OUTING: ZT's 21st Birthday Party

Celebrated ZT's 21st birthday at her new house. It was a night of fun (Always love the time spent with my dear cousins!) and discovery, for some of us. For the 3 Lee kids... The brother loved posing in front of the camera. The sister found a kid whom she actually liked and actually carried and actually played with and actually made baby noises to. I remembered the existence of my Instax and promised myself to take it out more often. And reaffirmed my love for cupcakes.

The sister was the unofficial photographer for the event and you can find more of her works, both photography and musings here.

photos by Cheryl Julia.

OUTING: Universal Studios Singapore

photo by Chis Ng.

photo by Tiffany Wong.

Two Thursday ago, the sister and her friends (Li, Tiffany and Chris.) decided to go Universal Studios Singapore and she asked if I wanted to join them. And of course, I wanted to!!! I had been dying to visit that place and I was pretty excited about meeting the sister's Aussie friends (They are so incredibly nice! Li has the most amazing voice, practically liquid honey! Tiffany is hilarious and has natural wavy hair that you are most probably jealous of! Heck, I think Jennifer Anniston would be jealous too! And Chris is a gentleman and a doctor-to-be!). Earlier on Monday, I met Lieske in one of my Math classes and got her to go along too! :D

Universal Studios Singapore comprises of 6 themes; Hollywood, New York, Sci-fi City, Ancient Egypt, Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar. I, being a girly girl, really loved Far Far Away. Haha. It has the least exciting rides but *shrugs* it was the best! Haha. Shrek 4-D Adventure was a really awesome simulator ride! You could feel every single action! Gahhh! The best!!!

Ancient Egypt 's Revenge of the Mummy was a perfect combination of fun and excitement, without going into fear. Haha. We took the ride 3 times! One thing which I noticed and which was particularly evident in this attraction was that, upon reaching there, you had to walk quite a bit in order to get to the ride itself. The sister explained that this was to help make your waiting time seem shorter. I thought it was pretty cool and really smart because there wasn't anything like that in Gold Coast's Movie World (And that was 10 years ago.).

The attraction that really stood out for me was New York City's Lights, Camera, Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg! This was truly awesome as we were transported to a scene where a Category 4 hurricane was about to take place! Everything that happened felt incredibly real! And I shall stop here. Shan't spoil it for you!

Thursday was a really fun day, though I nearly cried when I was on the Battlestar Galactica (The sister forced me. Every ride, to her, was "It's okay! It's not scary at all... After you have taken a few times!".). The sister, Li, Tiffany, Chris and Lieske were great fun and everyone was really nice! I enjoyed myself a great lot. Big thanks to the sister for asking me along! :DDD Wish the brother had joined us too.

Before I leave, here are some tips you might want to take note if you're heading there!

Wear sunscreen. Singapore is inhumanely hot and more so at Universal Studios Singapore where there isn't much shelter where you walk. And you need to walk a lot. Make sure you don't cover just your face but every inch of your body as well!

Skip the makeup, for the ladies! Trust me, you will be sweating buckets! You don't want your pores to be all clogged up, do you? And bare skin is always better than melted makeup! With that said, do bring along a packet of tissue so you can dab off excess oil from time to time! Wet facial tissues will be good but do remember to apply sunscreen after that!

Bring a small bag that has a zip. There are lockers for you to rent but they are pretty expensive. For most of the rides (Not for Battlestar Galactica.), you are able to carry your stuff. I brought my Superman bag which doesn't have a zip and throughout the rides, I was more afraid of things dropping out of my bag than the ride itself.

Bring a water bottle. HYDRATE! You definitely need to hydrate yourself throughout the day! Also, beverages are expensive there. Save your moolah for a sumptuous dinner when the day ends!

Bring an extra tee. I'm pretty sure you won't be heading home immediately after all the rides. Perhaps a dinner with friends or just walking around Sentosa... You will feel more refreshed with a change of tee! Also, there are some rides that will wet you through and through!

I hope this helps you and you enjoyed the photos (The sister takes BRILLIANT photos, brilliant with a capital B! I didn't bring my camera that day because I didn't know about the existence of the lockers. :\)! And I can't quite believe I have so much to say about Universal Studios Singapore. This was supposed to be a personal entry but I think I shall publish it on Sunbathing Muffins as well because of the tips. Alrighty, got to go now. TGIF, people! :D

P.S.: For those who are really particular about toilets like me, you will be glad to know that the toilets there are pretty clean and come with an abundance of toilet rolls! :D

all other photos by Cheryl Julia.

OUTING: YAY! Exams are over!!!

So... I ended my exams yesterday!!! Yay!!! :DDD And even though my body was begging for sleep, I just HAD to hit Orchard. The boyfriend still has another paper but he accompanied me anyway! Thank you, love! :DDD

The first thing we did was to fill our famished tummies! We headed to 313 Somerset's Food Republic for some scrumptious Teppanyaki! The food was quite salty but very, extremely delicious!!! Mingyang and I shared a set and added plates of mushrooms and omelette for our sides. The whole meal was $25.45, which is pretty alright. Thanks Mum for the recommendation! :DDD

Starbucks was having a 1-for-1 yesterday for their two latest drinks, Straberries & Cream Frappuccino and Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. The latter was full of chocolatey goodness! The former, however,... Hmm... Well, we threw it into the bin when we were 1/4 into it. :\

Headed to Ngee Ann City in the evening and at Takashimaya's Atrium, there was the 'A Shoes & Bags Affair' event! There were bags, shoes, makeup, perfumes, skincare products... Basically, a girl's heaven! This event is gonna last all the way till May 13th! :D

Makeup brands which I spotted are Elizabth Arden, Paul & Joe and Guerlain. For Guerlain, prices are similar to that of Luxasia sale's. Here's some information (I don't speak Guerlain so please make do with the rough description. :\ Sorry!!!):

Eyeshadow/ Blush palette, $70
Lip gloss, $25
Meteorites pressed powder, $80
Meteorites Pearly White, $58
Bronzer, $25
Makeup Base, $58

Alrighty, I'm off to watch 'Once Upon A Time'! It is soooooooooooo fabulous!!! Nighty nights and have a good weekends!!! :DDD

LOOKBOOK: Fashion at Cineleisure!

For the third and final challenge of Cineleisure's Next Online Sensation, Fel and I were tasked to create a fashion-related video, featuring a minimum of 3 outfits! And TADAHHH!!! The above video is what we came up with! (:

Cineleisure has a myriad of shops, chock-full with clothes, shoes and accessories! And you can literally find them everywhere; the moment you step into the mall, when you reach a new level, a few steps away from the restaurant you're eating at... Literally everywhere!

For me, Cineleisure differs from your typical mall because the shops aren't the common ones. You can get clothes which you won't be seeing on someone else. Like sometimes, when I'm walking on the streets, I go "OH! That top is from ZARA!", "I definitely saw that in F21!" or ummm on a slightly more 'embarrassing' level, "HMMM. That girl and I are wearing the same printed blouse!".

The third floor probably holds the most treasures and it is on this level that Fel and I picked outfits for each other! We decided to adopt each other's style! :DDD

The Editor's Market is a store that prides itself on being fashion-forward and brings in clothes and accessories that are unique and worlds apart from the cookie-cutter stuff that we see on the streets. The store is also known for their step pricing system; the more you buy, the less you pay! So gather your friends together and shop to your heart's content!

THE EDITOR'S MARKET
#03-04/06A

I love, love, LOVE the preppy look and gosh! Black and white! A classic and classy combination (Think: Alexa Chung.). Black also creates a 'slimming down' effect. Collars immediately smarten up any clothing, making this a perfect number for work and dinners. And this collar takes on a twist by having some 'teeth' details.

And here's a close-up of the collars and some shots of me 'modelling' (I think you have seen more of me in photos for this competition than any other entries! Ever.)!

I didn't like pastels and yes, I didn't like Precious Moments. Pastels just seemed to make everything look completely washed-out. It's like you didn't edit the contrast of your photos or there's like a blurry film in front of your camera when you are taking photos. So I wasn't too thrilled when Fel picked the top out for me but because I am crazy over Peter Pan collars (And this has little crochet-like details on it!), I decided to give it a try. And Fel paired it with a very pretty gold dirndl skirt.

AND GOSH!!! Fel may have totally 'revoluntionized' me because I'm IN LOVE with pastels now (But I still don't like Precious Moments. I think.)! HAHAHA! I actually like how pastel look on my skin and this outfit is completely to die for! The matching, the style... It's like Alice in Wonderland and all I'm missing is a headband with a ribbon! Tee hee!

But the top was slightly too big for me, so it kinda ballooned out when it was tucked into the skirt. A good shirt/ blouse shouldn't do that.

Beck Berry is THE store to go to for all things vintage! Not only do they have clothes that are in the style of the '40s, they are also flooded with ornaments and stationary that mimic earlier generations. It's a real funky store in a burst of bright, cheery colours! Fel and I loved the store to bits!

BECKY BERRY
#03-02

I forgot to take a shot of the polke-dotted dress I wore in the video but this is the other dress that I bought! I usually avoid dresses that show my arms because they aren't slender (Pretty muscular actually. I totally get why guys who gym have big arms. You just want to keep increasing the weights you carry! I started out with 0.5kg, 2.0kg, 2.5kg and now I use those pushing out machines with 7/ 8kg.). Cap sleeves and no sleeves are not flattering on me at all. SIGH.

Anyway, this dress caught my eye because... You got it! It's pastel blue! Hahaha! And the prints on the top are pastel too! And this dress comes with the ever-girlish and classy pleats! It's makes me feel like I'm on yacht when I wore this! Very feminine and light, it's a perfect weekend dress!

For the clothes that I picked for Felicia, head on over to her blog here!

Before I end, here's a photo of Fel and I and our outfits for the day! (:

And we have finally come to the end of the 3 challenges set out for us for the Cineleisure's Next Online Sensation competition! It has been a pretty challenging and tiring period but this competition has taught me that blogging is TWICE the fun when you do it with a friend! :DDD

Thank you, dear Fel, for the 3 lovely Mondays spent (And I'm sure more will come when the hols roll in! HOLA!)! And oh yes! I need to mention that Fel totally taught me how to model and take nicer photos of myself. So perhaps, you will see more of me on the blog (My friends say that they hardly see my face in my posts.).

Anyway, voting has begun and I would appreciate it a lot if you could vote for 'Fel & Char' here! You will need to sign into Facebook at the top of the page.

Thanks for reading (And watching! And voting!)! (:

OUTING: Food Date at Cineleisure!

Our little island is known to be a food paradise and so, it's hardly any surprise that Cathay Cineleisure Orchard is filled with a wide range of restaurants! Japanese cuisine, pasta, chicken rice... You name it and Cine has got it!

Here are some of the restaurants which Fel and I checked out! (:

Pastamania fixes your pasta craving in a jiffy! The restaurant is decked out in its bold, fire engine red and black, making it pretty difficult to miss! With its warm brown tiles, it seems a lot cozier to me than its other fast food counterparts.(:

My favourite dish is the Prawn Aglio ($8.90). Prawns, chili, garlic and diced tomatoes are tossed into healthy olive oil quickly to satisfy you craving ASAP. That day, mine was a mixture of spaghetti and fusilli.

The prawns were a little powdery to me, not exactly the way I like them to be. But I liked the chili, garlic, tomato and olive oil mixture. The spaghetti and fusilli were nicely cooked, making the dish pretty enjoyable overall.

Pastamania is the place to go to for a quick fix of your pasta craving. Besides pasta, the Italian restaurant also offers pizzas, appetizers like chicken wings and delectable desserts (Try their Banana Dessert Pizza!). Most dishes are below $12 and with the combo sets, it is very friendly towards your wallets. For students, hurray! There is a 30% discount on all pastas and pizzas on weekdays, from 2 to 3pm. (:

PASTAMANIA
Location: #02-23/23A
Contact: +65 6276 3009
Website: http://www.pastamania.com.sg/

Operating Hours:
Sun to Thu: 10am - 10.30pm;
Fri, Sat & eve of PH: 10am - 3am

It was only earlier this month that I was introduced to Shokudo Japanese Pizza & Pasta. With walls adorned with bright yellow stripes and the restaurant facing the huge windows of Cineleisure, one can't help but smile! It is such a cheery and bright place and I would love to stay there for hours!

I had the Kinoko Wafu Aglio Olio ($12.90) and this is my 3rd plate for the month! The shitake mushrooms are juicy and succulent and the spaghetti is just spring-y enough. I'm no food connoisseur but I think this plate of pasta is what 'al dente' means. (:

Shokudo Japanese Pizza & Pasta adds a nice twist to the usual Italian dishes. The Japanese spices adds a complexity to the dishes, making the dishes completely different from the Italian counterparts, but they are definitely not any less delicious.

SHOKUDO JAPANESE PIZZA & PASTA
Location: #02-06A/B
Contact: +65 6238 0525
Website: http://shokudoconcepts.com.sg/

Opening Hours: 12pm - 12am

A.venue Bistro is divided into the 2 areas; the kitchen and the dining area. Long, black chairs looking all luscious and rich line the dining area on one side. It looks like the inside of an Old English train. On the other side, a row of London street lamps cast a dim light on the tables, making meals cozy affairs.

Fel and I both ordered the Pan Roasted Smoked Salmon Steak with Terriyaki Sauce ($13.90), which came with a dollop of mashed potato and ratatouille. The salmon was nicely cooked, with no lingering fishy smell and the skin was crispy and a complete delight to eat. The mashed potato made a nice companion to the salmon, balancing the rich terriyaki sauce that the fish was topped in.

My dinner ended with a dome of tiramisu. The tiramisu was made with balanced layers of mascarpone cheese and sponge cake. The liqueur didn't overpower the flavours of coffee and chocolate dusting, making the dessert perfect for completing my dinner.

Though A.venue Bistro looks slightly ostentatious, the menu is a list of dishes that are priced below $15. The restaurant promises a cozy affair with scrumptious Western food.

A.VENUE BISTRO
Location:#03-06/06B
Contact: +65 6733 2270
Website: -

Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday : 11am - 11pm
Friday & Saturday : 11am - 2am

Old Town White Coffee hails from our neighbour, Malaysia, and it is the largest kopitiam restaurant chain there. Tucked away in a corner on level 1 of Cineleisure, its menu of classic dishes is a hit among the working crowd.

When Fel and I were there, there were several tables of people in office wear, discussing animatedly about work (Or their bosses/ colleagues... Hmm...).

The restaurant is really a treasure chest of Asian favourites. Old Town Nasi Lemak Special, Old Town Ipoh Chicken Hor Fun, Springy Noodle with Chicken Ham and Egg, Old Town Assam Laksa...

You have no idea just how long we took to decide on our lunch!

A slip of paper was given to us to pen in our choices. The above is Fel's dish, Old Town Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken ($6.20). You can check out her blog here for her review! (:

On top of our main dishes, we each ordered a plate of Omega Soft Boiled Eggs ($1.90). The eggs came all prepared for us (You don't need to crack them!) and though they didn't look as pretty as they do in the menu, they were nicely (half) cooked. (:

I had my eggs accompanied with Kaya & Butter Toast ($0.90). I need to have my half-boiled eggs with bread, otherwise the whole thing seems incomplete. But I realized that this isn't the norm. Haha.

Fel was asking me how I ate them together. Well, what I did was to shred my bread into pieces, dip them into the delicious mess of soya sauce and eggs before wolfing them down. This way of eating makes A LOT of difference to the eggs (Or bread. Depending on which your 'main' dish is.).

My lunch was the Old Town BBQ Chicken Egg Noodles ($6.20). It came with a bowl of dumpling in warm soup. Though it is a pretty simple dish, the noodles were neither too soft nor too hard... Pretty 'bouncy'. The chicken and dumplings were pleasant to eat, though they were nothing special.

The place was pretty spacious and brightly lit. Fel and I spent a considerable amount of time there, reminiscing the past... Very apt for the place (Though I'm starting to feel old now. GLOOM!)!

Old Town White Coffee offers a pretty wide selection of simple classic dishes. Prices are affordable and it's going to be my to-go place for Asian dishes from now on!

OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE
Location: #01-04
Contact: -
Website: http://www.oldtownwhitecafe.com/

Opening Hours:
Sun to Thu: 9am - 2am;
Fri, Sat and eve of PH: 9am - 4am

I have heard a lot about Artease, though this marked the first time that I drank their beverage. Shame on me, considering how I'm such a big bubble tea fan (TSK, Charlene!).

The café has its wall covered in cute doodles and I would call it a 'cool hangout', except that makes me sound like a teenage-wannabe. Oh wells. A couple of tables, with bright orange seats, are provided for those who like to rest their legs for a while.

On the left is Fel's Peach Osmanthus Tea with coconut jelly($3.70) and on the right, is my Chocolate Mint Milk Tea ($3.50). I had mine without bubbles that day.

I usually drink almond or banana milk tea, so the Chocolate Mint Milk Tea was a nice change! Some of my friends say that mint tastes like toothpaste but I like how refreshing it is! The drink was a nice blend of mint and chocolate, with neither overpowering the other. I will certainly order this again!

The Chocolate Mint Milk Tea is part of a trio of Artease's First Birthday Month Specials. The other two are Salted Caramel Milk Tea and Cinnamon Milk Tea. According to the bubble tea man, the Chocolate Milk Tea is the most popular out of the lot!

Here's Fel, ever-smiling and picture-ready!

Artease is a nice stop for a drink and it separates itself from the many other bubble tea stores with its unique and creative flavours.

ARTEASE
Location: #01-03
Contact: +65 6235 6966
Website: http://www.artease.sg/

Last but not least, Sticky! The place is a burst of bright, cheery colours and even the gloomiest of the gloomy will find a small smile on his/ her face. The candies are all laid out in a neat row, in front of the counter and the table where the candies are made.

This is my second time to the store and this time I got to see how the colourful candies were made! As mentioned before, I love to watch how the food, or candies in this case, is prepared! It's like an art, to be appreciated. (:

STICKY
Location: #01-02
Contact: -
Website: http://www.sticky.com.sg/

And ah! Finally, the end of a super duper long post! I hope this mini food guide has been useful to you. (: Thanks for reading!

P.S.: Voting for Cineleisure's Next Online Sensation has started! Please click here to vote for Fel & Char (You can vote more than once!). Lots of appreciation and much thanks! :DDD