Ugg boots!

22 April 2011 |
Happy Easter!! ♥


Today's Good Friday! I just wanted to find time to blog again~ The autumn weather is finally settling in, so I braved myself to bring out my Ugg boots~ They were initially meant to be worn in the house only, but the sheep wool works best when you're walking about a lot. Sitting at my study desk with these boots felt like such a waste when they could be keeping my toes warm out in the cold winter weather! Now they're officially a outdoor pair of boots! Wheee~


These are my first (and only) pair of Uggs which I got 2 years ago, when my dad visited!! They still work absolutely great! The first day I wore them out last week was a 15 degree day I think, and my feet were so warm! :) You should really note, though, that the only authorize seller in Perth that sells genuine UGG Australia boots are Wombat Lodge, which can be found in Carousel or Barract Street in the city. You can always find the official dealer through the UGG Australia dealer locater on their site here to avoid buying 'fake' UGGs, since the term "Ugg boots" is used very loosely here in Australia - anything made with sheep wool is called an Ugg boot!

 

I ♥ my Uggs!
Read More...

Paul Frank Lipsmackers & bento lunches

10 April 2011 |
Hello! :D It feels like it has been ages (probably because it has), since I last blogged.. Been so busy with lectures/exams/work that I've been neglecting this blog. >_<" It's always on the top of my mind though, whenever I'm daydreaming or something, I'll be thinking "Hmm, I'll finish this up and do a blog post!" But after I've finished whatever I was supposed to do, it'd be either to late or I'd be too tired to think anymore, LOL. Talk about bad stamina at such a young age!

I have been wanting to do reviews on a few products I'm currently IN LOVE with, so hopefully I'll be able to do that soon! :D I haven't been out and about that much either, since I'm either busy with uni or working, and I'm trying to save up as much as I can, for my trip back to Malaysia in June! I want to get gifts for family and friends, AND I'm sure shopping is going to be awesome (as usual!) so I want to be able to splurge while I'm there! ♥

But to get to June and to get home = having to finish this semester of uni! Which means I'll be having huge exams real soon! ;_; I had a look at my exam timetable and I have exams on 28th and 30th of May - NOT very pleasant since my birthday is on the 29th! D; But since I'm going home a week after that, I might just celebrate my birthday in June, with precious family and friends! I haven't had a birthday celebration with my parents, sister or my high school friends (physically) since 4 years ago so I'm excited!!

Oops, that was a long and wordy update! XD It just feels like I haven't written much lately so I'm feeling the need to share more. ^_^V Anyway, I thought I wanted to do a more recent post on what I've been up to lately! 
 
I went to Target on Friday just to do some window shopping~ Gawd, I LOVE window shopping. *U* I get so tempted to purchase, but it's always so therapeutic to just look at pretty products and what's new in the market! I did stumble across the Paul Frank Lip Smackers collaboration, and just couldn't resist their packaging!! Photos were taken using my mobile, so quality isn't as good as usual. :)

 

I love all the characters, especially Julius the monkey! ♥ I've tried out the normal Lip Smacker lip balm in the past, and they always smell great!! It's important to apply lip balm frequently to prevent dry chapped lips, especially in the dry Australian climate!


 
Chi Chi Eau de Parfum!! I've written about them here, and I'm still using my Peach and Mango bottle. This was the first time I tested out the Rose Petals, and it smells really feminine! They smell SO good and the smell isn't overpowering since they're only eau de parfum and not actual perfumes! I LOVE! ^_^;;

Obsessed with heels right now! They're a great height booster, not to mention making your legs look slimmer and longer! <3


Onto something else I wanted to talk about - bento box lunches!! They are to assemble! Eating out can be expensive, and not to mention - sometimes unhealthy depending on what and where you eat. Cooking at home is always ideal, but because everyone is so busy, it's hardly unexpected that it's hard to find time to do so! I've been assembling bento lunches to bring to uni lately, and they hardly take 15 minutes of your time! ^_^
 I found this bento box in our pantry the other day. Don't judge! XD It's Pokemon and all but it's so functional!! It even has an adjustable partition inside so  you can adjust how you want to split the bento box (pictures down below should explain what I mean). It's also printed on the side that the maximum temperature is 140°C and the minimum is -20°C. I think it's important to get a bento box that can withstand a high temperature, though. Just in case you decide to heat food up in the microwave. I've heard of stories saying that if you heat low quality plastic in the microwave it literally melts the plastic and you end up eating it. >_<;; Not sure how true it is, but better safe than eating plastic! And the yellow monkeys-printed little case just holds chopsticks. I got from a 100yen shop in KL. ♥



I usually wake up to cook an omelet in the morning, and it only takes 3 minutes! I add chopped mushrooms in them just to 'spice' them up!  Seasoned seaweed is from a local korean grocery store in Perth and we always have cooked rice in the fridge. :D I always have a bed of rice under the omelette~ When I do make sushi (usually tuna), I usually make quite a lot so there are always some leftovers. Really, anything you fancy can be put into your bento box lunch - that's how amazingly easy it is! A yummy, healthy and a filling lunch box!
Read More...

Superheadz Wide & Slim

24 March 2011 |
Hello~ ♥ Have not been updating as often as I'd like to, just because there's so much to do right now. I'm on a study break, but this is the first time I've felt like I am actually doing more study than on a usual uni day. >_< I'm so behind uni work, so I guess that should teach me to be more up to date with all my lecture notes and exam preparations... *sigh*

Anyway, just wanted to share a new love I have for film photography! ^_^ I remember I used to be appointed 'cameraman' when I was young and my family and I went on a holiday~ Back then my dad's camera used film, and we always had to make sure that we had enough film in the bag pack! And we would never know how the photos will turn out until we got all of them printed of course, and I LOVED staring at the negatives!! XD


I stumbled across the Superheadz ultra wide and slim collection and I just couldn't stop looking at the adorable collection. I LOVE it!♥ It's a 35mm film camera with 22mm wide lens! ^_^ Also a BIG BONUS that the design is so pretty and the colours are so cute, too!! My absolute favourite is sakurasan (light pink)!! It is limited edition as well~ I really love the baby blue (kumosan) and pink dress too!♥


 Some sample shots from the Superheadz website~ A few more gorgeous shots from the Superheadz UWS on Superheadz UWS Flickr Group and this awesome Flickr set by zionseven+!

In this digital photography era, it's great to know that most people still appreciate film photography! A few blogs that always feature gorgeous film photos, which I love to visit are Diana Mini Love, Much Love by Anna and For the easily distracted by Rhianne. Do check out their blogs! :D

 Something to add to my wish-list on the sidebar~♥ I'm always really excited about new gadgets (especially photography related items), hahaha! ^_^ After playing with my sister's Fuji Instax Mini (read the post here), it really reminded me of how awesome having a physical piece of photo in your hands feels, lol. 

Sorry this is somewhat a rant post, I guess~ But just wanted to share my excitement~ :)
Read More...

Fine dining experience + Squid shack

10 March 2011 |
Hello~ :D 

I swear this is my last food post from the trip last month~ XD Are you getting tired of them already? ^_^;; It was such a special occasion I felt compelled to blog about it.. It was my FIRST ever fine dining experience! ^_^ Calamari's was the only one that we could find open that night, so we had to eat there, since we were so hungry and all... The shops in the town were closed early, too. The food was excellent though, and the service was great too! 

This post is filled with photos of yummy food, be warned! X)

Dad's Surf 'n Turf

Oysters kilpatrick

My mom, sister and I sorta shared two main dishes and the whole family also shared the entree . AGAIN! One of the things I miss SO much - sharing food! Everyone should share food, that way we can have more variety and taste everything on the menu! LOL~ OK let's move on before I start ranting..

Curry chicken. I'm still not used to Australian curry yet though, I'm so used to the spicy Asian curry, so I think I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have. >_<

Dhu fish on a bed of creamy risotto~

The next day, we had lunch at The Squid Shack, apparently it serves the best fish and chips in the whole of Albany!! We HAD to try it~

Fresh oysters

Fish and chips (shark), Fish and chips (mackarel) and 2 crab sticks~

Mmm, I never get tired of fish and chips! ^_^
Read More...

Fujifilm instax mini 25 review

06 March 2011 |
Hello! ♥ 

Haven't been doing reviews lately, mainly because I destroyed my lightbox. T_T I've been meaning to make another one, but I haven't found the time to do so, yet! Also, my room isn't big enough for the lightbox I have in mind~ Sigh. Not sure how I'll work around it, but I'm sure I will, lol! When there's a will, there's a way.. 

Meanwhile, please enjoy some product shots from my old white box~ I took the photos last December, when I first got the polaroid camera for my sister! I was so excited about posting it on the blog, but since my sister only came down to visit in the end of January, I had to wait because I wanted to surprise her with her extremely belated birthday present! X) 

I got a polaroid camera for her because I myself am an absolute gadget geek! 8D I'm also a huge fan of photography, painting with light and capturing the essence of memories and moments! ^_^ Hopefully my sister will be able to capture her moments in life with her polaroid camera~

I got her the instax mini 25! It's a newer model compared to the mini 7S~ It has a self shoot mirror, whereas the 7S does not, which is one handy tool when it comes to self-portrait shots/photos with friends!


There's also a limited edition Hello Kitty version of the mini 25 but my sister is all about simplicity, so I got her the normal one instead!

FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI 25 
Features
  • Self-shoot mirror
  • Close-up lens for focusing from 35cm
  • Intelligent flash
  • Motorized 3 position, collapsible lens
  • 2 shutter design for landscape & portrait pics
  • Uses Instax Mini film – creditcard size
Full Specification
  • Film: Fujifilm Instant Color Film "instax mini"
  • Picture size: 62mm x 46mm
  • Lens: Move in/out type, 2 components, 2 elements, f=60mm, 1:12.7
  • Viewfinder: Real image finder, 0.37x, with target spot
  • Focusing: Focusing Motor-driven 2-range switching: Normal Mode 0.5 - 2.5m / Landscape Mode 2.5 - ∞
  • Shutter Release: Shutter Release Programmed electronic shutter release, 1/3 - 1/400 sec. Shutterspeeds, 2shutter release buttons (vertical shooting / horizontal shooting)
  • Exposure control: Exposure control Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO800): LV5.0* - LV15.5, Exposure compensation (Lighten-Darken Control): ±2/3EV *When Fill-in Flash Mode are used
  • Film Feeding Out: Automatic
  • Flash: Built-in, Automatic electronic flash, Auto mode, Fill-in Flash Mode (Intelligent Flash for Brighter Backgrounds), 0.2 - 5sec. Recycle time (when new batteries are used), with flashcharging lamp (red), effective flash lamp range: 0.5 - 2.5m
  • Self-shot: With self-shot mirror
  • Liquid Crystal Display (LCD): Exposure counter (number of unexposed films), LandscapeMode, Lighten-darken control, Fill-in Flash Mode
  • Power Supply: Two CR2/DL CR2 lithium batteries, Capacity: 30 film packs (Based on Fujifilm's test conditions)
  • Others: With film pack confirmation window, With simplified macro lens (range: 35cm - 50cm)
  • Dimensions & Weight: 112.0mm x 121.0mm x 50.5mm / 275g (without batteries, strap and film pack)
The CF is soo cute! Hahaha! ♥

I got 2 different types of films - Hello Kitty design and the normal film.

Of course, there are heaps of other cartoon films to choose from too! ♥ ALL of them are so adorable!

A few sample shots -
Developing~


Without flash and with flash - underexposed and exposed! Usually the auto function will be able to sense the lighting conditions and switch flash on~ Personally, I think polaroids taken with flash on usually look better than the ones without flash! ^_^


How cool is this set by Frankie Yeung? Panoramic view constructed by instax minis!

My thoughts:
I personally think that if you LOVE taking photos, you'll definitely LOVE a polaroid camera! And the instax mini 25 is definitely the way to go~ It is SO easy to use and idiot-proof, haa! Films can be expensive though, so make sure you know where to get reasonably priced films. They are usually $7+ for a pack of 10 films. It's a good switch from the digital camera world we now live in! I have so many photos in my camera/computer that I REALLY want to develop, but never actually get around to... :( With the polaroid camera, it's instant - you snap, and you get to hold your photo right away~ And since they're credit card sized, they fit into every wallet! 
Read More...

Trip Down South - Day 3

04 March 2011 |
Hi! Taking an official break from studying today, omg. :< I feel so unmotivated and sluggish, I think I'm just gonna proceed to blame the weather for being so warm. Summer is officially over though! Still, I'm really looking forward to actual autumn weather because it's my favourite season! Fallen leaves, cool, crisp weather - awesome! ^_^

Continuing from the Pemberton post, we continued our way down South to Albany~ Here are a few stops we made on the way to check out the local attraction areas and get some fresh air! 

Some tall trees near the Gloucester Tree. This shot reminds me of old England shows like Merlin, The Seeker or LOTR, I can just imagine a horse and travelers going past the road, maybe a local tavern somewhere nearby. LOL. I'm a huge fan of shows set in that era!

Lavendar farm. Super pretty and they had handmade lavendar products like soap, oils for burning and lavendar cookies!

Huge souvenir shop with so much locally produced goodies!

Windy Harbour, as its name suggests was so windy! *__* Waves smashing the rocks~ But it was a great change from the 40 degree summer heat/no wind days in Perth. 


Stopover at Walpole for lunch at Top Deck Cafe. Cute little cafe with so much pretty things around! Food was delicious, too! It's actually on the second floor of the courtyard seen in the photo above, so I guess that's why they named it "Top Deck"! 




Lunch consisted of smoked Atlantic salmon baguette, calamari salad and Thai chicken burger! ♥♥♥ Lots of leafy green and veges in their meals, I love healthy food!


What a creative alternative to toilet signs!!

Drove for another few hours to Valley of the Giants! It's named after the gigantic trees in the park, and the park was so huge and so much greenery! I think I saw the largest trees I've ever seen in my life here!!

So peaceful.

 Dad is so cool.

Soon, we reached Albany. I think I was suddenly amazed by how city-like it was! There was a huge round-about, actual different grocery stores and many different fuel outlets!! The towns we passed on the way to Albany usually only had ONE main street, ONE grocery outlet and ONE fuel station~ Albany's such a great town! Also, I swear the weather was 20 degrees (in the hottest month of January!). I wonder what winter is like down there!! ^_^   

This is where we spent the night, Ace Motor Inn! 

I think this pretty much sums up Day 3, which was the *last* official day of our trip down South. Day 4 we had to drive back to Perth and reach home by evening for the reunion dinner, which involved ~6 hours of driving on Albany Highway... We did do a few interesting stuff in the morning before we left Albany though, and I'll post those photos up soon! Definitely great memories!! 

I can't wait for another road trip!! They're so much fun! They can be really tiring, though! Have you been on a road trip somewhere recently?
Read More...