Its for our kitchen I promise!

I'm one click away from BUY. It's still at the Add to Cart stage right now.


But you see..they're really for our new kitchen. It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm craving for sweet foods or that I'm into cupcakes. Really. Uh huh.



How could you possibly resist anyway? I mean look at them..they say 'Buy Me! Buy Me!'


See..wouldnt you like this apron? ..I know I'd look super cute in it with my chubby bits hanging out and mumsy hair. Its got cupcakes on it for heaven's sake! And look!..



I can even have a matching pot mitten! Wont I look super DUPER cute?!!
Ok..so if that didnt really suit me I'd have to tone it down with this number. Brown and polka dots work fine. U know..if I have a kitchen catastrophe brown could cover up the stains. Really. It'll suit my complexion too. Uh huh!



Or maybe..just maybe..

..we need a teapot warmer? I know we're in tropical weather and all, but we'd have air-conditioners and you wouldnt want cold tea?!

And look..I think this is the most practical. Imagine, I bake you cupcakes and I could pack AND deliver it to you? See. Told you I'm not a compulsive buyer. I have reasons. My future kids will so love me! Not.

Ooh...I know I have a cupcake holder already. But that one holds only 12 cupcakes. This one holds 36. Yes. THIRTY SIX. I could go all professional and deliver it to coffee shops you know?

If you want to give your husband a heart attack like I just did...go to www.thecupcakecourier.com.au and you might fall in love too.

Dear..if you're reading..I havent clicked YET. I wont guarantee if by tonight...but I promise this is all for you...well us. But you know how the saying goes...you = us = me. I'm sOoo clever!

Note to self: Do not shop whilst having sugar cravings.

Of Singapore

So I've told you about my best bud's wedding in Philippines, then kinda haunted you with my Bali vacation and I'm sure I've (over)mentioned how much I love Perth (though I might not of written much about it)...so now Singapore.

Singapore was the last leg of our honeymoon. Sure we transited there a few times for our honeymoon trip, but it was intentionally put as the last pit-stop for no other reason than -shopping and eating!

Me and Singapore go waaay back (ok..thats dodgy English, but it somehow sounds right). I started going there when I got schooled in kindy. It was our destination for annual family trips. We'd normally go there around Christmas. I think it was my dad's way of exposing us to a different environment, a more overwhelming population. -To take out the 'kampong-ness' in us kids?

You see, my hometown is tiny. My brother always joked that if you blinked your eye you would miss the 'city'. My hometown is weeny. Weeny tiny. And ofcourse, back in 1980's there really wasnt much going on.

So everytime we went to Singapore- especially near Christmas can you imagine our awe! It was a city. A REAL city. Lights, people, shops and offices were all in abundance! Orchard would be decked with heaps of Christmas lights. Ohhh...so pretty!

Then there was Phoenix Hotel . We always stayed there. Even the concierge knew me. The last time I went, I was 20+ years old and the conceirge was still there - his hair greyed and wrinkles adorned his ever smiling face. -He still recognised me. Phoenix is now demolished and being built into a mega shopping mall a hotel. There goes all my memories...

This is the first time Hubby and I were in Singapore together. I've been there with my family, he's been there for work, but we've never been together. Boy were we touristy..and mighty hungry!!

First stop: We arrived at Singapore waaaay too early. The sun wasnt even out yet and our hotel didnt let us check in. We roamed around aimlessly just looking for food. We settled for Kopitiam and nearly dozed off at 7-Eleven. By 8am, we argued for a room. We needed sleep. Fast.

So this was our first decent meal. Ahh..Xiao Loong Bau and Pork Noodles...

Hubby's was a Meat-Mushroom noodle. Nothing beats hand made noodles.

Meet Lawry's. Hubby wanted to bring me here a long time ago. They dont have much on their menu, but trust me it needn't be. Their prime ribs are enough to satisfy you. But if you do think you've heard Lawry's before or it's ringing a bell, it's coz Lawrys makes their own seasonings and sells them around the world.

Dining here was first class -service was excellent, complete with waitresses in maid's outfits and meat carved on-the-spot.

Here's our share. Lawry's cut. Yorkshire Pudding (anyone have a good recipe?) Everything done to perfection. I'm salivating nowww...

..And in a poor attempt to lose the millions of calories we gained, we went to Clarke Quay. Shucks. We got tempted by Haagen Dazs.

Ahh..the lovers, the families, clubbers, business people..what an assortment of people.

Note: do NOT sit next to bunches of pretty girls at the Quay. We realised they were Ladies of the Night when they conversed with some expatriates. Hmm..

The next night we were off to somewhere special. We were at Takashimaya and Orchard for the whole day and needed a hearty meal. Another place where my Hubby had promised to bring me was Pietrasanta @ Portsdown Road. It was a heritage building coverted into a Italian restaurant. The food and atmosphere blended in so well together. I was told it was run by two brothers - both passionate about providing food...

This is what you call french onion soup!

And while waiting..i couldnt help but show off my Bearbricks..I've collected these for years!

Main..

Pasta....you couldnt get any more Italian than this!

..and we cant leave without nice gooey chocolate cake! Especially when we're told it's imported all the way from Italy!

You'd think by now we've satisfied our gigantic tummys. How wrong can you be? Next morning, Singapore's famous Hainan Chicken rice. And i mean famous- theres a plaque on the wall to prove it. lol.

The simple dishes are the best..and the hardest to master!

And if you ever have any doubts about me being serious about food, just take a look. I'm dead serious. I bet my mum wished I studied this intently!

Ok..so we've dined and wined and I really havent shown you much touristy stuff. That's cos I don't feel touristy about Singapore. I kind of know it like the back of my hand.

Anyhoos..it was our honeymoon and we wanted to do something special. Especially before going back to routine life. So..off to Sentosa. I havent been here since I was weeny tiny. We heard their laser-water show on the sea was quite good.

Here's us waiting for Songs of the Sea. A show on the shore of the beach.

First..the water and lights..

More water and lights...

Then ofcourse...off with a Kaboom...just like how my honeymoon ended.

Teenage Mutant

I'm liya and I'm a pimple mutant.

My zits have been popping out as if i'm some hormonal teen going though puberty (at nearly twice the normal age range!). My pimples are quite magical - new ones appear every morning. Big ones, small ones, red ones, pink ones, inflamed ones, white ones...I can be the face for acne. -Anybody need a 'before' shot?

I went to my beautician and she told me this:

Your face is inflamed and full of pimples and potential pimples. You need to wash everyday, exfoliate every two days, eat vitamins and supplements, wash your pillowcase every two days and watch your diet.

I was going to hide. She made me feel like the dirtiest person who lives like a caveman and had no idea of hygiene.

I went to the pharmacy and they told me this:

You need oral herbal tonics, you need a acne cleanser and a topical cream. You also have to refrain from eating oily and fried foods.

Great. Another one who doubted my hygiene AND was going to rip me off for it.

The real problem is: in the hope for a flawless face, I bought an exfoliator from my beautician, a pimple supplement and acne cleanser from the pharmacist. What a sucker I am.

Banana Leaf

I've been frequenting Banana Leaf atleast once a week since I got back from my honeymoon. [Maybe its the ninnys like me that frequent it too much and have now caused the huge price hike!]

It's my new craze on coffee-shop style Malaysian-Indian food. I love spices and aromas!

I normally have the Nasi Briyani rice set (the picture above is served with plain rice): 4 vegetable dishes, nasi briyani (spiced fried rice), papadums, curry gravy of choice all served on the plain banana leaf - a dishwasher's heaven!

Between the few of us, we usually order other side dishes containing mutton, chicken, fish or beef served: rendang or curry style, or even deep fried. Usually after 2pm, they also have an assortment of Roti (Malay/Indian Bread). Roti Pisang gets my vote: floured flat fried bread with bananas. Yums!

The drinks?..Very typical Malaysian. Starring here are 'Teh-C' and 'Teh-C Special'. Teh-C is milk tea whilst Teh-C Special is milk tea served with cordial wheatgrass- sounds weird buts tastes surprisingly nice.

...And..here are the two food ninnys who consume the lot.

Just a bit out there..

Please forgive me if my posts have been a bit random. My mind just isnt functioning properly.

This week has seem to gone by so fast with the amount of things happening.

• My house is 70% done..meaning it's time I confirm my finishes. -Yes, I'm still on tiles. Bright side: I know what I want for my kitchen.


• I'm running around comparing electricals: air conditioning, oven, microwave, fans...theres some nifty stuff out there. I've come to understand the 'Inverter' system which saves nearly 50% of power usage! -More points for me trying to be eco-friendly.


• My work computer crashed. Humbug virus, CD writer gone batty and hardisk is crashed. Bleh.


• I've got another planning brief due.


• 9457 magazines later I finally know what I want for my bathrooms.


• My parents suddenly went out of town, so I have to check on their place.


• My room needs immense cleaning


• A friend's wedding tonight, and one next week too.

.........How I wish I was back in Bali sipping on cocktails by the beach..

MILK gone BAD

This is a bit out of nowhere...but its UBER CUTE! I saw this silly shirt in Singapore Topshop. Cute huh?

Looking at it makes me dream of my ultimate shop tucked nicely in a laneway selling an assortment of weird and quirky stuff for the eyes to feast on.

Every morning I enter a white french door. The ding-a-ling brass bell rings as I enter and begin a new day when I flip over the Open sign. There would be a fluffy pillow corner where crafters meet and dine on little cupcakes. The blackboard wall will adorn stories of now and tomorrow. The shelves are filled with all things artsy. Paper. Ribbons. Embellishments. -And sometimes house a few jars of cookies! A timber ladder stretches high along the wall adorned with books. Bittersweet coffee lingers in the mouth. Laughter echoes as the day wears on.

The only problem is I have to make money out of it. Hmph.

Ibu Oka

This is one place I absolutely love about Bali! Being the food nut that I am, I had to go after reading Lonely Planet.

We were driven to a somewhat small village full of crafts and traditional Balinese houses. I expected some sort of roadside stall or very casual dining experience, but were dropped off by the road and were told to walk all the way up a little hill to a modest Balinese House. If I didnt see all the tourist buses and other taxis that stopped off at the same place, I'd think I got conned.

The original Ibu Oka restaurant was under renovations. So, the owner decided to set up the restaurant at their traditional Balinese house. Beaut idea! Not only did we get to eat delightful roast pig rice, but got a chance to see the real deal.

A traditional Balinese house is entered via a courtyard. -I'll do a post on this interesting set up soon. At Ibu Oka's..the courtyard porches were impossibly full of tourists. All just wanting the same serve of roast sucking pig. It felt like we were all guests being hosted to be big feast.

We even met two guys from Melbourne who told us they came to Bali every year and had to eat Ibu Oka's everytime!

The pig?...Roasted for hours in the courtyard kitchen. Skilfully cut and sliced, served in weaved baskets with an assortment of spiced vegetables and rice. I never tasted anything quite like it. Urgh..so good I wish I could have it for lunch!

Pizza & Pasta Night

I decided to plump everyone up for Mothers Day. My aim was to drench everyone with carbohydrates and dairy products. Fun. -Just kidding.

Here's a brief: Over at my in-laws, we have atleast 8 people dining together when we have a sit down meal. We nearly invade restaurants like a stampede of elephants shall we go out. If everyone was married, our future family population would be 12 and when we all have kids we'd easily fit two tables.


Now, I haven't cooked for a bunch bigger than 4 for a looong time. I dont know what spurred Hubby and I to propose we cook for 9. Brave. We must of been extra courageous that evening. Either that or we thought we could fall back on Pizza Hut if all else failed.


Somehow, halfway cooking... Hubby magically disappeared. Luckily I had two other fairies helping me out- even putting flowers on the table. Bravo!.



Menu:


Seafood Bisque- my father in law loved it until I shocked him with how I got the prawn broth. lol



BBQ Meatlovers Pizza
Hawaiian Pizza
Pizza ala Campur - 'Campur' in Malay means 'mixed'. So, this pizza was a mix of things. Ok, it was a mix of leftovers from the other two pizzas and was overloaded.


Fettucine Carbonara



Yoghurt Ice cream
Fruits



Besides the fact that we over-estimated everyone's appetite...everything turned out beaut!

House

House. Meet World. World. Meet House.

I've got walls and a roof now. A roof not completely finished. But..a roof. I've got rendered bricks and rooms! House is still a tad messy..but it's gonna be my new home. awww...

Ooh..and ..

Courtyard. Meet World. World. Meet Courtyard.

A pleasant surprise

So..on Friday night, we ended up going for a casual dinner followed by a coffee session in Starbucks.

Hubby and I have been busy sourcing materials and looking through heaps of mags, journals and books for inspiration. We were busy flipping through interior mags, discussing things we wanted and how we'd achieve that within our budget.



..We liked a few elements from these two kitchens. It was simple. Clean lines. Heaps of storage and adequate bench space.


..Then guess what Hubby found?!....Ta da!! Two of my works in a mag! These semi-detached houses were designed some time last year and are currently being built. For the crazy archi bunch that studied with me ..they'll know I was a complete idiot with computers. I didn't really know how to use Autocad let alone draw 3D! So..a few years in the work force and I do perspectives now. I can't live without my computer now.

There's a little adrenaline rush when I saw these. Well..they're not in a architectural journal...but heck...it's good enough for now. I also know alot of my peers are doing quite well. Kudos to you all!!

Mothers Day

When I wrote my wedding speech a few months ago [one that I will make my dear Hubby remember for the rest of our life and maybe one day share my complete story with you], it was hard articulating myself to explain the thanks and love to my parents. There wasnt a single sentence or even paragraph that came near to what they've done for me. I just had a lump in my throat everytime I thought about embarking on a new journey.

Come mothers day and I still dont know how to express myself. I'd most probably never have the ability to express how much my mum means to me.

I've two mothers now. Both individuals so uniquely different..but share the same compassion of motherly love. Ahhh..mothers. What would I do without you?

Happy mothers day. Here's two cards for two special women.

One pesky couple

My Hubby and I are one of those annoying couples who still celebrate our monthiversaries to date. -Yes, we even have a name for it. Today's our 45th monthiversary. Those who've celebrated their decades of anniversaries most probably think we're annoyingly stupid. Whats 45 months compared to 45 years?! And what's 45 months compared to the rest of the lives we've vowed to one another?

We are pretty pesky.

But look. We dont go all out and buy each other elaborate gifts. Nor do we do fine dining. (Ok, so that did happen in the beginning.) Its really just an excuse to have some couple time. Both making the effort for a date because as a relationship matures, we kind of forget those little details or the precious time we spend alone. The last few monthiversaries have been spent sharing how our relationship is going and how we'd like to improve. I feel so much better after those talks. Its a time where we sit down whole heartedly and discuss things. We'd reflect on previous issues and discuss why certain things happen. We'd project our future and share our thoughts.

I seriously dont know what we're doing tonight. I presume its going for coffee after dinner or something. Nevertheless, a date. A time to pause on things momentarily and be reminded of why we're in this together. Or in our case, most probably act silly and laugh at everything.

Happy 45th monthiversary Hubby. XXOO. Xiao Tur-ter.

Tiles Anyone?

In my profession, choosing samples and materials are just about a everyday thing. I inform my clients of whats available and get to meet suppliers and talk about innovative products.

It use to somewhat annoy me when clients constantly changed their mind - whether its about the design or the material. I dont mind if they change their mind about things a couple of times - thats normal. But- I've had clients who call me every single morning telling me their new decision. The one they thought about before going to bed last night and most probably the one they're gonna change again tonight. I even told my client he was fast becoming my boyfriend at the rate he was calling - I wasnt in the mood to entertain him after weeks of regular morning calls.

I'm the sort who settles on something and doesnt think about it anymore. It saves me alot of stress and unnecessary moments of pondering.

Sigh. But come my own house stuff (very professional word aint it?) and I admit I've changed my mind on a few things.

I have settled on a few..I've got my sanitary wares fixed, gonna use recycled granite (my poor attempt at being more environmentally friendly), getting my timber floors dried and treated-saves so much money!.. using fibrous cement for some floor and wall finishes..and now i'm doomed.

Tiles.

The colours, designs, textures..I'm really not that sure of what I want. It has to look clean. White. Or is it neutral toned? Maybe dark floors. Oohh, that mosaic I saw was nice too! Here I go again...Help me. Anyone?..

Maybe you can help..here's my selection so far...one that I still need to filter and add and sort and choose! Sigh.
And.. I know I havent given updates about my house for ages... its coming. I promise.

Bali Craft

Bali is full of craftsmen. Hundreds and thousands of them. I totally adore their intricate works and wish I had the luggage space to bring more crafts with me.

From stone crafts..

..to jewelry makers: the beginning of earrings..

..to wood carvers...

..more wood carvers who are totally amazing in every sense..

..and then you wonder..why would ANYONE want this sitting in their living room? ..More precisely, what inspired the artist to carve this?? hmmmmm.....