christmas eve

it's christmas eve, and i'm seated alone at a starbucks. 

and i'm enjoying it ;)

stepping out of the house into the cool weather, i was pleasantly surprised at how autumn-ish it felt. the lack of humidity in the air, wet leaves pasted on the ground, trees bowing towards each other from the weight of the raindrops, the sudden call of a sparrow fluttering up a tree. so nice and quaint. 

a couple of days back, i realized to my surprise that i had not planned a christmas list or planned any shopping, a habit for the past few years. it could have been the very busy nov-dec season that saw me trying to squeeze in enough sleep, or the thought of facing the town crowds that made me avoid malls as much as i could, or that i'd been more intent on catching up with friends than really shopping. i think the last time when i really truly shopped was back in hong kong, at H&M. :P

anyhow, a few trips to 'made with love' @ P.S. saw me armed with even more paper for scrapbooking frenzies and...i'm really happy about this-my new under $30 black and white flower trimmed laptop bag! a little gift for myself, especially having hunted for a cheap but pretty one for the longest time. of course, if my fujitsu dies on me in a couple of years and i get a smaller lappy, the bag might be used for some other purpose. but in the meantime, seeing the bag makes me smile (: 

3 days ago saw us spending our 2nd year anniversary in jb, with a FR band at a gig (i was dancing with k.) we didn't really celebrate due to the lack of time, but we did find enough time to  surprise each other (at least i was). he presented me with a brown halter dress bought online from victoria secret's! *beams* i really love it! 

my prezzie to him was the finished scrapbook of our journey that i'd started in Nov '06, to chronicle the seasons. many late nights went into it, and i appreciated him taking the time to read through all i had written in it. we returned from jb surprisingly fast-there was nary a jam at the customs. the extra time meant we could swing by one of the parks near my place, and pray. that's one of my favorite ways to end a night with him, whether or not we'd gone for a date. i shall miss that when july comes by. i know we'll still pray together, and 'good night' won't be a parting shot; maybe it's just cuz i've had quite a few God moments in that park (:

something that caught my eye just now as i journalled really blessed me, so it shall be my blessing to you all who'll be reading this. 

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work...you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous n every occasion..." |2 Cor. 9:8, 11|

be blessed this x'mas season, in every conversation you have and with each loved one you'll be spending time with!

new product that i love!

while waiting for my lappie to respond, i noticed my elbows were dry. eyeing the small bottle of body lotion the boss got for me from his last trip to the US, i opened it for the first time and applied a bit. and MAN....

the lotion's thick and absorbed easily, the fragrance is musky but sweet and i've found yet another product unattainable in S'pore to fall in love with. Black Amethyst Body Lotion from Bath & Bodyworks. 

*sigh* why do i do this to  myself? why am i liking soooo many things from the US?? *tsk tsk*

this reminds me of the discovery e. and i made during staff summit @ Pulai Springs. after we had freshened up at the spa's shower room, we tried the body lotion provided and it was so good!! the lotion abosrbed really quickly and made our skin so smooth. save for the fragrance, it was so good that we made every opportunity to visit the washroom just so we could use the lotion there! :P 

ah well... i shall continue wishing...and make my little bottle last as long as i can (:

mid-day thoughts

just finished lunch, brought from home. last night's left-overs. feeling like i could eat another one of evon's cinammon rolls but that'll be pure greed. don't need more carbo sitting around my tummy. and as with most after lunch moments, i'm feeling a tad sleepy and sluggish. still, it's good to note a couple of things that happened over the weekend.

after 19 months, i finally had my hair cut on saturday. well, it's more of a trim, as the ends were becoming terribly weak. i'm quite happy with the shorter length and reduced weight, but the hair's now resting too close to my neck; heat rash is threatening to appear. hope it grows out nicely in time for wedding shoot and the Big Day (:

yesterday i danced solo for the first time, in FMC, for the anthem (otherwise normally known as the offering song). it was quite an experience, especially not having time to choreograph prior to the worship practice. Praise God for the steps! and it was really cool to hear people share that they were blessed by the dance :D

Real glad too, that 'The Promise' musical has been performed and just ended its run. So much hard work that went into it by countless people, and despite having sat through a few rehearsals, i was still very blessed watching it. 

It's december!! don't know if it's the pace of life so far, the holiday mood that's setting in or if i'm just finding an excuse, but i could sure use some time to go about life at a leisurely pace. i would love to...

• shop at Borders using my birthday voucher
• walk around Bugis Village and Far East just to browse through the stalls
• have late night supper without worrying about unwanted calories and not being able to sleep well
• bake!!! i would first need an oven...kerin! i know u'll be reading this soon. when's our baking date?
• go for a nice long walk with hubby2be and to top it off, catch the sunset 
• picnic picnic picnic :)
• cafe lounging and girl talk
• hang out at sentosa without the holiday crowd (which means it's not possible this month)

anyone wanna date me? (:

new addiction

i think i can't get enough of online stores. especially those that don't bring in all their wonderful stuff from the US/UK. which will probably cost doubly more by the time they import it here. 

but just browsing through Victoria's Secret's clothes line (not the lingerie) is sufficient for me to calculate the feasibility of ordering a few of their items. is it worth the shipping costs? i've already been quite tempted by 3 tops. hee.

though i can't try them on, online stores usually give a good enough idea of each article's measurements, though of course i constantly need to remember that i'm usually much smaller than the models that are pictured :P nevertheless, the clothes are so irresistible!! 

hmmm...shall i or shall i not? that is the question...

hormone laden verbal diarrhea

i'm cranky, tired, sleepy, hormonal, sinus-y, grouchy and grumpy. 

which equates to me needing to 

have sufficient rest to sleep, not be stressed about the work awaiting me from now till dec 11, have me-time to do things i wanna do before i explode and wanting to go for my cell's batam trip this instant. 

*bleah* in realizing i'm actually dreading something that's dance-related, it very probably means i'm getting highly stressed :( 

i want to cook, bake, scrap-book, shop, hang out at the beach, picnic. or not do anything. just walk through nature and not have to think. 

as a student i hated this time of the year cuz of exams. as a working adult, i still hate this time of the year cuz of its activity packed tendencies.

nonetheless, i shall give thanks. especially when Daddy granted a very blessed time with a dancer at ikea over brunch, and to see how talented some of the volunteers for 'The Promise' musical are. being not musically inclined, i'm always very amazed to hear people sing on pitch and sing well, with emotion and emphasis at the right moments. 

my new online discovery: www.onlyshop.co.uk 

i love their clothes la! i just wish it was based in the US, so i wouldn't hesitate so much in wanting to buy their clothes. 

what i wouldn't do for a day to rot at the beach, have waffle and ice cream @ daily scoop, spend time with God at some coffee joint and feast on Coffee Bean's Ceasar salad, catch the sunset with hubby2be and not have to rush through any of those. (:

oh yes, prayer request!!! the flat we balloted for in j. west-our ballot no. lies outside the available no. of flats. this means we'll only be informed if the ethnic quota fills up or if ppl don't want the flats. So pray that either of that happens! :P we really really really really really really really want the place. did mention that we really want it? hee. would definitely appreciate prayers for that.

it's past midnight! time to zzzzzzzzzz.......night Daddy...night world. 

friday

so glad to have been able to get some me-time today.

got up at a luxurious 9am, much rested than the past few nights. i think just knowing i don't have to rush off to a day's full of work helped my sleep.

after breakfast and newspapers, i headed off to the pool *beams* it was so shiok!! the sun hanging overhead kissed my skin as i lounged alone by the water, allowing the suntan oil do its work. when the occiasional dark cloud moved close, i'd look up and grumble at it to go away. the winds eventually shoo-ed most of the dark clouds away. and i must say, swimming in the cold water was bliss after soaking in the sun. (:

wolfing down grandma's lunch by the tv later on reminded me of secondary school days when i would do just that, and tv-ed the rest of my day away. haha.

hastily made the oreo base of a potential mudpie for the dancers tomorrow and had to rush off for dg. in fact i was late :P time management didn't work out the way i wanted it to be. heh. so anyway, i'm here blogging in school (NUS) cuz the agenda for today's dg is for the girls to spend time with Abba. i shall go bury my head in 'Knowing the Heart of the Father' while they do that.

and i'm looking forward to dinner with hubby2be later! (: been so busy that we've had hardly any quality time together this week.

*tired*

i'm sooooooooo tired... the week's long nights and dance practices have taken a toll on my body. i desperately want to head home and collapse into bed, but a meeting that i can't get out of awaits my arrival in about an hour's time. what's more uninteresting is that i'm there cuz i'm representing my colleagues who are overseas. *sigh*

i hear my bed calling me. :P

but well, as i browsed through friends' blogs just now, a girlfriend lamented on how the world seems to have come to a standstill cuz no one's blogging. maybe cuz everyone's really busy in Nov. i know my schedule's packed like mad for this month. i'm really looking forward to the staff summit in a couple of weeks, and the pool and (hopefully) spa/massage there (; i need the rest man. actually, i think i just want to 'nua'. anyone wanna go beach with me? beached whale. hahaha. ok, i'm officially cranky due to lack of rest. 

a quick update as to why i'm so busy (and i haven't gotten near to writing my newsletter!! :( ) i'm preparing for 2 dance items (workwise)-one's for department's fund raiser in dec and the other, a band's gig in jb nearer x'mas. it's pretty cool cuz these were upon request. and there's the 'Promise' musical that's drawing closer end of this month. it's been fun, though i wish i don't get reminded of my age when the muscles cry for mercy after a few hours of dancing. :P

okies, gotta run...hope to blog again soon...

pause and ponder

i wonder why i haven't felt the urge to cook in quite a while. even when hubby2be offered the use of his kitchen on at least two occasions. maybe he's been cooking too much good food...or maybe i'm more interested in baking now...or maybe, i just don't feel like it.

i wonder how i managed to clock a timing of less than 15 minutes in my 2.4km while in JC. especially when i would jog as much as i could, and walk when i couldn't take it anymore. i managed to do much better this recent sunday during our jog. i didn't stop jogging throughout the route we took (*pats myself on the back*) and learnt to control my breathing a lot better. yet this was a longer timing than my nafa test that saw me jogging and walking. hmmm...anyhow, we ran a shorter distance this week than last, but i'm quite sure i'll improve my distance, timing and stamina over time (: 

i wonder if i'll be able to find shoes that'll fit the wedding gown. 

:D yes, i got my dress already! went with hubby2be yesterday to Flamingo (we took leave) and Shirley (head designer) was really helpful. In fact, the dress we finally decided on wasn't on the rack; she disappeared into the back room as i contemplated over another gown and voila! brought forth the gown. and i LLLLLOOOOOVVVVEEEEE it lah. feel absolutely princess in it. finally understand when other brides say you just know it's the one after you've slipped it on. (:

now, just waiting to find the shoes too ;) wedding-pretty heels that match the gown and are bunion-friendly. 

and various other things to decide as the weeks pass. time, please slow down a bit. you're moving faster than the freight train! it's already mid october!

run run run!

today, i allowed myself to be put through torture. and by torture, i mean jogging/running.

now before any of you think i'm exaggerating, let me explain why this very normal exercise is something i've avoided at all costs.

being a sickly child, grandma prevented me from exercising from young, for fear i would trigger a bout of never ending cough or get an asthma attack. so her fears translated into me really thinking i can't 'strain' myself; so convinced was i that i told my sec school PE teacher that i can't complete the 2.4km run (or was it 1.6?) cuz of my asthmatic condition. of course, she didn't buy it (thank God). so the only time i ran was during PE, and each time i had to run, it was horrid. and i always failed my NAFA cuz i failed this segment of the test.

you must be thinking, 'but you dance!!'

... i know!! :P but i've also realized that i'm more capable of short bursts of energy, hence being more capable of conquering the 100 and 200m sprints during sec school days, and dancing. even when i dance, each song's 4-5 min long ;)

anyway, hubby2be wanted some exercise and since my bicycle won't be avail till nov/dec, i suggested running. and i knew i was setting myself up for trouble. nonetheless, i stretched my muscles dutifully for half an hour, and set off.

oh man...within minutes, i could feel my butt muscles burning! what's going on?? and my thigh muscles stretched as i tried to determine the best way to land my feet on the ground. and learn how to breathe right. and try to fight the increasing tightness in my head and chest. and wondering why my ears were slowly becoming blocked. and trying to keep my head from not spinning as the light-headedness increased. see why i don't like to run?

but i completed (some) of the stipulated distance, with much coaching and encouragement from the hubby2be. in fact, he said despite my dislike for it, i clocked a pretty good time for the distance covered (some of which was through brisk walking). i still hate running, and will probably grow less loathesome of it as i learn to get the hang of coordinating my strides, breathing and pace. one thing's for sure, as i struggled on with the Olympic athletes flashing through my mind, i had even more respect for them.

so this will be the start of a weekly process, until (or along with) i get my bike. the 2 things that are keeping me going are,

1. i'll have better stamina and be healthier out of this
2. the fact that i got a gold for my NAFA during my JC days (Jurong JC, where a silver is the mimimum for all students)

oooh my aching muscles...

rest

is what i need.

as much as i'm thankful for all the good that's coming up, already i feel like i seriously need a break. 

to trim my hair, to swim and bum under the sun, to make stuff from my shopping trip to Laine's @ wheelock, to (maybe) make dessert.

 to have an unhurried day having me time and not worrying about work.

i want to run away to bali....or something...