Saturday, May 31, 2014

Sinpopo

Attempting to break from the usual weekend brunch chain, we decided to go for non-brunchy food and went to Sinpopo for Asian delights! Actually I have heard about Sinpopo since awhile back but it was never on top of my to-go list mainly because it seemed like there were limited options for mains and most of the rave reviews online were about the desserts.

I am so glad we went eventually because I have nothing except praises for Sinpopo!




Thursday, May 29, 2014

Baking Meringue



Over the weekend, I researched for some easy baking recipes and chanced upon meringues. I remember having a very yummy meringue from Penny University and since the ingredients looks extremely simple, I decided to give it a go.

If you search for any basic meringue recipe online, you will find that the main things you need are fine sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar (may be replaced by a pinch of salt), and a mixer. No flour at all!

I was initially lazy to take out my electric mixer and attempted to mix using a manual hand beater. I quickly realized that it was a wrong decision and ended taking out my electric mixer anyway. Haha. Manual mixing would have took a super long time to reach the desired "stiff peak" effect! At first while mixing I was kinda afraid that I won't be able to get the correct texture but eventually I think I did. I tried to make pastel ones - white, pink, blue, and purple.

So anyway.... my meringues still failed in the end... After that, I went to search for more information online and came to the conclusion that although baking meringues sounded simple, it is actually very difficult! I personally felt that it was much more difficult than baking cakes! There are a lot more small details and accuracies to take note of, and just a little mistake can ruin the whole batch. For example, there must not be any hint of grease, water, egg shell, or egg yolk in the egg white mixture, cannot underbeat nor overbeat, cannot underbake nor overbake, even by a little. Even the temperature of the egg whites, the type of mixing bowl used, the humidity level in the surroundings, all play a part in the meringue's success or failure. It was very disappointing that my meringues did not turn out the way I want them to... Wasted so many hours of my weekend!

And all that I am left with, are deceiving photos of my meringues. And food dye on my fingers.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

X-Men: Days of Future Past

I just watched X-Men: Days of Future Past and I think it's worth a watch! I have never watched any X-Men movies, had no idea what they were about, and did not even plan to catch this one but after my colleague mentioned it's quite nice, I decided to watch!

I loveeeeeeeeeeee movies. Movies absorb me in their world for that two hours and make me forget about my own world. Movies are awesome.

I didn't know that the X-Men series were so popular until I tried booking seats online. There were so many slots available over many different theaters but most of the seats are sold till the first and second rows. I managed to grab two tickets for third row, but very corner seats. So not only we have to look up, we have to look left too. While the commercials were rolling, bf told me, "later after this need to go see doctor already." I asked why. He replied, "sprain my neck liao." Hahaha.

So anyway, X-Men: Days of Future Past revolves around time travel and alternate dimensions, and it got me quite interested! How awesome it would be if we could "undo" a wrong choice by travelling to live in an alternate dimension! There would be lots of alternate dimensions because for every single choice we make, a whole new future is created. This way, women who chose the wrong husband can choose to escape to another alternate dimension where the younger her did not marry the wrong man, which resulted in a better life. Even if it turned out worse, she can always change route by moving on to the next dimension.  I think this is more possible than time travel because by one person changing history, everyone's history changes, so the process is more complicated. Therefore, instead of travelling back in time and changing history, why not travel dimensions instead so that it doesn't affect everyone else? On hindsight, I guess I'd be extremely confused if this is possible... and people will probably act alot more irresponsibly....Haha. But all is okay because we can escape elsewhere!  

I was extremely impressed with Quicksilver's short appearance in the movie! His powers are my favourite!! I wonder why the team did not recruit him to join in on their mission instead of asking him to go back home. Everything would be so easy with him around!

Go watch it! Another upcoming movie that I am looking forward to is 'Maleficient'! Also watched Godzilla some days back and it's quite good too!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Restore Living / OOTD BOX by LYRA MINN

[Scroll down for LYRA MINN OOTD BOX discount code)

ReStore Living has been around for quite some time but I never got around to trying its food. While back, I finally went to ReStore Living with bf and his friend. Nothing beats a carefree afternoon in a nice quaint cafe, reading magazines, sip hot tea, and munch on some sweet desserts at the side.




Magazines free to browse...




One of our sweet treats: Lemon Bundt Cake. It was surprisingly very good!


The cafe itself is kinda narrow, but the sides are furnished with some vintage items and most prominently displayed were these unique chairs on sale. I am not sure if it is more of a furniture shop or a café!


Time for some waffles! Bf has been on the look out for good waffles ever since the awesome one we had at Stateland Café. So far, none of the others we tried triumphed it!


I personally liked the Berry Good waffle. I love having strawberries with waffles and instead of ice cream, it is replaced by whipped cream here. Even though I know how sinful whipped cream are, I can never resist it!


Caramel Banana waffle is topped with icing sugar, banana slices and salted caramel sauce. This was very well-liked by bf and his friend!


ReStore Living

124 Tanjong Pagar Road
Singapore 088533

Tel: (65) 6222 3510

***

My outfit of the day came entirely right out of this box! Earlier this year, I blogged about the launch of OOTD BOX by Lyra Minn. The concept is simply a box with contents specially curated to be worn as a whole outfit - A set of Coordinate (may be dress or top with bottom, etc) + Accessories + Beauty products + A bag to match + Free delivery! To see more of the outfits that are put together by Lyra Minn, you can visit the website: http://www.lyraminn.com/collections/ootd-box



Here are the items packed in the box! After the overwhelming response of the launch, Lyra Minn has added some new customization features to its OOTD Box: Style, Sizing, Color! In addition to these customization, shoppers are also allowed to request certain preferences like "no earrings, no florals, no greens, etc" to cater to every shopper's individual liking!


OOTD photo of the outfit straight out of the box! I really liked everything! Lyra Minn has received very good feedbacks from shoppers loving the outfits, how value-for-money it is, and the customer service! Customer emails are usually replied within afew minutes to just afew hours even though 48 hours is stated on the site :)






All at a good price of only $39 per box (+free delivery)! QUOTE EXIE6 FOR $6 OFF TO GET IT AT ONLY $33 PER BOX!!!!! Everything could easily cost me a lot more than $50 if I purchased it at retail stores so I think it's a really good buy! Another option is to top up $12 to a regular item to have it packed as an OOTD BOX with accessories and bag - this way, you have more control over the outfit. BUT, I still think we should all embrace surprises and try something different from what we would usually get for ourselves!

Lyra Minn has limited boxes left and will be closing its OOTD BOX orders soon to focus on its regular collections. After that OOTD BOX will only be available at random intervals so if you purchased the box and really think it's a good deal, sign up for the mailing list to be notified whenever the OOTD BOX is available! Also, there are occasional flash sales with awesome exclusive discounts for mailing listees!

Remember, QUOTE EXIE6 FOR $6 OFF TO GET IT AT ONLY $33 PER BOX + FREE DELIVERY!!!!!

Shop: www.lyraminn.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/shop.lyraminn

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Tonkotsu Kazan

I was sick that week and not really in the mood for brunch food, so for our weekend date bf did some research and brought me to this place called Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen at Liang Court. I thought that ramen should be a safe choice for a sick day but we ended up with a very sinful dinner of Kimchi Hotstone Rice, Fried Gyoza, and this restaurant's signature Volcano Ramen (I even took a video of it's "eruption"!)



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Pandora?

New bracelet! Read on to find out where I got them at a super good price :)



Sunday, May 18, 2014

Line Pop Up Store

I have been a big fan of line characters ever since I started using the Line Chat app to communicate with my family and bf. I loveeeeeeeee the dramatic stickers of Brown, Cony, and Sally!

And when I received notification that a Line Pop Up Store was up on Orchard Road, I told bf I MUST GO!!!!

It is located just outside Wisma Atria! Looks like the Line Characters are extremely popular in Singapore! I initially thought that the shop would be bigger but it's actually quite tiny, we had to queue to enter due to limited space. I heard that Taiwan has a Line Character Museum. ME WANNA GO VISIT!!!


The mascots weren't there the first time we went but I was along Orchard Road the other day and saw them! THEY ARE SO ADORABLE AREN'T THEY?!?!


Lots of photo-ops outside the store! Let me introduce the characters to you one by one. This is Cony!!! She is super cute and she has a lot of expressions, some happy some crying some angry. And she is always bullying Brown, her "boyfriend". Haha. Download the Line Chat app and download all the "Brown & Cony" stickers and see for yourself how cute she is.


Brown, Cony, Edward (Sally's Sidekick).


James.


Brown and Edward.


Moon and Sally (the "extra" one always lurking around behind the main characters and copying their actions.)


Leonard, Moon, Sally!



We finally entered the shop after much photo taking! Huge plushies of the main characters!

It was so heavy!


I wanna collect a full set of line characters (Brown, Cony, Sally, Moon) medium plushies or cushion!!! Wonder where I can find them!



While I was engrossed with looking at the merchandise, I saw my boyfriend at the cashier counter and caught him secretly buying Cony for me hehehe. Afterwards we went to queue for the Spin-the-wheel promo and won this very ugly version of Moon. hahaha.


Me hope more people will use the Line Chat app so that more people can see how cute Brown and Cony and Sally are.... Haha.

If you are also a fan quickly head down to the pop up store because they will only be here for a limited time!

Friday, May 16, 2014

[Review] Sammydress.net

Recently, I have been extremely obsessed with buying bags. I got myself at least 10 new bags in a single month and now that they are arriving on my doorstep one by one, I have trouble finding space in my wardrobe to keep/hide them.


I got the bag in this outfit set from SAMMYDRESS. I spent an extremely long time on the site because I found so many pretty bags on sale and could not make up my mind. I love the gold metallic chain, clasp and outline of this bag!

Besides bags, there are also a wide range of items like dresses, heels, and swimwear. Love the styles of swimwear featured! I feel like purchasing another swimwear this summer! The prices range from $10- $20 only!



Sammydress is a leading global online boutique that ships worldwide. A wide range of trendy apparels at factory direct prices are featured on the site, you probably need to allocate an entire afternoon to browse the items! New products are added every single day too!


The material of this bag also surpassed my expectations! It's like, less than $15 yet the material is good enough to be sold at more than $30 elsewhere! Mum saw this bag and immediately said it's very pretty!


Besides fast shipping, products are also carefully checked and securely packed before shipping out!



A dedicated 24 hour live chat service is also available to give an instant response to all inquiries. I really like online shops with live chat systems that reply immediately!

Shop now: Sammydress.com

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Mother's Day 2014

Last year, I brought mum to Marriott Hotel for dimsum lunch.

This year? We did what we did best - Eat. Haha



Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Reflectiff

As much as I love the bustling city and its activities, sometimes after a long day at work I just want to chill and chat over tapas and drinks with some girlfriends.

This is why I was excited to know that there is a new Al Fresco Gastrobar near my place, right in Crowne Plaza Changi Airport! With the kind invitation from Carrie, I was at there last month with my dear friend Fidelis to try out the menu.

Reflectiff mainly serves tapas and drinks with a fusion of flavours catered to local taste buds. One of them, the Smoked Salmon Grissini Stick ($28), is a personal favourite. A must-order for me when I come here again! It is as tasty as it looks. 


Monday, May 12, 2014

$39 for 6 pieces

I am trying to clear some clothes from my wardrobe for space!

Brand New/Worn Once
Only $39 for 6 pieces + Free local delivery!

Email to the-ice-angel@hotmail.com with subject title [39] if interested.
Limited sets available!

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Bag Essentials

Recently, I have been a little obsessed with buying bags that are too small to be practical for everyday use. In the past, my default bags are usually slightly larger than A4 and they are spacious enough for me to throw many things inside and still have space. However, I have switched to using smaller bags more often now and one big issue with them is the lack of space.

So today's topic is... "What's In My (Small) Bag".



Because of the lack of space, we can only bring the essentials. Here's the comparison between what I bring out using a normal-sized bag versus a small bag.

1. Money
Remove: Wallet
Keep: Debit card, Identification card, Ezlink card, $20 - $30 cash. I don't like carrying too much cash around so I usually purchase using my card.

2. Mobile Phone
Remove: Portable charger
Keep: USB Cable (nowadays I just charge using work laptop/ bf's car and it's usually sufficient to get me through the day), and phone.

3. Cosmetics
Remove: Any duplicate (Sometimes I bring out 2-3 lipsticks at one go when I'm carrying normal sized bag)
Keep: Only 1 of each makeup necessity

For me, I do either full makeup or nothing, so I have to bring everything out. Cosmetics probably take up the most percentage of space in my bag!
*Foundation (ZA)
*Blusher (Daiso) - Yes, the cheapo $2 blusher. But I love the color and it doesn't annoy my skin so I think it's fine!
*Lipbalm (Nivea or Neutrogena) - A need for me, because my lips are always dry!
*Lipstick (Maybelline) - My colleague bought this for me and it's awesome! The color is long lasting and very bright and application is easy.
*Concealer (Etude House)
*Liquid Eyeliner (Majolica Majorca)
*Brow Pencil (K-Palette)
*Eye Shadow (MAC) - I only use 1 color for my daily makeup. Black.
*Tiny brush for eye shadow - Some of you can use fingers to save space!
*Eyelash Glue - To save even more space, use those tiny tubes that come complimentary with eyelashes!
*Eyelash (Pictured: Girlymake)

Optional/Sometimes only: Mini-size Lipstick (Make Up Forever), Brown Eye shadow

I'd probably also add bronzer to my must-bring list if I knew how to use it, so it is a blessing in disguise that I haven't learnt how! I also save space because I don't use mascara or eye curler and rely entirely on my faux lashes. Not really the correct way to do it because if you go closer you can see my real lashes below my faux lashes but I don't really care lah, who will go so close and look at my eye right. Hahaha.

For most people, I think it can be simpler!

I use a soft cosmetic zip bag so that if my bag is really small, I can fold the unused corners and squeeze it in.

4. Others
Remove: Umbrella (and hope it doesn't rain. haha)
Keep: Mints, Keys, Daily contact lens, Wet wipes

Flat-lay photo of items mentioned above:


Amazing how all those things could fit into a small bag! I think the trick is that all of them are flat, so it's easier to utilize every space in the bag! My camera is huge, so I usually hang my camera on my shoulder outside the bag. Normal days I just use my phone camera!



Am on a lookout for a nice small card holder to put my cash and cards in next time when I bring small bags out instead of just throwing them in.

Friday, May 9, 2014

My Awesome Cafe

Went to "My Awesome Cafe" one fine Saturday for brunch! Sorry... It's the third food entry in a row.... Well, I haven't been doing anything interesting recently and the only thing I do is eat and eat and eat! Haha. Okay, I promise the next entry will be not be related to food at all!

Wore this pretty checkered skater dress from www.earthdoll.net! It has a very flattering cut which I absolutely love! Paired it with a fuchsia necklace for a pop of color on the black and white dress.



Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Hai Di Lao

Ever since I found out about Hai Di Lao, I had been wanting to try it and finally did with Ben, Isaac and Grace! We waited 2 hours before we were seated. Better make reservations next time!




Sunday, May 4, 2014

Backstage Cafe

I remember when we just started dating, bf promised to bring me on a brunch date once every month after seeing how much I love brunch food on one of our first dates at Marmalade Pantry. However, now it seemed like our regular activity every weekend is brunch food!! Hahaha. "Once every month" become "Once a week"..... 我赚到!



Backstage Cafe is not like the usual "hipster"/"vintage"/"arty" cafes. Very normal, located in an industrial area in Kallang! Bf is usually the researcher for our weekend brunches, so I did not know about the existence of this place until I was brought there. I quite like how the cafe was quite big, therefore not very noisy and I did not have to squeeze with other patrons.


We had the breakfast combo and smoked salmon benedict with additional mushrooms for $1.



For sides, I chose my fave chicken wings! Bf was quite grumpy about me wanting this because he wanted something more special but his attempt to order his choice failed because it was sold out... Hehehe.


After that he went ahead to order plain o'cheesecake and refuse to change his order even after I did the following:

1) Tried to change his decision by pointing out that there were other more delicious-looking desserts on display such as red velvet cake, tiramisu, macarons, etc.

2) Exclaimed that his choice of cheesecake is a very common cake and not "special" (he usually choose special over common items on the food menu)

3) Told him I didn't feel like eating cheesecake that day.

Sianzzzzz. Cheesecake came and end of story.


Backstage Cafe
158 Kallang Way, #01-06,
Singapore 349245
Tel: 6743 6893

Afterwards, he helped me to take some photos of my outfit and I love this set of photos! Not sure if it was because of the hair? I changed my fringe parting for that day and had to control the urge to flip my fringe back to my usual parting the entire day because it felt uncomfortable. Haha. Glad it was worth it!


The floral knitted top is from Earthdoll! Got the inspiration to style it like this after seeing a similar outfit on Lookbook. Love it! The material is not too thick, so it's awesome for Singapore's warm weather too!


Paired it with bag from Femmex! This bag was love at first sight for me, and has become my recent "daily bag"! Love how spacious it is and I can throw everything inside :)



Ending today's entry here!

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