Cotton Dresses for Summer

Chinatown light-up this year, thousands of gold coins floating above the roads.

Kilometres of life-size goat lanterns. What a major production every year too.

Most of the time it looks like this.

Selfie with my favorite girls.

My new home clothes for 2015, simple cotton dresses that eliminate daily decisions of what to wear.

It started with just 1 dress that my mom bought for me @ $10 a piece! I ended up getting 5 more dresses and 1 pajama dress. I think I need a straw hat to accessorize.

Escada Spring/Summer 2015

Spring/Summer pre-showing was just basic black and white that looked very much like work clothes. However, the actual collection is a lot softer and even colourful. I guess it was sooner or later that escada jumped in with a translucent knit material made into tops. It is a departure from its usual conservative & structured style.

 Just look at this evening gown, such a timeless classic.

Over in Escada Resort 2015, formal evening gowns are still de riguer.

The sexy use of gold is apparent.

Then signs of design in an updated paisley pattern on its clothes. The style is very work oriented, you know, jackets, knee-length dresses, pants. Who do you know wears Escada to work? I've seen ladies who lunch wear these out to socialize.

Over in Escada Sport Resort 2015, the clothes look more reasonable and familiar to what people actually wear everyday.

There are gemstones/chains print on the clothes this season.

Spotlight CNY Angpow

Spending my Spotlight $10.88 CNY voucher on an elastic band for my tulle skirt $8.90 and wrapping tissue paper $2.50. Sales were on and I also got some clearance fabric on discontinued lines.

Burt's Bees Almond & Milk Hand Cream

I am always a fan of almond hand creams and hand washes. It's soo homey, warm, uplifting that I always keep it around. It also nourishes the cuticles making it a 2-in-1 hand cream of choice. I am not a fan of almonds in baking or cooking though. I usually get The BodyShop's version, my first time trying out Burt's Bees that is just as good, more perfumey.

Fair Price Oriental Sausages (Garlic + Chili)

Taiwanese/Oriental sausages are newer cousins of traditional waxed meats. It's the same ingredients but juicier and fresher. It tastes sweet like chinese bbq and is red inside and outside. I am not a fan as its always got bits of fat stuffed inside that dribbles down your chin when you bite into it. However, if you are going to eat it then you have to get FairPrice house brand Oriental Sausages in garlic chili flavor, it's the best! At just $3.10 for 5 pieces, no wonder people complain $1 per piece @ pasar malams are expensive.

Currently Reading : Shopaholic to the Stars

The latest book for the Shopaholics series by Sophie Kinsella, published last year 2014. Shopaholic to the Stars follows Becky on her move to Tinseltown and is double the usual novel size. It's rollicking fun as Becky turns into a celebrity overnight and understands why stars have such messy tabloid lives.

I still prefer the movie version over the books. Isla Fisher as Becky is tremendously funny and sweet. A movie I have watched umpteenth times and still empathize with the lead character.

Some Chinese New Year faux floral arrangements I made this year in stone vases that were just waiting to be filled. I did cut my fingers in the process as the wires are sharp.

Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2015

Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2015 is fleur fantastique. I think the matching blazer to swimsuit is brilliant. No wonder he is NY Fashion Week's most talked about designer.

Clothes are slightly tweaked to give Aunt Dorothy's sunday best a facelift for present day.

SS15 is ok, what I really love is MK Resort 2015 collection.

 Lots of floaty fleurs and knit pieces in pastels. To contrast the clothes, the design direction suddenly becomes very formal with mens style tuxedo coats.

Here's beautiful Blake Lively on the red carpet in Michael Kors 2015 SS, she's preggers and positively glowing!

2015 Year of the Goat

2015 is the year of the Green Wood Goat. Mutton hotpot made an appearance for the first time at my reunion dinner with the family. It's robust and meaty, I am surprised it doesn't appear as often as it should. If you want to eat this all year round, there is the well known Chuan Yang Ji Hotpot outside my place that serves up mutton hotpot with all parts of the goat, from lung salad to tripe.

I won this Cornell multi-cooker from Lee Kum Kee sauces, just in time for reunion dinners at home. This one even has teflon coated interior for easy cleanups.


 

Zalora sent along some red packets for me to distribute, it has my affiliate discount code on it. It says I get 35% commission but really its just 6% to 16%. You get 15% discount on all items.

Forever Elizabeth by Elizabeth Taylor Shower Gel

Forever Elizabeth is a glamorous heavy floral perfume, it's got white musk, jasmine, tiare flower, orchid, violet, rose, blackberry, apple, mandarin then base notes of cloves, sandalwood and amber. Meant for the feminine girly girl, bathing in this is like a bath of thousand flowers. The bottle comes with a frosted safety cap, when it is not in use.

CNY Treats

Bringing the Chinese New Year to western desserts.

Iced sugar cookies...macarons...cupcakes!

HDB BTO Flats

Friday the 13th is rumored to be rife with bad luck so everyone watch out k'
I've never noticed it to be, so am not bothered by the number of Friday 13ths there are this year. 

My parents filled the home with CNY snacks already. These are all flavored coz we really don't care for natural tasting stuff.

My friends have been looking at HDBs BTO (built to own) flats the last couple of years as it takes that long to get the keys to one of these. If you want something immediate you can look at leftovers that HDB sometimes bundle for collective sale. Am totally looking forward to the next one.

To qualify for BTO is of course you need to live in it after buying and you also need to be a Singaporean or PR (check HDB website for details). My real concern is of course the occupancy tenure. Nowadays, all HDB are tenured at 99 years leasehold, except for studios that have a 30 year leasehold. The attraction for everyone is really the prices that got me bamboozled as well.

A studio apartment can be had for less than $100K. No optional add-on costs (read upgrades) and the apartments & building are setup to be elder friendly & wheelchair accessible. Because, that is who its intended for.

Everyone will be looking at 2 room, 3 room, 4 room and 5 room flats. Ranging from 36sqm to 113sqm, prices from $130K to $350K. The largest flat you can get is an executive flat for around $390K @ 130sqm. Don't fret as there are housing grants for BTO flats that can go up to $60K. 

If I were to buy a new home and maximize my benefits, I will get a 2 room flat as there is a special subsidy to upgrade 2 room flat owners into 3 room flats in the same development. So a 2 room flat in a good location and nice building with facilities would cost $160K, minus max grants of $60K + upgrade = $100K for 3 room flat. I can pay that off with my CPF in full immediately, walking away a proud homeowner.

I love the idea don't you? Realistically, I will still need to pay for renovation (knock down walls), furniture, appliances as well as utilities and taxes. Oh, and to qualify for grants you have to be gainfully employed for at least a year prior, first timers get more money.