June 12 : 11 O'clock

Currently reading : Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn


Here's one thriller I really got into. It's so fast paced I cannot put it down! The last one that captured my attention was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Not the whole series. Just the first one.

I'm doing a GoodReads challenge of 15 books this year. Not many, that's only about one a month. I'm giving myself some slack for the weeks I go without reading *die! Candy Crush!* But I'm halfway through. 7 books into the year. Add me on Goodreads so we can share some books and compare some notes! I love science-fiction / fantasy, historical fiction, as well as classics! On occasion, I veer over to the Bestsellers' list. Some authors I adore include Orson Scott Card (for his Ender series), Neil Gaiman, and Oscar Wilde.

What are you reading at the moment?

May Photo-A-Day Challenge

Happy Labour Day (to some parts of the world)!

It's MAY!

And i'm back. Whenever i'm away on a long hiatus, there's always lots of fun stuff to report. I don't know how I managed to stay away that long, but I have a suspicion it's because of my faulty battery that makes using my laptop for long periods of time daunting.






Anyhoos,

It's May and my friend and I are taking on this photo a day challenge. (It's the ONE New Year's Resolution I've been keeping up with!) I've been enjoying my time offline waaaaayyy too much. But I think I've found a way to get back into the groove of blogging.

I'll post one photo a day, plus a short write up of the photo. Crossing my fingers that will help me blog more regularly.

So this is May 1st! If you're on Instagram, use the hashtag #fmsphotoaday to join in the fun!



So for my May 1st entry I got some wine to ring in the new month! I'm not too much of a wino, but I sure love some champagne if I can get my hands on any. Otherwise, good ol' merlot and rieslings usually do the trick!

2013 Resolutions in review

What? you say. Already?


Well, it's almost the end of the first month of the year so I thought I'd just keep track of my progress so far...




1. My rigorous yoga practice ...

Is coming along splendidly! I started going to classes at a yoga studio. I forgot how much more beneficial it is going to a class than practising on my own. Also, I'm keeping a daily journal / private blog to keep track of my thoughts and progress. I started out the year doing yoga and/or meditation every day. But daily life creeps in and sometimes I don't get to do anything. However, i've been consistent with practising at least 3-4 times every week!




2. A photo every day ...

Is so much easier with my iPhone and the Collect App. The app sends me daily reminders in the evenings to make sure I have taken at least one photo that day. And I'm finding out the joys of Instagramming. Sorry, slow poke here, but hit me up @mrsjrizzle



3. One book a month ...

I added this resolution after reading The 25th Hour's challenge and decided to join in the fun. My book for January is done, and I'm working through my next book! Whee!!

2013 : New Year's Resolutions

In 2013 :


Taking one year to discipline myself with more rigorous yoga training. I'm aiming to save up enough money for a teacher training course in 2014. But of course, instead of plunging head first, I want to take the time to decide if this is something I really want to do.


I will challenge myself to take a photo each day so by the end of 2013 i will have visual memories to remember the year by! This app called Collect helps me keep my daily images on a calendar! Super nifty!

Alright, keeping resolutions simple this year!  What resolutions did you make for 2013?

2012 - A Year in Review

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. In a blink of an eye, 2012 is coming to a close. Facebook has this "2012 - Year in Review" thing that I thought I'd take a look at, which then brought about this post.


Looking back, my year has been more fulfilling than I'd give it credit for! I didn't realise or even remember there being so many achievements I could be proud of, and moments to remember. I'd like to share them, also just so I can look back at the end of next year and be inspired.

(P.S. How meaningful too because this is my 300th post!!!)

Here we go then, 2012 -- A Year in Review!


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- Scuffy -

J and I never believed it was possible to have any more room in our hearts,  but along came this little one!




- Quilts -

From baby sized, to lap quilts, to QUEEN sized ones!




- Birding -

Played Mama Bird and nursed 3 orphaned starlings back to health




- The Color Run -
I ran 5km!




- A Myriad of Crafts -

From pomanders to aprons to my owl Halloween costume to Christmas stockings.  I've grown a little braver in experimenting different types of crafts!




- Cooking -

I tried out more recipes than I care to admit!  I'm becoming quite the little chef myself, I'd say!!  Very impressive, for someone who hates to cook!





I hope you'd do the same and look back on your year.  May you find lots of moments to treasure and  May your 2013 be fruitful, filled with happiness, love and great experiences!

On the bookshelf: Holiday reads!

Via

As an extension of my Kindle vs Paperback post,
I'm curious to know what you're reading this holiday season.

Thanksgiving is coming up. We plan to spend a quiet weekend with J's family up in the mountains. They have no internet access, so holidays spent there are always challenging. I'm so reliant on the internet for the news, finding answers to random questions, check my Facebook. Whenever I don't have the internet i'm at quite a loss!

On the upside, no internet access = more human interaction! We play board games (*gasp* remember those??), catch up with one another, and take walks outdoors.
And we'll also get the bonfire going!!

Aside from gorging myself, and watching Thanksgiving football, I am going arm myself with a few books, just in case things get a little slow and drowsy
(you know how turkey coma gets to you...)

Right now I have Pride and Prejudice and Murakami's 1Q84 on my Kindle, but I'd like to add a

(1) Science Fiction
(2) chick Lit
(3) Travel fiction / non-fiction
(4) historical fiction

to my list.

So, some suggestions pretty please?

Favorite Things: Top 10 Singaporean Comfort Food

It's 2 weeks before I fly home. I've been making a list of foods to eat when I get there. Singapore is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, so the variety of cuisines is readily available in all corners of our little island country.

Here is my Top 10 list with just a teaser of what each food is about. Hopefully, I'll remember to document them when I'm in Singapore so I can share them with you when I return. Right now, I just want to day dream and talk about Singaporean food all day!!

1. Laksa

A spicy coconut-based curry soup served with thick rice noodles, shrimp, and cockles. I load it up with at least two tablespoonfuls of spicy sambal belachan chilli paste. It's legit.

2. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Boiled white chicken, served with rice flavored with chicken stock and garlic. The dish is served alongside 3 different dips : chilli, ginger, and dark soy sauce.

3. Carrot cake

Not to be mistaken for the dessert. This fried "carrot cake" is a misnomer - there is no carrot in the local carrot cake. Made from stir-fried radish (daikon) cubes and more affectionately known as "chai tow kueh"

4. Bakut Teh

Easily one of my favorites. I'm a sucker for herbal soups. Bakut Teh is pork ribs stewed in a delicious herbal concoction. Served with rice and an equally to-die for dip of dark soy sauce and super-spicy chilli peppers, known as chilli padi.

5. Durian

I don't know if this picture is the best portrayal of durians, but durian is to fruits what Elvis is to Rock'n'Roll. 'Nuff said.

6. Chueh Kueh

My guilty simple pleasure. This is steamed rice cake topped with diced fried radish. I have an unhealthy obsession with radish as you may have come to realize.

7. Egg Tart

Finally! A pastry! An egg custard cradled in a melt-in-your-mouth flaky outer crust.

8. Bak Kwa

Similar to jerky, but ten times juicier and more fragrant. Also known as barbecued pork.

9. Ya Kun Breakfast Set

Ya Kun Kaya Toast is a chain of cafes that serves up simple local fare. I always get a set of toast with a butter-and-sugar spread, black coffee and soft boiled eggs.

10. XO Fish Head Noodles

No "XO" is not your "xoxo". It refers to XO Brandy. Any broth with a happy splash of brandy automatically wins hands down. The fish head won't really bother you much after.




Hungry?




Photo credits: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Miss Independent : Mid-week blues on Day 1

No, wait. This is not a part of Jess' (from Avant-Garde Living) Miss Independent series. This is me, attempting to function on Day 1, after J left for the Philippines on his all-boys vacay.



This was taken at the airport just before he had to check in.




He will be gone 3 weeks.

And as you may know, he cooks all.my.meals.

When he told me about his decision to go on this trip, the first thought that popped into my head was "What about my meals?" A very pragmatic woman, i agree.

But I had to start planning my time better now that he's gone. Because there's a ton of things on my to do list, that used to be split between two people.

Such as

☹ Feed and play with the lizards.

☹ Water the garden.

☹ Weed the garden (on weekends only)

☹ Pick veggies from the garden before they rot and go to waste.

☹ Figure out a way to feed myself

☹ Motivate myself to keep up with evening runs without J

☹ Wash the car and change the oil.

Such and such and such. Bah.

Is it really just the first day?

Found: A Nautical Affair

Via

Now that it's summer, I'm longing to hit the lake!

And I actually sat down and created a mood board for it too! Phew! It was time consuming but super fun! Here are my picks from my favorite sites!



:: Swimsuit :: Bib necklace :: Heels :: Maxi Dress :: Tote Bag :: Ring:: 




I love stripes, the color palette red, white and blue. So one weekend I whipped these up!


Here and here




Have a wonderful week ahead! There's time yet, to plan for a nautical weekend!

Dave Matthews Band in Charlotte, NC

Last night had to be the music highlight of my life! My favoritest band Dave Matthews Band was in town for one night and I was there!!!

I started listening to DMB about 10-12 years ago, and they've been a constant in my music playlists. Other artistes come and go, but DMB just have these oldies but goodies that make my hair stand every time I listen to them. Do you have a certain artiste that make you feel this way? So you know how I feel!

Standing in the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre last night, I was in rapture for the whole TWO AND A HALF HOURS!! Yes, that was how long they played, no sets, no intermission. How awesome is this band? My friends and I were guessing at what the playlist was gonna be, and DMB didn't disappoint. They played so many of my favorites I was so ready to kiss their feet. (Yes, I can sometimes be dramatic like that).



They opened with Big-Eyed Fish and continued to play favorites (mine, at least) like Satellite, So Much to Say, and Dancing Nancies. And finally, when they did their encore, they finished with Trippin' Billies. That drove the crowd wild. And by then I was jumping up and down like a bunny on a sugar high.

And just because they played my all-time favorite song #41, they will be my favorite band for life!

Here is the set list for last night, if you are a DMB fan too!

On the bookshelf: Too many books too little time

Yikes.

Very fantasy-heavy, I just realised.


(From top to bottom)

1. Seventh Son (Orson Scott Card)
2. A Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin)
3. The Joy of Living (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche)
4. Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)
5. Eldest (Book 2 of Inheritance trilogy, Christopher Paolini)
6. Brisingr (Book 3 of Inheritance trilogy, Christopher Paolini)


I'm currently at the end of GOT (A Game of Thrones) and I seriously love the book! Haven't watched the HBO series yet and Season 2 had premiered a few days ago. The J-man watched the whole of Season 1, which is in essence, the first book, and we were comparing notes about the differences between the two. So far the TV series has been pretty faithful to the novel! *rubs eyes in disbelief* seeing how they butchered The Sookie Stackhouse series a.k.a. Trueblood.

I rub my hands in anticipation of Book 2, 3, 4 and 5! I think there's more to come. Why do the books have to be so LONG! I'm such a slow reader!

And not to forget all that Hunger Games hype! Hands up if you haven't watched the movie! *gulps* Is mine the only arm raised?? I have to get my hands on Book 2 and 3!!!

I started on the Seventh Son, because for a while I was in a readless-lull. But halfway through, my friends recommended GOT so i had no choice but to shelve it. Will get back to you Mr. Card! I did like it very much, and unfortunately, it is yet another first of a series! GAAAAHHH!

But I'm getting my reading momentum back (which typically means a crafting dry spell...NOOOOO)



What is on your reading list? Hope you can share some enjoyable reads!

xx

To-do or not to-do : What's your Motivation

via


Dear friends,

I received an email from a few days back, in relation to the previous post. Melanie is a contributor to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog, and was inspired to write an article after reading my bucket list entry below. While I do not profess to know much about mesothelioma cancer, I agree with what she has written.

I am an extreme list-maker. I make lists about lists. But it is my way of organizing my life, and to help me make sense of it. I certainly see how a list can be a source of motivation; you cannot know the amount of satisfaction I derive just by crossing out things on my daily to-do lists. And I'm pretty sure all of you out there are list-makers in your own little way, regardless of reasons.

But I digress.

One of Melanie's aims, is no doubt, to spread the word about Mesothelioma cancer. There are links at the end of this post for you to read up more about it if you are interested. Although it is uncommon (the cause of it is from exposure to asbestos), I always believe knowledge and awareness is the key. There is definitely no harm in more knowledge, because you never know when it might come in handy. Also, personal motivation applies to just about anyone. I believe everyone can take a little something out of this. So, with that in mind, I am sharing this with you, my friends.


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Journal Writing as Personal Inspiration

For many people, writing a personal journal is a way to explore their thoughts and feelings about their daily activities or simply a way to keep track of past memorable events that have occurred within their life. However, a journal can also be a place to write about your dreams, ambitions or goals for your future as well. If you watched the move, “The Bucket List,” you have an idea of what can be accomplished if you allow yourself to dream into the future.



Your Personal Bucket List


Your personal journal is a great place to come up with your own personal bucket list. This does not need to be a list you share with anyone else, so it can be as silly, elaborate or simple as you like. A personal bucket list is a list of things that you want to accomplish. You can make your list of things you want to achieve within in the next year, the next five years or over the entire course of your life. It does not really matter what those things are, as long as you write them down and they have meaning to you.

Writing down your personal bucket list is important because somehow psychologically, writing something down gives weight and importance to your aspirations. As humans, we value what we write down; writing down your bucket list also gives you the ability to go back and look at it from time to time for inspiration. You may decide that you want to add things to your list as your life changes. You may also have a profound sense of satisfaction as you cross things off your list because you have accomplished them. In fact, accomplishing one thing on your bucket list may inspire you to add related things to accomplish in the future.



The Need to Look Forward


Writing down your personal bucket list can serve many purposes. For many people, it is a place they can turn to when they get frustrated with life. It gives them something to look forward to and think about for the future. If one of the things on your bucket list is to see Venice and ride in a gondola, when you get frustrated or depressed, you can mentally visit Venice in your mind and think of the things you need to do to make your dream trip a reality.

Having a list of things to accomplish can also be a wonderful motivator to actually accomplish those things. This can be especially true if you are looking for things to keep you motivated to keep moving forward. There are times in life when it is simply hard to keep going. For instance, if you are facing a challenging illness like mesothelioma or you have lost a spouse or someone you love, it can be tempting to just sit down and give up. But if you have a list of things you want to accomplish, then it gives you a reason to keep going and moving forward. Even if your prognosis seems grim, you can write down hopes for the future to give you drive to keep moving on to defeat your illness and live a happy life.

------------------------------------


Melanie has provided a link to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog and if you wish to learn more about it, please leave a comment or contact me so I may put you through to her. Thanks for reading!

Music Concerts / Festivals Bucket List

I am SUPER STOKED!!

Do you have a bucket list?

Well I do. I have a list of music festivals and concerts to go to in my life time. And I'm about to cross one off my list.

Dave Matthews Band is coming to Charlotte for ONE DAY in May, and I just bought tickets for them!!!! <3<3<3


Now I've listened to some of their "Live in Concert" CDs and man! These guys play a song FUR-EH-VER!!! See, they like to improvise and jam according to their mood, so sometimes you get an ultra long solo or an ending that never really wants to end. But I'm so thrilled to get tickets to see them. When I lived in Singapore, I always hoped that they would do an Asia tour. Who would have thought I'd move here and be closer to fulfilling some of my concert-going dreams!!!





Some others on the bucket list:

:: Kings of Leon ::

My very first concert in the US of A. Kings of Leon. They must have heard me scream my requests because they sang all my favorite songs! Then again, almost every one of their songs is my favorite. Especially "Use Somebody".

:: Bjork ::

When she was in China, she infamously ended her concert by chanting "Free Tibet" in her song "Declare Independence". Well, pretty apt for the song, but girl, you not going anywhere near the Great Wall in the next few life times.

:: Jason Mraz ::

Now this is one sexy man that can keep his beard and fedora. Watched him in Fuji Rock Festival 2008, where he whipped out a polaroid, took pictures of himself "with" the audience (while on stage), and threw the polaroids into the audience. Oh and his fedora too. Awesome showmanship, but the Japanese crowd was a tad too mild. I would love to go to one of HIS concerts.

::She & Him ::

Love Zooey Deschanel and her voice. She's got such classic charm, who can refuse. Sorry M. Ward, you know she steals the show.

:: Regina Spektor ::

I love her voice, love her tunes and catchy lyrics. The album that stole my heart was Songs. Fun songs in that album especially Aching to Pupate and Consequences of Sounds!!!

:: Jack Johnson ::

Picture this - Surfer dude who plays a guitar under the palm tree sitting on the beach in the warm sea breeze. What is there not to love?? This guy has the best job EH-VAH!


And the bucket list continues to list just about any other music festivals i can get my hands on!!!! Someday I will hit Glastonbury. Coachella and Lollapalooza seem much more attainable now!!

Who'd you like to see?

I've Been Tagged : the first in 2012!

My wish to all my bloggy friends!



---------------------------------




I've been putting this on hold for awhile now, but what better thing to do than a tag post in 2012 so you can refresh your memory about 11 quirky bits of info ALL about me! Heh.


I've been tagged by Nana Glo from GloSews!

The Tagged Rules are as follows:


1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things yourself.
3. Answer the ques­tions the tag­ger set for you in their post.
4. Cre­ate 11 new ques­tions for the peo­ple you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them that you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tag­ging sec­tion about ‘you are tagged if you are read­ing this.’ Blah blah blah, you legit­i­mately have to tag 11 peeps!

The 11 questions from Nana Glo to me:

1. Do you know how to sew?

Yes I do. I did home-ec classes in school but didn't really get into it until I was about 18 when I started a little enterprise with 3 other friends, sewing whimsical cushion covers and and beaded pouches for sale at flea markets. That lasted maybe about a few months, until we got too busy with our individual schedules.

2. Do you go to the movies or wait for the DVD?

I almost never watch movies unless my husband goads me into watching them during dinner, we watch them on NetFlix or sometimes, downloaded versions. Yes, we are guilty pirates.

3. What was your favorite gift you received this Holiday Season?

Our timed coffee maker! I set it the night before and have coffee ready in the pot when I jump out of the shower in the morning!

4. If someone was going to prepare your favorite meal, what would it be?

Anything Asian - Chinese, Japanese, Thai. Or a pasta dish! Like spaghetti vongole!

5. How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?

Three younger sisters - and they're a set of triplets!

6. Do you live in a small or large city and do you like it?

I grew up in Singapore, which is considered an island city even though it's a whole country in itself. Singapore is 25miles by 15 miles. I love living in the city because I can get to places by walking. Shanghai, a city I lived in for 4 years was a great place to live too. I got around by bicycling on the roads, along with 1 million other Chinese. That was a really fun experience too.


7. What is your fondest childhood memory?

My favorite aunt taking me out shopping. I loved carrying shopping bags, even though they were mostly not mine. She always bought me ice-cream too!

8. What is your first childhood memory?

I woke up one morning to find my mommy gone. I thought she was playing hide-and-seek so I looked everywhere in the apartment for her. Even under my bed. But when I realised she was really gone, I panicked, stood rooted to the ground and peed in my PJs. Just then, my mother returned from buying groceries at the market. I think I was about 3.


9. Do you cook breakfast or just eat something quick like cereal?

I do not cook. Period. I have cereal, when I have milk in the fridge, or toast with butter, cinnamon and sugar! Yum!

10. What, if any, resolutions have you made for the new year?

Of course one has to have them!! Check out my post for 2012 resolutions.

11. If you were going to write a book about your life, what would the title be?

A Simple Life.




And i tag:

1. Kyla of Kyla is Inspired
2. KJ of Let's Go Fly A Kite
3. Ashley of The Feisty Redhead
4. Zhing of Little Projects in Style
5. Lauren of Tastes Like Love
6. Jordan of Trailer Gypsy
7. Annie of Wattlebird
8. Polly of The Littlest Polly
9. Nikki of The Ginger Diaries
10. Melissa of Simply, Melissa Ashley
11. Mo of Pink Argyle
12. Oksana of Oksana Plus Hobbies
13. OhioMom of Sage Endeavors


Here are my 11 questions for you!

1. Is there a significance behind your name?
2. Your favorite color / color combination?
3. Favorite past time / thing you do to de-stress?
4. What is your motto in life, or your strongest belief /value?
5. What is your next upcoming (exciting) project?
6. Describe your fashion style? Post a picture, if you have one!
7. Coffee or tea, or choice of morning beverage?
8. All time favorite book and/ or movie?
9. What music do you listen to?
10. Do you prefer living in a house or an apartment?
11. What is your dream vacation?


Don't forget to leave me a message when you're done with them, I do want to read your answers!!!

2011 in Review

What a year! 2011 just flew by in the blink of an eye.

Just like most of you, I made my list of 2011 Resolutions. Now let's see how I fared. Somewhere along the line i think i forgot i ever made any (eeps.)

1. Live simple.

Still learning to curb my wants and differentiate them from my needs. But the simple things in life gives me a greater satisfaction. Like spending time with family, going for walks in the parks, sitting at my sewing machine and creating!

2. Budget all spending.

It's not hard to do when you don't have too much to work with, especially now that we're on our own. With more bills and expenses to figure out, every dollar, every penny makes a difference.

3. Eat fresh. Eat healthy.

J and I were doing great when we were living with his parents. We had the garden going, we were eating lots of fresh garden produce everyday. Now that we've moved, we need to start a new plot all over. The good news is, we bought some more seeds and we're getting ready for spring. We're definitely keeping this resolution going strong.

4. Sun salutations every morning;

Bah.

5. A full Ashtanga workout at least twice a week.

*mumbles*

6. Swear less, be patient more.

This is one resolution i forgot was actually there, but I'm not ashamed to say I have been subconsciously working on. The reason, i think, ties in with my last resolution.

7. Love J everyday like it is the last.

Even though we've been together for the last 5 years, I'm constantly surprised by how much we're still in love with each other. J makes little gestures in our everyday lives that make me appreciate him, and want to be a better person for him.

All in all, 5 out of 7 is not too bad!



And then there were things big and small worth a little mention.


J and I became our own little experts at mushroom foraging.


We started our own little garden, watching things grow and appreciating Mother Nature for her bounty, learning to live off the land.


I started my Etsy shop!


And took part in not one, but TWO craft fairs!


I visited my friends in Houston and went to my first rodeo!


And visited the ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico.


Finally, we moved into a place of our own,


and got another addition to our little Russell family!



In this year, I hope to continue last year's resolutions, putting an emphasis on simplicity, creativity, compassion and discipline.

Here's wishing all my dearest family and friends a great year ahead!

i'm sitting at my computer now because a friend just called to cancel his meet-up with me. i was pretty ok with that, seeing how i have a TO-DO list sitting on my dresser, i think i better tackle it before it grows. And it grows so quickly!

it's not fair that i should have a to-do list on my vacation.

but. i am bridesmaid to my dearest friend E this sunday. on top of that, she just told me that I am going to be the English emcee (Master of ceremonies) for her wedding dinner reception, so now i have to write a script, so my Mandarin emcee counterpart can translate.

so. i. need. to. stop. procrastinating.


the list looks something like that:


1. write script and email B.
2. email other bridesmaids the morning gatecrashing itinerary (i'll have LOTS to post about this chinese wedding tradition!)
3. collect contact lenses.
4. design and make a stamp for my etsy shop. (excited! but NOT ENOUGH TIME!!! arrrrgh)
5. buy baking stuff
6. make an appt for mani, pedi and brazilian wax.



would you take a look at Number 5? I think i'm getting way out of my league trying to bake a birthday cake for my mom. but i will try. because i know she'll love it. and since i'm singapore anyway, she probably won't read my blog till it's past her birthday.




Via



and all i want is to sit on the beach and read my new book.

thank you all for the lovely vacay wishes! i will shower some blog love after the 22nd! xoxo


P.s. i think i just ate what looked suspiciously a deer hoof tendon in my soup.