NY Fashion Week

Just got done checking out NY Fashion Week on nymag.com. Here are some of my faves!

Anna Sui

BCBG Max Azria

Generra

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Marchesa

Tibi

All photos taken from New York Magazine

photo shoot

Recently we decided we should take our wedding photos in Shanghai. After all, it IS the place where we had met, lived in and shared many memories.

We didn't want a local photog studio, and definitely didn't want to stand outside Starbucks on Hengshan Road taking cheesy pictures we've seen a million couples do. Neither did we want a pricey freelance laowai photographer, or underpay friends. So after researching wedding photographers / studios, freelance photographers and friends, we finally picked one with the right price and style.

Even after enquiries, we still felt that it was too early to take the photos, so we're going to do it next spring.
However, being the little excited bunny that I am, I started daydreaming about the locations and shoots.

These are my ideas... J doesn't know about my excitement and he will definitely think me crazy. BUT BUT BUT i definitely do want to try...

1. shot on roller skates. I had the most memorable (and well-documented) kiss on our first roller-disco party
   
2. next to the wall of graffiti he took me to on our first "date"
3. shot of us in the Bears' jerseys. he got me into the crazy sport and fantasy football no less.
4. barefoot in the park (I was thinking Cercle Sportif, Xujiahui park, or People's park) -- think ice cream, bubbles, picnics and bicycles
5. view of the Bund, taking that old junk across the Huangpu river
6. cobblestones and alleyways (Taikang road or Moganshan galleries)
7. jumping shot in a rock concert

what a crazy mix.

i doubt any studio will be able to accomodate that.

Musings on Mondays

i love mondays.

i wake up to watch a football game. and then i head down to my yoga class. When I come home, make myself (or cook -- gasp!) lunch, spend the rest of the afternoon reading blogs, surfing the web or do something crafty. I feel like I accomplish so much on a Monday.

fried rice for lunch today

This morning I awoke to very good news-- Bears vs Steelers 17-14. And watched the 2nd quarter of the Giants and Cowboys game. I had to miss the 2nd half (which was the more exciting half) to go to my Ashtanga class.

I felt especially good in class today because I suddenly became aware of how much I have improved. I realised after 3 years of practice that with each practice I become more and more aware of the different parts of my body, how to isolate and work each muscle, build core strength and flexibility. As i attempted the bridge pose today I felt a big stretch on my lower back. In the past, that was not a good sign, because that meant I had overstretched and would be plagued with a back ache in the next few days. But, these days, that pain (or rather, ache) is just a gentle reminder from my body to take it easy on that pose. Not only do I not get that backache, I realised my lower back muscles are much stronger.

In the past, when I do forward bends and folds, the back of my knees would hurt bad. I have come to realise that is overextension on my part and is very bad on my knees. Now, i've figured out that if i tighten my thigh muscles (which was what I was supposed to do in the first place) the pain disappears and I work the right muscles at the same time.

I am constantly astounded at how much I gain with each yoga practice. Even after 3 years of practice I still find out something new about my body each time. I am determined to keep this practice even after I stop attending classes. Now I just have to work on my discipline. The mind is so weak and it always manages to talk me out of practice.

On another note:

Crafting on a Sunday, I decided to whip out the pattern (courtesy of Spool Sewing ) I kept for a long LONG time. Using scraps of cloth (mostly from J's shirts) I made two stuffed birdies! Still not perfect, I'm wondering how to stuff the birds without them looking too lumpy... I will make more! It's really fun and it doesn't require a machine! I think that was the reason I started on it in the first place. I was too lazy to lug my machine out and looked for the easiest craft I can manage on a sleepy Sunday.

Ta-daa!

Visa Blues

So J went to the American Consulate to attend the immigration visa talk and found out that the whole process takes 8-10months.

We started scrambling and getting our act together to start applying for one.
Step 1: Application for petition for alien relative.

I hate how countries use the word "Alien".
I hate how many steps and how long this process takes.
I hate all the paper chase.
I hate how much money this is costing us.
I hate how all the instructions are so vague (or the more I read them, the more I doubt I'm doing them right)

Yesterday was the start of the whole thing. One week to go before I get my notarized Chinese documents. One week more to get the translation. And then the photos. Oh yes, I had better start assembling the photos that prove our marriage genuine. Oh yes, I forgot the photos were all gone when my external hard disk crashed.

I need a huge dose of positivity now.

To-do list:

so i occasionally come across things that seem really fun to do but haven't had the opportunity to try. does that count as spontaneous when you finally do it?
anyhoo, here is a list of "spontaneous" things i would like to do when i DO have the time. i have been listing them in my head for the longest time. here's putting them down before i forget.

1. making home-made bubble solution and setting the bubbles free in the park!
2. shop for an exquisite chinese tea set
3. shop for cute dinnerware (but i can always make do with MORE!)
4. take the open-top doubledecker that takes you on a scenic tour of shanghai
5. (recently discussed) ride our bikes to the beach somewhere in Shanghai
6. Happy Valley (when free of glitches and deemed safe)
7. camp outdoors!


that's all for now. eeps. i need to catch up with ACTION!

on another important note:

my very FIRST wedding anniversary is coming!!! maybe i can incorporate some of the things on my list into the celebrations!

on hugs and kisses

it was my dad's birthday yesterday. I sent him a text and a facebook message. This morning when I awoke, i received a text back from him

"Thanks :-) my dear Chewy"

It's feels a little strange to hear him call me Chewy (when i think for the longest time in my life he was using Chuiying) and doubly strange to hear him say "my dear".

My family is pretty traditional when it comes to showing or displaying our affection for each other. The only times I give my parents kisses are hugs are on special occasions like birthdays, Mother's and Father's day, airport send-offs and so on. In the recent years, however, my parents have become more used to the hugging and kissing. It was never a thing with the family so each time such behaviour is displayed, it feels nice but also strange in a way. I would love to do it more because I feel I don't show it often enough. And with J's family, I think I'll have to get used to it even more because they're all about that! J is always telling me I will be completely overwhelmed when we finally meet everyone on his end. I am still preparing myself mentally to meet his extended family.

in other news, it is also priscilla's birthday tomorrow. We went for a nice Sunday brunch followed by a girly mani-pedi session. Check out the yummy colours!




wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

thursday night in

i realised it's so hard to keep a blog daily when i started work again. i come home every day from work feeling so tired i just want to veg out on the couch. it was nice last night though, i invited my friend to my place just to chill after work. we've both had a long day, and all we want is dinner and a good movie on TV.

we ended up watching District 9, a movie about an alien colony living with humans in Johannesburg. Living separately, though, in an area called District 9. it probably parallels a lot of current events like BSG does, but I was too tired to think about it in depth.
however, what i meant to say is i really enjoyed the night and i should do it more often. have friends over. i'm usually contented and want to spend my evenings with just my boy.

in other news, football season has started with the Steelers playing the Titans. I got roped into playing Fantasy Football with my husband and his friends I don't know why. But following it will be tough. But I will try to follow the Bears this season because they sound pretty good with Jay Cutler on their team and his performance in pre-season.

Omg. I sound totally un-me.

soup for the soul

i made soup the other night.

i was craving my mom's soup and decided to FINALLY try it myself. It turned out to be really easy! i bought some pork ribs, carrots, potatoes and onions, threw them into a pot of water and let it boil for hours and then when dinner time came, i cooked some rice and poured the soup over it.



Here are the ingredients.

Never had making dinner been SO easy!



I think I'm going to make corn soup next.

Cheryl's Pot Luck

today's spontaneity of the day:

Chilli con Queso Dip (above, next to the carrots)
http://southernfood.about.com/od/cheesedips/r/bl30320h.htm




Bacon and Swiss Cheese Dip (above, 2nd pot from top)
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recipetemplate.php?scale=2+&mid=36325

instead of making something i've already tried and tested, i decided to look for new recipes to try out. Even though they're not to difficult, i feel kind of elated with the outcome, especially when they both got positive reviews! Wheeeee!

day 2

so i woke up extremely early today and decided to go for a walk in the park. i rode my bike, got myself a pancake for breakfast and headed for the park near the school, so I could go to work in an hour's time. when i got there, i realised i couldn't bring my bike inside the park and instead, had to park outside. not trusting my bike alone in any one public place for any amount of time, i decided to cycle around the neighbourhood.

the french concession is really a beautiful place, and in certain areas, it is so quiet and peaceful. i rode on this street where high-ranking officials and really important people lived. you could tell because every other house had high fenced-up walls, security cameras and a guard or two standing at attention on the outside. i think i actually smelt sandalwood in the breeze while riding past! i've always wondered how these places look on the inside.

arriving at school 2 hours before class, i ended up chatting with the cleaning ayi. she has lived in shanghai all of her 56 years and has seen great changes in this area. our school stands on what used to be farming grounds. across the road where the hotel stands, there once was a sports arena. she and her friends used to watch athletes train through the fences. now the area is perpetuated by sky high buildings and plagued by constant construction, especially with Expo 2010 looming ahead. the older buildings that are being conserved house row after row of bars. even in the short 3 years i've been here i've seen shops and restaurants come and go, buildings torn down and re-built in an instant...


i think i'm beginning to like this spontaneity exercise...

this little exercise is not working out terribly well!

!!!!

i got so caught up with work and meetings today that i completely forgot to do something spontaneous!

then again...I might need to define spontaneity a little, to sort out for myself what exactly counts as an act of spontaneity. does stopping to give a child in school a hug or giving time to chat with a parent count as a spontaneous act? (it might seem little to some but interacting with adults can be terribly arduous for me, because i think i am absolutely boring to talk to. which is also why my job as a teacher is perfect because children are less judging and more embracing.) i am completely comfortable with the children until i have to speak with their parents.

back to definitions. does it have to be something out of the blue and really special, or can it be something ordinary, just not something you would normally do?

dictionary.com defines spontaneities as
1. spontaneous impulses, behaviour, movements or actions
2. spontaneous activities

and defines spontaneous as
1. coming or resulting from a natural impulse or tendency; without effort or premeditation; natural and unconstrained;


in which case have i not only failed to be "spontaneous" but have also suppressed myself when i hesitated to say good morning to the person next to me in the elevator this morning. The words were actually on the tip of my tongue until i decided to swallow them and thought myself a wee bit silly to be "overly friendly".

on a brighter note, now that i am a little more self-aware, i will keep trying.


and i am positive i can only change for the better!

i think i'm going to try this:

one spontaneity a day, one craft a week.

this week, my craft will be to shorten my too-long purple skirt (in time for purple week in school next week)

let's see how long this will last

positivity!

------------------------------------------------------------------

and so the spontaneity of the day...

i left a love note for J in the mail. I hope he finds it soon!

*Remind yourself to love the ones around you every single moment*

sunset in shanghai

i am extremely pleased to be able to get around the great firewall of china!

i want to be able to say that i love living in shanghai, i love living in china. But sometimes, it gets so weary and tiresome. The pollution gets to you, the people annoy you, the whole government gets paranoid on you. Surfing the internet is a pain in the butt when every other page you visit is blocked!

I enjoy reading my friends' blogs and being inspired by some of the bloggers out there. Facebook helps me keep in touch with my family and friends. Youtube enables me to watch music videos and J's favourite fights and football games. Wikipedia helps answer my inane questions. But what can you do if you live in China?

and the absolute last straw came when my ipod got stolen from right under my nose! and this happened approximately about the same time as when 4,565 of my other friends got one thing or other stolen, here in the Shang-of the not-so-high.


So, i think i'm coming to the end of my residence here in china.
i don't think i can handle anymore of it, save the mountains and valleys.

let's try to outsmart the system

let's try to outsmart the great firewall
Originally uploaded by onemillionbicycles

i'm trying to post via autoblog on flickr. let's see if this works!

project purple shawl: complete

it turned out really BIG but so beautiful! i love it! let's see if i can make them on time for this year's christmas presents! woot!

so many things, too little time! -- project purple shawl

ok so the reading comes to a stop, and the wedding planning has waned a little. everything comes to a standstill till i finish knitting my darn shawl!

so i took up a basic knitting class and have been going to it faithfully every monday morning. basic my arse. it seems everyone else has at least enough knitting skills to enter a contest. in just the first lesson we were taught to knit a shawl using a pair of needles. I was still struggling to learn what 上针 and下针 meant ( i think it means knit and purl, no?) while everyone was busy clickety-clacking away. it really doesn't help when the grandmother of a teacher speaks in half putonghua and half shanghainese the whole time. Whaaa? Can you repeat that?

so the second lesson came around, and everyone proceeded to learn how to CROCHET a hat! halp! what happened to knitting? shawl? i have only been knitting squares! how do you connect them into a shawl? oh i did it all wrong? thanks.

by the third lesson, i was petrified. everyone took out their equipment and started knitting a sleeveless vest with four needles, no less. *remember to breathe* i looked helplessly at the teacher and we both agreed that i should finish the shawl before we progressed any further. 

but... i will NOT quit. i am convinced there is a conspiracy to oust me from the knitting class because i stick out like a sore thumb. i will at least finish this shawl even if it kills me. i am actually quite proud of it, the wool progresses in different shades of purple. it's turning out to look quite quirky. i will post a picture of it when i am done. 

time-- waste not. i am back to my knitting.

polaroids pow-wow!

hey look what you can do with this programme!

check out poladroid.net!

 

  

invitation to a Midsummer Night's revelry...

so my dearest elisa offered to help me with the wedding invites and i gave her an idea of what i wanted it to look like. and she came up with these the very NEXT day.

   

but guess what? here are my favourites! J and I are really excited about the first. which one do you like? so, i'm not going to use our silhouettes on the invites. these silhouettes are simply gorgeous and will work far better! (Note: all information on the invites are to be amended) i so do not want to go for my knitting class now. i want to stay home and work on my wedding!

as an afterthought, i think i will use them both! i will use the invite on the right as my Save-the-Date invites. and then the one on the left as the official wedding invitation! wheee! sorted!

      

home improvement

bought some new plants to line my window ledge!

     

a pot of lavender, some cacti and fresh flowers. 

i have also decided to recycle my wine bottles by using them as vases. thinking about using these bottles for my table centrepieces, with a single stalk of allium in the bottle and pots of echeveria around it to be taken home as wedding favors. or i could use the wine bottles to line the walkway and stuff them with twinkling fairy lights. wheeee! recycling is fun! 

god's eyes

just came across this easy to do diy project at this website Design Spongeand since i have all 

the required materials, i got started and voila! here are the results!

    

i was thinking about making more of these out of twine and parcel string to be hung up along the reception walkway. along with the stars and butterflies and fairy lights. what do you think?

wedding gowns and colour theme

(by the way, just to clear the confusion, the following pictures are the ideas i have for MY wedding gown haha! so just pick a dress to match, i'm prob going to pick the dress in the first picture as my gown)

hi all bridesmaids-to-be, 

here's an idea of the look i'm going for. feel free to throw any more ideas, images my way!
 

i'm more inclined towards the gown in the first picture. elegant and simple. but i also want to go for a feel like that of the second picture. that will be my bouquet -- a single stalk of allium, which is the onion genus. I just hope it doesn't smell too strongly of onions, have to get to the florist and smell it for myself. I want a tutu dress too, slightly flouncier than the one shown in the picture on the left, but in general, these are the shades of green that i'm going for. Not the dark leafy green. 

i guess any shade of purple will go fine with the greens. 

i'm thinking lavender, muted purples. not royal deep purple. here's a lovely combination of the colours that i want in my wedding, muted purples, faded greens, woody browns and dusty cream. think harvest celebrations. how does it sound so far? 

my midsummer night's dream (Venues)

is becoming a reality! 

so i went back to singapore for a week (for personal reasons), took 2 days out of my schedule to go check out several venues for my outdoor wedding. Here are some of the pictures, just in case you would like to consider these places for your big day too.

1. Raffles Marina

Don't let the name fool you. Raffles Marina is not in Marina, nor Raffles city, 

as my dad had innocently asked. It is located all the way at Tuas, almost at the Second Link.

 Nevertheless, I fell in love with the place a long time ago. It is also the place I go wakeboard at in the recent years. 

The open lawns, the sunset and sea views of the harbour, the colour of the skies, I had set my sight and my heart on the 

location. I always knew that I wanted my wedding to be a barefoot, dancing event. What better than to take off those 

uncomfortable heels, ground myself and reconnect with Mother Nature?

And solemnization by the pool? How pretty is that!

My only gripe is that the space is too open. My ideal venue would be a foresty area, with swings and fire torches, strewn petals on the ground... So as much as I love this venue, it cannot be my number one choice.

so ON to number

2. Singapore Zoo

I am totally in love!! The outdoor Pavilion By the Lake is the perfect venue for my Midsummer 

Night's revelry. From the terraced grass grounds to the dreamy walkway, I can almost picture what each and every space will be used for. 

The terraced grounds for friends who would like to lay down, have a champagne or two, for guests who want to dance barefoot in the glade; the outdoor area for friends who want to dine under the stars and an indoor area for family (just in case of bad weather) ; the lush green walkway, dripping with stars, lit by candles and fairies leading to the dinner reception. What's more, we get a grand entrance riding atop an elephant! My heart is so set on this place, although it is a little pricey. My next task now is to set a budget and start saving!

I would love to post more pictures except that in my excitement, I took only videos so I could show J when I went back to Shanghai. I think he is equally excited (about the elephant ride) and Mom thinks we're crazy.  :)

So, I think I'm going to go ahead and book the venue once my mom finalises an auspicious date for the big day. 

happy NIU year!

fireworks anyone?

 

 

 
 

eat pray love

is the first book that i've finished in the year 2009. i find it oddly comforting and coincidental that i should have started the year with a book about a woman's journey towards self discovery and self awareness. or should i say that there isn't such a thing a pure coincidence because i believe that everything happens for a reason. the book reverberates my desire for fulfillment and balance in my life, and to learn to appreciate and give thanks when they are achieved. 

of course i don't think my life is at the happy ending. the universe operates in a cycle and i am obviously at a stage where everything is in a perfect balance. but it is only a matter of time before the scales are tipped and my world is hurled into chaos that i must learn to control yet again. maybe not so much to control, but to ride along, as a surfer does amidst the crashing waves. (i'm sorry but i just finished the book so my mind is still filled with Bali-esque imagery)

i am such a paradox-- a cynic and a believer all at once. 

i think the idea of a Sabbatical sounds completely gorgeous. unfortunately, things are so much simpler when one is single and have no responsibilities. i have a husband, a job and bills to pay. however, i think i can manage a month long retreat at an Ashram? not that i need it now, or that i need to get away from my man, but i happen to think that the idea of spending a month alone, finding out more about myself, in absolute quiet solitude is what I want at least once in my lifetime. no doubt, if i do "learn" all about myself the very first time around, will there be a need for a 2nd retreat?

some friends that have read the book found the India part a little to long and boring but that is exactly the bit that appealed to me most. i want that same experience that the author went through (minus the emotional baggage), the spiritual cleansing, the deep meditation, the stillness and the peace. how is it possible that somebody can feel that way? i've tried meditating so many times and know how nearly impossible it is to quieten the mind for any length of time. but i also know that it is possible, i want to learn how!  

life is also always chock-full of commitments. i also became horribly aware of the numerous things that lay before me, that will need to take precedence over everything else before i can even think twice about my lovely retreat. the end isn't the horrible part, it is the process that is unfathomably excruciating. like saving up for our US trip this summer. and next summer comes the wedding. and just maybe i can do this in 2011. that seems like an awful long time away. but maybe, just maybe, i can plot it down in my life calendar. 

home improvement

i think i am beginning to turn out like my mother. I never would have dreamt the day I'd say "I love storage boxes!!!" which is exactly what i said today after a trip to IKEA. 

Trying not to burn a hole in my pocket, my shopping trip in IKEA today was more than restrained. i spent the longest minutes browsing the fabric section, and allowed myself to depart with only 4m of fabric...AND only because i had KNEW what i was going to do with the fabric (instead of the usual buying and hoarding). i had to rein myself in in the candles department, picking up only what was ESSENTIAL. in total, my bill came up to a mere S$60++ and i managed to buy all the things on my shopping list and nothing else!! (save the fabric)

4 hours later, my home is much neater, more compartmentalized and organised. 

on to the next shopping lists...

Cardinals at the superbowl!

i heart larry fitzgerald. 

He's a monster! and he will lead his team to win the superbowl this year. time to go back to the shop and grab that cardinals flannel i saw!

scratch that.

so the wedding will be postponed (yet again) to summer 2010. just because it'll fit J's parents' schedule much better. his grandma is renewing her wedding vows in summer '09 so wedding '09 will be a stretch on time and resources.

AND summer time is more befitting the theme.

so here is one of the dream gowns. simple, but gorgeous and the colours will be perfect with my tan (when i get one back).

in retrospect.

2008 has been a very good year. according to some, my saturn is returning and major changes heading my way. i think saturn returning started when i made my decision to move to shanghai. and then i got married last year. and then who knows when in the next two years will i decide to move some place else. US maybe? it's in the plans.

over the holidays back in singapore, i have been doing a lot of catching up and thinking. meeting up with friends also means i have to keep them updated with my life, and consequently keeping myself updated on mine. taking stock of my life so far. i suddenly realised i am in a perfectly balanced state, a state of contentment that i haven't felt in a long while. work is routine, predictable, but something that i love and enjoy. money is not a source of worry and i live off my earnings very comfortably. love is at its greatest heights. living in pure bliss every day with my newly wedded husband. my family and friends are doing well, everybody healthy and living out their lives. i cannot help but fear, sometimes, that this is the calm before the storm? but that will be the paranoid side of me resurfacing. with nothing else to worry about, my idle thoughts fight to be heard...*chuckles*

this trip back home helped re-establish bonds and friendships. a short 2 week trip meant making time for people who mean the most to me. it became clear to me who i enjoy spending my hurried holiday time with, and who to give a miss. i think i also made it a more family oriented holiday this time round, trying to spend more time with the family, giving them priority over other meetings. 

coming back home to shanghai (yes i do call it home too), i find myself with a different perspective towards life. call it growing up or whatever you want, but i do know what i have planned ahead and what i want happening in my life. 

so in 2009, i shall channel my energies towards leading a more fulfilling life, spending more time picking up new skills (knitting, crocheting, embroidery), working towards my goal of setting up an online business, saving for my summer holidays in US and planning for my perfect wedding. 

oh yes, and i shall end the year 2009 with a big bang at my "midsummer night's dream wedding" :)

new resolutions

like i had any old ones.

but if i had to list them (not in any order or preference):

1. eat less meat (at least stay away from pork and beef)
2. save for US trip and wedding 
3. be less naggy 
4. be MORE positive
5. listening before speaking
6. quitting bad habits :p