THIS BLOG HAS MOVED!

Hi guys, I've decided to that I'm shifting this blog to my new one. :) It didn't really make sense for me to keep updating two separate blogs, especially since at the end of the day, I sort of have the same ideas for both blogs. Choosing to maintain one is a lot easier and I've been able to update the new one more frequently.

So here it is:

After just a short 1.5 months on the wordpress blog I decided I probably won't go with my own domain for now since... it's expensive! :p But maybe in the future... who knows?

Anyway, I've loved blogging here and hearing from you. Hopefully you'll follow my new blog and continue commenting there. I've loved hearing from you and making friends from all over the world here and I definitely hope it'll continue on at the new blog. :) CHEERS!

xx

A New Project

Wow everytime I blog, I'm always starting off with the same line -- "It's been a long time"! But it's true. Lately, I've been spending more time developing a new blog of mine :)

Welcome to The Wellness Project.

I thought about the idea for this new blog a couple of months back, when I realized that I was not appreciating enough the things that I had in my life. I suppose all of us have gone through periods of 'unwell'. And by that, I don't mean illness, but more of a state of mind that was anything but happy or content. I read somewhere that every moment we spend feeling angry, upset, frustrated, jealous, sad or ungrateful in life is a moment that we could have spent happy. It really struck a chord with me because there are times (oh, so many) when I succumb to those feelings as well but at the end of the day, when I think about things, I always come back to the same point - that I have so much to be thankful for and there's no reason why I should be anything but happy. Happiness is not just a feeling; it's a state of mind and a conscious choice on our part that we can choose to make every second of every day. I know that like most things in life, it's easier said than done. But being aware of this choice that we have is the first step towards actively changing our perspective of things in life. I suppose nothing sums it up better than this quote -- "The happiest people don't have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have".

So really, this blog is my attempt at rediscovering and reinforce in my mind, the things that I love in life but all too often, forget to appreciate. It's a blog about photography, about food, about places in Singapore, about my travels, about design, fashion, family and friends; all the things that I love in life and that inspire me. It's a platform for me to share the things that I love and enjoy in life and for me to constantly remind myself about the happiness that can be found in the everyday bits and bobs.

Do check it out! :) I hope you'll find something you enjoy reading here and that just maybe, it'll inspire you to look to the areas in your life to improve your own well-being.

In the meantime, I'm still continuing to post stuff on this blog too. Might be a little slow, but I'm still here. Thanks for reading and I love hearing from you.

Antoinette

I know it's been ages since my last update but it's always the case during the school term! :( I've just finished a posting so this weekend was complete degeneration on my part. Took a ton of photos which only ends in my ever-growing pile of photos to sort through and edit. ;p I believe one day I shall catch up on that stash.

So here's a post about a lovely dessert cafe in Singapore that's a few weeks belated. My friends and I visited Antoinette, a gorgeous cafe tucked away at Penhas Road in Kallang. Kallang is definitely not someplace I go to on a regular basis so it was pretty refreshing to visit that area and enjoy tea and cakes with my friends whom I had not seen in quite a long time.

Macaroons galore!! Who here likes macaroons?? I definitely adore the sweetness and the slight crispy exterior that crumbles so readily when you bite down on it... but then each one always costs a hand and a foot. I hardly ever buy them because every bite I take all I'm thinking of is, "there goes $1... and that was just 50 cents down my throat... to my thighs..."

Gigantic meringue puffs. :) They remind me of little bits of cloud! Though I can imagine how disgustingly sweet they'd be in the mouth...

Upon walking into the cafe, we were greeted with a long table piled with a display of mouth-watering cakes and pastries of all kinds, placed on the prettiest crockery and tucked into large glass jars. Wouldn't it be awesome to return home next time to this scene upon walking through your front door?

Finally, these two were the pièce de résistance! Chocolate cake and The Antoinette Strawberry Shortcake. I'm sure there were much classier names for these two cakes but I can't for the life of me remember them. I actually like the chocolate cake a lot more than the shortcake, which was pretty average. But that said, I do have a weakness for all things chocolate. The cakes were a little on the pricey side (most were at least $6 per slice) but they are pretty worth it given that you get to enjoy them in a place with pretty decor and lovely ambience.

Antoinette

30 Penhas Road

If you have the time, I definitely recommend that you check out this place. It's a beautiful, quaint cafe tucked away in a quiet nook of Singapore. Quite a perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.

So in other news, I'm trying to create another blog! ;p It's sort of a personal project that I'm hoping will materialize one way or another. I'm hoping to create a blog that will be able to feature all of my favorite things -- my photography/travels, places in Singapore great for food and shopping, hopefully some pieces on health and beauty... just a much more organized platform for sharing some of the things I love. I tried teaching myself html and CSS today and BOY has it been tiring. :( I have no idea if I'll be able to build up a website from scratch eventually but definitely not anytime soon I suppose. If anyone has good learning websites to recommend, I'd really appreciate it! Sometimes I wonder why I end up making use of my free time to learn/do things other people would probably view as extraneous or unnecessary... but at the end of the day, it does make me happy knowing that I'm working towards something I feel strongly about.

XX

Have a great week ahead~ :)

just. this.

(dress: Jane's Closet, necklace, bag, blazer and sandals: Urban Outfitters)

Wore this when my mum and I went to watch the broadway musical, Rock of The Ages. Believe it or not, the first time I heard about it was when I was reading The Babysitters Club :) and it was mentioned inside. Ever since then I've always been curious about it and since tickets for The Lion King were completely sold out (reminder to self: book tickets for something as epic as that about 2 years in advance if I happen to know I'll be going to NY in the future), I dragged my mum to watch it with me. Unfortunately, she always seems to be extraordinarily sleepy whenever we go for musicals (she actually fell asleep during Avenue Q, right before the puppet porn scenes! Yeah, that's my mum for you.) and if not for the sheer loudness of the rock music the band was whacking out, I'm quite sure she would've dozed off too.

Bought this maxi dress at a store called Jane's Closet in Brooklyn! :) It was one of my favorite buys from my entire stay in NYC. That store had soooo many gorgeous dresses and pretty accessories that I wish I could've stayed a lot longer to browse through it all... unfortunately I'd run out of money and was hunting around for an ATM outside to pay for the dress HEH. (Yarrr I know I'm incorrigible. Need therapy...soon.)

Sometimes after a prolonged hiatus from something, I do just feel like yelling this clear and loud:

(One of my favorite MoMA exhibits. Just simple words pregnant, aching with power. It's still showing btw! If you happen to be in Manhattan or the vicinity, why not take a stroll through?)

This past weekend was one of the best I've had in a long long time. :) It was the weekend after my end of posting test, so really, I was able to just relax without worrying about having to do any work/read up beforehand for anything.

A couple of things I did that I'm really happy about:

• took a long and glorious nap on Saturday afternoon. I LOVE late afternoon naps especially when you don't have anything on after that. :) I remember lying in bed and waking up intermittently during the nap, feeling so comfortable snuggled up in bed with the air conditioning blowing gently across my face and thinking, I don't have to go anywhere... so I'm just going to go back to sleep. Honestly, it's the simple things like these that bring me the most joy.

• had a sleepover with one of my dearest friends who's finally back after studying in London for the past 3 years! We attempted an E.R (the tv series yo) marathon but didn't even make it past disc 1!! That said, it was pretty fun to watch the show and appreciate all the stuff that was going on...drugs, management... the works. Oh and then we totally pigged out on chocolate-covered oreo biscuits and ice cream. At about 3 am in the morning.

• went for a pedicure on Sunday afternoon and walked through the shops in Far East Plaza. I love how there are so many stores that sell all sorts of clothes that are probably mass imported from Korea/Taiwan/HK and while some things aren't of the best quality, I love sifting through the sheer volume of clothing and accessories bit by bit by bit...

So that was my happy weekend in a nutshell. What about yours?

xx

P.S. (to my fellow Singaporeans) Happy National Day~! I'm so happy it's a public holiday today! :DDD (triple smile!)

yummy for my tummy

Hey guys. How're things in life? This post is just a little snippet of one of the highlights of my pretty mundane life these days. School has started of course, so naturally I get a lot more tired...and wistful about the incredibly fun times I had during the holidays... At the moment I'm almost nearing the end of a posting and there's a test next week but really, I'm in such a state of semi-fatigue that I don't quite feel capable of achieving anything at the moment. And it just so happens to be Friday night. :) So I'm giving myself a break.

Last week, my mum and I went out for dinner at the new Ramen place at Iluma! A group of 6 famous Ramen restaurants from Japan have been invited to set up their own temporary restaurant at the eatery level of a shopping center and it's part of a competition - ULTIMATE RAMEN CHAMPION 2011. At the end of the year, the restaurant with the highest number of votes (via handphone texts/email votes/sales takings...the works) will be crowned the WINNER and will set up a permanent restaurant here. (In my opinion, it's a REALLY smart way of attracting more crowds to the shopping mall that is otherwise rather lacking in consumer traffic.)

So it's set up Marche style, as you pay using a card and each individual restaurant has their own sort of stall and seats around it...

Left: QOO Apple Juice! :D It's been AGES since I had a sip of this! I remember when it first came out into the market; I must've been like 10?? I just remember my friends and me really liking this drink. They've got it in other flavors too like Green Apple...Grape... MMM.

Right: The side order of bean sprouts and chives. This was a MISTAKE. I thought it would be a simply topping of bean sprouts on top of the ramen but NO. This HAD to come DRENCHED IN THE HOTTEST CHILLI SAUCE EVER. :((( I ended up having to soak it continuously in the ramen broth in order to wash off some of the chilli. What a nightmare.

Just so you know, Ramen is one of my favorite dishes. :D EVER. I love Japanese food and Ramen usually never fails to make me extremely contented. This one was from Iroha. Chewy noodles and delicious broth. I would definitely recommend it over the dipping-style ramen I tried from the other restaurant, Testu. That one just didn't have the right kind of kick that a normal bowl of steaming hot ramen offers.

Yeah, I really couldn't resist the Asian pose. Hey, it's Ramen for crying out loud! :)

THICK SLICES OF CHAR SIEW PORK. YUMYUM.

There was a little Wish Tree (methinks) at the entrance and I happened to see this one. Go figure?

P.S. So being the huge ramen fans we are, my mum and I are determined to try out all 6 of the restaurants and come to our own conclusion as to which one deserves the title of champion. :) Can't wait to go back and try more! 4 more to go.

Brooklyn Flea: Part 2

So I do sort of realize that the title of this post is a bit of a misnomer since I'm not actually writing anything about the Brooklyn Flea in this post... but it's really just a continuation of that wonderful day I spent in Brooklyn when I'd set out to visit the Brooklyn Flea. :)

The one that my friend, Steph, and I went for was the Williamsburg Flea which was right at the waterfront so there was a fantastic view of Manhattan at the pier.

THE skyline photo! :D I suppose this is probably where artists stand when they paint the Manhattan skyline.

photos taken by Stephanie. :)

(dress: Need Supply Co., blazer: random store in Tokyo quite a long time ago, mocassins: Aldo, bag: Le Mode Accessories)

I bought these Aldo mocassins very early on when I was in NYC and they ended up being my staple shoes for a large part of the trip.

Outfit shot for Steph! :) Aren't her oxfords darling? She had the cutest collection of them!

Next we continued our exploration of Brooklyn and managed to locate Blue Bottle Coffee ! I'd read so many glowing reviews about it so I was really happy when we managed to find it.

(Doesn't that look incredible? I have NO IDEA what those are though. ;p So if anyone does, please enlighten me! I just love the way they've been displayed against that gorgeous blue wall beneath a mysterious spotlight.)

A technique they use to make 'Drip Coffee'. Basically using filter paper to distill the goodness out of those coffee beans with hot water. I didn't actually try any of the coffee (because I'd run out of money after getting a dress HEHEHE) but the aroma of the entire place was so lovely.

Berry St. Brooklyn

160 Berry Street, Brooklyn NY

M-F 7-7, Sat & Sun 8-7

If you're ever in Brooklyn, this is definitely a place to check out! I love everything about it - the interior decoration and design... their minimalist and clean branding... Do check out their website and take a look at the really cute illustrations they have!

One thing I really love about Brooklyn is how so many buildings look so different from each other on the outside. None of that mass produced homogeneity.

It was really funny because Steph and I were searching high and low for THE famous vintage clothing store, Beacon's Closet, which is like THE HAVEN for vintage shoppers in Brooklyn. We happened to walk down a street and the first thing we saw was that sign and we went, "EW. What a scary looking baby!!!", not realizing that... THAT WAS THE STORE. ;p

203 Grand Street

(between Bedford and Driggs Avenue)

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Bird is one of the nicest stores I've been into. It carries all sorts of incredible brands such as Alexander Wang, A.P.C, Tsumori Chisato... basically all the most awesome and expensive brands. Even though I usually end up feeling semi-crappy after, I do love going into stores that sell gorgeous things simply because... I love looking at things that are beautiful. :) It does make me feel happy...until I pick up a price tag. But this store also has really nice interior decor; notice the hanging lights? I love how cozy it makes the place feel.

See why I love Brooklyn so much? :)

Brooklyn Flea: Part 1

One of the best weekends I had in New York City was the one when I traveled to Brooklyn with my friend, Stephanie, to check out the Brooklyn Flea. I'd heard so much about it and was sooo excited to check it out and visit Brooklyn for the first time!

Steph and I started out the day with a DELICIOUS Rio Bowl from Juicy Lucy, a teeny little coffee shop tucked away in the heart of the East Village.

Juicy Lucy

85 Ave A

New York, NY 10009

The Rio Bowl is a MUST HAVE if you're ever able to pop by the shop. It's an absolutely phenomenal bowl of yummy granola and sliced bananas, topped off with a refreshing blend of acai berry smoothie. It was SOSOSO refreshing; every bite felt like a fresh burst of healthy goodness and it was the perfect start to a Sunday morning. I could eat that every day of the week (just that I was too lazy to wake up early for breakfast. SIGH!). I miss it so much now!

Funnily enough on that day, the L subway to Brooklyn wasn't in operation (it's the most direct way to get to Bedford Avenue and just ONE stop away from my dorm!) so we had to take long arduous route which included switching a couple of times on the subway and then eventually taking a shuttle bus to our destination. It was funny how we waited at what we hope was the shuttle bus stop and the longer we waited, the more people came along asking us if we were also waiting for the shuttle to Bedford Ave so we weren't the only clueless souls there.

One the bus, we sat behind the sweetest little pup and his owner. That doggy was just the best-behaved dog ever! Not a barf, pip or squeak; just doeful curious eyes that stared right back at you. If I ever had a dog, I'd want one like him... just so I could bring him along with me when I go shopping and he wouldn't cause any trouble or attract any unwanted attention.

PEEK-A-BOO~~!

So happy when I saw this sight. :D What could be more perfect that people lounging on a field beside the flea market enjoying the gorgeous spring weather, munching on their lunches and having a good chat with each other? A sight like this just calms me down.

There were so many incredible stalls at the flea market, selling all sorts of items ranging from conventional ones such as jewelry/vintage clothes... to really niche-market items such as well... LIGHTBULBS for one, wacky furniture... BOTTLES... type stamps... you name it, there was probably a stall that had it.

How cute are these scrabble rings! :D Probably highly DIY-able too.

Steph at the lightbulb stall!

GRUNGE-Y SESAME STREET LAMP COVER!! I took this pic really to show my sis since we're both mega fans of Sesame Street. Cookie Monster and Ernie FTW!! Not an Elmo fan at all. (Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. Why does everyone like Elmo?!? He's small and whiny. Like the kind of guy you'd never want to date.)

Lunch was a delicious grilled cheese sandwich! Oh did I forget to mention? There were also a ton of food stalls! Some sold drinks like Lemonade amongst other more unique concoctions... others sold sandwiches...burgers...fries...pizzas... and I think there were frozen bananas/chocolate covered bananas being sold. YUMM.

I'm not usually a fan of cheese but I happen to LOVE grilled cheese sandwiches! Maybe because they add in other stuff like onions and herbs that flavor the cheese such that the original cheese flavor isn't so strong and all you really taste is a gooey salty crispy goodness.

We sat on the field by the side of the market and LOUNGED. :)

Me and my dear friend, Steph. She's one of my classmates from the Graphic Design course and I'm soso happy I met her! :) We both ended up walking around the quaint and quiet(er) streets of Brooklyn but that'll be for the next post.

I know this is a little voyeuristic of me but really, I just wanted to capture the feeling that was presented by this scene at that particular moment in time. It would be nice to live in Brooklyn next time. :) Something to work towards in the future.

I just think that every Sunday should be like this.