My Journey in Arizona

Store Closing Sale!

2010-06-04T00:50:00.007-07:00

In preparation for the birth of my baby girl and the move back to Singapore, I have decided to close my shop for the time being. Everything in the store is reduced to $2. Visit www.paperpixiecreations.etsy.com for some great shopping. Thank you for looking and your support. Have fun shopping!

Bath and Art!

2010-06-01T01:34:00.011-07:00

Can you believe this is a body polish? It looks so yummy!!! How about some Apple Cinnamon Crisp Sugar and Oatmeal Body Polish by battysbath that smells so good to make your body soft and silky? You would be able to get these goodies from Battysbath's store. This sweet smelling dessert bath polish is made with two naturally exfoliating ingredients - Sugar and Oatmeal. I love how Battysbath uses natural ingredients and is earth friendly. There is really some yummy goodness in there. Yum. I shall go find something to eat after this.

As you can see, I am a lover of fine food, especially dessert. This art print really caught my eyes. What's better than a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy with a plate of dessert. This art prints spells modern and relaxation for me. I can totally imagine this art print in my little corner in my future house where I enjoy a drink and dessert to relax. This art print is available from Licorice Prints.

Week 35 Photo

2010-05-25T20:58:00.002-07:00

5 More Weeks to Go!

2010-05-19T02:16:00.004-07:00

Really, where did the time go? I have about five more weeks before meeting my baby girl. Gosh, time pass so fast. I am currently at 34 weeks. Look at how much my belly have grown! I love taking photos every week to see how the growth process. Although, my belly is growing, it is still considered small. It might be due to genetics, we shall see. I really hope my baby is growing well. I have an growth scan next week to check on baby's growth, and really hope she is right on track. I just went for my doctor's appointment today. I will have another appointment in another two weeks, and after that will be every week, as the day is coming. Wow. Before I know it, I would have Baby Sheris in my arms. :)

My Favorite Jewelry!!!

2010-05-14T01:28:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love butterflies. When I saw brianarose's shop, I could not help falling in love with it. This pink butterfly necklace is my favorite. It is so dainty and pretty! Butterflies are something that I can't resist, and I want to get this jewelry for myself! Sadly to say, I don't think I can wear much Jewelry now, with my baby girl on the way. Besides necklace, Brianarose also have butterfly hair clips, which are just as beautiful. When my baby girl is older, I can get some for her and for me. Hehe. Wouldn't that be cute?

At Last. I Get to Rest for a While.

2010-05-11T16:38:00.004-07:00

This photo was taken at 29 Weeks. My belly is growing. I am currently at 33 weeks. Where did the time go? Yeah. I finally finished this term. This was the most difficult term I had. The classes that I had chosen to take was so difficult. I really wish I would pass the two classes. If I am not able to pass, I might not be able to finish my degree before I go back to Singapore. :( Well, good or bad results, I am so glad that it is over for now. This means I can start preparing for my little girl to come. Now, it's time to pack the hospital bag and wash baby girl's clothes. There are so many clothes to wash. Haha. I think we bought a little too much though. They are too cute to resist.

Arts and Pets!

2010-04-28T22:36:00.004-07:00

I love love this art print by SimplyCutebyKarin. I can see this print in my baby's nursery room (that is if I have a nursery room). Sadly, my house won't be ready in another one or two years. I love the colors. It is so clean and bright. It will make any room seems cheery. If you look at her shop, you will find lots of prints with dogs and cats in it, and the shop says so much about her. It is just so homely, especially Cute Girl and Yellow Dog Art Print. I love how the print says so much about the artist. It just makes it so much more fun. The artist has two Labrador retrievers and one sassy cat. That explains the cats and dogs in the prints. Her labrador eats soap, how weird and cute. Haha. My Maltese loves to eat my Lipbalm, so I always have to make sure I don't keep it lying around, or I will need to get a new one the next day.

This Dog Jacket from ShopKCQ is so sweet! I love the colors and the Jacket looks so comfortable. I am sure my dog, Twinkle, would look so pretty and sweet in this jacket. This cute wool jacket is made entirely from vintage kimono fabrics imported from Japan. This is what I found out about the dog in the picture. "Udon is an adopted scruffy, mischievous Toy Poodle who loves to wreak havoc and then cuddle afterward". Her name is Udon, how cute! She modeled so perfectly.

Great News!

2010-04-12T02:26:00.004-07:00

Yeah. I passed my 3 hour glucose test!!! It's really a huge sense of relief. Another thing that I found out was that I am not anemic anymore. Yeah! Now I don't need to take any iron supplement. I was anemic during earlier on in my pregnancy, and had to take iron supplement. I only took a some of it, and I wanted to make sure that if I was still anemic, I would want to make sure that I am taking those iron supplements. Well, the good news is I am normal! Yeah. Lol. My baby is growing well and I still love feeling her move. I am amazed that I am already at 29 weeks. Oh, in the photo, I was at 26 weeks (sorry, I am 3 weeks behind in uploading photos). So fast! In another 11 weeks, I will be meeting my baby girl. Oh, speaking of that, I just made an appointment this coming saturday for my 4d ultrasound. I can't wait to see her!!! I want to see her moving, and see how her features is like. If she looks like mummy or daddy. Haha.

No calls Yet.

2010-04-08T17:27:00.002-07:00

An update for my glucose test. I had not received any calls yet, so I guess I can say that I am 80% safe. My doctor's appointment is tomorrow, and I will know for sure by then. Praying that I will get good news.

3 Hour Glucose Test

2010-04-05T18:21:00.003-07:00

I just took my 3 hour glucose test this morning. I was so afraid that this was going to happen. I failed my one hour test last week, and I am really hoping that I will pass this time, because it would mean that I have gestational diabetes if I fail. :( That would make me so miserable. I don't want to poke myself with needles. I hate needles. I can't even look when the nurse draw blood from me. I just look away, I am really scared of needles and blood. I got poke four times today, as they had to draw blood before I drink the glucose drink and three times every hour after that. The process was not as bad as I imagine it to be, and the lady today was very nice. Let's hope that I don't receive any phone calls this week from them, and I will be safe.

Regretted taking Spanish class.

2010-04-02T02:05:00.002-07:00

I did not know that the spanish class that I took this term is so difficult. I totally regretted taking it. My grades are so poor now and I got to spend so much time on it. Learning Spanish in 8 weeks online just seems so impossible. I have to know the grammar, write in respond to the question, understand what what the person is saying and reply back orally. I am going crazy studying this. I really just hope I can pass. I am not even halfway through yet, and I feel like I am not going to make it. This is so bad.

27 Weeks Today!

2010-03-25T14:33:00.010-07:00

I know I have been missing for a really long time. In october, I discovered that I was pregnant, and my husband and I are really excited to meet our baby girl. The first trimester of my pregnancy was terrible, as I had morning sickness. That is the worst feeling ever. The worst is I still have to go for my classes, and have to get through the class without vomiting or anything like that. It was really hard to control, but I am glad to say vomiting did not happen in class. I was constantly tired, sometimes I feel like I don't even have any energy to talk. That semester, I missed quite a number of classes, and I am really glad I took most of my classes in person instead of online, as the work load of in person classes is not as heavy. The photo above is taken when I was at 21 weeks. You could not really see much of a belly at that time, and people would not believe that I am pregnant at that point. My baby girl knows how to hide very well.

This photo was taken when I was 24 weeks. It is amazing to look back at the photos and see how my my belly had grown. Time had passed so fast that I can't believe it that in another 3 months or less I will be holding my baby girl in my arms. I am so not prepared. I wish time would pass by slower, and I really don't know how I am going to study at the same time too. I guess I will make it through somehow one way or another.

Accessories!

2009-10-08T01:02:00.004-07:00

I finally had time to blog after my last paper today! This week's focus will be on Accessories, based on your choice.

This lovely coin purse caught by eyes. I love the sweet fabric on the purse and it looks just too cute to resist. I love all things tiny, and this is just right for me. This coin purse would really prevent my wallet from bursting. By putting all your coins in this coin purse, it will be easier to get your coins out for your payment, so that you will not collect one big bag of coins. This is so pretty to carry around that I would want to use it all the time. You can get this purse from LittlePrettIings. I was also pleasantly surprise that LittlePrettlings is from Singapore too, as I am a Singaporean too! I miss home, and I am glad my sister is here to visit to bring me a piece of home for a while. My sister is here to visit me with her boyfriend. Now that I had finished my exam, we will be going for tour this weekend, just in time for Columbus Day! Yeah. Time to spend money again. Next week she will fly back from Vegas. Looking forward to it. A few more days.

Jewelry, Art, and Paper Goods!

2009-09-29T15:22:00.008-07:00

How elegant is this bangle bracelet? This is a bangle bracelet that I would wear to attend a wedding dinner, or any other formal events. This bracelet will compliment your outfit. It is sweet and dainty. It is also perfect as a gift for that sweet friend of yours. It is also available in 18k gold vermeil pricing upon request. This elegant bangle bracelet is from WhiteFly. They carry a wide variety of jewelry: rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklace. Previous to opening a shop at Etsy, WhiteFly had work as a Senior Jewelry Designer for several years.

Wow. I am loving this bird art from mamapainter. Look at the texture of the tree trunk. It feels like the texture of a real tree trunk. It is very artistic and modern. I definitely can see it in my future house. The sculpted tree is covered in silver leaf and aged to perfection. The birds are made from assorted, altered, craft papers and ephemera. Authentic, German glass glitter embellishes the hat. As you can see here. There are a lot of detail in this piece of art, which makes it really interesting to look at.

Green is the new in! I love environmentally friendly stuffs. I especially love the fact that greeting cards can have a life of it's own. Flowery Greetings carry a line of plantable cards. A card is not just a card anymore, you can now plant it, and watch it bloom into a flower. Planting instructions are included on the back of the card. How cool is that? It will also be a tiny step towards making the earth a better place for you and me. I also happen to know that Flowery Greetings' Birthday is this sat, two days after mine. :) Happy Birthday Flowery Greetings! Have a wonderful celebration!

Florida Vacation Day 3

2009-09-25T20:58:00.004-07:00

This was the day I was waiting for! Cruise! The Beach and the Sea! I love it. It was the first day of the seven day cruise. Seven days might seem long for some, but these seven days are the highlight of my holiday. I had never been on a cruise before. It was my first time, and I was so excited. Yeah, off to the Caribbean Sea. I was delighted to be near the sea, I love the sound and the color of waves, it is so soothing and calm. Living in Arizona, its been some time since I've been near the beach, and I was so happy to go on a cruise, to the most beautiful beaches in the world.

We watch the cruise set off, and went to explore the rest of the cruise after that. We wonder around the place, getting to know the place. It was confusing at first, with so many floors and facilities. Soon we got used to it. Every night there is Show Time, a entertainment brought to us by the cruise. During the first day of the performance, I could say that I was not really impressed with the dance. I might be, after watching So You Think You Can Dance, my expectation had increased. I Love watching So You Think You Can Dance, how I wish I could dance like them.

After Show Time, it was dinner time. There were specific timing to go for dinner, and we choose the late timing. A table was already reserved for us. We had our own table, server throughout the cruise. Dinner was a three course meal, it was a long time ago since I had eaten good food. Dinner was just fabulous. Yummy, and satisfying. I am just so happy that I don't have any housework to do, food to cook or assignments to rush. I can just relax the whole day away. It feels so good.

Weekly Feature!

2009-09-23T23:44:00.002-07:00

Starting from next week, I will be doing a weekly feature of your choice. Yes! You get to decide. On the right side you will see a poll that asked you what do you like to see feature. At the end of the poll, I will based on the result, and source for my favorites in that categories and feature them, so that you will be able to enjoy them. Enjoy voting!!!

Gypsy is on my wish list!

2009-09-17T17:22:00.002-07:00

This new gypsy by provo craft is amazing. It basically lets you design on the go, which is great for me. :) I can't wait to get my hands on this newly released item. They are launching it on September 24th starting at 12am on HSN. What's exciting is that the cutting above blog have two brand new gypsy to giveaway. I sure hope I will be the lucky winner.

Florida Vacation!!!

2009-09-03T18:21:00.002-07:00

The highlight of the second day of our Florida vacation is shopping and a lobster feast dinner. The main goal of the day's shopping is to buy more shorts and skirts, so that I can wear those on the cruise. I am not going to wear jeans when I am on the beach, and it was so hot and sunny. It will be crazy to wear those. After shopping, we meet Linda and Jia Min for dinner. They actually came to florida a few days earlier than us, and we decided to meet for dinner. We went to Boston Lobster Feast for buffet. It was expensive. Around $35 per person. I am not really a seafood person, and I eat really slow, so buffet is not so suitable for me. Haha. I would say that it is not really worth it to eat there. The food is average, I find only the fried scallop is nice. Yummy. But I would not go there again. I could eat something really nice with that amount of money.

Florida Vacation!!!

2009-08-26T17:29:00.002-07:00

I had so much fun during my Florida trip, especially the cruise to the Caribbean! The first day was really tiring, as we only slept for about one hour plus. That's the least I had ever slept. My husband, Edwin, worked until about 2am in the morning, and we need to leave our house at six in the morning to catch the plane. I was thinking we do not need to sleep at all already, as I am afraid that I will not wake up if I fall asleep. Haha. At four plus in the morning, we just could not stand it anymore, and decided to went to sleep. Surprisingly on the way to the airport, with only so little sleep, I did not feel as tired as I thought I would be. I was excited to see the Caribbean island. I was really more excited to go on the cruise than Disney World.

When we arrived at Florida, visually it was so different from Arizona, as we saw from the top, on the plane. Florida is full of greenery. Huge area of land are covered with trees, it was so refreshing to see so many greenery. Arizona being a desert, is mostly brown visually. Florida kinda reminded me of Singapore, with trees along the highways, and complicated roads. The weather is also pretty similar to Singapore. It was hot and humid! But I think that Florida is more humid. Being the monsoon season, it rained almost everyday. We went to get an umbrella to prepare for the rain, we do not own an umbrella in Arizona, as it rarely rain here, even so it only last for a while, so an Umbrella is not really necessary in Arizona.

On the day we arrived at Florida, it was National Cheesecake Day, and Cheesecake Factory is having 50% off all their cheesecake. We just could not resist desserts. Cheesecake!!! Thus, we went Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and guess what? We had to wait for one hour before we could get a seat! With the special deal, I guess it really attracted a lot of people. Having come all the way here, we just waited to get a seat. I find the food at Arizona's Cheesecake Factory taste better. After dinner we were just too full, and we had our cheesecake to go (take away). Yummy!!! Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake!!! The thought of it makes me drool. Being such a long trip, and fun experience. Please wait for the next installment of my vacation. Hehe.

Dog House Gift Box!

2009-06-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

I found this wonderful Dog House Gift Box on Etsy, handmade by FayeHubele. It is such a cute gift or favor box, to put our doggie's beloved treats. I hope someone hold a doggie's birthday party soon, so that I have a reason to buy this gift box. Haha. It's just so adorable, hmm.. Or I could use them as favors box for next year Twinkle's birthday party. Hehe. Won't that be so nice. I love beautiful packaging.

Element @ Vegas

2009-06-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

Element @ Vegas is amazing, there is even a kitchen. Look at the design, it is so modern and nice. This is just the kitchen, the bathroom is very nicely designed too. Everything is very modern and chic in this hotel. There is even wii for the guest to play in the lounge area. The most important thing is that it allows pets! Which means we can bring twinkle to Vegas! :) I just can't bear to part with her. The breakfast is one of the best I had so far in the States, or maybe cos we are staying in a better hotel. They provide hot breakfast items, pancakes, sausage, scramble eggs. Delicious. There are three types of juices to choose from, cereals, muffins and smoothie. Dalphane told me there are even burgers, but we probably did not wake up early enough to see that. Haha.

On the first morning at Elements, we experience an false alarm at Element. Haha. It was an interesting and kinda stupid experience. Haha. We were awoke in the morning by a very loud irritating sound. I was wondering what is it, still in a blur state of mind, as I was still half asleep. Then my husband told me that it was the fire alarm. Then we quickly took twinkle and went out of the room. We quickly went down the hallway and went in the direction of the stairs, I was thinking why not take the lift as it was nearer, then my husband say "in case of fire, do not take the lift." So clever. :) So we went down the stairs, and there was already a lot of people waiting there. We just waited there for our friends to come down too and to see what's going on.

After about ten mins, a cue was given that everything is fine and we could go back to our room. So i asked the hotel staff is it a false alarm. Guess what was the cause of the fire alarm? A Toaster! Wahhaha. So funny and stupid at the same time. Someone had put butter to toast together with the bread, and caused smoke to come out of the toaster. We went back to our room to get much need rest, and just before the breakfast end, we went for breakfast, and guess what. The toaster is "out of order". Lol.

Featured on My Handmade Registry!

2009-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it! What a great way to start the day! My Love Card is featured on the front page of http://www.myhandmaderegistry.com Can you imagine my card is on someone's wishlist? Wow. So cool and exciting. Haha. It is still there now. Go take a look. On this website, you can register for Handmade Wishlist to send to your friends and family for special occasions and events. How cool is that! So that you will be able to "hint hint" to your friends and family what you want. Now that exam is over. I will be adding more items to my shop, so keep a look out! :)

Yeah! Freedom!

2009-05-14T01:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Freedom. My weekends are back, no more spending it to do homework. Now I can relax and go out! I just finished my english paper today. The final exam is to write a five paragraph argumentative essay, and the topic is "Flag Burning". It is such a difficult topic, although research materials are provided, it is still not easy. We do not know much about the law in America, and thus reading about their First Amendment and Constitution takes up more time, as I need more time to digest the materials. A while into the finals, still reading the materials, our instructor told us that we need to evacuate out of the building, due to a chemical spill. I thought she is kidding, never would I expect this would happen when they brief us about safety on our first day. Plus, it happened in the middle of our finals! We had to take the stairs down out of the building and do our exam on the tables located outside. It's like so informal, no proper place to do our exam. Then the table so dirty. I dun want to place my paper on the table, so I got to put it on my lap to read it. Even the ambulance came, like so serious. After about 15 mins, we are able to go back to the building to finish the exam. It was pretty exciting. Lol. Too bad we still got to do the finals. Anyway, I am so glad it is over! Yeah. Will be free till June!

Earth Day!

2009-04-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Earth Day! on 22nd April. It just so happened that I re-did my research for my english class and the topic that I decided on was global warming. Did anyone did something that is earth-loving would like to share? Hmm.. I guess for me is something really simple yet important as well. I am trying to minimize the energy wasted, I would switch off the lights when I am not using. It might sound simple, but it is a conscience choice to make. I had learnt some interesting things during my research that would help the earth. These includes: Walk or bike for transportation, as they don't generate CO2. I guess that does not really apply in singapore. Beef actually generates 11 times more greenhouse gases than chicken and 100 times more than carrots. mooo... Buy locally grown and organic foods if you can, as it save energy used for fertilizer, pesticides, transportation, and storage. Make your next car a high-milage model and drive less by carpooling or taking public transportation. Switch to Energy Star appliances.

Here are some beautiful handmade items that are made from recycled materials, you might want to check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24081092 (Twilight inspired pendent made from scrabble tiles.)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23762312 (Oh my god, a ring made from a typewriter key, so amazing.)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23683849 (For those who likes to sew, this is so lovely)

PaperPixieCreations's Shop

2009-04-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

You must be wondering what is PaperPixieCreations! That is my newly launched shop. I have been super busy these few weeks. Just started school a month ago. Into my fifth week now, time just pass so fast. I had been rushing datelines and datelines. So many assignments to do, its never ending. I think there is even more work to do compared to poly. In the midst of it all, I still find time to set up my store, as that is my passion. I am always in love with crafting. I love the handmade feel of things. So take a look at my store. There is a link on the right "Juliet's Store". Any feedback or custom orders will be welcome. :)

Valentine's Day

2009-02-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

I am not able to spend Valentine's Day this year with my Dear. He would be away in Florida for detachment. We celebrated on Valentine's Day Eve instead. We went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner after his work. Yeah, I don't need to cook, can relax. Cheesecake Factory's food is well beyond cheesecakes. They have such a wide variety, and so far everything that we had tried is fantastic. We ordered an appetizer and a main course. Crab Wantan and Black pepper shrimp with Banana and rice. Their portion is too big to order too much. We ate until very full till there is no more space for cheesecake. So we order the Cheesecake To Go, which is their term for our take away. Haha. It will be reserved for supper later.

The next day, which is on Valentine's Day. :( He would be flying to Florida for two weeks plus. We woke up very early, at five plus. not enough sleep. I am going to fetch him and his friend to base. I gave him his Valentine's gift in the morning (in the pictures) which is for him to bring to Florida. I baked heart shaped cookies dipped in chocolate and mini chocolate fudge cake for him. It took me two days and I got to quickly baked before he come back to work each time, cos its meant to be a surprise. Now whenever he is hungry at night, at least he got something ready to eat. :)

Twinkle's Health Scare!

2009-02-03T01:24:00.000-07:00

When I woke up in the morning, I found the containers that I used to contain the new year goodies that me and the gals made on the floor. There is nothing left in the containers already, except for one pineapple tart. Then a sudden realization hit me. Inside the container is chocolate chip cookies, and Twinkle ate it all! I was really scared, because chocolate is really dangerous for dogs. It can even caused death. So I am really scared. I scare I will lose twinkle. Chocolate contains a chemical that is toxic for dogs, its like caffeine to them. The toxic level depends on the amount consume, type of chocolate and the weight of the dog. I quickly look up on the net for more information. I figure out that twinkle ate around 50 mini chocolate chips, as there are about six chocolate chip in each cookies and she ate it all. I am not sure how many grams that is, as it is not my chocolate chip.

Not wanting to take any risk, I bought Twinkle to the vet. They need to make her vomit out the food, so that hopefully the toxic can come out too. After which they made her eat some charcoal stuffs which is to absorb the toxic that is already in her body. Initially they suggested to hospitalize her. The Estimate cost is around $400 USD lor. So I called dear dear to discuss first. But he did not answer the phone. Think he is busy at work. So I ask the vet if it is necessary for her to be hospitalize. She said it is best for her. Then I was thinking that Twinkle will be better at home, cos if she is hospitalized, she will be caged up, and I think it will be even worse. So they gave her a fluid shot, instead of on fluid the whole day, and I took her home. The doctor said to moniter her, if she vomit or have diarrea, give him a call or bring her to the vet.

Once she reached home, she drank a lot of water. Then she went to the toilet. Then she went to drink water again. She really drink a lot of water. She keep on going to the toilet, and there is large pool of pee. I have to keep on mopping the floor and changing the newspaper. We had to buy medication for her too. Dear dear went to the pharmacy to get it when he came back from work. The medication is for stomach upset.

Now six days has passed, and I am glad that she is as healthy as she can be, no vomit or diarrea or anything. Really give me a scare. Now must really make sure that no food is reachable for her, no matter how impossible it may seem for her. Food is a big motivation for her. Nothing she won't do for it. Haha, except when she is at unfamiliar grounds.

Twinkle's Escape

2009-01-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

Twinkle is so naughty and cute at the same time. Sometimes I just can't stand her, cos she is too cute already. I was just planning to go to the post office, was carrying quite a bit of items and was just going to get out of the house, then Twinkle escape! She run off. Then I put down my boxes and stuff and went to catch up with her. Guess where I found her? She was standing beside our car. As if saying that she wants to go out. She is so funny. So clever can recognize the car. She likes going out too much already. If I tried to bluff twinkle back into the house, its going to take me quite some time and I dun have time as the post office is going to close soon, so I had no choice but to run back quickly to my house to get my stuffs. Twinkle was still waiting for me beside the car. Really can't stand her. She is just too cute and naughty. Then I bring Twinkle to the post office too. She was so heavy then I still have to carry her and my stuffs to be sent. Still have to write custom form so more. Twinkle make me so mar fan, but at the same time I just love her to bits. Then now whenever i want to go out, she wants to rush out too already, cos one time she rush out then I bring her go out.

Christmas Eve

2009-01-10T00:25:00.001-07:00

My first Christmas Tree! Its only US$35 at Wal-mart. So cheap, in Singapore below $100 cannot get a tree one lor. Haha. Celebrating the festival here is so fun. :) So many things can buy to decorate the house. But I will miss Chinese New Year! No good food to eat! All the goodies. Pineapple tarts, love letters and so many yummy stuffs that cant be found here. I miss my grandma's curry too! Yummy. Argh, cant bear to think of it now already. Am drooling right now.

Haha. Look at Twinkle in a Santa Claus's clothing trying to look cool. She is so cute. Her head is too big, the cap cannot fit in. Think this photo is so artistic. :)

Christmas Eve

2008-12-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

On Christmas Eve, we invited some friends over to celebrate christmas. Really satisfied with the table setting. Very western style. The food that you see in the photo are the soup and appetizers. Quite a lot of things to cook, but with the help of the wives, we managed to have a very nice christmas dinner. The christmas over here is different from Singapore. Their Christmas is like our Chinese New Year like that. No where is open on Christmas day except casino and movie theatre. Even macdonald is close. There are no count down parties that i know of, not like singapore. You see people everywhere. Over here, families gather together to have dinner.

MY first Halloween Party! (2)

2008-11-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

These are the people and creatures in the Halloween party. Hehe. Lets see. We have Mickey and Minnie, Witch, Angel, Dark Fairy, Pirate, Chef and my beloved Vampire. Haha. Oh, and Princess Twinkle. She wore a princess hat on that day, but did not catch it in photo, cos she keep on taking it off. Hehe. We had a lovely dinner, with really yummy curry with bread, chicken wings, nuggets, fries, pizza, salad, ending it off with ice-cream buffet. By the time we started eating, everyone was starving already. Haha. Cos waiting for my husband to change and put on his "make up" after he reach home from work.

After dinner, we split into two groups to play games. One group played wii and the other group play pictionary. I was playing wii and i was looking at them play pictionary, it looks very fun! They were acting it out. Wish I was in the other group, lol, cos I can guess what was the answer most of the time, when my dear dear was acting. Think we would score really well if we were on the same team. Too bad we were playing different games. In the end, my dear dear's team (with teng tong) lost to Linda and Jessica and they got to do forfeit. Haha. They got to dance with each other, so funny. Teng tong is so shy, dun dare to dance. By the time the party is over, it was very late le, still got to clean up before we could go to bed. It was tiring, but really fun!

My First Halloween Party!

2008-11-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I had always wanted to attend a Halloween Party or organize one ever since I was a kid. I read storybook and watch TV about Halloween before and I always thought that its so fun. You can pretend to be someone else. You get to dress up, or get to look terrifying without anyone looking weirdly at you. Its a day to let loose and have a bit of fun. I think its the most fun for kids, as they get to treat or tricks. They will be able to get so many candies, which I think they could never finish.

I never get a chance to celebrate halloween in Singapore as there are nothing much going on, except for clubbing. Over here in US, there are so many things to do, you will see a lot of costumes for you to choose from, and they are not too expensive too. All the spooky decorations available, so I really can't resist not holding a party. I would only get a chance to do it when I am here, where supplies are readily available.

We spend the previous day decorating our house, with spider web, black light and pumkins. The whole effect is really nice. :) Am really satisfied with it. Hehe. We had a spider hiding in the toilet to scare people, which is activated by loud sound, but it was not successful. It did not managed to scare anyone due to twinkle's barking. Haha. Before they go to the toilet, they already know there is something going on in the toilet as there is sound when it is activated. Haha. Twinkle lor. So noisy.

Coach Bags

2008-11-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Bought these Coach Bags during my trip to LA. If anyone is interesting in the bags, do let me know, I will send you with more details. If anyone wants to buy any particular design, just send me a picture of it, and I will keep a lookout for you. :)

2008-10-27T15:57:00.001-07:00

The Fireworks at Disneyland is the best I have ever seen!!! The fireworks together with the music is just amazing. There are so many different themes, with the fireworks according to the music. The lights of the castle is ever-changing. It is a truly magical moment. It lasted for quite long too. I think about half an hour. Its quite hard to get a good spot too, as a lot of people has been there to book a space for the fireworks quite a long time beforehand. If you guys ever come to Disneyland, the fireworks is really not to be missed.

Weendend trip to Los Angeles (4)

2008-10-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

It would be so fun to come Disneyland as a child, you can pretend to be anyone that you want. There are so many princesses dresses to choice from for the kids and you can be a fairytale princess for the day. Too bad i have grown up already, just wore this hat for fun for a while only. Haha.

Weekend trip at Los Angeles (3)

2008-09-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

On our Second day, its Disneyland's time! Before we set out for Disneyland, we had breakfast at our hotel, Lemon Tree. We had some cereal and yogurt.

The drive to Disneyland is only about five mins away, the parking system over here is quite amazing, as there is so many ppl, its like you have to queue to park, there will be someone directing you where to park. The parking lot is neatly packed with cars. So the car in front of you will be parked next to you. Its so systematic. But the parking is quite expensive. After which we took a tram to the entrance of Disneyland. Look at the cap that my Dear Dear is wearing, its a CK cap that we bought at Desert Hill. It only last for a few hours. Hehe. Entering into Disneyland, we explored around, its so huge. We went on our first ride in Disneyland. Its like those flight simulator, Dear Dear put his cap on his knee, then at the end of the ride, it was nowhere to be found. we tried to search for it, but could not find it, then we got to exit fast, as the next group of people are coming to take the ride. Its gone just like that. So fast. Later on during the day, we bought another cap that is also nice, 'the grumpy cap'.

Look, my ears are about just as big as Jumbo.

Lunch Time! The food here is so good! Yummy Yummy! The style is abit like food court, where is self service, but the food is really amazing. I think its the tastiest food i have taste since i reach US. We had pasta and salad. The portion is so big. Luckily we only took one pasta to share and we already ate till very full.

There are lots of shops in Disneyland, and almost everyone of them has something that is different from the other shops, so its not like everything is the same, unlike universal world in australia. We had lots of fun exploring the shops and trying out all the stuffs there. like this super big hat that the whole face can go it. My Dear Dear look so funny in that.

Weekend trip at Los Angeles (2)

2008-08-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Finally we reach our hotel at five, the hotel room is very spacious, unlike in Hong Kong where it is so cramp. The Fridge is not like the tiny mini ones, its about the size of our normal household size. Then I went online to check for updates on Twinkle. I wanna know that Twinkle is ok if not i will keep on worrying about Twinkle. Got a email from the host family and am glad to know that twinkle is coping well in the house and is enjoying herself. Then I check online to see if there is any event going on nearby, as it was 4th of July. There will be fireworks at around Long beach area, so off we went to Long Beach for some fireworks

When we reach Long Beach, it was so lovely, then i realized that it has been quite a while since we have been to the beach, there is no beach in Arizona, only desert. So its so nice and relaxing to be at Long Beach, we saw quite a number of dogs, there is this area that is a dog area, for them to run around without lease. Then i thought of Twinkle, could have brought here there if she came with us. We walk around the area, waiting for the fireworks to start, then we thought of having dinner first. We went to this restaurant that looks nice, but we were told that we got to wait for an hour as they are packed. We cant wait if not we would have missed the fireworks. So instead we went to the supermaket and get some sandwhiches to eat while watching the fireworks. The fireworks is actually quite far away, not like in Singapore. So its quite small. Hehe. But there were really fireworks everywhere. So many events going on at different places. Where we turn to our opposite side, we can also see fireworks. but they are all tiny. Haha. Nevertheless, it was a great night. Watching fireworks at the beach is nice.

I got to go cook already. Will update again on our trip to Disneyland! :)

Weekend Trip to LA!

2008-08-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July, we are set out for our trip for LA,we got to wake up super early. About five plus we began our journey. We started of with breakfast at Mac. Still Singapore breakfast taste nicer. I ate sausage Mc Muffin, but Singapore one is tastier. I miss Singapore's food so much. Then we started our super long Journey to Desert Hill, which is a Factory Outlet, at California. It took us nearly four hours just to reach there. As it is 4th of July, a Holiday, they have summer sales. So things are a lot cheaper. Its the second factory outlet that we went, and it was so much bigger than the one we went in Arizona. The Cheapest thing that I bought is a Gap tank top which only cost US$1.50, can you believe it? Haha, so Cheap. Their sales are really good. I bought a similar top at the first outlet when i first came here. It cost about US$10 then. The sales here is crazy. We shop till about mid-afternoon then we got to go already, if not we will reach the hotel very late, and we have not even shopped finish yet! The place is too big. Then we continue our journey to our Hotel, about another 2 more hours to go. So much time spent traveling. There was this freeway where we keep on seeing mountains and valley and the road is not straight. Quite scary and exciting. Its like the roads that you see in racing game like that. Hehe.

Geez, some problems with loading the other pics, will continue another day. :)

My Gift

2008-06-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, my first Coach item. :) When Dear came back from Canada, he bought a gift for me. :) It was a Coach Wallet. I like it. :) Once we went to a Coach Store and I saw this wallet and i liked it. It is my favourite color. Purple! :) I liked the buckle. It was too expensive, so I did not get it, although Dear asked me to get it. Its much cheaper over here compared to singapore, but I still felt that it was quite expensive, I have not bought something so expensive b4, anyway was really happy to recieve the gift from dear dear. :) Now I got a really nice wallet. :)

2008-06-13T00:38:00.000-07:00

The before and after look of Twinkle's gromming. Hehe. :) Today we brought Twinkle to the grommer. Her fur is too long already and its about time she got a haircut. :) I had to take longer time to dry her hair now that its longer and her hair is covering her eyes, so cannot see her cute face clearly. Its her first time going to the Grommer. In Singapore, she was always grommed by us. We were told that it will take about four hours. Thats really long compared to Singapore. Then my husband and me decided to catch a movie while waiting for Twinkle. Half way into the show, my phone rang. I answered the phone but speak very softly. The person did not say anthing much. I have no idea who it was and was afraid if its the grommer and I got worried about Twinkle.

So after the movie, we went to check on Twinkle. She was nowhere to be found. The grommer says Twinkle is ok and she did not call me. Then we heard Twinkle's barking. Think she saw us and started barking. Then we say her. She was inside one of the cage waiting for her turn to get her haircut. After we had lunch and visited the bookstore, its about time to fetch Twinkle. We saw her in the cage waiting for us to fetch her. She looks different. We had to go to the register to pay first. Then as I turn around to go back to the Gromming Salon. Twinkle was out already with dear dear! She looks so cute. They even tied two ribbons on her hair! Haha. So unexpected and nice. :) I think they put purple ribbons to match her collar and lease too. Hehe. So nice. :) She was all clean up, hair neatly done, nails clipped, tooth brushed clean and her fur is so soft. Haha. Love it, but got to get used to it though. She had a teddy bear head cut as they called it in the receipt. So cute! Her body's fur is short and her head and tail's fur is long. Haha. Now she looks not as fat as when her fur is long. Haha.

2008-05-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah! My Dear dear is coming back from Canada after two weeks! He will be coming home tomorrow at night. So poor thing, after the plane touch down, still got to stay back and work. :( But most probably he will have Monday off. Yeah, then at least we will still have our weekend, if not we only left one day, as sat is totally burned already.

We had a lovely supper the day before he left for Canada. Our favourite chocolate fondue! Yummy Yummy, with chips, bread, mashmellow and fruits for dipping. It was fantastic, completed with a bottle of white wine. But I could only have one glass. I only took a sip I think and my whole face was red already. Haha. We could not finish the bottle of Wine, but we managed to finish the fondue, which we thought was quite a bit initially. Yeah. Desserts for me anytime man! We Love Chocolate!

My dear dear actually bought flowers for me on that day, which is totally unexpecected. Hehe, so sweet of him. :) Yeah, now that he is going to be back, I will have motivation to cook nice nice food again. Haha, or should I say experiments? Hehe. Yeah, cant wait for tomorrow to come. :)

2008-05-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

This is Twinkle's favourite hobby! Haha. Looking out of the window! She is just so adorable. She loves looking at the scenery outside and watching all the cars go past. Hehe, and whenever any strangers walk past. She will keep on barking at them, which sometimes scares me, especially at night, but when she barks at least I am aware that someone is nearby.

Now, whenever we are going out and she knows that she can't go, she will straight away climb onto the sofa and look out of the window to say good bye to us. :) Then we will walk past the window to say goodbye to her. Once we are out of sight already, then she will start barking, so poor thing. :(

Now, I have a tentacy to briefly look at our window whenever I drive past our house to see if Twinkle is there looking out. Which is kinda dangerous, but i cant help it. Hee. Cant help looking at my darling. BUt only when there is no other cars already. Twinkle is getting more "guai" already. Usually, after bringing her for her weekly walks, I will bath her after that. In Singapore and initially over here, she don't like to bath, I have to go and catch her to bring her to the toilet, but last week after her walk she actually come to the bathroom herself as she knows that its time for her bath without me carrying her to the bathroom. She will stand near the bathtub waiting for me to bath her.

Then yesterday after her walk, she shocked me. Lol. She stand near the bathtub waiting for me to bath her, then I saw her actually jump inside the bathtub herself! Wah! I never knew a dog could do that. Haha. Lol. Its like jumping into a big hold. I find it very amazing, specially for Twinkle! Guess she is beginning to like bathing more and more. Haha.

2008-05-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Today we went swimming for the first time. So shiok! Its so relaxing. Just a few steps away to the swimming pool. It is not very big though, not as big as I expected it to big. Haha. Then in the middle of the pool is 5 feet high. I am only 5.18 Feet tall. Haha. So if I am to stand on two feet on the bottom of the pool, half of my face will disappear. Haha. I am so short. :( It was hot and cold throughout this swimming experience. Haha. We went to the Jacuzzi at first and the water is super hot. Woah, burning. So got to go in slowly. Until we cant take i anymore, then we went to the normal swimming pool. Haha. It was cold when we went in cos of the differences in temperature. haha. So in and out we went. From Hot to cold and to Hot. When we came out of the pool and the wind blows, it was super cold! Until we are dried, then we lay back and relax to sun tan. Its so relaxing. Just like we are on a Holiday. Haha. The ones in the Photo with me are my new found friends, Shirley in the Centre and Eunice on the right (She lives just opposite me). Without our husbands by our side now, while they are in Canada and working, we got to depend and support each other already. During these two weeks, We spent almost everyday together, planning things to do, trying to keep ourselves occupied. Luckily for them, if not my days over here will be so boring. We cant wait for these two weeks to end, as we miss our husband so much!

2008-05-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

We saw Chilli Cheese Fries at Carls Junior. We should have known better to expect that it would be spicy. Haha. It wasn't even spicy and chessy at all. Guess what it taste like? To me, it taste like spagetti sauce. Hmmm.. So disappointing. I miss KFC Cheese Fries so much. Yummy yummy. The KFC over here don't have cheese fries. :( Singapore fast food is so much better! Although it originated from US. Even Popeye taste nicer in Singapore. :( Guess Singapore cater to our taste more. I miss mac nuggets with curry sauces. :( No curry sauce here. There is A&W here though, but i have yet to try. One good thing is that they have french toast over here at BK for breakfast, which i used to love in Singapore until they took it off the menu. But the hash brown over here is so oily. Not nice. :( I miss Singapore's Food! Can only get to eat again after two years. :(

2008-05-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

Finally, I am able to upload this photo. Took me so many days to upload this, and finally it works. Haha. Yeah. This is our new car! and I got a good news. I got my license already. :) Haha. It only took two days. Its so fast to learn driving here. The first day i learn driving was so scary. We drove around the neighbour hood area and was going 35 miles/hr. I thought its super fast already and feel a bit hard to control, then we learn turning, and changing lanes. The most scary part was changing lanes where I have to look at the mirror and check blind spots and all that. I was so nervous that when I check the mirror, I was just checking for the sake of checking, I don't even know what i was looking at. That was so dangerous, Hehe.

The second day of learning was much better, I was able to breath much better. Haha, althought we had to travel a lot further. I drove for about 45 mins before we reach ABC Driving School then the instructor guide me the route for the road test, then after that she told me to practise, but that was actually the test itself, and then I got my license already. Amazing right. So fast. When I got back, I was so tired and my whole arms was aching as I was holding the steering wheel so tightly. I still need to practise a lot more to drive better.

Today my Dear Dear went for his detachment at Canada, and I will be alone with Twinkle for two weeks. Gee, then today I drove out to the nearest store with two of my friends to shop. We cant stand staying at home the whole day during the weekends. It was kinda scary because two of us just got our license not long ago and one without license. Hehe. It was so stressful, must make sure we stay safe. Need more practise to get better. :)

2008-04-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Doesn't Twinkle look so cute in this tiny top? Haha. Just bought this beautiful top to keep her warm when she is cold. But its kinda small. She is too fat now to fit nicely into it. Guess now I need to stop thinking that Twinkle is still small. Next time need to buy large for her.

She is still as naughty as ever. There was this time I just went out for a while to throw the rubbish. When I come back, she is not at the door as usual to wait for me to come back. Then I quickly went to check on her, afraid that something happen to her or what. Then I saw her with her mouth dirty. She overturned the bin while I was away. Luckily just a bit of stuffs came out. Don't know what she ate also. Maybe carrots as her mouth is like orange in color.

Oh, Then there was this time she ate Steak lor! She naughty naughty, cant resist food. That greedy gal. Haha. Hehe, We bought steak that is microwavable, then I don't like it. There is lots of prepared food over here that just need to microwave. The first week we are here we just eat microwavable food or pizza that needs to be baked, cos our shipment has not arrived yet. It was terrible. Any way, the steak is not nice, so i threw it away. And then I forgot to keep the bin while I went to visit my neighbours. When I came back, the bin is overturned and the steak is gone! So thats her dinner already. So much meat! Hehe. Then just gave her a bit of her dog food.

Oh Yeah, then there is a good news, Yesterday my husband, Edwin, took the driving lesson, then today took the road test, and he passed it! Yeah. He got his license already. After he came back from passing the test, the GPS that we ordered was delivered. Yeah, Its so great, everything came together. Then the owner of the car that we are interested in finally gives him a car and arranged to meet on this Sat to test drive and everything. Hopefully we will be able to get that car, as there are other people who are interested also. Cant wait to get a car, then can finally go out on our own. Don't want to depend on other people anymore. We can go where ever we wanna go once we got a car. Then I can practise driving when we got a car. So exciting. Can't wait!

2008-04-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Its been about two weeks plus since i have been here in Arizona. We have more or less settled down already.

Now we are anxiously waiting for our shipment to arrive! Cant wait for all the yummy stuffs and Chilli that we had shipped over to arrive.

Its quite boring now as I am stuck in the house. Without a car here, you really can't get anywhere. We got to quickly get a license and a car soon!

We just passed our basic theory test last sat. Now we just had to learn the practical and passed it. Plus with a car, we will have freedom! We can go everywhere we wanna go and can start exploring. Now during the weekends we usually will have to buy groceries to top up our fridge and go wherever his friends are going.

Two days ago, a friend just took us out to practice and to teach us driving skills. Its Fun, Exciting and stressful and the same time. It's the first time I moved a car! Haha. Lol. We practice at a parking lot just practicing turning around. Hehe. Cant wait to explore Arizona.