DimSumDolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

Log 'N Roll

I REALLY think I should be given a VIP card by G.O.D. I've certainly gotta be their best customer 'cos once again, I've bought something. I went into G.O.D. yesterday with the intention of buying some gifts for some people (which I did do) but I also happened to see this extremely cute kitchen towel dispenser.

I DID walk away from it, telling myself that I didn't need it. But its cute factor was too hard to resist - I ended up backtracking and picking it up. So as the roll become smaller, the squirrel and the plant will go lower and lower. When you don't see them anymore, it's time to replace the roll. I know, it's a lame purchase, but what the heck!

Dimsum Clock

I couldn't resist buying this clock when I saw it at GOD, one of my favourite shops in Hong Kong. Before moving here, every time I visit Hong Kong, I would always end up buying something. This time wasn't any exception. I love their stuff that always has a very distinctive Hong Kong flavour. The designs are modern and stylish, yet traditional at the same time. I just HAD to have this clock - it's something that DimSumDolly can't walk away from! The clock now hangs on one side of my tiny studio flat.

Fook Yew T-shirt

I'm not normally a fan of the clothing line New Urban Male but I find their Lust Supper series in their vintage line really cute! It's cheeky and smart and has a lot of local flavour - in more ways than one!

I helped good friend, A, get this shirt and shipped it to Australia. He spotted the T-shirt while he was here on holiday but they didn't have this particular one when he was here. Later I saw the last piece in the outlet located at The Cathay and promptly bought it for him. There are T-shirts for Bak Kut Teh, Chwee Kueh, Ang Ku Kueh etc.

Check out more of the T-shirts out at their website.

Carrot & Chicken Keychains

Couldn't resist buying these two keychains when I saw them at the toy shop situated on the first floor of Tanglin Mall. I kept the carrot keychain for myself while the chicken has flown on a jet plane to Sydney to my sister who's born in the year of the Rooster. I'm such a sucker for such things!

Wall Decals

Apart from food, I also like reading about interior decorations and furnishings. I love scouring design websites and magazines and even if I can't own all the pretty things featured on them, I like looking at the designs and marvel at the ingenuity, creativity and talent possessed by the people who create them. I don't have the kind of talent they have to be a creator, but I figure at least I can be an appreciator.

But when the occasion comes where I can buy some of these lovely things that I can incorporate into my life, I gladly do so. So it was that I ordered some wall decals from dVider as I wanted to spruce up my room and add some decoration to the flat I share with my parents, sister and a dog. I also bought some wall decals from Blik. Both stores websites don't deliver to Singapore so I had to get a friend in the US to order it for me and he then sent it to me via normal registered mail.

I love wall decals as they are easy to put up, and they add so much interest to a plain wall. What's best is that it can be easily removed without destroying the paintwork. Great for the commitment-phobe. Haha. But take note that these decals once removed, cannot be reused.

Anyway, I was very excited to receive my wall decals back in July 2008. It's taken me more than half a year to put up the first of four designs I bought. Last night, after deciding that I should put at least one up for Chinese New Year to add to the festive mood, I put up the red chrysanthemum decals on the two glass sliding doors that lead out to the balcony.

The decals were initially supposed to go onto a wall that's beside my red front door. But the wall surface wasn't very even so the stickers didn't transfer onto the wall. Plan B was to place it on the sliding doors. This proved to be a better option as the decals were in a more conspicuous spot and added a lot more interest to the area than it would had it been at the corner wall. A wrong thus became a right. Fabulous.

This is how they look when the doors are open. I'm very pleased with the results as the decals really suit the Chinese feel of my home's interiors. What's more the red chrysanthemums resemble the ones embroidered on the table runner that's placed below the glass on my wooden dining table.

At age 30, I'm having fun playing with stickers again. :p

Mystery Shopper

Several months ago, I was bored and thought the idea of mystery shopping was quite fun and something to bring in some extra cash. So I googled 'Mystery shopper' and landed on a company website which said it recruited mystery shoppers. Looking at the application form, I figured it was alright to divulge information such as name and email address only, and so I signed up. After submitting the application on a wimp, I forgot about it and went on with my oh-so-unexciting life.

Then several weeks ago, I received an email informing me that I had been approved as a mystery shopper and asking me if I was interested in the next assignment which was to visit Häagen-Dazs outlets to evaluate the service staff and the maintenance of the outlet. I could choose whether to be a take-out or eat-in customer or both, and I was given a choice of the outlet(s) I wanted to patronise.

I chose to do only a take-out and opted for the outlet that was closest to home. If you thought being a mystery shopper was all that easy, think again. One has to take note of so many things during the few minutes standing at outlet - what was the name of the service staff, were the tables clean, was there a prominent display of promotions, was there music playing etc. Gosh, too many things to remember!

So while the first assignment was nothing very exciting, I got to eat an ice cream for free and will get paid USD5 for the effort. Pittance really, so don't have lofty ideas of being a full-time mystery shopper.

Hmm....wonder what other assignments there are...how about a night's stay at some posh hotel, spa or some holiday??? :p

Paddington Bear

I couldn't resist him when I saw him standing on a shelf of a teddy bear shop in Eton where I was last Saturday. I just had to have him. He's going to be a good souvenir of my time in England.

Will put up more pictures when I have time. Am having a really busy time getting ready to leave London in 11 days. I've moved out of my flat in Queen's Park and am now staying at Chungkingexpress' place. It's like going full circle. I stayed there when I first arrived in London and now I'm back there ready to leave the city.

I'm swamped at work and there's no letting up before my last day come next Friday. OK, back to work!

How True

OK, let me start first by saying I'm not into the habit of showing off my underwear for the whole world to see, but this pair of knickers my sister bought for me from Australia is too cute not to show off. Haha. Ladies, don't think we can dispute what it says, huh? ;p

And no, I'm not going to model it.

My Latest Indulgence

So this is my latest big purchase. I LOVE my red iPod Nano!!! For lack of a more creative name, I've named it "Crimson" for the moment. I bought the 8GB 'cos I thought I might as well get the most disk space there is available. Anyway, now I have some music to listen to when I run.

It's now giving me lots of listening pleasure! Think I'm hooked on Apple products now... (bad!!! Just makes me wanna spend more money!)

I love the colour red. I wear a red cap when I paddle. And my team's jersey is also red in colour - we look great as a team when we paddle together!

Shoe Buying Frenzy

OK, I must have gone mad last night - just 20 minutes in August Ryan and I ended up buying 3 pairs of shoes! The orange pair was bought from Clarks in Boston last month. I never thought I'd ever buy anything from Clarks 'cos I've always thought of the brand as one which sells comfortable but ugly and boring looking shoes. Imagine my surprise when I went in and saw all these funky, fun and colourful shoes! I love these orange slip-ons. They're so comfortable.

The other three I bought 'cos I just think they're so pretty. I couldn't in good conscience walk out of the shop without them. ;p The colourful one on the bottom left comes with a white-coloured wedge heel. It's my first pair of wedge heels - I have to practise walking in them!

So these 4 pairs of shoes are my most recent shoe purchases and I llluuurrrrvveee them!!!!

As I've said before - there's a shoe (and bag for that matter) for every occasion.

Paddle Gear

Yes, more purchases. This time for some paddle gear. I'm pretty pleased with them. Haha.

I've finally got myself a paddle bag for my dragonboat paddle. I've had enough of stares coming from people whenever I carry it with me onto buses and trains especially when I'm all decked out in office wear on my way to Singapore's commercial and business district. Putting it in a paddle bag makes the paddle look less exposed and won't invite so many stares. Hopefully.

Once, my colleague who saw me from afar with my paddle thought I was carrying a broom. Another time, a taxi driver thought it was a shovel. Anyway, I like this paddle bag because it has pink trimmings! And my Nalgene water bottle is pink too! Yeah, pretty in pink!

Not too long ago, I also bought myself a pair of booties to protect my feet from all the dirt and grime in Kallang. A teammate once stepped on something sharp as she got off from the boat and since then she has been wearing booties in case she hurts herself again. I decided to follow suit as glass bits and hypodermic needles have been spotted lying in the sand! The booties also give better grip when I have to stand in the boat while coxing and while doing the standing stroke--yes, you can stand and paddle in a dragonboat! But the standing stroke is only permitted in certain competitions, e.g. the one in Penang.

I also bought a lemongrass and a tangerine coloured Patagonia top. The material is very light and it's marketed as "Silkweight Capilene", whatever that means. I actually ordered a crimson coloured one as well, but the printer printed something on it by mistake so I didn't take it in the end. These silkweight tops are meant to be worn for paddling as it's light and dries fast. Decided to get long-sleeved shirts for paddling to protect from the sun...think I've been getting too much sun exposure. Anyway, I like these shirts because they're great to bring for travelling...light and don't require ironing!

Shopoholic Unleased

Having not flexed my shopoholic muscles in awhile, I gave my muscles and my credit card a good workout over the weekend. The haul:

- a cherry-red shirt-dress from Raoul. Oh, I LOVE this dress. I'm so glad Monoceros and Fatgirl convinced me to buy the red instead of the boring black one. In Monoceros words, "you look ike you're going to a funeral in black."

- a white tank top with some pink floral prints and a few sequins from Dorothy Perkins. It's casual, and a great wear for the weekends. The white colour brings out my tan too! Again, I'm grateful to Monoceros for convincing me to buy this more flirty top instead of the more sporty-looking one I was looking at as well. It was one or the other.

- Two necklaces, a ring and a brooch from Mollusc

- a pair of shoes from barcode

- three pairs of earrings from a tiny shop in Far East Plaza

OK, will see if I have time to take and post pictures!

Shopping with a Big Budget

I had the luxury of shopping on a huge budget recently. Unforunately, the things I bought weren't meant for myself. I was shopping for prizes for the lucky draw that's to be taking place during my company's staff party.

Still, it was fun shopping for things with so much money to spend. We had already come up with a list of things to buy after discussing with the other members of the staff party committee. So what did my colleague and I end up buying?

1) $350 Seiko watch - At first, I couldn't bring myself to buy a Seiko watch 'cos the designs were AWFUL. The watches looked so old and "Ah Pek"! But we finally managed to find one that was nice. At least something I could buy in good conscience!

2) Fossil watch - I love Fossil watches. Nice designs and they come in lovely boxes!

3) Two Swatch watches

4) A pair of diamond earrings

5) U-zap from Osim. Honestly, I don't believe in such things. Exercise and eating sensibly is the way to go!

6) i-Pamper from Osim. Don't know what this does but probably another slimming device.

7) A perfume set from CK. Came with a nice, big, black bag.

8) A leather messenger bag. Very nice!

9) Two Samsonite bags. Very good buy as they were going at a good discount!

10) Four Riedel wine glasses.

11) Crumpler Fux Deluxe bag

12) Tiffany key ring

13) Tiffany pen

Quite fun pretending to be rich! Haha!

And talking about the staff party, I've been appointed (I wasn't even given a choice to say "No!") to co-host the event with another colleague. The rationale being I speak good English. OK, that I won't refute (haha!) but hosting is not about speaking good English or not really! It's more about stage presence which I think I'm sorely lacking. This hosting thing is an extremely tall order for someone who doesn't talk a lot in front of huge crowds!!!

But since there's no getting out of it, I just have to get it over and done with. Before that happens, just hope and pray I won't freak out and faint on stage.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Ostensibly, I have been doing a lot of shopping. Like fatgirl remarked, I've been bitten by the shopping bug. But which self-respecting girl can resist the word "sale" and "discount" and lapping up pretty things that are going at reasonable prices??? OK lah, though the things I buy aren't very expensive if you consider them individually (all of them are below $50 each), I buy a lot! So little drops of water make a mighty ocean, but unfortunately all these "water" is moving out of my pocket! Wished it were gushing in though! Hmm.

But anyways, here are some of the purchases.

A rose pink top with a phoenix embroidery in the middle that I got from Xi 喜. I love the designs from this boutique as they combine both Chinese and Western styles in their clothes. Designs are often very unique and unusual. Pieces are limited so most of the clothes can be a little pricey. But ah, this one was going at half-price.

Another piece I got from Xi 喜. This top with a black chrysanthemum flower motif is more for work whereas the one above is more casual. Unfortunately, this one no discount. Service at the three branches is excellent and one always feels good shopping there. The cheongsams there are nice too, but extremely expensive (at least $500 and above)!!! The three branches are at Tanglin Shopping Centre, Paragon and The Heeren.

I bought this Japanese-inspired pyjama set from Women'Secret. I liked the sakura prints on the maroon background. But I'm really planning to wear the top out and not relegate it to the bedroom. The material is thick and not at all filmsy and doesn't look like PJs at all. The long maroon pants which goes with it does look like it only belongs to the bedroom and that's where it's going to stay. Hee.

The shoe fetish is still raging strong and in need of a pair of black heels (after I had to throw the previous pair away due to old age), I finally managed to find one. Yeah! Can't do without such basics.

I bought another pair of white heels. So it's two pairs of white heels in two weeks. I just liked this pair with the brown button and green trimmings so I bought it. The other pair was just plain patent white. So now I can rotate between the two pairs and then both can last longer! Yeah!

I bought two of these nalgene bottles from Sports Connection. Both of the same designs (yes, I'm into pink), one was a 1L bottle and the other a 400ml one. I need them to make sure I'm drinking enough water every day! Big one to be brought onto dragonboat and outrigger canoe. Small one to be placed in handbag. ;p

OK I know, I sound damn bimbotic. Fatgirl told me over the phone the other night after reading my entry on the Esprit scarf I bought, "I can't believe you wrote something SO bimbotic!!!"

It seems that I've also been receiving gifts which encourage these bimbotic pursuits. I received a bottle of nail polish (my very first one may I add. I don't own nor have I bought any), a small pot of lip balm from Body Shop and a stick of concealer from Body Shop (first one too!). Honestly, I don't own much makeup 'cos I hardly use it.

Anyway, life's too short to be so serious all the time right? Anyway, it's quite fun living the life of a single girl without having to worry about financing a HDB flat, a wedding or children! Lalalalalalala...

Recent Buys

Beaded bracelet I bought at one of the carts in Raffles City. I got it for $12. It was actually selling for $13 but I asked for $12 and the salesgirl said OK. :)

I saw a similar bracelet at a boutique in China Square Central the following day and it was selling for $17.90!

This is actually made up of three long strings of beads. It is about a metre long and it can used as a necklace, bracelet or belt. Pretty versatile. I bought it for $10 at another one of those carts in Raffles City.

A scarf I bought from Esprit. It was retailing at $9.90 but with my colleague's discount card, I got it for $7.90. Don't ask me why I need a scarf. I just thought it was pretty cheap and I liked the colour and you never know when I might need it! Anyway, I will find a use for it. Haha.

A lilac coloured top I bought from ness. Great, one more item for work!

Weekend Purchases

Went for a bit of retail therapy on Saturday night. My good friend and I started at 5.30pm at Far East Plaza. At first we were thinking maybe we could make it to Taka as well and some other shopping centre in Orchard. Think we were a bit too ambitious there, 'cos we only stepped out of Far East Plaza after all the shops were starting to close for the day.

We discovered a relatively new shoe shop (only opened for three months according to the owner) named August Ryan. Boy do we love the shoes there!!! Though more expensive (prices start at about $60 per pair) than the ones you find downstairs at Trendy Zone, these shoes are of more unique designs and better quality. I love my new blue suede and leather shoes!!!

Then I bought a necklace from an accessory shop. I like this because the length of the tassle can be adjusted.

After the shops closed at Far East Plaza and the rest of Orchard Road, we decided that we still wanted to shop. But where to go? Where else but Mustafa??? Don't you just love shops which open 24/7? We got there at around 11pm and shopped till 12.30am. I bought some toiletries and this blouse above. I know, it looks quite obiang at first, but it doesn't look that bad after it's put on. I feel like a butterfly in it 'cos it's so loose and so comfy! Not that expensive too for $28.50...so quite easy on the pocket. When we left Mustafa, I couldn't believe that there were still so many people inside and so many people just arriving to shop.

So there's my stash!

Knick Knacks

I have this propensity for buying useless stuff when I'm overseas. You'd have thought I'd end up buying lots of clothes in HK, but no, instead I buy all these non-functional stuff below from G.O.D.

I thought this little black man which serves as a paper holder was so cute that I couldn't resist bringing him home with me. It now sits in one corner of my work cubicle.

I thought I needed some greenery in my cubicle and so decided to buy this plant and the one pictured below. The best thing about them is that they're artificial, odourless, and so I don't need to water them! I bought them because they looked so real and was a good size for the office. They now occupy two corners of my work cubicle, making my work space look much more pleasant.

I love visiting lifestyle shops--I always find things I never knew I needed. Heh. I have this compulsion to buy things to furnish my home, room and workspace. I really should stop it though!

I Want PJs!

Anybody has any recommendations for places to buy nice pyjamas?

I'm looking for new pyjamas to buy. And I don't mean frilly lingerie. Not that I have anything against that, but really I have no need for frilly lingerie at this point in time 'cos no one's going to look ok!

Anyways, I want to buy those really comfy pyjamas...like those stripey pants sort and nice T-shirt/spaghetti-strapped top. You know, those really nice bedtime wear where you can't wait to change into after a hard day's work!

I've always had the habit of wearing pyjamas...guess it's mainly because I've been doing it since I was a kid. Never really been the sort who sleeps in T-shirts and shorts. Shops in Singapore don't really seem to sell the kind I'm looking for. Even if they do, the prints are so ugly! I saw a set in Marks & Spencer over the weekend which I really liked but it would have set me down $102. Yikes. I actually DID contemplate splurging on it. Yes, I admit that the crazy thought of spending so much on pyjamas actually crossed my mind.

But sanity prevailed and I walked away, albeit rather reluctantly!

Well, I could buy cloth and sew some pants for myself (I'm told it's really easy), except that I hate to sew and I'm absolutely hopeless with the needle and thread. So I'm still on the lookout for nice and affordable pyjamas!

More Shoes

Yes, you guessed right--I bought another pair of shoes today. And yes, you ARE allowed to be disgusted with me. I was out shopping with Fatgirl today 'cos I had some stuff I had to buy. Shoes weren't supposed to be on the list, but erm, as you all know, I really have this thing for shoes...

*looking sheepish*

Bradshaw Wannabe

Ok, with these two shoe purchases over the weekend, it has brought my shoe tally up to 30. I love my new shoes!!! They're so fun to wear! Makes me happy to wear them you know. heehee.

I went on a shopping spree over the weekend...am really living up the single girl's hedonistic lifestyle. Splashing money and indulging myself in shoes, clothes, food and just things in general! So here's my stash:

1) Two pairs of shoes
2) A fuschia spaghetti-strapped top
3) Toiletries from L'Occitane
4) A namecard holder made from kimono fabric
5) A necklace from Accessorize
6) Dinner at Al Dente (which was crap for the price paid...but more on that another time)

Well well, let's just say it feels good to be able to spend without feeling too bad about it! Let's hope this means more money rolling in in the New Year! :p

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!!

THE Eyelash Curler

Over the weekend, I indulged in one of Singaporean's favourite pasttime. No, actually two. Or maybe one, since eating is a perennial pasttime of mine, it's not really counted as one anymore.

I did a bit of shopping over the weekend. I'm thinking that I should be saving my money for shopping in HK, but I doubt I'd have much time to shop in HK actually so I shall continue my bit of shopping at home. Fuel the local economy-- Anything to justify my purchases!

So I bought a teal green sleeveless top which I'm wearing today. I love the colour...it's quite bright and so it makes me cheery. Peps up a blue Monday.

And I bought THE eyelash curler of all eyelash curlers--the
Shu Uemura one. This deserves some applause 'cos this is my very first one.

Right, after a bimbotic start to the day, it's time to get down to serious work.

[I'm eating some crispy pork floss sandwiched between two slices of multi-grain bread at the moment. Very yummy! Haven't had this in ages--it's one of my comfort food!]

Patriotic Duty

I had better not be accused by anyone of being unpatriotic. No no, not that I've answered the government's call to get married and have kids (not yet at least), but I've been fuelling Singapore's economy with all the shopping I've been doing in the past two weeks.

The Great Singapore Sale is on you see. It's discounts galore! I can't help it....I need more clothes for work. That's always a good justification. Ha. Anyways, I bought these two wooden bracelets and this halter top yesterday. And on Monday I bought a black pair of pin-striped pants and a pair of white flat-heeled shoes. Somebody stop me!

Shopping Thrills

Sometimes it's no use if you have all the money in the world but have bad fashion sense.

That thought occurred to me after I saw the wife of Mr Lee Hsien Loong (he's Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister) yesterday at Kinokoniya bookstore.

I was at Kinokoniya yesterday with monoceros browsing books. Kino is one of our fav places. We're such nerds. Haha. Anyway, it so happened that Lee Hsien Loong & family were there as well with two bodyguards for accompaniment. Dressed in a pale green polo-shirt and long navy blue pants, Mr Lee cut quite a figure with his height and many people were staring.

His wife on the other hand, dressed like some dowdy housewife. I mean, I'm sure her clothes are expensive, but they certainly didn't look it. She's very much a public figure in Singapore, what with being the CEO of the biggest government investment arm in Singapore. Case being, she should dress better and slap on some makeup before stepping out of the house. She needs a stylist.

Perhaps she should take a leaf from me, or rather my friends. Yesterday, I spent a total of $131 on 9 pieces of clothing! I've never felt so accomplished in my life! hahaha! All thanks must go to my friends Saz and Pei who helped me plough through the racks and pick out clothes with their keen fashion sense. Cheap clothes but they looked classy.

I'm so thrilled with my buys! :p