Several years ago, I was taught to make a Hakka dish – Abacus Seeds (or 算盘子 in Chinese). I’m not Hakka; Skye is. Therefore, Abacus Seeds is a must-have dish every time we celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Last year, I had wanted to do up a blog post on how Abacus Seeds are made, but I didn’t manage to get around to doing it. So this blog post is a year overdue!

This dish has an auspicious meaning – resembling beads on an abacus, Abacus Seeds signify abundance of wealth.

Alrighty, so, to make this dish, you will need:

• Yam
• Tapioca starch
• Water
• Cooking oil
• Diced garlic
• Diced mushrooms
• Black fungus
• Minced meat
• Pepper
• Salt
• Sugar
• Light soy sauce
• Fish sauce

For every kg of yam, you need 500g of tapioca starch.

Step 1: Peel and slice yam.

Step 2: Steam yam for about 15 to 20 minutes, until texture becomes soft. For some reason, this year we had to steam the yam for about 40 minutes before it turned soft. I guess the timing varies; just keep monitoring!

Step 3: Mash yam into a fine paste while it’s still hot.

Step 4: Add tapioca starch to yam paste (remember – 500g of tapioca starch for every kg of yam), together with some water, and mix well. You probably need a couple of cups of water, depending on how thick the mixture is.

Step 5: Knead mixture into a dough. The dough should be soft and smooth, and not sticky.

Step 6: Break off a small amount of dough (about the size of a small coin), roll it into a ball, and gently make indentations in its center by pressing it between your thumb and index fingers. There, we have our abacus seed. Repeat! We used to take hours to make all of them because we sort of make them for lots of relatives. There was a year we stayed up until 5am just to finish making these abacus seeds.

Step 7: Prepare a wok of boiling water. Put abacus seeds in boiling water. Remove them from the wok only after they float to the surface.

Step 8: Add a small amount of oil to the cooked abacus seeds so that they don’t stick to one another. This is especially important if you wish to freeze them for storage.

Step 9: Cook ‘em! Stir-fry garlic in cooking oil. Add diced mushrooms, black fungus, minced meat to abacus seeds. Add pepper, salt, sugar, light soy sauce and fish sauce to taste. Keep frying until everything is thoroughly cooked.

And we’re done!

I’m so happy I learnt about this dish. Every year, Skye and I help to knead and shape these abacus seeds; it’s hard work, but it’s a pretty satisfying sight. Haha! Keeping up with the tradition, they say.

Is there a particular dish your family enjoys every Lunar New Year?

J

I’ve been busy with preparations for the Lunar New Year, and I’m so thankful for the long weekend. Here’s wishing all of you who are celebrating this awesome occasion, a very HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR! ;D Have lots of fun, catch up with your loved ones, and collect all those red packets! 

Okay, so the New Year giveaway closed last night. :)

The winner is…

MELLISA!

CONGRATULATIONS, Mellisa! You’re about to receive your very own Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Key Pouch. I have sent you an email; kindly reply with your mailing address and I will have the prize delivered to you next week.

To everyone who has participated in this giveaway, THANK YOU! Your support means a lot to me, and I hope you’ll stay tuned for the next giveaway. :)

J

Okay, how many of you have the habit of wearing sun protection on your body, even on days when you’re not really out in the sun?

You could be basking in the morning glow, or just running across the street at noon to grab a sandwich, or running a quick errand in the afternoon.

While the intensity of UV changes throughout the day, you will be exposed to harmful UV rays as long as you are out and about. With skin damage, aging and melanoma, one can never be too careful.

Which is why I wear sun protection everyday. On my face, arms, legs – anywhere that’s exposed to the sun’s rays. I didn’t use to do this top-to-toe thing before; I only started in the past couple of years after I realised that skin damage is something too important for me to ignore.

A few months ago, I popped by the pharmacy and picked up some products from La Roche-Posay, a brand renowned for its extensive sun care range. As I was in need of sun protection for the body, I bought the Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Extreme Body Fluid. That’s a mouthful!

I like the packaging – a white plastic bottle with a snap cap closure at the top, which makes product dispensation easy.

This is a water-resistant, fragrance-free and non-comedogenic sunscreen that offers “very high protection”… Let’s see… I took a closer look at the back of the bottle and it read “SPF 50+. Index UVA = PPD 32″.

Using the below formula as a gauge, with an SPF of 50+, I can stay out in the sun for about 500 minutes, given that I burn in about 10 minutes without using sun protection.

SPF number x Amount of time you take to burn without using sun protection = Amount of time you take to burn while wearing sun protection

SPF 50+ is sufficient for me as I stay indoors most of the time. However, SPF only guards the skin against UVB rays, which are the cause of sunburn and skin reddening.

There are also the UVA rays, which are responsible for wrinkles and skin aging. I own several sun protection products bearing the PA index, indicating the level of UVA protection.

Now, I must say that I only came across the term “PPD” shortly before I purchased this product. PPD stands for Persistent Pigment Darkening, and is also a method for measuring UVA protection. In this case, a PPD of 32 allows the user 32 times as much UVA exposure compared to when no protection is used.

A rating of PA+++ (which indicates very high protection against UVA rays) is said to translate as PPD 8 and above. At PPD 32, this will certainly suffice.

Formulated with Mexoryl SX and XL filters (which are also found in Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50 PA+++), photostability is ensured. Titanium Dioxide, commonly found in physical sunscreens, is also listed as one of the ingredients.

To use, shake bottle well before dispensation and apply by patting evenly on the skin 30 minutes before sun exposure. The instructions state that you should reapply every 2 hours and especially after swimming. Since I mostly stay indoors, I do not have the habit of reapplying my sunscreen.

Out of the bottle, the product is a light, white, milky fluid which smells of alcohol. When applied to the skin, it gets absorbed easily and does not leave a white cast. Skin appears matte after application. I have no problem using this and I do think it is a pretty user-friendly sunscreen.

While I like its light texture and range of protection, I hate that it leaves stains on dark clothes where it rubs off – I found white stains on the interior of my sleeves and on the hems of my skirts. :( Time to look for an alternative perhaps?

Those of you who are interested in giving this a whirl, a 125ml bottle retails at SGD49.90.

Tried this? Have a favourite body sunscreen? Share your thoughts!

J

It’s Friday! I’ve just returned to the office after two days of medical leave because I met with an accident on the train on Tuesday. :( Hurt my back, shoulders, back of my left arm, and right elbow. Those on my Facebook would probably have read about the incident in detail; in a nutshell, the driver applied the brakes suddenly, I got flung backwards, crashed through the doors leading to the rear driver’s cabin, and landed on the floor in the driver’s cabin. SMRT is currently looking into the matter, and I’ll monitor my injuries in the meantime.

On a brighter note, you may have already read about how I spent the first day of the New Year (besides putting up the blog’s New Year giveaway); now find out what I did the day after, which was a public holiday!

I popped by Neeta’s Herbal at Square 2, located at Novena MRT Station, for a scalp treatment.

Established in 1984, Neeta’s Herbal offers solutions to hair and scalp-related problems (such as hair loss, dandruff, baldness) using Ayurvedic products. Neeta’s Herbal has since expanded its reach to folks all over the world. With so many salons offering chemical treatments, it’s about time we utilised what Mother Nature has offered us – potent herbs, oils and plants.

Here we are! When I first arrived, I thought the lights were switched off; it’s just tinted glass! :)

Before I go into detail about the scalp treatment, let me show you around!

The interior is quiet and lit by soft lights. This is the reception and payment counter.  On the shelves are Neeta’s Herbal products.

This is the cozy waiting area. Say, if you’re waiting for your turn (or waiting for a friend to be done), just make yourself comfortable here!

Before the treatment commenced, I was ushered into the scalp analysis room for a scalp scan. While I sat, the consultant/therapist used a scanning tool on my scalp; as she did that, magnified images of my scalp showed up on the screen before me.

This is a recorded image of my scalp. The consultant/therapist pointed out that the hair follicles were clogged (see the greasy-looking bits at the bases of the hair roots?) and they need to be unclogged to allow hair to grow healthily.

I was born with very fine hair, and there really isn’t any volume to speak of. I used to lose uncountable strands of hair on a daily basis, but ever since I made some adjustments to the type of hair products I use, the condition improved. However, my hair still appears really thin and refuses to grow. I guess these clogged follicles are the main cause of slow hair growth?

Following the scalp analysis, I was brought to the treatment area, which is not unlike your usual hair salon.

Here’s another look at the treatment area, this time with the shampoo booth in view.

I took the seat nearest to the wall. Here we go!

The first step is called the ‘Ozone’ treatment, which is done by running an electrode (connected to a high frequency hair and scalp machine) all over the scalp. The ‘Ozone’ treatment helps stimulate the hair follicles and encourage hair growth through its high frequency current. I felt the static during this treatment and found it pretty interesting as it was my first experience.

Following the ‘Ozone’ treatment, Hair Oil was applied to my scalp. A thorough massage of the scalp and shoulders was also performed to promote blood circulation. I liked that! It was invigorating.

I was told the Hair Oil is in fact a special concoction made up of various herbs and oils, and some of the key ingredients are ginger, coconut, olive, castor, and almond. The Hair Oil helps to promote hair growth and also acts as a stress reliever.

After the massage, the consultant/therapist used the steaming machine on my scalp, in order that the Hair Oil may penetrate the hair follicles.

After steaming, the consultant/therapist applied Neeta’s Herbal Amla Mix (which has been made into a rich paste) onto my scalp. Also called the scalp mask, this mixture of highly effective herbs helps to restore the scalp’s pH balance and promote hair strength and growth.

The mask was left on the scalp for about half an hour, and I wandered about the place reading materials on hair while I waited.

I was then asked to proceed to the shampoo booth, where the consultant/therapist washed the mask off my scalp and hair, and used Neeta’s Herbal hair products on me.

Further steaming was done on my scalp before the final drying, which was done using low heat on the hair dryer. This is to protect the scalp and hair from heat damage. I was told that all customers have to brush and style their own hair as Neeta’s Herbal does not provide such services.

Well, it was easy for me! I simply ran my fingers (“the original comb”) through my hair, put on my headband, and I’m done. :)

Following the treatment, we returned to the scalp analysis room for a post-treatment scan. This is the image captured post-treatment – I was rather surprised to see that my hair follicles appeared less clogged! The difference is pretty obvious, don’t you think? The tinier follicles can also be seen more clearly. It’s good to know that the follicles have been unclogged; that way, hair will grow!

Overall, I felt that the scalp treatment did me good – my scalp definitely felt cleaner, and no herbal scent lingered on my hair. I spent about two hours on the session; headed for lunch thereafter! (Speaking of that, I discovered several good lunch spots at Square 2.)

I believe that each scalp treatment costs SGD99; however, I saw a promotional sign at the entrance offering a trial at SGD59. In addition to individual treatments, Neeta’s Herbal also offers treatment and product packages. Do check with them on the rates! :) As with all treatments, one has to keep up with regular sessions for significant results.

I would like to thank Neeta’s Herbal for having me, and Ms Anee, Ms Sara and Ms Uma for being so friendly and patient while I asked them various questions about the treatment! I was given a complimentary bottle of Neeta’s Herbal Amla Shampoo, and I thought that was very sweet of them. :)

Visit Neeta’s Herbal at 10 Sinaran Drive, #B1-132, Square 2, Singapore 307506, or call them at 6397 6322 for more information.

Been to Neeta’s Herbal? Share your experience!

J

To kickstart the week, we look at something from the House of Pink - Soap & Glory! For those of us who will be celebrating the Lunar New Year in just two weeks, there’s still time to firm things up. ;) (And if you have not taken part in the blog’s New Year giveaway, it’s closing next Friday!)

Presenting, Slimwear - a triple-action peptide balm that helps to firm, tone and reduce the appearance of cellulite on “orange peel” areas.

To those of you who have been asking me, “Does it work?” – we’ll find out!

I bought my first tube of Slimwear sometime in September 2010 when Soap & Glory first arrived on our shores. This is quite obviously a long overdue post! :P

I must say that I really like the packaging – a soft plastic tube with a snap closure at its base, it’s really easy to get the product out.

I believe that orange peel skin affects even the slimmest of us, and it happens most commonly on the lower body. Problem!

Out of the tube, Slimwear is a gorgeous mint green gel that smells so refreshingly minty, you can’t help but keep sniffing. Hey Soap & Glory, make a Slimwear shower gel – wait, even better – a Slimwear body scrub! :)

To use, vigorously massage this puff-draining, cellulite-busting gel from the knees up toward your inner thighs (using “circular sweeping motions”, says Soap & Glory). For maximum absorption, do this immediately after stepping out of the shower in the morning. If you like, you can apply Slimwear twice every day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

The gel has a very light texture and gets absorbed by the skin easily. I’m usually able to get dressed a couple of minutes after application. It leaves the skin so fresh and delightfully minty, I can’t get enough of it.

My observation after two weeks of usage: skin feels softer and appears smoother, thighs appear sleeker. After using Slimwear, the dimpling seems to have become less severe. Which is actually pretty amazing, considering that a 200ml tube retails at just SGD21; there are many other formulas out there that cost about ten times more and don’t do a thing!

Some of you may ask, what is the difference then, between Slimwear and Sit Tight? Well, besides the difference in ingredients, Sit Tight also helps to firm, contour, smoothen and reduce the appearance of cellulite on the bottom, in addition to the thighs. Sit Tight is, as its name suggests, sit activated. So great for days when you’re cooped up in the office!

Slimwear targets the upper legs, knees, thighs and inner thighs, and is good for days when you’re on the go, running from place to place. While Sit Tight induces a heating sensation on the skin, Slimwear produces a cooling effect.

The verdict? Get both! You could use Sit Tight in the day and Slimwear at night. 

Be skirt-ready in a jiffy! And drink lots of water to get rid of water retention. :)

J

So I started the year by visiting the Science Centre! It’s been almost a year since my last visit; I’m glad I didn’t wait another decade to visit again. :P

When I first learnt of the Dinosaurs – Live! exhibition sometime last year, I knew I had to make time for it because Skye and I are both interested to learn more about dinosaurs. When we were kids, we pored over issues of Dinosaurs! and ate dinosaur-shaped gummies; now that we are considerably older, we are still fascinated by these ancient creatures that once walked our Earth. Dinosaurs – Live! features almost 50 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs nestled in their recreated habitats; naturally, we had to go!

I got us tickets! :) Dinosaurs – Live! is held at The Annexe. Each adult ticket is priced at SGD20 (or, if you’d also like to tour the Science Centre – you should! – there is a ticket package available for just SGD23).

Say hello to Rexy before you enter the exhibition! :)

I suggest you bring along a cardigan or jacket to this exhibition, because the air-conditioning is pretty powerful! Prepare yourself for darkness as you step in – the entire exhibition is shrouded in dim light, which creates a rather sinister atmosphere.

I was startled when I spotted the first exhibit – the Deinosuchus, a 15-metre long Crocodilian. It’s not a dinosaur, but it is ancient and extinct! Did you know that the Deinosuchus probably had a stronger bite than the Tyrannosaurus? Every exhibit moves and roars, and this one opens its mouth wide enough to swallow a kid. True to its name, which translates as “terrible crocodile”, the Deinosuchus is indeed terrifying.

Here’s the Spinosaurus, meaning “spine lizard”. Scientists thought that the tall spines on its back were either for show, or for regulating body temperature. Did you know that the high nostrils located near its eyes suggest aquatic or semi-aquatic behaviours, and that the Spinosaurus was probably more terrifying than the Giganotosaurus?

This is the lovely Maiasaura, meaning “caring mother lizard”. It is a plant-eating dinosaur, and was the first one to be found alongside its young, eggs and nests. :)

The Dilophosaurus (di for “two”, lophos “crest”, and saurus “lizard”) was named for its peculiar skull marked by two slim distinguishable crests.

Why, hello there! That’s baby Tyrannosaurus rex (popularly known as “T-Rex”) staring right at us. I’m sure no further introduction is necessary! :P

Accompanied by its parents on either side, the baby T-Rex appears every bit as ferocious as a full-fledged adult.

Despite having comically tiny arms, the roars of the T-Rex, coupled with its sheer height, are enough to intimidate you. I believe this to be Mama T-Rex, and you haven’t seen Papa yet!

I did this unintentionally while I was fiddling with my camera at the exhibition. 16 continuous shots of Papa T-Rex roaring. The T-Rex exhibit is probably my favourite. It kind of takes you by surprise – just as you reach the end of a section, the T-Rex family awaits in a veil of ominous red light.

As you tour the exhibition, don’t forget to look up! Besides those who once walked our Earth, there are also those who once roamed our skies. ;)

With its feathers, the Velociraptor actually reminded me of a chicken. Nevertheless, despite its fluffy exterior, you may want to watch out for its sharp teeth should you decide to reach out for a hug.

The Utahraptor, meaning “Utah’s predator” or “Utah thief”, certainly looks like the agile predator. Did you know that its sharp hind claws made it possible for the Utahraptor to prey on dinosaurs many times larger than itself?

Here comes the Triceratops! Known for its three horns, it was one of the first dinosaurs I learned about.

When I was a kid, almost all of the dinosaurs I drew resembled the Stegosaurus, with kite-like plates on their backs. Probably because it was very often featured in articles I read. Hehe!

What a large shadow! I swear I could almost hear a roar when I first laid eyes on this replica cast.

Great job with the dramatic lighting! It’s huge.

Triceratops again! Somehow still managing to look full of life… I guess Night At the Museum played a part. :)

I spent three hours touring the entire exhibition, and took hundreds of photos! I won’t be sharing all of the photos here with you, because I want you to experience the magnificence yourself! IMO, to preserve lighting effects, you should take all photos without flash.

Do download the Dinosaurs – Live! app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad to view some really cool 3D effects on dinosaur images found on the event brochure and stickers, or you could experiment with the image here, as I did.

This is a screenshot of the 3D effect on an iPad2. It’s an angry T-Rex! Cool huh?

Dinosaurs – Live! runs until 26 February 2012 at The Annexe, Science Centre. For more details, visit here. Also, show them some love by clicking “Like” on their Facebook page! 

Overall, it was a cool experience and I learnt so much. Go see the dinos and let me know what you think! Those of you who are planning to bring your kids along, check out the activity kiosks within the exhibition area, dino merchandise at the store near the ticketing counter, and the dino ride!

J

P.S. I wonder if they come to life at night? As in, for real?

It’s the first day of the first month of 2012, and in about three weeks’ time, we’ll be celebrating the Lunar New Year. :) I hope you’re enjoying the holiday!

By the way, I’m so happy to read all your messages and compliments on the new blog graphics! I updated the header, sidebar and background; I call this a more “sophisticated” take on my favourite things. As mentioned here, I have been wanting a coral, navy and mustard theme. I worked on the graphics with the three colours in mind, and it just happens that my favourite things fit very well into the colour scheme. I switched the striped background for houndstooth – one of my favourite patterns. I still love stripes, though – as you can see from my contact graphic. :)

To prepare for the New Year, I have been trying to destash as much as I can since sometime towards the end of last year – I desperately need space in my wardrobe, and room for walking!

During the destashing exercise, I also discovered forgotten gems, one of which is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Totally Turnlock Key Pouch.  This precious thing has been sitting in my wardrobe for a while - never got the chance to use it!  Wrapper, tag, box intact. Ah well. Such a beauty!

Made of sturdy yet buttery soft black leather and adorned with matte gold hardware, the Totally Turnlock Key Pouch is a great staple item to have.

To kickstart the year, I am giving this recovered gem to one of you. See, this blog has slowly evolved (and is continuing to evolve) to include topics other than beauty – fashion, lifestyle, and more to come. What better way to celebrate this evolution than holding a fashion-related giveaway? This is it!

The Totally Turnlock Key Pouch is flat and measures 6 inches by 3.5 inches. The turnlock on the pouch is just a decoration, i.e. it’s not functional and it’s designed to be that way. :) The pouch is surprisingly roomy – use it to store your cards, keys, a flash drive or two, lip gloss and other knick-knacks.

The back of the pouch is free from embellishments.

There is a key ring on a leather cord attached to the inside of the pouch.

The interior is lined with fabric bearing the cute Marc Jacobs signature jumble print.

Well, this is a must-have for any Marc by Marc Jacobs fan! Tempted yet?

To enter the giveaway, you just have to do the following from now until 11:59pm on 20 January 2012:-

• Become an email subscriber of the blog (subscribe by entering your email address at the sidebar, under the header “Follow Blog Via Email”); AND

• Share the link to this giveaway post on Facebook and/or Twitter. Each share entitles you to 1 entry. You may share as many times as you like – the more you share, the higher your chances of being picked!

After sharing the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter, simply send me an email at jadeisabelle[at]gmail[dot]com with (1) details of the email address which you used for subscription, and (2) a screenshot of your share(s).

At the end of the giveaway, I will pick the winner the usual old-fashioned way – I’ll write all of your names on individual strips of paper (according to the number of times you shared this giveaway), put the strips into a bag, close my eyes and draw one name!

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed Christmas! :)

As we embrace the remaining days of 2011, let’s reflect on what we’ve done over the last twelve months and prepare ourselves for the brand new dozen that will be upon us soon!

For me, 2011 has been a year of firsts and adventures, a year of challenges and self-realisation.

In this final week of 2011, I thought it would be fun to summarise my year. Here we go! ;D

January

Feasted my eyes on some of the most stunning haute couture gowns ever made by Valentino at my first fashion exhibition, picked up my long-neglected habit of reading and wrote my first book review, scored my first official advertisement, purchased my first pair of Chanel earrings.

February

Visited the Science Centre again after more than a decade, watched a movie in our local National Museum for the first time, got featured on Heme’s official website, contributed two articles to 8flo Lifestyle. 

March

Got featured on Bloggers.com, OneTrueFan, and in CLEO magazine, contributed an article to CozyCot, visited the new ArtScience Museum and saw a mummy in real life for the first time,  attended my second fashion exhibition at the National Museum (which included the Guitar Dress designed by Karl Lagerfeld himself).

April

Modelled for Benefit Cosmetics, attended my first fashion show, attended Benefit Cosmetics’ b.right! Radiant Skincare presentation, completed a superhero movie parody project, received an awesome parcel from Soap & Glory London HQ.

May

Held the blog’s second giveaway, won Kiehl’s Tried and Review Challenge, took Puck on a series of adventures (including to Thriller LIVE!), visited Tanjong Pagar Railway Station for the first time.

June

Went on my first olfactory journey at Chanel and bought my first Chanel perfume, bought my first Ferragamo headband.

July

The Blog turned ONE, contributed two articles to 8flo Lifestyle – one on how to score your dream job, and the other on toxic friendships, had lunch with the wonderful Roseanne Tang, received super touching contest entries to the Blog’s anniversary giveaway.

August

I turned 26, received a surprise birthday parcel from Soap & Glory London HQ, organised a birthday giveaway, purchased my first Chanel Wallet On Chain, received a surprise birthday parcel from Ratta, started reading on the Kindle. 

September

Returned to school, announced the winner of my birthday giveaway, received a surprise parcel from Graclyn.

October

Organised yet another giveaway, wrote a guest blog post on Plaidurday.com, got featured on Soap & Glory’s blog.

November

Purchased my first Chanel Mini Flap, my sister got married, received a surprise parcel from Simone.

December

Received a Christmas surprise from Renesmee, went on the Singapore Flyer for the first time, received a Tiffany & Co sterling silver apple charm from my sister for Christmas, made new resolutions.

Wow, what a year it has been! I can’t believe I did all of the above – it’s a lot to go through in one year, and that’s apart from my work. :)

Here’s a heartfelt THANK YOU and a BIG virtual hug to all of you who have been following this blog - I hope 2012 will be as good as (if not better than) 2011!

Finally, (*cue Auld Lang Syne*)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

J

Merry Christmas! Time really does fly! It seems like yesterday that I shopped for last year’s Christmas cards. This year, I went with humourous ones decked in glitter. :)

So, I resolved to do several things last December. Before we embrace 2012, I should revisit that list of resolutions and see if I kept to it!

Here’s the list I conjured last December.

1. Worry less, relax more

Did I worry less and relax more this year? Well, yes and no. I’m a natural worrywart. I did try to worry less, and sometimes I ended up worrying more. However, I did manage to leave the worries behind and relax on weekends! I used to worry 24/7, but I have since 2011 set a new rule – no worrying on weekends. That’s an improvement eh?

2. Complain less, appreciate more

I did come to realise that I am blessed in so many ways. Throughout the year, I have made various attempts to see the good in the bad. Many times, bad things are blessings in disguise. I believe that everything happens for a reason. At times, I allow myself to complain about stuff, and once I’m done complaining I try to not let the same issue affect me. Overall, I am much more appreciative of life now than I was last year.

3. Contemplate, contemplate, contemplate

Yes, I have contemplated numerous issues this year and in doing so, probably saved tons of money on the material front. I saved on bad wardrobe choices and unnecessary expenses, amongst other things. On the communications front, I saved many unnecessary verbal confrontations and other trouble by thinking before I speak.  Great improvement, I think!

4. Blog more

On the first day of 2011, I took up the Post a Week 2o11 challenge. I am proud to say that as at this moment, I have fulfilled the challenge. I have been blogging every week, sometimes more than once a week, and I intend to keep this up for 2012. I admit that I do feel uninspired and unmotivated at times, but there’s always something interesting for me to write about, things that I would like to share with you. Your support means lots to me!

5. Shop more

Oh yes I did! I bought lots of stuff. Here’s proof, proof, proof, and more proof! My style has pretty much evolved – you now see more dresses and cardigans in my wardrobe and less of jeans, skinny pants and tops. That’s because I found that dresses (especially those in bright colours) work better for me and are more versatile. I am also currently obsessed with the colours coral, navy and mustard, so I think I’ll be shopping more in 2012!

6. Go out more

Yup, did that! I’ve lost count of the number of events I attended this year. The few that I can recall offhand are here, here, here, here and here. Due to several reasons – work commitments, the need to repay sleep debt, have some time to myself – I found some difficulty saying yes  to every event I’ve been invited to. I have lost count of the number of times I said no! I think I did pretty well in 2011; while I don’t expect to keep up with the attendance in 2012, I will definitely try my best!

7. Smile more

I have made various attempts to smile more, but I have realised that I cannot be smiling 24/7,  for e.g. while typing away at my keyboard at work. I have also received several comments that I “look sad all the time” or “appear to be unhappy” when I put on my default expression – the poker face. I have decided that while I cannot be smiling like a dork at my computer screen, I can try to smile more at people I meet, so I did. I think it worked!

And I think I did pretty well for 2011, in terms of keeping to my resolutions. I have decided to keep the above resolutions for 2012. This time round, I’m going to add three more to the list! Pushing my luck huh. :P Well, here goes!

8. Spend more time with people who really matter to me

With everything that’s going on in my life, it’s a miracle I managed to keep up! As I go about my daily tasks, I sometimes neglect the people around me and I feel very bad about it. I have decided that I shall spend more time with these people and pay more attention to them.

9. Adopt the “If not now, then when?” motto 

Life is short! Too short. When faced with an opportunity, a challenge, or something that I’ve always wanted to do, I shall take it on, pronto. “If not now, then when?” seems an apt motto. ;) Of course, only if it is within my means to do so. No point killing myself, right? Gotta enjoy life.

10. Take things easy 

At any given time, there are approximately 7,527,753 things to be done. There are only 24 hours in one day. Of these 7,527,753 things, some can be done today, some can’t be done today, and some simply have to wait. I have decided that I shall recognise this, stop trying to get everything done within a specific time frame and just do my best. If it can be done, great. If not, I will not beat myself up over it.

With three new resolutions to the list, I now have ten of them! Let’s see how well I fare in 2012.

Along with these resolutions, are a few of the goals I hope to achieve in 2012:

1. A new blogskin 

I am obsessed! With the colours coral, navy, and mustard. I am thinking of doing up a new blogskin based on the three colours. Any ideas?

2. My own dot com

I have been thinking of making the blog JadeIsabelle.com for a while! That would be awesome, no? :)

3. Meet SpongeBob SquarePants

Haha, I know! SpongeBob is one of my favourite characters, ever.

I set new goals as I go along; the above list is definitely non-exhaustive!

How have you fared in 2011, and what have you planned for 2012? Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on how I spent the 12 months of 2011!

J

You wouldn’t believe how bad Monday was for me!

It rained the entire weekend, and continued to pour on Monday morning as I headed to work. I must have been on the road when I dropped one of my Chanel earrings! :’(

I didn’t even realise it until after I had reached the office. Of course I had to go hunt for it in the rain. And so I went along the path I took, but I was unable to locate it. I was very upset. After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that I could have lost a lot more than an earring – I could have slipped, fallen, injured myself, or – worst-case scenario – died. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and this could be a blessing in disguise.

I had wanted to purchase a pair of earrings from Chanel’s latest collection a few weeks ago, but for some reason I didn’t. If I did, I could have ended up losing a brand new earring. With positive thoughts, I embraced the rest of Monday with a smile.

Actually, I think I may not buy a replacement pair. I would probably put the money towards something else – another Ferragamo headband perhaps? I’d like that. :)

Anyways, I wanna show you what my sister got me for Christmas! :)

So we have here the nice little blue felt pouch! Ready?

Oh wait, let me show you the sweet handwritten note from her! :)

Okay, here we go – it’s the apple charm I’ve always wanted! :) I put this on my wish list a while back, and my sister went ahead and bought it for me as a Christmas gift. Thank you, Sis, for being the wonderful person that you are.

You must be wondering why I chose the apple charm, of all charms. When I asked Skye if he knew why I wanted the apple charm, he went, “Err… Twilight?” - haha!

Let me explain.

I’m sure all of us grew up listening to fairy tales, and everybody knows the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Which leads us to… the famous poisoned apple. Snow White fell dead simply by taking a bite of the poisoned apple, which the evil Queen offered. At first, Snow White was hesitant about taking the apple, but ate it after the Queen took the first bite. Basically, Snow White was cajoled into eating the apple. And that led to her unfortunate demise.

I chose the apple charm because I have had enough of being put in a disadvantageous position by some people. Many times, I allowed myself to agree to do certain things or be put in situations wherein I ended up helping others and yet was the first to be blamed should things go wrong. I get treated a certain way due to my age, or for whatever reason only those who treat me negatively can tell you.

Charms are supposed to symbolise something important in one’s life, and this charm reminds me that I should never, ever sacrifice myself for those who don’t deserve the favour. The charm, an uneaten apple, also symbolises self-protection (i.e. I did not take a bite out of that apple, and I will not allow myself to be cajoled into doing so) and  the freedom to choose. Okay, and that bit of Twilight applies as well. :)

Having said all that, it is a gorgeous charm, isn’t it? :) My sister had to buy the hook separately though. When the hook is removed, this charm also functions as a pendant.

I hooked the apple charm onto my round tag bracelet. This bracelet was given to me by Skye on Valentine’s Day in 2007. I have had this for about five years now! :)

Don’t they look cute together? When I get more charms eventually, I’m going to space them out and attach them to the other parts of the bracelet.

Do you like Tiffany charms too?

J