Updates in A Nutshell

• We have a few dinners to attend this week, and I've been busy scouting for evening dresses at the last minute, hence the lack of updates.
• My gastro-reflux isn't getting any better, I'm considering doing a test for Helicobacter Pylori. How exciting! :|
  
• For the first time in my life, I watched a movie all by myself on Tuesday. It felt a little odd, but not as bad as I imagined it to be. I still can't eat out alone though.
• I've been drinking Berocca every morning to boost energy. But for some weird reasons, it makes me extra tired and sleepy that I often doze off not long after I down the orangey fizzy drink. :/
  
• Bee and I had a HUGE fight during the week. I locked him out of our room for the whole night.
• I'm too lazy to drag my butt outta the door, yet I have this constant urge to shop. My indigestion is really bad, yet my body craves for food like a bottomless pit. Clearly, I have issues.
  
• My parents will be in town for a surprise visit. They're arriving tomorrow, so we'll be busy taking them around next week.
• I've been watching way too much America's Next Top Model and The Rachel Zoe Project that I'm starting to consider a career in fashion. Anyone needs a stylist? Haha.

What Are You Wearing on Your Nails?

For me, nothing.

They're completely naked.

After months of being obsessed with perfectly manicured nails (rebound effect from repression when I was working?), I've decided to remove all nail polishes and have my nails clipped really really short.

Have you ever just, out of nowhere, started feeling really paranoid about germs accumulating underneath your nails?

Well, that's what happened to me.

And also because I've been told off for licking my fingers (after eating) when there's nail polish on my nails. :/

So here are my bare nails:

They do look a little sad, don't they? :(

I'll admit that I'm still tempted whenever I walk past a nail saloon. I sure do miss getting my nails pampered and painted into gorgeous shades of colours, but I guess it's time to let them rest for a bit.

So now, tell me, what are you wearing on your nails?

Go ahead and make me jealous, gals. *Grins*

Easy, Girl!

Yesterday, I decided to leave my self-pity self at home and head out to the mall.

An over-ordering lunch at TGI Fridays, an entertaining afternoon movie, and lots of shopping later, I remembered how fun it is to just hang out and chill.

But of course, shopping would've been even funner if Aussie dollar hadn't taken a dive, resulting in me having to think twice now everytime before I whip out my plastic. :/

Bee and I had takeaway sushi and sashimi for dinner, after which I fell asleep watching America's Next Top Model.

A growling stomach woke me up at 3am, so I sneaked downstairs and made myself a cup of tea. The chocolate brownie that Bee's parents brought back from their recent trip to Indonesia was SO good that I literally licked the plate clean!

Satisfyingly fed, I continued to sleep through till noon today and woke up feeling much more positive.

So maybe that's the formula to an happier life - shop more, eat more, sleep more, and think less.

If only my head listens to me all the time.

Feel Good Tricks

So I've been feeling real blah lately.

I have no reason to, but I feel like crap. Someone please slap me!

I think I need some pick-me-up's.

What is the one thing that always manages to cheer you up and lift your spirit?

Pray do share. Or just bitchslap me outta my sorry self. :/

Thankful

Mum went for her quarter-yearly checkup today.

The results of both MRI scan and blood tests came back normal.

It's a huge relief.

Every. Single. Time.

I'm thankful, Lord. I really am.

Please, let me keep her.

Blah

That pretty much sums up how I feel.

In length, it can be described as - Unmotivated. Tired. Bored. Frustrated. Sick. Depressed. Idle. Anxious. Blue. Dull.

In short - blah.

Not even "blah!", just "blah..". If you know what I mean.

For the past few weeks, I've been feeling so lethargic and lack of energy that I just can't be bothered with anything. Nothing really excites me, and nothing sparks my interest at all.

Normally a good hearty (read: sinful) meal provides certain degree of comfort during time like this, but my gastro-reflux has been so bad that I can barely keep food down.

I can't eat. I can't sleep. And I'm constantly tired.

I almost feel like my spirit is defeated.

Youtube Makeup Gurus

When I first got back to Malaysia, I was doing a really good job sticking to my promise of not hoarding up any unnecessary cosmetics. And I didn't miss the makeup collection (including my MAC brushes) I left behind in Melbourne at all.

Then I started watching makeup tutorials and haul videos on Youtube, and the effort just went down the drain.

The itch that I didn't wanna scratch, refused to be ignored any longer.

So I thought I'd share with you girls a few of my favourite makeup gurus on Youtube, and see if I can bring some of you down with me. *Winks*

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are:

• xteeener

A down to earth and soft spoken girl with a beautiful smile. She's great with using inexpensive and drugstore makeups.

• xsparkage

Just like her fun and bubbly personality, Leesha's tutorials mainly consist of bright and colourful eye makeups.

• askmemakeup

Fabulous retro and vintage makeup tutorials, love the music choices too! Amy is an Aussie, which makes it great since I can relate more to the products she uses.

• pursebuzz

Did anyone else notice that some of Elessa's videos of late had gotten a little "commercialised"? But still, awesome hair and makeup tutorials, and she's such a pretty gal.

• EnKoreMakeup

It's a little weird watching a guy putting makeup on himself, I must admit. But Koren's got some really good makeup tips and DIY ideas, eg. depotting eyeshadows, pigment pressing, etc.

• monroemisfitmakeup

A very pretty blonde who can pull off even the craziest makeup effortlessly. She doesn't speak in her tutorials, which is a shame, but her dramatic eye makeups with daring and bright colours are absolutely gorgeous!

• MakeupGeekTV

She uses a wide range of products and has some great makeup tips. Definitely worth checking out.

A trip to MAC, anyone? :)

It's About Time!

Government Guarantees All Bank Deposits
20:24 AEST Sun Oct 12 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has taken unprecedented action to safeguard Australia's banking system, placing the nation on a war-like footing to deal with the global financial crisis.

After two days of crisis talks with senior ministers and bureaucrats, Mr Rudd announced a three-pronged plan to further ensure the stability of the Australian financial system, including a government guarantee for up to $700 billion in deposits.

The government also will guarantee the borrowings of Australian banks in international credit markets and extend a program to shore up the mortgage market through the purchase of an extra $4 billion in residential mortgage-backed securities.

The measures, Mr Rudd said, were "designed to help unclog the arteries of the global financial system".

While assuring Australia was well-placed to ride out the financial storm, Mr Rudd likened the current turmoil to a time of war.

"There will be many bumps in the road during the period ahead and the ride will not be smooth," he told reporters.

"We are in the economic equivalent of a rolling national security crisis and the challenges are great."

The government is bracing the nation for higher unemployment and softer growth as the market ructions continue on an unchartered trajectory.

"This global financial crisis has entered a new and dangerous phase with real consequences for growth, for jobs and, therefore, for the future," he said.

The government announcement came as the Group of 20 (G20) rich and emerging countries endorsed the use of all available means to deal with the global economic troubles.

However, the G20, like the Group of Seven (G7) global powers, failed to set out a specific plan to help restore confidence in international markets.

All eyes will be on the opening of the Australian sharemarket after stocks plummeted eight per cent on Friday, their second biggest fall on record.

The government measures are likely to bolster financial stocks but market watchers are unwilling to take bets on what will happen in such uncertain times.

Commsec chief economist Craig James said the share market was driven by sentiment rather than fundamentals at the moment.

"The futures market is pointing to a gain of 27 points but it's still very hard to predict," he said.

"Investors haven't been given a lot of confidence by the wishy-washy statement coming from the G7, it's short on specifics."

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the government guarantee on bank deposits and promised to help ensure the passage of any necessary legislation through the parliament.

"It's a very important step and we will undertake to give the government every assistance in ensuring that the necessary legislation will pass through the parliament promptly," he told reporters.

Despite his call for bipartisanship, Mr Turnbull claimed credit for the government's strategy.

The move follows his claims last week that he was responsible for the banks' decision to pass on to mortgage holders 80 per cent of a Reserve Bank cash rate cut.

"The deposit guarantee and the further investment in the mortgage were recommended by us so we are delighted the government is doing this," Mr Turnbull told the Seven Network.

"They should be looking at everything that is why ... we are so keen to sit down and talk to them about this in a constructive, bipartisan way."

Mr Rudd indicated treasury officials would brief Mr Turnbull on the most recent government plan.

From Sunday, the government will guarantee all deposits - up from a previous cap of $20,000 - in Australian banks, building societies, credit unions and Australian subsidiaries of foreign-owned banks.

"I don't want to see unnecessary anxiety out there in the Australian community as ordinary Australians watch the bad news unfold on their television screens from overseas each night," Mr Rudd told the Seven Network.

The government will also guarantee the borrowings of Australian banks so that they can compete on level terms with international competitors.

"Australian banks, despite the fact that their balance sheets are in excellent shape, now have to compete with these foreign banks for funding on global financial markets," Mr Rudd said.

"As prime minister of Australia, I will not stand idly by while Australian banks are disadvantaged in international credit market places because of the actions taken by foreign governments in support of them."

Courtesy of National Nine News

Finally, something positive.

I was THIS close to withdrawing all my fixed term deposits.

It remains to be seen whether Rudd's action is enough to salvage the share market from the worst Australia has seen since the 1987 Crash.

Many are doubtful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Read the Prime Minister's Media Release here.

Net-A-Porter Free Shipping Worldwide

I'm sure most of my Aussie girlfriends share my pain.

Having net-a-porter offering free shipping at the moment is like a slap in the face.

The excitement of finally getting that promotional code we've been holding out for just gets eroded away due to the stupid exchange rate.

Aussie dollar came crashing down over the past week, hitting a five-year low. 6 months ago, Australian dollar was trading at a glorious US$ 98 cents; as the market closed on Friday, it is now trading at US$ 65 cents.

Travel plans and holidays are being put on hold (there goes my much anticipated trip to US of A), and shopping bans are in order to curb expenditure.

The gloomy cloud of a looming worldwide recession is shrouding our hopeless addiction to fashion and beauty.

I guess it's a good thing that the fuchsia ostrich leather Mulberry Bayswater bag is sold out then.

I should just turn off my laptop and go to sleep, hoping that Aussie dollar comes back stronger when the market re-opens on Monday.

Later, alligators.

Crikey! Aussie Dollar!

Australian dollar has been plummeting faster than one can say, "Crikey! What's going on?!"

I feel so broke.

Choices

I don't understand.

Why do I have to choose between having a career that I love, and being around people whom I love?

I love my family and Bee and I love being with them, but why does it still feel like there is something missing?

Whilst it's fun and stress-free to be able to sleep in everyday and not worry about work, I can't help but feel that there is a void in my heart.

Even when my life is filled with love, a part of me feels empty.

I miss having a fulfilling career that makes me wake up every morning feeling that I'm gonna make a difference today. I miss that job satisfaction I get when I finish work everyday knowing that I've done well.

I love my job and I'm good at it. I just wish that I could do what I love to do, and go home to the people I love when I get off work at the end of each day.

Is that too much to ask for? Am I being greedy?

Sure working in Malaysia is always an option, but the working environment and ethics are a world's apart from what I'm used to. And that is something I'm not ready to compromise.

People tell me that I'll get used to how things work around here eventually, but I won't, and I don't want to.

I've always been a person of strong principles and a hard hard head since young, I'm not about to change now.

Work is about passion, so how do you budge when it's something you're passionate about?

And maybe that's my problem, my unwillingness to compromise, my inability to adapt.

Maybe I should just accept that life as a responsible adult is not about having your cake and eat it too.

Maybe I'm just not meant to have it all.

Makeup Junkie

Every little girl grows up playing with her mother's makeup, wishing that someday we get to wear the big gal's lipstick too.

And when we finally get to wear however much makeup we want, some of us just can't wait to get out of it.

Well, for me, anyway.

When I started working, one of the thing I dreaded doing everyday was putting on my makeup. I'd often trade looking fabulous (plus breakfast) for that extra 5-10 minutes in bed.

Makeup had become such a chore that it just wasn't fun anymore. I find myself breathing a sigh of relief on my off days, simply for the fact that my skin feels like it can finally breath freely.

Now that I'm back in Malaysia, I'm more than happy to parade around the town with a bare face on most days. Unlike Melbourne where almost every girl dresses to kill in the city, here I don't have to be constantly self conscious and worry about looking like a complete train wreck without any makeup on even when I'm just doing my grocery shopping.

With this heat and humidity, my skin just feels suffocated whenever there is any product on it. And I trust any local gal with oily/combination skin to tell me that no matter how good the quality is, makeup will melt/smudge/smear to a certain degree in this crazy weather.

So I'm really most comfortable not wearing any makeup at all when I don't have to. Which is precisely the reason I left almost my entire makeup collection in Melbourne, thinking that I won't be needing them much.

And I don't, I really don't. On some days, I step out of the door without so much as a lip gloss on, and I haven't touched my eyelash curler in more than 2 weeks.

Then why is it that I can't stop thinking about buying more and more makeups?!

And this is after I vowed (multiple times, might I add) to never again hoard up unnecessary beauty products I don't use.

It's no wonder they say men are hunters and women are collectors.

Somebody please explain to me why do we girls need hundreds of eyeshadow and lip colours when we only have two eyes and one mouth?

It's an addiction, I'm telling ya.

Bargain Haul: Bags

Watch out, people! The fast and cheap shopper was at work again!

I only remembered in the late afternoon that today was the last day of Robinsons' 1st Anniversary Sale.

On the way to pick up dinner, I asked to be dropped off at Gardens for a bit.

Bee circled around the block, and when he came back to pick me up after a brief 10 minutes, I was already standing at the entrance of Robinsons with my shopping bag. Talk about efficiency huh?

I think I pretty much just rushed in and grabbed the first decent thing I saw on my way to the cashier. Not the most enjoyable way to shop, but very effective to minimise the damage. *Winks*

I got myself two very simple bags, and they're both 50% off!

Since I left most of my bags in Melbourne, I need something inexpensive and fun for everyday use. Something I don't have to worry about tossing it around or leaving it on the floor, and these are perfect!

The white tote is a little plain, yes. But it can be easily accessorized with a scarf or some cute blingy dangly charms.

I like how big and roomy it is! And you guys know how much I love large oversized bags that I can just throw everything in, which probably contributed to my back pain. :/

The metallic grey bag is slightly smaller, but I like the simple and casual design.

(Somehow the colour doesn't show up right in the picture, it's actually much darker in real life.)

I like bags that open wide at the top so I can easily see all the contents.

The other good thing is, unlike some large totes (such as the notorious Chloe Paddington) that weighs a tonne just by itself, these are really light! So I can actually fit more things in without putting too much burden on my shoulder and back.

I can already see us spending lots of time together. :)

Summer Garden Wedding

You probably already know that I'd kill for Blair Waldorf's wardrobe.

The whole preppy look is SO hot, and very "me". God knows how many headbands/hairbands I own, even before the show went to air!

But I have to mention that I absolutely adore Serena's look at the Vitamin Water White Party.

I love love LOVE her hair updo, and how the silver double strand metallic headband runs through her hair. It's so polished, yet effortlessly stunning!

And that Oscar de la Renta grecian gown! *Gasps*

It's from his Spring 2008 collection, and it's what every girl needs to be a perfect Grecian goddess.

This is how I'd wanna look like at my summer garden wedding.

If I'm 5' 10", and blonde.

And of course, if I plan to have a summer garden wedding.

Bargain Haul: Hush Puppies Shoes

Behold, ladies (and gentlemen?), I now brand myself a fast and cheap shopper!

On the way to lunch at Gardens, I dropped by Robinsons for a brief 15 minutes and came home with three little pair of Puppies.

Hush Puppies, that is. *Grins*

Still phasing in and out of my sluggish mode, I wasn't really in the mood to shop. But I need some comfy casual shoes (okay, not really, but it's reason enough, yes?), and these were dirt cheap!

Let's start with the most boring pair, the black ladies dress body shoes.

They are nothing exciting and definitely not very "me", but the lightly padded footbed and 2" kitten heels are very comfortable. I figured I might as well stock up on black dress shoes for work since I pretty much go through a new pair every 2-3 months. They just get worn out so quickly because of all the walking and standing all day.

And believe me, you'll start resenting even a pair of Manolos when your feet are on fire from long hours of standing. Comfort is the key, baby!

Next up, the white peep-toe slingbacks with silver hardware.

Okay, I only bought these because Bee thought they matched the ivory dress I was wearing. Normally I'm terrified of white shoes because I can never keep them clean, and they just look awful in a pitiful way once there are scratches and stains on them.

But when I took this white pair of slingbacks outta the box and slipped them on at home, I started to really like them. They're actually very pretty, and compliment light coloured dresses really well by adding that extra touch of girliness. The heel is a mere 2 1/2 inches, so they're fairly easy on the feet too.

Last but not least, the tan pointy pumps.

I'm a big fan of tan leather. There is just this versatility about it that I absolutely love! Tan leather boots, tan leather bags, tan leather belts, and now, tan leather pumps.

With a modest heel of 3 inches, these are the perfect casual heels for weekends when you just wanna step out in a simple fitted tee and skinny jeans.

Now let's take another look at my new Puppies

You like?

It's October!

It's the first day of October!

Time sure flies huh? We're a month into spring already, can you believe it?!

I've been slacking off lately, I admit.

I haven't been on the elliptical trainer for weeks now, I haven't kept my appointment with the dermatologist, and I haven't been consistent with my posts (still playing catching up and backdating, y'all).

I've just been feeling really lethargic and tired of late, so I'm not up for much of anything.

Here's hoping it's a phase that I'll snap out of soon so October is gonna be a more exciting month.

Let's give it another week before I start popping Berocca. :)