, quite contented really.
Why, I already have almost everything I need from the man and I dun need another expensive present to justify his love for me.
Hee.

Not only that,- I have a job so mostly, I can buy my own stuff.
I know of people who will ask ask ask for things, but I've always felt that its more meaningful to buy something urself.

What if one day he couldnt afford it anymore?
Will u still love him?

Or what if he got so sick of u demanding gifts n more gifts?
Men arent that stupid, trust me.

Blood, sweat & tears will make u treasure the item so much more.

At least u can look back next time and think, "Hmm.. I bought this with my bonus last year", or "I worked really hard for this " instead of, "Oh, this man bought me this" or "That man bought me that."

But this excludes wedding rings, anniversary gifts, push presents & such of coz.

I once knew a girl who bought herself an engagement ring becoz her bf was too stingy (not no money ah) to get her a decent one.
Needless to say, they didnt last. The last I heard, they quarrelled over the wedding and good for her,- she called the bloody thing off.

If a man doesnt bother to get u a proper ring within his means before the marriage, I shudder to think about AFTER the marriage.

**

Here's another outing becoz my best buddy is back!
Pardon the monkey faces becoz sometimes I get alittle bored with the 'pretty pretty' pictures n its fun to be silly!
Actually got more la, but dun wan to scare u all.



I love it when she's back becoz she's my most cocky, unbrashed, truthful confidante.
The only one who listens to all my whines, she'll put me straight and scold me proper when I need it.
Sometimes she sugarcoats it becoz I have a fiery temper, but she'll never fail to tell me straight up whevever Im being a b*tch.
N trust me, u'll need people like that becoz u noe they'll never stab u in the back by pretending everything's fine & dandy when its not.
I call her my Reality Check.

Ya la sometimes I hate it when she's too truthful... like telling me how fat I am!
><

Then I flew to New York for a week and spent Christmas there with my closest friends.
It was cold there, but u feel very warm & much loved when people specially take time to bring u out.

Italian Dinner On Christmas Eve.
It was Mimi's birthday too.



After afew glasses of wine & food, we adjorned to Hooka, or rather,- commonly known as Sheesha here.
And continue drinking the night away, as it was Christmas after all!



After Hooka-ing, we took the subway from Union Square to Times Square where we did the Rockefella Christmas Tree annual visit.

Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th and 51st streets in New York City. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It is the largest privately held complex of its kind in the world, and an international symbol of modernist architectural style blended with capitalism.



We had so much fun on Christmas Eve's dinner that we even planned for a road trip to Atlantic City!

Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. Famous for its boardwalk, casino gambling, sandy beaches, spectacular view of the Atlantic Ocean, and the inspiration for the board game Monopoly, Atlantic City is a resort community located on Absecon Island on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

It was my first time there and I was so so excited!
We booked a suite for the night and we were dying to try out the restaurants there, and of coz, we cant wait to play a hand of Blackjack too.
Hee!

We started the day by first having breakfast at Jason & Mimi's apartment in Flushing,Queens NY is a mere 15 mins away from my hotel if the traffic's good.
But a hell alot further in reality, coz the traffic in New York can be a real killer.

I loved how small but cosy the house was, totally perfect for a young couple living in New York.

I've always envisioned owning an apartment of my own with my special someone, but Jungle Boy's parents are just like my own daddy mummy so I really dun think I can live without them too!

So I've always felt how extremely fortunate these people are.
:)



Then we played Guitar Hero!
It wasnt my first time but sadly, the only thing I can confirm is how much I sucked in it.
But being bad in a game turned out to be a whole lotta fun becoz they werent much better too!
The game was only a day old in the house so I guess by the next time I'm there, they'll all do much better while I would still suck in it!
:(

After pulling ourselves away from the game (with much difficulty I can tell u that), we headed for New Jersey, Atlantic City.
It took us about 3 hours driving there and we snacked alittle, talked alot & drank Starbucks.

On the way & at the lobby.



We checked in, had some issues with the room ( we expected a bigger one but all suites were full for the holidays), settled in comfortably with a second choice, then headed for lunch!



I think we mainly ate, drank & gambled the whole trip.
:p

Located at Caesar's Palace, we had some beer & food at The Trinity, an Irish styled pub with different kinds of beer and alot of food!
We were spoilted for choice, but I think we did well by choosing the Burger & Steak, Shepherd's Pie and Fish & Chips.
They even had 'curry' fries, and it was delicious!
We washed it all down with beer and took many pictures, hee.



With some time to spare, we walked around the place and explored the area.

Atlantic City is like Vegas, a man-made entertainment centre that never sleeps.
People walking along The Broadwalk, people gambling in various casinos or just dining in one of the many highly acclaimed restaurants there is a typical night out.

Around our hotel.



For dinner, we trooped down to the ground level where we eagerly tried the famous Bobby Flay Steakhouse.
Reservations were full and despite booking earlier, we only managed the 9.30pm slot!
However, they graciously seated us when we arrived early.
(Very hungry by then haha.)

Robert William Flay (born 10 December 1964 in New York City) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, Iron Chef, and television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of six restaurants: Mesa Grill and Bar Americain in New York City; Mesa Grill in Las Vegas; Mesa Grill in The Bahamas (Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau); Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Bobby's Burger Palace in Lake Grove, New York & in Eatontown, New Jersey.

The decoration was impeccable, quite romantic even,- with its low lights and subtle music. The service was pretty efficient too.The wait staff was ever ready, despite having a full house and brownie points for them when we didnt have to wait long for the food.

A sommelier came over to introduce the wines but being quite the alcoholic we were, we pretty much knew what we wanted.

Portions were big and we all were so full by the end of dinner.
(Darn the bread basket!)

It was not a cheap dinner (around $300++ USD) no doubt, but experiences like these dun come by often.
:)



The waiter had actually gave us the wrong bill,(abt 180 USD, from the couple next to us) but we didnt want him to pay up the difference so we actually came clean and told him about the bill.
After the great service, I think it was really the least we could do.
Well it was Christmas, afterall.

But Karma was kind to us in return coz we all won on the tables later that night!
Not alot, but quite enough to recoup my Victoria Secret loots earlier on in the day.
:P

I only won $65 USD, but Im quite happy coz Im not really a gambler to begin with.

I truly reveled in the atmosphere, -it was great fun playing Blackjack with friends next to u!
We drank, poked fun at each other's cards and generally had a really good time that night.

After collecting our winnings, we celebrated the end of a terrific night but, wat else.. drinking & partying!

We stumbled back around 4am and I totally knocked out while Jason went for round 2 at the casino.
(I know, damn hardcore la someone! Haha!)



We left the next day in high spirits, alittle tired from all the drinks no doubt.. but nothing a really big cup of Toffee Nut Latte cant cure!
:D

And then there were all these memories that I will definitely remember for life, and I am absolutely blessed by God for everything that I have.

A walk down 5th Avenue.



Sometimes I walk into Tiffany & Co just to breathe the same air that Audrey Hepburn once did in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Thats like totally weird I know, but I can never explain my fascination with Holly Golightly.
There aint going be another one like her, ever.
Period.

Well, I hope u enjoyed this post, guys.
So sorry for being so late!
But now u know what the hell I've been up to lately, hee.

Pictures from my cruise up next, too tired now.
Am going to watch TV and go do my hair tomorrow by Wendy!
:)

God bless, take care.

xoxo
elaine

If love had a name, it'll be called Jungle Boy.
:)



**Edited to add:**
TAGS REPLIED!

Jace: U are welcome sweetheart. :) U're like a little sister to me too, & I hope u enjoyed ur birthday!

LBT's Fab: LOL! Maybe he used to read my blog before we got together, but it might be too mushy for him to read it now! :P

Sand: Ahhhhahahaa.. er... my bag collection?? Its nothing much really!!

Reader: I use Picasa. U can try to google for it n download. Its very easy to use too.

Mag: I use glitter to line my lower eyelids! I dun apply much makeup, (I usually go without foundation) except my false lashes, so sometimes the glitter makes me look much more made up than I really am!

Fiona: I get it from USA, but its a brand called ARDELL that even Watson's carry. They cost $8.90 here, n $2.99 USD thats why I stock up over there instead. I would apply mascara on my false lashes too. One pair can last abt 2 months with daily wear.

Fan: WAHAHAHHAHA. U all very clever lor ask me to show my bag & shoe collection! Hope u had a great Christmas too! God bless. :)

Elysee: I did mine at Far East Plaza, Beauty in Vogue Salon. I use Ardell lashes available in Watson's & I am using a Sony camera. Hths ya!

Polarie: Of coz I reply ok! Hehehehhe! Sometimes I get alittle busy so bo bian cant reply in time but I'll try usually! N yes I had such a blast with the girls that night & I feel really blessed with them in my life. Esp with my job n I feel bad making everyone accomodate to my hectic schedule just for a dinner! :(

trace: I use a clip claw to get the height. Maybe I would do a post soon with some pictures to show it to u alittle better. I cant really explain it words tats why! :P

Scooby: Hi dear, she works in Twister Monsoon! Hougang Mall's branch becoz they just opened one at Jurong Point hence the confusion I guess. Im going tomorrow!

Wendy: I draw them on coz I have no guts to do eyebrow embroidery! ><

sally: U can save around 20-25% buying it from European countries as compared to Asia. (Provided u manage to claim tax)

polarie: *HUG* Happy new yr to u too darling!

Fan: Happy 2009 to u too babe!!! I hope u have a blessed year with great buys too! (I need to save money liao la! haha recession u noe?):P

willy: To u too! :D

Mich: If u go through my archives, I do have a post on skincare. Or are u asking about my makeup?

51: Thanks for dropping by. :)

Ladysilver: *KISS* I got ur sms! But I was sleeping hehe! Im good and I wish u n ur family n baby Enzo a very blessed new year. May he grow up healthy n happy always! The sweetest n cheekiest little LD baby. *muack
:)