Beverly's Secret - Promise to Share

Miyaki 3th Bithday

2012-01-30T15:31:00.000-08:00

Can you believe how fast time goes by? It has been 3 years since I brought Miyaki home.

It was a gloomy & chilly morning, the day Chean promised to drive me to a local pet adoption event at Pet Smart. I picked a magenta coat that I purchased in HK & childishly shouted "huge success" at the front gate before stepping out the house. Ya, I was utterly desperate, dying to get myself a loyal companion after searching high & low for a month; from licensed breeder to non-legitimate seller to numerous local pet stores. I found nothing.

If you own a pet before, or owning one now, or ever experience the intense pet-finding moments, you probably know how it feels. It's like choosing the prefect gown for your dream wedding, you kinda know what you want yet you don't, but you know it right away at the first glimpse, this is it, that's something that will complete your life.

It's exactly like that when I saw Miyaki, a nine week olds puppy lying on the floor, sleeping close to his mum & his bro. Then there's a rush of blood through my head & veins, indicated that I need to bring him home. I must. So I talked to the person in charge, I said I want that puppy, so ignorant like I were shopping in the LV boutique. You know, the pick & pay kind. But the lady, Samantha not only kept me well inform about the adoption fees, process & agreement but also carefully observed the way I interact with Miyaki before handing him to me officially.

#1 The day when God sent Miyaki to my arms.

And then he fills our lives with all magical & beautiful moments...

#2 He was just 9-week-old. So teeny ❤❤

#3 Matchy matchy~~ We splurged a lot on his toys, clothes, and accessories.

#4 Chean brought him along while walking through the home inspection for our condo in Portland. So manja right?

#5 Three-month-old. I have this pic hanging on the wall, just too precious.

#6 We always wanted to give him the best, pet insurance, vaccinations, annual physical exams... Were so busy running in & out the vet office for the 1st year. A healthy pooch is a happy pooch! Chean sent him to training classes too, hehe.

#7 He loves sunbathing~~

#8

#9

#10

#11 Unkempt & disheveled, he's ready for his first grooming session.

#12 Taa Daa~~ Clean & tidy :D

#12 With Rocco~~ Adore their smiley faces.

#13 Celebrated his 1st birthday at Cannon Beach, Oregon.

#14 Took him flying with us to Boulder.

#15 He got real sick last Christmas holidays... Chean & I went vegetarian for a month, then did the meatless Monday for about 3 months to pray for him. We can't be more thankful for his health and well-being now.

#16

#17 And this Jan 23, he just turned 3!!!

#18

#19 I actually baked a big chuck of Salmon for him but his bowl is too small to fit. What you're seeing is just quarter of the whole portion.

#20

#21 How do you like Mummy's new car Miyaki? Hehehe...

#22 We rarely allow him to run or jump after his previous back injury. Sorry Miyaki, we are doing this for your own good.

#23 Brought him strolling around Wonderland Lake, what a cloudy & windy day!

#24 Now even a 15 minutes walk could get him extremely excited.

Well, not really...

#25 "Daddy, I'm scared,"

#26 "I don't think I can do this..."

Man up Miyaki!

#27 "I... I... I..."

#28 "I can't do it. H.E.L.P!!!"

#29 "Phewwww..."

He is boy but I have no idea why he's so timid. You think neutering has anything to do with that? LOL...

#30

#31

#32 See the ice? It was super chilly I tell you.

#33

#34

#35

#36

Ok, that's all for today. Really can't help but being super duper emotional now, tears streaming down uncontrollably like there's no tomorrow... Guess what, Miyaki is sitting right next to me and curiously staring at me; he must be wondering why am I secretly crying in front of my laptop, hmm...

It's because mummy loves you too much Miyaki baby. Do you know it's a total bliss to have you around? Thank you for being such an awesome pet.

Happy Birthday again ❤❤

Kisses & hugs,
Bev

To The Year of Water Dragon

2012-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you!!!

It's the seventh day of Chinese New Year (CNY), traditionally known as Rénrì (人日, the common man's birthday), the day when everyone grows one year older (Wikipedia, 2012). Although I don't have 鱼生 (YuSheng, tossed raw fish salad) this year, that doesn't stop me from enjoying CNY & having a great time! Guess what, I know how to make some traditional CNY dishes, F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!!! Yay, my life doesn't have to be so miserable anymore.

I made all of these except the roasted pork on the 1st day of CNY. Totally have no idea how I actually did it, super proud of myself!

#1 南乳五香炸肉. Mum taught me this over the phone and I also referred to a recipe that Sock Peng shared me on FB.

#2 Roasted pork. Bought it from Ocean Pacific Market, an Asian market located in Broomfield. I don't eat this so I don't know if it tastes good but Chean insisted it's a must-have in order to complete our CNY menu @.@

#3 欢乐笑哈哈 aka Ketchup Prawns.

#4 Veggie & Mushrooms.

#5 年年有鱼, Garlic & Bean Sauce Steamed Fish. A recipe I stole from my mum over the phone, again.

#6 This dish was kinda like a spur-of-the-moment thing, I spontaneously invented it by adding a little bit of herbs & spices and surprisingly, it tasted amazing! Wanna called this 相亲相爱 or 一家团圆 cause it's made of chicken & eggs; however, Chean thought it sounded too cruel, we then called it 金鸡报喜 (what, chicken lays eggs mah, duh @.@).

#7

#8 Dinner for two! Ya, just me & Chean; I'm not confident enough to invite guests over.

#9 Tea time~~

#10 Ended the second day of CNY with 菜脚／酸菜 (a spicy & sour Malaysian dish that's made of leftover foods). Y.U.M.M.Y! First attempt ever, thanks to my mum again!

#11 Spot the luggage? I haven't completely unpacked it since my Aspen trip, but well, I'll soon be flying again~~ Why bother :p

#12 Dolled up and went out makan again on the 5th day of CNY.

#13 Ordered Lobster Yee Mee again, I know, I'm crazy about seafood, I can eat them everyday! :p

#14 And, he is crazy about Chicken Rice, especially the Hainanese Style, hehe...

Ohh... Before I forget...

#15 Thank you Maria for sharing the 年糕 (rice cake) that she brought over from Vancouver, Canada with us! I searched all over the town yet can't find these in any Asian markets, A.R.G.H =____=lll

#16 I only wish I could make better flour mix... Rice cake, why you no good-looking one?

Nonetheless, we feel super blessed to be able to celebrate CNY before the end of the world, if the 2012 prediction is true. LOL... I'll see you all in Malaysia next year!!!

Gong Xi Fa Cai,
Bev

Quickie

2012-01-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I've been slacking a lot these days. Just gonna compose a quickie to keep you sticking around BS before I switched off the blogger-at-work mood this weekend.

Was working on some photos this noon for the next advertorial-cum-giveaway and the awesome photo effects hype me, a combination success of natural sunlight, photoshop, and makeup of course. Thus I initiate this meaningless post by opinionatedly assumed you would be interested to take a peek at the falsie I recently purchased on eBay.

＃1

#2

#3 I bought my falsies on eBay occasionally, like this one, a box of 10 pairs eyelashes at US$ 1.68 that I ordered two weeks ago.

Those falsies may seem a little exaggerated for everyday use but they look superb in photos! Perfect for special occasions and parties, may I suggest a night out with your girlfriends? ;)

Have a great weekend and have fun~~

Love,
Bev

Love My Life

2012-01-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well... I know you all are probably super tied up with CNY celebrations, either you are busy stuffing yourself with sinfully tasty tidbits, buzzing around like a bee, or getting as much sleep as you could, you've just made me super jealous thus the evil side of me wanted to make you jealous about my life too!

B.L.E.H...

Random iPhone piccies that seem like a journal of my awesome daily life...

B.L.E.H... (well, jealous people are often childish & nasty)

#1 Gained 4kg but feeling great, you heard me shout out loud couple days ago on Facebook :D

#2 Brasserie Ten Ten, one of our fave places for breakfast & brunch in Boulder.

#3 "Table for two please," ^____^V

#4 To make the world a happier place to live, I think everyone should seriously get high & semi-drunk during weekend. Get Drunk, Not War *peace*

#5 So bad I can never scale myself to semi-drunk, I can either get super drunk or being complete sober, pretty extreme I know... Therefore, sparkling water works best most of the time.

#6 I'm not a huge fan of western breakfast, prefer something light in the morning so Waffle and Crossaint are my top choice~~

#7

#8

#9 Egg Benedict for Chean.

#10 Getting caffeine fix at The Laughing Goat.

#11 Sorry, I have no idea why that guy seemed so miserable k; it has nothing to do with the coffee, I guarantee.

#12 How can you not like coffee? H.O.W? (I'm talking to you sis :p)

#13 A random shot I captured in a sunny & snowy morning. Love watching the snow reflecting the sun's golden rays from the balcony, I twittered & facebooked that line...

#14 Starbucks breakkie at home. Mmmmm... And high 5 if you like word search puzzles too~~

#15 Taken this yesterday. New dress from Forever 21, I'll show you the full shots next time :D

#16

#17 Saw those cute ducklings crossing the road while we were driving home after shopping for groceries. Sooooo A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E, it made me laugh.

#18 Celebrated CNY eve with friends at Emperor Palace.

#19 We ordered 6 dishes but everyone was too hungry to photograph, hehehe...

Loving my awesome life as always, but it would be more perfect if I could have Chinese New Year T______T

Well, guess I can't be too greedy, still grateful and thankful for everything God has given me, shown me, and prepared me for. Gong Xi Fa Cai again, enjoy your holidays to the fullest before humdrum workloads take over your life again. B.L.E.H...

XOXO,
Bev

Natural False Lashes

2012-01-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

** advertorial **

First thing first, Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Gong Xi Fatt Cai!!!

Oh jeez, CNY is my favorite festive season; it is the only time you can shop till you drop and eat all you can without feeling guilty. A.R.G.H, I swear to god I must go home for CNY next year, missing my families & friends so bad, and also dying to eat all the great CNY dishes & sinfully delicious snacks, titbits, biscuits, prawn crackers... Just thinking of it makes me delirious, yummy!

Hmm, wait, what's the main purpose of this post? I'm sure it's not about food.

Ohh! Yes, product review for the awesome falsies I love using lately!!!

#1 Wearing Etude House false eyelashes by Uniqso.

#2 Upper false eyelashes. 1.05 Natural

#3 It comes with an adhesive too ^____^V

#4 Long enough to be noticeable but not exaggerated ❤❤

#5 Bottom false eyelashes. 2.11 Under lash.

#6

#7 Natural black + clear band = flawlessly luscious lashes!!!

The adhesive that comes with it is superb! Seriously, I never liked or ever thought complimentary lash glue can be this great; it's very easy to use for precise application, it dries quickly & invisibly, and most important, it holds lashes securely & comfortably in place! And it's F.O.C, too good to be true huh? *grind*

How to Apply False Eyelashes? No worries. With a little practice, you'll be applying false eyelashes like a pro in no time~~

#8 Carefully run the tip of Etude House adhesive along false eyelashes (I love using my fingers instead of tweezers, it's really up to you).

#9 Wait for approximately 10 seconds or until the white adhesive turns transparent/clear before application.

#10 Bring it as close to your natural lash line as possible. Remember not to glue it on your real eyelashes ok, that can poke your eye and be uncomfortable. Then, gently press and adjust the strip from end to end and hold until the glue dries.

Same theory applies to bottom false lashes...

#11 Bottom falsies are a lot more lightweight and teeny so I have no choice but to use tweezers for application.

#12 Glue, wait, bring it to your lower lash line, adjust and align. The upper & bottom lashes are reusable; I've used them for more than 4 times now ^___^V

V.I.O.L.A!!!

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17 Say hello to naturally long and glamor eyelashes and get ready for the many complements you will soon receive with your brighter and bigger new eyes~~

#18 I'm wearing Kimchi - Viva Violet lenses from Uniqso as well. Love the mysterious & dramatic effect a lot, you can't really tell that I have violet lenses on from far, glad that they do not make my eyes awkward to look at ;)

Eager to try? Wait, Uniqso has more to offer!!!

** Current Promotions **

1) Extra $3 discount on any Fynale lenses.
2) 10% off for all Black, Grey & Brown color items till 19/01/2012.
3) Post your photos to Uniqso Facebook wall and get 15% discount!

Enjoy an exclusive sweepstake by entering BEV10 as discount coupon code before checkout, and receive an additional 10% discount on your entire orders. Valid for promotional items too! Woo Hoo~~

Check out the entire Uniqso product line here to gawk at more fabulous picks.

Last but not least... Wishing you wealth, happiness and prosperity on this Chinese New Year. Good luck in the year of Dragon! H.U.A.T ahhh ❤❤

Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni,
Bev

B.E.N.E.V.O.L.E.N.C.E

2012-01-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of benevolence stands for a) an act of kindness, or, b) a generous gift. I just can't think of any word that could accurately describe a mighty meaningful charity project which my friend is currently working on in India.

David, that's how I address him. We first met at Marylhurst University's bookstore few years ago when I was pursuing my MBA degree in Portland. He is a Malaysian Indian but speaks Mandarin fluently. And he is a monk, that's what make our first conversation super interesting. I mean, meeting a Malaysian in Portland is already as precious as seeing a shooting star, but meeting a genuine friend like David that comes from such unique background is like seeing meteor shower to me! Like it only happens once in every thousand years or so... Chinese love to call this "緣份", more abstract than "fate". I see it that way too.

Few weeks ago, I came across one of David's Facebook status updates that touches my heart... And I thought I should really share this out...

#1

#2 David (right) is busy rolling his sleeves up, passionately building a school for children in India.

#3 The unfinished school building that remains partially constructed; the broken roof is desperately in need of repair...

#4 Another unfinished building being used as storeroom.

#5 Preparing foods...

#6 Making Indian bread at school canteen.

#7 Cracked ceiling that seemed like they could fall at any time.

#8 Poor corridor condition that shouts for serious maintenance.

#9 The view of the current classroom where underprivileged children get basic education and playtime.

#10 David & the happy kids.

I believe all children deserve access to basic education and a safe learning environment, with a little effort, we can empower and help them escape poverty. Everything counts, and a little effort goes a long way.

Now...

Here's what you can do in order to contribute and be part of this meaningful project.

#11 Make a donation today! Or help us spread the words!!!

If you are interested in making a donation, please contact the appropriate person listed below. Any donation of any size will help:

In the U.S., contact Linda Negrin,
lindanegrin@gmail.com, 503-866-2901

In Malaysia, contact Suresh,
kutty_suresh@agilent.com, 012-4087401

In Taiwan, contact Di Ren (Jannet),
shunjannet@yahoo.com.tw, 0933328219

In India, contact Yogi Shree,
visvaji@gmail.com, +91 7830878733

Or if you prefer to transfer money directly, here is the bank information

Bank Account #: 31961905406
Account name: Young Bodhisattva Society India
IFSC Code: SBIN0008066
Bank Name: State Bank of India, T.P. Nagar, Lucknow

#12 If you are living in the U.S., you could make the check out to Nanthakumar Muniandy (David's account), like the way I did, and mail it to:

Linda Negrin
13560 Goodall Road Lake Oswego, OR 97034.

** Bank charges for international wire transfer in the U.S. commonly range from $25 to $50. We are trying to collect all the funds and have the wire transfer done at once in order to avoid extra fees.

Visit Karuna Yoga Shravasti School Project official website for more information, photos, floor plans & FAQs.

#13

Love the quote they use on their site:
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." -- Mother Teresa

Let's make the world a better place for these unfortunate and disadvantaged children. May many blessings come to you and your family! Thank you for reading~~

Warmest thought,
Bev

A Healthy Dose of Vitamin F

2012-01-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

F stands for F.A.S.H.I.O.N in this post.

Ever since Target made the official announcement in Oct last year, I've been glancing over every fashion/style news on major mainstream sites, impatiently waiting to sneak peek Jason Wu's Target Collection. Oh dear, God has finally answered my prayer, the complete lookbook is here, guess what, along with prices too! And I'm sure God wants me to share these goodness with you all too~~

#1 Textured Pleated-Front Peplum Top in Gold, $32.99
Pleated Skirt in Black, $29.99

#2 Pleated Shift Dress in Blush Stripes, $39.99 (Black Belt Included)
Woven Mini Saddle Bag in Cream, $24.99

#3 Long-Sleeved Blouse in Blush, $34.99
Lace-Printed Straight Skirt in Blush, $29.99
Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

#4 Short-Sleeved Printed Cycle Dress with Pearls in Cream, $44.99
Canvas Tote with Blue Stripe, $39.99
Front-Flap Bag in Blue Floral, $39.99

#5 Long-Sleeved Pointelle Sweater in Belize Blue, $39.99
Dot-Printed Shirt Dress in Cream, $39.99

#6 Long-Sleeve Sheer Blouse in White with Black Ribbon, $34.99
White Dots Pleated Canvas Skirt in Belize Blue, $29.99
Front-Flap Straw Bag in Cream, $39.99

#7 Pleated Sleeveless Shift Dress in Navy Dots, $39.99
Woven Tote in Cream/Black, $49.99

#8 Sleeveless Top with Sheer Panel in Navy Floral, $26.99
Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral, $29.99
Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

#9 Long-Sleeved Pointelle Sweater in Red, $39.99
Pleated Cap-Sleeved Blouse in Red, $26, 99
Pleated Skirt in Navy Floral, $29.99

#10 Jersey Dress in Red/Navy Stripes, $34.99
Cat Tote in Cream, $39.99

#11 Poplin Dress in Navy, $39.99

#12 Short-Sleeved Tee in Navy/Red Stripes, $ 19.99
Cuffed Shorts in Admiral Blue, $26.99
Straw and Canvas Clutch in Cream, $29.99

#13 Long-Sleeved Sailor Sweater in Black/Cream Stripes, $32.99
Long-Sleeved Blouse in White with Black Ribbon, $34.99
White Dots Cuffed Shorts in Navy, $26.99
Woven Mini Saddle Bag in Cream, $24.99

#14 Flared Dress in Cream with Black Patent Belt, $59.99

#15 Cat Scarf, $19.99

#16 Blue Floral Scarf, $19.99

#17 Lace Clutch in Black, $29.99

#18 Straw and Canvas Clutch in Cream, $29.99

#19 Front-Flap Bag in Blue Floral, $39.99

#20 Front-Flap Straw Bag in Cream, $39.99

#21 Front-Flap Bag in Cream/Black, $49.99

G.O.S.H!!! I'm super duper in love with the collection already! Exactly like what Huffington Post highlighted, the clothes are not the lacy and glamorous looks of the runway but rather flirty, playful looks that the average woman could wear to work, brunch or a cocktail party, or that the fashion-savvy high school student could wear to class. I see myself wearing those, either on a casual outing or running random errands.

The Jason Wu for Target will hit the shelf on February 5, just in time to grab a few pieces for my spring wardrobe. February is my birthday month too, see, I've tons of excuses to shop anyway. *grin*

I'm pretty positive that this will become another Versace for H&M situation -- long queue, crazy crowd and toilsome shopping experience. Hmm... It gives me headache just thinking about it. But I really really want the Front-Flap Bag in Cream/Black (pic #21) and the Poplin Dress in Navy (Pic #11) so bad, will see how... I hope all the girls go off to hit the slopes instead of Target store that day.

So, what are your favorite picks?

p/s: Tell you, U.S. is truly a shopping paradise, in terms of quality, reasonable price, and kick-ass customer service. I can never shop in M'sia anymore, loathe to spend 100++ on a pasar-malam quality item. Sad case but it's a cruel truth.

It's snowing,
Bev

A is for Apps!

2012-01-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Yoo Hoo~~ Appreciate the responses I received from my previous iPhone Apps post! It's like an idea-exchange and discussion platform for iPhone apps lovers; I downloaded some useful apps recommended by you guys too such as BatteryDoctor & Pic Lock 2. Thanks for sharing!

Despite the utterly popular 美图秀秀 app that I can't live without, here are some of the iPhone apps I've downloaded and deeply felt in love with lately. Guess what, they are all F.R.E.E (although some are free for a limited time)!

#1 My Melody wallpaper for 2012, cute or not? ;)

#2 Crop. Super easy to use and I'd highly suggest Apple to include this feature in their own photo App. That'd make our lives so much easier :p

#3 Frametastic. Wait til you see this before spending US$0.99 on Diptic (another awesome photo collages app that helps combining multiple photos in no time). I wouldn't say Frametastic is better than Diptic but, they are equally fun to play with and are priced the same. Good news is, Frametastic is now free for a limited time! Grab it now or regret forever :D

#4 Cincai created this pic via Frametastic.

#5 Photo Timer. Another great app that's free for a limited time only. Don't feel left out, go get in the group pic!

#5 RealCoverLite. Just to celebrate the narcissistic side of me. LOL...

#6 Teeheehee...

#7 PS Express. Adore its basic editing features such as color/brightness adjustments, filters, effects, etc. Worth having and toying around with~~

#8 Before.

#9 After. Again, I cincai edited this one, spent less than 2 secs, I'm sure you can do better than this ;)

Came across any great apps recently? Share with me please!!! (*^___^*)

XOXO,
Bev

Late Date

2012-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

So I was teasing Chean publicly on Facebook last week, telling the world that he owed me a date. Hahaha... Not really the brightest thing to do but I really mean it, I need a date, I need him to bring me out for nice dinner, do something chill together to affirm that we are still very much in love, not like the old couple kinda boring love but the lovey-dovey one. After all, he did owe me a date.

We quarreled on the night before new year when everyone was busying ringing in new year with their beloved/ultra special ones. What? Hold your jaw, we are just like millions & hundred thousands couples out there, swimming, sinking & surviving in the pool of love, and yes, we quarrel and we argue over stupid things, too. Anyway, I'm not going into the details but the consequences -- I didn't talk to him for a year.

I mean, from the last day of 2011 to the very first day of 2012. That counts right?

The initial romantic plan got canceled that night. That's where the you-owe-me-a-date thing coming from, so we went on a date last Friday, to finally celebrate 2012.

Wait, don't scroll down first. Again, due to my laziness, all pictures were taken by my Siew Bak (the name I gave to my iPhone 4S). In case you are wondering how 4S's photo quality looks like, this posting is going to give you a clearer idea because all the images are non-edited. And my suggestion? If you mind, forget about 4S, wait for iPhone 5 instead. Honestly.

#1 Dolled up and super ready to fill my night with sweet moments...

#2

#3 Was wearing the newly owned black satin dress I got from Forever 21 at first but decided to change for a warmer outfit and save the dress for my birthday instead ;)

#4 Headed to Jax Fish House for dinner.

#5 I'm a big fan of seafood~~ Slurpsss~~

#6 Chean, c'mon, what takes you so long to order? It's not like the last supper :p

#7 Finished graffiting the dinning table, and he still can't decide what to eat =.=lll

#8 A.R.G.H. Famished... And he finally placed his order, LOL...

#9 Warm napkins in winter is like a cuddly hug ;) He's drawing me, but super hideous, not going to show you all :p

#10 Oh yeah~~ The appetizer, clams with house made chorizo, roasted tomato, white garlic sauce!

#11 Look at my happy face :D

#12 Then look at his chubby face :p

#13 Mississippi Catfish. Crawfish etouffee, green chili skillet bread, house made preserves. Meh... Tasted so so...

#14 Seared New England Sea Scallops. Sour cream spätzle, braised greens,smoky ham hock broth, preserved okra.

#15 The presentation wasn't too impressive. The taste? Mehhhhhh...

#16 It's our second time to eat at Jax, but the foods was pretty disappointing this time. Service is excellent as always. So all added up to approximately US$80++ meal with the tips. I think we will only go back for oysters and cocktails next time.

#17 Time for dessert, you know you always have room for that right?

#18 Gawking at a dizzying array of frozen yogurt flavors...

#19 He mixed coconut with raspberry...

#20 And I created a colorful bowl of toppings to go with Black Cherry frozen yogurt. Ya, it's kinda P.I.N.K ;)

#21 We also made a short trip to Barnes & Noble, just to pick up a few books and punctually hit the cinema right at 10pm for Mission Impossible 4.

Ok, it wasn't so much like a real date kinda date, the schedule is more like a typical Friday night to us but, the feeling of this-is-a-serious-date, and the effort he put in to ask me out (although it was just a simple message) always hypes me up. Now I feel like 17 again ✦✦✧✧

Have a wonderful week ahead~~

Miss ya,
Bev

Under The Sea

2012-01-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

** Advertorial **

#1 Ready to dive into the sea to do discover the incredible beauty of underwater world?

Forget about scuba diving outfit and oxygen tank for a second, imagine swimming along the colorful coral reefs, dancing with the abundant brightly rainbow-colored fishes like one the most beautiful yet mysterious creatures recorded in Disney history, yup, The Little Mermaid.

With the a little help from beauty products, you don't even need a mermaid tail to daydream...

#2 Motives® Celebrate Beauty. The colors I use on this tutorial:

Eye Shadows
1) Gold
2) Turquoise
3) Purple

Lip colors
4) Warm
5) Nude

#3 Motives® Gel Eyeliner (Rock Star). Very pigmented & super long-lasting; it doesn't smudge at all. Would highly recommend this ;)

** Visit Shoppingwithjane.com for more awesome Motives® beauty products.

#4 L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara & Revlon Colorstay pencil eyeliner.

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

Now come and float around the water mermaidly with me~~

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15 Heart the vibrant color & theatrical effect of this look...

#16 Color lenses sponsored by Uniqso.com. They just added more products to their online catalog, more selection and better prices! I'm dying to try the GEO lenses & Etude Houses falsies.

#17 I'm wearing Beuberry - Summer Grey

** Special Offers for BS-ers **
Enjoy an exclusive sweepstake at Uniqso.com by entering BEV10 as discount coupon code before checkout, and receive an extra 10% discount on your entire orders (besides from promotional items)!

Love you for reading. Hope you find this tutorial fun and useful, see you next time~~

XOXO,
Bev

Handling Contact Lenses

2012-01-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

Eyes sting, burn or itch (irritation); discomfort; feeling of something in the eye (foreign body, scratched area); excessive watering (tearing) of the eye; unusual eye secretions; redness of the eye; poor visual acuity; blurred vision; rainbows or halos around objects; or dry eyes... Those adverse reactions mentioned above are just some of the most commonly known problems that are correlated to contact lenses use. Feel free to google "eye infection and contact lenses" to keep the list going for another thousands words long. Also, don't be surprised to find yourself some puke-inducing eye infection/disease pictures too.

Everyone is worried. The dilemma of wearing contact/cosmetic lenses or not is like a big whirlwind of curiosity, hitting us with loads of negative perceptions that make us extremely paranoid and filling our heads with tons of concerns that are yet to be taken care of.

So I thought to take a little initiative and effort to share my experience and the way I take care of my contact lenses after being a loyal user for approximately 12 years. Ya, old tales, sometimes I even think I kinda grow together with the contact lenses industry (in Malaysia, of course). Contact lenses are safe as long as you are using it right, in my opinion.

Here are some rules of thumbs when taking care or buying yearly disposable contact lenses:

1) Always allow new lenses to soak for a minimum of 6 hours before using it. This is very very very important. Do not apply your newly purchased lenses right away, but rinse it, clean it, rub it, and soak it with fresh sterile saline solution instead. A very simple step that helps minimize the risk of eye infection; you never know how long the lenses have seated in the isotonic saline solution that comes with it.

2) Never wear lenses for more than 8 hours per day and do not wear them everyday too. To me, yearly disposable lenses are usually "thicker" than the daily & monthly one, I switch between these and glasses. Give your eyes a break from time to time, they will thank you for listening to their needs ;)

3) Clean and disinfect contact lenses on a daily basis even if you do not wear them everyday.

4) Never sleep in your contact lenses, ya, just like makeup, remove it before you snuggle in bed.

5) Buy from a trustworthy seller. Either from local optical shops, or online stores, don't feel bad to bombard the sellers with all the doubts you have in mind. The more questions they are able to answer, the more knowledgeable they are about the lenses that they are selling. Ask before you buy.

6) Get advice and read reviews. If you are eager to try out some of the color lenses you saw online yet have no idea of which or what brands are the good ones, ask around and get advice from previous or current users. People usually are very willing to share.

There are a lot more information I wish to add in but I'm sure you got tedious reading this super duper wordy post already, haha... Feel free to flood the comment box with questions if there's any, I'd be more than happy to answer!

Between, I just received another two gorgeous pairs of lenses from my awesome sponsor, Uniqso.com today. Soaking them in cases and won't put them on until tomorrow morning, extremely exhilarating! Can't help but to share them with you first-hand.

#1 Adore its cute packaging as always...

#2

#3 Beuberry - Summer Grey

#4

#5 I love it when the products are printed with manufacturing & expiration dates. It gives me a better perspective of how "fresh" the products are.

#6 Kimchi - Viva Violet

Super duper can't wait to rock 2012 with a refreshing start, attempting to pull off some new looks with these! Hopefully I could share the pictures with you all soon, like tomorrow or so, maybe... Y.I.P.P.E.E ^____^V

** Couldn't get enough? More BS postings about contact lenses **
Gifts for the window to the soul
Enchanted Safari Tales
Ace Black + Rose Red

Happy soul,
Bev

Saga

2012-01-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

** Itemization **

Shades, Carrera
Necklace, Forever 21
Black ring, Forever 21
Bracelet, Vivienne Westwood (Thank you San San for the amazing wedding gift)
Nail polish, O.P.I
Top, Forever 21
Acid Wash Jeans, Forever 21
Boots, GUESS?

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

Sometimes I wish I could just disappear and vanish into thin air like I never existed before so that I could set the darkest side of my soul free and be able to breathe again. Breathe in the new life and leave the old one behind. It's a new year after all, let me die and live again...

Ferociously yours,
Bev

111

2011-12-31T12:24:00.000-08:00

A total of 111 posts, recording the ups & downs of my life in 2011. Did some crazy things, learned rewarding life/working experiences, went through a lot of hard times yet encountered thousands of blissful moments at the same time...

If I was given one wish this new year... I'd wish for 10 more!!! LOL... Nah, just kidding, I'd wish for pure joy and happiness every day, as simple as that although I do have tons of new year resolutions to keep, but that's another different story, hehe... Wishing my families & friends as well as those awesome people who are reading this another ten thousand years of happiness, good health & prosperity ❤❤

Adios 2011, Hola 2012!!! See you again next year~~

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.”
― Audrey Hepburn

XOXO,
Bev

Vain and Vapid

2011-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

✿✿ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! ✿✿

A.R.G.H! It's been a long day for me, not feeling very well now, super dizzy and giddy, but a promise is a promise, so I'm just gonna keep this "recently bought items" post quick and brief, ok? ^____^V

Warn you first, many stuffs I bought are just plain useless :p

#1 Hello Kitty 2012 Calender. It's been an annual ritual, no exception this year, hehe...

#2

#3 Palty Hair Color (Caramel Latte). Anyone try this before? How do you like it?

#4

#5 A pair of summer ballet wedges that I never wear and I can't even recall when & where I purchased them @.@ But yay, new shoes! Summer please come sooner!

#6

#7 Black ballerina flats are must-have! My old ones were all worn out. Alfani Amor Flats, originally priced at US$49 but they are on sales now! Grabbed these from Macy's for just US$39, very comfy!

#8 Coastal Scents 66 Lip Palette. I haven't get a chance to toy it yet, but just looking at the stunning array of shimmer and matte lip colors makes me super excited! The blue & gold colors? They are simply perfect for Halloween I guess :p

#9

#10 Coastal Scent 22 Piece Brush set. Love it! Professional brushes that come with an affordable price! Simply too good to be true~~

#11 Motives® Celebrate Beauty

#12 Teeny little compact that has everything you need to jazz up your lips and eyes~~ Super adorable!

#13 Motives® Gel Eyeliner - Rock Star

#14 Motives® Sparkle Pots - Paradise

** Thanks Jane for "sponsoring" the awesome Motives® makeup products! Really can't wait to get my hands on them! Will soon work on the products review :D

#15

#16 Revlon Jumbo Ceramic Waver. My current favorite, love the adjustable heat setting, you can create a wavier or less wavier curls by adjusting the heat ;) The only downside is its weight; it's pretty heavy to hold, be careful and don't burn yourself!

#17 Bought it from eBay and it's still unsealed. I never use double eyelid tape before, eager to try but also lazy to add another step in my makeup routine. Maybe I'll try to use it on my next makeup tutorial...

#18 Ped Egg. I have to get one for me sister! Truly the ultimate foot file I've ever came across! Great product that really works! (See the price tag? I got it for almost half price, woo hoo~~)

Some vain accessories to share, they are all from Forever 21...

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

A.D.U.H :'( I feel extremely nauseous now. Gonna get a hot drink and sleep. Hope you don't mind reading this vapid post on the last day of 2011. Thank you so much for your love & support, wishing you all a fabulous and blissful year ahead~~

Lightheadedly blogged,
Bev

A Great Solace

2011-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Miyaki is truly a godsend, super well behaved and obedient all the time. I'm not bragging or exaggerating; it is his amazing self-discipline and lovable traits that makes him such an adorable baby. Things like, he will only eat on his eating mat and never on the floor unless I allow him to, he doesn't dare to ignore my commands when I sound super serious, he will stay in a fix position as long as I want him to and etc, are just the super basic stuffs he does. Most of all the unbelievable good behaviors, he understands me. I know this might sound crazy, but he really does. He feels the energy in the room, happy or sad, positive or negative, encouraging or disapproving.

I think he kinda know that I'm upset over Hammie's incident recently, that is why he has been spending most of the time cuddling on my laps, kissing my tights and looking at me in a reassuring way today.

So darling... I don't think I could ask for anything more from him actually. Miyaki baby, thank you for being such an awesome doggie! You are simply irreplaceable, the best birthday gift Chean ever got me...

p/s: Thank you everyone for the comforting words, it helps me get past the guilt of being a irresponsible pet owner. Appreciated that!

p/p/s: I'm gonna blog about stuffs that I recently purchased, in return for your kindness to me! See you again tomorrow!

Love,
Bev

Murmurs

2011-12-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

One year and 3 months ago, I brought Hammie home with a pretty pink cage and a plethora of small pet supplies, bedding, food, treat, toy, supplement, cage accessories... you name it, I'd probably already had it, but I left out the most important tool -- the book "Hamster for Dummies".

With limited experience & knowledge, I ended up being a real bad second-time hamster parent, not knowing & understanding his needs & wants. And the worst part is I failed to interact with him at all, AT ALL. He doesn't let me touch him, don't even mention about cuddle. Although I've tried following some simple guidelines I found online and read in books, he is still very uneasy around me and when I try to tame her, he will aggressively runs away and hides. Guess what, he bites too, S.I.G.H...

I got bitten by Hammie again yesterday, for the 73476739389th time. Deep down, I think Hammie really hates me...

#1 The uncountable teeny bite marks on the cage bars.

#2 Many said he might be bored or trying to get my attention or he simply needs a chew sticks...

#3 But he has tons of treats & chewing toys... So why?

#4 He is just insecure and scared of me, I think T_____T

#5 He seems more relax and less anxious when I'm not trying to touch him.

#6

#7 See, super zen until almost fell asleep...

Ok, I better don't kacau him, anyhow, it's nearly impossible to get a still shot of Hammie cause he is constantly moving, running, chewing & hiding whenever I'm around =.=lll

Let me show you his stuffs instead...

#8 The pink habitat I created, makes me so elated just by looking at it. Ya, that's the Christmas stocking I sew for him last year :D

#9 One of his favorite treats of all time, take him forever to finish a bar though.

#10 The only time he interacts with me is when I feed him with these... Forever thankful to Petsmart!

#11 Not sure if he likes it but there's not much to buy for Hammie, really, so I buy this for the sake of buying it.

#12 And this one too, too cute to not put in the shopping cart.

#13 Used to decorate his cage with these colorful fluffy puffballs but slowly found the extra cleaning work a total mess. Hammie looked desperately missing his puffballs, maybe I'll put them back. Hmm...

#14 Ok, it's the box that he liked! Forget about the puffballs then :p

************************************************

Dear Hammie,

Many have said to me that Roborovski hamster are very hard to tame, and some Robos will never be tamed. I know it but you are just too cute when we first met, so I thought if I work hard enough, I could really bond with you. Mummy failed eventually. It's completely fine if you want to have more privacy and solely enjoy the moment being with yourself, although it kills me to see you being lonely all the time. I'm sorry, I should have bought you a friend before bringing you home, my bad. Now that you are almost 2 years old (most hamsters have an average lifespan of about 2 to 3 years) and the staff at pet store told me it's a little too late and too risky to introduce you a new friend to live with. I don't want to make you stressed out, fight or attack your new buddy nor see anyone of you ending up injured or dead. Because I love you so much. Not sure if you know that but I wish you do...

From,
The worst mum ever

Oh! Santa!

2011-12-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Time flies, Christmas is officially over. Kinda miss it when the phrase "Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas" was permeating social media streams. So how was your Christmas celebration? I thought my Christmas day would be a mundane & banal one, but it turned out to be super A.W.E.S.O.M.E! Love my laid-back, spontaneous & unstructured Christmas celebration soo much~~

#1 Most of the western restaurants weren't open that day so Chean suggested Korean cuisine...

#2 Tried new D.I.Y hairdo on Christmas eve, thank you everyone who liked my FB status ^___^V

#3 Is it super Taylor-Swift-like?

#4 All you need is this Revlon Jumbo Barrels. Bought it from Target 2 weeks ago ;)

#5 14 side dishes! Crazy right?

#6 Soon Tofu~~

#7 Pork Stew~~

#8 Seafood Scallion Pancake~~ My favorite :p

#9 Nom... Nom... Nom... Nom...

#10 Ya, we turned Miyaki into Mr. Santa. LOL...

#11 The saddest Santa on planet :p

Gift exchange on the actual Christmas Day~~

#12

#13 Got Chean a set of L'occitane hand & foot cream. He loves it so much!!!

#14 And he presented me a Burberry watch, woo hoo~~

#15 Love the International Warranty Policy cause I travel quite a bit.

#16 I... Love... It... Super stylish yet classy ❤❤

#17

#18 Who wears it better? Hehe...

Since we had no plan at all, I came up with the idea of building a snowman in our backyard...

#19 See, although I tweeted that a little earlier but I really mean it :p

#20 The snow's sooooo soft, fluffy & powdery! Not that pile of icy snow on my tweet though ;)

#21 Started from scratch!

#22 Heart this pic so much! I won't blame you if you think this were taken in the ski slope! Haha... I was just playing the snow in the backyard, B.L.E.H (^___^*)

#23 Miyaki really beh tahan my crazy idea (as always) :p

#24 Chean stepped in to help, super supportive as always!

#25 认真的男人最帅, right? :p (please don't google translate this cause it shows a whole different meaning).

#26 Ganbate-ing...

#27

#28 We wanted to build a snowman that looks something like this initially, make 3 snow balls and then stack them together...

But... It's not easy I tell you!

After 50 minutes of rolling, packing, accumulating, sculpturing and working tirelessly... Chean suddenly cried out with joy and said we are getting close!!!

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.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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.
.
.
.

#29 If that's how he envisage snowman...

#30 A.R.G.H! Major meltdown! I went completely speechless for a couple minutes!!!

#31 THAT'S NOT A SNOWMAN!

#32 It's a gigantic sundae ice-cream or, well... one big pile of sh*t!

#33 Chean, I'm sorry! Perhaps we seemed too ambitious, let's change the game plan and make something like this instead!

#34 So much better now, thank god.

#35 Giving Mr. Snowman a face...

#36 Y.A.Y ❤❤

#37

#38

#39

#40

#41

Can't believe we spent one and a half hours building this fat snowman, super fun & entertaining though. It was a total bliss, indeed! Chean, thanks for participating in this utterly insane winter project, haha...

#42

#43

#44

#45

#46 Oh, Mr. Santa & Mr. Snowman :D

#47 Having a family portrait session, our Christmas tradition.

#48 I love you both~~ So grateful to have you two in my life...

#49 Also super thankful that Miyaki is all healthy & happy now; he was severely injured last year due to intervertebral disc disease.

Called my family on the same day to see how they're doing: My mum was busy BBQ-ing with relatives (the Lee family), my sis was having great time counting down the special day with her pals in Sabah, and my bro was spending some quality with his good friends in Cameron Highland. All I want for Christmas is happiness and health for everyone, especially my families & friends; knowing that my families are enjoying themselves even when I'm not around is already the best Christmas gift to me, ever.

#50 Time for dinner. No roasted turkey or gingerbread cause I'm a bad wife, I can't cook, haha. Hot pot (aka Steamboat) wasn't a bad idea though, it's super easy and quick to make :p

#51 Imagine having this on a -5'C day, beyond satisfactory I tell you.

We then saw Mr. Snowman smiling sweetly at us...

#52 Be strong, Mr. Snowman. You can do this ;)

Ended the night with a toast to another great year. This Christmas couldn't be more blissful, more rapturous and more unforgettable! I'm savoring every bits of life even the small tiny things, truly enjoy every moment spent with Chean & Miyaki.

I do hope you enjoyed yourself (and the countless thoughtful presents you received) on Christmas day! Love you for reading.

Warm & Cozy,
Bev

Cotton Candy

2011-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

❅❅ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ❅❅

It's that time of the year again! The festive season that's filled with joy, love, excitement and anticipation of annual holiday party, gift exchange, family gathering, and other merry celebration. While everyone is busy working on the dazzling, shimmery & sparkling eye makeup ideas, I'm trying my best to look a little dolly and cutesy this time.

Before sharing the makeup tutorial that'll literally transform you into a irresistibly adorable living doll, I've a real life story to share. A funny one indeed.

So I was enjoying dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant with Chean last Friday night after testing & documenting the "Cotton Candy" makeup which I'm about to show you, ya, with the full makeup on and a super casual & simple outfit--a Nike sweater & an old pair of jeans. As usual, we ordered our favorite pho, and were busy stuffing ourselves. Then here comes the most awkward moment, there's this ang moh suddenly approaching me saying:

"I thought you are very pretty, do you mind if I..." Then he pulled out his phone asking for my phone number. He talked so loud and I bet most of the customers unwillingly overheard it.

I was shocked (I thought he was asking for $$), with a mouthful of veggie, tofu and pho, and Chean was furious; he said "NO" & "SORRY" in a real pissed-off tone right before I manage to refuse the ang moh's random request. So the ang moh left, and I looked at Chean and said elatedly...

It must be the M.A.K.E.U.P that made me appear to be decisively young & attractive that day, I'm pretty convinced about that!!! That is why I'm so eager to share this with you ❤❤

Everyone well-deserved to look cute this holiday season!

#1

Here are some of the products I used to create this easily-achieved dolly look:

#2 For the eye

From top to bottom:
-- Fasio Mascara Base (apply on lower eyelashes)
-- Dior Show Mascara
-- Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (as eyeliner)

#3 Opt for a natural falsie instead of a dramatic one.

I bought this pair from Taiwan and am recycling them in this tutorial; I pathetically forgot the brand and lost its original casing, sigh, they are so good. I'm trying my luck to search for a similar one online T______T You could try Maybeline Natural Lashes at the moment, I love that too.

#4 e.l.f Blush (Pink Passion) and Wet n Wild Lipstick (520E).

As for the powder eye shadow, I'm using Coastal Scent 88 Warm Palette again.

You ready?

#5

#6 Beige powder shadow.

#7

#8 Metallic gold powder shadow.

#9

#10 Dark golden brown powder shadow.

#11

#12

Now, the very critical step of this look! Attention please~~

#13 Abandoned the traditional blush technique, bring it closer to your under eye area and work up & outward to create the adorable baby face effect...

#14 Look closer~~

Lastly, complete this look by applying a very light touch of red lipstick, think matte and forget about lip gloss.

Y.A.Y!!! We are officially done ❤❤

#15

#16

#17 Hi 5 if you find my ice cream chocolate nail art super mouthwatering :p

Hope you enjoy the tutorial, this has now become my #1 favorite daily makeup. Quick, easy, and super C.U.T.E! Most importantly, I've been getting a lot of compliments on it, despite the anonymous ang moh. I'm sure you will too.

Have fun experimenting!

p/s: Sorry bout the blurry pictures. My camera ran out of battery during the last few shots T____T

XOXO,
Bev

Christmas Shopping Part II

2011-12-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here's the Part 1 - Christmas Shopping Part I

This time I'm gonna introduce some famous American fashion brands, if you happen to travel to the U.S, these are the brands you could condiser splurging your hard-earned money on. They are usually 2 times cheaper here than in other countries ;)

Again, all pictures were take solely by Siew Bak (my iPhone 4S).

#1 Express. I love their dresses that come with comfortable body hugging fits and reasonable price point.

#2 What do you think of the sequin dress? Kinda regret that I didn't get the scarf & the dress >"<

#3 Coach, a leading American designer brand. Heart their accessories, jewelry and shoes :D

#4 Victoria's Secret. Now you know where BS title came from :p

Ahemm... I love spending on lingerie, not just loving it, but ashamedly obsessed with it. *blush* Can't believe I actually spent RM700 at La Senza, Sunway Pyramid in just a day, on my bridal lingerie alone. Pure insanity I know. Branded handbags and luxurious accessories could wait, but not the lingerie that fit me right. *blush again*

Victoria's Secret, the place where I usually stock up for the daily "essentials", is kinda like La Senza, but more fun & funky :) It used to be my favorite playland when I first visited America back in 2005, a total love at the first sight. Why? Because it's all P.I.N.K ❤❤

#5 A plethora of beauty & skincare products.

#6 They are having sales now!!! Perfect place to shop for souvenirs ^____^V

#7

#8

#9 The display is kinda pasar-malam-like due to the crazy crowd in the store, it usually doesn't look this messy.

#10 Love VS boy shorts to death! I think I have 10 of those; they are cute meets comfy!

#11 Dear pink slaves, how can you not love Victoria's Secret?

#12 Ohhh~~ Sephora! Love is an understatement of how I really feel about this awesome cosmetic store~~

Here, a few things I picked up in Sephora years ago that have became some of my favorite ever makeup items!

#13 Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on pencil. Recommended by a friend of mine and now I can't live without it, truly the best eye pencil on the planet!

#14 Smashbox, my favorite primer of all time! Look, they've changed the packaging, love it!

#15 The new primer! Got a sample of this, will try it soon~~

Feel free to request for samples before you actually purchase it, the sales representatives are more than happy to sample you the items you like. Just don't be too annoyingly greedy, I've seen a customer requesting 10 samples at one time!!! Hmm... That's way too over.

#16 Benefit Bathina. Ok, I don't feel like sharing it because that's my ultimate secret to silky-smooth, sexy, and sleek legs. Nvm lah, since I promised to share :p Go grab it now cause it usually goes out of stock during summer ❤❤

#17 YSL. Mi amor~~ From foundation to concealer to lipstick, I love it, I love it, I love it. It took me 2 years switching from Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Mac, Chanel, Laura Mercier to Nars (and tons of drugstore brands to be mentioned), thank goodness I've finally found the winner!!! Gam dong...

#18 Juicy Couture. Their velour tracksuits are must-haves! Bought a set last year but didn't take pic with it yet, super comfy for long-hours flight. Oh, I just purchased a velour handbag from Juicy too, show you next time.

Btw, do you know Kate Spade & Juicy Couture (including Liz Claiborne & Lucky Brand Jeans too) are actually from the same corporation but are designated for a very different target audience.

#19 Forever 21, the real pasar malam, lol. Despite the untidiness and battlefield-like store display, I do enjoy shopping there from time to time. Apparently, there's nothing you can't afford in F21, hehe. The price? T.H.R.E.E times cheaper than M'sia. Sorry, I can never buy anything from F21, M'sia, everything's simply overpriced >"<

#20 Special deals await everyday.

#21 Accessories, clothes, lingerie scatter around *faint*... But with just a little patience, you still manage to grab some great steals!

#22 The matchy cluth that I didn't get (bought the pink ribbon belt instead) :p But very cute right?

#23 Told you, the sales persons in U.S are pretty helpful! Purchased the knit jacket on pic 3, dunno when I'd wear it yet but super adore the tai-tai (太太, the rich one lah of course) look it brings, hahaha ^____^V

I heart the one on pic 2 but the handwork is just intolerably poor, with threads coming out from sleeves and pockets, and beads hanging with loose stitch. And that's the last piece they have in store, S.I.G.H. Anyway...

#24 Selling at US$ 18++ if I'm not mistaken. Goes well with my outfit of the day! Just wish it'd be a little more comfy.

#25 Burberry. I'm sure you know Burberry is not from America, was at the store handpicking my 2011 Christmas gift ❤❤

#26 Yay!!! Thanks darling! I'll show you what I get after the Christmas gift exchange.

Although I'm not so much of a Burberry fans, but I always heart their accessories, shawls & trench coats, elated to own my first Burberry accessory before 2012 ❤❤

#27 Going home with the widest smile on my face!

Have fun shopping gals~~

p/s: Do you feel like reading more of this shopping post? Was thinking to go shopping at the outlet mall after Christmas, but it's a lot of work and many shops do not allow shoppers to take pic in store, just wanna make sure you all enjoy this before risking my life blogging. If you feel like "coming along" on my next shopping trip, I'll definitely try to steal some great shots for y'all~~

Love ya,
Bev

Make Friends

2011-12-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have really straight, fine and thin hair, I think I got it from my dad. People might often see that as a plus but I sometimes see it as a minus (just wanna rhyme the line, I mean disadvantage)...

Ya, it's a blessing to have that kind of baby soft hair texture (Chean loves it) but it is just way too soft sometimes, in other words it is very F.L.A.T and L.I.M.P!!! That gives me enough headache to style or to do anything to it.

So I decided to change my hair color to a lighter tone 3 years ago, and that makes a dramatic changes in my life. It instantly brings more definition to my hair and also seems to create the illusion of the extra hair volume. I didn't stop there but taking it to the next level, I curl my hair too. Not the perm, I just curl it with curling iron, like every 2-3 days, or whenever I feel like it.

Here comes the problems...

After all the damage I've done to my hair, with the frequent coloring, chemical treatment, over-styling, and frequent blow-drying, I think I'm tasting the negative consequences now -- Hello, unmanageable & damaged hair T____T

Thus, getting good hair care products is beyond essential, especially with damaged hair and the fact that I shampoo my hair every day (I know some people may find this extremely interesting, especially in the winter, but it truly is a Malaysian thing, we shower at least once a day, it's a habit, a good one I suppose). I love Asience, Alterna & Redken hair care products, and I've been switching between these brands over these years. Until recently... I discovered something so good when I was running out of Asience conditioner last week, I truly think it deserves a full post...

**This is not an advertorial; it's just a genuine review of mine**

Dry, frizzy and unruly hair, A.R.G.H >"<

Dove® Nutritive Therapy Nourishing Oil Care products.

You have to try the Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner (left), it's soooooo good! I bought this first before getting the shampoo & leave-in smoothing cream.

This is the leave-in smoothing cream that I use every day now, adore its lovely scent and it moisturizes the roots of my hair in no time.

Just a little amount will do the job!

Use the palm of your hand to gently rub the roots of your hair...

When I first got my hands on Dove hair care products six years ago, it was a huge disappointment, the products did not reach my expectation at all, I then never purchased any of it again. Lately, I just don't know what got into me that makes me so sentimental, I think everything deserves a second chance, so I picked the Daily Treatment Conditioner over the hundreds of other brands, although they are all sitting together sharing the same shelves at Target. But I'm so glad that I did give Dove, and also give my hair a chance to rejoice in its good fortune.

One last piece of sincere advice, what works for me may not work for you, vice versa. And, the brands/products you like or dislike in the past may not do justice to their current innovations. Just keep an open mind and don't judge before trying.

Say yes to beautiful hair, beautiful face and well, a beautiful heart too~~ It's the whole package of true beauty we are talking about.

Now go kick start your beautiful day with Dove's cute ads. I hope you enjoy reading this review, see you soon~~

Love & Kisses,
Bev

Christmas Shopping Part I

2011-12-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

The title basically means--I wanna bring you shopping with me!!! Yup, just that simple. Sorry for such a mundane & banal opening, I thought you would appreciate a straightforward one even more because I only have 40 mins to blog and I really wanna show you how Christmas shopping (or my typical shopping routine) looks/feels like in the States, ok, in Denver I mean, precisely speaking. It's going to be fun, I promise.

Starting off my day with the typical camwhoring session... Wait, all pics were taken by iPhone 4S, I'm just too lazy to bring my Canon G11, hope you don't mind :p

#1 Not just hideous, in fact I usually look like "sai" in the morning, the living dead you know.

#2 Itemization: Pink Blazer from Forever 21, Black Shirt from American Apparel, Black shorts from H&M, Stocking from Nordstrom, Military Boots from Rampage.

#3 I was literally sleepwalking, or sleep-posing if there's such a word.

Since Chean's busy driving, maybe I should show you what I usually bring along when shopping...

#4 Sunglasses, cardholder, cosmetic pouch, wallet & water bottle. That's it.

#5 You can always request a different sunglasses case upon checkout, just ask the sales person politely, they will do anything to make sure you are happy with your purchase. Not so sure about other department stores, but Nordstrom offers the best customer service, ever.

#6 My mum washed it twice I think, and that's about it. I'll just buy another cosmetic pouch if this one gets intolerably dirty, hehe :p

#7

#8 Psst... That's a Forever 21 store gift card, not a membership card.

#9

#10 Shopping for new shoes. Miu Miu curved heel platform pump is one of the kind but not as comfy as I expected. Hmm... Maybe peep toes are not my cup of tea T_____T

#11 Anthopplogie, one of my fave destinations to shop for home & unique clothes~~ Always love buying mugs & cups, god knows why. They offer really great sales from time to time, watch for that ;)

#12 Affordable luxurious furniture. Chean wants that leather chaise longue as a Christmas gift, hmm... It's on sales but still costs around US$ 1.7k. Ok, Chean, our house doesn't have room for that.

#13

#14

#15 Tiffany & Co is well known for its tiny window displays, I can't help but be captivated by the detail. Stole a shot for you too ^____^V

Just a brief FYI cause I get this a lot, Tiffany & Co does not have an outlet, does not have sales either. Beware of replicas & imitations if you purchase yours online, make sure you order from the original site. The best is to get you little blue box collection in store! Their sales representatives are friendly & helpful, and they offer free machine engraving too both online & in-store!

#16

#17 Snapped these while Chean's in the fitting room. Ermm, nothing much to see, just a typical retail store; the Levi's stores in NY are a lot more interesting...

#18 L'occitane makes the best hand cream on earth! With complimentary gift-wrap service and tons of holidays gift sets to choose from, it's the perfect time to stock up my favorite hand creams.

#19 See, I recommended this before. How could you say no to such christmassy packaging? Full of holiday spirit can!

Alright, this is just the part I, I picked up my Christmas gift on the same day too! Woo Hoo~~ Stay tuned and we shall continue this virtual shopping haul soon... Gonna take a quick shower and S.L.E.E.P!

Love you for reading~~ N.I.T.E~~

Warmest regards,
Bev

So it goes...

2011-12-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
So take my hand, and take my whole life too
Cause I can't help falling in love with you

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Like a river flows so surely to the sea
Oh my darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
So won't you please take my hand, and take my whole life too
Cause I can't help falling in love, in love with you
Cause I can't help falling in love, falling in love,
I keep falling in love with you

Yours faithfully,
Bev

Summer Breeze

2011-12-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

I miss summer so bad, argh, those balmy summer days with 17-24'C feel just right. You can't blame me, I grew up in a tropical country where sandy beaches (well, Port Dickson wasn't heavily polluted yet back then), coconut trees, breezy wind are my besties. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying, cause having a white Christmas totally compensates for that. But... If someone could fly me to the beach, I'd greatly appreciate it too. Chean, hope you'll read this cause I'm super ready for a warm escape! I even came up with the idea of summer makeup ❤❤

#1

Here's the list of products I used to create this look:

#3 For the face.

1) Dr. G Hydra Intensive Blemish Cream
2) Laura Mercier Loose Powder (Translucent)

#4 For the eye.

1) Top falsies.
2) Bottom falsies.
3) Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil
4) Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner Eye Liner (Black Brown)

#5 For the cheek.

1) Maybeline Expert Wear Blush (Pinch of Peach)
2) Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact (Platinum Pink)

#6 Lip.

1) Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick (Crush)
2) Sally Hansen Lip Inflation (Highly recommend this, super good!!!)

After gathering all the products, get your face ready by applying BB cream all over your face with clean fingers, then set it with loose powder by using a puff, rolling and pushing it into the skin.

Now let the real work begin! The eye makeup, the most fundamental & challenging part to rock this look, but don't worry, I'm gonna spoonfeed you the right way to do it step by step.

#7

#8

#9

#10 Beige powder shadow (I'm using Coastal Scents 88 Eye Shadow Palette).

#11

#12 Pink powder shadow.

#13

#14 Purple powder shadow.

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#16 White powder shadow.

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#18 Light pink powder shadow.

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#20

Phewww... Wait, we are not done yet...

#21 Apply blusher on your cheek then brush a small amount of bronzer under your cheekbones to add dimension to your face.

#22 And don't forget your soft & sunny kissable lips~~ Lipstick & lipgloss are beyond crucial.

All set~~ Time to camwhore ❤❤

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#23

#24 You can't really see the eyeshadow effect from far; that's the main purpose of this tutorial--wearing eyeshadow without really showing it.

But if you look close enough...

#25 With every second, every blink, your eyes bring out the breezy summery vibe.

#26 Hope you enjoy this tutorial. Looking forward to bringing more fun makeup ideas to you all~~

Good day,
Bev

The most wonderful time of the year!

2011-12-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Ya, it should be the most wonderful time of the year but thinking of gift ideas give me headache and make me nauseous. It's a very daunting task and it's hard for me to think of what to get for the significant half honestly...

I haven't gotten a proper Christmas present for Chean since 2009, really wanna pick something special that will bring a smile to his face this year. Have you bought your boyfriend/girlfriend's Christmas gift yet? Let's do a virtual brainstorming together.

Here's a list of posh little gifts under $100...

** For Her **

1) COACH Poppy Signature Small Wristlet, US$ 48
Every gal needs a wristlet that holds all of the necessities, easy to carry around and good for quick grocery shopping, yum cha session and well, perfect for clubbing too. The perfect wristlet is the one that can be used for both a formal or casual occasion, so choose wisely! Good luck ^____^V

2) Swarovski Leslie Set, US$ 95
Tried the necklace in the store, very sweet and cute although I can't find any excuses to buy it yet, I wouldn't mind to add this in my jewelry collection!

3) Juicy Couture iPhone 4 & 4S Case, US$ 28
Just bought this on Thanksgiving, a very solid case. Love its vibrant color and easy-grip, super in love with it now, worth owning & highly recommend!

4) Dior 'Backstage Expert' Holiday Lip Palette, US$ 46
What a lovely & classy case! I'm so going to check this out at Nordstrom tomorrow.

5) Starbucks® Embossed Star Pattern Mug 14 fl oz, US$ 8.95
The embossed star pattern and hand painted red interior make this mug a wonderful Christmas present for your OL girlfriend/wife, she can take it to work and feel your love every day! Oh, it's a Christmas edition too, unique enough.

** For Him **

6) John W. Nordstrom® Double Face Cashmere Scarf, US$ 95
Maybe it's not a good idea for Malaysia weather, but he might need this for his future trip abroad or the honeymoon. I seriously am thinking to get Chean a high quality cashmere scarf...

7) Kiehl's Ultimate Man Set, US$ 64
Purchased Kiehl's skincare set for my brother's birthday this June, he likes it so I thought your significant half may appreciate it too!

8) MARC BY MARC JACOBS Laptop Case (13 Inch), US$ 52
Cool accessories make for perfect gifts for your tech-savvy boyfriends. This spongy and stylish case is going to keep his laptop warm & cozy this winter while providing the ultimate protection for his gadget :)

9) Raplh Lauren Leather Pony Key Fob, US$ 30
Chean possesses a RL key chain, he loves it. A little luxurious yet very down to earth way to keep keys organized in a natty way. It's time to invest in a pair of stylish key chain on behalf of your boyfriend!

10) Moët & Chandon Impérial Champagne, US$ 32-38
It's the festive season, need I say more? Cheers~~

Do you have any special Christmas gift ideas?‎ Your suggestion is desperately needed. Small or big, cheap or expensive, it doesn't really matter at all; it's the thought that counts!

Happy shopping,
Bev

Key to My Heart

2011-12-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

It was a total coincidence. I've been secretly in love with Audrey Hepburn for yearsssss (who doesn't right?) and Chean never knew it until recently, to be more precise, I mean this August. Ya, we've known each others for 13 years yet there's so much more to explore each and every day, like I just found out that he likes Chai Tea so much, so much more than doubleshot Mocha, and he actually not so into Dim Sum but eggs benedict instead.

I mean that's part of the beauty of falling in love with the same person over and over again, because each time when you notice something different than what you perceived, it feels like a nice little surprise and you learn to know him a little better along the way, vice versa. And another fringe benefit of keeping a relationship also means you'll have tons of splendid anniversaries to celebrate...

Now, back to the coincidence I mentioned early on...

August 11, 2011 marked a real significant milestone in our love journey; it's the 10th anniversary, but we didn't celebrate this most anticipated day together. I was in M'sia and Chean was working in the States. So I spent the whole August 11 doing nothing but working on the wedding VIPs list; fortunately, I managed to squeeze some time to immerse myself into the world of the famous classic movie "Breakfast at Tiffany", well, to at least get the romantic feelings of love, although alone. Since it was kinda a-spur-of-the-moment thing, I took my sweet time and only called Chean after the movie, around 4-ish in the midnight.

"Happy 10th Anniversary," I said, and we started the daily report thingie. Maybe he sensed that I was trying to cover the sadness in smiles, he told me he does prepare something special as a little surprise for me. In fact, he just picked up the 10th anniversary gift at store that day. "What are you getting me? Tell me now and it'll still be a surprise, I promise." Of course he didn't buy that idea... But he shared me the little surprise eventually (see, persistence rules), and I burst into tears as soon as I heard him say the words... Tiffany & Co.

It's not the luxurious jewelry that made me cry, it's the sheer coincidence that touched me. I mean, your boyfriend was there, in the flagship store, picking the jewelry for you while you were watching "Breakfast at Tiffany" alone on the other side of the globe. His jaw dropped too as soon as I told him that. There's an old Chinese saying that goes: 身无彩凤双飞翼，心有灵犀一点通 (Having no wings, I can’t fly to you as I please; Our hearts at one, your ears can heart my inner call).

It just couldn't be more beautiful, could it?

A few weeks later, he flew home and presented this to me physically...

"I've got you many gifts before but never the gold necklace. This one, with the crown key pendant, I hope you'd allow me to unlock the hidden garden in your heart, to fill it with loads of happiness and uncountable unforgettable moments, but most of all, I want to begin a new life journey together with you and only you... from now on, till my last breath." He then wore the necklace around my neck, and sealed it with a kiss on my forehead.

The little blue box is just super magical, I never asked for one yet I own more than one. And each of them grands me a very enchanted moment, captures the timeless romance, and reminds me forever of life's happiest time. I think, every girl deserves a piece of classic tale from Tiffany & Co, like Audrey Hepburn.

Joy & Peace,
Bev

Mr. & Mrs. Law - Tea Ceremony Part I

2011-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here comes the fun part -- Wedding Tea Ceremony on the bride's side! I've been waiting for this unforgettable moment throughout my whole life...

#1 Grandpa, you are the sweetest man on earth! Thank you so much for making it to my wedding, your presence's one the biggest blessings.

#2 Grandma, welcome back to Malaysia. Thank you for everything you've done for us during our difficult time.

#3

#4 Mummy, the bestest mum ever! We quarrel like a married couple, joke like best friends, we share secrets like soul mates... I could never thank you enough for your great love, mum. And yes, I heart the gold bracelet you bought me!

#5

** My dad's side of the family **

#6 5th Aunt, your strong-willed soul motivates me to be a better person. We love you~~

#7 Oh dear, my cutest Leng Gu Jie (玲姑姐）, I know you will always be there and stand by me whenever I need you. Thank you for the laughter and brightness you bring us!

#8 My super gam dong Poh Gu Jie (宝姑姐), you are my role model and always will be! May the Lord continue to bless you & your family & keep you in his service.

#9

#10 Uncle Zai & 6th Aunt, they are fun, loving, caring, and they are the persons you could totally count on when you're in troubles. Thank you for your time & effort for helping me in designing and renovating my home. Owe you a big time!

#11

#12 Wai Wai Gui Jie (慧慧姑姐）& Uncle Tuck.

#13 Thank you so much for joining us in celebrating our wedding, elated to see you both again after so many years! L.U.R.V.E the Tiffany & Co necklace a lot, you know me too well~~ Thanks again Wai Wai Gu Jie ^___^V

** My mum's side of the family **

#14 My Da Yi (大姨). She took care of me & my siblings a lot when we were kids, brought us to Rasah Club (not sure if I remember the name correctly) & funfair, bought us expensive toys, introduced us to high end restaurants in town and gave us a ride to shopping mall every week. Da Yi, thank you so much for your love and the gift!

** My eldest cousin sister was helping me with the gold crystal bracelet.

#15 My Sam Yi (三姨）& Yi Jiong (姨丈). If you are a true BS-er, I'm sure you are super familiar with their faces. My family couldn't be more luckier to have them in our lives; they have been with us every step of the way, helping us through the hard times and celebrating many happy moments we experienced too. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

#16

#17 My Kao Fu （舅父） & Elaine Jiu Mu （舅母）. Thank you for traveling down to Seremban and making our wedding a special one, I wish I could spend more time catching up with you both. But your presence did put a big smile on my mum face, thanks a lot!

#18 My one and only brother. We grew up together, slept together until 12, went to the same school, fought a lot, gave our parents uncountable troubles (and happiness too, of course)... Although I'm elder than him, I don't think he sees thing that way. So bro, it's time for you to pay some respect, hahaha~~

#19

** Dear sis, don't worry, you will never be left out. We miss you dearly. I'm going to blog about the making of my pre-wedding album in Tainan soon. You & Ah Goh hold different responsibilities, love you ;)

#20 One of my many pretty cousins, Jennie Mun. Thank you for coming Mei Qi, Oliver misses you a lot.

#21 Ermm... Alicia right? Or Felicia? See the gal flashing on the camera? These two are twins lah, and the only clue for me to differentiate them is by recognizing the tiny little mole on Alicia's nose (a trick I invented long long time ago, when they were babies). They are simply the sweetest!

#22 Aww... Aloysius, everyone's sweetheart. His cuteness is impossible to summarize in this teeny tiny space, no exaggeration at all.

#23 Kendra, my little cousin. Extremely good at posing and super into fashion! She has the potential to be Malaysia next top model, I'll nominate her for sure ;)

#24 Playful and fearless Isaac, my nephew. One of his hobbies is giving my mum headache, hahaha... Nonetheless, he is still a darling to our family.

#26 Yvonne & Elaine! Super close with me & my sis, they are like my sisters! Love you both!

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#29 With BFF Eling, her mum & her niece Yee Yee. Thank you for witnessing this simple yet special tea ceremony with me!

#30 The Mun Family ❤❤

#31 The Lee Family ❤❤

#32 The Heng Dai ❤❤

#33 The Ji Mui ❤❤

#34

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It kinda surprised everyone including my family & close friends when I mentioned that I want a real traditional Chinese wedding instead of the western one. Many asked why. And I asked why not. It's our tradition, and it is this unique culture that makes us who we are today. I highly embrace it and I think everyone should too. To us, the tea ceremony is no longer a superstitious practice or a sole tradition, it really is a special moment for me & Chean to show respect and appreciation to our families as well as to receive their blessings. And we count that as one of the greater blessings for our wedding day.

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#37 Thanks again for making us the luckiest and happiest newlyweds ❤❤

Counting blessings,
Bev

Road Trip 2011 - Earthship

2011-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo~~ So excited and absolutely salute my persistence, this is the last post of the New Mexico Road Trip Chean & I did in May, yup, I've been dragging on this for literally 6 months and I'm officially ending this awesome gateway with the second most rewarding discovery we encountered along the road -- E.A.R.T.H.S.H.I.P!!! (in case you are curious, I rank Taos Pueblo the most rewarding and exciting experience throughout the trip).

Sounds cool huh? It actually kinda looks like a do-it-yourself spaceship but with zero mobility and is built on earth...

#1 Google Earthship and you will find images of these amazing buildings...

We saw all these super unique architectures along the freeway and I was screaming my lungs out to get out of the car! I must go check it out!!!

#2 But most of roads lead us to private driveways that stated: Keep out, private property.

#3 After dunno how many turns and dead-ends, we elatedly saw this super duper tiny info box. There's a earthship tour available at the show house!

#4 That's the show house, unfortunately it was closed T_______T

#5 Anyhow, we still managed to steal a couple of cool pics...

#6 These recycled materials are the "secret recipe" of constructing the Earthship Biotecture Green Buildings! So amazing.

#7 One of the buildings which is still under construction.

#8 Recycled cans and glass bottles.

#9

#10 This is definitely an art!

#11 We came back to the show house again after several days to quench the thirst of curiosity. That's the interior, cozy, homey, warm and surrounded by tons of plants.

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Here come the most FAQ, are they people who really live there? Coincidentally, the question was answered right on the first day while we were waiting for our table at a Mexican Restaurant in Santa Fe together with a lovely couple that actually own and live in an Earthship. O.M.G! Ok, we bombarded them with zillion of questions and they patiently explained every single details to us, like a realtor, noop, way better than that.

It's utterly amazing to know that they pay a super low annual utility cost (like around US$100), harvest rainwater for daily use. And jeez, the entire building is powered by the sun and the wind, a radically sustainable green building! Bare in mind that we missed the Earthship tour and now we got to talk to the real residents, we both were in awe.

Still wondering how does it work? Uh, I'm going to let this video explain:

I truly hope to spend a night or two in an Eartship! The official Eartship site offers nightly rental. Who's in?

Happily blogged,
Bev

Pink Leopard R.A.W.R

2011-11-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

#1 The nail polishes I use to create this sweet & wild nail art, right for the cold winter season.

1) Sally Hansen Acrylic Top Coat
2) Sally Hansen Base Coat
3) Sinful Colors - Easy Going 700
4) Urban Outfitters Nail Lacquer - Barstool
5) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Black Out
6) Skin Food Nail Vita - BR614

#2

#3

#4

#5

Ok, I think the picture above pretty much speaks for itself, no further elaboration needed. Wakaka, I did such a great job photographing and recording the magazine-like step-by-step mani making process.

And now...

#6 That's how the end result supposed to loo like, despite my short & ugly nails...

#7

#8 Showing off my DIY feather earring too, yup, I made that earring~~ Wanna know how???

#9 Cute or not? It kinda looks like feather hair extension, liking it ^_____^V

***************** Extra Tips *****************

Here's the ultimate secret to keep more money in your pocket! With this super duper easy step, you can create a new nail color for your nail art without splurging the extra bucks on expensive nail lacquer~~

In this case, I tried to tone down the dark brown color in order to create a softer & milky tone, simply by mixing it with the light pink color...

Taa Daa...

You can always add a lighter or darker color to create your desired tone. Simple enough huh? See, now you know why art class is super crucial, LOL. It's time for you to apply and make good use of the coloring skill you learned in primary school ;)

Have fun & enjoy!

Gorgeously yours,
Bev

Coffee & Our Story

2011-11-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

I used to hate drinking coffee because it used to just remind me of all the endless sleepless nights when I would stay up all night for studies and exams. Ya, the typical SPM & STPM life, I'm sure you feel me too. The caffeine lifts were awesome but I hate the jittery feeling after. I quit caffeine for years, but then Starbucks Skinny Latte lured me again during my time working as a part-time sales assistant at GUESS, Sunway Pyramid.

You can't blame me cause Starbucks's located just opposite the GUESS store and they always give out free drink samples! But I insisted to quit after several months due to financial issue; I was so broke because of my compulsive Starbucks latte consumption. I mean if I were rich, I didn't have to get a part-time job; I worked because I was desperate for money. And rationally speaking, getting a RM10++ latte every day wasn't a bright plan at all although I managed to get 10% staff discount. No more coffee, serious. But guess what, I survived.

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Chean used to hate coffee too, not that he hated it but just not so into it until he was working with his ex boss, an incurable coffee abuser, in Portland. Jeez, you can't blame them, the city of Portland is everyone's idea of paradise, with a coffee shop on every corner. You hardly find coffee that tastes bad, very very very low possibility and if you do, congratulations, you just won yourself a lottery! See, it isn't that bad at all.

When I first moved to Portland (it was four years ago, can you imagine that? I mean I've been blogging for 4 years), Chean was so eager to show me around especially his favorite coffee shops in town; he also brought me to Seattle, the city where Starbucks opened its first store in 1971. Because of Chean I was hooked on coffee, again. We talk about coffee all the time, we could drive miles and miles for a caffeine fix, and sometimes, we'd just spend the whole day sitting in our favorite coffee shop, sipping coffee, reading magazine, browsing internet, drawing, daydreaming, chitchatting, laughing or just watching the rain trickle down the window...

We love coffee so much until we bought a condo where our favorite coffee shop located right downstairs. Insane I know. However, we are not much of a coffee expert, we just love spending quality time together in a quiet, relaxing and soothing environment... of course, having a cup of good coffee helps making a huge difference too.

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And for our pre-wedding photos, we both unanimously hope it can be taken at a coffee shop, not those franchise coffee shops where you can find anywhere in the world, but a local, unique and vintage one instead... So Jimmy, the photographer suggested 台南窄門咖啡館 -- a coffee shop that's situated in a 90-year-old building. That can't be more perfect.

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We're so happy with the end results because that's us, and that's what we love to do most of the time... One day, when Chean & I get old, we both will share the same story that you're reading now with our children, and hopefully, with our grandkids too... oh, and maybe in our own coffee shop, that'd be beyond perfect.

p/s: All photos credited to 飛魚記憶美術館 (Flying Fish Memory Museum).

With love,
Bev

Favorite iPhone Apps

2011-11-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

This post is a little discriminative, I deeply apologize if you do not own an iPhone but frankly, you should really get one this Christmas or, ok my bad, maybe not iPhone 4S, patiently read this vapid post and wait for iPhone 5 instead.

One of many "boh liao" (boring, meaningless) things I do in the middle of the night is browsing the iPhone app store. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I really find the whole process of discovering, installing & testing the apps extremely fascinating; it's like finding the hidden gems and once you've found one, you are allowed to keep it, for F.R.E.E. How cool is that~~

Below are some of my current faves:

#1 Of course I know you are not blind, or else you won't be reading this. But I also thought the bigger the pic, the better it looks.

#2 K歌达人 is super fun! I'm not sure about you, but I'm a huge fans of Karaoke. Awesome sound quality, and you can record/replay the song you sang. Although the song choices are pretty limited, it's F.O.C and the free version's almost too good to be true. Perfect for practicing ^______^V

#3 Rock Band Free. I have this with me all the time, I rock on drums :p But I set it aside for quite some time due to my long nails, gonna brush up the skill again.

#4 Word Search. I'm addicted to word puzzle games ever since primary, it's a must-have especially when trapped by long-hour flights.

#5 Find Friends. Ok, I just downloaded this yesterday and Chean is (and will be) my only friend. A very useful app I'd say, LOL...

#6 DerManDar, a panaroma app. It's only FREE for just 48 hours, originally priced at US$ 1.99. Toyed with it and it's worth keeping.

#7 DECOPIC. Ideal for those who adore cute photo editing application like me! It has a lot of sweet twinkling stamps, and the skin brightening function works pretty well.

#8 Self Photo. Everyone knows the iPhone front camera sucks, it saves photo with horizontal reversed and makes me look hideous sometimes. This is a total lifesaver!

#9 MyFitnessPal. Hello full-time dieters, this app is a godsend! I'm using it to keep track of my daily calories intake. It has the largest food database of any iPhone calorie counter, Milo, Ping Pong Cream Cracker, Nasi Lemak and etc... You name it, they have it.

P.H.E.W.

D.O.N.E.

I'm sure many of you are a lot more tech savvy than me, sorry if this bores you. To those who I don't even understand why you are still reading this, I gratefully appreciate your time!

Feel free to share me your fave iPhone apps too, I wanna know! I wanna know! I wanna know!!!

Love you for reading ❤❤

p/s: The HelloKitty is just a wallpaper app. Search Hello Kitty Wallpaper on App Store and you will be able to find tons of similar apps ;)

Warm Regards,
Bev

WoW Factor

2011-11-21T19:45:00.000-08:00

Here's an eye makeup tutorial some of you requested after reading The Secret To Gorgeous Photos blog entry. I'm a smoky eye fanatic; whatever the occasion or the season a smoky eye never goes out of style. Love its simplicity and the classic touch of sophistication.

Spend some time toying with warm eye shadow colors and jazz up with dark eyeliner, I'm sure you will love the dramatic effect too. E.N.J.O.Y ❤❤

#1

#2 I'm using Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette.

#3 I'm also using...

1) Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (Espresso Ink)
2) Revlon ColorStay Liquid Liner Eye Liner (Black Brown)
3) M.A.C Eye Pencil (Soft Black)
4) Maybelline Hello Kitty Volume Express Mascara

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#5

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Hope you find this helpful. With the holidays coming up, it's the perfect time to glam up yourself and to look your absolute best. I'll try my best to feed you with more tutorials. Stay tuned.

Have fun!

p/s: In case you're curious, I'm wearing The Dolly Eye color lenses (Ace Black) from Uniqso.

Painstakingly blogged,
Bev

Cobalt Blue

2011-11-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

#1

#2

Two major points to highlight: Suede and cobalt blue. Never owned a pair of wedges like this before; I thought they'd be stiff and uncomfortable but they turn out to be surprisingly fit. Plus, the incredibly cheap price point is just perfect for budget-conscious shoppers like me. Y.A.Y!!!

#3 Miyaki has lost patience with my compulsive shopping habits and spending addiction, haha!

Between, is anyone planning to visit H&M this Saturday? I missed out on Lanvin last year, really can't wait to get my hands on the exclusive H&M x Versace collection this time.

Share me your weekend plan! Till then...

Miss ya,
Bev

Mr. & Mrs. Law - Morning Session

2011-11-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

I know I've been dragging this forever but taa daa, here comes the long-awaited actual wedding day photos~~ I'll let the photos do most the talking instead, enjoy!!!

#1 At our house...

#2 6.30 in the morning...

#3 Checking myself in front of the mirror, for the 786424267 times.

#4 They are real.

#5 At his parents' house...

#6 Time = Unknown. Mood = Anxious.

#7 Heng Dais (Brothers, aka Groomsmen) were getting ready.

#8 San San, Kien Tan & Priscilla (from left to right). They are the Heng Dais too! Cool huh...

#9 Go Soldiers!!!

#10 Unfortunately, my Ji Mui team's stronger and braver! Cheers to all my best friends since high school. My lovely cousins are not in these pics though, you can imagine how big the group was, haha...

#12 Chean's ready to take the risk...

#11 Here comes the groom!

#12 My bro, negotiating for more Ang Pows (red packet).

#13 Let the fun begin!

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20 Sing louder, dance harder!!!

#21 Choy Ling, my manager of the day said P.R.O.C.E.E.D.

#22 And they rushed in!!!

#23 Mum started to get busy too...

#24

#25 Ordered the 40kg++ roasted pork from my bff, Boon Kian. 福记烧肉 is the best in Seremban town!

#26 What's next? Eating, drinking, puking... LOL...

#27

#28

#29 Chean got to drink too...

#30 But his protective Heng Dais insisted to help out!

#31 Sun Lai said I help me, you help me, haha...

#32 My one of many pretty cousins, Jennie Mun.

#33 Uncle, aunts, and cousins...

#34 Any more puke-inducing drinks for us?

#35 Apparently Sun Lai had them all!!!

#36 What's going on? Aloysius puzzled. (Chean forgot to tie the bouquet with ribbon @.@)

#36 Chean bribed my Ji Muis with Ang Pows and moved on to the next stage: Chean's solo performance. In case you might not already know, he's a 120% tone deaf.

#37 Hahaha... Super entertaining, the best performance of the year.

#38 The final stage, read me a super duper romantic love letter please~~

#39 He's now looking for me, he thought he successfully nailed every stage. Look at him, utterly overjoyed.

#40 Knock, knock, Bao Bei, please open the door.

#41 He begged for couple minutes; all the Ji Muis were laughing out loud. Guess what, the bride's actually hiding in another room.

He ran up & down and checked every single rooms in the house... Finally...

#42 He found me!!! B.R.A.V.O~~

#43

#44 Yes, I do, Mr. Law.

To be continued...

Click H.E.R.E. if you're still craving for more piccies on my actual wedding day...

Before wrapping this up, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all my super awesome Ji Muis and Chean's Heng Dais. Thank you so much for doing this, truly appreciate the time and effort you guys put in. We really run out of words to express our deep gratitude, just wanna let you guys know that we are super lucky to have met you all in our lives... A zillion thanks for making us the happiest bride and groom on earth. Love you all ❤❤

The Ji Mui Team -- Eling Lee, Jane Lee, Choy Ling, Chin Ding, Sook Men, Wai Min, Wen Hui, Phin Fei & Shenly.

The Heng Dai Team -- Sun Lai, Tien Kit, Almond Hu, Xiao Hao, San San, Kien Tan & Priscilla Low.

P/s: Thank you to everyone who traveled coast to coast, miles to miles to just witness our big day, especially San San and Tien Kit for traveling all the way back from Hong Kong & Vietnam.

Speechlessly grateful,
Bev

Detachable Collar

2011-11-09T16:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks for loving my latest post on The Secret To Gorgeous Photos. I'll work on the eye makeup tutorial next week, hope I wouldn't get too busy :p

Oh, regarding the top that you are interested in, it's actually an old piece...

#1 Remember when Miu Miu first introduced detachable collars in Spring 2010, it was such a huge fad...

#2 The trend is still hitting the streets, but I didn't get to taste it until 2 months ago, when I was looking for ViVi at Narita Airport in this September.

#3 It came with a Detachable Collar!!! A cuter version.

#4

#5 So I paired the collar with this top... Got this 2 years ago I think~~

#6 Taa Daa~~ Now I have got a brand new top ^______^V

Yay to freebies ❤❤

Happy bear,
Bev

The Secret To Gorgeous Photos

2011-11-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

** Advertorial **

Ok, I'm sorry, the tile is just a sneaky way to catch your attention. There isn't much to say about it honestly, and I bet my so-called secret would be pretty disappointing (or worse, disapproving). Here are some tips on getting semi-pro gorgeous looking photos from an amateur blogger with accumulated experience. Nope, you don't need any expensive equipments nor an extra pair of hands, just a decent camera will do (I'm using Canon G11).

1) Find clean background with great lighting
You are the main focus, so think of a white wall or something with single tone or color. Opt for a background that has less visual objects. This will make editing the photo easier later on. Oh ya, and the lighting! It is far too important to be neglected, you should keep experimenting by taking various pictures in different spot until you get the best lighting effect.

2) Dress up
Pick your favorite outfit, mix it, match it, don't be afraid to play with the color. Accessories are essential unless you are a minimalist like me.

3) Hairdo
I'm not good at it but I always try to make my hair looks as awesome as possible in pictures, and solely in the pictures. It involves a lot of works, efforts and practices, be prepared to spend 30 mins to an hour toying with hair spray, hair gel, bobby pin, hair rubber band... Wig is a great way to create an instant celebrity hairstyle. Lucky if you have one!

4) Makeup
Now you have a found a great spot for your photo-shoot, well-dressed, and even gave yourself a complete hair makeover, but you look P.A.L.E. Frankly speaking, all the pictures with extremely natural, flawless and fresh-looking skin that appeared on posters or magazines are highly deceiving. It's all about makeup, makeup and more makeup. Of course post-production like photo-editing does play an important role, but a bad picture is still a bad one, there's very little the mighty photoshop can do about it. Plus, some details like eyelashes, glowing effect, juicy lips and etc can't be perfectly fixed, you can only enhance it.

So, the ultimate secret of all, is getting high quality makeup products. Although that's often implies high-end product that is generally expensive, it's worth it still.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

I feel your pain and sorrow, getting the right makeup products that suit your skin can takes forever. Thanks to Apothica.com, now you can browse, shop, try and even compare the price of hundreds and thousands beauty products freely, from skin care to cosmetic, from drugstore brands to high-end goods.

#6 I placed my orders a week ago...

#7 Purchased La Mer Cleanser. Bought this for Chean last year on his birthday. It's too good, I swore to get the same cleanser once I've finished my Dior cleanser.

#8 Also purchased ToykoMilk Lip Balm.

#9 Easy & simple checkout process, it took me less than 10 minutes.

#10 Viola~~ Received my orders few days ago!!!

#11 They made me a happy bear. I'll write another blog entry to review the products, there are a few more to come.

Yup, I didn't get any makeup products because I already stocked up too many!!! Was totally running out of reasons to persuade myself T______T

But... I wanna get my hands on this...

#12 Yves Saint Laurent 'Perfect Touch' Radiant Brush Foundation.

You can never go wrong with YSL foundation; it's my favorite, can't live without it.

Give YSL a try or order your favorite beauty products via Apothica.com and enjoy free shipping today! Remember to check out the Special Offers and Sales Items, I managed to scope out great deals at as low as US$0.90! Definitely a steal ^_____^V

Happy fun shopping~~

p/s: Anyone interested in a tutorial of this exaggerated eye makeup? Just curious ;)

Yay to return policy,
Bev

Nov-sessions

2011-11-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Don't hate me, I know it's my fault. I should have blogged more often about my recent shopping addictions, but BS isn't really a shopping haul blog so I guess it's pretty understandable. Ok, it used to be, but I am getting sick and tired of blogging every single thing I bought all the time. It takes too much time to keep pace with my shopping list, simply because I shop too much. Then, from unpacking to getting the perfect angle to photo editing, hmm... too much work. But I'll still blog one from time to time, just to lure you into spending and stimulating the economy *grin devilishly*

Nah, just kidding, BS is all about sharing after all.

#1 Wild Horses Satin Dress, Forever 21, US$19.80
It's my current favorite, love satin and lace trim, also get a lot of compliments on this. I'm sure you have seen me wearing it on my trip to Aspen.

#2 Retro Colorblock Dress, Forever 21, US$17.80
Remember my stewardess-like outfit? I wanna pair this retro dress with purple tights next time, adore its characteristic and versatility.

#3 Peek-A-Boo Shoulder Dress, Forever 21, US$16.90
Its cutout-shoulders design is something to die for. Need I say more? ;)

#4 Textured Dress w/ Belt, Forever 21, US$13.80
Oh red dress, I simply can't get enough of it. Simple and perfect for every casual occasion.

#5 Dot Print Maxi Dress, Forever 21, $32.80
Everybody's wearing maxi dresses and maxi skirts and they will stay a little longer although Autumn is already here. Invest in one if you haven't yet, the easiest way to nail the effortless look.

#6 Sheer Woven Top, Forever 21, US$19.80
Pair it with maxi dress, or simply wear it alone. I just ordered this online, can't wait to get my hands on it~~

#7 Suedette Wedges, Forever 21, US$26.80
Just ordered this online too, hope they turn out great and comfy! *keeping my fingers crossed*

#8 Faux Fur Collar, H&M, US$ 17.95
I want to buy this, I want to buy this!!! But H&M won't open in Denver until Nov 10, 2011. Has anyone got it yet? How does the fur texture feel?

#9 Earmuffs, H&M, US$ 4.95
Leopard print earmuffs, how cute!!! A.R.G.H, don't tell me you got them already. Hate you T______T

#10 2-pack tops, H&M, US$17.95
H&M designed those tees for me & my sis. C.O.N.F.I.R.M!!! Bahhhh... Ok, it's for all sistersssss, sisterhood rocks!

I've shared my Nov-sessions with you, what are your obsessions for November?

Best,
Bev

My Secret Diet Plan

2011-11-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hooray~~ You no longer have to send me personal messages or buzz me on Facebook to request for diet tips, I'm making my diet plan an open secret now! To make this post more convincing, let's check out the end result on my actual wedding day before disclosing the ultimate secret.

Wait, I wasn't super skinny, it's not my aim to look super bony also because Chean hates it, but I did achieve my goal! That makes me feel super proud of my determination...

#1 If you've ever tried on a traditional gown, you'd notice that the material (the stiff and solid gold and silver threads) tends to instantly add a few pounds to your body as soon as you put it on. I'm glad that I still look okay, luckily.

#2 Love the corset design so much, a little vintage, a little classy, and a little sexy.

#3 The corset design helps accentuate my 23-inch waist. No exaggeration, I measured and re-measured and re-re-measured it, again and again and again while holding my jaw; it's like an extra bonus for my hard work!

#4 My Ji Muis were equally surprised too! Love them~~

#5 Random pic taken by Eling. With my cousin sisters, Elaine & Yvonne.

#6 The dinner dress makes me even taller and slimmer... How can I not fall in love with it (and myself, hehe)?

It only takes me two weeks to drop the 3 inches, you ready to find out how?

But wait, this truly is a hardcore diet from hell and I must say, it's not a healthy practice in long run. If you have tried many, many different approaches yet you still can't shake off the extra pounds and in desperate need to look fab in special occasion, maybe you can adopt the strategies below. But!!! Diet at your own risk, ok!

Secret Weapon #1 Lipodrene Appetite Suppressant

This is super effective! It increases your metabolism, reduced cravings, gives you energy while suppressing your appetite. Drink a lot of water and avoid caffeine. Read the direction carefully and understand its side effects. It works for me, but maybe not for everyone. I did experience queasiness and felt a little hyper during the 1st & 2nd day, so I reduced the dosage to 2 tablets a day--one in the morning, one after lunch. Lipodrene is not available in M'sia I guess, so try ebay or google. Read H.E.R.E for more details.

Secret Weapon #2 NH Detoxlim Natural Clenx Tea

Gentle formula. It doesn't upset my stomach yet it does exactly what it's supposed to do. It doesn't make me rush to the restroom frequently, it just regulate the bowel movement. Guess what, it helps losing the water weight too, good way to get rid of the excess water retention.

Secret Weapon #3 Orang Kampung Teh Herba

Just providing you with another alternative that my sis and I love. As great as NH Detoxlim because it's made of natural and traditional herbs as well. My sis & I have been taking it on and off for 3 months. Alhamdulillah, it works effectively~~

Secret Weapon #4 One Meal a Day

Although we are spoiled with many options that promise great slimming results, we can't solely rely on diet pills and cleansing tea. The harder you work, the slimmer you get. So, one of my all-time strategies is to take only one meal a day, but don't have it all at once, split the meal into three portions instead. Say, you are craving for chicken rice now, go for it, there's no wrong to indulge, but split it into 3 equal portions, enjoy the 1st portion then take another two separately. I usually do it this way: first portion for breakfast or lunch, 2nd for lunch or tea time, 3rd for dinner. I know you would say, what if I get hungry at night? Get healthy and light snacks like cracker or cereal, then follow by a full glass of cleansing tea. Burp. Now you sure can hug your belly in bed and sleep soundly.

Secret Weapon #5 Fruits in The Morning

Feed yourself with your favorite fruits and a glass of warm water before breakfast. An apple or an orange or a handful of grapes or strawberries. Any fruits you like. No one wants to sacrifice youthful and supple body for sagging skin. If that's what I'd get, I rather quit.

Secret Weapon #6 Tight Clothes Are Your Best Trainer

Wear real tight clothes while you are at home, except when you are sleeping. It gives you a clear perspective of your body shape and it also cruelly magnifies your extra fats and pounds. It then helps motivate me to work even harder cause when I wear my super tight clothes at home, my bro will say mean things to me like, ewww, is that your fat tummy? Or my sis will shower me with her extremely sincere and honest opinions like, Jie, you really gain weight. I'm sure you won't dare to pig out in front of them after hearing those words. Remember to weigh and measure yourself every day too! Well, you know, tight clothes may shrink or get loose as time progresses, hehe...

Secret Weapon #7 Get Rid of Rice or Noodle

I know, rice and noodle are an Asian thing, we can't survive without them. But hey, they are super high in carbohydrates! So, you can either include rice or noodle in your daily diet. I choose the latter. And by saying that, I ate rice for less than 5 times for about 3 months. Exception happened when I was traveling or enjoying Bah Ku Teh. If you are not a big fans of rice like me, I don't see the point to consume it. Honestly.

Secret Weapon #8 Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

I hate it! But my brother and sister enjoy it and I notice obvious results too. Anyway, I jogged every day during the last week of my wedding preparation, not sure if that really works in such a short period of time, I simply did it to make myself feel less guilty. End of story. Period.

Hope you find this helpful. And again, the methods stated above may not work for you. Some tips may seem utterly ridiculous, some you may find a little too intensive, but that's what I did to drop the extra pounds and inches for my wedding and just for my wedding. I'm eating normal and have been pigging out a lot ever since then. One last advice, those secret weapons only promise short-term result, if you are shooting for a long-term healthy diet, maybe we could discuss that in the near future.

Have a wonderful day ahead!!!

Happy dieting,
Bev

B.M.W

2011-10-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Updated my Facebook status right after I picked up my present from the dealer. Too happy~~ ♫ Lalalalala ♫

Chean had a serious car accident in August, I was worried to death and wanted to posses a safer and better car. Our next car has to be SUV, a family car, and it has to be either BMW or Mercedes. Chean tried both but likes BMW's design better so he ordered it while I was busy preparing our wedding in Malaysia. In other words, I never test drive it at all but it's BMW, it can't go wrong right? ;)

#1 Meet Mr. Bronze, it took approximately 6 weeks to customize the features.

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

I love Mr. Bronze a lot, he is such an intelligent machine. Love the memory and heated seats (perfect for snowy seasons), the voice control system (just like Siri), the Emergency Service, the panoramic sunroof/moonroof, the separate controls for front (left & right) and rear air conditioning (so much more to explore)... Most importantly, I feel extremely safe when I'm in it!!! Mr. Bronze is secure and spacious enough for me, and not-too-luxurious for Chean; it truly is a perfect car that fits our age and lifestyle.

The Law family welcomes you, Mr. Bronze ❤❤

Grateful but not taking it for granted,
Bev

Autumn in Aspen, Again

2011-10-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

My continued post of Autumn in Aspen...

#1 Checking out the next day. At Limelight Lodge lobby.

#2

#3 Good boy!

Notes: Many hotels in the States are pet friendly. You are welcome to check in with pet with a little extra cleaning fee that ranges from US$25 t0 US$100++ per night/per stay ;)

#4

#5 Mummy, where is my cheese?

#6 Liar T______T

#7 Cozy lounge area. Cool place to hangout, we actually enjoyed the complimentary breakfast here too.

#8

#9

#10

#11 Playing with leaves~~

#12 Miyaki spotted something...

#13 Another poodle!!!

#14

#15

#16 Miyaki's soooo adorbale, super friendly and loves meeting new friend :D

#17

#18 Saying goodbye~~ So long!

Supposed to drive another 10 miles to Maroon Bells, an ultimate destination for romance seekers and nature lovers, but I was carsick. Thanks to the narrow and windy roads. Chean wasn't feeling well too, guess it's the jet lag. S.I.G.H. So we skipped that and headed down to a small town called Breckenridge for brunch ^_____^V

#19 Cloudless sky and hungry Bev~~

#20 First thing first, C.O.F.F.E.E!!! At Starbucks.

#21 Chean found this famous cart on Yelp.

#22 Ordered. Patiently waiting for our crepes!

#23

#24

#25 You better tip :p

#26 Chean's order.

#27 That's mine! Told you I'm real hungry :p

#28 Warm breeze, blissful day, good foods, and...

#29 loving couple! We couldn't ask for more ❤❤

It's sheer joy to get out of town from time to time; a good way to refresh our bodies and souls too. We both adore traveling, and hopefully with our newly owned smart machine, we could plan for a longer and stress-free road trip soon! What's our next destination? I don't know, I guess no one knows either. Let's see where life take us!

Happy Holiday Malaysia,
Bev

Autumn in Aspen

2011-10-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Escaped to Aspen, the most popular tourist attraction in Colorado during Columbus Day holiday. Four hours drive, 183 miles...

#1 Breathtaking views along the road.

#2 Clouds that look like cotton candy ❤❤

#3

#4 M.I.Y.A.K.I was equally excited too!

#5

#6 Freaking cold @.@

#7 Way too scenic~~

#8 Checking in!

#9

#10

#11

#12 View from our room. The highest floor.

#13 Miyaki in the house :D

#14

#15 Shh...

#16 The main entrance of our hotel, Limelight Lodge.

#17 Aspen downtown!

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23 The bear is made of nailssssssss! @.@

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28 Love hanging out together~~

#29

#30

#31 Chean said Little Annie's a famous restaurant in town. Unfortinately I wasn't feeling burger or fish chips or fries that day :p

#32

#33

#34

#35 Who loves Autumn as much as I do?

#36 At the hotel...

#37 Lounging around the swimming pool...

#38 Time for D.I.N.N.E.R ❤❤

#39 Hickory House.

#40 LOL...

#41

#42

#43 Those pork ribs are extremely mouthwatering~~ Off too makan first!

Fun trip, awesome getaway! Love my life as always. Stay tuned for more Aspen pics on BS, I promise I'll try to blog more often, hehe ;)

Happy Monday,
Bev

Angels in Heaven

2011-10-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

今年的生日，
我给BS写了第一篇中文的博客文章 Dear Beverly Esp 2。
那是一件很吃力的事，我几乎把汉语拼音都给忘了；
也是一个冲动的决定，不会中文的BSers该怎么办？
最后说服自己......
反正不是每一个人都有能力闯进别人的内心世界，
反正BS一开始就只是个单纯和别人分享故事的平台，
反正很多事不是拼一拼26个英文字母就可以说清楚的。
所以也做了决定，写了《贝薇丽》的序页。

之前觉得2010年过的太快，让我措手不及。
但是2011年却不甘示弱地迎头赶上。
感谢2011年，
它让我赶上了三度失去亲人的滋味，
它也让我赶上了被幸福包围的喜悦。
一切看似不可能的可能都在2011，让生活措手不及。
我能做的就只有这样，默默地看着悲欢交替。

其实很讨厌用中文写博客文章，真的。
太赤裸，太懦弱，太不像自己的自己。
那是一件很空洞，很恐怖的事。
再说，世界不需要悲伤，
太煽情的内容又觉恶心。
所以，这会是最后一篇中文的BS文章。
想要把更多的秘密留给《贝薇丽》。

在结婚的前一晚，
弟弟随意地弹着吉他我用沙哑的喉咙颤抖哽咽地唱着梁泳琪的火花。
送给天上所有的天使们，我说。
我爱的和爱我的，我认识的和不认识的，
谢谢你们一直爱着我，守护着我，
生命中有过你们，我是幸运的，我是幸福的。

接下来的日子，我还有好多好多的事要做，
好多好多的故事想说......
但能幸福地活着，其实已经是一件很了不起的事。

最后，也将这个送你们。愿生活愉快，一起努力加油！

Love & Kisses,
Bev

Welcome On Board

2011-10-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

#1

#2

#3

#4

The 3rd dress I bought in September; its colorblocked design and contrast woven trimmings caught my eyes right away. Love twisting the retro-ish dress with a simple scarf to create a stewardess-like touch to the outfit.

BS welcomes you on board. Enjoy your flight and of course, your weekend too.

Kisses,
Bev

Knit Top

2011-10-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

#1

#2

#3

#4

** Itemization **
Hairband, Forever 21
Knit Top, H&M Shanghai
Bracelet, H&M Shanghai
Necklace, Randomie from Taiwan
Hosiery, Randomie from Taiwan
Heels, Forever 21

p/s: I did wear short pants under the knit top, in case you are curious.

Love,
Bev

Sleepless Shanghai - Part IV

2011-10-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

So there's one day, my BFF Eling and I were at Old Town Kopitiam, indulging ourselves with unnecessary caffeine intakes and extra calories as usual. We both reiterated that time flies and life is so beautiful yet so short; we both missed the craziest fun we used to have during high school. But most of all, I think we missed the courage we used to have, the carefree spirits that we both once possessed.

We seem to accomplish a lot, we seem to have everything we want now, yet emptiness strikes from time to time. She doesn't understand why. Neither do I.

Silence.

Dead silence.

"So, what's next?" She broke the ice.

"Let's escape for awhile," I said.

We then booked our flight to Shanghai right away, and I contacted Nelson, a friend of mine who lives & works in SH, for advice and suggestions. Bought a travel guide from Popular bookstore on the next day. Reserved a decent hotel on the third day. D.O.N.E.

We told the world we are ready to take SH on day four, guess what, almost everyone asked me why would I ever want to visit Shanghai, why not travel to some places nicer, cleaner, and... more civilized. Many said to me that they love the city but the crowd makes them impatient (which I have to rationally agree to a certain extent, but it's really not that bad).

Anyway, I insisted to go. Forget my stubbornness, I insisted to explore SH myself instead of seeing it through others' lenses.

#1 Day four of our SH trip. Brunch at Amokka Cafe.

#2

#3 Nice environment, decent western breakfast, and good coffee! Y.A.Y!

#4 Stopped by at a bakery store next door.

#5

#6 Yup, this is Shanghai, a lot of expats, like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

#7 Love the antique & boutique shops...

#8 Another vintage shop Nelson brought us to.

#9

#10 The interior of Lulu Vintage

#11 That's Nelson apartment! So authentic yet so homey! I want to steal the brick wall.

#12 So much like a cafe, isn't it? Latte please, Nelson :p

#13 Tian Zi Fang, a must-go for sure! One of SH's most popular tourist attractions.

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18 Good place for souvenirs.

#19 Time is the eraser of memory, or something like that :p That's why everyone should keep a journal, what a good selling point ;)

#20

#21 Tian Zi Fang is flooded with a lot of independent labels.

#22 Getting caffeine fix again, this time we shot for Yunnan coffer at Q's Coffee (邱公館咖啡).

#23

#24

#25 Green Tea Tiramisu.

#26

#27 Surprise! Hi 5 if you could read the shop's name! Hari Rabu stands for Wednesday in Malay.

#28

#29 Heading to The Bund (外滩).

#30

#31

#32

#33

#34

#35 Aww... lovely~~

You know the ending, I've voiced it out loud in all my SH postings. I love SH, I love everything of it, the old shanghai charms, the modern attitude, the rich cultures, the not-so-unbearable messiness, the crazy traffic, the contrasting socioeconomic status and lifestyle, the unexpected surprises around every corner. That's the true Shanghai in my eyes, and my heart.

Although the trip has ended long ago, Eling & I still working our asses off to look for that little "something" that is yet to be determined, this trip marks a very meaningful beginning of our soul-searching journey. Life is still undoubtedly wonderful, despite the ups and downs.

Lurve this spontaneous trip, appreciate our awesome friendship (Eling & Nelson) and grateful for the freedom I have to be M.E.

#36 上海，给力!!!

I ❤ SH,
Bev

Taiwan 2011 - Randomies

2011-10-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last post for my Taiwan trip! 47 photos, be patient cause this is also the shopping post that you have been longed for ^^V

#1 Chean & my sister. MRT is super convenient! We were on our way to WuFenPu (五分埔 ).

#2 Stepped in a random restaurant for brunch.

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12 Unexpectedly tasty!!!

#13 Gigantic watermelon @.@

#14

#15 Shopping at WufenPu. In my humble opinion, there's not much to buy AT ALL @.@ Shouldn't place any expectation. Sigh. Quality is just alright, price is ok, but I hardly like any of the clothes there.

#16 Sis, I miss you.

#17 Because I was real sick, because I was craving for M'sian foods, because this restaurant is located right downstairs from my hotel room...

We were voluntarily conned...

#18

#19 Overpriced, yet tasted so bad.

#20

#21 Chean's Richie Hainan Chicken Rice.

#22 I ordered Noodles with Luncheon Meat, Ham & Egg.

#23 Sis ordered the worse thing on the menu, Penang Prawn Noodle Soup. LOL...

#24 V.I.O.L.A~~

#25 Not much to buy except beauty products, seriously.

#26 Oh, flats are real awesome and super affordable too! Each pair costs around RM 20-40. Absolute steal, got them from XiMenDing.

#27 Tea tasting. And yup, we bought more facial masks, about 20++ boxes.

#28 Yay, last day! Time to get souvenirs for families~~

#29 Three of us really can't wait to go home, yup, it's my fault, I was real sick :'(

#30 Met up with San San, our bestie for dinner.

#31 Two-hour wait! Can you imagine how starving we were @.@

#32

#33

#34 FOOOOOOOOODS!!!

#35

#36

#37

#38

We were too hungry and were too focus on cleaning up the plates, completely forgot about taking pics of the super yummy Shanghainese dumplings, fried rice and another 82647264892 we ordered. Everything tasted G.R.E.A.T thou!

#39 San San traveled from Hong Kong and her mum traveled from M'sia. So actually it's like all of us traveled from U.S., Hong Kong, and M'sia for this reunion. What a coincident, right?

#40

#41 At the airport~~ Hello Kitty does make me feel a little better...

#42 Look at my arms, so tiny, not liking it though @.@ I lost 4 lbs in just 3 days, thanks for nausea & diarrhea.

#43

#44

#45

#46

#47 Taking off~~ See you again, Taipei!

Best,
Bev

First of Oct

2011-10-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Yahoo~~ I've completely recovered from jet lag, I know I know, I'm just not good at it, but I did overcome it eventually, just the matter of time. After staying at home for about a week, it's time to regain my life. What about picking up a comfy outfit and go makan (eat in Malay)?

#1

#2

** Itemization **
Jeans top, H&M
Jeans short pants, Guess
Bag, Louis Vuitton
Wedges, Charles & Keith (click here for close-up shots)
Necklace & pendant, Swarovski

#3 Hello Kitty Iconic Heart Charm! It's a wedding gift from my BFF Pi Chen. Thanks dear~~

#4 Because I love the charm too much, and I don't have Swarovski bracelet, I hook it on my Swarovski necklace instead... Viola~~

And off we go...

#5 Sushi Yoshi, a Japanese restaurant recommended by our friends.

#6

#7 Kame Bento Set.

#8 Sashimi Dinner Set.

Maybe it's the jet lag, the foods tasted great but we only managed to finish 50% of it. Super ridiculous right? @.@

Anyway, I'm in the midst of adjusting to the married life here, although not much difference, it's time for me to rethink and reassess my future plan. Hope I will bring more excitements & great news to you all soon, aza aza fighting!!!

Good day,
Bev

Love of 3650

2011-09-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

To our beloved families, to our dearest siblings, to our closest friends and to everyone who loves us like no one else... We love you, too ❤❤

Enjoy,
Bev

True Love Never Runs Smooth

2011-09-28T06:14:00.000-07:00

拥抱着梦想离开的你，和我相约在2003年后的五年再见面。
两岸的距离，时儿像隔着一层薄薄的纱，隐隐约约地看见你向我挥手；
时儿像隔着一座翻不过的高山，累了休息跌了再坚持。
但思念太赤裸寂寞太恐怖，
这段恋情像在走钢线，步步为营惊心动魄。
可怜的人们，
要么奇迹般的度过这一劫，要么高空坠地粉身碎骨。

两年后，
我快不行了。
我快忘了你的脸。
我快记不起你说话的样子。
我快撑不住一个人默默哭泣的夜晚。

我想要离开这可恶的长距离。
你片刻不语，随后你接着说：
好，那你就离开马来西亚。
但我的意思是...
没关系，先过来。

从此以后，机场就成了我们走钢线时的交叉点。

2007年的那个温暖的冬天，我们结束了这趟惊险的冒险。
两人侥幸般地活着，依然活着。
真爱赢了。

p/s：衷心感谢摄影师Jimmy(李忠勳)非一般的用心为我们的爱情故事扑捉那依稀残留的回忆。谢谢飞鱼们让我们旧“忆”重游，你们的热忱让我们感受到为自己爱做的事执着是多么地幸福。爱你们！

p/p/s：对了，飞机是真的。那一刻的感动也是真的。

Love you，
Bao Bei

How to look younger in 10 days?

2011-09-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Is this possible? I mean, to really rejuvenate, regenerate, regain youthfulness in such a short time? I'm not convinced but during my trip to Taiwan, Shanghai and even when I was living in M'sia, I noticed that the aggressive advertisements of beauty & skincare products really did a good job in coaxing consumers into trying their products, ya, just like what I've just accomplished, successfully luring you into clicking and reading this page.

Well, I'm not saying those products do not work nor ineffective at all, but experiencing the positive changes and results in just 10 days? That's way over-promising for anti-aging products. 2-3 months, yes. Again, it depends.

Don't be too disappointed and don't even thwarted what you are working on right now, most of the anti-aging products work well, even if it's doesn't meet its promises--to make your skin as youthful as a teenage gal--it's still able to keep your skin from dehydrating, that in long run will reduce premature wrinkles and fine lines. See, no harm at all.

But I do have some tips to share since people often thought I look younger than my age, Y.A.H.O.O!!! (those who have said that to me includes the uncle who sells roti & veggies to my mum, all the neighbors, uncles & aunties that live next door as well as across the street, my hairdresser, the beautician & her colleagues, manicurist and her regular customers, and too many to mention). So, I guess I'm qualified enough to provide valid alternatives that would hopefully enrich your beauty journey.

#1 Bare skin and proud!

#2 Fruits! Plenty of them. I've been eating fresh fruits every single day ever since I moved to Boulder. Orange, apple, peach, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit, tomato (tomato is a fruit, go google it!)... Displine yourself to eat at least one or two kinds of fruit every day for good health and good skin.

#3 Resveratrol is a compound found largely in the skins of red grapes; it is also one of the most useful antioxidant vitamins ever. I personally experienced its powerful effect in 3 weeks, brighter skin tone and it helps to diminish the appearance of dark circles too. Love this!!!

#4 M'sians, I'm sure you are familiar with it but I still need to briefly elaborate its beauty benefits. So, in Asia, many older people drink American ginseng tea as a beautifying agent, because it refines the skin and helps counteract dryness, wrinkles and other age-related skin problems (via essortment.com). I don't drink this every day, just whenever I feel like it and usually after hot bath. Super calming and soothing though~~

#5 Bought 5 of them at Watson during promotion, finished 3 bottles, left two now. Each Shi Tzu beauty drink contains 10,000mg of sheep placenta extract, 5,000mg of fish collagen, and 5,000 of bird nest essence. Tasted pretty decent, recommendable ^^V

#6

#7 Speaking of collagen, I truly think that Kinohimitsu Collagen beauty drink is an awesome gift from heaven because I can barely stand the taste of bird nest soup now. Sigh, long story. But ya, I can't drink bird nest anymore, it gives me nausea even just by thinking/looking at it. Sigh T______T

So throughout my beauty journey in these years, I came to understand that there's really no short cut for it. You need to work hard, eat smart, spend wiser, and begin your beauty journey as earlier as you can in your 20's.

Good luck, gals! Let's stay beautiful together~~

The bravest beauty warrior,
Bev

Sleepless Shanghai - Part III

2011-09-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

So Chean and I were changing ideas about the prefect destination for our honeymoon early this noon, we were just brainstorming, solid plan has yet to be finalized, but the uncontrollable feeling of reluctance already rush through my veins, I wish I don't have to fly long distance again, not so soon.

However, when I was arranging & editing pictures of my SH trip for this post just now, I felt like traveling again. Hmm, how torn right? How nice if we could have Doreamon's famous gadget--Anywhere Door (任意门）. Alas, day dreaming, perhaps that's one of the side effects of jet lag.

Anyway... Let's fly to Shanghai for a while now! Y.A.H.O.O~~

#1 Shanghai welcomes you!

#2 The Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠塔)

#3

#4

#5

#6 The skywalk observation deck.

#7

#8 Aerophobia－ing @.@ That's one small step for me, a giant leap for mankind (我的一小步, 是人类的一大步)!!!

#9

#10

Although the pictures look cool & fun but the whole experience at The Oriental Pearl Tower sucks. It was super crowded and long queue thus it took us more than two hours to get to the top, and hell ya, we finished everything in less than 25 mins. Plus the crowd was real noisy and rude and they grasped every single opportunity to cut queue, so mad. All in all, Taipei 101 is a lot better, way more relaxing and comfortable, oh, and cheaper too.

But the Shanghai History Museum (上海市历史博物馆) located right next to the tower is real amazing! We both enjoyed it a lot than we thought!

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15 Ok, let me explain. I wasn't being rude, I was just teasing.

If you ever been to any touristy places in SH, it's not hard for you to find out that it is almost impossible to get any pictures without strangers in it. We had a tough time, from the aquarium to the tower to this museum. And for this one, I stood there for more than 15 mins already, at first I was queuing, waiting for my turn but then I noticed there's no line at all, people just come, snap and go even they knew you were waiting; they don't really care if you were in their pictures too, some will just stand next to you when you are photographing, then snap and go =.=lll Dang it, we gave up a lot of spots already but I want this so bad, don't care liao T______T

#16

#17

#18 I sure know you are curious! hehe...

#19 W.O.A! How I wish I could be this T.A.L.L!!!

#20

#21 Acting :p

#22 Met up with Nelson at night; he brought us to a Japanese restaurant.

#23 Eat & drink all your can, yeah, including alcohol~~ What a deal!

#24 Thanks Nelson for the treat. The scrumptious dinner summarized our 2nd day in Shanghai.

A.R.G.H. Now I miss Shanghai real bad. Till then, BS-ers, thanks for reading.

I ❤ SH,
Bev

Yes, I Do

2011-09-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

The title pretty speaks for itself... These are just 1/847654282767 of all the images taken by my bro, the hired photographers (Immortal) as well as myself on the actual wedding day. I'll continue work on the photos for the sake of recording the hundred and thousand of memorable and gleeful moments that I can't afford to miss.

(B)#1

(B)#2 The killer shoes.

(B)#3

(B)#4

(B)#5 The most anticipated wedding album. Have the everything done in Tainan, Taiwan. So grateful that it arrived on time, two days right before the wedding.

(B)#6 Got this sticker in Taiwan too.

(B)#7 The custom made traditional wedding gown. It took me 5 months to order it; 100% handmade in Guangzhou, China. Pretty expensive but absolutely worth it.

(I+B)#8 Helping my Ji Muis (bridesmaids) and cousin Kendra with the wrist corsages...

(B)#9 Which are all handmade by me, ya, 35 of those, exclusively for all the Ji Muis.

(I)#10 Me & my maid of honor.

(I+B)#11 Preparation at 6a.m.

(I)#12 Getting ready to welcome the biggest day in my life...

(B+I)#13 Dear mummy, uncle Zai & aunt Chew Mee, I'm forever grateful for your love ❤❤

(B+I)#14

(I)#15 Yes, Yes, Yes! I really do.

And I really can't wait to show you every single photos I have! Come back for more! L.O.V.E~~

** Credits **
(B) Photo taken & edited by Beverly
(I) Photo taken & edited by Immortal
(B+I) Photo taken by Immortal, edited/composed by Beverly
Watermark created & designed by Chean.

XOXO,
Bev

Lexis Port Dickson

2011-09-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

I know you are expecting my wedding photos than this, but all the photos aren't with me right now and they won't be available until tomorrow. Trust me, even Chean & I haven't get any chances to look through it yet. Just wait a little longer and they will magically appear on BS one day, I grant you that, slowly but surely.

While waiting for the miracle arrival of those stunning wedding photos, I thought maybe you could spare me some time for this kinda unexpected yet excited post. Yeah, as I tweeted, Chean and I had an amazingly great time at Lexis aka The Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson.

#1

#2 Checking in...

#3 Spent our Saturday night at Tower Seaview.

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10 Camwhoring with nieces~~

#11 Hui Hui (center) & Sze Qi (right).

#12

#13

#14

#15 At the Water Chalets

#16

#17 Sunset and the newlyweds.

#18

#19

#20

#21 Chean & his beloved mummy.

#22 Me & Hui Hui~~ Way too dolly & way too adorable...

#23 The kids, sis-in-law, and Ah Su, the most loyal & the hardest working maid ever. She has been with the family for more than 8 years, it's beyond carefree to have her around.

#24

#25

#26

#27 Lexis's pool view at night.

#28

#29

#30

#31

#32

#33 "That's not a diaper. I don't want to get my pink dress wet," she softly whispered those words to me. Yup, I did lol, she's just way too smart.

#34

#35 Everyone's having a great time.

#36 Coincidentally Niked that day, haha...

#37 Chean with bro-in-law.

#38 The Law family.

#39 Looking after the kids, not an easy task, harder than obtaining an MBA degree.

#40

#41 B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S.

#42 This pic pretty much summarizes this blog post! Love you for reading, do come back for more excitements!!!

#43 Oh, one more, the last pic of the happily married couple, before this officially goes live.

Miss ya,
Bev

From Me To You

2011-09-08T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hold me tighter, kiss me harder, love me deeper as I will be yours in 3 more days.

Busy yet so much in love,
Bev

Beautiful

2011-08-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, you're beautiful, as beautiful as the sun
Wonderful, you're wonderful, as wonderful as they come
And I can't help but feel attached
To the feelings I can't even match
With my face pressed up to the glass, wanting you

Beautiful, you're beautiful, as beautiful as the sky
Wonderful, it's wonderful, to know that you're just like I
And I'm sure you know me well, as I'm sure you don't
But you just can't tell
Who'll you love and who you won't

And I love you, as you love me
So let the clouds roll by your face
We'll let the world spin on to another place
We'll climb the tallest tree above it all
To look down on you and me and them

And I'm sure you know me well, as I'm sure you don't
But you just can't tell, who you'll love and who you won't

Don't let your life wrap up around you
Don't forget to call, whenever
I'll be here just waiting for you
I'll be under your stars forever
Neither here nor there just right beside you
I'll be under the stairs forever
Neither here nor there just right beside you

Thank you for your love, it makes everything beautiful just the way they are.

Your wife-to-be,
Bev

Sleepless Shanghai - Part II

2011-08-26T03:42:00.000-07:00

** Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (上海海洋水族馆) **

#1 Started our 2nd day with Yang's Fried Dumplings

#2 The restaurant is located right opposite Jia Jia Shanghai Dumplings (Read this for details).

#3

#4

#5 It tasted good, but it's made of beef. Noticed that right after the first bite and I quit, bummer T____T

#6 Opted for Jia Jia Shanghai Dumplings instead.

#7 The tourist spots are all located in this area.

#8 Ticket Price: Adults, RMB 135; Children, RMB 90

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15 S.C.A.R.Y @.@

#16 Under the sea...

#17

#18

#19 The most stunning thing I've ever seen...

#20

#21

#22

#23 Mushrooms or jellyfishes? :p

#24

#25 W.O.A!!! (Sorry for the blurry image; that's the best shot I got)

#26 Lurve this pic a lot~~

#27 Darn cool! That the longest underwater tunnel (155 meters) in the world.

#28

#29

#30 Aww... My cutest BFF ❤❤

#31

Stay tuned for more awesomeness bout SH! See you soon~~

I ❤ SH,
Bev