:::memoirs of a chica:::

oi!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:48:00 +0000

i realise from the husband's blog that a lot of visitors do drop by this much-abandoned blog of mine. well, folks, i haven't penned my thoughts here much, what with the baby blog since i became a mommy. hell, it's been a year since i last wrote!

maybe the next time i write again will be next year may.
ho hum.

the penalty alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:55:00 +0000

finally! someone who echoes my views, that a penalty is not a good solution to an all important must-be-decided-there-and-then game. but not too sure if his preposition is a practical one though.

read what Christian Celind from soccernews.com suggests.
an excerpt:

"....Although I certainly agree that a match needs to be decided on its designated date, I think that a penalty shootout is not the answer. I will be the first to admit that a shootout holds a high level of excitement, whether you have any connection to any of the teams or not. When your team wins on penalties, it is the sweetest of wins. When your team loses on penalties, you still know that the team fought well and went down with their boots on.

Some would also argue that a penalty shootout is the goalkeeper’s chance to stand in the spotlight. A goalkeeper blocking the last penalty shot becomes an instant hero. In the same second that the Manchester United goalkeeper van der Saar blocked the shot from the Chelsea shooter Nicolas Anelka in the Champion’s League final, a hero was made and a scapegoat was appointed. Letting penalty kicks decide a game is nothing less than forcefully causing a player to make a mistake, one that have broken many fine players and haunted them for the rest of their careers.

My solution is to let the game being decided on the field, with a goal - a sudden death, but with a modification. After 90 minutes in a game that needs to appoint a winner, each team removes one player each at progressive intervals. For instance, with five minute intervals both teams take one player of their own choice off the field, so that after 95 minutes the teams play ten against ten, after 100 minutes they play nine against nine, and so on.

With the increasingly open spaces, eventually there would be a goal. Today games are played 120 minutes in order to try to enforce a goal. With this system, after 120 minutes the teams would be playing five against five, i.e. one goalkeeper and four field players. It would be extremely surprising, even unlikely, that this would not have resulted in a goal...."

what do you think??

chelsea in my skin

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:04:00 +0000

check these out! how cool to wear under your jerseys!

Mourinho says Grant had "philosophy of a loser"

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:00:00 +0000

LONDON - Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has described Chelsea's season as "really bad" and said their campaign could be described as great only by someone with "the philosophy of a loser".

Mourinho, who left the English club in September, made his comments on the day that the man who succeeded him, Avram Grant, was sacked, eight months after he replaced Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho, asked in an interview with The Observer newspaper whether the season had been a good one as depicted by Grant, replied: "That depends on your philosophy of leadership.

"In my philosophy it was a very bad one because in football 'almost' means defeat and Chelsea almost won the Carling Cup, almost won the Champions League and almost won the Premier League. Almost is nothing.

"After two titles per season for the last three years there were zero titles this season, which in my philosophy means a really bad season. Maybe in the philosophy of a loser this was a great season, which I respect," he said in the interview published on Sunday.

Mourinho admitted to being "very sad" at Chelsea's defeat in Moscow to Manchester United in the Champions League final, adding that the supporters, the board and the players "deserve more".

"I am very sad about what happened. In the last two years this team lost a Champions League final and a Champions League semi-final on penalties. The supporters deserve more, (the players) and some others deserve happiness. I still think of them as my boys."

However, he added: "I believe that after an empty season new success will come to Chelsea. And I will always be a Chelsea supporter."

Mourinho is being linked with a return to Stamford Bridge alongside names including Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Mancini and Marcello Lippi.

Grant was being linked with a move to Manchester City if Sven-Goran Eriksson is sacked by Thai owner Thaksin Shinawatra.

latest on chelsea

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Sun, 25 May 2008 04:54:00 +0000

so it seems avram grant has been sacked just two days after moscow. it seems chelsea is becoming more and more desperate for victory football. if anything, chelsea has always been a club that doesn't take defeat very well.

i think mourinho was perhaps one of the best things that could have happened to chelsea. i bet they're kicking themselves in their arses for firing him. come on, abramovich, get on your knees now and beg for mourinho to come back! put your fucken ego aside, it's all for the club, ain't it?

here's the report:

Grant sacked as Chelsea manager

The writing was on the wall for Grant after defeat in Moscow . Chelsea have sacked manager Avram Grant after just eight months in charge. The decision followed two days of talks between Grant, 53, and the club's chief executive Peter Kenyon.

The Israeli coach's position had been subject to intense speculation after Chelsea finished runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League. Russia coach Guus Hiddink, fellow Dutchman Frank Rijkaard and Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson are among the early favourites to replace Grant.

Chelsea said in a statement on their website that the search for a new coach would now begin and that the club will make no further comment. The statement said: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Avram Grant has had his contract as manager terminated today. This follows meetings over the last two days.

Everybody at Chelsea FC would like to thank Avram for his contribution since taking over as manager last September. We will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager for Chelsea and there will be no further comment until that appointment is made."

The futures of Chelsea assistants Steve Clarke and Henk Ten Cate are unclear and no official word has yet been given on their positions. Grant, a close friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, took over on 20 September 2007 after Jose Mourinho was sacked. Rijkaard, Eriksson and, most recently, Brian Laudrup and Roberto Mancini have all been linked with a possible move to Chelsea with the likes of Luiz Felipe Scolari and Mark Hughes in the running.

Despite losing just two Premier League games while in charge, Grant attracted criticism from fans who claimed his team lacked style. He was also criticised for losing February's League Cup final against Tottenham. Grant joined Chelsea last summer from Portsmouth as director of football, a decision which apparently did not please Mourinho.

Mourinho was later dismissed after their 1-1 draw with Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in their opening Champions League game. Grant and Mourinho did not always see eye-to-eye. Grant, who had never managed a club in England, was asked to take over and on 13 December 2007 signed a four-year contract. Both Kenyon and chairman Bruce Buck paved the way for change by insisting that Chelsea's performance this season was simply "not good enough".

Buck said: "We have very high expectations at Chelsea and a couple of second place finishes is just not good enough for us. So although we never would have thought in September when Jose Mourinho left that we would be able to make it into a Champions League final as we did - and that is fantastic - Chelsea are here to win trophies. So although it was an excellent season, we are still disappointed."

A series of discussions finally resolved Grant's future and it is understood the Israeli said his farewells to the players on Friday - telling them it had been a 'privilege' to manage the team. Ironically, Mourinho has yet to take up a new job since his dismissal by Chelsea but he said only this week that he expects to be back in football in June. His odds for a dramatic and unexpected return to Chelsea were cut from 20/1 down to 8/1 by English bookmakers late on Saturday.

sigh....what's next for my team? i really wanna know.

family time

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Sat, 24 May 2008 05:42:00 +0000

a few days ago, i wrote about something really personal on this blog, which i have learnt to regret. while i am not one to ever withdraw my words, i certainly regret my action and am a tad ashamed about it. it was something unnecessary, and i caused a good amount of hurt with my words.

sometimes, with blogging we can't escape letting our emotions get the best of us, and end up writing really personal matters, painting someone in a negative light, or even blowing things out of proportion, when the matter needn't, could have not been and certainly shouldn't be shared with the entire world wide web.

well, we all learn from our mistakes, and i certainly did. to control my emotions better and to leave personal matters just as they are. personal.

now let's move on to better things.

i'm really enjoying the time noel spends at home. since drayden, it's no longer easy for us to do the couply things we used to, like cooking together, enjoying quiet meals together, snuggling up watching tv, having lunch across the street, or even watching movies on the internet. these days, it's near impossible to get some quiet time together, what with drayden perpetually latched on to me. so whatever time he spends at home away from work, we try to make the best of it.

not that i'm saying drayden's presence is an inconvenience. oh no. rather, i think drayden makes whatever time noel and i share together even more special and full of laughter. when we're together, we gush over how adorable he is, we watch and laugh over the adorable funny faces he makes, we have conversations with drayden when he's making all the cute cooing sounds...what i'm trying to say is, we're doing things more like a family now, the three of us, and i'm really enjoying it.

when noel comes home, i normally give him time to attend to his daily chores, like checking his emails, blogging, etc...and then we enjoy some quiet family time together. we still enjoy meals together, albeit with drayden in my arms, and sometimes we lie back to watch the latest movies on dvd, again, with drayden lying asleep on my arm.

it's difficult finding time sometimes, but i guess we're working on it, and there's always give and take necessary, and somebody's got to make some sacrifices sometimes. buuuuut...it's all good.

i had a conversation with willy during drayden's one month. it was not something i had rehearsed, or something i had talked about before, or even something i had given much thought to. when the matter arose, i was actually surprised hearing myself, but realised i was speaking with sincerity and that i couldn't agree more with what i was saying.

anyway....

we're going out this coming monday when noel is off, just the three of us - noel, drayden and i - and it'll be our first family outing for us! i can't wait when outings become more, to the zoo, to the birdpark, to playgrounds, and more! times like these i wish drayden would grow up sooner, start walking and running around, but when i look at him so peacefully asleep on my lap, i wish time would stand still and he'd stay this cute and adorable forever.

well....have a good weekend, y'all. i'm gonna spend time with drayden, and do all the mummy things i love doing!

cfc

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:11:00 +0000

i don't think a football game should ever go into penalties. penalty shoot-outs are a test of luck, not skill. look at ronaldo. he's a skillful player and all, but it's sheer dumb luck that cech was in the way of the torpedoing ball. it's not a matter of cech being skillful knowing which way to dive. i think it was sheer dumb luck, he went the right way. no keeper can ever know which way a player plans to kick the ball. and take terry. it was sheer dumb luck he slipped and the ball went wide.

penalties are all about luck!
luck!!!! not skill!
why subject something of such gravity to dumb luck, after all the breathless and tiresome running around, all the skilfuly planned set pieces and the perfectly practiced tactics?

still, i'm not a sore loser. chelsea had one hand on the cup momentarily when ronny missed, but facts are facts. my congratulations to you man-fucken united fans. pffft.

now.

the GSS starts tomorrow, yes? i hope you shopaholics have your shopping route and plans all figured out. to those working in the town area, good luck facing and bumping into all the kiasu shoppers till july. and good luck with the crowd, man, what with it being the school holidays and all. my opinion? GSS is literally when all the ugly singaporeans are let loose to irritate the rest of us!

anyway....

oh, i've got a new phone today! thanks to noel and mom, i've got a sony ericsson w910i in havana bronze and i'm lovin' it! i can't put it down! well, i'm gonna get busy transferring mp3s and photos into my swanky new phone now!

toodles y'all!

tonight's the night

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:11:00 +0000

tonight is the night my team chelsea gets a chance to redeem themselves after the epl defeat against man-fucken u. if fate is fair at all, chelsea should win tonight at moscow. i'm gonna leave it at that, and not say any more, lest i need to take my foot out of my mouth again. bleh.

we just finished watching american idol. though i could have caught it earlier on cable, i promised noel i'd wait for him to come home and we'd watch it together, so we've only finished watching it on five. i'm really hoping for david cook to win, but the way things went down, it seemed set for an archuleta win. well, who knows, i might just be surprised tomorrow. once again, i won't be able to know the result until noel comes home, so i'm gonna have to resist turning on the cable! oh the agony!

right now noel's watching his favorite show, epidemic, on five. it's the third of a four-part series. it's pretty interesting, but it's not something i'd sit thru glued to the tv like he is. i'm keeping myself occupied blogging, cos i'm patiently waiting for it to finish, and for drayden to wake up - he's been asleep since ten - so we can all go across the street and get some drinks and bites for the all-important game later. it's starting in about three hours!

i think it's a post-pregnancy thing, i'm always feeling hungry for snacks at night. i'm always craving for small bites and munchies like muffins, cakes, chocolates and all the unhealthy stuff you can think of. maybe this is why most women put on weight post pregnancy. i'd better watch myself!

the great singapore sale starts later this week.

but please don't mistake this for excitement. from 23 may to 20 july, i will do my best to keep out of the town area.

tho', there are a few things i've been wanting to get that i've been putting off for the sale. god only knows i hate sales because of the crowd, chaos and confusion, not to mention cash fast diminishing, but the few items i'm planning to get are better bought on sale.

i normally steer clear of ~~orchard road~~ ~~orchard down to city hall~~ all shopping centers during a sale. i never have patience for another person's bad manners during a sale, no matter how badly i want an item. people just seem to lose their basic manners from may to july! plus, it's not as hyped up as it is made out to be anyway. the stuff that is on sale is usually from many season's ago, and stuff we'd never buy otherwise. so why go crazy for them all of a sudden?

oh-oh. the little monster is awake. we'll continue this later!

i will be back

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:35:00 +0000

it's not easy maintaining two blogs - this and the baby blog - that it's resulting in me paying lesser attention here. at first i figured it doesn't really matter, but it's surprising to learn that my blog is the second most outgoing link from noel's - the baby blog being the first - that i reckon i should do it justice.

though, it can be testing sometimes to figure out what to write. my life is pretty much revolving around baby dray, and all there is to tell is already penned on the baby blog. i certainly do not want to be redundant.

so give me time, while i sort it out, get back to active blogging here, and thrill you with exciting stories to tell! soon!

foot in my mouth

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:07:00 +0000

ok ok. so chelsea was the one that fumbled in the end. can i take my foot out of my mouth now? noel won't give me the time of day, tormenting me with all the newspaper pictures that are glorifying the blooming devils for their win. for someone whose team can only manage to finish at a mere forth place (i'm sorry reds, but if anything blame my husband for bringing you guys into this!), he sure can talk! how can a liverpool fan be on the side of man-fucking united? and i'm his wife, too!!

super sunday gave last weekend something to really look forward to. and this weekend, i'll have my baby's one month celebration to be excited about next! it's still hard to believe that drayden has turned one month. well, he is officially one month today actually. but how fast time flies! and i can't wait for this weekend, because i'm sure it'll be a blast, albeit only a small group of friends can make it. i'm so excited about the food we'll have that day.

which reminds me, siti has been such a great help with regards to food. she's really lifted a huge burden off of us. i can't say how we really appreciate your help, babes. noel was right when he said you and nora are two of the awesomest friends i have.

nora, too, for always checking up on me, and keeping me company when i need some. it's the littlest things that matters and never fail to touch. she's my number one beloved kotek, she is!

i'm gonna scour around for some cool favors for the weekend tomorrow. like the wedding, i hope to make some ultra cool handmade favors!

oh, i just can't wait for the weekend to come!!!

mommies' day

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:48:00 +0000

well, it's my first time celebrating mothers' day as a mom! it's been 28 days, and i haven't stopped counting my blessings. drayden's a gorgeous and easy baby (well, he does have his cranky moments, but he's still awesome!) and i'm loving every minute of being a mom to my precious baby. he's grown so attached to me in this short period of time, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to think that someone so tiny loves me back!

right now he's fallen asleep on my lap and it's just an indescribable feeling watching him sleep and holding him in my arms. he's such a miracle. i'm looking forward to many more mothers' day, and i hope i'll never stop being a great mom to baby drayden.

happy mothers' day to all you mommies!

it's also the all important super sunday tonight! so many football games happening at the same time, it's gonna be hard to keep track of each game! i hope man u only gets a draw, and chelsea thrashes bolton. we really, really need to snatch the title from the stupid devils. i hope ronaldo pees in his pants from all the pressure, and doesn't perform. that idiot rooney is already out, so woohoo! i'm sure the young boy will fumble under all the pressure and responsibility put on him.

otherwise, oh well....we still have the champions league. we'll beat them again, that i know for sure.

chelsea, chelsea!!

stubbornsnails.com

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:53:00 +0000

since the bar, i've been idle for almost nine months. that's as long as i have been pregnant! it's hard imagining what working life would be now. oh, for those of you who haven't already known, i'm a mummy now. i gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last sunday, on april 13. he's the most beautiful baby i've ever seen, and i'm enjoying mummyhood to the very tiny bits. more of my baby stories on my baby blog.

as i was saying, i can't imagine what it'd be like going back to work. especially now since i have a baby. i don't think i could tear myself from him and leave him for more that eight hours a day. but idling at home is no fun either. especially so before his arrival. now that baby is here, i'll certainly be occupied changing diapers, breastfeeding, and the like. but once baby grows up?

many weeks ago, a good friend of mine gave birth to a baby girl. an arduous internet search for the perfect baby gift coupled with my undying creativity (ahem) gave birth to a unique and perfect present: a diaper cake.

"what the hell is that?!", some of you may ask. well, diaper cakes are a tower of disposable diapers assembled to look like a tiered-cake, which is in turn "filled" or decorated with fun baby gifts like baby wear, bath products, soft toys, and so on.

and my girlfriend loved it.
i went on to make a few more diaper cakes after that, and the reactions were all similar: mommies just love it!

the best thing about diaper cakes is that, they make totally practical gifts for the new parents. ask any parent what would be the best thing to give any new or expectant parents, and i'm sure the answers will be the same. "Diapers!"

bet most of you don't know this, but a newborn baby uses up to 8 diapers a day, especially if he is breastfeeding. that's over 50 diapers a week! going by that rate, certainly any parent would appreciate being given diapers for their new baby! but just wrapping a pack of diapers isn't much fun to give OR receive, is it? well, not until the creation of diaper cakes that is.

and diaper cakes are such fun to make (although very time-consuming and takes a lot of planning and arranging), and such a joy to receive.

which brings me to my point.

with noel's encouragement and help (without which this wouldn't have been possible), we created stubbornsnails.com - an online company that allows you to give the gift that everyone will be talking about. we started with diaper cakes - not just for the new baby, but for mommy and daddy as well - and soon we will be bringing towel cakes for life's important celebrations like bridal showers, weddings and birthdays.

i invite you to visit the website (www.stubbornsnails.com) and view the Diaper Cake Gallery.
any form of support - actual purchase or help spreading the word - will be very, very much appreciated.

i hope to make stubbornsnails work. it would mean doing something so enjoyable that i love, while being a full-time mom, and being able to contribute to the household.

meanwhile, here are some pictures of diaper cakes i've done. do visit the diaper cake gallery for more pictures!

bye bye tulus...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:31:00 +0000

one of my pet terrapins died this morning.
i had them named after jude's terrapins when they were in singapore. and true to his name, 'tulus' did stay tiny even after months of feeding. only 'belios' seemed to grow.

even tried isolating them, because i figured 'belios' must be eating all the food, that's why 'tulus' isn't getting enough and is not growing.

but of late, have noticed that 'tulus' seemed to be really weak, and even his shell was too soft. when i went to feed them this afternoon, i found him on his rock where he usually sunbathes, cold and hard.

quite a shock, and it's always hard to deal with a dead pet.
will miss cleaning and bathing him. and he used to eat right from my finger.

oh well. rest in peace, 'tulus'.
'belios' and i will miss you.

will you stand by me...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:27:00 +0000

i know i haven't been in here for dinosaur years. i've been busy building a website, and i'm so excited about it! i can't wait to launch it!

i'm just popping by because the other day while driving, this song came on the radio and i was just so captured by it. i'm not sure if it's an old song or not, it was my first time hearing it, but it was just so beautiful. i think next to "running", this would make such a fitting wedding song. you can hear it on my mp3 player now, and i'm sure you'd agree.

well...gotta get back to work!

18 days a missus...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:23:00 +0000

i was thinking to myself, what are the probabilities of me having a daughter who'd possibly want to wear my wedding dress on her own wedding day? hmmm. maybe not. she'd probably want to wear something time-relevant, and not something from fifty years ago. but at the same time, i also don't foresee any occasion for which i'd wear my wedding dress again, so maybe i still should look into storing and preserving the dress properly afterall.

it's no easy business, i realised. it's not a simple act of folding it up into a box under your bed or into your closet, as it turns out. so many things to take note of! the wedding dress being of such a delicate material and color, so many measures have to be taken into consideration to avoid staining over time and permanent creases. thank god i got step one right and already had the dress drycleaned less than two weeks after the wedding.

i am trying to preserve and keep as much of the wedding as i can, right down to my bridal bouquet, and am packing and putting together my bridal possessions as best as i possibly can. it would be nice to re-open my wedding memories box maybe twenty...or fifty...years down the road, and look at all the pretty things i wore or had on my wedding day, like my wedding invite, the favors, the guestbook, greeting cards we received, even the white flowers i wore on my hair. maybe even show and share them with my daughter / granddaughters too...

it's now almost five in the morning. my husband's fast asleep. i, on the other hand, am doing my damnest to fight this huge craving for unagi. i've been craving for japanese food since yesterday. i hate chinese new year! the whole island just stops functioning, and it's so difficult to entertain my pregnancy cravings!

drama mama

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:35:00 +0000

i guess most of you have heard about my threatened preterm labour scare from noel's blog. it was something totally unexpected and something i hope i'll never have to go through again. having gone thru such a scary experience, the slightest pain in my tummy just freaks the shit out of me now. i don't know if i'm just over-reacting if i fret over it, or if it's something i should really worry about. whatever it is, i'm taking it like a big girl and forcing all the bloody chicken essence down for the sake of the baby and for the sake of NOT going through all that drama again.

what i thought were just normal stomach cramps turned out to be contractions instead and before i knew it, i was rushed into the delivery suite, had all this monitor thingies strapped on me...and worst of all, i had to have TWO MUTHERPAINFUL jabs on each of my thighs. oh lord, the PAIN!! and to add on to the drama, i had to be transferred to NUH in an ambulance! it was all just something out of ER for me. i was still not comprehending the gravity of it all, even when i was put into the maternity ward's ICU. i mean, it was just stomach cramps!!!!

i was warded for two nights, and it was the worst two nights of my life since i've been with noel. i missed him and missed home so much, not having spent a single night away from him since we got together. plus, i was warded in a 6-bedder maternity ward, so i was not able to get any sleep at all, with all the babies crying one after another throughout the night. but hey, maybe it's good training for me, eh?

the medicine i was given that was supposed to relax my womb were also giving me heartburn and uncomfortable chest pains, making it almost impossible to have a good rest. i just wanted to be home so, so bad.

we still don't know what may have induced the contractions, cos we're still awaiting results from the tests they did, but we have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so i hope everything will be okay. the hospital just called yesterday with the results from my blood test, and i was told to have low blood cells, so that's yet ANOTHER prescription added to the already-so-many pills i'm popping each day.

i just hope baby will be good from now, and not be naughty and scare me like that anymore. i'm watching what i eat, making sure i walk around enough, and even forcing the foul chicken essence down my throat! i just hope there'll be no more complications or worries till i'm due in april. the injections were not fun!

running...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:40:00 +0000

Run....
running all the time
running to the future with you right by my side

Me...I'm the one you chose
out of all the people
you wanted me the most
I'm so sorry that I've fallen
help me up lets keep on running
don't let me fall out of love

Running, running as fast as we can
do you think we'll make it?
we're running
keep holding my hand
so we don't get separated...

Be...be the one I need
be the one I trust most
don't stop inspiring me
sometimes it's hard to keep on running
we work so much to keep it going
don't make me want to give up

Running, running as fast as we can
i really hope we'll make it...
we're running
keep holding my hand
so we don't get separated...

more about the big day...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:08:00 +0000

i'm excitedly waiting for photos from CT of our big day. she takes really great pictures, and i saw the photos she took of our wedding, and i can't wait to share it with the rest of you. pictures do tell a beautiful story, but until then, here's more of what went down that day...

i decided to get ready at CT's so she can conveniently photograph me being made-up and getting dressed without having to travel halfway across the island so early in the morning. so at half-past nine in the a.m., i bade my still sleeping hubby-to-be an anxious goodbye and made my way to henderson. the whole journey, while mom drove, i kept freaking out that i may have left something important behind, like my nude colored thong or my even my wedding shoes. and i keep praying noel won't forget the rings or my bouquet later.

it took two and half hours to get me ready! but i'm really, really pleased with the end result. when we first started planning the wedding, i figured i'd do my own make-up and hair, because really, how difficult will it be, right? but oh boy, i think it would have taken me more than a day to put the look together! i wanted something really unique and romantic, and dreamed up a look with a lace headband and pretty white flowers. juls, my friend from multiply and a make-up artist of four years, really blew me away. i really wasn't sure if what i wanted was gonna work out, but she has such magic fingers and amazing talent! i was so in love with it, i absolutely refused to take it off until everyone went home at three in the morning, even though my ears were numb from being under the lace band for so long! hee.

syed did an amazing job driving down to fort canning in under fifteen minutes. it actually rained for a teeny bit before we left CT's, and i was sick with worry about how the weather was gonna be for the rest of the day. but that worry was replaced with excitement once we reached the acte d'amour garden, as more of our friends started arriving. the people at acte d'amour did a great job loosening our nerves, and even our Justice of Peace, Mr Tang Kang Hoy, made it so much less nerve-wrecking.

it was always my dream to walk down the aisle to No Doubt's Running, because i find the lyrics so meaningful, but i decided to be a sweetheart and let my baby choose the song he'd always wanted to use for his wedding. we marched in to Johann Pachelbel's Canon, and even though it was a slow and romantic tune, i think due to our nerves, we were walking in with such haste! being on stage was a little more calming for me, though i can't say the same for noel. he was perspiring and his hands were actually trembling!

i thought it was beautiful, how we were made to hold hands and face each other while we recite our vows. i must say, the moment noel started reciting his vows, i could feel tears welling up, and i couldn't look into his eyes for fear i'd begin to sob! max said that noel did not even blink or take his eyes off of me throughout his whole vow recital. i wish i could say, "ya, i know!", but i was busy trying to push back the tears and looking everywhere else but at him! it's funny how the words just seem like words before, but now that you're reciting them, with such intense emotions and sincerity, they could move you to tears either saying or just hearing them. throughout, i was thinking at the back of my mind how i have found my real-life Landon, and i couldn't be more blessed and lucky in love.

it was a short and sweet ceremony, and my thanks to vik, for being my witness. drinks and snack at the masonic lodge was unplanned, but we figured it would be nice to mingle a while with our guests before gathering again in the evening. although i must say, for the price we paid to get snacks and drinks for everybody, we should be getting much more than we did.

anyway, it was not all rest and relax when we got home. we weren't even ready when guests started arriving at six! but in all, i was pleased with how the whole outdoor area looked and the caterers didn't disappoint. and the weather couldn't be more perfect! it was as cosy and intimate as i had hoped it would be, with only family and close friends that matter, and i do wish everyone had a great time as noel and i did.

it was with great relief that we crawled into bed later that morning, a very heavy and tired me with a very drunk and silly groom. heh. it took us two whole days to recover! let's hope i will receive the photos soon from my crazy photographer, and i'll put them up here as soon as i get the chance. but once again, to all that shared our special day with us, THANK YOU. it wouldn't have been as memorable and enjoyable without your presence.

finally a missus...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:43:00 +0000

we've finally recovered from the wedding! it was a lot of work, but it was all worth it. my thanks to all that shared our special day with us. your presence really made it more meaningful and memorable. and thank you for all your well wishes, gifts and red packets! we can only hope that you had a great time just as we did.

to my best friend, fit, thank you once again for being there. it was a wonderful feeling to see your familiar face among the crowd of friends. i love you, girlfriend!

jude and gee, i'll send you guys photos soon! sorry the live broadcast to australia didn't quite work out. heh!

CT, thanks for taking such wonderful pictures of the day! can't wait to receive them soon and share them with everyone!

juls, my dear fren...i can't say this enough, but you really blew me away with how you made me up that day. you "worked it", girl, and you made my dream wedding hairstyle come true! you're simply amazing!

to my new family, thank you so much for accepting me into the Boyd family, and especially to mom and dad, i can never thank you both enough for making our wedding possible. thank you for everything you have done to make our wedding day so beautiful!

and finally, to my HUSBAND (god, i gotta get use to calling him that! heh), i think i married the most wonderful man when i married you. no one has ever made me feel so loved and safe. i promise to be good wife of you! hee. i love you so much, sweetheart.

I'M FINALLY A MRS!!!

*photos of the day will be up soon!

day before

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:09:00 +0000

today is yet another early day like it has been the past few days. got to go to ROM today to confirm and verify details as well as collect the marriage cert. and then, still more errands to run.

BIG DAY IS TOMORROW!!! *toingtoingtoing*

four days!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:11:00 +0000

today was a loooong but fruitful day. noel and i managed to run most of our wedding errands today. i've gotten my shoes, my hair accessories, my earrings, and most importantly, we've got all the things we need for the wedding favors and wedding decor. i'm amazed with how far and how much of the island we covered today, considering the bowling ball i'm lugging around these days. from far east to victoria street to arab street and then the concourse (by bus and on foot, mind you), i think i did pretty well for a waddling penguin!

it's a little after one in the a.m. now, and noel and i have just finished with the wedding favors. they're looking gorgeous, and i hope everyone will die for one on our big day! heh! i'm really, really happy noel made the wedding favors a reality for me, even though they were a tad pricey...because they were exactly what i had always wanted to give as favors on my wedding. how much more loved and blessed can i feel?? i love you many, many baby!

now as things are slowly being seen to, the excitement towards the big day is slowly sinking in. FOUR DAYS! everything's looking good, mom's making me a surprise bridal bouquet (i bet it'll be gorgeous! white flowers are nothing but!) and baking yummy mini cakes as additional favors, and all that's left to do is shopping for booze, which we'll do on sunday. beer, hard liquor and wine...let us be merry!!!

then monday i shall relax...get my nails done, and have an early night. tuesday i will be a MRS!!!!

please mr weatherman...

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:29:00 +0000

thankfully, the headache with the caterers have been more or less resolved. we initially found what we thought was a kick-ass menu with a little-known caterer (that should have raised some suspicion, now that we think about it) called 'fostre catering'. it was a 14-course buffet menu with impressive food items like oysters, mussels, ratatouille, mini steaks, blah blah, that really blew us away.

but. their service was such a let-down. our order was tossed around among their sales representatives, a confusion among these representatives meant that we didn't know what we were really gonna get on our end eventually, there were a lot of hidden costs and great resistance from them to be a little more accommodating with our requests, and not only that...they have stopped contacting or updating us entirely! needless to say, i guess they're just not interested in our money. so a big F to those lot. it was a huge disappointment, really, because i was really keen on the food selection, but anyhow we have found a different caterer, one i hope will be nothing like fostre. menu's not too bad too, but most importantly, the dessert selection is fabulous! the dessert line always makes or breaks a buffet menu for me. heh!

caterers aside, i haven't stopped worrying about how the weather is gonna be on that day. it has been raining everyday in the afternoon for the past weeks, and i'm just so worried it might rain on the 22nd too. i hope not! if it does, i'm just gonna stand there in the middle of the front porch and cry. i promise! i've heard of the rain dance, but does anyone know of the "go-away-rain" dance?!? *sigh* noel's talking about planting onions and what nonsense so the rain won't come. if it rains the day before, i'm gonna drag him outside with a sackful of onions and make sure he gets to work!!

there's only about seven days left before the big day, and there're still things left to be taken care off. i thought small weddings are easy-peasy. pffft.

oh yes, we've started a baby blog to keep y'all updated on our pregnancy (well, MY pregnancy, heh) and join us on our journey towards parenthood. it's not much yet, but we promise once the wedding is over and the due date nears (April, for those still not in the know), we'll have lotsa time to update and fill y'all in with more juicy baby details!

wedding matters

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:01:00 +0000

i have a good reason not writing for the past few days! :)

who would have thought that finding a dress to fit this bump would be such a challenge? or maybe i should blame myself for looking at all the wrong places. everytime i pick a dress out, the stupid bitch of a salesgirl gives me a look as if to say, "damn right you're gonna fit into that". annoying!

but if i learned anything from my shopping experience, it is that ck tangs can always be counted on when you need to find gorgeous dresses. i should have just skipped everywhere else and zoned in there. when i was working at the bar, and needed a new outfit every weekend that i worked the floor and mingled with the crowd, ck tangs was where i always bought my dresses.

and i found my wedding dress within ten minutes of walking into the ladies department! it was exactly how i had pictured and wanted my dress to be, and the material was just gorgeous. that is one huge relief off of me.

i've also finished doing the invites, and i must say i'm extremely pleased with how they turned out. y'all will be receiving it soon!

when i was in my early twenties, i spent a lot of time dreaming up a grand and fanciful wedding. i had wanted a big tulle wedding gown, an extravagant beach wedding, a huge bouquet of white roses and calla lilies, a long train gorgeously fluttering in the wind, a quartet playing into the sunset...the works. then when i became a wedding planner, i decided i've had enough of them big, fanciful weddings (they were too stressful and too much work!)...and just wanted a small and intimate affair with family and close friends that matter. all those big weddings just seem too "distant" and wasteful.

and a small and intimate affair is what i still want now, which is why we chose to have the buffet reception back home instead of at an outdoor venue, because home is where we've always entertained and had close friends over. sometimes i surprise myself with how carefree and un-bothered i am with all the details of the upcoming wedding. friends are getting all excited and asking how i'm doing my hair, who's doing my make-up, what shoes i'm gonna wear...and you know what? i didn't really gave any of these any thought. with my bump and my perpetual backache, heels are gonna be hell. and who really cares, i could always do my own hair and make-up. how hard could it be!

yes...it's a once in a lifetime affair, but i really don't think i should spend unnecessarily on details that won't even matter. when you come to my wedding, will you look at my hair and wonder who did it? will you check-out my make-up and see if my eyeshadow matches the shade of my lipstick?

i think if any money were to be spent, it should be on food...because nothing is more important than ensuring that our guests have a memorable day with us. that is what people remember most, i think. that the food was out of this world, and that they had a memorable night with the couple. hell, of all the weddings i've been to (AND planned), i don't even remember what the bride wore anymore, except whether the food was good, or if the reception was a memorable one. and that is exactly how i want our guests to remember our special day.

so forgive me if my hair wasn't styled perfectly, if my make-up isn't anything glamorous, or if i decided to just walk down the aisle in my gold reef flats. the money has been better spent on making sure you guys have a enjoyable time instead. :)

all that said, it's less than two weeks away to the wedding!

bride n bump

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:24:00 +0000

my first entry for the year! i guess this year i will resolve to blog more religiously. cher has joined shyanne's camp, i see, and both i'm sure will give me grief should i not stick to this resolution. hee.

~~i'm leaving~~ i have left 2007 on a good note, and am starting '08 with a big and exciting start. the way things were going the past few months, i never would have expected what i had hoped to achieve (well, at least two of what i had hoped for) before i turn 30 would be realised afterall.

i'm sure most of you have heard the big news. from what i gathered, there has been a lot of talk at the bar about it. tsk tsk. it's amazing, considering only a selected few were in the know. are we STILL the talk of the bar? i feel like we're the Brangelina of the Bar! *smirk* well, just to satisfy your curiosity...yes, noel and i are expecting. oh, i can already see you doing your victory dance, going "i knew it!" and "i told you so!".

this pregnancy has been a huge mixture of emotions for both noel and i, but more than anything now, we're both really excited about Baby Boyd. i have the most supportive man, noel's parents have been nothing but supportive as well, and close friends who are excited to death with me. i couldn't feel more blessed. the impending sleepless nights aside, i'm immensely thrilled to embrace motherhood, and am actually fearful i could smother my baby to death with too much love and attention. finally...yes, finally, i feel like there is meaning to my existence. call it a validation, but having a baby just makes life feel like its worth living for now. no matter the hardships and tests life may put me through in future.

besides becoming a mommy, i'm also taking another big step in becoming a wife. gosh, i never thought i'd ever actually get to say that. i'm gonna be a wife! who would have thought...my search is finally over. life couldn't be kinder to me.

i know the bitter would probably say we're only getting married because of the baby on the way. well, i don't think i even want to waste my energy telling you how wrong you are. in fact, your judgments won't even matter to me. it is enough, i suppose, that the people that matter understand us and our love and will agree that marriage didn't come into the picture because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to.

it has never felt more right. i'm counting down the days with excitement, without a tinge of fear or the possibility of regret. before i found out i was pregnant, when the relationship was in its bloom, i already knew this was the man i would really, really marry. things may have been thrown around in the wrong order, but the bottomline is, i'm still making the right choices, no matter the order.

2008 couldn't have begun with a better start for me. baby matters aside, we've got a wedding to put together, and FAST! i'm relieved we've confirmed the date and booked the solemnization venue. and tomorrow i'm going shopping for my wedding dress! *yey*

more news soon!

christmas mission

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Aludra Boyd) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:13:00 +0000

i'm on a mission to search for the correct and perfect recipe for pineapple tarts. i wish i had my book of recipes! i can't remember where i last put it, and it had lots of recipes handed down by my grammy and my aunties and also some recipes i stole off my step-mom. damn.

last year for hari raya my best fren sue and i made these perfect pineapple tarts, and i'm determined to find the exact recipe! we made tiny balls filled with pineapple jam, topped with cloves, so they look like little apples!

i'm guessing the recipe for the pastry bit is somewhat different than the normal "flower-shaped" pineapple tarts...i donno, i can't remember! i have to find it real soon, though, cos thursday we're goin' to the bake shop to get the ingredients. eeks.

anybody? help?