LAS☆VEGAS 2013

Hello! I can't believe Christmas is here soon - along with the new year! 
It has been quite an eventful year! 

I just came back from Vegas on Sunday - was there for about 5-6 days!

Beware of this post... as it is photo heavy! 
It was such an awesome and relaxing trip - I am just really glad to be able to eat fruits and vegetables again! 

Wish this vacation could last longer! 

Went to Gordon Ramsay's Steakhouse and tried the Beef Wellington!! 

Camwhoring and taking advantage of the full length mirror in the hallway hehe 

And here are some food pictures - please do not continue to scroll down if you're hungry!! 

This is at the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars - so many choices of food!! 

That's it for now! ❤

BEST❤DAY-OFF

The title of this post says it all! 
Today was one of the best weekdays off that I have had in a while! 
I must say that the day was quite productive! 

Despite having a rough night last night - I gathered myself this morning and dragged myself to the gym.  Oh gosh - the gym was so foreign to me lol I think it has been more than 5 months since the last time I actually went. 

The rest of the day rolled by pretty smoothly - dim sum with daddy and uncle, and then I went ahead and did some grocery shopping.  Errrr... actually it was more of a liquid shopping spree lol I picked up a case of water, tomato juice, and natural cranberry juice.  As I had vowed in my previous post - I'm going to make my body happy by giving it the water it needs to function.  

If you think, that that's where my day end - you are wrong! I also paid a visit to this great pet store called "King Ed Pet Supplies." It's a family-owned business, and they have a variety of goods for fish/cats/dogs/reptiles.  I couldn't stand the bushy plant in my aquarium that was slowly withering away... so I went to check out the plants there.  

Look at my new plant!! 

20 minutes later, with goods in hand, I drove home to a delicious meal (thanks mum & dad!) 
After dinner, I decided that I would start working on a little sewing project of mine... 3 hours later... I'm actually finished one part of the project! I have never actually finished something on my own - so I am pretty proud of what I was able to accomplish tonight lol Thanks to le bf who stayed patiently on FaceTime, until I finished what I was working on.

Being the Sagittarius that I am (ok...maybe it has nothing to do with star signs...), I've always been impatient, and all over the place.  I haven't sewn anything since high school... it felt weird! As odd as this sounds... the familiar act of sewing really made me come to realize that I have grown up - and I'm not the same person that I was before.  It was... a good feeling.

It's already 12:45 now! I have a feeling that I'll be exhausted... but I am feeling so excited right now, that I couldn't not blog about my day!!!! 

GOODNIGHT ❤ SWEET DREAMS ❤ TOODLES! 

GO ❤ ALS

Another eventful long weekend has come and gone.  Highlight of the weekend - my little mini date with the boyfriend and what that led up to lol

We headed out quite late, but wanted lunch at this yummy Korean restaurant in DT. We ended up missing our turn ... and headed straight towards the bridge to West Van... we were starving by this point, so we decided to shake it off and grab lunch at Park Royal.  Hadn't been at Park Royal since...the last time we got lost and accidentally ended up there.

We were desperate for food in our stomachs and headed to the food court for a bite.  I had Orange Julius - $9.00 for a hot dog and a smoothie... Oh dearie me... I wish I had ordered something else! The flavour sounded tasty...but it just wasn't to my liking :( The bf went for a safer choice - KFC, both our meals were cold... >.<

After our quick and unsatisfying meal - we walked around Park Royal for a bit. The mall is expanding like crazy!!! They actually have a Lush, Anthropologie, and soon to be Sephora and Loft there! Crazy! Plus... Aritzia is getting better (it's about time!) It's going to be a great mall once it's all ready! 

This was us camwhoring in the car lol (while parked, of course) 

Fast forward to the evening - the boyfriend had told me prior to the day, that we would be dining at Seasons - he wanted to celebrate my birthday early this year. (Candlelight dinner - which I didn't believe at first... because we have never done anything of the sort haha) Come 8pm, we walked into the restaurant and he goes, "We already have a table" 

...

Our glammed up friends were eagerly waiting for us! What a surprise and shocker! hehe ~ what a great night it was :) 

The next day, we headed to Aquariums West after lunch with F. :) 
The bf really wanted to get a light for his new ADA tank, and so we went to check it out! 
We were in luck - because they had one left in stock! It's a shame that I haven't gotten to see the tank in person yet, but I'm loving the pictures and videos that the bf sends me on a daily basis!  We love Aquariums West, they are well-organized, stocked, and their employees are honest and knowledgeable.  Plus - they are the only ones in Vancouver that sell ADA products! 

ADA stands for - 'Aqua Design Amano'
The specialize in producing amazing aquariums that cater to those looking to unleash their inner-designer.  You decide how to layout your aquarium - where to place your deco, plants, etc. Here are some examples of layouts that others have created: 

http://lifeissavage.com/2013/01/08/daddy-digs-it-the-incredible-ada-nature-aquarium-pics/

http://www.adana.co.jp/en/distributor/view.php?c=6

This video shows the final product of a tank that was created by Amano and his team - interesting to see how it all comes in place :) 

I'm sure my boyfriend won't mind me sharing his picture... I can't get over how pretty his aquarium is!! Oh.. and currently, there is a cute little white betta living in his aquarium.  He is quite the character - very curious and full of energy.  

Randoms

Okay, so a few weeks ago, I had made a promise to myself to be a better person - rather make some changes to my 'blah' self.  Hence - here are some of the things that I would like to achieve! 

1) Make time for the gym (TOP priority) 
2) Moisturize over and over again - body cream/hand cream
3) Sleep early
4) Drink (more) water
5) Drink less of sweet drinks (Like my beloved Vita Lemon Tea T_T this is going to be a hard one) 
6) Make time for DIY projects
7) Maintain a soothing living space (props to my bf for making it this way!) 
8) Take more photos to capture moments that cannot be re-lived
9) Blog regularly 

Well-being in life is so important - sometimes we tend to be super sucked into what's in front of us... that we forget to step back and enjoy the little simple things that keep us sane. 

Well, that's it for tonight! ❤

FALL☆UPDATE

As usual, it's been a while since the last time I blogged! I need to make this a habit really - but the last few months have been a little crazy.

I have learnt so many big lessons in such a short period of time.  

What's new:

PIDA! 
Le boyfriend decided to surprise me one weekend, by bringing this beautiful tank to my place - since the aquarium was set up - we have added not only our little Pida (betta fish), but also 4 cory catfish and a bottom sucker. 

Thanksgiving weekend (in Victoria): 

Had such a great weekend - went to visit the boyfriend.  We roasted marshmallows in the fireplace!  

Halloween: 

I took out my maid costume from a couple years back - haven't worn it for a while. I managed to pick up a pair of white knee high socks to complete the costume.  Let me say this - WHITE knee-high socks are really HARD to find.  I went through countless amounts of shops to find them! Finally, found ONE pair left at Ardene's.  Such a great day at work! 

Of course, QQ has her own Halloween costume - she dressed up as a sassy pumpkin. 

Aritzia☆Warehouse Sale

Hiyo!

It's that time of year again, the Aritizia Warehouse Sale! Honestly though, I've only ever been once, and I remember it was around the Stadium/Chinatown station.  I remember how crazy it was... girls stripping all over the place, piles of clothing - I felt lost. 

I thought that I would share my experience from this morning with all you ladies (and gents) who happen to stumble upon my blog, who are thinking about going to this year's sale, or upcoming years! 

The sale runs between August 28th - September 02nd (I wish I had a connection for a friends and family invite - special privileges to shop the sale one day before it is open to the public!) 

Anyhoo, Cryz and I headed off and arrived at Canada Place at 7:05am. We walked into a large space where girls were already lined up. There were about 100 girls in front of us. We made our way in between 8:10am.  Crystal had her bag checked in, and we started going through the racks.  

2 hours later, this is what I checked out with: 
1) Exquis jacket in beige - $39.99 original $195.00 
2) TNA Verbier Parka in dark grey - $149.99 original $295.00
3) Lelia dress in white - $59.99 original $145.00
4) Havaianas flip flops in black - $7.99 original $28.00

I saved $405.00... do I think it was worth it? YES! LOL 

|| TIPS || 

1) Bring nothing larger than a clutch with you (I brought my LV Eva Clutch, and didn't need to check it in, so something around this size is fine) Bypassing bag/coat check allows you to start at those racks sooner! Of course, it depends on when you're going. My girl and I were lucky - and never had to wait outside, so we were warm and toasty the whole time. You CAN check in your jacket if you like, which is nice :) 

2) Wear clothing that allows you to slip things on easily.  I wore a tshirt, which allowed me to easily strip my own jacket, and try things on quickly. Please try not to wear layers, in a room full of estrogen and excitement, you will NOT need layers lol

3) Bring a friend! Why do I say this? Because this system really worked for me and Crystal. I would hold onto all the clothes while Crystal tried on stuff that she wanted to try, and then we'd switch. This minimizes the possibility that the cute dress you just dug up from the pile has now been snatched by the girl who has been staring hungrily at your hand while you were still holding onto it. 

4) Don't think. Just grab, because if you don't, the person behind you or in front will. Crystal and I started grabbing things that we thought were cute, and in our sizes.  It was easy for us, because we wear the same size, so we would separate for a bit, and then meet up briefly to show each other what we had found. Or we'd grab an extra one in the same size just in case it suited us both. 

5) Bring snacks while waiting in line - we saw lots of girls who would start lining up, and then one girl from the group would run out to grab food for everyone in her entourage.  Or... just pig out after you're done lol 

6) Go through ALL the aisles.  I missed a few aisles thinking that it was probably going to be the same as the last (started to become a little overwhelming), but we walked in and that's where I found half a rack full of Exquis jackets! SCORE! 

7) Check for rips, tears, etc before you check out!

8) Tip from other shoppers that I kept in mind - Don't disregard the racks/ boxes of what others have discarded, as you may find hidden gems! Crystal and I tried...a bit...but we didn't really find anything that we liked and didn't end up digging through discarded piles.  I guess it was also because it was too early on in the day, so there weren't a lot of filled boxes anyways lol 

Here are some of the things that I saw at the sale this morning:

- LOTS of jean shorts in various sizes (Citizens of Humanity, Rag and Bones) $50.00 each original $150-$200 
-  Lots of jeans (J Brands, Citizens of Humanity, Rag and Bones), also various sizes, mostly in size 30+, but if you dig hard enough, you can find smaller sizes too!
- TNA backpacks for $24.99
- Hoodies for $39.99
- Tan coloured, short pea coat jackets in Large and XLarge for $149.99
- Benedict dress in that crazy green or blue snake pattern for $74.99 (I think) 
- Kent Blazer in that shiny blue colour (I only saw them in size 10) 
- Random Debutante dresses here and there in bright pink (size 10)
- Full rack of the Troubadour dress in pink
- Lyon dress, white or lilac for $49.99, same as Aritzia.com in larger sizes

This list only reflects a small portion of what I saw today at the sale, and as Aritzia has promised - it seems that they do bring out racks from time to time. Girls if you happen to visit this sale, I want to see what you were able to find!!!! 

Definitely looking forward to next year's sale!!!  

GOOD LUCK!! ❤  

Summer☆Lovin'

As usual, I have procrastinated with a new post. I actually started prepping photos but my brain juice didn't really want to flow... 
This summer has actually been quite busy. Weekend after weekend of fun! As usual, I will spare those of you who actually are kind enough to visit my blog the boring stuff and just start posting pictures!

Back in mid-July, the girls (and Kev) all came out to celebrate a special occasion - 
Did anyone know about "The Big One" at "Cupcakes"? It's actually a HUGE cupcake twice the size of the regular one LOL How about that?! **note, it is better to pre-order "The Big One," as they do not always carry the flavour that you want in store! 

Group shot of the girlies! 

Mr. and Mrs. Tsai

Fu and I recently attended the wedding of his good friend, great big shout out to the lovely couple!! I wish I had brought my camera(s). I pinch myself for it!! QQ was very ecstatic about the souvenirs that Tony and Jill gave us :) 

From the bottom of our hearts, we wish Tony and Jill a great life together filled with happiness and cute babies to come (WAKAKAKA, I hope they don't see this...otherwise they might kill me) 

CONGRATS AGAIN, TO YOU LOVELIES!!!! 

Randoms

Had a great weekend with babe and the kiddy keke ~ 

Hanging with some great people, dating time with the bf ~ 

Such a happy weekend, didn't want it to end so soon! ❤

Loreal☆TheBalm

Loreal Color Riche Balm

I wanted to make this post to share with all you ladies this great tinted lip balm!!
Loreal's Color Riche Balm.

I was previously gifted "Tender Mauve"from Cryz, and recently picked up another one in "Caring Coral."

The two swatches, Caring Coral on top and Tender Mauve on the bottom! 






I absolutely love how moisturized these are! They're great everyday lip balms. They're not terribly pigmented, but they're good enough for going out for running errands, or even for work on a daily basis. If you see these babies are the drugstore, try them out!! ^_^ ❤

10X'S❤LOVE

Alrighty, I need to start sleeping early lol
Starting...tomorrow =.= I won't be able to sleep until I hash this out keke ~
This past weekend, we celebrated Crystal's 25th BIRTHDAY!! Woohoo!! 
Went for some fine dining at Hart House... boy that filet mignon was delish! Best EVER! 

As usual...my blogs are image heavy ... without further ado... dun dun dun!

Our awesome group shot

The boys & children

The boys, children, and the lady in red - birthday girl!

All the girlies

Getting to see everyone is always great ^o^ Happy Birthday to my luv, Crystal!! 

Also following my usual tradition...I'm going to post a picture of me and the Q-ster at Bubble World wakakka ~ isn't that bottle of ketchup like...the cutest thing ever?! Look how happy QQ is!! LOL 

Random

I've been working on some... artsy stuff lately lol and I thought I'd just post this up.. I instagramed a picture of this recently in a less finished state XD Here it is... If you've ever played Final Fantasy X or X-2...you can probably tell what this is lol 

The character's name is Yuna, and that, is her earring hahahaha  

Doing these side things after work... makes me realize how much art...can keep me sane and alive lol 

Alright, like seriously. I'm going to bed now lol XOXO ❤

MAY❤2013

I am quite surprised at how fast time is passing by this year... it's already MAY, one more month and we'll be halfway through this year! 

It has been quite a decent year though ^_^ 

Adore Me 
I recently made an order from Adore Me, a subscription-based service for lingerie and swimwear (seasonal). I received an email from them one day with a preview of their bathing suit collection, and found one style that I really liked! Next thing you know, I get this email with a 50% off coupon -- score! haha - everything on their site is $39.95, so I ended paying $20.00 (free shipping) for a one piece suit.  The suit arrived quite promptly, quality is quite decent (I don't swim really... but it's really to have a bathing suit that I can pull on and not feel pressured to suck my fat in as much XD 

The bathing suit that I purchased:
'Emilda' (as screencapped from the website) 

The box that it came in!

Pink! hehe 

Emilda unboxed!

Just to throw it in... 

The weather has been pretty good lately! Quite warm here in Vancouver, I quite like it! (With the exception of today...lightning and rain, golly gee) Anyhoo, I'm going to throw in this picture... hehe I ninja'ed in while C was driving us to dinner >A<

That's it for now!!! 

LA❤TRIP

Wheeeee I haven't blogged for quite some time now!!
To fill in the gaps... I'm going to share some pictures from my trip to LA!!
We were there early April, and I gotta say...boy was it cold! Totally didn't expect this! I guess it's alright though... gave us all an excuse to shop for warmer clothing ;)

Caught on the travel bug >.< Coming back was such a bummer, and all I want to do is plan for a next trip!! Definitely created many unforgettable memories.

Dangerously adorable.

Picked up a chipmunk. 

This Mickey and Minnie couple are so cute 

Dole Whip Float... MUST HAVE at Disney!

Princesses!! Love love love! 

QQ, why are you so cute. 

QQ looking spiffy sporting all her Lakers gear, she was quite popular at Staples that night!

Wheeeee :D 

(Fangirl/boy moment lol)