One year anniversary

For the lack of time to work on the other pictures we have taken together all the way since January this year, this instagram picture of us in Tokyo should suffice for now.

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A month late, but to the man of my life- Happy Anniversary.

Countless times I've heard people say that it's hard to stay attached in the industry I'm in and I never could understand why until I've experienced rock bottom and crazy highs that I have no words for. And there you were, never giving up and never failing to give me the push I needed.

Despite the countless insecurities a complete wreck like me possess, you tell me the reasons why you are proud of me and why you love me in the first place. When life throws me disappointments and downturns, you go the extra mile of popping by at my door step with a silly grin just to see me smile for a bit. With you, time always comes to standstill and I am instantaneously surrounded by a wave of quiet calmness that soothes every nerve in me when your scent comes close. There is none other like you who would go to great lengths to support me in attaining my dreams. You have brought me to places I've never dreamed of physically and emotionally and made the world a better place to be in for me.



You've got a heart of pure gold, and hands that are always reaching out to help the needy in every way you could. You having the right values, makes me want to be a better person. This is an attribute in you that none others see, and people are too quick to judge you based on your appearance but that's fine. What matters at the end of the day is that I see you in a light that no one else does or would ever be able to. Everyone sees you taking the lead, and you've always been the logical friend that takes care of everyone else in every relationship you establish so I take pride in the fact that you have your silly antics and boy-like moments that you only reveal around me. (,:

I have the deepest affection for intellectual conversations I could have with you, be it unravelling the mystery of the universe and why mankind are wired in certain inexplicable ways, or talking for hours about the priorities in life and baring our hearts out to one another; all the way to doing dumb acts of talking to our duffy bear together. One year isn't a long time, but it hasn't changed anything about us. For that, I will always be grateful. I am even more grateful for that fact that we have never stopped chasing each other, and making the relationship work.

Thank you for dreaming big dreams with me all the time with our heads on the pillow and when we are both working physically hard at work shuffling from appointments to appointments. With you, I am profoundly happy and meeting you has completely turned my life around.

Will do the past 11 months again with you in a heartbeat cause it has truly the best times of my life.

I will love you with an everlasting love, beebs.
Death won't do us part.

xx

For the boy's 25th

In an attempt to document down the process of me hand-making a scrapbook last year for D's 25th birthday, which obviously didn't follow through. I had wanted to combine these images into a video, but time got the upper hand and I was basically racing against it throughout the month I spent doing this.

It's been a long time since I last handcrafted, because each scrapbook takes me a few months to do at least but it's what I love doing since I was 16, and I pride myself in the fact that I use mostly scrap materials I find at home and cheap stickers that I source and collect over time cause I don't believe in overspending on these materials when I can make myself or find cheaper alternatives. I am lucky too, to have found someone who loves handmade gifts more than material goods. Never once have I had someone who bugs me to do make a card or scrapbook for him as much as D did, and I'm blessed.

***

As promised, I will be doing a giveaway in my next post! Stay tuned because I have some really adorable gifts up for grabs! <:

xx

86, 400 seconds in a day

(Elie Saab, current latest addition to the collection)

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86.400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank. Its name is time. Every morning, it credits you with 86, 400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There's no drawing against "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success. The clock is running. Make the most of today.

Today's Food For Thought.

Instax Mini 90

Here's a mini bite size post before I scoot off for my shoot. Thank you all for the incredible response for two of my precious cameras in the previous post. Both cameras are now sold, and I'm really thankful that the X100S is going to a good friend of mine whom I can trust to love the camera like I did. Sometimes I feel guilty, it's like I'm selling my children away.... I get very emotional when I have to let go of my prized possessions. I'd have kept it if I could. In a span of a month, I've sold 3 of my cameras away. Sorry to those that has expressed interest in the cameras, I have an upcoming camera giveaway in a month's time for everyone to participate. Yes, you heard me! I'm giving away a brand new camera along with other camera-related items. I'll keep you guys updated!

The main point of this post is to feature my newest acquisition- The Mini 90, which I've given thought to for over 3 months if I should get and I caved in. How not to..? It's such a beauty and it's a matchy twin to my X100S. It deserves a picture with it's brother before I hand it over to its new owner. Mehhhh. ):

And Hola my box of 6 Krispy Kreme donuts the best boyfriend on earth got me. This is the second time he has surprised me with it and it's worth the mention because he went the extra mile to put a smile on my face. Despite having an entire day of work and OT till 8pm, he went all the way down to queue for it and even got me 2 oreo ones cause it's my favourite and 3 original glazed (not pictured) before coming all the way to my doorstep to surprise me while I was terribly sick and working my night away. "Ya, I'm tired but while I was queuing, I was happy cause I could imagine how happy you'd be when you see this," he told me.

That, is the sweetest thing that I've heard in the entire week.

Thank you, Daniel. <3

Sundates are made of up of these

Sundays are made up of happy dates and good food and one of my favourite places to visit is none other than The Sushi Bar which I presume most people have already heard of or visited. My love for Menkajiki Sashimi can override my love for salmon at times. How can anyone not love this..? It's so crazily succulent and juicy. Orgasmic is an understatement.


The bf's favourite Sirloin Steak, and well, it's mine too. We've had this a couple of times and each time just gets us hooked onto it even more. There are times when we sit and fantasise about how we'd just order one KG of this each if we were to strike lottery and eat this non stop. You have to be there to try this for yourself, I promise. D is not even a big fan of steaks to begin with and I think this has topped his list for now.


I think this was D's Soft Shell Crab Maki...?  I vaguely remembered about this dish probably cause I was too happily digging into the rest. /:


Happy boy with his food!


Hotate salmon aburi <3 I'd kill to have this all day and night. Best of both worlds combined in one.



The Sushi Bar
14 Scotts Road, Far East Plaza #03-89
Singapore, Singapore 228213

Mon - Fri: 12:30 - 15:00, 17:30 - 21:00
Sat: 12:30 - 21:00
Tel: 9653 6464



I'd say it's good to make reservations early cause it's always always full house when I visit and the queue can take up to 2 hours at times, which isn't too good when you are famished. Go try it if you haven't! (: It's one hot spot now for many of my friends and I!


Oh lookie what I've found while we combed the streets after a fulfilling meal. Both our favourite old school chocolate!

All photos here taken with the X100S


Oh my, only looking at my nails in the pictures reminded me of how backdated these photos are. Weekends have been a little brighter for me since I've decided to be kinder to myself by allowing an (almost completely) off day so I can balance my work and personal life a wee bit. Too much work drives me up the wall at times, and it makes me all frumpy and wrecked. I've so much to share now that my weekend adventures have resumed- living up to my self proclaimed 'Adventure Loving Weekender' name back then. Many places we have been exploring and good food places we've been eating at. My Bali post is still yet to be up..... Grr.

This year didn't exactly start off on the right foot for me, especially with the damaged phone. I'll be back on track with my social media accounts when I get a new one by this week hopefully. I've so many plans installed for this year, and I am willing myself to churn everything out on time. All good things take time, I just need to remind myself that. Anyhows, everything else has been wonderful. I like how things are starting to fall into place bit by bit, and I'm starting to see what is in stall for me.

(: Hope everyone's had a good start to the year!

xx

Closure to 2013

Speaking of a new year always brings me jitters.

2013 has flown by the fastest ever, and it's probably also the best year of my life thus far.

I've been taken to new places I've never been before. This includes heading to new countries that are on my must-visit-in-2013 list, as well as stepping out of my comfort zone at work and taking new projects that I never thought I would have been given the chance to. This is also the first time I had my works published in a magazine, got to travel for work,  shot my first official pre wedding, had the honour of shooting bigger shops, shot a club scene, met lots of amazing new people and printed my own personalised dvd covers. It's not a great leap, but it is an improvement I guess. It marked some of my first milestones in my business.

Each year, I spare myself the long list of New Year Resolutions because if it has to be done, it will be done. The only thing I want to work on all the time, is to be a better person. This, I've mentioned for the previous two years as well. I haven't been the best that I can be, but in some aspects I guess I've bettered myself. Learning to control my temper and emotions is one of the main things I've learnt while working, and to not be too trusting at times. I've also thoroughly seen the good and bad of this industry, but I know there's more to come. I try and try to be a better daughter as well, and my relationship with my mom has improved tremendously this year. 

I remain true to myself and I steer clear of superficial people who climb over the heads of others for success. Each day I'm in a race with time to complete the things I have on hand, and I can never put it across with mere words the amount of stress I have to face, but thank you to those who truly understood or truly tried, and witnessed how hard I try to manage my time well to be able to meet up with the different people of my life. In whatever I do,  my conscience will stay clear 

In 2013, I think I've finally grasped the true meaning of love and experienced what it is like to loved unconditionally and to love with no inhibitions. I'm at a happy place now that I never thought I could be when I went through my worst heartbreak two years back which I thought I would never pull through. Love really does come when you least expect it, and for me, it happened with the last person ever possible. What I really want to say is.. nothing bad stays permanent. It took me two long years to meet the right person and I truly believe that everything is possible with time. My personal life has taken root and it's time for me to set all my priorities right.

I pray for the strength and wisdom to bring me through the new year. That whatever may come, I will be strong enough to handle. I pray for even better things to happen in 2014 and for Smittenpixels Photography to soar. Thankful and blessed to be right here with otherworldly moments to share and the best memories to keep. Thank you all who have been on this journey with me, and here's to more adventures and realisation of your dreams.

I feel unstoppable.

Blessed year ahead, everyone! Happy New Year.

xx

Lounging around

In September (I know I'm very backdated, I'm still trying!), D got us a room at Studio M for a staycation together which we were blessed enough to get at a much discounted rate. Yipppie!

I think this is probably the first time my pink luggage is making its appearance here on the site! It's the cheapest bargain ever when I visited Shanghai last year, and after much skilled haggling of the mom, I got this for about 20SGD or less! Also, loving the two luggage tags that I purchased from Taiwan.

Cutesy nails credit to the talented Simplicity Nails! Do check out her works (:

The whole point of this photo is...... the nails.

We spent the first half day in the room shooting for a blogger/friend- Shanice! I'll share her portraits in the next entry! (:

After wrapping up the shoot and preparing to head out for dinner, we spent a little bit of time in the room just fooling around with both my cameras which is evident in this photo here. D wanted to try his hands on being a photographer and mastering it.

I obviously, was the guinea pig.

I cannot reiterate how much I love the concept of Studio M hotel despite having been here a couple of times, but this being my first time staying in here. I'm always climbing up and down everywhere and walking on the table beside the glass window. I love how wide and tall the glass windows are and the entire white concept. Exactly how I love my room to be, without the glass windows. I hope that happens for my future house. (:

Mandatory OOTD shot because I loveeeee how the entire outfit looked altogether, and also a little bit of a shameless advertising for my dear friend who owns www.eleventhparade.tumblr.com. If you like this top, that is where you should head to to purchase. Thank you my dearest Tinglei and Florence for gifting it to me as a birthday present. Would have looked better if I lost some weight.

But well, it's pretty impossible for me to lose weight. Look where D brought me for dinner! (:

Our favourite Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant!

Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Restaurant

Paragon, #05-42/45

290 Orchard Road, Singapore 238859

paragon@imperialtreasure.com

Looking at this at 11:55pm makes me salivate. We will never ever, ever tire of this. Every single time this dish is served, we literally pounce on it like we've been starved. So juicy and the skin is so crispy. I do not take duck dishes usually, but this is the exceptional bomb.

We usually order the duck and then asked to have the remaining served with fried rice. So they will dice the remaining portion into tiny bits and serve it to you with the fried rice. It's way more than enough to fill both our tummies usually. You have to give this place a try if you haven't. Like it's name suggested, it's indeed famous for its peking duck!

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It's always always a dread checking out the very next day. Hate having to peel ourselves out of the bed and facing reality and the impending monday blues.

It was drizzling and we decided to take some time out and roam the pool area. We haven't had the time to swim during our stay. It's a great place for shoots too actually..... if you can evade the staffs I guess; unless you have the permission. I've shot there twice and I loved how the photos turned out.

My baby holding my other baby. <3

Right after we checked out, we were hit by hunger pangs. The nearest place I could think of was..... Five and Dime! Been here a few times, and I love the food but I wish the menu was a little more extensive.

297 River Valley Road. Singapore 238338.

Tel: 9236 5002

- OPENING HOURS -

Monday - Thursday : 12pm - 10pm

Friday : 12pm - 12am

Saturday : 10am - 12am

Sunday : 10am - 10pm

- SERVING TIME -

Lunch (Mon - Fri) : 12pm - 5pm

Brunch (Sat - Sun) : 10pm - 3pm

Dinner : 6pm - 9.30pm*

Supper: 10pm - 11.30pm*

Happy boy with his Eggs Benny!

I had the Mentaiko Pasta and I like it! (:

Fried Calamaris. Always the boy's favourite (:

Eggs Benny, which I thought was pretty decent but evidently not the best we've had before.

That was a weekend well spent in September! Weekends are utmost precious to me because of the little time we get to spend together on dates due to the clashing of the nature of our jobs. I tend to be busiest during the weekends, whereas he is holding an office job. Even before we checked in to Studio M (and even after checking in), I had shoots to go for and I was drenched in my own sweat. Despite having really little time together, I think we are lucky enough to be in Singapore together so I try to not lament about the lack of time together. Having shot so many couples who have endured the LDR before they can settle down together, I honestly am ashamed of how I complain that D stays at the other end of the island from me. Moreover, he has been the most accommodating boyfriend ever in the world in fitting into my schedule so that I do not have to forsake work.

I am a crazy workaholic, and it stretches to the extent I find myself impossible at times. I work everyday and burn all my weekends working, only having time for us to have dinner together and that's about it. Therefore, we make it up by travelling and indulging in stay cations every now and then. It forces me to abandon my work (well, as much as possible), and just allow myself to rest and for us to have quality time together. Which also means, unlike most couples out there who have the luxury of weekends for themselves, we basically sacrificed all of it in exchange for a short getaway once a month or once every two months. It feeds the wanderlust spirit in me as well, and I'm thankful that D is very much into travelling like I do.

We are lucky, but not to be envied because we work hard for every bit of fun we get to indulge in, and along with it comes many unseen sacrifices that many do not know of. But I honestly, wouldn't want to have it any other way. (:

xx

August Update

Dinner at Grub

Back in the jolly month of August, the Fabfad team and I met up for dinner at Grub after hearing so many good reviews about the place and it definitely did not disappoint. It was just a little hard finding the place and we almost got lost, and ended up walking a pretty long distance before we got greeted by a long queue. But I would say it was pretty well worth the wait! The pricing is pretty reasonable, and it makes for a good place for people to chill at night with friends. I had the steak, and I really like it. (:

Everyone liked their dish except the boyfriend, because his Grilled Chicken Leg was honestly a pretty small portion that was insufficient for him.


Grilled Steak & Fries $18.50


Grilled Chicken Leg $15


Slow Roasted Pork Belly $15


GRUB Cheeseburger $13


My dear Rebecca and Sihui. In other words, also known as the Fabfad team! (:


Our dishes (:

The most unforgettable part was how Rebecca, being the sweetheart that she is, surprised me with a birthday cake with the excuse that she was heading to the toilet. It totally caught me off guard because I didn't think there would be anything more to it than a purely good dinner together. Albeit a belated celebration, it was a really nice sweet gesture and the fact that she remembered meant a lot to me. (,:

Makisan 


Ever since the boyfriend and I tried our first Maki roll, we've been hooked! The joy and pleasure of being able to select your own ingredients into the making of your roll is so addictive and for picky eaters it's an additional plus point because you know you wouldn't be getting any unwanted surprise in your food! So I've brought my friends- Anadee and Samantha, over for dinner when we had our usual meet up and I think we all had fun choosing and eating.


How nice would it be if we could get a hands-on experience at rolling it too… Hahaha.


That's my girls for you (: Two girls that I hold really close to the heart since secondary school. We may not meet often, but whenever we do it's always like we have endless topics to talk about. They are both really really kind-hearted and beautiful in and out. I mean it whenever I say I see the beauty in them radiating on the outside. It's funny how we could click so effortlessly despite being so different, but thank you girls for keeping me close to the heart and for accommodating my schedule/time whenever I am tied down by work. Perhaps the fact that three of us are born so closely together. I love you girls (,:

Lowercase


I can't seem to remember what this is but I conjure that it's the Marinara that I had.


Both my girlfriends ordered the Carbonara. Being avid fans of food photography, both of them like to complain that my food is always the least appealing in the photos. It's funny how we have visited countless cafes and I'm always ordering "ugly food" (as they have described) and it is true because my dishes will never stand out when I'm with them. Maybe I just have a knack for ugly dishes then.


Say hi to my uber-unwilling-to-be-snapped friend, Florence, who finally conceded defeat after multiple attempts of pointing the camera at her. So, she sulked. So cuteeeeee. Haha.


The sweetest boyfriend who dropped by to pick me up after dinner but again, I was surprised by them into believing that it was a normal dinner and they sprung the cake in my face when I left the table for a little while. (,: Tinglei actually went to get Awfully Choc's cake cause she said she remembered that I mentioned about 2 years ago that I actually quite like their chocolate banana cake. How thoughtful and sweet. I honestly have the best bunch of friends ever. She actually remembers a passing remark made 2 years ago. I got the boy in to join us together for the cake. (:




And taaa-daaaa. presenting the P.P.Gs to you! Not that hard to figure the acronyms out actually heehee.  So yes it was a whole lot of sinful indulgence that night because apart from the cake, we had the Salted Caramel Brownie (oh shucks my memory is failing me) and it was soooo good and yummy. What I could never figure was how the girls actually held my cake and presents with them all the way when we were together but I never noticed. It's either they are too smart or I'm just….. dumb. I'd like to believe in the former though.

We spent the entire night talking and lazing around Laselle just sharing everything under the moon with each other like we always do. With them, it's also endless ramblings and shadings but it never gets bored. They are also a very consistent pair in my life who has seen me through the good and ugly, supported me through all my decisions and pulled me through the darkest nights. Thank you girlies, I love y'all to the depths of the ocean.



And lastly,

I know how much of a mismatch these two photos are to all the food photos but I thought I'd summarise them altogether since I'm at it now and put a closure to my August.


Good things don't just come in small sizes…. They come in big black bags.

I am tremendously thankful for this drop dead gorgeous pair of slippers the boy has gifted me for my birthday. There's a (I would say..) story behind this gift. But I guess one main point was that the boy was trying to make me a slipper convert. I know right… how absurd. I don't wear slippers out at all except when I am working outdoors but the boy believes in dressing down in whatever you like and not conforming to the latest trends just because you should/have to. We've had the debate about slippers for awhile now and the other time he concluded on his own that I probably do not wear slippers out because my slippers are cheap and ugly. Hahaha. I don't even own a pair of Havaianas until a month ago because I kept slipping during work when I wear my cheap slippers that doesn't provide much groove. He felt that if I had a nice pair, I probably would wear it more often.

Him being him, seeing that I do not own any 'branded' shoes at all, was a total sweetheart in wanting to pamper me because he knew I liked this pair and he actually went to get it all on his own without me knowing and even wanted to bring it along to Taiwan to surprise me on the midnight of my birthday but his surprise was foiled before the trip actually. Despite owning it for a few months now, I've barely worn it out still because I really hate seeing them get dirty.

I honestly don't dig branded footwear, and least to say-slippers, so it was never on my wish list. But hey, don't we all love anything that's Chanel? Thank you bee for the thought, for the surprise, for the pure intention of wanting to pamper me because you think I deserve it. I honestly don't. Thank you for everything that you've done on a day to day basis to assist me in my work when I feel that I'm about to crumble because it honestly meant a whole lot more than a pair of expensive slippers because it only goes to show that you do not only wait for occasions to show your affection. You want the best for me in everything, and you proved it not by words but by your unfailing love and action.

It's a real beautiful pair of slippers, my feet and I say Thank you! <3




Just a really quick update now before I scoot to bed with only 5 hours left to sleep. November and December have been beyond hectic… I have no words for them. Not that I'm complaining, it's all in a good way but it gets a little suffocating having to battle against time every single day. I've landed myself in many different places and shooting for what I love and am proud of. I'll probably share more in the next post, but then again I might save it altogether for a major thanksgiving recount at the end of the year like I always do. It's not so much about the New Year Resolutions, even though I make them too, but I have always felt the need for a proper closure for a year when it comes to an end for me to reflect and think about everything that has happened throughout and the amount of things I ought to be grateful for.

This December, I'll be embarking on two work trips and one of which is actually a REALLY long awaited place I've been aching to visit and I even penned it down as a 'MUST-GO IN 2013' and I thought it wasn't possible anymore since I've had a fair share of travelling till I got a jolly piece of good news that I'm being sponsored to travel. Imagine my delight when I knew! I'm just upset that the boy cannot be travelling with me this time round as I really would love to save the first experience for him. I was no doubt delighted, but I took awhile to consider because I have my concerns but D encouraged me to go for it despite how much we hate being apart. This is how selfless he is. (,: Mushy stuffs aside, I'll be blogging about the trip when I return and you guys will be keen to read because it's a beautiful place. I promise to line more posts up before I depart so I can still update this space more frequently!

As I've mentioned previously, you may follow Smittenpixels on both Instagram or Dayre for more bite sized frequent updates. (:

Goodnight, y'all!