Bargain Haul: Factory Outlet Store (F.O.S.)

Since my Ringgit is running low lately, I've had to seek other means to satiate the shopaholic in me. In the process of doing so, yours truly is proud to announce that she's rediscovered the joy of bargain shopping! ^_^

On the way to dinner with Bee the other day, I stumbled into Factory Outlet Store @ One Utama, which I've never paid much attention to. To my surprise, it's actually a great place for bargain shopping and basic pieces.

I got myself a black tank top by American Eagle Outfitters, and a pair of hot pants in white. Pardon me for playing safe, I tend to stick to the basics whenever I explore a new store. Haha.

They're both very soft and comfortable. I especially like the little pink polka dot details on the inner rim of my new hot pants.

I also found this really cute Old Navy hoodie for my friend's new baby boy. He was born a few weeks ago, and I'll get to see him when I'm back in Melbourne next year.

He might not need a sweater at the moment as it's gonna be summer in Oz soon, so I got the hoodie in a slighter bigger size. I think this one is meant for babies around 6-12 months? Hopefully when I give this to him, it'll be just right for his size and the weather.

Oh I love dressing up babies! They're like dolls, only cuter. (Okay, that's such a politically incorrect statement.)

And now, the best part of bargain shopping - the price.

All these *drum rolls*, for less than RM100! What a bargain huh? *Does a little victory dance*

It's only a mini haul this time round as we were running late for dinner. But now that I've found a new place to shop for less and stretch our Ringgit further, rest assured that I'll be back. Very soon. Haha.

(In fact, I went back the very next day and got a pair of drawstring pants for Bee. Hehe.)

So, what's your best bargain buys lately?

Poll Result!

The results of my first poll:

(Click on picture to enlarge)

A big THANK YOU to everyone who's voted. I was actually quite surprised by the number of votes since I originally anticipated, like, 10? Haha. So thanks a bunch, you guys!

As the saying goes, birds of the same feather, flock together. This is very well true when you look at how majority of the votes went to "shopping finds". It should be of no surprise that a shopaholic's blog like mine attracts shopaholic readers huh? Haha.

Speaking of which, I must apologise for my sporadic posting lately. I've been rather occupied with social obligations and personal errands *coughs* shopping, shopping and more shopping *coughs*.

End of year seems to be the busiest time for one's social calendar. All the dinners, parties, dinner parties and the likes. Not forgetting the crazy Malaysia Year-End Sale (now known as Malaysia Savings Sale) which is practically everywhere! Y'all know how I have next to zero resistance towards temptations. So needless to say, I've been burning some serious cash at the malls. >_<

Juggling between social obligations and duty to boost our country's economy (ha!), I haven't spent a whole day just lazing at home for the past 2-3 weeks. The hermit in me is seriously craving for some alone time, trust me. And despite my best efforts to try to blog when I get home everyday, I often doze off after I tapped in a line or two.

Therefore, I have a whole bunch of posts lining up and waiting to be finished. Most of which only consists of random words that are all scrambled up. Here's hoping that I still remember what they're about when I finally get around to writing them.

Till then, shop heaps and party safe, gals (and boys). :)

Light, Heat & Energy Treatment

After canceling twice (and being canceled once), I finally kept my appointment for the LHE™ treatment at Leonard Drake.

A week prior to the treatment, one is to steer clear of all forms of exfoliation and prolonged sun exposure (which I wasn't informed about the first time round *rolls eyes*) to prevent causing damage to skin. So I've been a really good gal this past week and stay out of the sun.

Each treatment session takes about 60-80 minutes, which includes prepping the skin, light therapy, followed by hydration and cooling mask containing aloe vera to soothe the skin.

This non-invasive treatment has been designed for skin rejuvenation, mainly to improve skin tone and texture. Short pulses of multiple wavelength light are flashed across the face and into the skin, causing a very mild warm sensation. Upon entering our skin, the light energy is converted into heat, which then initiates a natural healing process in the skin by creating a micro-trauma in the dermal-epidermal junction and subsequently repairs the existing collagen as well as stimulates collagen regeneration.

After the treatment, it's recommended to use a hydrating mask everyday for a week. Apparently, this is the best time to hydrate because the skin is gonna drink it up like a sponge due to its vulnerability. For maximum effect, it should be accompanied by professional facial treatment weekly for the next 4 weeks. And of course, continue to avoid exfoliation and sun exposure at least for the first few days.

Personally, I didn't experience any discomfort, redness or irritation. But at the same time, I also couldn't see any visible effects on my skin after the treatment. I was told that it might take 3-5 treatments to see significant improvement.

A single LHE™ session costs RM500 at Leonard Drake. Given my financial situation at the moment, I don't think I'm gonna throw another few grand at it just to see if it works for me. My money can be spent on better things, such as....................buying shoes!

Gosh, with this mentality, I fear I'm soon becoming an old lady with saggy wrinkly skin and lots of awesome shoes. :|

My Secret Stash of Cash

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret today.

Due to my impressive ability in procrastinating, I still do not have my own personal current account in Malaysia to this day. And I've been talking about setting one up since the age of 18.

Yes, sometimes I amaze myself too.

So, I keep my money in a drawer by the bed, or more precisely, in a yellow envelope that I also keep my plane tickets in. The primitive caveman way, thank you very much.

After each of my visits to the money changer to exchange my Australian dollar, I'd "deposit" my new Malaysian Ringgit into the yellow envelope. On days that I'm not stealing notes from Bee's wallet or dragging him along as my walking ATM, I'd simply reach into the cash drawer, as I call it, and "withdraw" my moolah.

Simple, easy, and straightforward. Except that the yellow envelope is incapable of warning me about remaining balance after each withdrawal.

Today, I reached my hand into my faithful drawer as usual, and realised that I have no Ringgit left!

Yes I haven't been to the money changer since Australian dollar took a hit, but I already had quite a decent amount of Ringgit tucked away before that. And now, there's only Aussie dollars left in the envelope, staring back at me with a mocking smile.

I slumped onto the bed like a deflated balloon, feeling all defeated and thinking, "Where did all my money go?"

"Um, how many unopened shopping bags have you got lying around the room? How much is each of those worth?" My husband muttered under his breath as he walked past me with a toothbrush in his mouth.

Point taken.

I frantically emptied my wallet and counted the cash I have left.

RM87 and some loose change. That's not even enough to pay for a decent 3-course lunch!

I guess now I have the following options:

1. Exchange my AUD at a pathetic rate of RM2.3, and forget about the glorious RM3.3 it was trading at.
2. Leech off my husband and live with the guilt of spending way too much money on shoes since I can no longer hypnotise myself by saying, "Hey, I worked hard for that money!".
3. Stop shopping at the malls and start shopping in my many unopened shopping bags.

So much for being financially independent huh? *Sighs deeply*

My First Poll

This blog started off as a personal space for my everyday ramblings and rants. I write just about anything that comes across my mind as my fingers flow over the keyboard. Most of the time, they're just ramblings and words that don't even make much sense.

Which is why I was rather (pleasantly) surprised when some readers started commenting or emailing me their requests for certain topics, e.g. shopping finds, review of certain products, recommendations, etc..

(For those of you who did, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to some of you, I've been lazy occupied, but I promise I'll get on to it as soon as I can.)

It got me thinking, what is it that you'd like to read more about?

So tada! My first very poll.

The poll will remain on the sidebar *points to the right -->* for a week and close sometime next Wednesday because I have no idea how to use this thing.

Please, do let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear about them.

Many thanks in advance! :)

Comfort Zone

I skipped my facial appointment with Leonard Drake today.

The rain made me lazy. And um, a little melancholy.

I've been exchanging emails with Dorothy lately. We might be getting an apartment together when I go back to Melbourne next year. Somewhere in the city, maybe.

Talking about it scared me a little.

Because it feels real now that I'm actually leaving. And that saddens me.

I'm excited (and scared at the same time) about going back to work. And I sure do miss Melbourne and living in the city that I fell in love with at the very first sight.

But what about the man who's had my heart since the day we met? What about my family?

Can I go back to living a life on my own? Can I go back to doing everything by myself instead of having things done for me without me even asking for it? Can I get used to not being chauffeured around everywhere I need to go? Can I bear living so far away from all the people I love so dearly? Can I handle the loneliness of not having someone to share my daily life with?

Then there are all the what-if's.

What if I'm not able to get a job or a position that is at least on par with what I used to have? What if I've left for too long that I've completely lost touch with the scene? What if my mum got sick again when I'm away? What if Bee and I drift apart when we're separated by an ocean? What if it's not for the better?

One of my biggest fears in life is uncertainty. Yet I constantly pluck myself outta my comfort zones and into the unknowns.

As I looked out the window from my kitchen today, I remembered all those rainy days in Melbourne that I wished I didn't have to spend alone.

And then I remembered how lonely I was. All those years.

Kitty or Mousey?

Of recent week, my typical breakfast consists of:

• A pot of Earl Grey tea
• Meat jerky the size of my face
• Salted egg yolk pastry with lotus paste

It will be no time before my cholesterol goes through the roof and my thighs become twice the size of what they used to be, but it's such a satisfying (albeit wrong) way to start a day, innit?

And I use the term "breakfast" loosely, it's usually way past noon when I have my first meal of the day.

Today, I had it at 2pm.

What was then supposed to be a quiet Sunday in to please the hermit in me turned out to be not so quiet afterall when Bee suggested that we should go see this showhouse on the hill all the way across town. Or maybe he just wanted to get me out of the house so I don't binge on junk food all day. Hmm.

The view was nerve soothing sans the sight of old and unmaintained condos nearby, the price was pretty decent considering it had a pool and everything, but having lived on this side of town where everything is close by and easy to get to, a different postcode just somehow feels a little foreign.

Can you imagine having to travel double the distance just to get to your usual shopping malls?

Speaking of shopping, here is my star buy from the weekend - a pink ears headband with lights!

Without lights

With lights

A little childish, yes, but I simply adore the pale shade of pink when the lights are on. In the dark, it's absolutely gorgeous!

I got a little too excited over it that I started wearing it in the middle of a busy shopping mall on a Saturday night. It attracted quite some attention, I must say, especially from the playground. A little girl stared at me for the longest time before turning to her mother and said, "I want that too." Haha!

Bee's normally pretty used to me acting like an 8 year-old, but he gave me a firm "NO" when I suggested him wearing the green ones. *Shrugs*

Don't worry, sweetie, I'm not about to go cuckoo and wear this out on a normal day or when I run down to the grocery store. This is just to add a little more fun for those special occasions, e.g. trick-or-treating during Halloween, birthday parties, Christmas Eve, countdown on New Year's Eve, and of course, those RARE days when I feel slightly crazy. :D

To make it better, it's only RM5! It really doesn't get any cheaper than that huh? I remember paying AUD25 for my devil horns in Apple Isle, and now I feel so ripped off.

I initially thought these were kitty ears, but Bee thought I looked more like a little mouse wearing it.

So, what say you? Kitty? Or mousey?

Family Day

Saturday is normally family day with my in-laws.

And family day for us usually translates into an over-indulging lunch, viewing showhouses, some sort of shopping, followed by another over-indulging meal.

We're boring people. We can do the same things week after week and still not bored of it.

Walking through beautifully done-up showhouses always reminds me of the passion I once had for interior design and decorating.

5 jobs I'll be doing if I had pursued art instead of science:

• Fashion stylist
• Fashion buyer
• Interior designer/decorator
• Writer
• Event organiser/wedding planner

I love all things beautiful and I think I have a knack for it too, but I guess choosing an almost-guaranteed road to money and status seemed like the sensible thing to do. Though it turned out to be not much of both since I'm now a full-time bum. :/

Besides, I really wasn't that talented in art anyway. I may have an eye for detail and passion for beauty, but quite frankly, I lack the creativity and originality to be different. So maybe I should just stick to buying beautiful things, instead of working with them.

And I love my job, I do. I feel blessed to be where I am (or should I say "was", since I'm currently unemployed by choice?), and I'm not complaining about the career path I chose.

I'm just rambling on because I didn't get my cupcake fix today, as promised. It's a good thing that I did get my ice cream from Baskin-Robbins, otherwise I might suffer from an even-more-severe case of verbal diarrhea. Haha.

Now if you'd excuse me, I should go and have a big piece of blueberry cheesecake to shut myself up.

Dumpling King

I made dumplings today.

The grand project started last night. Me, the undomesticated goddess, spent a whole hour chopping Chinese shiitake mushrooms, carrots and cabbage until my non-existent biceps were sore. I prepared enough meat fillings to feed a small army and left it to marinate overnight in the fridge.

Then I sat at my dining table for another hour tonight, making four big plates of these chubby dumplings.

They were so over-stuffed that the filling was busting out of the dumpling skin like a fat woman trying to squeeze into a skimpy outfit.

Bee frowned when he saw my little fatties, "Are your dumplings obese?"

"Oh don't be so critical! They're full figured bui-lings!" I grinned. (Translation: Bui = Fat.)

He poked at the bulging dumplings and said, "I think the uncle who sells wantan mee (wonton noodles) can easily make 20 wontons outta one of these."

He then came up with some lame raps/rhymes mocking my bui-lings till I had to distract him with some irrelevant chores.

Some of you might have noticed the lack of pictures in my posts lately. My apologies, but I've been so lazy that I couldn't even be bothered to pick up my camera.

The pictures tonight are courtesy of my husband. He was being an overly excited kitchen hand chanting "I want to help make dumplings! I want to help make dumplings!", so I diplomatically said to him, "Sweetie, why don't you be a good boy and go take some pictures of those dumplings for me?"

Kinda like, "Here, go fetch!" Haha.

Half way through stuffing meat fillings, I started plotting my genius business plan - a restaurant chain called Dumpling King. Like Burger King, only with oversized dumplings.

I'll put one in every Chinatown around the globe, serving quality dumplings with generous fillings and my secret dipping sauce with Chinese black rice vinegar.

We'd even offer delivery service. On those cold winter nights when you don't feel like leaving the comfort of your home, all you have to do is to dial 1300-DUMPLINGS and we'll come knocking on your door with freshly made hot dumplings. For every order of $25 and above, you get a complimentary hot and sour soup on the house!

Sounds good? Watch out, as it's coming to a Chinatown near you when I successfully find a filthy rich tycoon with foresight to fund my drastic change in career. Haha.

I think too much dumpling-making is getting to my head and I'm losing my plot. :/

If not, I'll just continue with my one woman (plus one annoying wingman) sweatshop, making enough dumplings to last for a whole week and store them in freezer with nicely stacked containers.

Bui-lings, anyone? :D

A Day of Errands

Bee got pickpocketed at KLCC last week.

Needless to say, it ruined the rest of the afternoon.

Instead of checking out KLCC Aquaria as planned, Bee was running in and out of different security offices and making phone calls to cancel all his cards; while my parents and I loitered around the mall trying to recover from the shock of soaring crime rates in our country these days.

I guess we should be thankful (to our lucky stars, not the damn thief!) that Bee's wallet was later found in a bin and the dumbass, who obviously didn't know the value of an LV wallet, only took his I.C. and the cash.

The security personnel concluded that it was most likely the work of foreign workers', and apparently it's NOT a rare incident. Since there was nothing much they could do about it, we just had to suck it up and take it like a loser.

Everything in this country pretty much hits a dead end, doesn't it? And instead of offering an effective solution for the problem, most people will just shrug at you and say "well, bad luck!". Ugh!

And because of some useless greedy imbecile who steals for a living, Bee had to make a police report (for "formality" purpose *rolls eyes*), apply for a new I.C., and learn to live credit card-less for a few days.

Rather fortunate, considering. Now let's hope that the lost I.C. doesn't come back and bite us in the ass a few months/years down the road, bloody hell!

That's background of the story. I got a little carried away.

Anyhoo, since Bee had to pick up his new I.C. and credit cards today, I thought it'd be a good day to run our errands. I hate shopping malls on weekends.

We started by collecting the report for Bee's blood test results from Gribbles since he has his appointment with the doctor tomorrow, followed by lunch at a Korean restaurant in the area. After lunch, I went searching for my latest obsession - Chinese meat jerky and salted egg yolk pastry with lotus paste. I'll start my healthy diet next week, um, maybe. :P

We dropped off the clothes at our usual laundry store, picked up his new credit cards from the bank, and drove to Putrajaya to collect his I.C. from JPN. I entertained myself during the journey by counting how many toll booths we have to pass through just to get from point A to point B. :|

The last stop was at Mid Valley for our afternoon tea and grocery shopping. We got a lil distracted by the Metrojaya Branded Sale after I got my fix for teh tarik ice and traditional kaya toast. Good venue, very helpful staff, well controlled traffic, limited selection, huge crowd at evening. I grabbed myself a cute Nine West pouch, a singlet for Bee, glass container for the kitchen and this pretty velvet-patterned glass candle holder (at 70% off!).

Time flew by as I lost myself trying on winter jackets in Zara. Before we even realised it, the shops were closing and we (read: I) had complete forgotten about our grocery shopping!

We rushed in last minute to get some takeaway sashimi and sushi for dinner so I don't starve my husband since my fridge is pretty much empty. We're even out of milk! Tsk.

I started feeling really unwell and nauseous when I got home, which is what happens whenever I go out to a crowded place with lots of people because my immune system is screwed.

So here I am, blabbing away on my keyboard while slowly dozing off, contemplating whether or not I should stop by the sale again tomorrow at our second attempt for grocery shopping.

And Robinsons is having the Christmas party/sale for members on Friday. Bah!

New Month, New Skin

For my blog, that is.

This little space of mine turned 3 years old a couple of months back, and I conveniently forgot all about it. So I guess this will be a belated birthday present?

Dear diary, happy 3rd birthday. Please don't be mad at your irresponsible owner who has a tendency to heartlessly neglect you. Me love you long time! *Muacks muacks*

I've been meaning to give it a new look, but for months, I did what I do best - procrastinate.

The weekend before my parents came to visit, I bugged Bee to find a new template for me.

Being the obliging husband he is, he entertained my demand and even drew those two bees I visioned for the header (yours truly is computer illiterate and can't use Photoshop for shit).

But of course, being the bossy wife with an obsessive compulsive personality, I rudely interrupted his work and started tweaking the template myself. Boy I must have gone through hundreds of colour just to get the shade of pink I wanted for the side bar!

It's still not completed yet, but I got lazy I guess it's somewhat ready to make its official debut.

So, you like? :D

Salvatore Ferragamo Vara Patent Pump

You know your youth is waning when you suddenly want a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.

The newest addition to my ever-expanding wishlist - Salvatore Ferragamo Vara Patent Pump.

Black patent leather with goldtone hardware and tonal grosgrain bow with logo-embossed ornament on vamp. Round toe, with a mere 3cm stacked heel.

Simple. Classic. Timeless. Hence my wishlist material.

I can still see myself wearing these when I'm old and wrinkly. I'll be one of those really cool grandmas who wear designer outfits and Italian made footwear.

Here's to growing old gracefully. :)

A Sunday of Gluttony

I slept for 12 hours straight last night and woke up feeling slightly recharged today.

After having a big plate of pork dumplings for lunch, I decided to keep my facial appointment even though it was raining cats and dogs outside.

Bee drove me to 1U, I ran through the car park in rain and braced a shopping mall full of weekenders despite my recently-developed crowd phobia, only to be told that I couldn't do my LHE treatments today due to the sun exposure I had during my recent trip to the beach.

It would have been helpful if I was actually given that piece of information when we scheduled the appointment last week, don't you think? :/

So I had to ring my husband who had just reached home to come pick me up again.

While waiting for my ride, I wanted some Baskin-Robbins ice cream real bad and the only thing that stopped me from getting it was my unwillingness to walk all the way to new wing.

To curb my cravings, I had another big plate of dumplings when I got home, and washed them down with a bottle of coke. Not forgetting the super-sinful but oh-so-good salted egg yolk pastry with lotus paste mum bought for me.

I went straight to bed after my jumbo snack, and only woke up in time for this dinner Bee's parents were throwing for some close relatives.

A 10-course dinner with crabs, abalone, butter prawns, and lots of bad cholesterol later, I'm now sitting in my bed thinking about the Baskin-Robbins ice cream I didn't have this afternoon.

It's no wonder that I can't zip up my favourite skinny jeans anymore. :|

So, Missed Me?

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.

My parents were in town for a week, so Bee and I were busy playing host and taking them around.

They flew back to Swan City this morning, and I'm missing them already. It's funny how you always feel like your personal space is robbed when your parents are visiting because all of a sudden, you're a kid to be nagged again; but the moment they leave, you can't help but miss their presence (and nagging).

I spent my afternoon catching up on sleep. Bee spent his catching up on his anime and games.

Coincidentally, it's our 3-month wedding anniversary today.

Bee was supposed to take me out for dinner, but we're both suffering from crowd phobia after spending a whole week in shopping malls and traffic jams.

So we stayed in, and he cooked me my favourite aglio olio spaghetti with prawns and mushroom sausages. Yum!

Happy 3rd wedding monthiversary, baby. You're my rock!