Have You Heard of OMG Facts?

If you're an internet junkie like me, eventually you will hear about OMG Facts which started out as a Twitter account disseminating little known and interesting facts on the network. Now they've also set up a website and recently started a YouTube channel.

So just like the blob fish in my previous post, there are a lot of interesting things out there that we're simply unaware of. At the time of posting this there are 8 videos already uploaded on their channel. Below is a pretty awesome fact they've dug up from way back when:

"Voted #1 April Fools Prank in History" from OMG Facts YouTube channel

The way that BBC did the prank was definitely epic. But then again, at that time, it was pretty easy to fool people. I suppose audiences were more gullible then, huh?

A Wilting Soul...

Thud!
And my heart skips a beat
Ensued by rapid pumping
For I know what is to come
Is hurtful words and yelling

Crash!
And my body begins to feel weak
A chill runs down my spine
And my joints failing beneath me
If only I were unconscious

My spirit now damaged
Torn beyond repair
No more is my saviour
The one who calms my soul
She who gives me strength

Who I seek is no more here
I feel defeated everyday
A battle lost before begun
Undoubtedly this is not fair
For a chance I do not stand

Once young and full of love
So much untapped potential
One who lived traumatized for many years
Now claims that throne beside the mentor
I have failed, yes, I have

Most times I keep still
Afraid of more abuse
I might not say the right things
I may not say what he wants to hear
But my silence too is penalized

There is no black nor white
Or even gray areas for me
I have no say in anything
My advises no longer heed
Alas what is my means to be?

Image from Inspiration of Lyric

Disclaimers and Other Notes...

Recently YouTube has implemented FTC (US Federal Trade Commission) Disclaimers to be included in all their member's videos to indicate whether items were purchased or gifted and if there are any monetary compensation given to fellow YouTubers to feature certain products and services on their channel. Disclaimers are no stranger to the internet or any other information disseminating mediums out there. It also works well with the copyright law I think.

So anyways, if you've noticed, I have begun putting disclaimers at the end of certain posts and of course whenever I use images that are not owned or created by me, I will credit the sources as well as put a link to them. I suppose it is only fair that all these items be declared in the post to avoid any future implications (a.k.a. just in case). *hehe*

This here is post #70 and I never imagined actually coming through with blogging. I love to write (or for this matter type) but I never thought that I'd be able to talk about all the things that has led up to my 70th post here in Blogger when I first started some 2 years back. I can't believe it's been (almost) 2 years since my first post! Anyways, I spent some time looking back at some older posts and oddly enough I actually can't believe I wrote all this stuff. My favourite post to date I'd say is my Valentine's Day entry.

On a different note, I'm beginning to wonder what is wrong with the international postal system. Seriously. I don't understand how a parcel/package can get "lost". Is there a Bermuda Triangle of posted items? I've been waiting for my last Sigma brush set (Nice In Pink Travel Kit) which was said to be posted on April 1 and some make up I bought at All Cosmetics Wholesale posted on April 15. Normally even by First Class International Mail, I get my items within 2 weeks. In fact, the sewing machine presser feet I bought online and was posted to me on April 15 (US April 14) via First Class International Mail (i.e. no tracking) already arrived safely last week. A friend of mine too got her brush purchased from Sigma within a week without hitches. Just my luck? Makes me wonder if it's Pos Malaysia that FAILED.

Last night was pretty weird, I was fine and later in the night I began getting stomach cramps for no apparent reason (at least none that I can pinpoint). Lasted through the night (thank goodness I managed to sleep through it) and til today. Forced myself to work in the afternoon still. I hate taking MCs simply because I don't like having to go to the clinic, get meds and have to down antibiotics. Ugh! Plus, I only look sick enough for an MC when I can't even move to go to the clinic. Haha. So the doctor will always look at me like I'm trying to squeeze a fake MC out of him. Ah well. The thing about not being well even momentarily is, the additional work to do and catch up on. C'est la vie.

Apple Love, OS 4.0, MacBook Pro...

So I was innocently browsing the Apple website recently to check out if there was more info on the upcoming OS 4.0 for the iPhone and iPod Touch and was delighted to find a whole video on the keynote delivered to app developers available on the OS 4.0 info page. *yay!*

Image courtesy of apple.com

I love watching Apple keynote videos. They're just so interesting and captivating. I love how the speakers/presenters (in this case Steve and Scott) have this cool and calm humour attached to their fluid presentations. Now how do I learn to present like that?!?!?!

Icons courtesy of apple.com

So OS 4.0 will be coming our way this summer (circa June-July-August) and I, for one, can't wait! The new OS comes with 100+ new features including the exciting 7 tentpoles presented during the keynote. I'm really excited about a couple features really and those are Multitasking & Folders.

I like the idea of multitasking simply because every time I read my tweets and someone calls, after ending the call, the page goes right back to the top and I have to scroll down to find where I left off. Incredibly annoying to the point that I wish people won't call me. *haha* So with multitasking, the app gets saved into the background and once my call ends I assume it means that I can pick up exactly where I left of on my Echofon. Same goes for when I'm watching YouTube videos on my phone, I have to quit the app to answer a call or if I suddenly have to attend to a text message. So that's something I'm looking forward to. Plus, you can continue to stream music even when you exit an app cos it's running in the background. How cool is that. No more being stuck in an app just to listen to a song. Woohoo!

Another cool new feature *IMO* is the ability to create folders. I love how easy it is to create folders (drag & drop!!!) on the screens and being an organizing freak, this feature is a dream! I use to categorize my apps on different pages for each different categories (i.e. Games, Camera/Photo apps, Fitness & Health apps, etc). The new interface for folders looks awesome as well.

They are also enhancing the mail feature with unified mailboxes, the ability to have 2 MS Exchange accounts and (love!) message threading. Message threading will absolutely make it easier to follow the entire thread of events leading to the latest e-mail. It's kinda like GMail in a sense. Which means that it would work so much better with GMail since that feature to me is one of the reasons I love using GMail in the first place.

They're also implementing iBookstore (from iPad) in the upcoming release. This is excellent for all the readers out there. Directly purchase e-books (or iBooks) from the store and read it instantaneously. I might not even need to go buy physical books anymore to satisfy my reading urges. And it syncs with the iPad version if you own both gadgets.

Honestly, even the iAd idea looks super cool. (And they were only using mock ads for the demo!) Apple designs are simply genius!! I don't care if they're super secretive or egoistic, the devices are top of the line excellent. Plus, the new OS allows users to change the home screen background too!

To my excitement, the new MacBook Pros are out as well! *floating*

Image courtesy of apple.com

I've been meaning to get my hands on the 13" model for a while now ever since getting my iPhone. Apple is so addictive. Especially for someone who appreciates awesome gadgets and devices like me. I love computers and gadgets. *Can you tell?* The gorgeous aluminium unibody enclosure, simple keyboard and sleek yet elegant design, I'm in love.

The new 13" has an estimated battery life of 10 hours (eat your heart out Timeline) with adaptive charging technologies and should have a life span of about 5 years. Mac computers have always been well known for their graphic quality and with the latest NVIDIA graphic drivers (320M on 13" and 330M on 15" & 17") the display output for photos and videos is incredible! Of course the LED backlit displays works wonders complemented by the driver. Isn't the illuminated keyboard just genius? I know it's a bad habit, but I like using my laptops in the dark. Fortunately I'm pretty good with typing without looking at the keyboard (been using computers since the DOS era or was it Mackintosh) so despite dim lighting (or no lights) I can still type decently. Haha. And of course the no button multi-touch trackpad (introduce in last year's model).

My only disappointment with the 2010 model is it still runs on Intel Core 2 Duo instead of the i3 (or i5 I don't mind *wink*) where as the 15" & 17" both now runs on i5 & i7 respectively. But then again, 2.66GHz on 4GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB HDD (can be upgraded to SSDs from RM900+ onwards) is pretty decent. So I'm likely to not wait for them to get it up to i3 before buying it. And it supports up to WiFi 802.11n which means I won't be fighting for the WiFi at home since everyone else is using the 802.11g protocol. Woohoo!! Anyways, I won't be doing any heavy video rendering with Final Cut Pro or crazy photo editing with Aperture (just watched some vids on the Apple website and I sooo want this software) or anything like that. I'm not even an avid gamer (plus there's the Wii & XBox for that). The 13" is so perfect for me.

Image from apple.com

So why do I want a MacBook Pro so bad? Besides the simple yet powerful interface which is in line with my personality oddly enough, I am dying to use the iLife suite that comes pre-installed. I can make my own tracks with GarageBand, edit videos with iMovie (OMG this piece of software is AMAZING!) and play around with iWeb (though not compatible with Blogger. :( ) which answers my many questions on how a lot of sites seem to look so chic effortlessly. The clear difference between WMM (Windows Movie Maker) and iMovie is how easy it is to just take parts of a video recording and drop it in the timeline. So easy. Putting picture in picture (or video in video) - not available in WMM - , titles and subtitles are nice and adding music is simple. In WMM, I have to keep splitting the video to edit out all the parts that needed to be omitted from the final product and the titles and subtitles can be a chore.

Image from apple.com

Now do I want to opt in and buy iWork too? MS Office is RM500+ while the iWork suite is about half that. I'd download OpenOffice but I just don't like their interface somehow. Haha.

Question of the day: To iWork or not to iWork. LOL!

DISCLAIMER:
All images used for this post are from the Apple website. I do not own these images and do not claim to own them.  I am not affiliated/associated with Apple nor am I receiving any form of compensation for using the images and discussing Apple products in this post. All comments are of my own thoughts and opinions. Images are used for display and illustration purposes only.

My Weekend in a Nutshell...

The weekend came and went quickly as always. So I came home Friday after work and immediately cozied up in my bed to get some much needed rest (not that I had a choice, I was exhausted from not getting enough sleep, running around and work in the office). Got up that night, had some dinner and drove myself and my (*cough* minion *cough*) brother to 1Borneo to pick up some stuff at Giant. So I got a couple of shelves for my room because I seriously needed a place to organize my stuff (nothing new here).

Project #1: 4-tiered Shelf

So my first project which I started that night was the 4-tiered Shelf (RM49.99) which is about 4 feet high which I'll be using to store my stock for Aurora. I haven't quite gotten to putting the stocks in place yet so as you can obviously see from the photo, it's all a bunch of junk stuffed in there. Haha. Anyways, if anyone is wondering, those gorgeous window drawer inserts are by Neo Geo and I bought them in Jusco (Midvalley, KL) for I think below RM20 each. These were originally bought for a different shelf but I got the measurements a bit mixed up (OK so I didn't measure the shelf before hand) and used it for this. Now I'm thinking I should get a couple more just to fill up the rest of the shelves. I bought some for another (older) shelf unit (3-tiered) and those were a different pattern and without the window. They are sold in Metrojaya outlets as well but the one in KK seems to be out of stock (since forever!!).

Project #2: 4 Compartment Filing Shelf

The other shelf I bought that night was this 4 compartment filing shelf (RM46.99). I have an identical unit (bought much earlier) on the left side of this wardrobe cupboard. I took out the shelf that came with the cupboard and replace it with this one because it's more sectionalized if that makes any sense. I was going to get a different type of shelf for the right side because this is actually half a centimetre higher than the wardrobe drawers. Anyhow, after much thought and deliberation, I opted for another unit of this type of shelf to fit in here. The assembly for Project #1 was much easier than this one. Haha. Basically for this I had to fix the whole shelf up minus the base and then put the top in under the drawers first and then slid the base in. Both parts are connected with those wooden cylinders (no screws for the base). Speed bump? The back piece kept sliding down when I was getting the top part to connect with the base. Wee! More (and proper) storage for my clothes. Originally, I had this hanging organizer but it was crap and took up much space (not to mention hideous as well). I love how the colours just blend in with the actual wardrobe. *smiles*

Then Saturday rolled in and it started with driver duties and then the post office then home. I can't quite remember what I did in the day time yesterday. Odd. Ah yes, business stuff. Anyways, had dinner at 1Borneo and then dropped by Parkson to see if there was anything useful to help me with my room spring cleaning quest. Was so excited that the search was not in vain.

Project #3: Necklace Hanger

So I have a ton of long necklaces (OK some short ones too) and I used to store them in individual resealable plastic packets which didn't quite cut it for me since these long pendant necklaces (from Forever21.com, Vincci Accessories, Brands Outlet & PARK avenue accessories) tend to get tangled up easily and it's such a waste of time (and nuisance) to get them all in perfect form again. So that afternoon I googled for inspiration and Google sure didn't disappoint. I got the accordian rack pictured above at Parkson for RM4.99 and those stick on metal hooks (didn't want to do any drilling) for RM4.90/pack of 5. And voila! Set it up next to my dressing table and it's all nice and organized and accessible. I still have a bunch of long necklaces stashed in my dresser drawer but those are beaded ones and didn't really mesh with the theme on this hanger. Haha.

Sunday (today) morning I had breakfast with my bestie and her cousins at Wan Wan (yay for Kon Lau Mein with Fish Slices). Didn't get to join them on their outing at Suria Sabah and 1Borneo though. Had other matters to attend to. After my business was done for the day, I went hunting for a computer table for the house. The current one is in such dire state although I like the design. It's just the right design for this space. It's just annoying that every computer table in stores are at least 3 feet wide and the space allocated for the table is just a few inches more than 2 feet. Ugh. The ones that fit wasn't tiered. Where am I supposed to put the printer and modem then? Where are you perfect computer table? Another search that is still on is for clip on lamps. Well, I only need one more since my mum bought one some time ago and I'm using that on one side of my table (I need another one to balance the lighting plus clip ons don't take up a lot of space). The one sold at Parkson was pretty pricey at RM59.90. I think mum bought the one we have for less than RM20 at a discount store. I should've gotten one at the time too *bangs head against virtual wall*.

After a tiring fruitless search, I went home and sorted out some stationeries. Being lazy so I just printed the label and price stickers for Aurora to stick on the back of my clothes tag. So much prettier and quick than me writing it down manually. Gotta be ready for future flea markets and bazaars. Don't have time to rush on these things and get it down at the 11th hour all the time. *winks*

Ah yes, my Sigma Makeup brushes arrived!! Sooo super duper excited!! *beams*

Aren't the brush rolls gorgeous?

The Complete Kit + Brush Roll + SS188 + 2 Travel Size SS217

The Premium Kit

I just couldn't stop touching my brushes and sweeping the bristles on my face and eye area. Haha. I've been wanting to get these for a long time and waited for the Premium Kit to come out before placing an order. Was gonna get this as a birthday present for myself last year but postponed. The prices are pretty steep for the average brush user but it's still a lot cheaper than getting MAC brushes. Nothing against MAC brushes but they're just out of my budget at the moment. *fingers crossed my travel kit doesn't get lost in the mail again* I'll probably do a review on these or something on Blissful Belle. Oh yea. Went to MAC with hopes of getting the Color Forecast Blush Ombre in Peach/Pink but they were sold out. Just not my luck I guess. Maybe they'll be on ACW?

On a different note, I revised the prices for selected items on Aurora (reduced prices!) so if you had your eye on something there, go check out if it's one of the lucky items.

Will be getting back to sewing again soon. Need to do the curtains and my table cover (long overdue) plus several other projects. Gotta piece together my outfit design for a few events coming up in the last quarter of the year. Pretty much got at least one outfit completely designed. Something different for me this time. The other 2 or 3 needs some tweaking still. C'mon brain, think. Maybe I'll cut out the pattern first before getting the fabric.

My tummy's upset. Hopefully it'll go away in the morning. Back to work.

A Whiff of Roses...

I have succumbed to the Blogger in Draft Template Designer feature and converted my then WordPress inspired White Page template (mildly modified to my liking) from btemplates.com to a similar version via the Template Designer. Essentially the look and feel of the blog is the same, it's just slightly different yet personally me. If that makes any sense. *furrows eyebrows & presses lips together*

This way, I pretty much know that the template will mesh well with Blogger and flow with the changes Blogger implements (if any). At least I hope it will. Externally obtained templates usually refer to Blogger tags and such and when certain attributes are changed, it affects the overall template as a whole and can be a pain to search pinpoint what went wrong where.

Ah yes, Giant officially opened in Megalong Mall in Donggongon Town. I passed by hoping to drop in if I found a spot to park but of course, with Giant opening it's doors today, it was impossible to find parking. Oh well. So I ended up going to Giant in City Mall instead. Unfortunately, the shelves that I'd wanted to get weren't in stock so that was clearly a waste of time (and petrol). Maybe I'll drop by 1Borneo tomorrow to see if the outlet there has the shelves that I want. I find that they're much cheaper in Giant than a regular furniture store. Now if they had Jusco or Carrefour here or something, I'd have more choices of places to check out. In fact, those stores' outlets in MidValley had a wide array of items. *sigh* But that's in KL. Metrojaya? They don't even sell those sort of things. Too high end and snotty I guess.

In the midst of my rambling in the above paragraph, I stumbled on this little bit of news:

Article from The Borneo Post (October 5th, 2009)

Seriously? Does that mean in the next couple of years we'll see a Jusco outlet here in KK? (or MaxValu?.. Nooo... Please be Jusco). That'll be nice to see. More choices! Yay! Ah yes... Cheap sushi!

Anyways, tonight as I was walking out and entering my car in the porch to head for City Mall, I caught a whiff of roses in the air. After starting the engine I realized that I'd forgotten to take the measurements needed to help me choose the right shelves dimensions *silly me* and stepped back in the house. Oddly enough, the smell of fresh roses were no more. Puzzled still, I looked around and couldn't identify any possible source for the scent to linger or even float around where I was standing. Our rose bush hadn't bloomed yet (no flowers at all... Or maybe it died, not too sure) and our neighbours don't have roses. So I continued to head for my room, take the necessary measurements, jot them down and walked out to my car a second time. Again, the scent was gone.

Sitting in the car while starting up the engine and waiting for the gates to completely open, it got me thinking, since it was after all Malam Jumaat tonight and my mum loved roses and we'd just placed roses at her resting place last Saturday, could it be her spirit had come to visit? Needless to say just the thought of it made my eyes go into dam mode and well up. I don't know for sure of course but I'd like to think so. At least it makes me feel that she comes around and checks on us every once in awhile.

Red Rose photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I miss her dearly...

Befalls one soul, be lost one heart...

Once whole has now been halved
Once full is now left famished
Once beats with glee
Now thumps with sorrow

Only one will know
And only one will forever stay silent
For the only soul is weeping
And no one can know or hear her cry

If only there were a glimmer
Of things that had past
A spark of hope and comfort
From the one who is no more

Alas that road has ended
The path yet to be treaded
Vast and wide the possibilities
To anywhere and nowhere

All choices have no certainty
All pieces yet to be found
Stumbling, fear and helplessness
Yet only one will ever know

No light at the end of the tunnel
No clouds with silver lining
No waves in the ocean
No more means to be

Image from IN.com

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weird discovery...

Just the other day (yesterday actually) the family spent some time at 1Borneo. Somehow we just love dropping by bookstores, so we spent a considerable amount of time at Harris.

Anyways, while checking out the shelves, my brother picked up a book called "Weird Animals" I believe. And this animal was on the cover:




Initially we thought it was just some random photoshopped photo representing the weirdness of the fauna world. Apparently we were wrong anf the photo was of a legit animal called a 'blobfish'. Imagine that.

Looking closely, the blobfish looks like a disgrutled grumpy old man lazing around with a huge frown (and nose) on his face. According to the book, scientists don't know much about this particular species and the animal is said to eat just about anything that floats by that fits in its mouth.

Reactions from the younger brothers:

Brother #2: "Why does he look like that?" in a tone I'd describe as a mix of surprised, amazed and slightly confused.


Brother #3: "Eeewwww"

Brother #1 was just excited with the find he had to share it with the 2 younger ones. Lol!!!

So there you have it. A random post.

Oh yea. I was on the same flight as the talented Ning Baizura today and she was incredibly cordial and pleasantly nice (yes, yes I'm being redundant). Managed to take a photo with her at the airport before departing. :)

Follow Ning on Twitter @NingDalton

As you can see, I'm on my phone now and the photo is on my camera. Haha. Anyways, she's real nice (I can't say that enough). My fave song from her is still "Gelora Kita" which was from her debut album way back when. A beautiful duet with Johari Teh. :) I absolutely love that song. Also, heads up, her new album is underway and should be hitting music stores soon.

Now silly me, brought a teeny tiny bag (overnight bag) on my overnight trip. Went into the shops and had to text my dad to lend me another bag. Haha. I usually bring a bigger bag (it expands too) on my trips regardless how short they are. Served me right to leave it behind. Anyways, problem solved. Bought some stuff and I've already done packing. Wee!

Oh no. Just remembered my mascara is still on. Off to clean up and sleep. Long day at work tomorrow. Files, here I come. *insert lack lustered enthusiasm*

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

lin yu chun... taiwanese idol?

Recently I was lazing on the couch watching E! shows (Giuliana & Bill, E! News, Daily 10, Keeping Up With The Kardashians) and they showed a snippet of this kid singing a Whitney Houston song. Sure, a lot of people sings her songs. But this was a guy named Lin Yu Chun on a Taiwanese show called Superstar Avenue (kinda like American Idol) who sounded amazing!

Lin Yu Chun singing I Will Always Love You

Video from feralcatnews YouTube channel

Amazing init? A lot of people who auditioned for American Idol didn't even come close to this.

So that was just a random clip I thought I'd share before I finish packing for my flight to KL. Ah yes, work awaits tomorrow. I have declared tomorrow a personal work filing day. Haha. Hopefully I get everything sorted out and come back accomplishing what I went there to do. My colleagues there had requested that I stay a little longer. But honestly, I just hate taking the komuter and the taxis are such an annoyance and a complete con. How did I survive through that while I was there for 4 years you might ask? Simple, I had a car. Haha. My fave mode of transportation on ground. All I had to do was fill up the gas/petrol, give it a wash and send it for servicing every so often. No haggling fares or wasting time waiting for the train to arrive or squeeze myself between odd and freaky commuters *cringe*. This was especially helpful when I'm out shopping. With all the pushing and shoving that comes with getting on the KTM komuter (and LRTs), I've had such a prob with balancing myself while exiting the darn thing. And when I carry a backpack, with my weight, I felt like tipping over backwards while moving forward if you get what I mean. Not cool. Which makes me love my hometown so much more for it's utterly laid back personality. I just wish there were more malls and choices in shopping outlets though. We're so quiet Sephora won't even consider having an outlet here. LOL!

Okies, off to switch bags (just found the bag I wanted to take on this trip instead of squishing all my stuff in a tiny gym bag).

sigma, blogger and things in between...

if you've been using blogger, you may or may not have noticed a cool new feature to help customize the look and feel of your blogger. currently only available in Blogger in Draft, the Template Designer is definitely a nice new toy to fiddle with.

screenshot from blogger in draft - layout>template designer

so what exactly is the template designer about? well, there are a few pre-made basic templates to choose from (i usually go for the simple template) and then you can choose your colour scheme (customizable) and background image (none, upload own or choose from a wide selection of gorgeous images). for the less familiar with css and sorts, customizing your sidebars and footers are a cinch! just select how you want your page layout to look like and click "apply to blog" and your all set. it's so easy. personally, i love it because i don't have to go hunting for the perfect basic layout to manipulate into the look that i want. of course there'll be a little attribute line at the bottom of your page to acknowledge the creator of the basic template and all that.

screenshot of the new image uploader

also, i don't know if it's just in drafts but the insert image function looks really nice and is super easy to use too. the loading is pretty fast too compared to the old uploader. excellent stuff. plus with the new uploader, you can choose photos/images already uploaded to your picasa web album. sometimes i get clumsy and accidentally clicked the backspace key (ie keyboard shortcut to go to the previous page) and when i edit my post again, the photos just uploaded is no more on the insert image box. which means i have to manually insert the url of each individual image. troublesome, i know. so with this latest feature, i wouldn't have to do that anymore. wee!!

logo courtesy of sigma makeup website

on another matter, i must commend sigma makeup's tara who has been cordial and extremely helpful with my missing shipment problem. she did mention that sometimes it takes a whole lot longer than anticipated for the shipment to arrive when using standard international mail to deliver the brushes. although i didn't have to pay for the cost of the brushes a second time, i did however have to bear the cost of express international mail. after much consideration, i have decided to reduce the items i'd purchase to compensate for the shipping charges. that's 1 extra brush roll and 2 SS239 brushes less than i'd purchased. i suppose i'll just get to those another time. so hopefully, this time around, with a tracking number provided, i will receive my brushes on time. again, thanks tara for the kind assistance and for bearing with me through this ordeal.

haha. the house is still a mess with all my aurora stuff. i really need to clear those up. hopefully i'll get to clear some up before i leave for KL this sunday. *oh dear*

if you don't know by now, i am a shopaholic. i try to work within my budget and hunt for bargains anywhere i can. was so excited to receive my Forever21.com long necklaces which i've been looking forward to. maybe i'll post the photos in another post either on this blog or another but i'll link it here somewhere. haha. and yes, i'm somewhat of a blogaholic as well. OCD? haha. maybe. i like things to be separate i guess. so i don't jumble up everything. plus, different blogs allows me to experiment with different tools and layouts that suits whatever it is the blog is about instead of one big mess of a blog. hehe.

honestly, i don't know how people blog with all these color changes and stuff. i like to write and type and stuff but colors and stuff, i'm not so good at. i can do pictures tho. does that count? ;p

my bestfriend's wedding is in 6 months or so and i haven't even started designing my clothes yet. *cringe* what am i going to do? the beadwork is gonna take awhile too. hurm. guess that means i better get started i suppose. it's highly possible that i'll be going for a pretty simple design and vamp it up with bib necklaces or something. that would be totally awesome. now to design the necklace. colors? fabric? gotta figure out something gorgeous but yet totally flattering and wearable on other occassions as well. no point me making a dress that can only be worn once right? to the drawing board!!!

international shipping can be a pain...

i've found that shopping for items not available in malaysia somewhat more exciting. for one thing, you get extremely good bargains if you know where to look. another is well, you can't get those things here. i particularly love shopping for stuff from the US. mainly make up products. they've got a wider range of drugstore products for brands like maybelline, l'oreal and revlon. for instance, i bought the maybelline full n soft mascara (my fave mascara of all time) while here, it's been discontinued for years. then there's stila which is no longer available in malaysia. loads of bargains out there for this brand too. i bought 3 smudge pots for $18 or less i think.

anyways, as i grow my make up collection, i wanted to add more make up brushes as well. if you're a make up junkie like me, you would prolly have heard of sigma make up brushes and know how much they are comparable to mac brushes. now m.a.c. brushes goes for at least RM100+ a piece so to actually have a collection of m.a.c. brushes would cost a fortune! a basic complete set of 12 brushes from sigma costs $89 with a brush roll or with the current promotion, $99 with brush roll (valued at $20) and an eyeshadow quad (valued at $36).

so, as you can guess, i definitely wanted to get my hands on those brushes. i waited for months before actually placing an order. lo and behold, a month later and still no sight of my packages. they appear to be lost somewhere in the world. isn't that just weird how mail gets lost? i mean, where do lost mail go to? it should at least reach the destination country as it is clearly printed on the package right? i've never had a problem with items shipped via first class international usps mail before. and have received numerous parcels on time. i just don't understand why my sigma brushes just went kapoof! into thin air.

as always, i went on twitter and declared my woes. haha. sigma tweeted back to ask me to e-mail their customer support team. i did. and i will acknowledge that tara has been extremely cordial and helpful. she gave me the customs form number -- which i've never heard of before -- and asked me to try and check with the post office/customs department here. the two entities were of course of no use. they had no idea where my packages are. it was just comforting *insert sarcasm* to hear the lady at customs tell me that's the risk of buying from overseas. so i informed tara and she made arrangements to resend my packages this time via express mail (more reliable). so does this mean i'll be shelling out another $50 for them to ship me my items a 2nd time? *cries silently*

yea. and the usps tracking site is of no use either. it just says it receives information from the sender and that that doesn't confirm they received the parcel from them. wth?!?!

hopefully, the items arrives soon. i've been waiting for them for way too long. *sigh* doing another test of their service on standard international mail. i'm getting a travel set for my purse/bag. anyways, hopefully when i do actually receive my brushes, i'll post up a review of them on my beauty blog yea.

seriously, what's so difficult about tracking packages that they have to charge so much anyway? the labels are paid for by the sender/buyer and all they've got to do is scan a barcode at each location. geez. capitalists.

okies. snoozing off now. work tomorrow.

being a busy bee...

yes, i know it may seem like i've been neglecting my blog somewhat. but being the uber blog-a-holic, i could never stay away from my blogs. so as you can clearly see on my sidebar, i have a total of 5 blogs which are all distinctly different. there is of course this blog which is my personal blog where i basically blog about stuff going on around me, what i've been up to, my emotions, opinions and things like that.

then there's of course my blogshops, Aurora by elixelle and trove by elixelle, which sells new fashion apparel and accessories (coming soon) and pre-loved clothes and accessories respectively. i've been more active with aurora lately compared to trove and it's still in it's baby stages. both will be at the sabahan blogshop flea market at jesselton point tomorrow and that has been taking up my spare time these past couple of weeks.

next is my sewing project which is pretty much my sewing project gallery and fashion related blog. for the time being i haven't had a chance to get into it as i've been concentrating on aurora and blissful belle. i'm really enjoying blogging about beauty, skincare and make up.

if you follow me on twitter (that's where i update most), you would probably know what i've been up to (i.e. aurora and blissful belle and more). so yea. i haven't vacated the blogosphere, merely spread my wings into different things.

so there you go, a quick update and explaination of my blogs. :)

of course, there's my day job that consumes 80% of my day. the thing about working with a company is it all starts out flowers and butterflies but the longer you work, the more the horns and fangs reveal themselves. work becomes more demanding, employees begin to feel underappreciated, colleagues start acting like bosses and become increasingly rigid and uncooperative. kinda kill the mood to give it your all like you use to. so anyways, hopefully moving back to my old office will help ease the increasingly depressing workload on my shoulders. blah!