Death by Materialism

jade_blossoms @ 2008-09-11T19:03:00

2008-09-11T11:05:37Z

Question: If a cab driver goes the wrong way, do you pay for the extra meter charge?
   I normally don't fuss if it's a short detour.
   However, if it's a really silly mistake on his part and he offers to charge less, I'll accept.
   If he doesn't offer, would you be annoyed? Would you ask to pay a lesser fare?

Make Up Giveaway

2008-08-12T08:09:31Z

I've just moved to my new apartment.
18 years worth of stuff from a house to an apartment.
It's just not working.
So, my brilliant plan is to give away some of my stuff to my LJ friends!

If you're interested to receive a little something from me:

Step 1: Leave me a comment with your mailing address
Step 2: (optional) Make a donation or clock in a few hours at your favourite charity and write a post about it

I have a Stila make up palette, Elizabeth Arden lipgloss, Estee Lauder lipgloss so far. More to come as I open more boxes I suspect...

Of course they are all new and unopened/unused.

Mad About English

2008-08-12T07:57:00Z

A favourite pastime the Frog and I like to indulge in concerns the English language and how pedantic we are about it. Not that either of us are experts, but we often like to think so.
Thus ensues endless jibes on pronounciation, grammar, vocabulary and the different slang acceptable in the parts of the world that we've both lived in.

So it was the perfect Friday night date when we decided to watch this new documentary about the mad wave of learning English that has captivated China, especially those in Beijing who were gearing up for the Olympics.

Favourite scenes:

- Sweet old lady physician who diagnosed 'a sprain on the lower fractal verterbrae'
- Policeman who could say 'Hi, How are you?' in more than 10 languages, including German, Spanish, Russian, Portugese, French, Japanese and Korean.
- Young girl in communist style English boot camp who had to recite '...And though I aim to defeat you, should I succeed, I will not humiliate you. Instead, I will honor you. For without you, I am a lesser man'
- Menu that read 'exploding cow intestines'

** I am not quoting vertbatim as I have bad memory

The fervour and intensity of the Chinese people is a clear message in this movie, despite the often comical results of trying to master a language within the shortest possible time.

It also made me reflect on my inability to carry on a decent conversation in mandarin despite my heritage.

Shady...

2008-08-08T14:14:59Z

WANTED: SHADY ADVICE FOR SUNGLASSES DILEMMA

Requirements

- Simple, classic look
- UV protection and polarized lens
- Fits asian profiles (ie. no nose bridge!)

I tried the Return To Tiffany Rectangular Sunglasses today and they are almost perfect.

Problem 1: Not too keen on logo side logo
Problem 2: More pricey than what I have ever spent on sunglasses. Not that I am opposed to paying good money for something I really like. However, given my propensity to lose things, I'd have to think twice when it's a 4 digit sum, in my local currency.

Suggestions anyone?

p.s: I am on a mac and the formatting is not working.

Singapore Fashion Week

2007-10-15T21:13:51Z

Friday:
Work work work. Traditional party day but I pissed off the party people and opted to have quiet drinks on the balcony with high school friends instead. Leftover food from the party last weekend (meatballs from Da Paolo), chocolate chip biscotti from Hotel Mulia in Jakarta and cranberry juice.

Saturday:
Posse's new season launch. An exclusive line with airy silk chiffon dresses taking centerstage, perfect for the party season. Created by a lovely pair of designers, Jay and Maddie, it's my new favourite local label. Bought a floorlength dress in hues of lilac, lavender and perwinkle instead of a top like I was planning on but I couldn't pass on something so breath taking. Munched on mini eclairs while contemplating another dress by Zimmermann.
Combined birthday dinner at girlfriend's place- homemade lasagne, home made tiramisu, Tiffany necklace, Stella McCartney perfume and body scrub, dining table and chairs from John Erdos, a satisfying bottle of Lindemann's cab sauv.
Farewell party at Pebble Bay with DJ decks, henna tattoo artist on hand, lots and lots of booze. Things hotted up with the ex-Frog. Hmm...

Sunday:
Prep for our show all day. Music, catwalk choreography, someone went MIA, outfits buttonless, realised we couldn't find tights at the last minute. He picked me up for dinner. I climbed on the bike in my heels, fitted dress and LV Antigua cabas. Must have been quite a sight for everyone at the Taka taxi stand.

Monday:
Rushed to Theatreworks for the opening show. May and Choy wore our outfits, mentioned our label and our eBay store (yay!)
Panicked all day that no one would come to our show on a Monday arvo but it turned out to be a full house. I *think* we were the only show without empty seats today. Great response so far from the press and overseas buyers but we'll know for sure soon enough.
Francis Cheong ended the day in his usual flamboyant style. antiquefantique, I saw him say hi to you at the end of his show. Wanted to do so myself but had to rush off to...
Meet the Frog to buy me some riding gloves. Ended up with the most expensive pair, almost double our initial price guesstimate. It definitely was the most comfortable and stylish though. He insisted on getting it for my belated birthday present. Combined with the trip to the Moto GP this weekend, it's turning out to be my best present ever. Double hmm...

Tu me manques

2007-10-06T01:12:52Z

I saw you the other day. It was a nice day, I was out and about, walking in the city, getting on and off trams, going into shops, sitting on a bench. It was the kind of day when every face that passed came from somewhere, was going somewhere else, no longer a mask but a personality. It was the kind of day when the light was kind, and the breeze was sugary, and there was time for looking, as I waited for a tram, as I walked in the park, as I passed you in the street.

You were loudly hailing a man in a bear suit in Bourke Street Mall, flinging your arms around his sagging velvety waist, screaming happily, because it was a beautiful day and your spirits were high and you'd just had a call from the boy you like. You were riding your bike down St Kilda Road, sunglasses on, intent only on the zing of asphalt beneath the wheel, thinking of getting home and ringing your best mate and having that beer. You were falling asleep on the tram to Smith Street, your hat pulled low, your teeth not aching for once, the drugs soft in your veins. You were doing your homework on Platform 6 at Flinders Street Station, frowning. You were paused on the corner opposite Parliament House, to look at the clouds rising above the facade. You were begging for change outside St Paul's. You were kissing your girlfriend in the Botanical Gardens, down by the lake, the whole afternoon ahead of you, her shoulders so crushable under your hands. You were buying poetry in the bookshop, wondering if $34.95 was too much to pay for something so beautiful but so brief.

In the ladies' lounge in Myer I saw you rubbing your sore feet. You and your friends were taking up the whole footpath in Russell Street and everyone who passed you was annoyed, and you didn't even notice. You were surreptitiously checking your breath before you went into an office block for a meeting. A man's shirt in the window of a shop in Little Collins caught your eye, and but you remembered that he broke up with you last week, and there will be no more gift-giving, and you hastened on. You were reading a script in a cafe in Degraves Lane, hoping someone would notice. In Elizabeth Street you were stomping down past the convenience stores and the accessories stores and the mobile-phone stores and the hair-product stores, full of rubbish you don't need, hating all of them and hating everyone who was getting in your way, because the whole day had been awful and you really just wanted to go home and take your pill. You were on your way to a hotel to see your lover, running late and hot in your business suit, hoping she wouldn't mind. You were missing your brother, still in the village on the other side of the world, wondering what he'd make of a place like this, hoping you'll get to show him one day when he saves enough money, when the paperwork is cleared. Because Melbourne is a wonderful city, and there is so much to see.

The buildings are so tall and fine, or crumbling and concrete and ugly, and the streets are easy to learn, and in the shops you can buy the riches of all the world, and here are thousands of people, your people, each one of them a capsule of thought and memory, all of them perfectly fitted into this bubble of a city between sea and hills, and though some of them don't know where they're going next, they will arrive there nonetheless.

I heard you say to your mate, the two of you in tracksuits and runners, swaggering down Swanston Street, "Nah, mate, nah, I wasn't f---ing rebuking you." I heard you say, unsmiling, leaning over a cafe table to your boyfriend, both of you beautiful young men, "Do you really want to know?" I heard you tell your friend, "That's the best thing, isn't it. A cup of tea. A cup of tea and a fried egg. Beautiful." I heard you whisper on the phone, "Don't be like that."

You were sitting on a bench, watching the crowds. Every song that came up on on your music player was perfect, and the world was bevelled with golden sunshine at the end of the afternoon. You watched everything. One person scowled at you; another smiled. Hello, you thought. Hello there.

theage.com.au
Kate Holden
October 6, 2007

weekend part 1

2007-04-08T17:05:06Z

Happy Easter!

Who'd have ever thought I could see monkeys roaming freely just 10 minutes from where I live. I hate that ignorant people were feeding them sweets and chocolates despite clear signs not to.

And that's a top I bought recently, it's great with my slim Sass & Bide satin cigarette pants.

Singapore Fashion Festival goody bag and backstage

2007-03-28T19:46:00Z

Goody bag from the Baylene show - Vouchers, Lollipops, magazines, L'Oreal mascara and samples. Kinda cute but nothing fantastic.

The folks outside got free 'designer' water ( what happened to the champers and vodka??), backstage, we had a whole fridge of cookie and cream ice cream! Where were the spoons though? Is that why the whole fridge is still full? Or were people just too embarrassed to be seen scoffing down calorific food groups in front of the uber skinny models... Me, I'm determined to find a spoon the next time.

jade_blossoms @ 2007-03-23T10:56:00

2007-03-23T02:57:41Z

I've deleted some people off my friends list because you don't read, respond or update. Please comment to be added, thanks :)

Elegance #1 Intro and Accessories

2006-08-05T20:09:17Z

So I want to start a new series on my LJ.
Came across this book a few months ago and although it wasn't a great read, I found the little paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter so quaint and funny.
I'll post them up one at a time and I hope you will be as entertained as I was. Of course, take some of it with a pinch of salt ;)

Hardly anyone wears gloves these days but I do agree with having good quality shoes and handbags. Chances are they will cost you but I think it's worth it.
My mum's first designer purchases have lasted decades and I am was delighted when she unearthed them from the abyss that is her wardrobe and passed them on to me. Hello vintage Dior!
Having said that, not all designer goods meet my exacting standards.
Your thoughts?

Which bag to buy? Please vote!

2006-07-11T16:28:25Z

OR

The pochette is smaller and has the zip. The bucket bag can hold more things but I feel like things might spill out when I carry it.

Can everyone who reads this please vote? I would really appreciate it! :)

Please bear in mind I also have the hat

The Tai Tai's shop diary #1

2006-07-06T21:33:51Z

This cute little car emblazoned with the Loewe logos has been zipping around town and I caught it at the Adam Rd food center.
Makes my lemming for the 160th anniversary bag with turquoise suede edges go through the roof!

And this marks the first edition of the Tai Tai's shop dairy until I decided on a better name and if I should include all the previous ones I did. Hmm.

jade_blossoms @ 2006-05-22T04:52:00

2006-05-21T20:56:23Z

For venus_bacchus:

Oui ou non?

jade_blossoms @ 2006-05-17T04:17:00

2006-05-16T20:24:36Z

Got one of the last few Just My Luck palettes! Missed the damn movie premiere due to the flu but I hope they'll remember to put aside tix for me when it opens at movie theatres island wide.
Also getting the lingerie bag as I didn't like the last gift they had.

Current wish list item - Anna Sui umbrella!!! The Stila one was so adorable but I missed out so this one is not gonna slip away >_<

Some yummy Japanese at Sun & Moon plus good ole Godiva chocs. Having polished off 5 boxes in a month, I had to indulge my cravings a little.

jade_blossoms @ 2006-05-07T17:17:00

2006-05-07T09:55:02Z

This week has been chock ful of sales and fashion bazaars. Incredible fun!

First up was the Inez showroom sale. Decadent La Perla and sweet as sin Shoshanna dresses along with Stella Cadente wispy silk blouses. Then the Link sale where I picked up a gorgeous pair of heels by Jonny something, pictures to follow soon. I have never heard of this designer but the shoes begged to be taken home. Loved a Stella McCartney dress but it gaped all over - downside of being reasonably slim :( Was about to snap up a perfect Cacharel black silk dress with wool embroideries however, upon turning the dress inside out to see the care label (am sick of dry cleaning every damn thing), was mortified to see 'made in china'! So I promptly put the dress back on the rack. Was I silly to do so? Don't get me wrong, I know that some of the best silks and embroidery come out of the motherland but let's face it, made in china means a higher chance it won't hold up after a few washes and I know those poor people were paid $2 to make that dress. I still remember when mum bought me these gorgeous made in france Cacharel silk confections to wear to parties. Is everything made in china these days?!

Across the road was the Club 21 bazaar. Chloe, Clements Ribeiro, Alexander McQueen, Temperley and Marni at 80% off but I must have been tardy because I couldn't find anything worth buying exept a pair of delish John Galliano newspaper print heels. Pity it was half a size too big and had a faintly fractured heel. Must praise self for not succumbing to evil sale gods who tempt you to buy for the sake of buying anything that is half price or less.
Lastly the inaugural Fash Bash held at Ink Club Bar. Terrific concept, only designer cast offs and samples from local designers allowed for sale in an intimate venue. My special recommendations are Baylene, Swirl and PInc, they have websites so you can google them. I'll put them up here later when I can find them. Also, some fashion editors and fashionistas lugged their designer goodies there for sale. I spied a chalk Balenciaga twiggy, Chloe flats, Blue Cult jeans, Prada tweed art deco heeled pumps, vintage satin kimonos and more. Personally picked up a few gems including a gorgeous Marni lambskin jacket! My only complaint was that the lighting inside was too dim. They definitely needed some extra lamps in there. My olive looking dress turned out to be purple.
There was another bazaar somewhere on Havelock Rd but I got the dates mixed up and missed it. Ah well, I had heaps of fun anyway.

jade_blossoms @ 2006-05-03T17:02:00

2006-05-03T09:03:53Z

Felled by the mighty flu bug for a few days now so will update when I can stare at the screen long enough.
Please get your shots everyone. *croak croak*

jade_blossoms @ 2006-04-28T01:35:00

2006-04-27T18:04:55Z

I matched up my new Lover outfit and realised that it was the same as on their website, except I'll wear mine tucked out. The shirt is such a soft and light cotton + silk blend. Jeans fit perfectly and come with cute Lover details like the oversized button and logo waistband. They are a collaboration between Lover and Levi's with a limited run of 1000 pieces worldwide. Honestly not a fan of Levi's but I must say this cut is superb.

My blouse is the peachy pink one, should I get the cream version too?

I also got the blue pinstripe version of this dress.Should I return this and get the dress??

I have this on order, can't wait for it!!

Finally got my Karen Walker charm bracelet, it gorgeous and my pictures obviously do not do it justice. The pearl necklace was a gift and the nail polish is for mum. I find this range
of polishes cheap but good. They're only A$22 (US$17).

Close ups so you can see the charms :)

More Anna Sui! Emery board duo, Whitening spots cream (darn the UV rays!), eyelash curler, mascara (this is so good but hard to get off), nail stickers, wired tray, Secret Wish perfume,
boar bristle hairbrush, blotting paper and concealer brushes. My kind SA told me about some event this Saturday where I can get 20% off so guess who's on the guest list? ;)
Sure it won't make up for all the Fashion Festival shows I missed out on earlier this month but it'll be fun anyhoo.

Stila madness

2006-04-24T08:05:50Z

I've been going crazy over Stila lately O_o

Continuing my obssession with the Jade Blossom fragrance, I got the hair powder, shower gel, body lotion and the body was in a pump bottle which I forgot to take a picture of.
Also, the mirror, 3 eye shadow duos, ltd ed breast cancer awareness lip gloss pot, a loose powder box from the Sakura collection (gotta love the freebies)
and a random Anna Sui tin box which I will use to put my purple Anna Sui cotton pads.

Love the packaging as usual, my faveourite is the one on top left. Great for everyday use.

Special delivery from Taiwan: The new Sakura collection! Eye shadow trio, sparkly nail polish which I am not liking very much as it looks like some cheapy nail polish, cherry blossom lip glaze which is yum, and lastly the face powder - how cute is the print! As a bonus, they gave the towel set which is rather sweet, maybe I'll give it to a cousin. Of course, I couldn't pass on the solid Jade Blossom fragrance. Love love love the scent on my skin, only problem being that it fades after a few hours so the solid perfume will be great for touch ups.

The clips are from my friend. They are great for bad hair days and put a sparkly twist to your otherwise boring bun ;)

Spa Day!

2006-04-19T17:10:14Z

Lost my virginity today

Massage virginity that is :D
I am not partial to being touched my strangers, especially so intimately all over (!!!) but after much encouragement and persuasion, I decided to give it a shot
since the place where I have a package offers massage and body scrubs.

The pictures show the waiting area. It has mood lighting, earthy decor, soothing music and relaxing smells, makes me feel chilled out rightaway.
My therapist was pretty understanding with my shyness and talked me through it patiently. She even let me arrange the towels the way I wanted
so that i would feel comfortable. Look, I know she has everything I do and probably more, heh, but I've never been a fan of locker room nudity
or anything like that. At sales, I'd rather make expensive mistakes then strip down to my delicates in front of everyone, even if they were la perlas.

She started with the back which was rather enjoyable except she rubbed a little too far south of my butt crack for my liking! Then on to the legs
which was just ok. The tummy and head massage was good though. Even if I technically did not lose any inches, it certainly felt like it.

Anyone wants to share their spa experiences with me?

Went shopping thereafter with the mothership. Have my subtle comments about choosing tops with flattering waistlines finally sunk into her consciousness?
Managed to pick up 3 lovely tops for her and some items for myself ( naughty naughty )

Paisley strappy top and cream and gold lace skirt hanging on paperbag.
Green and white racerback.
Anna Sui brush holder.
Anna Sui Dolly body wash.

The OZOC clothing was ridiculously cheap as the label is ceasing operations here soon. Guess I will have to travel to HK and Taiwan in the future for their
clothing :/

jade_blossoms @ 2006-04-18T22:47:00

2006-04-18T15:06:12Z

Here's a public entry so my non-friends can get a peek into my life ( yes you busybodies :P )

First of all a lady needs her pampering so I went with 2 other girl pals for a mani-pedi.

Unwrapping a new Dior purchase...

Pearls and velvet ...ooh....

Bad photography on my part but it looks so pwetty when worn.
I spotted this darling choker last year but could only get my hands on a display piece. The velvet ribbon was raggedy and icky.
Now I chance upon it in pristine condition and at half price. I feel so rewarded for waiting :D

jade_blossoms @ 2006-01-24T15:31:00

2006-01-24T04:40:46Z

Scanlan's sale is mad! Too bad I only found out now, I heard there was even nicer stuff when it first started.
www.scanlanandtheodore.com

I bought 7 items, one is in the wash and 2 are being altered but I lifted the pictures off the website. It looks much better there anyway.

Some of the Scanlan clothing plus Gianna Rose Atelier body lotion as I ran out and Biotherm moisturiser.

Silk sheath but in a different green, great for layering.

Silk blouse with lace panel on the front but in a pale green.

Heavy silk skirt with matching belt.

Black jodhpurs although I regret this a bit as I have no clue how to wear it!

Same fabric as the skirt in such a beautiful cut.

Silk dress with blanket stitch detail. Mine is a different colour.

Cute vest, I plan to wear it unbuttoned over a singlet.

I really want this but it's sold out in this colour.

jade_blossoms @ 2006-01-21T18:37:00

2006-01-21T07:47:02Z

Sorry for being absent from LJ for so long!
Here is a little something to make up for it:

Hopped by LV for the Chinese New Year Event

There was food, drinks ( refreshing watermelon with mint on this hot summers day) and the new vernis colour on show.

So little miss Jade_blossoms came home with

so she could have something to fit in her bag like this

I wanted to like the reade PM or the bedford but so much bright pink was too much to take.
To me, it looked a little (dare I say it) tacky *cringe*

So what did you do this weekend?

Boxing Day trip to Queenscliffe

2005-12-27T00:22:18Z

After 3 days of parties, dinners and late nights, we took a daytrip to the bayside resort of Queenscliffe. 1.5 hours away from Melbourne CBD, it's a small friendly community that swells in numbers during the summer season when city folk flock to the rustic rental cottages dotted along the coast.

Everything's just slower and more peaceful here. The sea breeze sweeps across, providing a cool respite from the brazen Aussie sun. The rugged coastline buffetting against the strong rip that comes in from the Bass Strait. It is quiet but not isolated. Even the cars move in slow motion here, no one's in a hurry, everyone gives way. What a lovely way to spend boxing day.

jade_blossoms @ 2005-12-27T10:57:00

2005-12-26T23:58:17Z

Christmas came early

2005-12-21T21:39:15Z

As mentioned in my locked post, here is the champagne. Does anyone know anything at all about champagne? The words are in Italian so je ne comprehend pas.

On the right are my brand spanking new Karen Walker sunglasses! I'll put up a picture when I open it on Christmas Day.

This is the story: I spied these adorable sunglasses 2 weeks ago and asked my partner if he'd like to get me that for Christmas instead having to go out and hunt for one. He was agreeable so I told the store to keep it aside for me and he'd pick it up. However, he's been busy with work and hasn't had the time to do so. I was getting discouraged and mentioned this morning that I might just pop by and buy it for myself instead. When he came back from work, he pulled out this package and said, "Here you go, you looked so upset this morning, I'll give it to you now instead of Christmas Eve as planned".

Sneaky!!! Turns out he'd bought it last week and the store owner was in cahoots with him! I spoke to her only today and said I would come collect it by Saturday even if it meant buying it for myself (I didn't want her to hold it for nothing). She seemed a little flummoxed at first when I said that and now I know why.

In other news, this arrived today.