Mariuca's Perfume Gallery

MM - Live and Learn by Joe Public **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:56:16 PST

This song makes me wanna get up and dance, Happy Music Monday everybody!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

MPG LOVES

Friday Fill-Ins (8) **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:42 PST

I waited one whole day for the new FFI to come out and it's finally here. So enjoy this session of FFI on a Saturday!

And...here we go!

1. Plans and schedules I sometimes neglect.

2. I'm happy when things go smoothly.

3. The last thing I drank was coffee.

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my beloved hubby.

5. I like minced beef on my pizza.

6. Dear November, please bring mo' money my way.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with B and Hans, tomorrow my plans include mouse shopping and Sunday, I want to relaxi-taxi!

MPG LOVES

My Lil' Bears Arrived **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:34:03 PST

My fluffy bears arrived safe and sound last week. Thanks to Emila, I won this adorable set of lil' bears for being the second commenter on her big 4-0 birthday post! I love my bears; the blue one is for my blue blog Wishing on a Falling Star and the pink one is of course for MPG. All I need now is a lime green teddy bear for Meow Diaries!

Thanks for the fluffy pressie Emila, love ya!

MPG LOVES

October Top 10 EC Droppers *

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:01:51 PST

I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all the scent-sational blogs who made it to my Top 10 EC Droppers list at Mariuca's Perfume Gallery for the month of October. For the first time as well, MPG is the most popular EC blog for my EC category!

Once again, everybody scored full marks with 31 daily drops. Thanks so much for dropping by and I hope to see you back in November, happy dropping!

My Top EC Dropper will receive 1 FOC Ad + 1000 EC Credits

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU

Yummy-as-can-be 31
Robot Armageddon 31
Mumblings 31
Life's sweets and spices 31
The Modern Mom 31
Photography by KML 31
A Simple Life 31
anns snap edit scrap 31
Art Shout 31

MPG LOVES

MM - Breakout by Swing Out Sister **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:51:12 PST

My theme this week is definitely "feel-good" music. All songs I'm featuring this week at my three blogs keep my spirits uplifted and soaring high! I hope you'll enjoy my pick here at MPG and have a terrific Music Monday!

PS. Click on the HQ button at the video footer to view video.

MPG LOVES

Shark Straps Anyone?

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:43:27 PDT

What will it be today here at Mariuca's Perfume Gallery? Shark, Ostrich, Lizard, Crocodile or Python? And no, I'm definitely not talking about an exotic new perfume so worry not. Instead, I'm referring to the many unique watch bands at WatchStyle.com!

Each piece of watch strap is beautifully handcrafted in a process consisting of more than 60 steps so you can imagine the delicate craftsmanship that goes into these unique Watch Bands. Aside from leather bands, the store also offers metal bands, sport bands as well as watch accessories.

I detest lizards but I dared myself to check out the watch straps available and they're definitely not for me, no matter how classy or sophisticated the design. So if I had to choose one, I'd go with a shark strap!

Firstly, they don't look as scary as the lizard straps! This one for instance is aptly named Ocean and it comes from the HIRSCH Artisanal collection. There are six colours for you to choose from and personally, I love the Royal Blue shade. Thanks to its three-dimensional padding, this watch boasts a cool dynamic effect and it's also 100m Water-Resistant. I adore the white stitching too by the way!

So it looks like shark strap for me today. Have you decided which leather watch strap suits you the best? Happy shopping!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

GAGAY
LADYJAVA
BILL

September Top 10 Mariucans *

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:42:42 PDT

I am running out of time to thank my Top 10 Mariucans here in September! The month is almost up so without further ado, let's give a huge round of applause to my faithful commenters last month. Thanks so much for all your comment love for MPG and I hope to see you back in October. Until then, stay cool and happy commenting!

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU

Monica - 1000 EC credits + 1 FOC Ad

Top Mariucan Overall
Monica - 1000 EC credits + 1 FOC Ad

MPG LOVES

MM - You're My One & Only (True Love) by Seduction **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:30:14 PDT

I'm feeling good tonight and a feel-good song is exactly what the Music Monday Doctor ordered to keep the Monday blues at bay! This was one of my favourite clubbing numbers from way back then. Yup, it looks like I'm headed back into the 80s this week and I do hope you'll enjoy this song, which goes out to my darling btw. Happy Music Monday!

MPG LOVES

Friday Fill-Ins (7) **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:31:18 PDT

And...here we go!

1. The crickets sing, a melancholy tune like none other.

2. You are always in my heart wherever you are.

3. I want to get far away from the betrayal that was.

4. I woke up surprised to see four cats at home instead of three but; this was a dream.

5. But as for me, I prefer comfort and don't mind paying a little extra for it.

6. Malaysia is where I come from.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on my sleep, tomorrow my plans include collecting a package from the post office and Sunday, I want to sleep all day!

MPG LOVES

Blog Birthday Soon!

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:22:00 PDT

MPG's birthday is coming up next month YAY! Last year, as a birthday gift for my blog, I got her a blog makeover from LJ followed by her own domain name and new address. I still say it was the best birthday gift I could have gotten for my blog.

Now that it's almost a year since I moved MPG to her own domain, I must remember to renew my domain address before the deadline, which also falls in November. With so many things on my mind right now, I've been quite forgetful lately so I hope this post will remind me to renew my domain on time.

I'm still using free web hosting for my blog but I am always open to the possibility of paid hosting if and when the time arrives for me to make that switch. If you're considering paid hosting for your blog, why not drop by Web Hosting Choice? I daresay it's the best web hosting site that also serves as a free research guide to help users like you and me select the perfect web host for your personal blog or business website. It's easy to navigate around the site and all the information are neatly arranged for your ease of use.

The site lists down the Top 10 Web Hosting Sites available; rated on affordability, reliability, uptime and technical support. Each site also comes with a detailed review to help you make the most appropriate choice that suit your individual needs when it comes to web hosting. Currently justhost.com is rated number 1 so you might want to start there. Meanwhile, I am going to start planning my blog birthday party, starting with a contest perhaps? Stay tuned to join me and my friends in celebrating MPG's third birthday bash!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

LADYJAVA
BEM BEM
MONICA

MM - I Tried by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony ft Akon **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:54:58 PDT

You know how you sometimes keep on failing and bad things happen to you one after another? It's like how much more of this nonsense can you take and yet you persevere in hopes that things will turn around one fine sunny day. Well, I'm kinda going through a similar scenario right now so I need a little inspiration to keep me going so I won't wave surrender. So enjoy my song this week and Have an inspiring Music Monday!

MPG LOVES

8th Adgitize Payment! **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:45:11 PDT

Today I would like to share my 8th Adgitize payment report with you. As you most probably know by now, I am a huge Adgitize fan. I've written several posts on how Adgi Works, Adgi Pays in view of the increased traffic and exposure all my blogs have enjoyed on top of the consistent monthly payments I've been receiving since I first joined Adgitize back in January.

Since I don't have a huge budget for advertising, I normally advertise just one of my three blogs on Adgitize every month and this month it's Mariuca's Perfume Gallery, which is why I'm featuring my payout post here. By the way, September was the highest payout of US$40.26 I've received to date from Adgitize!

In case you're not aware, Adgitize will raise prices in November so here are some important points for all Adgitizers to remember regarding this increase.

Breakdown of potential earnings with the new price

Points	Old Daily Earnings	New Daily Earnings
Less Than 200 points a day	No Change	No Change
200 points a day	15 cents a day	24 cents a day
290 points a day	22 cents a day	35 cents a day
300 points a day	44 cents a day	72 cents a day
360 points a day	53 cents a day	86 cents a day
430 Points a day	63 cents a day	$1.03 a day
500 Points a day	74 cents a day	$1.20 a day

* Any new ads starting on or after November 1, 2009 will be priced at $24 a month.
* Any renewals with an expiration date after October 31st will be priced at $24 a month.
* The 2nd ad will cost $23, 3rd ad $22 and 4th or more ads will be $21 each.
* The Finder's fee will increase to $8 per new advertiser.
* There will be no increase in the monthly referred advertiser bonus.

If you would like to test your ad in the Adgi network before the price increase takes place, I strongly recommend you do so NOW. Advertise on Adgitize to enjoy increased traffic with exposure to over 1,500 blogs in the network whilst earning a little something on the side. HURRY! Adgitize your blog today!

MPG LOVES

Berry Berry Sweet! *

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:20:30 PDT

I can't decide which I like better between my two new scents from Victoria's Secret, which came all the way from London by the way, thanks B! I already have Sexy Little Things® Ooh La La Eau de Parfum in my collection but the body lotion makes a nice addition to my perfume gift set.

Berry Kiss and Sweet Daydream come in my favourite shades of purple and pink respectively; and both scents are tantalizing in their own ways. Berry Kiss for instance is infused with Wild Raspberry, Praline and Rose and smells good enough to eat! A blissful blend of everything sweet, I find this scent delightfully fruity and young whilst maintaining its sexy sophisticated demeanour so I love it!

And then there's the beautiful pink bottle of Sweet Daydream which combines a refreshing blend of my favourite scents Apple, Raspberry and Vanilla. Perfect for day wear, this sweet elixir of love will keep you intoxicatingly sweet and fresh as a daisy!

It's been a while since I got something new from VS so I am going to spend my weekend testing and sorting out my latest scents at Mariuca's Perfume Gallery. Until my next post, thanks for reading and have a scent-sational weekend!

MPG LOVES

MM - Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:11:52 PDT

I've always loved Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison but this newly-discovered version is simply stellar especially the piano bit and I can't stop listening... Happy Music Monday!

MPG LOVES

Friday Fill-Ins (6) **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:49:04 PDT

And...here we go!

1. Sweet dreams await me when B returns home this weekend!

2. I hope B brings home some new scents especially for me.

3. Silliness is becoming sometimes.

4. Have you seen Phoebe's card for this Halloween?

5. Outstanding or not I aim to bring back MPG's PR sooner or later.

6. More money is what I want right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching DVDs, tomorrow my plans include cleaning before B gets home and Sunday, I want to give B the biggest welcome home hug!

MPG LOVES

Banking on E-Q

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:01:59 PDT

Last week saw me on a massive shopping frenzy for B's trip to Cannes and it did not help that we had to run our last-minute errands on a weekend. The pack was not forgiving and everywhere we turned, it was a narrow squeeze to beat the buzzing crowd and get our shopping done as soon as possible. I was developing a headache by then but there was still some banking left to do.

Fortunately the branch in my area opens half-day on Saturday. By the time we arrived, there was a really long queue inside the bank. My head was throbbing so badly by then but reluctantly waited my turn in the long queue. Most seats were taken and after ten minutes of waiting, I was getting a little restless. I still had plenty to do at home and I hate waiting.

I remembered the article I read online on electronic queuing and silently wished my bank had one in place. Electronic queuing (E-Q) is great for Crowd Control Management especially during peak hours when the crowd is huge. Its "Call Forward” system assures customers they will be attended to in the order of arrival so everyone is happy. Serving customers in the fairest possible way leads to efficiency, which in turn will foster customer satisfaction and loyalty.

A great feature of this system is the ability to provide informative media that serves to entertain customers like me while we wait in line. As a customer, I get to enjoy informative advertisements and promotions on the screen to keep my mind occupied while waiting my turn. From the bank's point of view, electronic queuing makes a wonderful way to distract queuing customers by using value-added media capabilities to feature special promotions. It's a win-win situation for both bank and customer so I think it's high time for all banks to install Electronic queuing in their system.

In the end, we got our banking done and I went home happy with a new pair of shoes in beautiful deep rose from the mall. Oh that reminds me, I have to call my bank when it opens today. I still have some unfinished business with them but fortunately it can be solved over the phone so I don't have to walk-in!

Okay, it's time for coffee now so thanks for reading and I wish you a lovely Wednesday!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

LADYJAVA
MONICA
BILL

MM - Just Another Day by Jon Secada **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:12:23 PDT

Missing my baby this Music Monday and wishing he'll return home soon. Have a safe trip B, love and hugs and don't forget my woosh woosh list!

MPG LOVES

Stop the Sneeze!

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:31:30 PDT

Lately, I've been extra cautious with regards to our living environment. Living with three cats require constant cleaning and sometimes I just don't have the energy to keep up with all the dusting and what not. Furthermore, I suffer from sinus problems, which require a clean dust-free environment to keep the sneezing at bay whenever I get an attack. Just last night I was cleaning up our condo and the dust triggered a terrible attack, which saw me sneezing nonstop. Within minutes my eyes were teary and my nose as red as Rudolph!

A friend who also suffers from sinusitis suggested getting a humidifier for our home, which she claims has been really effective in preventing her sinus attacks. She also recommended VAC Parts Shop for our Humidifier Parts should we encounter future problems with our purchase.

Offering a wide selection of Lennox supplies and humidifier parts, VAC Parts Shop promises excellent customer service and prompt delivery so you don't have to wait longer than necessary to have your humidifier up and running again. Live online help is also available to help answer any questions you might have pertaining to your purchase; ensuring your online purchase experience proceeds smoothly without flaw.

The more I learn about humidifiers and their beneficial health properties, the more enticed I am to get one for our home. Hopefully you no longer have to listen to anymore sinus complaints after my purchase!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

GAGAY
LADYJAVA
MONICA

September Top 10 EC Droppers **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:52:00 PDT

Hola! October is here and I can feel a great month ahead with lotsa new things and opportunities in store. I do hope my instincts are right and I wish all my readers the same well wishes too.

B will be leaving for Cannes sometime this month so that's the only drawback so far. As much as I hate to be without my comfort zone for one whole week, I am also looking forward to the scented stuff and goodies he will bring home for my perfume gallery!

And now let's start the month by showing love for my Top 10 EC Droppers in September. Thank you to all my advertisers, droppers and readers who made MPG their hot spot last month. I hope to see you back in October so happy dropping!

My Top EC Dropper will receive 1 FOC Ad + 1000 EC Credits

CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU

Art By Paul Baines	31
vanillaseven.com	31
Yummy-as-can-be	31
Buy-Tees.net T-Shirts	31
Mommy's Little Corner	31
Cornymans Money-Blog	31
A Simple Life	31
Computer Aid	31
Random Ramblings	31
Bits and Pieces	31

MPG LOVES

MM - Someone To Hold by Trey Lorenz **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:11:14 PDT

Of the many songs I've dedicated to B over the years of our love story, this one he remembers the most. Happy Birthday Love!

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

MPG LOVES

Lush Friday! *

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:38:59 PDT

I can't wait to use my latest Lush products from Tokyo woo hoo! Later today, B and I will be checking in to our lovely hotel suite to usher in his birthday this Saturday. And the main thing I'm bringing along besides Pinky is this lovely Lush can. Don't you just love it? It's a special edition marking Lush's 10-year anniversary so of course I had to buy one for myself when I saw it on display!

Inside is laden with yummy-scented bath products from Lush. There's a delightful pink bath ball for me to immerse in, a refreshing green tea shampoo and a creamy strawberry body butter to leave my skin feeling tingly smooth and smelling delicious!

So I hope everyone will enjoy their weekend before returning to work on Monday. I will be thinking of you as I luxuriate in my yummy very bubbly bubble bath. See ya!

MPG LOVES

Bad Ass Coffee! **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:07:53 PDT

When my friend Foong told me I just had to try Bad Ass Coffee, I made a mental note to myself to visit Tropicana City ASAP! So that's what we did a few nights back and I made a beeline for this coffee place. A new coffee store always gives me an excited buzz; anticipating all the yummy coffee flavours awaiting me!

The ambiance inside was definitely pleasing and besides the usual free Wi-Fi available, there is a small corner where souvenirs and gift items are sold. The items were really cool but a tad pricey if you ask me so I didn't buy anything. Besides I came there for the coffee not for souvenirs!

As always I spent more than 5 minutes poring over the menu, undecided at which coffee I wanted to try. Food-wise, there were some interesting menu items like the Hawaiian Beef Burger, which came with a pineapple slice. I listed all the exotic weird sounding names for B but ended up with my cant-go-wrong choice of caramel vanilla - my favourite flavour combination when it comes to coffee!

My choice was perfect for the Iced Blended Caramel Vanilla coffee from Bad Ass was simply divine! Not too sweet with the distinctive taste of aromatic deep rich coffee concocted with sweet creamy vanilla! We paid at the counter price and happily went home, coffee in hand!

Have you been to Bad Ass Coffee? I'd definitely come back for a second visit but this time around I'm going to make sure I order something else aside from my safety net caramel coffee drink!

MPG LOVES

The BM Tag! **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:57:39 PDT

In spirit of the Raya celebration today, I've decided to do Bem Bem's BM (Malay Language) tag! I think there are two parts to this tag but I'm going to do only the second one! But before Bem gets all bunched up in knots, I will make up for omitting the first tag by providing the English translation for this BM tag here! This way, everyone will be able to read and understand my words; hope that's okay Bem!

The first one is in BM and the one below is in English. Here we go peeps, have fun reading my answers!

BM TAG

Apakah perasaan anda sekarang? Sedikit nostalgik.
Saya nak makan? Ketupat dan rendang.
Saya tak suka? Masalah yang tiada penyelesaian meskipun orang kata semua masalah pasti ada jawapan.
Impian saya? Menjadi jutawan sebab saya nak travel-travel mengelilingi dunia. Bestnye!
Haiwan yang saya tak suka? Cicak sebab geli!
Saya harapkan? Ketenangan abadi bersama B.
Jika boleh putarkan masa? Saya nak kembali ke zaman remaja, langsung takda masalah macam sekarang ni!
Saya pada 10 tahun akan datang? Jutawan yang murah hati.
Handphone saya adalah sebuah? Nokia la!
Saya pernah bercinta sebanyak? Yang paling bermakna adalah dengan baby B!
Kawan-kawan saya? Sungguh setia sebagai Mariucan!
Pernah dikhianati? Malangya, ya.
Apa yang hendak anda lakukan terhadap orang yang mengkhianati anda? Kasi chance dulu, tapi kalau buat sekali lagi, susah nak dimaafkan.
Siapa yang anda nak Tag? Mesti semua orang tak nak buat tapi saya nak tag juga Tekkaus, Foong, Lil', Monica, LR dan Jean!

What are you feeling right now? A little nostalgic.
What do feel like eating? Ketupat and rendang.
My dislike? Problem without a solution regardless what others say about every problem having a solution.
My dream? To be a millionaire travelling around the world, how awesome!
Animal I dislike? Lizard cause it's gross!
My hopes? Eternal bliss with B.
If I could turn back time? I'd want to be a teenager again with no worries in the world unlike now!
Me in 10 years? A millionaire with a big heart!
My handphone? A Nokia!
Number of times I've fallen in love? The most meaningful one is with my baby B!
My friends? Are loyal Mariucans!
Ever been betrayed? Unfortunately yes.
What would you like to do to the person who betrayed you? Give them a second chance but if it happens again, it's gonna be hard to forgive.
Who do you want to tag? I bet nobody would want to take on this one but I am still tagging Tekkaus, Foong, Lil', Monica, LR and Jean!

MPG LOVES

Friday Fill-Ins (5) **

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:10:57 PDT

And...here we go!

1. My car is B's lovely Vios.

2. MPG's blog birthday is coming up next.

3. Lately, things seem to be even more depressing than I thought possible.

4. My office is one of my favorite 'hiding' places.

5. What happened, happened but I can't forget.
6. Making money online is not impossible!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to updating Meow Diaries, tomorrow my plans include running errands and Sunday, I want to wish all my Muslim friends a Happy Hari Raya!

MPG LOVES

Sleeping Cuties

mariuca@mymariuca.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:42:36 PDT

Which of these sleeping baby bears is your favourite? Is it the pink, blue or brown bear? They're all adorable aren't they? Look at the way they're peacefully sleeping in each other's arms, dreaming of everything nice and sweet. It's impossible not to love them!

I know they say all babies are cute but honestly, some are just cuter than others; especially the chubby ones! It's hard to resist pinching a chubby baby's cheeks so all mothers out there, beware! If your baby has chubby cheeks, keep him or her away from me! Otherwise you might just end up with a red-cheeked baby from all my pinching and squeezing!

Speaking of babies, a good friend of ours recently gave birth to a baby girl and since I'm in charge of buying a welcome-to-the-world gift for the cutie pie, I've decided on a baby bedding set. I saw a whole range of adorable baby bedding sets at Baby Bedding Palace and they seem to be the perfect choice for a newborn baby.

Baby Bedding Palace features unique Baby Bedding Sets. From modern to classic, each design comes with 12 matching pieces to decorate your nursery. All bedding is made from 100% high quality natural cotton materials, which do not irritate skin and helps your baby breathe easy at night.

Instead of the typical pink for baby girls, I am going for lavender, which is also a beautiful baby colour! Don't you just love shopping for babies? Everything is so cute, you can't go wrong!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-

MONICA
NESSA
MARVIC