Another stationery store

Another shop discovery from my recent foray at Tampines1, the new mall. From a distance, it already looked like trouble. It's not a scrapbooking store exactly, but it's the closest thing to it in the east. Not luxe, but functional. It won't make you giddy and fork out twice what you intended to spend, more likely you'll make a calm, rational, value-for-money purchase and leave feeling pleased anyway.

To answer the obvious question: I bought 1 set of stickers. Very cute asymetrical heart stickers that will bring cheer to several people. $2.25 after discount (it's an offshoot of Popular!). Yes, a prudent purchase. Though in my mind I hear my mother scoffing. And rolling her eyes :) And for a moment I think, gosh, am I still that 7 year old spending her pocket money on stationery?!

Perspectives on Pocky

Things I do on the train to work: peruse my photos and ponder their
prettiness. LOL.

I compiled this using a photoshop-like iPhone app called montage lite. It works really well and is good for stringing a couple of photos together. It's got other features like editing the colour and transparency of individual photos. Really easy to use and it's free;)

So- the story on the pocky is this: firstly, I am a (moderate, not rabid) pocky fan, junk food though it may be. I'm thrilled whenever I find new flavours - like a certain strawberry marble one from a shop I just found at Tampines1 last Saturday. It's a quirky japanese snack
emporium :)

This one, though, was left on my table one ordinary work day by Bee, one of my good friends from work. It's dipped in CHOCOLATE and laced with OREO crumbs. Cheer for a chocoholic!

How to make Konnyaku Jelly

For Steph - sorry! tech issues!

You will need (shown in the photo):
Konnyaku powder - 1 pack (10gms), makes 24 jellies
Citric Acid - 1/8 teaspoon
Food colouring - 1 drop
Flavouring, e.g. Lychee - 1/4 teaspoon
And just for fun, some dried kiwi seeds

(not shown)
Caster Sugar - 210 gms
Water - 950 ml
Canned fruit - my mum used canned lychees


The name to remember is Red Man. Yes, Red Man. Proudly made in S'pore. Everything shown above is from Red Man, except the food colouring. You can get the ingredients from NTUC or directly from Phoon Huat. The most amusing discovery I've just made is that - after repeated attempts to save my photo of the ingredients - it's all on the Phoon Huat website! Just buy the Konnyaku Jelly powder and you'll find the recipe on the back of the packet :)

So anyway, what you do is mix the Konnyaku powder and caster sugar. Boil the water, then stir this mixture in. Keep stirring, add the citric acid, colouring and flavour.

Pour the Konnyaku solution into plastic moulds where you've already placed the fruit. Chill in the fridge.

Easy to do, and they just look so pro :)

Ta-da :)

Today's Lunch

Just a snapshot of a relatively frugal lunch from the staff canteen.
And a pretty satisfying one, at that. I used to eat like this most
lunches but these days my food expenditure has increased...

Birthday Blooms

It's kind of nice to have flowers on the table at breakfast. This is my birthday bouquet from my aunt, in which she also artfully shoved in a mascara and eye liner :) love my family...

I can never quite decide but if I had to pick 2 favourite colours, I think it would be yellow and white (technically a non-colour).

One Hand Waving

OOH. I am thrilled to add this blog to my list of blogs-to-check-frequently.
http://thesoundofonehandwaving.blogspot.com/

Janice Tay, ST correspondent, has been studying/working in Japan for some time and I've always enjoyed her articles. Unfortunately, the blog doesn't allow for linking to individual posts at the moment so one of the articles she wrote on 22 Sep 08 has to be searched for by entering 'vending' as a key word. It's about a seemingly inane Japanese blog about a vending machine. Totally Sassy-Girl like. I could see it playing out as a movie!

I love reading blogs! (to quote Steph :)
I like going through them the hard way. None of that Google reader stuff for me, it's just not the same experience :p
Another reason I'm happy to add this blog is that most of my blogs are American-based, with 1 Australian one. Lots of mummy blogs and people-who-love-fashion/design blogs, and people-who-love-scrapbooking blogs. Whimsical Asian blogs : none, till now! Whee.

30 was good

So I was just chatting with an old classmate who shares the same birthday. And when I say old, I don't mean literally...for this birthday anyway :P

It was so funny, I was on facebook and she just popped up in my chat box. We haven't talked for what... 15 years maybe? No need for preambles to conversation, just cordial exchanges of bday wishes and exchanging thoughts about hitting the 30s and whatnot. Last year this time round, I was blue about moving up the age bracket. This year, I am much calmer. In fact, I am feeling very relaxed about many things at this point in my life. I am satisfied :)

Photo blues

I am having problems posting photos :(

Meanwhile, check out this gallery by Matt Lauder, a professional photographer - he takes astoundingly amazing, breathtaking photos of the Australian landscape.

Nitey Nite! Woohoo, the weekend's here!

Park

Played hooky today, just for awhile...

Dinner & Dessert @ Riciotti

Memo: Chelle's turn to organize next dinner :)

This was tonight's lovely dessert from Riciotti (ri-CHIO-tee, said
Steph). I was reminded of my warm chocolate cake recipe from Martha
which is still stuck forlornly on my fridge door - I will get down to
making it (eventually).

Yet another nice night out with Chelle and Steph!

By the way, I've been enjoying this free iPhone app called Polarizer
which turns photos into pretty cool Polaroid-like shots.

Jelly relief

It has been SO HOT of late.
My mum made Konnyaku Jelly last weekend and we slowly ate our way through a few trays. Cool, cheap and yummy!

Shadows

Day at the Museum

Like I said, I love big wide open spaces.

Ticket to transformation

Spotted along the way to the national museum. LOL! Speaking of which, I'm looking forward to watching Transformers. I'm on leave this afternoon, helping to man one of the stations that we're doing for our Amazing Race activity for the English summer camp kids. I'm supremely happy, having been able to work at home the past week. Had a super productive work spurt. Having cleared major bits of work, I get to enjoy a peaceful afternoon off. Bliss is wandering around the museum's wide open spaces with John Mayer in my ears. Ear.
Bliss #2: taking a million photos with Sheena, my photo kaki.

Sun Nite

Candy coloured houses

Tea Cosy

Tucked away in a corner of plaza sing, right next to spotlight's craft
corner (and by association, delightful!) is a unique cafe called Tea
Cosy. It's hidden amidst what I can only describe as decorative knick-
knacks and it's such a gem. A quiet corner and good food. Now this is
how dory should be done - lightly panfried and with miso soup. Tis a
nice lunch.

I had a productive morning at work, clearing some tasks before the
busy week comes along. Now to peruse the crafts section before I head
down to church. We have a camp over the next fortnight so we are
gearing up. I think of this afternoon's little getaway as the calm
before the storm :)

Tuesday by the beach

View of the the shoreline from the jetty. Imagine along with me, a salty breeze, a day winding down. The East Coast always reminds me of school days and of kayaking.

Good cheer

(above) Rhetorical Statements

Being a little restless as I usually am when three-quarters of the world (my world) seems to be on leave, I thought I would take the afternoon off and brighten Wendy's day with my presence. And cake (chocolate truffle from cedele - it's good). And sushi (new find: yummy sushi and reasonably priced, at Jason's supermarket). And chocolate cookies.

Goodnight, Monday

Pretty!! And soothing to listen to on a quiet Monday night!

It probably will not surprise some of you that (a) I took an Intro to Music elective in uni (b) that I still have the lists of music we were supposed to listen to (c) yes, I listened to them all (d) and I also annotated them with my reactions (smiley face for those I liked, etc).

Back in the day, we had to go all the way down to the basement of the library to borrow the music...and now it's all on youtube...

Anyway, one of the smiley faces went to...
Satie's Gymnopedies 1... (like the overcast skies I like :)


Goodnight world! (Music: clair de lune, fades out softly...)