Shots from the Make-Over Parties

As promised previously, I'll provide some snapshots of the make-over parties (or frenzy) that happened at my place a few weeks back.

My colleagues claimed that I have a lot of make-up, is it true? Personally, I always find myself short of something.

C perfects her nails with blings (check out the thumbs!). We were all distracted by them during meeting. :P

Part of my humble collection. My most prized item must be Benefit's Industrial Strength Concealer (see round black packaging in the centre); it covers my dark eye circles perfectly without cracking.

Will Bounce Back Soon

Oleander is sick recently... but she promises to bounce back very soon! Recently, I got some new results from a (new form of) test I did at the hospital (with a new specialist) which wasn't all perfect but really not that bad... anyway, I learned to cope better with these things these days. I wonder if it's experience or just me getting older, but I feel more able to cope with issues of health and sickness now as compared to the past. I used to get horribly jittery and paranoid over these things and going 'why me, why me' but now I just try to deal with them normally.

Anyway, I have also resigned myself to the fact that I need a VERY BALANCED and WHOLESOME lifestyle. Once I get kicking, I want to learn to cook healthy meals!! I also want to start exercising!! My dear friends who are reading this, please hold me accountable. :)

I also believe that God will continue to bless me and watch over me, even in matters related to physical health.

"The LORD nurses them when they are sick and eases their pain and discomfort."
- Psalm 41:3

With God, nothing is impossible so keep me in prayer as I would for myself! Dear friends, if I M.I.A for a while, pls be patient as I need time to hibernate and rest, but I'll keep you guys posted anyways!

ps: I must say that during my short time at Mount Alvernia, I have met some really good-hearted healthcare workers! They've an amazing amount of sensitivity and patience for people! Also, I need to testify to God's goodness, as though I am sick recently, my arthritis hardly acted up for the past half a year and I am totally off meds for that now. Hopefully this situation persists! :)

xoxo.

Focus on Doing

Lately, a line that's tagged to my MSN nickname says 'do more with your life'.

Boy, am I not taking that seriously.

I can't exactly say what I am busy with right now- a myriad of things, really- but lately, I focused more on doing and accomplishing things, rather than just mulling about them or being overly engrossed in work.

I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends and building new relationships- and as a result, have learnt many new things and enjoyed myself tremendously. I held what a male colleague called a 'make-up potluck party' at my place, did make-overs for three colleagues and my own aunt, shopped a lot, visited new food places, and am currently helping a cousin with her wedding preparations. (I'll follow-up more on this make-up business in future.)

One of the more important routines I have since established a few months back is attending a church- New Creation Church, to be exact. Truly, I have been greatly blessed. I actually stopped going to church for about a year and a half before I decided that life without spirituality was really not worth living (what's the point of chasing after the wind? If all things come to nought at the end of the day, surely there must be a greater purpose for living). So although I was fed-up with church for a while (on hindsight, such pride!), I decided that God really did look after me at every step of my life and I really needed to get back to him. So, without a single friend in New Creation Church (then), I started attending the service.

I admit that I had reservations about the church initially as it was not exactly conventional according to my prior knowledge, yet, it worked for me because it helped me to see and understand the grace of God which is very important for me as I have a lot of fears in my life. While I am no radical, inwardly, I disdained conventions and found religion restrictive.

Yes, friends, this was my old thinking, but let me say to you humbly that what I thought cannot be further from the truth. My deepening relationship with God changes paradigm. I think things anew. I feel like I have new insights as to how to deal with various aspects of my life and I am assured of my destiny.

Basically, it's about nurturing the inner life. I do think I am not doing justice to whatever I am saying about God here in this blog, afterall, I am merely sharing my thoughts spontaneously. Feel free though to visit New Creation Church, Singapore at Suntec City (or visit http://www.newcreation.org.sg/ for info) or for my beloved friends, ring me up and we can always go together- no obligations, of course.

That's it for now. I actually have other happenings to share but we'll keep that for the next entry. Watch this space! :)

More Petals!

Yay! I have new flowers today! This time, they doll up the dining area. :)

Don't they look great?

Where are my dessert plates?

I have almost everything in my house but I have no dessert plates. I have been shopping for AGES but nothing- absolutely NOTHING can remove my first love from my heart- Royal Albert white dessert plate with gold prints (I made a mistake in my previous post claiming that it's turquoise and gold- sorry folks, my bad). I remembered that it looked so wonderfully opulent, decadent and victorian that really, I could just eat the plate for dessert.

I had guests yesterday and had no dessert plates to serve the sweet bites in! How terrible!

Please- I need to get on with my life. If you know of something better that I can move on to, do me a favour and let me know soon.

:( The Frazzled Host

In Love with Flowers

New hydrangea for the coffee table. Doesn't it look fabulous? :) I love what it does to the space! It instanteously breathes life to an otherwise lifeless area and the soft pastel colours soothe the senses.

I am certainly looking forward to experimenting with more fleurs! Whee! :D

Trust

Hello friend,

If you are reading this, firstly I want to thank you for coming to my home with your loved one. You have blessed my husband and I greatly. You have amazed us with your optimism and faith you have in God despite setbacks. Like you say, I am convinced that the Lord is with you. How can He not be? Even when you meet obstacles, the Lord is firmly holding your hand and helping you through them- slowly but surely.

Though you are young, you are the one who is wise in the faith because you can see God- and did so simply.

You know what? I am not worried for you at all because the favour of the Lord is with you.

Take heart, my dear.

This song we listened to last night repeated itself in my mind. I woke up this morning and listened to it again in the quietness of my home.

I dedicate it to you here.

Trust, by Six Pence None the Richer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwIzHGMP3g

Goodbye JBJ

Dedicated to the Son of Singapore. Thank you for inspiring us with your conviction and love for our country.

Members of the public and friends of JBJ awaits for the hearse near the entrance of Saint Andrew's Cathedral. The bus in the background takes people to the crematorium.

People from all walks of life pay their last respects to a true fighter.

"People create their own questions because they are afraid to look straight. All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don't sit looking at it- walk."- Ayn Rand, Amercian writer and novelist

Of Life and Death: A Lunchtime Epiphany

I love having meals with my colleagues.

More importantly, I love these people.

I happened to be exceedingly blessed with good working company. I am always entertained by a very funny cubbie (ie: cubicle) neighbour and am surrounded by many intelligent, witty and wise colleagues who truly possess a good heart.

Today, while chomping on some badly cooked food from the canteen, I am once again enlightened- this time on issues related to life and death.

You see, in between bites, my colleagues and I were discussing on the most efficient and painless way of committing suicide (disclaimer: we were really approaching the subject from an intellectual perspective). We brainstormed various ideas and discussed their feasibility, practicality and the science involved. Then, we considered euthanasia and how it would feel like to plot one's own death. Finally, despite varying viewpoints, we concurred that it's not the way that we die that is important but how we face death. I.E.: We gotta be ready for it.

Now, as if living is not hard enough- the living needs so much courage to press on in this mad mad world- we need to prep ourselves for death as well? Good Lord! May you strengthen our hearts! Really, if most of us can hardly pinpoint the reason for living, can we actually face death? Is it ever possible to face death without struggle? Are we all ready to embrace afterlife (or to some, simply nothingness)? My suspicion tells me that most of us are in reality nervous about death- even as we draw closer to it everyday.

My colleague, this wonderful and inspiring woman, offered me this perspective (and may I summarise) :

See life as a gift and not of your own. Life does not belong to us. We can decide what to do with our possessions. We can decide when to buy or throw things away. But life is not a thing. How can we say 'it's my life' when we neither have the right to decide our birth nor death? Hence, life is a gift. If bestowed upon me, I will take it as a treasure and use it well. If taken away, there's no loss as I merely return what was loaned to me.

At the end of lunch, I was inspired to see my life as a blessing. In a world where everything's gotta be about 'me', it's really refreshing to see oneself as something else besides the center of the universe.

Trinity of the Birthday Girl, Modern Woman and Subservient Wife

This is a fairy tale based on a real life account. Read into it however you like:



Once upon a time, a girl (who is a wife and also a modern woman) awaits for her birthday to arrive in two days' time- well, actually, it's not fair to say that she awaits for the day as birthdays are hardly days one would celebrate for as they signify erm, like an older age?- nonetheless, she decides to rub off that tiny bit of cynicism and embrace the notion of birthday celebration like any adolescent would.

In the living room one night, she watches TV with the husband.

"What are we doing on my birthday?" The wife asked innocuously.

"Hmm, nothing. You wanna go out? We can if you want." The husband's eyes fixated on the screen.

Darn men.

Wife pouted and glared dangerously in his direction. She mustered some form of half-hearted anger towards the man (as deep now, even she was not absolutely convinced of the need to celebrate) and said without emotions (which actually meant alot of emotions) that she was going to bathe.

In the bathroom, a myriad of thoughts flashed through her mind: you terrible men! sickening men! what's the point of marriage, marriage is the death of romance, I don't need a celebration from you and blah. That helplessness and anger soon gave birth to self-righteousness and a desire for independence.

Why be a subservient wife when you can be an independent woman? Why wait for men? Do it yourself!

So, in the midst of deciding which bath lotion she should use for the day, the Wife planned on the perfect birthday celebration which no one could wreck as she, and she alone, would be responsible for. It's decided- she would get herself a cake (from Canele or The Patisserie), flowers (hydrangea preferably), book a good restaurant and take the husband out instead.

That's the wonder of being a woman in the 21st century. That's the beauty of having financial independence. That's the power of feminism.

The wife stepped out of the bathroom afresh, both in mind and spirit.

She was about to announce the grand proposal to her husband on the same couch where she was first disappointed, when the husband looked up and uttered quite unexpectedly,"I actually planned a birthday surprise for you but I could see that you are disppointed by what I said. I think you cannot take it lah (ie: surprises), so I am telling you now that I have actually planned something on that day."

Oh.


At that moment, the wife blamed herself for spoiling the surprise and cursed the feminists and their good ideas under her breath.


Although that gesture made by the husband had effectively saved him from a domestic crisis and earned him an approving hug from the wife but nonetheless, deep within the woman, that revelation had introduced perplexities to her mind that will not go away till this day.

Are independence and strength necessarily positive traits that women should have?


One thing for sure though, the wife concluded that if she had been less of a modern woman and more of the subservient wife, birthdays would certainly be more delightful affairs.

Letting Go

A succession of things happened lately which allowed me to draw a few conclusions about myself:

1) I am too hard on myself.

2) I am on a never-ending quest for perfection.

3) I always seek change.

4) Therefore, I am discontented and consequently will never fit the bill of being a happy person.

I can't be the same person or do the same thing. Already I am thinking of how I can restyle my home, my hair, my career. I dream of having new skills, new knowledge and new hobbies.

I like to shock myself.

I really do abhor being the same. I cannot be comfortable.

Yet at the same time, I hate myself for being cowardly. I am adversed towards risk, tends to think too much and over-analyse matters. If I could be more carefree, I believe that I will enjoy the changes much better.

Call it masochism at work perhaps. But I can suffer for what I want.

I have been blessed to have met happy people at work and elsewhere. Happy people are people who takes things easy; this doesn't mean that they do not do things excellently- they often do- (and in fact, I have very little respect for people who are only interested in mediocrity), it's just that they often adopt a holistic worldview towards life, strive towards balance, seeks harmony and find peace with themselves and their surroundings. They respect and fulfill their responsibilities but they are also forgiving towards themselves.

I, on the other hand, live like I am in a war. I call it the 'crash-and-burn' personality.

Happy people make me rethink about my life. I feel very fortunate to meet them because they make happiness seems so easy, meaningful and attainable! I also try to forgive myself more.

Thank you Happy People! :) As paradoxical as this might sound, I'll try harder to let go! Heh.

Girlfriends, you rock!

If there's something worth celebrating about today- it must be my friends!

Hello girls (you know who you are), thanks for being such a blessing and inspiration! Recently, it has been very encouraging to learn that everyone has kinda started on a new phase/ new project/ new men/ new friends/ new trip/ new outlook. If you have none of the above, no fear! Begin with a new hairdo! kekekeke.

But really, it's so cool to know that in our baby steps, we are all trying to discover the wonderful world out there.

That's a great start. Keep it going everybody. Don't shortchange yourself- live large!

***

Fashion bulletin: Steve Madden's shoe collection, Madden Girl, is absolutely worth looking at! Stage at Raffles City Shopping carries it and they are having a sale. Felt at Capitol Building is having a good sale of designer dresses too. They certainly look a million bucks! And best of all, you can shop in a safe, private haven away from the maddening crowd. Have fun with fashion this season! :)

Thank God for the Car!

Dear friends!

Me and hubby finally got a car! It's nothing new or fancy; it is in fact a hand-me-down (but we are paying for it) from my mom. It's now truly a family car that belongs to generations :P Hopefully, we'll have you guys in it soon! Yay! And guess what? We can go check out more happening places on our SATC-wannabe nights! Yipee!

We thank God for the resources! :)

The Search for the 'IT' Bag

The story all began when I chanced upon a particular Agnes B. 'IT' bag on friday night.

Thereafter, I could not stop thinking about it.

Now, now, you must understand, I am certainly one of the most avid shoppers in the world-but never a complusive one though. Shopping (I am embarassed to admit) takes up a huge portion of my leisure time but that is really because I am one of the most calculated and exacting buyers you can ever meet in the mall. Being a scrooge at heart, it's never quite possible to nab me shopping impulsively and thoughtlessly. Truth is, I am one of those customers most dreaded by any salesperson. I mull over every purchase like it is a 300 grand house and not a 30 dollar lipstick that I am paying for.

But enough said of myself here. Let's go back to the bag.

The particular 'IT' bag that I was coveting would perhaps be deemed as a never-will-be by my counterparts' standards. First of all, in conventional fashionistic vocabulary, an IT bag must be priced rather extravagantly (if not, impossibly) as to accentuate its exclusivity and luxury. My IT Bag, on the other hand, cost a meagre $140 after discount. (I know, you are screaming cheap already.) And guess what? It was in the exact style, size and colour that I want; subtle in appearance but quirky in appeal- and yes- it totally radiates the vibe 'Me!'.

Of course I had to make a dash for the mall on saturday night to see and get it.

A problem was realised however, on the second sighting of the bag.

It was without a zip!!!

To cut the long story short, (I need to go for lunch soon) I did not get the bag despite all my love and disappointments towards it as I figured that it was perhaps too impractical, in spite of its cuteness, as all the contents could easily fall out without a secured cover.

My husband who has had to endure the entirely painful protracted wishing-cabbing-shopping-and-finally-not-buying process with me was amused.

"What? Give up an otherwise perfect thing just because it has no zip?"

With a look of dismay, I seriously pondered if I was being too anal-retentive.

"Do you think I should buy it then?"

"You won't."

"Why?"

"Because you are uncompromising. You will not be happy even if you bought it."

With a dose of epiphany brought upon by my husband's comments, I went through a mental checklist of all my shopping hits-and-misses. It's true. Case in point, I have been shopping for dessert plates since a year back and have bought nothing till today as the turqoise and gold Royal Albert plates I sighted 6 months ago and love until now was out of stock and could never be found again- in the whole Singapore.

It was not a conscious decision. But once I spotted my love, I could never get anything else again.

This uncompromising trait has served me both well and bad on many occasions in my life. I make decisions rather quickly and effortlessly as I generally know what I want and do not want. Because of that, I am also seldom afraid of hard decisions (even if it meant pain). I'll go ahead anyway and stick it out if I am convinced that it is right.

But precisely so, I have also been alienated on various accounts in my life because I refused to fit in. I have also been too unduly fixated with certain stances which may ultimately lend to unecessary inflexibility. May the Lord offer me wisdom to discern on this one.

But at the end of the day, I am thankful that I have been blessed with good friends and a husband who would support and accept me for who I am despite my failings. Sure, there will always be regrets and things we can't have in life, like my now not-so-IT bag, but at least these are things that I can live with as it's far better to spend time looking for the ONE right thing than to cheat ourselves to accept many second bests.

And, by the way, did I mention that I spotted more fabulous bags at Dior after a failed acquisition at Agnes B.?

*grin*