The 50% Mrs. Yong

Yes the other 50% remains as Ms Ooi for now since we have yet to complete the Chinese tea ceremony. *que the conservative self

17.8.2013 marks our 8th anniversary and that's why we had decided to have our ROM done on this special day. I think it's kinda convenient to have these special days all fall on the same date so there wouldn't be too many dates to remember lolol.

The proposal ring from Mont Blanc.

The boy proposed on our 7th anniversary and a year passed by in just the blink of an eye. Back then we were not even sure when we will officially get married but everything slowly fell into places after we booked the venue for the wedding dinner out of no choice. 

I knew you were curious. Let me explain to you how out of no choice it was haha.

There aren't much choices of wedding reception venues in JB and the popular ones generally require advance booking of AT LEAST A FREAKING YEAR before the actual wedding date. Of course i was referring to those auspicious dates which fall on weekends during end of the year since under normal circumstances nobody would hold their weddings in a week days on which friends and relatives have to work and have schools to attend. Anyway we were not even intended to get married this year to begin with but after a casual visit to the venue in January, the fact that their Oct-Dec slots were almost all taken up totally freaked us out.

That situation was exactly the manifestation of book-now-or-regret-later case. T_T 

We got so panicked and had no choice but to start thinking about if we would like to get married in 2013. We always wanted the wedding to be on 17th of the month and we realised if the coming 17th Nov was missed, we would have to wait until Oct 2015 as none of the 17th in Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 2014 falls on weekends. 

And apparently 2 more years was way tooooooo long to go. Also we were lucky enough to have 17th Nov 2013, which is a Sunday, available so we quickly reserved the slot after making sure that it is not an inauspicious day for marriage.

Yeah so that's how we fixed the wedding date.

Once we've decided to get married this year, the next issue coming next is none other than the ROM. Again, when is better than our anniversary? That special day is still the best option to mark the start of another brand new relationship so we went around different institutions that offer ROM service and finally secured the ROM slot at Hokkien Huay Kuan, Johor Bahru.

The price to pay for getting ROM done on 17.08.2013 is a hefty RM200. T____T

Definitely the most expensive option for a norma weekend i would say as such service usually costs only RM80 on a normal weekend; RM120 on weekdays; and as high as RM180 for having ROM on special dates like Valentine's Day or 09/09 or 10/10 etc.

Oh well. (´･_･`)

ROM date settled. Next? The wedding band!

There are wide variety to choose from so the boy and I actually struggled for a long while before deciding on the right one. I have always been dreaming of having Cartier wedding band ever since i knew of its existence. "Wedding band should be from Cartier," i thought. No reason is ever needed. I don't like it for its brand name and fame but for the classiness it is able to bring out. It will remain classy even 10 or 20 or 50 years later.

BUT.

I was so hesitant due to the hefty price tag... The price is probably two times of those you can get from normal jewellery shop so i was not so sure if Cartier would be the right choice though. Tried googling for the price but there were SO MANY prices we did not know which one was correct. Someone said it costs S$2k EACH and upon seeing that i totally gave up the idea of getting Cartier already. I knew we simply could not afford having a wedding band that costs a good S$4k. Just as i was so troubled by the price the boy told me he just made a call to Cartier and found out it costs S$1360 each.

WHY DID I NOT THINK OF CALLING? Human being like me nowadays are so tech-savvy they forget the most original method of seeking answer: open your mouth and ask.

=_________________________=

S$1,360 each. It was definitely above our budget but..... i really really liked it so the boy gave the green light! (⌒▽⌒) And that day was 27th June.

We rushed to the Cartier boutique at Ngee Ann City the very next day because we saw from internet that it may take as long as 2 months for Cartier to get the ring shipped from Paris in the event that the size wanted goes out of stock. Apparently we could not afford waiting for 2 months so we quickly went down in hope to secure the rings.

Fortunate enough, the sizes we wanted were available but they would need to get it from the other boutique at Ion Orchard. We were told to have a walk around the shopping mall and return in a while before the rings were delivered. 

What you got for S$2,720 T__________T

 The certificate.

The cleaning kit.

The classic red box. (｡♥‿♥｡) 

We picked the Love Wedding Band in pink gold. ❤❤❤

Wedding band is slightly thinner in width as compared to the normal love ring.

The boy and i have rather slim fingers so it fits perfectly without looking odd.

Love love love the ring much!

Considering the life span of this ring, it's definitely worthwhile. :)

Ok next. ROM bouquet.

Went to a floral shop and was browsing through the hand bouquet images. Spotted a semi-sphere bouquet that i really liked but later found out it uses about 40 roses so that can be quite expensive. Oh well :(. After some discussions we settled for the bouquet with 18-19 roses which would look something like this:

It was only for a 30 minutes event so i thought I could just make do with any nice bouquet. 

I was expecting to receive something like the image but it turned out.....

MY SEMI-SPHERE BOUQUET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O :O :O

It. was. so. beautiful. T_T

Although it wasn't the one as agreed, it was quite heart-warming that the florist seemed to have remembered what i wanted and tried to deliver it as much as they can. THANK YOU. T_T

Now i am thinking of going back to them for my actual day bouquet already. Good effort. lolol

ROM day:

my beautiful BFF. The ceremony wouldn't be complete without her. <3 p="">

DONE! 

 ♥

♥♥♥♥♥

It feels so unreal that we are officially husband and wife now. Best part? The transition took only 15 minutes to occur. 

T____________T

Anyway, I am definitely feeling blessed and will be forever grateful for everything. ♥

Til the next.

how do i live without u, 11.31pm

Beauty Aids

Hello! Ya i'm still alive no worries. anybody missed me here?

*que the awkward silence.

=_________________________=

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I have been busy with my secret project so haven't had time to look after this small corner. I will definitely share it here once it's ready to see the world. :D

Today I'm gonna share with you guys some beauty good buys! I have been wanting to blog about them especially when I saw them while getting my face washed lol. These stuffs are the products that I have personally tried and found them worth the money paid. Having that said, I have to emphasise that every individual has varying skin conditions hence what works well for me might not be suitable for you. 

Perfect Whip by Senka

The idea of using foam to cleanse the face seems to be very popular recently. This product claims to create very fine 'mochi foam', which is so fine that it is even tinier than the pore size hence able to achieve thorough cleansing. 

It has been very highly raved about because it is so good yet affordable! You wouldn't believe it costs only NT99 in Taiwan, which is equivalent to about RM10!!! What a steal. Senka products are also available in Malaysia but the pricing are much higher. Anyway despite that they are more expensive here, the pricing is still relatively low as compared to cleansing products from other brands.

This is really good in my opinion. You can feel that your face is really clean after rinsing without having any tight feeling. The only down size is that it takes a while to create the foam hence you will not want to spend your precious morning time playing with this foam lolol.

The foam! Achieved by about 1cm of the Perfect Whip + drops of water + whipping action.

That whipping action is crucial else you may take even longer time to get this foam. As the name suggests, you are supposed to use 'whipping' action to create the foam rather than keep on rubbing your palm like how you normally do to get foams.

If you have plenty of time, you will enjoy this process! The foam is really fine and smooth and bouncy!

It wouldn't drop even when you flip your hand upside down!

I did not flip my hand completely in order to get sufficient light for photo-taking purpose lol.

Foaming Wash by Curél

I bought this from Taiwan at NT480. It was nowhere seen in JB but i spotted it in Singapore at around S$30+. IT. IS. SO. PRICEY. :(

The foam is dense and it also cleanses my face thoroughly without leaving it feeling tight. Non-drying too!

I hope Watson's Malaysia will bring Curél in soon!

Detergent for Sponge and Puff by Daiso

This detergent is super effective in cleaning sponges, puffs and also make-up brushes!!! Really, really, really, really,......, really good. By the number of really i used you should know it is really good. loll

For cleaning sponge or puff, I would usually just pour this detergent directly onto the wet sponge or puff and then squeeze them gently and the remaining foundations will then be removed almost instantly! However, it's still best to wash the sponge soon after you use to ensure thorough removal of all remaining foundation. It may not be effective for sponge/puffs that has been left used but unwashed for weeks. 

As for the brush, add a generous amount and dilute it with water so as not to damage the bristle. When washing, just gently swirl the brush in water to remove the remaining make-up products. When the water turns cloudy, pour it away and add some more detergent and water then swirl the brush in water again. Repeat this until the water does not turn cloudy and then rinse the brush with clean water.

Just buy a few bottles when you go to Daiso. Value-for-money and satisfaction guaranteed!

Girls, please remember to wash your make-up tools regularly else the germs may grow on it to cause pimples or breakouts!!!!

Mild Cleansing Oil by Fancl

Best. Make-up. Remover. Ever.

I knew the Shu Uemura cleansing oil is famous too but i find it difficult to emulsify so i didn't really like it. This remove any waterproof mascara really easily and emulsifies so much faster!

The downsides are that it is really pricey, S$33 per bottle and it lasts for only 120days once open since it does not contain preservatives. Hence ladies who hardly put on make-up may not want to buy this as it will go expired before hitting bottom thus wasting money.

Fret not! I've found another awesome alternative:

I've just started using this weeks ago and it was like OH MY GOD IT IS SO GOOD.

It is like the cheaper and more long-lasting version of Fancl but with more runny texture than that of Fancl. #true-story

Except that my eyes got irritated by it quite easily so i can't use this to remove inner-eyeliner since the cleansing oil will definitely get in touch with my eyes. It's fine for mascara as long as i shut my eyes tight so it does not get in lolol.

Really good and affordable! Go get it from Watsons.

top-bottom:

Concealer Brush by Skinfood

Eyeliner Brush by Etude House

Ultra-fine Eyeliner Brush by Etude House

These are the brushes i have been using for a while. I used the concealer brush for concealing my dark circle and it works pretty well. So does the eyeliner brush. Both bristles allow smooth and easy application to achieve desired looks.

As for the eyeliner brush by Etude House, I actually used it as a concealer to concealer my pigmentation / marks due to pimples. It is good for concealing small area as the application is precise and the quantity of concealer applied can be well-controlled too.

Pricing wise, Skinfood one was RM20+; Etude House ones were below RM20.

okie that's all! I hope they are informative and useful for you. :)

how do i live without u, 12.49am

7 Years and 10 months and counting

It was 17th of the month again!

Just in case you are new to this site, the boy and i celebrated every 17th of the month, which is the day we are officially attached. It is not glamorous party or other elaborated forms of celebration that i was talking about, but just a simple day we spent together with maybe better foods or short trips or other stuff that we don't usually do.

the boy and i went to the much anticipated Delicious for brunch to kick start the wonderful day!

Located at the rooftop of City Square.

 

Spotted red velvet cake!!

Kinda miss the pavlova cake i had had years ago but i had no stomach space to accommodate it after the meal. TOO FULL. T_T

awwwwww lemon meringue tart and lava cake!! 

Did i mention that the cakes are going at 50% after 9pm? (Sunday to Thursday only T_T)

They were having this 2-course Set Lunch promo for weekday and Set Brunch for weekend. We hardly had chance to enjoy this kind of weekday promo hence we gave up the brunch set and settled with this.

For RM24.90++ you get either soup or dessert with a main course of your choice.

Ice lemon tea and sugar syrup. DIY for your own preferred sweetness!

I liked the lemon tea as it really tasted like tea rather than those commonly-served ones which taste like sugar syrup in lemon flavour. If you get what i meant.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Parmesan Cheese and Truffle Oil

Liked the soup! Although i could not taste the truffle oil at all but the addition of cheese made it really creamy and pumpkin-y.

Duck Confit Spaghettini

I was expecting the whole duck confit so was kinda disappointed when it was served this way. The duck confit itself had not been well done and the noodle was quite dry too.

Homemade Pesto Spaghettini

This would be a highly-recommended dish!!!!!!!!

It was my first time trying pesto and i did not know pesto sauce is so good! So rich and creamy and the flavour just burst and lingered in your mouth.

MUST-TRY!!!!!!!

with additional Grilled Chicken at RM9.90++

The pasta was a plain one so you were given the option of additional grilled chicken at extra cost. Seriously i could not tell it was a grilled chicken coz the flavour was quite bland.

IMO you could just go with the plain pasta and it was good enough on its own.

Banoffee Tart

Not so nice. :(

I would prefer a more toffee-ish banoffee tart but this apparently was not one. It was basically a tart with thick layer of cream on top of the banana chunk with toffee layered at the bottom.

I bet it would taste much better with more toffee! 

Couple with stomach full of foods is happy couple!

After that we headed to Setia Tropika to apply for registration of marriage. 

ie. apply for permission to get married -_-

I have no idea prior to this that you will need to register first before you can get married. All i thought was going to somewhere which offers ROM service and make your vows in front of a Marriage Commissioner and sign the marriage certificate and that's it. =______________________=

Luckily it was quite straightforward though. Just get a queue number to obtain this form, fill it up and get a Commissioner for Oath to sign. After that bring it back to the officer from whom you got this form. The officer will then sign on it and that's it! Of course not without a fee too. This registration cost RM20 and we also paid RM25 the Commissioner for Oath (and the runner).

You might be wondering where the runner came from. LOL

What happened was, we went to the shop nearby to look for Commissioner for Oath but ran into a Malay man in crumpled top and bermuda shorts (!), who was about to light up a cigarette and have his own sweet time chillax. He saw us and asked if we were getting married and we said yes without any doubt. This guy then took the form and directed us into a shop to get seated. After he filled up our particulars in the section for the Commissioner for Oath, he told us to wait for a while and then walked away. And you know what? In 10 minutes' time that guy came back with the form signed.

=_______________________________=

So we did not even meet the Commissioner for Oath nor make any pledge at all before we could get the signature. The malay guy aka the runner had it done for us instead.

????!!!!!!

What's the point of this whole Commissioner for Oath thing then???

Perhaps the Commissioner for Oath really have faith in all the wedding couples that he 100000% believes they are genuinely serious about this marriage thingy since nobody would spend their precious time doing all these nonsense for fun. Hence making pledge in front of the Commissioner for Oath to show your sincerity is totally not necessary but needed for formality purpose. Therefore we just have to pay the fee and get what we want without following the actual procedures.

=_______________________________=

Now come to think of it, i had no idea why we did not even clarify if that malay guy was a Commissioner for Oath before following him and even did whatever we were told. -.-

The boy and i believed that the part of the RM25 we paid for actually went to the Malay guy's pocket, for his kind assistance on getting things done without having us to go up-and-down.

And then it was dinner at Matterhon!

Table setting with linen napkin.

And the atas Acqua Panna that cost RM9.90 was the only water they served. So i brought the bottle home lolol.

I thought it would make a nice vase. Right? :D

Porchini Mushroom Soup with Truffle Oil. RM15.90

I love anything with truffle! lolol

This was a special dish that day so it was not in the standard menu.

It was really good and SUPER HUGE!!!!!!!!

Look at this:

and mind you, the bowl was not a shallow one.

I was already half full when it was finished. T______________T

Chicken Bratwurst with Butter Grilled Potato RM24.90

This was from the Appetiser section as we would be sharing the main course.

It was not as good as pork bratwurst but i liked the grilled potato! It was slight charred at the skin but was pretty delicious.

Chicken Ala Kiev RM33.90

It was deep fried chicken stuffed with seafoods, kinda like chicken cordon bleu.

Very crispy and creamy, indeed good for sharing as it would be too cheesy and creamy for one person (with normal appetite).

Not to forget the crispy-outside-mashy-inside giant fries! The boy said it should be called potato wedges lolol.

With scallop! but only 1 piece. -_-

This dish was not really exceptionally good and it did not leave me with deep impression too.

The overall dining experience was good as the ambience was awesome. I would categorize it in between a casual and fine dining place. Food wise, the price was at the high side for the foods they provide.

But i will go back for the soup though. Really loved it!

****** ****** ******

It was a Monday night so the boy still got to work the next day. He sent me home straight after dinner since the hazy weather did not allow any outdoor activity.

Speaking of haze, thank God that the haze has gone away for good! Please do not ever come back again. :(

So that's all for the 94th months of love. Two more month before we enter the new phase of life together. :)

how do i live without u, 12.19am