Online Shopping

I seem to have lost my mojo for regular street shopping cos it seems like everytime I get myself to the high street, I can't really focus or nothing seems to grab my attention. Unless I go equipped with a list of things to buy (and boring necessary stuff like socks or a whisk), I inevitably get very tired after an hour and will end up in a supermarket or something and spend money on groceries instead.


To combat this, I've turned to online shopping instead. Online shopping rawks! You just need to click click click and tada, the stuff's being sent to you! Yes, you might not have the instant gratification of regular shopping but nothing beats eagerly anticipating parcels in the post (even if you know what they're going to be), and ripping apart the layers of brown cardboard and bubblewrap to find the presents you've bought for yourself :)


I can't wait for my tomes of cookbooks that Amazon slyly suggested I buy to arrive and also the photos that I finally got around to printing so that I can hang them up in the frames that have been sitting around the house for a while now. I'm now contemplating if I should buy a small ice-cream maker as well on Amazon... more presents since Christmas is coming?

Updates

I had started some updates on my iPhone while I was in Hong Kong. Got a bit too lazy to finish it up properly and post it. However, I did post up the pictures on FB, so I'll let those do the talking intead.

In short, I was away for the past couple of weeks. First for a personal holiday in Hong Kong where I spent infinitely more than I planned, and then a work trip for a conference to Seoul, where luckily I was all shopped out and spent a lot less. Before the trips, I was busy with the weddings. Speaking of which, it's back to weddings since I've got 3 weddings in the next month.

I've done some major damage to my wallet starting with the HK trip, which I thought wouldn't cost me anything since airtix were miles and accommodation was free! How wrong was I! I went crazy at H&M and some other shops (all Angela's fault!) and almost bought a Bottega wallet, which though I didn't, in turn led to me buying my Canon 500D (plus lenses). Bah. This was followed by crazy BB Cream and skincare sprees in Korea. I don't even use masks, creams and bb cream lor!!

The damage was further worsened tonight during the Tangs Singtel sale. Remember the dead mixer I have? Well, I replaced it.

Taaadaaaaaaaaa.



I am a proud owner of an ice blue (aqua to me) Kitchenaid! I also errr bought a set of Henkels knives and some anodised woks after being convinced by the auntie demonstrating that they were MUST BUYS. Gosh. I think I'm certified auntie. Sigh.

But ok, I think my new KA makes me cool. Heh.

Macaron Adventures and the Like

I really need to get a food processor if I'm intending to continue making macarons. Spending 20 minutes pushing and pounding ground almonds through a fine sieve is NOT fun and really quite finger and back breaking. I've definitely invested way too much into all these pieces of equipment. I bought a candy thermometer the other day so I could try making the Italian meringue macaron recipe as it involves boiling sugar syrup to a certain temperature to be poured over whipped egg whites. Which incidentally, has resulted in a kitchen mishap which has led to Rorschach inkblot blisters on my hands. Clumsy me.

Since I'm going to get a food processor, I might as well go and get a second baking tray to insulate my first one (apparently it gives you more even temperature), as well as a small saucepan to cook my sugar syrup so that I won't get into a similar incident with the sugar syrup & thermometer again. While I'm at it, let's just throw in a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker (the industrial self-freezing type, not the have-to-put-bowl-in-freezer-overnight type) that's on sale at Tangs for $688 which is really a steal considering the high-end Musso one is over $1000. Bah, dreaming only, since I don't even really eat ice-cream that much. But maybe I will if I get the machine (self-rationalisation in process)...

In line with the asset accumulation (yes that's what I like to view it as), I've bought several candle holders, artificial flowers & plants, decorating knick-knacks and some gift boxes/bags over the weekend. I really really need to start restraining myself from buying all these pretty but useless things.

I Need Detox from Retail Therapy

I've done great damage to my wallet. I think I was a mad woman on the loose this week. I bought 10 dresses. Yes, ten. T.E.N. 10. In like 4 days. Plus a whole bunch of other things. I'm like SUPER BROKE. This is not good. Sigh. I can't keep just buying stuff, I probably already doubled my wardrobe in the last few months. Clothes are spilling out everywhere. I don't even dare to take stock of my stuff.

Someone save me. I need to detox from shopping. NO MORE SHOPPING FOR THE NEXT MONTH. Well, at least until Christmas shopping starts.

Oh, and yay, detox is finally over! Good job to all my fellow detoxers, we did well. I errrr feel more energetic and healthier, I think? Oh definitely am not so dependent on caffeine anymore.

Random Thoughts and Wants

I should drive more often with the top down, except that it's raining all the time these days. The stupid insurance is also getting so expensive that I'm thinking of selling the car. Bah.

Went shopping for a digital kitchen weighing scale yesterday after I was overcome by a sudden urge to replace my current lousy one that I blame for the weird mooncake proportions. I wonder when I'm actually even going to use it. I picked up a baking tray, frying slice along the way and decided that I need to get (someday) in no particular order:

- metal measuring spoons
- Le Creuset pots
- handheld torch for scorching sugar
- oven thermometer
- candy thermometer
- food processor & spice grinder, preferably together
- coffee machine
- ramekins and other nice flatware

I blame these retail impulses on the detox. Since I can't eat, I shop. Free smells at home right now, parents bought duck noodle soup. They bought prata 2 days ago (since when did they start buying food home??). You only start noticing all these food surrounding you when you can't have it. The crackers that are lying on the table you pass by everyday in front of a colleague, the donuts someone bought that you wouldn't have eaten normally cos they're too sweet, every vegetable and fruit screaming your name as you walk into a supermarket.

Actually today was much better than yesterday. I was only tempted by the muruku that my colleagues kept offering to me to tempt me, even proceeding to shower my feet with them (ok I exaggerate but a mountain of muruku did end up on my feet).

The UBS Verbier Chamber Orchestra was not bad, better than I expected since 1) the people I was supposed to host didn't turn up so I didn't have to talk to anyone, 2) I didn't fall asleep despite being super hungry and low energy! Similar to after watching ballet last week, I once again felt sad that I did not have an artistic talent, or just a talent that I can build upon to become one of the best in class. It was amazing to see people who dance or make music as their career. Following their passion, being the best that they could be for the world. And making the world a better and more beautiful place through music and dance.

My thoughts drifted to whether I could develop something I enjoy doing into a talent and make a living out of it. Flowers? Cupcakes? Cooking? Somehow they just don't seem to be substantial enough, both in terms of my interest and ability in it, as well as impact to people.

Oh well. Let's just finish this detox first.

OD on Ovens

I've been on a quest to buy a new oven.

So first question - Table top or built-in? For the uninitiated, a table-top oven are the oven toaster lookalikes, usually without turbo fan (convection). Some call it static or electric oven, small size ranging from 20+ to 40+L. The built-in oven, is well, a built-in oven, usually bigger in size, usually more than 50L and has multi-functions. And of course the price is quite different. Table-tops are around $100 for small ones, going up to about $400 for big ones whereas built-ins start at about $500 and can go into the thousands for a high-end one like Miele.

I already have a small table-top oven right now that is seldom used, and since we have space for a built-in oven in the new set of kitchen cabinets, might as well utilise the space right?

After browsing several forums and websites where people discussed their oven-buying experiences (useful articles here and here), I've narrowed down to a couple of choices. My budget is about $500 so it rules out all the top-end brands. There are also so many different combination of functions such as top+bottom heat, fan-assisted, top only, bottom only and whatever combis in between. Each apparently helps bake/cook different stuff optimally. Below are some of the ovens I saw...

Clockwise from top left: Delonghi Table-top Oven, Rinnai Built-in Oven 5CSI (~$510), Ariston FB51.2 IX (~$600), Cuizino OV728X (~$470), droolworthy Miele (not sure model, >$3000)

So which one to get? The real contenders are really the Ariston and Cuizino (those on the righthand column). Considerations are that Ariston is a well-known Italian brand whereas Cuizino isn't, plus it's made in China so dunno when it'll go kaput. The Cuizino has more functions than the Ariston despite being cheaper but I'm not really a heavy-duty baker so I probably won't require super many functions. Both look pretty good and fit into the cabinet. I guess it sounds like I'm biased towards the Ariston for now... How?? More money but do I really need it??

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away!

I'm soon going to be the proud owner of a new 20-inch iMac and a 4gb red iPod Nano! Woohoo!!! Can't wait.

HURRY UP AND SHIP IT TO ME!!

Drool.....

Lapillus Accessories @ Clark Quay 25th-26th May

Helping my friend advertise for her upcoming bazaar (and jewellery website) at Clark Quay this weekend (Fri, Sat). If you're free or in the area, do pop by! They have nice stuff! Their website is here.