It's not just a street, it's an avenue of escape

Tutti Fruity Nail

2011-11-27T21:21:00.001+10:00

Haven't done anything to my nails for a very long time.. Finally I can sit down and put some stickers on! :)

My Nail Art for Slash Concert

2011-04-09T21:26:00.001+10:00

First of all, sorry I haven't been writing my blog for so long..I was really busy for the past few months and just recently I have time to rest. Then from May onwards I have to start putting on my rollerblade and full on!

Anyway, just a short one to show you what I did to my nails for last month's Slash concert! LoL

...and here's Sweet Child of Mine that night..sorry I was far behind so couldn't took a clearer video. It was an awesome night and I had a really great time!

Chinese New Year Nail Art

2011-01-26T21:12:00.000+10:00

I still had the lotus flower on my nail but I cut the tip off...with me flying this weekend and I won't be able to bring my whole nail art collection with me, I just did some simple touch up on the other nails...

Hope you like this simple nail art for Chinese New Year!

The Hooters, River Penang and Max Brenner in One Day!

2011-01-26T20:59:00.000+10:00

So we decided to go to Robina Town Centre to visit River Penang for some decent Malaysian food. We have been driving down to River Penang almost few weeks in a row now because I am craving for Cha Kueh Tiaw (Malaysian fried 'flat' noodle) and I just could not find any good ones around Brisbane to my disappointment.

Anyway, thanks to my husband's cousin, Jon, we were introduced to, in my opinion (not sure about you), one of the best Cha Kueh Tiaw closest to where I stay! Hooray!

Best part about River Penang is that it is just next to Max Brenner!! So you can definitely hop over for a chocolate dessert.

We ordered fried tofu..

Hainanese Chicken Rice...

My fav Cha Kueh Tiaw! Yummmy

Next, we went to The Hooters at Mermaid Beach...

Massive Pork Ribs..

Mussels..

Really spicy chicken wings

Lamb Ribs...

We enjoyed some dance performances from the Hooters girls.. ^-^

Okay, right after Hooters, we drove allll the way back to Robina Town Centre to have chocolate by the bald man...we were so stuffed!

Omg, look at the queue..it never clears especially at this time..

We did found Max..and got an autograph from him LoL

Well, the following weekend, we drove to Robina again for another lunch session at River Penang!

Nasi Lemak..

Beef Brisket

Hong Kong style Ice Milk Tea (teh si peng?)

Ice Kacang drink...

And to think that after all these food, I am going to have more during Chinese New Year celebration in Kuching! I have to go exercise.. =)

Lotus Flower Nail Art

2011-01-15T10:34:00.000+10:00

This is a simple lotus flower nail art I did last night... =)

I have a video posted on youtube on how I paint this. Video is taken using Sony Ericsson Vivaz.. !

I haven't got my tripod yet so I had to ask my husband to help me taking the video while I was painting my nails...sorry it was too far away to see how I paint the lotus flower..

Hope you like this video..please comment and suggest some improvements.. =)

Cherry Blossom Nail Art

2011-01-09T01:06:00.000+10:00

Happy New Year!

This is my first video on youtube on nail tutorial. I tried to video but unfortunately I haven't got a tripod yet so this video is like a slideshow.

Hope you enjoy this:

Christmas Lunch at Bretts Wharf

2010-12-26T01:26:00.001+10:00

This year we had our company's Christmas Lunch at Bretts Wharf...

Entree:

Roasted vegetable salad with house made ricotta, basil puree and torn croutons (for vegans)

Gooralie free range pork with walnut crumble, caramelized apple and organic yoghurt (I ordered this)

Escabeche of gold coast tiger prawns with asparagus, citrus fruits and tomato

Lobster and bowen mango cocktail, iceberg and toasted brioche

Mains:

Mushroom crusted darling downs beef with potato whip, roasted laidley tomato, shiraz jus served medium

Grilled mahi mahi with granny smith apple coleslaw, noosa spanner crab vinaigrette

Roasted pumpkin, spinach and ricotta rotolo, grilled asparagus, salsa rossa (for vegans)

Prosciutto wrapped loin of sovereign five star lamb with sebago gnocchi, broccoli, served medium (I ordered this)

..and gulp gulp...Yummy!

Presentation of awards

Dessert:

Christmas pudding with brandy butterscotch sauce, vanilla bean ice scream

vanilla creme brulee with stone fruit salad and coconut (I ordered this)

Bowen mango and valrhona chocolate trifle

Group photos

Overall, it was well organized, top notch food, great company and I had a fantastic time! Thanks to my colleague, Riette for organizing a great Christmas lunch and also to the staff at Bretts Wharf for their excellent service!

Holiday Nail Art - Christmas

2010-12-19T21:09:00.000+10:00

Christmas is just around the corner and I thought of painting something Christmassy on my nail to get me in the mood.

I used Gcocl's green (No 6), red (No 1) and Be Yourself's Soft White for this nail art.

First, I paint my thumb's nail the green as base coat and did french manicure on the other four nails. To make sure they are straight lines, I used cellotape as shown above and when dry, remove them.

As for the dots, I used the end of a hairpin I don't use anymore...

Red and White dots on my thumb's nail...just like the Christmas tree. =)

...and then red and white dots in a straight line for the other four nails...

Leave it for about 15 minutes. Make sure it's really dry or it'll smudge when you paint the top coat over it. I used Cutex's top coat for this.

Finished! I hope you like this simple nail art design for Christmas.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone! =)

Blue Polish with White Dots

2010-12-17T19:44:00.000+10:00

Colourful French Manicure

2010-12-17T19:29:00.000+10:00

My Nail Art Printer

2010-11-21T13:34:00.000+10:00

After waiting for one and a half month, my nail printer finally reached my doorstep!

It comes with seven colours and six plates with different designs I can play around with.

I had silver colour on my nail for a week. I know I should remove it and paint fresh base coat before trying the nail print but I was so impatient...=D so please ignore the slightly chipped silver coating on my nail ...

I tried the cherry ones first...

So Christmassy~

Blue footprints ^_^ again, please ignore the dry skin and chipped nail polish on my thumb Haha...can't believe how lazy I am..

I will try new prints and post some up soon!

I Cut My Brother's Hair

2010-11-13T22:09:00.000+10:00

Last week I cut my own hair...this week, it's my brother's.. LoL

I'm still not very good at this..I should practise more =)

The BEFORE look...

Front...

Side...

and....AFTER...

The Back...

The Side

The front...LoL

Tada...!

Ang Ku Kueh

2010-11-09T19:26:00.000+10:00

My first attempt at making ang ku kueh (glutinous rice cake with mung bean filling) with limited resources =P

No ang ku kueh mould...

...so I used fork instead LoL

No banana leaves... substitute?..baking paper =)

Yummy!

I Cut My Own Hair

2010-11-07T10:03:00.000+10:00

My hair has grew so long, it's becoming harder to maintain and when I sleep at night, my hair is all over my neck. I wanted to go to the hair salon but (1) I don't know how to explain the simple hairstyle I want (2) I don't want the hairdresser to mess it up.

So, after watching some how-to videos (hooray for Youtube!), I'm finally ready to cut my own hair. Excited and nervous at the same time but hey, if it's a disaster I can always go back to the hair salon anytime. =)

Well, here are some pictures of the before and after..please note I just woke up so I looked tired..=P

See how long my hair was...I still love the curls so I probably curl it when I go back to Kuching next year

First, I wet my hair and comb them straight

Then, I tie half of my hair up so I can start cutting from the bottom half...I do not want layers on my hair so it's just a simple straight cut...bye bye curls~ sob sob

I tie half of the half just now and using the bottom half as a guideline and cut the rest off.

Okay, I'm done with the rest of my hair, except for the front. So, I comb my hair and and leave the front hair out..

=) I took this photo from my point of view...measuring how long I should cut it off...chop chop..

To cut the layer in front, I divided the bangs into half from the middle. Holding one side of it, I gently pull the hair towards the opposite side and simply cut it off, like the photo above. Do the same for the other side.

Then, I look at my hair again and repeat the whole process to clean up some strays...and straighten it.

LoL!

R.I.P.

I wash my hair and I'm done...!

I'm so happy now I'm ready for girls' night out...

This is me later in the evening going out soon to Fridays with my housemate and a few friends.

Will I cut my own hair again? Yes of course! I saved a lot of money,I don't have to worry that my hairdresser will mess my hair up and I'm happy with the results. All thanks to Youtube..(you can learn almost everything on Youtube, isn't it great?)

Five Regrets of the Dying

2010-11-03T21:09:00.000+10:00

I just read a forwarded email from my younger brother about "Five Regrets of the Dying" written by a Palliative Care Worker which I would like to share.

**********

Five Regrets of the Dying

By Bronnie Ware Platinum Quality Author

For many years I worked in palliative care.

My patients were those who had gone home to die.

Some incredibly special times were shared.

I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality.

I learned never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth.

Some changes were phenomenal.

Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance.

Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again.

Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all.

When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled.

Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way.

From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late.

Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed.

They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship.

Women also spoke of this regret.

But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners.

All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do.

And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others.

As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming.

Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others.

However, people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, but in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level.

Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life.

Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down.

Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years.

There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.

Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.

But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away.

People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible.

But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them.

They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love.

Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task.

It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end.

That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one.

Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice.

They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits.

The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives.

Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to themselves, that they were content.

When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind.

How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice.

It is YOUR life.

Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.

Choose happiness.

**************

I have been thinking about a lot of things lately and this email has helped a lot. I know it's nothing new. I always know what I want in life, but once in a while I feel lost. I feel like I am standing at a crossroad deciding which road to take and wondering what will it bring me to. Each time when I feel this way, articles like this really help.

[Picture taken from http://ldsmediatalk.com/2009/09/24/finding-happiness-video/]

This is why I posted this so it may be helpful to anybody out there. Remember, no matter what you decided to do, the most important thing is still your happiness and your family. NOT career, money or fame. What will you think about when you are just few seconds away from dying? The faces of those you love, the jobs you have not finished at the office, the CEO position you are waiting for, or the money you have not spent?

No matter how hard you work for your company, when you leave, you are replaced immediately and within a few weeks you are forgotten. The more money you save, when you leave, you can't bring them with you. But family, they will always be there. You will be in their heart and mind even when you are no longer in this world.

It is your life. Do not make decisions you will regret when you are on your deathbed. Live life knowing that even if you are gone tomorrow, you have lived a full life and there is nothing left unsaid and undone.

[Picture taken from http://www.yogawithjohn.com/seva/]

Simple French White Tip

2010-10-30T18:20:00.000+10:00

This week, I decided to paint a basic french manicure..simple, neat and clean =) After a long stressful week and not having enough sleep this morning (thanks to my noisy neighbour), this is exactly what I need...

Water Marble Nail Art

2010-10-16T20:56:00.000+10:00

My first attempt at water marble after watching a few tutorials on youtube... =) It was fun to watch the nail polish disperse on top of the water and fun create the marble design.

First, I tried on artificial nail...

Then on my nails! It was so messy...took me about half an hour to do on all my nails and I had to change the water because after a while some little bits of nail polish floats on the water surface and then my nail polish stops spreading out. I messed up some designs as well so had to start all over.

I couldn't take photos during the process as my hands are wet and dirty. =P Anyway, it was simple and fun, but annoying to clean up the excess polish from your fingers and side of your nails. It feels sticky and uncomfortable. Maybe I did not do it the right way? When I use the cotton pad, parts of it stick to my other fingers and nails. It's not easy.

Here are some photos of the result...sorry it's not tidy as ~~I was lazy~~ it's too hard to clean the side of the nails. So hungry and dinner was ready so I rushed. =)

Nail Art - Puppy Paws~

2010-10-14T23:39:00.000+10:00

I miss my dog so much I had to paint this design so that every time I look at my fingers I think of her. =) I hope you like it.

The nail polish I used for the paws is L.A. Girl's Copper colour with diamond powder and white tea extract.

Nail Art - Simple Red French Tips

2010-10-14T23:30:00.000+10:00

Tried a simple french manicure last week...I was using L'Oreal's limited edition of terra glow and Bloom's Honolulu for the tips, and of course finishing it with clear top coating to protect. =)

Snack Nail Design

2010-10-04T22:08:00.000+10:00

Saw this on http://www.kissandmakeup.tv/2009/09/mario_nail_art.html and I thought it was amazing! What say you?

Nail Art - Fairy Floss~

2010-09-25T18:52:00.000+10:00

Tried something different this week...I like the colours because they remind me of the fairy floss cotton candy! Yummy~

I use Universal Brands' hand and nail cream (floral scent) before I paint my nails everytime. It makes my skin feel soft and fresh. =)

Last week's nail painting below...

I still prefer the fairy floss colour...oh, and this is the song I'm listening to while painting my nails...love the whole album. Enjoy!

Bosnia Girl Throwing Puppies in River

2010-09-04T01:51:00.000+10:00

This is the link to that video -->http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bb4_1283184704

The police have located the girl yesterday (http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/world/Little+Drowning+Hood+located+police/3478567/story.html)

How could she be so cruel? The puppies are innocent! What is wrong with her?

And she only has to pay fines? Somebody please do something!

Cute Handmade Earrings~

2010-08-31T19:35:00.001+10:00

While buying "taufu fah" (soy bean pudding) at Calamvale last weekend, I saw these cuteeeee handmade earrings (JomulakCat) in a Korean grocery store! Look...

It's clay art. I think they are really cute and neat. It was made by the lady at the store, Mina Hwang and she can also customize the earrings to suit you. Her designs are unique and only one in the world.

Enjoy!

It's Spring! More Nail Fun

2010-08-31T19:26:00.000+10:00

French Manicure

2010-08-31T19:18:00.000+10:00

Went to my friend's place few weeks ago and she did this for me =)