I feel sorry for Patty. His hols are boring cos I keep having to stay home to work. Oh well... At least after I hand in this one and finish my Econs one (due Monday, will finish tonight or tomorrow morning), I'll have free time till he goes back to Concord on Wednesday.
Yesterday, we went to Limehouse to eat at this nice (but expensive) Malaysian/Indonesian restaurant there called Melaka. After getting there, we found out it was CLOSED. As in for good. *grumbles* And I was sooo looking forward to their stuffed squid! We ended up eating at Chillies in Canary Wharf instead. Same old, same old.
Lately, I've been listening to this pianist called Yiruma. If I'm not mistaken, he's Korean, and his songs are quite nice! A little repetitive perhaps, but still a good tune to listen to when working! I feel particularly nostalgic when listening to "River flows in you". In fact, I've just printed out the sheet music so I can learn to play it too hehehehehe..
Okay, I gotta go upstairs and hand in my coursework now. After that I'm meeting Patty in Chinatown and we might shop around abit before going to Belgo's to eat. Bye!
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Easter
Patrick came over on Saturday. He went out with his friend for dinner while I stayed home to work on my coursework, but an old friend called and I ended up forgetting :P
Since Sunday and today were public holidays, we stayed home entirely, apart from going out to church yesterday. Mel joined us for church, then we came home for lunch. I cooked rice and stirfried vegetables, and roasted some duck breast. We were damn stuffed after that! We hung out in my room till about 6pm then Mel went home. Patty and I had a simple dinner after that of fish fingers, bread and soup.
Today, we woke up really really late (think 1pm) so we stayed home again. Good thing too, cos the weather was horrid! Time passed quite quickly.
We just finished dinner. Yeah, I cooked again. This time it was roasted sausages with butter rice and sauteed petit pois. For my first time cooking peas, they turned out really good, especially when eaten with the rice! And both are so easy to cook too.
For the butter rice, just cook rice as usual, add a large spoonful of butter, and mix till all the butter is melted. Add salt, pepper and dried basil, mix well. For the petit pois, melt a spoonful butter in a pan with some garlic-infused olive oil (or really good quality olive oil). Cook finely chopped onions till soft, then add about 150ml of chicken stock. Add 300g of frozen petit pois, boil vigorously, then reduce to simmer till the stock is reduced and thick. I got the recipe for the peas from Nigella Lawson's Feast, but I tweaked it to my liking, cos I don't really like the idea of spring onions and lettuce with the peas, and onions just seem right to have with peas.
I think I can just eat the peas and rice alone for a whole meal! Although I will admit that I used an ungodly amount of butter in both recipes.... I think the amount of butter I used is about the same amount we'd eat with a few slices of toast... each. o_O
Oh, apparently, I'm skilled with cooking vegetables. I really suck at cooking meat (with the exception of curries, slow-cooker stews and my honeyed chicken) and fish (unless I use the oven) but surprisingly, my veggie dishes turn out quite alright. I guess maybe that's why I have a tendency to cook vegetarian stuff everyday. Then again, vegetables are the absolute easiest thing to cook! Mel said my stirfry yesterday was perfect (vegetables were cooked, but still crunchy; the sauce was just right, and I didn't add too much salt or soy sauce) and Patty said the peas were really good today. Yay, my cooking doesn't suck so bad after all!
Yay, I'm now inspired to find more vegetarian recipes and try them! Maybe I'll try the butternut squash lasagne recipe next....
Speaking of cooking, Patty said my peanut butter cookies were good, but would be better if I used a better peanut butter. Maybe I'll make another batch and see....
Toodles!
Since Sunday and today were public holidays, we stayed home entirely, apart from going out to church yesterday. Mel joined us for church, then we came home for lunch. I cooked rice and stirfried vegetables, and roasted some duck breast. We were damn stuffed after that! We hung out in my room till about 6pm then Mel went home. Patty and I had a simple dinner after that of fish fingers, bread and soup.
Today, we woke up really really late (think 1pm) so we stayed home again. Good thing too, cos the weather was horrid! Time passed quite quickly.
We just finished dinner. Yeah, I cooked again. This time it was roasted sausages with butter rice and sauteed petit pois. For my first time cooking peas, they turned out really good, especially when eaten with the rice! And both are so easy to cook too.
For the butter rice, just cook rice as usual, add a large spoonful of butter, and mix till all the butter is melted. Add salt, pepper and dried basil, mix well. For the petit pois, melt a spoonful butter in a pan with some garlic-infused olive oil (or really good quality olive oil). Cook finely chopped onions till soft, then add about 150ml of chicken stock. Add 300g of frozen petit pois, boil vigorously, then reduce to simmer till the stock is reduced and thick. I got the recipe for the peas from Nigella Lawson's Feast, but I tweaked it to my liking, cos I don't really like the idea of spring onions and lettuce with the peas, and onions just seem right to have with peas.
I think I can just eat the peas and rice alone for a whole meal! Although I will admit that I used an ungodly amount of butter in both recipes.... I think the amount of butter I used is about the same amount we'd eat with a few slices of toast... each. o_O
Oh, apparently, I'm skilled with cooking vegetables. I really suck at cooking meat (with the exception of curries, slow-cooker stews and my honeyed chicken) and fish (unless I use the oven) but surprisingly, my veggie dishes turn out quite alright. I guess maybe that's why I have a tendency to cook vegetarian stuff everyday. Then again, vegetables are the absolute easiest thing to cook! Mel said my stirfry yesterday was perfect (vegetables were cooked, but still crunchy; the sauce was just right, and I didn't add too much salt or soy sauce) and Patty said the peas were really good today. Yay, my cooking doesn't suck so bad after all!
Yay, I'm now inspired to find more vegetarian recipes and try them! Maybe I'll try the butternut squash lasagne recipe next....
Speaking of cooking, Patty said my peanut butter cookies were good, but would be better if I used a better peanut butter. Maybe I'll make another batch and see....
Toodles!
Sunday, 23 March 2008
Outfit Snap: Christmas yukata!
When I went home in December, Liss and I went out to Gardens in yukata. When we got home, Patrick took pictures of us. I finally remembered to bug him for them and so here they are! I'm the one in blue, by the way.
We both dressed ourselves, although I did help Liss abit with her obi. It was a fun outing! We went shopping around, then we ate lunch at Yuzu with Patrick and Ian. After that, we went to Mid Valley where we played a racing game then a shooting game at the arcade. Fun!! ^_^ I went trigger happy in there lol.
The setting for the pictures was the main hall at home. The Christmas tree was very artfully decorated by my mum. Oh, and this is what the furniture looks like now, after the renovations around the house! Speaking of renovations, I really really really can't wait to use the kitchen...
Random> I wore kimono again today. Will post pictures later. I even baked blueberry muffins in them for Patty. We're gonna eat them tomorrow for breakfast, spread with blueberry jam bought from Harrods. Yum, talk about fruity!
We both dressed ourselves, although I did help Liss abit with her obi. It was a fun outing! We went shopping around, then we ate lunch at Yuzu with Patrick and Ian. After that, we went to Mid Valley where we played a racing game then a shooting game at the arcade. Fun!! ^_^ I went trigger happy in there lol.
The setting for the pictures was the main hall at home. The Christmas tree was very artfully decorated by my mum. Oh, and this is what the furniture looks like now, after the renovations around the house! Speaking of renovations, I really really really can't wait to use the kitchen...
Random> I wore kimono again today. Will post pictures later. I even baked blueberry muffins in them for Patty. We're gonna eat them tomorrow for breakfast, spread with blueberry jam bought from Harrods. Yum, talk about fruity!
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Received them!!
Hey remember the 2 sets of 5 yukata I bought long long ago? I just received them today!! They're so pretty.... The material's a little stiff, but nothing a quick wash won't fix ^_^ Now I have yukata in so many colours! Including the ones I have at home, I have yukata in red, olive, green, yellow, pink, blue, orange, white, purple and black!!! *yay* Since I have so many now, I can go out in them more often without having someone (namely my conscience) say 'But you just wore that last week! Wear something else!' nyehehehehe...
I also got this furisode with it. The odd thing is that, it's more like a komon (casual kimono with regular patterns all over) with ankle-length sleeves than a formal furisode!! I've absolutely no idea how formal it is, as I've only ever seen one like it before, and that's only in a book. The book says it's a 'party kimono' but I'm not entirely sure how formal a party it's meant to be.... I know it'll never be as formal as a normal furisode, since it's polyester and the pattern (of lilies - how pretty!!) is more komon/yukata-ish than the usual flowing designs we see on silk furisode for sale.
Thing is, what the heck do I wear with it? Not maru obi, that's for sure; fukuro obi is most likely, but what about nagoya obi? Nagoya obi sounds too casual, but this furisode is also very casual-looking. *scowls* Funnily enough, the book gives advice on how to accesorize this kimono with everything EXCEPT the obi.
I just read the book again, and the only advice it has is for:
1) Shawl - lace, tulle and beadwork is suitable for party-time, and looks gorgeous
2) Hairpiece - you can use many types to look fun. They put emphasis on corsages. For short hair, they say you can add a corsage to your hair for volume.
3) Footwear - for slightly more formal parties, wear gold and enamel zori. For casual parties, wear geta and pokkuri with pretty sides.
4) Hanao (the strap on footwear) - haven't read this yet :P
5) Bag - haven't read this either.
6) Han eri (the juban collar that shows) - read this, but can't understand some parts of it
*sighs* Sadly, not once do they mention the type of obi or musubi that is suitable for it. Until I find out, I'll stick to something like the bunko musubi with a fukuro obi.
I can't wait to get a biyo sugata! Then I can tie everything so much more easily, not to mention open the doors to other hard-to-tie musubi like fukura suzume (plump sparrow) and tateya (diagonal arrow). I'm even thinking of getting a biyo sugata for just plain otaiko so that I can tie it more easily and get the pattern at the right spot all the time. That's the part that usually kills.
On a random side note, I just realised I burned my forearm when baking cookies a few days ago. Apparently, I accidentally touched the hot cookie tray when I was turning it in the oven, so my left forearm now has a very ugly dark red blemish on it. *sighs* my b00tiful skin.....
I also got this furisode with it. The odd thing is that, it's more like a komon (casual kimono with regular patterns all over) with ankle-length sleeves than a formal furisode!! I've absolutely no idea how formal it is, as I've only ever seen one like it before, and that's only in a book. The book says it's a 'party kimono' but I'm not entirely sure how formal a party it's meant to be.... I know it'll never be as formal as a normal furisode, since it's polyester and the pattern (of lilies - how pretty!!) is more komon/yukata-ish than the usual flowing designs we see on silk furisode for sale.
Thing is, what the heck do I wear with it? Not maru obi, that's for sure; fukuro obi is most likely, but what about nagoya obi? Nagoya obi sounds too casual, but this furisode is also very casual-looking. *scowls* Funnily enough, the book gives advice on how to accesorize this kimono with everything EXCEPT the obi.
I just read the book again, and the only advice it has is for:
1) Shawl - lace, tulle and beadwork is suitable for party-time, and looks gorgeous
2) Hairpiece - you can use many types to look fun. They put emphasis on corsages. For short hair, they say you can add a corsage to your hair for volume.
3) Footwear - for slightly more formal parties, wear gold and enamel zori. For casual parties, wear geta and pokkuri with pretty sides.
4) Hanao (the strap on footwear) - haven't read this yet :P
5) Bag - haven't read this either.
6) Han eri (the juban collar that shows) - read this, but can't understand some parts of it
*sighs* Sadly, not once do they mention the type of obi or musubi that is suitable for it. Until I find out, I'll stick to something like the bunko musubi with a fukuro obi.
I can't wait to get a biyo sugata! Then I can tie everything so much more easily, not to mention open the doors to other hard-to-tie musubi like fukura suzume (plump sparrow) and tateya (diagonal arrow). I'm even thinking of getting a biyo sugata for just plain otaiko so that I can tie it more easily and get the pattern at the right spot all the time. That's the part that usually kills.
On a random side note, I just realised I burned my forearm when baking cookies a few days ago. Apparently, I accidentally touched the hot cookie tray when I was turning it in the oven, so my left forearm now has a very ugly dark red blemish on it. *sighs* my b00tiful skin.....
Fun & Games: Kimono Simulator!!
OMG I've been having sooooo much fun with this kimono simulator!!
I discovered it while browsing through a Japanese kimono blog (will post up link later... once I find it again =___=""). It's absolutely fantastic! You get to change absolutely everything! Hairstyle, hair colour, kimono, obi, obiage, obijime, the geta hanao colour, the geta base colour, the tabi... You even get a choice of haori and coat!
This picture is one of the few outfits I coordinated on it. Not exactly perfect, but I quite like it. The kimono is black, with a pattern of red and turquoise.... *squints* Well, something, but they look like musical notes or dots to me. :P I coordinated it with a white-based obi with the pattern of kingyo (goldfish) and flowers (or leaves. I can't see!) on it.
I decided to match the haneri and the obiage rather than the obiage and obijime, because I like the look of a turquoise obiage, but a red obijime gives the look more 'oomph', if you will. The tabi was turquoise with a flower pattern on it, although it is rather unnoticeable. Once again, I decided to add a splash of red with the geta's hanao.
I think the coordination makes for a cool summer outfit. Next, I'll try it with more emphasis on the red for a warmer, more wintry outfit!
Toodles, I think I'm gonna go play with it more hehehehehe....
Good Friday
Solemn Good Friday today. Went to church at 3pm, got back at about 4.40pm. Around 4.50pm it started raining. Not just irritating-drizzle rain, but thunder-and-lightning kind of rain! Of course the heavy rains only lasted for like 5 mins, but the lightning and thunder is still going on!
..... My God, three and a half years in England, and I've turned absolutely obsessive over the weather. Sister, is this common?
On a random note, I finally thought to search on eBay for the electronic takoyaki pan my sister and I saw once in an email someone sent us. I found a few of them!! My sis is alright with getting it, and I really really want one (yeah, I'm a takoyaki/okonomiyaki/taiyaki nutter) so I'm getting one sent to KL! I'm thinking of getting the taiyaki pan as well, but I'm not sure where to send it to. We'll see hehehehe....
..... My God, three and a half years in England, and I've turned absolutely obsessive over the weather. Sister, is this common?
On a random note, I finally thought to search on eBay for the electronic takoyaki pan my sister and I saw once in an email someone sent us. I found a few of them!! My sis is alright with getting it, and I really really want one (yeah, I'm a takoyaki/okonomiyaki/taiyaki nutter) so I'm getting one sent to KL! I'm thinking of getting the taiyaki pan as well, but I'm not sure where to send it to. We'll see hehehehe....
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
Cookies
I made peanut butter cookies this afternoon. Not for any reason, just that I was craving for some. Remind me never to bake when I'm craving something again. I ended up making a double portion, which means I ended up with about 102 cookies! Bleh.. The worst thing is that after baking them, I no longer felt like eating them anymore. LoL.
I did force a plateful onto James though (poor housemate) and I left about 75 cookies sitting on the dining table for anyone to eat. I seriously hope they'll eat them x_x Else, I'll have to bring them to school and try to make my friends eat them (hahahahahahha, I can't imagine some of the girls accepting my sinfully sweet and pimple-inducing cookies).
*hums worriedly* Maybe I should've baked them on Friday instead... You know, cos Patrick's coming to London on Saturday, and I'm sure he'll eat the cookies. Only thing is, I don't know how long they'll keep. I usually give them 3 or 4 days, but I'm using a different recipe from my usual, and it's ended up being chewier in the center than I'm used to... But damn, this recipe is great with milk :P
Okay, okay, I'll stop rambling here. Toodles!
I did force a plateful onto James though (poor housemate) and I left about 75 cookies sitting on the dining table for anyone to eat. I seriously hope they'll eat them x_x Else, I'll have to bring them to school and try to make my friends eat them (hahahahahahha, I can't imagine some of the girls accepting my sinfully sweet and pimple-inducing cookies).
*hums worriedly* Maybe I should've baked them on Friday instead... You know, cos Patrick's coming to London on Saturday, and I'm sure he'll eat the cookies. Only thing is, I don't know how long they'll keep. I usually give them 3 or 4 days, but I'm using a different recipe from my usual, and it's ended up being chewier in the center than I'm used to... But damn, this recipe is great with milk :P
Okay, okay, I'll stop rambling here. Toodles!
Sunday, 16 March 2008
..."
I notice how I tend to find the oddest words cute. Like pig. And pink. And purple. And crumb. And eat. And mushroom. Especially mushroom. Come to think of it, the word 'mush' is cute too.
I think you can tell I'm bored.
EDIT> I've been looking at various kimono tansu lately, and I decided I really really really REALLY want one in place of the sofa in my room. Then I thought about it more, and decided that the inbuilt cupboard in my room, and all the spare/empty drawers hidden in my room would be good enough. So Ling, if I ever mention tansu at home, hit me over the head. Hard.
Ooooh and I decided that I'm gonna wear kimono as often as I can when I'm back in Malaysia. Around the house, out shopping, out to dinners. Since I now suddenly have an abundance of furisode, I decided that if we go to eat at a Japanese restaurant in a hotel or any fancy places, I'm gonna wear one. Just remind me not to order anything that stains :P Meaning absolutely no noodle dishes (YAY I'm sick to death of noodles now). That's a cute word too. Noodles. Nyehehehehe....
I think you can tell I'm bored.
EDIT> I've been looking at various kimono tansu lately, and I decided I really really really REALLY want one in place of the sofa in my room. Then I thought about it more, and decided that the inbuilt cupboard in my room, and all the spare/empty drawers hidden in my room would be good enough. So Ling, if I ever mention tansu at home, hit me over the head. Hard.
Ooooh and I decided that I'm gonna wear kimono as often as I can when I'm back in Malaysia. Around the house, out shopping, out to dinners. Since I now suddenly have an abundance of furisode, I decided that if we go to eat at a Japanese restaurant in a hotel or any fancy places, I'm gonna wear one. Just remind me not to order anything that stains :P Meaning absolutely no noodle dishes (YAY I'm sick to death of noodles now). That's a cute word too. Noodles. Nyehehehehe....
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Closet Feature: It arrived!!
Hey guys! Remember this yukata set I posted a while back?
I finally received it today and it's really gorgeous!! Not to mention that apart from what's in the pics, they threw in 3 other free stuff too! Okay, sure, it's a fan, a koshihimo and a pair of socks, but hey! At least we got free stuff! :P The socks were completely unexpected - quite a pretty pair too! It's black, with silver spots and gray sparrows. Oh, and peonies too. Cute xD
The geta are slightly big, but I think they'll be alright. *mwee*
I finally received it today and it's really gorgeous!! Not to mention that apart from what's in the pics, they threw in 3 other free stuff too! Okay, sure, it's a fan, a koshihimo and a pair of socks, but hey! At least we got free stuff! :P The socks were completely unexpected - quite a pretty pair too! It's black, with silver spots and gray sparrows. Oh, and peonies too. Cute xD
The geta are slightly big, but I think they'll be alright. *mwee*
Friday, 14 March 2008
Event Aftermath: Bon Odori 2004
I just finished this piece of coursework due tomorrow. Once I sent it off, I took a shower. So here I was, bored and waiting for my hair to dry fully so I can go sleep. I decided to take a look at my old pics of yukata and stuff, and thought 'Hey, I ought to post some of these old pics'.
So here they are! :P Or at least, here are two pictures of me and friends in yukata at Bon Odori when we were in Form 5 (that was 2004). Please excuse the kitsuke mistakes, I was really a noob at it at the time!
That last picture was taken near the end, when we were all tired and konked out. It was seriously so fun though~~ At that time, not very many people wore yukata, so those of us that did were asked by many people for photographs. I remember being annoyed because I couldn't take a scoop of ice cream without someone coming up to me to ask for pics! :P Then there was also this case of a weird guy stalking us and taking photos of us... Hahaha
I do remember that our picture (yes, me and about 4 or 5 other friends) was published in the newspapers two weeks later! I hadn't even realised someone took a candid shot of us :P Ahhh, the memories!
Liss, Lin> I sincerely hope you don't mind posting your photos up here! If you want, I can censor the faces for you.
Chrissy> THERE, I didn't censor my face. Happy? :P:P:P
EDIT> That first picture used to show Azrul and me, but as someone made a complaint about it, I cut him off from the picture. To whoever you are, I'm very sorry to have offended you, but I didn't really think anyone who knew both of us to ever stumble across this blog, with the exception of the few whom I've given this link to.
So here they are! :P Or at least, here are two pictures of me and friends in yukata at Bon Odori when we were in Form 5 (that was 2004). Please excuse the kitsuke mistakes, I was really a noob at it at the time!
Me:
Me, Liss (best friend) and Lin (Liss' cousin):
Me, Liss (best friend) and Lin (Liss' cousin):
That last picture was taken near the end, when we were all tired and konked out. It was seriously so fun though~~ At that time, not very many people wore yukata, so those of us that did were asked by many people for photographs. I remember being annoyed because I couldn't take a scoop of ice cream without someone coming up to me to ask for pics! :P Then there was also this case of a weird guy stalking us and taking photos of us... Hahaha
I do remember that our picture (yes, me and about 4 or 5 other friends) was published in the newspapers two weeks later! I hadn't even realised someone took a candid shot of us :P Ahhh, the memories!
Liss, Lin> I sincerely hope you don't mind posting your photos up here! If you want, I can censor the faces for you.
Chrissy> THERE, I didn't censor my face. Happy? :P:P:P
EDIT> That first picture used to show Azrul and me, but as someone made a complaint about it, I cut him off from the picture. To whoever you are, I'm very sorry to have offended you, but I didn't really think anyone who knew both of us to ever stumble across this blog, with the exception of the few whom I've given this link to.
LOL
You know that old question about how you view the world with half a glass of water? I just read one that I find hilarious (at the moment anyway)! :P
You're thirsty and see a glass of water on the table.
(a) The glass is half full.
(b) The glass is half empty.
(c) The water must be poisoned.
*rofl*
And I don't even know why I find that absolutely hilarious.
You're thirsty and see a glass of water on the table.
(a) The glass is half full.
(b) The glass is half empty.
(c) The water must be poisoned.
*rofl*
And I don't even know why I find that absolutely hilarious.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Yum
Waitrose's Battered Haddock Fish Sticks may just be the best fried fish ever. It's so addictive and so easy to cook (yeah, just pop them in the oven :P) too! *sighs*
On a side note, I've (finally) learnt how to poach eggs with a microwave after craving for them for weeks. O_O High cholesterol, here I come.
On a side note, I've (finally) learnt how to poach eggs with a microwave after craving for them for weeks. O_O High cholesterol, here I come.
Monday, 10 March 2008
Outfit Snap: Kimono!
I wore kimono again today! ^_^ This time, it was the kimono from this set:
And the following obi:
I didn't wear the hanhaba cos I'll admit, I've gotten really attached to otaiko musubi (the box-type bow at the back). This obi was a last minute decision, and just plucked off the pile I just received on Friday. I'm so glad it ended up matching quite well anyway! ^_^ I thought the yellow on the butterfly matched the yellow circle-thingies and the maple leaves in my kimono while the purple matched the ume (plum blossoms) and sakura (or are they carnations?). The pink was just to add colour :P
I paired them with a yellow shibori obiage to bring out the yellow in the kimono pattern and an obiage that was maroon (to match the kimono) with pink dots (to match the obi).
The end result was this:
Picture with flash, to see colours better (sorry about the bright spot!):
Close up of the chest area:
I'm still looking for a way to incorporate yellow and green into the obi, obiage and obijime. I may have an obi that's perfect for that look, but I'm still waiting for my green obiage and obijime set to arrive before I can try it out.
And the following obi:
I didn't wear the hanhaba cos I'll admit, I've gotten really attached to otaiko musubi (the box-type bow at the back). This obi was a last minute decision, and just plucked off the pile I just received on Friday. I'm so glad it ended up matching quite well anyway! ^_^ I thought the yellow on the butterfly matched the yellow circle-thingies and the maple leaves in my kimono while the purple matched the ume (plum blossoms) and sakura (or are they carnations?). The pink was just to add colour :P
I paired them with a yellow shibori obiage to bring out the yellow in the kimono pattern and an obiage that was maroon (to match the kimono) with pink dots (to match the obi).
The end result was this:
Picture with flash, to see colours better (sorry about the bright spot!):
Close up of the chest area:
So sorry for the bad pictures, but I couldn't take anymore before my camera finally ran out of battery!! Also, sorry for the boring poses - I was hurrying while taking them so I didn't actually think of posing!
I'm still looking for a way to incorporate yellow and green into the obi, obiage and obijime. I may have an obi that's perfect for that look, but I'm still waiting for my green obiage and obijime set to arrive before I can try it out.
So, what do you think of this outfit? Does it match?
Sunday, 9 March 2008
New layout!
Hi all!!
As you can tell, I've changed the layout of the blog ^_^ Like it? It wasn't my first choice, actually, but for the one I wanted, I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to be solid rather than see-through!! So yeah, I got this instead. But it IS pretty, isn't it? ^_^
Anywayz, just thought I'd post a new yukata set I bought from Yahoo Japan Auctions!
The yukata is in various shades of purple and the flower featured is the peony. It is made of cotton. The obi is a heko obi and 38cm wide. I absolutely love the contrast between the black and the purple!! I really love black and purple together on kimono. I also adore the spider web pattern!! *hearts*
That's all for now, folks! ^_^
Ling> I bought a bottle of truffle olive oil from Borough Market when Patrick was last here. When you guys come to London, you absolutely HAVE to try it!!!
As you can tell, I've changed the layout of the blog ^_^ Like it? It wasn't my first choice, actually, but for the one I wanted, I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to be solid rather than see-through!! So yeah, I got this instead. But it IS pretty, isn't it? ^_^
Anywayz, just thought I'd post a new yukata set I bought from Yahoo Japan Auctions!
The yukata is in various shades of purple and the flower featured is the peony. It is made of cotton. The obi is a heko obi and 38cm wide. I absolutely love the contrast between the black and the purple!! I really love black and purple together on kimono. I also adore the spider web pattern!! *hearts*
That's all for now, folks! ^_^
Ling> I bought a bottle of truffle olive oil from Borough Market when Patrick was last here. When you guys come to London, you absolutely HAVE to try it!!!
Saturday, 8 March 2008
Closet Feature: New orange furisode!
Today, I decided to go to the post office to collect my parcels. I went along, thinking I had only 3 parcels to collect. Then the guy at the counter, Tony, said "You do know you have 8 parcels, right?" and I went "WHAT??" O_O
So I got all 8 parcels and brought them home, and opened them to reveal many of my new kimono items!!! *hearts*
Amongst them was this kimono:
Isn't it pretty??? I tell you, the photos actually do no justice to the kimono~~ In real life, it's absolutely gorgeous! The orange parts are actually shibori (tie-dyed) and you can feel the bumps on the cloth. This furisode was worth every bit of the US$30.30 I spent on it, especially since it came with a matching juban as well!
For the kimono stats, the furisode, which is of course silk, is long enough for me at 64 inches in length, so it'll make a good ohashori! Also, the sleeves are longer than any of my other furisode at 43 inches. When I put it on, the sleeves really do trail down to my ankles rather than mid-calf as my other furisode sleeves do. I'm so excited at the prospect of wearing this!!
The only problem is that I don't actually have any obi to go with this. I do have a pair of zori that will match perfectly, though, as the zori is gold and orange. I'll be searching for a nice obi to go with this!! ^_^
Bye people!
So I got all 8 parcels and brought them home, and opened them to reveal many of my new kimono items!!! *hearts*
Amongst them was this kimono:
Isn't it pretty??? I tell you, the photos actually do no justice to the kimono~~ In real life, it's absolutely gorgeous! The orange parts are actually shibori (tie-dyed) and you can feel the bumps on the cloth. This furisode was worth every bit of the US$30.30 I spent on it, especially since it came with a matching juban as well!
For the kimono stats, the furisode, which is of course silk, is long enough for me at 64 inches in length, so it'll make a good ohashori! Also, the sleeves are longer than any of my other furisode at 43 inches. When I put it on, the sleeves really do trail down to my ankles rather than mid-calf as my other furisode sleeves do. I'm so excited at the prospect of wearing this!!
The only problem is that I don't actually have any obi to go with this. I do have a pair of zori that will match perfectly, though, as the zori is gold and orange. I'll be searching for a nice obi to go with this!! ^_^
Bye people!
Thursday, 6 March 2008
Dress dilemma....
Good God, I'm turning into such a clothes freak! And the problem is that, with online shopping, I can buy almost anything I want, even without my parents knowing! (of course, once I reach home and bring these all out is another story altogether...)
Now, I just recently won this off Yahoo Japan Auctions yesterday (yes, I checked, and the sizing is good):
Patrick argues it's not really my style and it really doesn't look 'me' (and frankly, I agree) but I want to wear something like it once and see if I look alright. Even if I AM fat and may be unable to pull it off. Besides, I can always sell it off on eBay if I dislike how I look in it hehehe.. 
Now, I just recently won this off Yahoo Japan Auctions yesterday (yes, I checked, and the sizing is good):
Patrick argues it's not really my style and it really doesn't look 'me' (and frankly, I agree) but I want to wear something like it once and see if I look alright. Even if I AM fat and may be unable to pull it off. Besides, I can always sell it off on eBay if I dislike how I look in it hehehe.. Now, I've been searching through eBay for more GothicLoli stuff (simply cos it's easier to use the search functions) and I found these two dresses that I like.
First off is this one, which costs £50 for both the dress AND the shipping:
I really really like the bit where ribbons form an X over the collarbones. However, I see major problems with this dress. A: My arms are huge. Can you just imagine how they'll look in that type of armholes?? Not that I usually care. I wear that sort anyway! hahaha.. B: That style really really emphasizes on the boobs. Seriously. My chest will look like torpedoes in that dress! (or so I feel). C: I'm not sure that colour suits me well. I mean, sure, yeah, we can order it in different colours. But I like this one! However, if I don't get this colour, I'll probably get it in white or cream, simply because it's such a 'me' colour. Ling, what do you think?
Secondly, we have this one, which is similar to the first dress, but with more details. It costs EU83, including shipping. Which one do you think will be more flattering for me?
Lastly, we have this dress, which also costs £50 including shipping:
Simple and sweet. Only thing is I really hate the idea of me wearing a short jacket, so the probability of me buying/wearing this is really low. Just thought I'd post a picture, though :P
Sooooooo... To buy or not to buy? For the first picture, the pink dress, I'm planning to buy chunky lolita shoes to match. Will probably venture to Camden Town to get them, but if I can't find suitable white shoes (or a matching shade of pink), I've found a pair online that would look good with it.
Someone's got alot to confess before Easter~~ (=^_^=)"Closet Feature: Obidome converter!
I just bought this from Yahoo Japan Auctions two days ago:
It's this nifty little thing that converts brooches to obidome! Obidome are the little decorative bits that you sometimes see on obijime instead of the usual knot.
I'm sooooo gonna buy a load of brooches (or at least borrow a lot of them from my mum!) so I can use it *hehehehehe*...
It's this nifty little thing that converts brooches to obidome! Obidome are the little decorative bits that you sometimes see on obijime instead of the usual knot.I'm sooooo gonna buy a load of brooches (or at least borrow a lot of them from my mum!) so I can use it *hehehehehe*...
Monday, 3 March 2008
Closet Feature: (=^_^=) 2 lots of 5 yukata
I bought the 5pc yukata set in the end!
I also bid for this one: x_x
I still don't know if I should bid for the other set. Should I? Should I? Should I?
On the other hand, I decided not to bid on a nice, modern kimono set, where the obi has a pattern of gambling cards. It would've cost JPY8000 if no one contested me for them, but I thought yukata would be better since I'll only be in cold weather for another year and 1/4 or so. besides, yukata are so much easier to wear and take care of XP
I also bid for this one: x_x
I still don't know if I should bid for the other set. Should I? Should I? Should I?On the other hand, I decided not to bid on a nice, modern kimono set, where the obi has a pattern of gambling cards. It would've cost JPY8000 if no one contested me for them, but I thought yukata would be better since I'll only be in cold weather for another year and 1/4 or so. besides, yukata are so much easier to wear and take care of XP
I can't wait to receive it! Along with the other yukata and furisode I got from YJA. I also got an obidome converter (it turns brooches into obidome. Useful thing to have, especially if I'm looking to recreate Kimono Hime or Mamechiyo looks!) ^____^
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Which one to get..?
Hello~~
Yeah, I've been shopping on Yahoo Japan Auctions lately, and I've come across these two sets and I can't decide which I'd rather get.
First is a full yukata set, which I really want because of its unusual patterns and very nice colour. It costs ￥4900. It sounds abit expensive, but really, the whole set is only US$49! Plus, it has the same look as the ones from Kamoya that I like, only it's waaaaaay cheaper, and comes with geta too!
Next up is a set of 5 yukata, which costs ￥4980 for ALL FIVE OF THEM! The seller has other sets of 5 as well, but I like this one since it has 4 colours I don't (i.e. sky blue, green, yellow and bright red). In fact, I'm not sure I have one that has that much black in it either.... Anyway, it's a pack of 5 yukata. Worth it, doesn't it sound??
I'm very tempted to just order both. Should I?
Yeah, I've been shopping on Yahoo Japan Auctions lately, and I've come across these two sets and I can't decide which I'd rather get.
First is a full yukata set, which I really want because of its unusual patterns and very nice colour. It costs ￥4900. It sounds abit expensive, but really, the whole set is only US$49! Plus, it has the same look as the ones from Kamoya that I like, only it's waaaaaay cheaper, and comes with geta too!
Next up is a set of 5 yukata, which costs ￥4980 for ALL FIVE OF THEM! The seller has other sets of 5 as well, but I like this one since it has 4 colours I don't (i.e. sky blue, green, yellow and bright red). In fact, I'm not sure I have one that has that much black in it either.... Anyway, it's a pack of 5 yukata. Worth it, doesn't it sound??
I'm very tempted to just order both. Should I?
Something I want!
While this is not something I've bought (even if I do dearly wish to own it), I just absolutely HAVE to post pictures of this hakama set that was posted on Mamechiyo's blog!!
Don't you just adore that combination of brown and pink? With hints of orange to harmonize the whole set.. And that cute bow for your hair!! The tulips on the han-eri (the patterned juban collar.. han eri is the name of the patterned cloth you sew onto your juban's collar so that it's colourful rather than plain white) completes the look.
I really like how they added that decoration thingy (there's a name for this, but I just can't put my finger on it at the moment) to the obi at the top of the hakama. I don't think I ever would have thought of that! It might make it look really busy at that area, but the retro look IS meant to be busy, after all.
*sighs dreamily* Someday, I WILL recreate this look! *gets fired up in determination and runs off screaming about the 'springtime of youth'* :P If you didn't get my reference, go watch Naruto the anime.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Yukata set!
Hi again!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but it's been a busy week. First, Mel and I went to Concord for Reunion weekend. The trip back was horrid, although not the worst I'd ever heard about.
Then I had coursework to finish - just handed it in today. I really really dislike this module - heck the lecturer himself said that we were trying to compress a 2 year module into one term (i.e. 10 weeks)! Crazy. If that weren't enough, our textbook is actually a textbook for MBA students. Go figure.
Anyway, sometime in the course of the past two weeks, I bought this yukata set:
Detail of yukata:
Not very sweet, but bursting with blueberries! Yumminess. I think I'll go have another one, with a glass of milk. Bye people!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but it's been a busy week. First, Mel and I went to Concord for Reunion weekend. The trip back was horrid, although not the worst I'd ever heard about.
Then I had coursework to finish - just handed it in today. I really really dislike this module - heck the lecturer himself said that we were trying to compress a 2 year module into one term (i.e. 10 weeks)! Crazy. If that weren't enough, our textbook is actually a textbook for MBA students. Go figure.
Anyway, sometime in the course of the past two weeks, I bought this yukata set:
Detail of yukata:
Pretty isn't it??? Plus, I get a free uchiwa fan to go with it!! I haven't got a picture with me at the moment, but when I get it, I'll take pics to show!
I got it all for US$60 - about US$15 more expensive than my previous UNIQLO sets, but this one comes with geta (the slippers)! And a free uchiwa... AND a nicer bag! *squees* I can't waaaaait ^______^ Ooooh, I wish summer would hurry up and arrive just so I can wear it out! *giggles evilly*
Just to point out - you see the obi? How it's all tied up already and with that weird white hook? That's a tsuke obi. Very easy to use. Just wrap the long piece around your torso, and tie it in place (with attached strings that will be hidden), then hook the metal bit into the back of the strip and secure the bow in place by tying it with strings attached. A little difficult to explain, so I'll post a demonstration of how to use it when I get it and can take pictures.
I'm still contemplating buying the yukata sets from Kamoya. If I do, I'll have it sent to Malaysia - after all, that's where I'm gonna wear them. Plus, my sis likes them too, so there will be more people wearing yukata! *yay to spreading the love of kitsuke around!*
I've been having this really really odd craving for blueberry muffins lately, so I baked some just now. I just happened to have a box of Bisquick in my cupboard and a bag of blueberries sitting in the fridge, so I whipped these up:
I've been having this really really odd craving for blueberry muffins lately, so I baked some just now. I just happened to have a box of Bisquick in my cupboard and a bag of blueberries sitting in the fridge, so I whipped these up:
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