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Sunday 30 September 2012

Dress Up Weekend: Pearls and Stripes


The weather was deceiving today. It was so sunny but the moment we went out of the house, it was cold. Wore this flimsy top for Sunday mass paired with khaki trousers and my most comfortable Jessica Simpson wedges, accessorized with classic pearls. What a shame I had to cover this outfit with a thick winter coat. 


Saturday 29 September 2012

Of Hotels, Room Service And Buffet Breakfasts


There is something really relaxing about staying in hotels. Whether it is during a staycation or while on holiday  abroad, a lovely hotel is an added bonus to an already exciting moment.

They say it does not matter where you are staying when visiting a place as you are out all day anyway. But I beg to differ. For me, I do not want to be out all day exhausted and go back to a hotel that you are not comfortable with. I want to be able to look forward of going back to the hotel to relax at the end of a long day. 

I am not saying it has to be five star though that would not hurt. It does not really matter whether it is a five star or a two star hotel, as long as it is clean with good food. For me, that is all that matters.

This is the Holiday Inn in Leeds. It was our first time to stay in a Holiday Inn and it was very clean. And the buffet breakfast? I looked forward to it every moning.



A visit to Portugal in June had us staying at the five star Corinthia Hotel




And the food was superb. We always opted having room service rather than eating outside because the food  was really lovely. Plus the fact that having room service is so much cheaper than eating out. Relaxing too, as you have your food in the comforts of your bed.


Another memorable hotel stay was at the Crimson Hotel and Spa in Cebu (Philippines). It was really an enjoyable stay. With all the amenities you would expect of a five star resort and more. They even have a creche for parents with young children. 


The place was so relaxing, the ambience was great with really nice and friendly staff. And of course, the stage mommy's favorite meal of the day was always satisfied by the great breakfast spread every morning.



Now, if only I could go back there in a heartbeat.

Sunday 23 September 2012

Dress Up Weekend:Cream of the Crop


This dream of a dress was what I wore to church today but since we were going to drop by the shops to get some more school stuff for the little girl , I decided to dress it down with a denim jacket and flats as suggested by a fashion forward friend of mine. I have to say it worked really well.

 I continued with the cream color theme with the accessories. Cream and pink bead bracelet, pearl necklace and finished with my ever so trusty black and glitter pumps.


Pancake Sundays

I must have mentioned countless times already in previous posts that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I always look forward to breakfasts and the moment I wake up, it would be the first thing that is on my mind.  Most especially on weekends when I have all the time to make a substantial one rather than cereals and toasts. The night before, I would already be thinking what to have for breakfast. And whenever we are on holiday, breakfast buffet is a must when booking the hotel.

I always  make sure that I make pancakes for breakfast at least once during the weekend. It does not matter whether it is on a Saturday or a Sunday though lately it has always been on a Sunday. 

I love pancakes as much as I love my coffee in the morning and so does the little girl, she loves pancakes as much as she loves her milk.  I always make it from scratch and over the years, I have improvised and just add whatever I can find in the pantry and with pantry I mean cupboard (LOL, I wish I had a pantry). Be it cinnamon powder, vanilla essence or chocolate chips, it is always a hit with the little girl.

Today, a Sunday, these are my pancake ingredients.


A sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of vanilla essence always adds more flavor and aroma.


My homemade pancake, always eaten with chocolate syrup for the little girl and golden syrup for hubby and me.

How about you? What's for breakfast?

Summer Tan

Summer has been and gone. Autumn is here and a trip to the beach is now just a memory. Two weeks ago when it was still sunny and warm, we did a quick trip to the nearest beach we could find as it might be the last warm weekend for this year. And how right we were. 

I made the most out  of the last rays of the sunshine that weekend. I am from Asia but still, my skin tends to get really pale in the Winter. I tend to use bronzers. Some of my Caucasian friends use tanning lotions and sprays in the winter. Since using these could be quite tedious, they use tan extender lotion to make the tan last longer. This is actually a good idea but just so glad that I am not  pale enough to really need this lotions and potions.


Tuesday 18 September 2012

Make Mine Babyccino

The hubby and I loves going to cafes and I always find it disappointing when there is not much to choose from for the little girl. We always end up ordering fruit shoot and a biscuit for her. Lately though, cafes have started offering this concoction geared specifically for the little mouths a.k.a kids. Though it is just frothed milk sprinkled with chocolate powder and a marshmallow on the side or a hot chocolate with cream and flake (you get to choose), the name is nothing short of ordinary. It is called (drum roll, please) a babyccino. 

If you're a kid, this makes tagging along with mommy and daddy to the cafe more exciting. You actually have something especially for you in the menu. 

The little girl  actually loves it and every time I take her to a cafe (Starbucks or Costa, most times) she would quickly ask, "can I have a babyccino, mommy?"



I read somewhere that it actually started here in the UK and the US is now following suit.

And we always thought they have allowed her to drink coffee like how they have allowed her to wear heels and lipstick.

image from Flynet
Babyccino is available in big named cafes like Starbucks and Costa though small, independent ones have apparently started having them in their menus.

Sunday 16 September 2012

Dress Up Weekend: Fifty Shades of Blue


I wear a uniform to work so the weekend is always something to look forward to with regards to dressing up. Whether it is just to go to the cinema, to the grocery or  mall, I always find it fun to chose what to wear and which accessories to go with the clothes as I don't get to do it every day.

This weekend's was more like a dress down outfit, simple and minimalist, worn to church and then to the mall. Blue chambray like shirt with V neck matched with the same color ballerina flats. Bracelet and initial necklace (A for Ava, my little girl) for my accessories.

Now I am looking forward again to the weekend when I get to dress up and yes, wear nail polish, but that would be another post.

Saturday 15 September 2012

Accessories:Finding Their Place

I used to keep my accessories hidden in boxes and in drawers and I end up forgetting about them. I am not very particular about accessories during the winter months as they tend to be hidden under a layer of clothes but during Spring and Summer, I tend to wear them all the time.

So this summer season, I organized my most used accessories so I am able to see them straight away and not tend to use the same ones over and over again. 

My favorite necklaces I placed on top of my chest of drawers, hanging on the mirror. They come in different lengths.

L to R: Topshop initial necklace, Accessorize Tribal necklace, Butterfly necklace (online purchase), New Look chinese doll necklace and Medallion necklace bought during our trip to Portugal.



The bangles, bracelets, earrings, rings and watches, I placed in acrylic see through containers.





Of course the special ones, the proper jewelry  are still kept in boxes in locked drawers since they are only used in special occassions, anyway.

What about you? How do you organize your accessories? I'm curious to know.

Scenes from the Airport

Contrary to to how most people feel about airports, I actually love being in airports. I do not exactly like the flying bit but being in the airport gives me that holiday feeling. This is the place where I can finally forget momentarily my normal daily routine. Once at the airport, I can finally shed away the stresses of work and household chores before flying to our chosen destination.

I have done some travelling and for me, Singapore and Zurich airports are two of the cleanest airports that I have been to yet. Not to mention, high tech.

Singapore airport has been voted one of the cleanest, if not the cleanest airport in the world at one point.



Zurich aiport, I have to say could actually give Singapore airport a run for its money.




They even have a play area for kids. Such a thoughtful touch.


This is the bar. And yes, this is still at Zurich airport.


Zurich aiport, early morning.


We are not done with our travelling yet and who knows, I might be singing praises for a totally different airport in future posts. Let's wait and see.

Wednesday 12 September 2012

For The Weekend


It is just the middle of the week but I am looking forward...to the weekend.

Friday 7 September 2012

VIP Treatment At GAP


GAP emailed me 30% off VIP vouchers which can be redeemed in-store or online between 6-9 of September and I can share my VIP treatment to five of my friends. Just send your email address to me via the red email tab at the upper right corner of this blog. I will then send you an email with the codes. First five emails. First come, first serve.

Happy Shopping!

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Being OC


I do not remember when my ‘I don’t mind’ attitude ended and my obsessive compulsiveness began when it comes to cleanliness. I should think it dates back when I was still a small child and I remember touching the spaces under the table in restaurants and my mom telling me not to do it because we do not know what is hiding underneath, it could be very dirty. I also remember her telling me not to touch stair handles as a lot of people touch it every single day.

I am not the extreme OC type though I really have high standards when it comes to cleanliness. If a public toilet does not meet my standards, I would not mind holding on to the call of nature than use it. And whenever I have just used one, once I have washed my hands, I try not to touch the faucet handles or door knobs. I guess it would be handy if public toilets use antimicrobial handles like what they mostly use now in the medical field. If that happens, I will be a happy mommy.


Monday 3 September 2012

Carluccio's

I have a very good relationship with carbs. I love my (pan) pizza and pasta. That is why I am a fan of Pizza Hut, Pizza Express and lately, Carluccio's. The nice thing about Carluccio's is that you are not limited to just plain old pizza and pasta. Here, you can have seafood dishes as well. I mean, I am also a lover of seafood, so what is there not to like at Carluccio's.

My default order are alwasy, Crispy Calamari, Seafood pasta and Tiramisu for dessert. But on our last trip there, aside from my usual starter and mains, I decided to take a detour and order Panna Cottta and I just made a very good decision on that very day because I just love it. I have tasted this dessert before but they always seem to be rubbery and bland. At Carluccio's, it is so soft, a melt in your mouth jelly like softness with with a nice hint of the vanilla flavour. While eating it, I was already thinking when I am going have it again.



Another winner on their dessert menu is this lovely gelato which the little girl had. So, glad she did not finish it because I did it for her without any struggle as it was so good.



Here are our mains which deserve some accolades as well. 

I am actually going to have this next time. This Cheese and Spinach Ravioli is to die for. It is so divine. The moment you bite into it, the beautiful taste of cheese and spinach hits you and you're in heaven.


This was my Seafood pasta that I have been craving for the night before and as expected, it did not disappoint.


And below is the crispy and very tasty Calamari.



The little girl's Spaghetti Meatballs was very lovely, too and oh yes, I did finish that for her as well.

After our meal, a look at their take home section had me buying some of these nice treats. I really enjoyed them with a cup of tea. Perfect as presents for relatives and friends.





I also love their restaurant interiors, very clean and cozy wherever you are in the country. We actually went this time to their Wimbledon Village branch. The staff are superb and helpful too.

image source



Carluccio's 
Wimbledon Village
25 High Street, Wimbledon
London SW19 5DX



Saturday 1 September 2012

Stacked Bracelets

From the runway to celebrities, I can say stacked bracelets is the trend right now. My bracelets have been hibernating for so long so out of the boxes they come. I have them in gold, silver, acrylic, beads and crystals. Name it, I have it. They are mostly presents though as I don't tend to buy them anymore now that I am based in a cold country where arm candies or any accessory for that matter will be hidden under layers of clothes.

Here is my take on stacked bracelets.






I am loving this trend du jour.

Pregnant Celebrity Style

Gone are the days when the moment someone becomes pregnant, they say goodbye to t-shirts and jeans and just live in maternity dresses for the rest of the nine months. Now, pregnant women flaunt their bumps.




The likes of Reese Witherspoon, Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Gardner carries maternity jeans effortlessly.
I remember when I was in this interesting stage, I was always in maternity shorts and jeans. I found them more comfortable than dresses where you always worry about your modesty. Plus the fact that maternity jeans come in different styles now from skinny to flare and combat style. It is wise to invest in them though invest is not quite the word now as you can get them at very reasonable prices and with good quality. 

I am not in that interesting stage but I thought I will just browse for some maternity jeans at duematernity.com and I found more styles there. Aside from skinny and flare, they also come in boyfriend style, slim fit, boot flare, skinny anke. The list is just endless. Of course, you have the option if you want the waist band over or under your bump. Just looking at them makes me want to have that bump again.

All images from the web.