Tuesday 29 May 2012

Small Victories

Yesterday, I happened to work in a different office. On my way home, I decided to drop by some stores to see what they have, and first stop was the Gap store. No, no, just to look around, I swear. I haven't forgotten that I'm still $2.88 over for the month of May, and there's still 2 days left in the month,  a fact I'm highly aware of.

So there I was, just browsing, when I happen to see the same dress I bought last month now on clearance. Practically half the (sale) price I paid for! Ach!



My brain, obviously, started churning. I haven't worn the dress as yet. It's still in the same shopping bag, for crying out loud. Yes, I do love this dress, believe it or not, but I thought, why should I settle for a higher price seeing how much it costs now. Needless to say, I got the same exact dress on clearance. And what did I do when I got home? Why, walked back out again and returned the same dress with a higher tag. HAH!

Having done so, I'm happy to say that April's shopping tally has now been readjusted to $128.85, instead of $145.32, which makes April's shopping only over by $28.85.

Small victory, no?

Then, on my way back after that exchange, what do I see on the window of the bookstore nearby? "Buy 3 and get the 4th free". The same bookstore where I happened to have bought 3 books over the weekend! Gah! Again, my brain started churning. In I walked to the store and talked to a staff about my teensy-weensy predicament. She then told me to bring my purchase back. Which I happily did. Walked out of that store (a second time, or is it third by now?), with 4 books. HAH!

Again, small victory, no?

{Un}Fortunately for me, these places happen to be all walking distance. 2 additional trips to carry out above transactions. Would I have gone to the same trouble if it was otherwise? Maybe not. Was it all worth it in the end? I think so.

Such is my exciting life, eh? HAH!

Sunday 27 May 2012

Sunny Day, Sunny Day, Turned Out to be a Sunny Day

Friday. Sunny day. I'd say the first sunny hot day of the year. Perfect timing. A bunch of us decided to meet last minute after work, seeing that it was such a beautiful day.

English Bay

Bellini (Milestones)

... more Bellini:p

California Spring salad

And since it was still early when we left the resto, and there was still time before the real dinner with hubs, our same bunch decided to walk a bit. We ended up at Ayoub's Dried Fruits and Nuts.

an array of nuts (I love their "containers")

Lime, saffron and salt pistachios
... love the colors! Look like tiny rose petals

Ended up getting these...

Sugar honey nuts
(hubs said that's like describing me and sisses... who's the sugar?
who's the honey? and who's the nuts? I wonder... hehehe)

Dried veg (okra)... yum!

I could have probably stayed in that store for hours, just examining everything they have. I like the homey feel of the place with a touch of exotic...

I didn't think the weekend would come fast enough, but luckily, it did.

Saturday. Sunny day. I knew it was going to be another gorgeous day. And despite not having any real plans for the weekend, I was sure of one thing. That there's gonna be a walk on the Seawall. Apparently, I wasn't the only one with the same idea.

...heading toward Sunset Beach (a route I've taken so many times,
but only noticed for the first time)

... heading back, towards English Bay (and yes, those are people)

B-e-a-u-tiful day indeed!

Sunday. Turned out to be a sunny day. Didn't think it would be. Again, another day with no plans. So, just kinda' ended up at the bookstore.

... summer reads (on sale!), and a side of  Mocha Cookie Crumble Frap:p

I happen to be one of those people who prefer light reading in the summer. The more mindless, the better (no offense to anyone), especially taking work into consideration. Bios, serious lits and enlightening ones may just have to wait in the Fall...

Am I ready for the summer or what! HAH!


Thursday 24 May 2012

It's a MATTEr of Choice

This trend has come and gone, and I'm just getting in on it. O well...

Sephora by OPI Matte top coat

Whatever, I say.

I love this matte effect! Something about the "dull" look just talks to me...

Rimmel in Steel Gray

I'm not really a mani kinda' gal (obviously, judging from the "quality" of my work). Yet, I have tons of nail polish. What's up with that?

I do get it done professionally every now and then, but I just seem to chip them nails as soon as I leave the nail place, that every now and then even feels one time too many... Now, pedi, that's a different story...

Hmmm, which color to try next with this matte look...



Tuesday 22 May 2012

Those Were the Days

As I was folding the laundry the other day, got me focusing on the tags on some of them (not sure why). One of them being my cardi, a black unassuming piece of clothing, an item so old I honestly don't remember how long I've had it. And I was kinda' surprised when I read what I read.

Express Tricot(?) cardi


Made in Australia. How cool is that! Guess you can kinda' tell how old this cardi is looking at the tag, but you'll never think it's that old (I think so anyway).

Which then got me thinking, then looking at some of my older pieces I have that, again, I don't remember how long I've had, but I still wear to this day.

BR sweater

Made in Canada. I guess this is from the time when Canada still had a garment industry, albeit dying. This is a sweater that used to belong to hubs. Yes, used to, as he no longer wears it, because someone else started using it hehe If I recall correctly, I may have given this to him on an occasion. Super comfy, especially around winter time.

Gap striped shirt

Made in HongKong. I guess when things made in HongKong were still the norm. Notice the old Gap logo? I love love this shirt. The cotton is thick and comfy.

...more Gap stuff

Made in Mariana Islands. I remember a time when my mom would tell me to look for this specifically because she thought the clothes were made well if made from this place, be it Gap, Ann Taylor, Jones New York, or whatever...

CK jeans

Made in Mauritius. Ok, this item is not as old as the others, but I thought it's still interesting, considering I don't think any of my other newer clothes are made in that country anymore (someone actually pays attention to those details? I do, evidently). But then again, I could be wrong.

AY! Those were the days, I suppose. I'm under no illusion that these pieces are vintage. I just find it fascinating, that's all.

And I may have just completely aged myself, but who cares. Maybe it's not my clothes that are vintage. Maybe I am the vintage. HAH! Again, who cares... hehe

Sunday 20 May 2012

Little Things

Things that made me smile this week past (and they're all about food *grin*)...

Pork and chicken schnitzel

Potato salad

I know it's not the most imaginative dish, but sometimes, a simple dish is what the day calls for.

Oven roast turkey breast (from the deli) with lettuce, sweet onion,
tomato, alfalfa sprouts and avocado on a 12-grain bread

And sometimes, a nice hearty full-of-goodness sandwich is what satisfies during one of those late nights.

Roasted rack of lamb, roasted sweet potato and asparagus
Rib steak, baked potato and broccoli casserole
Ribs in souvlaki marinade with pasta sauce and
honey garlic bbq sauce

Leftovers. I'm not embarrassed at all when I say I love leftovers. Sometimes left as is, and sometimes not. Sometimes, combined together to form a totally new dish.


And best of all... especially on a rainy day like today...

clamshell strawberries


*burp*

HAH!


Thursday 17 May 2012

Online Shopping

For all sorts of reasons in my head, never really been a big fan of online shopping. Weird, I know. Especially in this day and age!

For the first time ever though (yes, first time! cray cray!), I caved in. Damn you irresistable sale price! And color/style too, of course! hehe



Was it worth it? Uhmm, ya-ah!

Vintage Matchstick Skinny Leg cord in Dusty Clay

First, the item is not even available at the local J Crew (which incidentally just opened last month), which I could understand since it's not of the current stock. Second, I was looking (yes, looking) for pants in pastel shade. Third, one word, clearance! The same style of pants, albeit different fabric, is being sold in store for $115. Ok, I know I've paid more for some of my jeans, but for what I'm looking for, couldn't really see myself shelling out that kinda' dough. And last and definitely not least, it fits me nicely, yay!

... I say ignore the bunching; it was the angle, I swear:p

I may have mentioned it in the past, I'm the type of shopper who likes to touch/feel fabric, and I'm usually all about instant gratification when it comes to shopping. But for this one, I thought I could forego those feelings temporarily.

Will I do it again? Who knows. Slippery slopes...

Which now brings me to my budget "goal" (yes, in " ", I admit, seeing my lack of success so far, but who wants to focus on the negative). This pair costed me $36.82 (with taxes + shipping), which now means my shopping expenditure for the month comes to $102.88. So, that's $2.88 over so far, mid-month... Hmmm, where have I heard that line before?

14 more days to go... slippery slopes... 14 more days to go...


Tuesday 15 May 2012

Hit or Miss

Last weekend's shopping excursion resulted in purchase of 3 items, see previous post. But deciding on those 3 items took lots a bit of trying out stuff. {Un}Fortunately, I happen to be one of those gals who have the patience to go through the whole process of trying numerous (as in numerous) pieces to see what works for me.

Take the last shopping trip, for example. For a couple of hits (in my head, that is)...

Purchased: the cardi and the skirt (shirt, my own)

... are lots of misses.

Miss #1 (and #2):



I call this the bathrobe-gone-wild dress. (See the striped item behind me? That's actually another (maxi) miss hehe, the material is so poor, the lining was clinging to me like crazy)

Miss #3:



I call this the tribal-gone-Golden-Girls maxi dress.

Miss #4:



I call this the floral-wanna-be-16-again dress.

Miss #5:



I call this the neon-ready-to-fly dress.

Miss #6 and #7:



I guess it's bad enough that I looked like a horizontal inflated celery stick with that sweater (on clearance or not, I care not), I had to pair it with tan maxi skirt. I call the result a tree-on-a-hippie-trip look.

HAH!

Who's my worst critic? Me, that's who! Rightfully so, I readily admit, in some of these outfits.

Was that a waste of time for me? Definitely not. At the end of these kinds of experiences, I learn what works for my body. I learn that some pieces are better left to some people. I learn that some outfit experiments can either go awry really fast or make you smile in an instant just because you know you look fab in it. Live and learn, right?


Sunday 13 May 2012

Momma's Day

Last week just went by so fast, I tell ya.

First, I guess it took me practically the whole week to recover from that (very) late night movie last Sunday. Even though my mind thought it was doable, my body clearly didn't. Second, I ended up taking on more than I thought I was going to at work. Kinda' by choice, and kinda' not. But who wants to talk about work...

One good thing from last week, we finally managed to do our blood donation as planned. And to reward ourselves afterward, we went for some good old-fashioned burgers.


Red Robin


Gotta' replenish after all, no? hehe


The Banzai Burger
(Marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple,
Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo...)


Before I knew it, Friday's come...

Yesterday was just a gorgeous day. And what do I do when it's beautiful outside? Why, shop of course! HAH! Oh, is it just me?

Well, the sunny day made me think of the summer days to look forward to, which got me thinking summer dresses and skirts and warm colors...

Calvin Klein cropped cardi, $16 (on clearance!
love the tiny ruffling),
inspired by her

For Cynthia linen skirt, $29.99
(the straw belt was a nice bonus but I will switch that,
for sure)... finally caved in to some linen

Raj 100% cotton scarf, $12.99 (love the stars!)

(All items from Winners)

So, Saturday's excursion has brought this month's shopping to $66.06 thus far. Not bad, I say. Not bad, until I receive the pants I ordered from J Crew, that is. Well, I haven't gotten them in my hands just yet, so until then...

And for Saturday dinner, I seem to be in some kind of pasta kick of weekends late.

Spinach fettucine with chicken breast in cream sauce

Can't be all about my food all the time after all. Hubs gotta' represent too, I suppose...

And today was another gorgeous day indeed! Fitting weather to celebrate Moms. Although celebrating it only in thoughts on my side of the coast, sending all my thoughts and love to my momma' on the other side. And to sis. And to all my mom friends. And, of course, to all other moms out there...



Monday 7 May 2012

Late Night Movie

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm saying it now. I'm a BIG fan of the movie, Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr., hel-lo!!! So, with The Avengers having come out just this last weekend, it went without saying that I we just had to see the movie. Movie theatre for us, these days, is an on-and-off affair. For this movie, it was obviously on the on side.

By the end of last week, hubs and I couldn't decide if we should watch it on Saturday or Sunday night. Saturday night became out of the question when it occurred to me that I was still in my jammies by early afternoon *embarrassed grin*. And since the plan for the whole evening, which included dinner, kinda' hinged on us watching the movie, which we ended up not doing, kinda' had to scramble around to make dinner. Thank god for Boursin! Hah!



This was inspired by this recipe I came across online.



Yummm!!!

Sunday then came. Didn't tell hubs but I came pretty close to changing my mind about the movie. (What is wrong with me, I'm getting lazy even for fun stuff *sigh*). And of course, ever the procrastinator, didn't set out on buying the movie tix until the early afternoon.

Why? Because thought I'd dilly-dally around town first, seeing that it was such a beautiful day.




Although did kinda' pay a price for that dilly-dallying. Serves me right for waiting last minute! We wanted to try the new Ultra 3D in the theatre, which I later learned has reserved seating, which I found out had barely any seats left for the screening time we want. And that's how we ended up with the 11 PM screening.



With what we paid for the ticket, darn right the seating should be reserved. And darn right those new seats lean back and are comfy.

The movie itself? Worth every penny!!! Totally satisfied the 8-year old boy in me, HAH!

(This morning, however, after managing to only get 4 hours of sleep, was a totally different story, but that's neither here nor there.)

Anyhoot, since our movie was on the tad late side, one good thing that came out of that was I had time to make dinner.

Hubs is a big fan of stuffed peppers, which I guess takes him back to his childhood. And I am not, unfortunately. So when I found this recipe from one of my regular reads, I knew I've found a happy medium.



I suppose I really should say that what I made was inspired by that dish. Had to tweak it a bit since I don't have the exact ingredients hehe. Regardless, it was another yummm!!!

I think imma go to bed now... O wait, dinner first. HAH!


Saturday 5 May 2012

Nature of the Beast, I Mean, Bird, I Mean, Human

Standing in our balcony, hubs and I couldn't help but notice the birds going about with their business.



We hear chirping, non-stop. Good chirping, that is. Chirping that's music to your ears.



And on the tree, next to where these creatures are, was this lone one, of different kind.



It's fascinating, just watching the dynamics happening right before our eyes.

Just like most humans, the birds of the same breed sat in one tree while the one that's different set itself apart in another.

Just like what most humans would do, the birds seemed to have marked their territory.

Just like most humans, the one that's different which is clearly of a smaller breed (but then again, maybe it was a baby bird hehe) appears to be not wanting to mingle with the bigger ones. Its reason? Oh, I can think of a few if you give me some time. Hah!

Talk about anthropomorphizing.

But how can you not when you watch long enough and notice how their actions and behaviors mimic those of humans. Or is it the other way around?

Animal actions are more rooted to their base needs, no, whereas humans' can have a psychological twist to it. But then again, acting like animals, so to speak, are not beneath humans.


Hmmm...

... I have way too much time on my hand, it seems...


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