Ely1

Funny lah you. Everyone else has purchases too! Nothing worth to take Everything just seems like a mess and there's nothing much to report about. Most disappointing everytime you enter the house and find that it looks the same~ My candelabras arrived today but can't be bothered to remove from box to take pictures. Here's my vanity stool I picked up yesterday: About the pots and pans, I'll need to consult Mae or whoever cooks a lot to tell me what some of the accessories are meant for. *shame* Everything is in German omg! Wouldn't have the same problem if it were written in Swedish~ I've worked out that one is a grater, one is a steamer, and another is for deep frying, and there are temperature gauges on every lid, but there are some really weird accessories... Grater, yes? Not some steaming thingy right?? What is this holed rim?? What is this knob for?? - Ely

Ooh, I know that bright blue light - it can be annoying when watching movies on a projector. I did use a sticker on one but like you, felt it was a shame because it's such a cute feature. Like how I am transfixed by the "magic eye" of the amp Pity about the cables. Is a 12v trigger cable expensive? I got Better Cables Silver Serpent ones free with the SVS sub, and I know cables can be really pricey. At this point, I've lost track of how many HDMI cables I need, so am going to ask the KEC guy to bring several of the Audio Quest ones (cheaper - 3 for $190), then we'll pay as needed during installation. Media players, X-Box, PS3, SCV, receiver, blu-ray player etc. *head hurts* Going to be a challenge when I finally put it all together and set up the networking. Also got the Onkyo 609 over the 608~ Do you think $200 is worth the upgrade? >< -Ely

Dare I mention it? Well, Shopping Queen has done her title some justice today. Got the chaise from iwannagohome, but in a different print - it suddenly appealed so much more to me, and two cushions I thought complemented it well. Replaced the cookie-cutter black stackable shoe cabinets from Ikea for a dark walnut wood finish cabinet for the landing outside the main door. Forgot to take pictures again so will have to wait for the delivery on Friday before I post some pics. Also picked up my pop-art vanity stool from Lifestorey for less than $100. I can't seem to find a chandelier style floor lamp - anyone know where to get one? There was one The Husband was transfixed by at iwannagohome but it only came in red Now scouring the net to find something similiar that would ship for a reasonable fee. Something that resembles this: Also, made another trip to KEC and upgraded the Onkyo 608 to the 609 for an additional $210~ Impulsive upgrade after we cancelled our Velodyne sub, since we now own the monstrous SVSs. Was very satisfied auditioning the Wharfedale 10.CS - dialogue is a lot clearer and sharper and goes with the Wharfedale 10.6 floorstanding speakers well. Installation happens 3 May so very excited indeed! Household stuff: Received the CS Kochsysteme Solingen set today: Now we're just lacking the huge Chinese work~ Went to Hoe Kee and picked one of the cheapest sinks for the laundry basin - only $122, while the carpenter works on building a shelving unit to house it. ALL sanitary wear concluded! -Ely

Actually mine is the PC 12-Ultra: http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/subwoofers/svs/pc-ultra/PRD_337300_2741crx.aspx Not sure how much it differs from the NSD as hardly any information can be found on it since the arrival of the PC 13 Ultra. You can read about the Ushers here. That is how it's described by Usher themselves so I'm assuming they're considered entry level for a newly-initiated audiophile. To quite an untrained ear, they sound pretty good - just very crisp and clean, but that could be the tube amp more than the speakers. They complement each other well I think, and a great system for the iPod or computer for the bedroom Amazon was just having another bluray sale - go check it out. P.S. The Rotel looks sweeeeeeeet! -Ely

O.M.F.G I clicked the link. Helloooooo, lover. I want to buy EVERYTHING from the store. I feel like passing out. God help me should I ever dare to enter the store, will bring my Ventolin inhaler lest I get too excited. I have a feeling The Husband will definitely NOT be sharing the excitement. Please state disclaimers before posting links - I'm now going through every page of their Flickr album and trying to resist running out to grab a cab there. -Ely

I also want to know!! It's a gorgeous home omgah! It's one of the very, very, very few homes I've seen that I won't change anything about. - Ely

Gorgeous!! Wow, footprint, looks like everything is all ready for you to move in. Really beautiful shade of mauve in the bedroom - love it! More pics!! - Ely

D A R N. I should have tried Gnee Hong first~ Like you, I'm only injecting pops of colour through accents I'm too timid to go for something permanent - I have a short interest span, but am extremely loyal to things I love, like the Ghost stools and Barcelonas. - Ely

Pretty certain they're the older ones. The new ones have 525W BASH amp. These are mine: Oh maan, I'm sure your wife would have freaked if you'd managed to haul the 68lbs giant home. I was just staring at it in the backseat in disbelief that I could possibly own one of these things. Most of the stuff on XP move really quick. We auditioned a pair of 8 yr-old Monitor Audios recently but we picked the Ushers over it because I simply could not accept more floor standing speakers!! Got them brand new at $550 so pretty entry-level but adequate. The Yamaha display set at Harvey Norman was going for slightly over $1k and we couldn't afford that I'm sooooo looking forward to watching Dark City and Apocalypse Now (chopper scene) for the deep bassy scenes!! Maybe a movie night over at my place too! -Ely

Rainbow works wonders on carpet, otherwise on hard floors, you're best to save your money and buy a HEPA vacuum cleaner. I splurged $500+ on a huge floor-standing HEPA air purifier but it didn't work for me either. So, back to popping pills. Don't be disheartened though - the air purifier is said to work for many others, you can try something cheaper and see how it goes. Actually, the homoeopathy worked for my morning sinus. It took about a week. PM if you need details about the doctor I was seeing. She operates from her home in the West and I was pleasantly surprised about the sinus relief, when I was seeing her for asthma and allergies and rash. I haven't had sinus since, despite stopping the medication. - Ely

I tried holistic homoeopathy for about two years, without very much success. The nasal spray isn't as bad as the steroids I have to take twice daily, plus all the other antihistamines. Let me know how the TCM goes, and which clinic you're going to. The climate in Australia really did help with my lungs but I still experienced asthma attacks often due to the cats or dust or pollen (oh gawd!). Had to go to the doctor often for the nebulizer and was put on a much heavier dosage of steroids which caused a cortisol disorder, and I had to wear a medical bracelet for 6 months. It's so annoying. Specialists in Australia require a 3-6 month wait too so it can be hard to get an appointment before you are rushed to the A&E. Not too sure about vPost and self-collection as I remember receiving some slips but they could have been direct deliveries and not via vPost. Too many purchases online that I lose track - Ely

We got the PC 12 sub from XP so we didn't audition it with the other SVSs - the only ones we auditioned before were the Velodynes at KEC. It seemed okay for $750 so we took it on the spot. Not so thrilled at the size but hoping its performance would compensate for its jarring presence. - Ely

Heya Marshy, Thank you for your kind concern! It's very manageable with drugs, though it's something I'd have to revisit with my asthma specialist once we decide to get pregnant. My mother saw Bondi for the first time after we collected him from the airport and exclaimed he's the ugliest cat she's ever seen ! He's not a conventional pretty cat like a ragdoll, or persian but he's a huge teddy bear with the best nature ever so I wouldn't want him to change a single bit. He's one of those cats who's perfectly content with sitting at your feet, doesn't meow or ask for attention, greets you whenever you're home or wake up, follows you around the house. He has a motor purr that can be heard from feet away - just so content looking at you adoringly. (How we wish husbands are like that~) Haven't explored TCM treatment at all - do they also offer such treatments? It's something I've been battling with for a long time - I'm even allergic to my own sweat and the sun, so it's tough. If it could be alleviated, I would give anything a try. I already pop more than 10 pills a day, excluding multi-vitamins and pine bark and maca root and anything to boost immunity. Congrats and welcome to Online Shoppers Annoymous! Reglxt would perform the initiation ritual. No, you can't choose delivery times/dates - it's best to direct it to your workplace, if they're understanding. Bulky parcels might be a problem though - having to lug back heated towel rails home from work~ Or else, they leave you a slip, and you can either make arrangements for an alternative delivery online or pick it from the nearest post office. They also do not consolidate the shipments like Borderlinx/DHL does - they deliver the parcels once payment is made and when the parcels reach Singapore, ie. if you paid for 5 parcels, and 3 have already arrived in Singapore, they'll send those first, and the other two will arrive whenever they are processed in Singapore. I currently have all stuff delivered to my parents' home where someone is always home (maid or mom ). Too many shipments delivered to the office isn't too good for my rep Everyone is always hustling what's in the boxes - Ely

I feel you, ma brathur. I was cringing the whole time when my parents-in-law said Sharks' Fin even after I deliberately took the banquet manager aside prior to not mention the shark's fin soup and to push the others instead. The wily tactic didn't work - PILs requested for it still. I had already planned and downloaded info tents to be placed on each table, informing the guests why we do not have sharks' fin and a friendly message about conservation. Further more, they are asking for the entire fin type, not the braised type with individual strands! The only thing I now request is that I not be present during the shark's fin dish - it would literally break my heart. It just doesn't sit right with me. I'll just excuse myself for the change to evening gown then. I know the argument of being hypocritical since I'm not a vegan (I actually don't eat ANY vegetables at all - no beansprouts, no spring onion in anything - NONE) but it's a little different when they're reared for produce. Sometimes I wish I eat veggies, so I can just order salads all the time, be true to my beliefs AND remain slim. Not a perfect world at all. Really regretting the purchase of the elephant over the zebra especially with the way the apartment's decor is shaping up. Sigghhhhh. I spotted a similiar one at Ikea but really didn't want to spend extra on a bad decision due to silly Balinese talk ! - Ely

That sounds like a pretty good deal. My new Usher speakers need about 100hrs to run in, so constantly playing them now (this is of course the most rational excuse to play music constantly at inhuman decibel levels). Take new pics of your set up! We upgraded the center speaker from the 10.CC to the 10.CS Wharfedale for an additional $50 so I think that's pretty worth it. Can't wait to try the SVS PC-12 Ultra sub though with Band of Brothers or Star Wars' pod racing scene! I love deep bassy sounds, but am appreciating the naturalness and clarity of the MP-5 tube amp. It's made for acoustic music and over a glass of wine at night, it does feel like you've invited Eric Clapton in the bedroom. -Ely

Ha, hafiizh you're a funny guy! Fo shizzle ma nizzle: - $29 on eBay -Ely

Don't they sell cowhide at Ikea as well for $399 per piece? Ones at Moleclue start at $1900. Cookie-cutter! No extra high tuffed headboard, no lavender walls or exhibitionistic bathrooms, no shocking pink kitchens or getting featured in ST! I rest my case. -Ely

Mmmm, very nice. Love the center speaker! Looks awesome! How did the amp go? -Ely

Love the bar stools! Nothing to steal from me My decor is so boring cookie-cutter black/white/grey, and many pieces from Ikea. Funny about the "staged bedroom" - our bed is always made because The Husband is pedantic I tend to stage home pictures by moving vases of flowers around, opened magazines, flipped over books, coffee cups~ -Ely

Wow May Dream, It looks fantastic! I can't believe your reno t-blog is coming to an "end" Makes me a little sad, so keep posting even if you hang a new picture k? Really well done May Dream! So happy for you. -Ely

Hooked up the Ushers today with the amp...and maaaan, it's pretty sweet Tried the computer, an iPhone and the iPods. Am quite happy with the purchase - the sound is very crisp, clear and detailed so it's best with instruments and vocals, so they shine a lot with jazz. They fall a little flat with the pop and house music - the bass doesn't seem to go low enough, but this works out okay if I turn on the SRS boost or Winamp DFX if playing through the computer. Um, excuse the mess: These will sit prettily on my chest of drawers in the Master bedroom. Lively tunes to get ready to Will remove the top of the amp when we move in - love the pretty lights and "magic eye"! <3 Bluray and DVD collection - first batch packed! -Ely

Hi Shumin, I love your inspiration board - they're all things I love and plan to incorporate into my home as well. My inspiration board is 27 pages long and I find that the almost finished product is hardly anything like it! Most odd. My chalkboard is only going to be a small feature so I won't have to deal with the dust Once everything shapes up, I'll post the pics. Basically what I did when seeking quotations was to write up an email about the lifestyle my husband and I share (whether or not entertaining is important to us, if we're cook heavily, if we have kids or planning to have them etc), then spoke about my preferences regarding the overall theme of the home: contemporary, resort, minimalist, industrial etc, and what I would like to incorporate into the home: wet/dry kitchen, laundry area, walk-in-wardrobe, home theatre system, a study nook in the living area etc, and the extent of renovation needed (total rehaul, hacking of walls etc). Specified it had to be pet-friendly so they'd take into account no escape areas for the cat etc. This also determines our furnishing choices - no leather, no pile rugs, no walk in shower in the guest bathroom, etc. Not many IDs are immediately responsive, and often you'd have to call them to have a little chat first and make an appointment to discuss your needs and wants. Bring your inspiration board and see if the ID shares your vision whilst helping you to create the look you want, but with more functionality or creativity. I find that cold-call emails don't usually receive responses. Read all the quotations carefully because the cheapest might not necessarily be so - there might be lots of hidden costs, and pay attention to their Terms & Conditions and payment details. If you've gone through enough posts on RT, you should have an idea which firms to avoid, and which ones are generally more affordable and/or reliable. I received quotations ranging from $45k to $100k so there can be a huge difference. Some firms do a lump-sum quote which I'm not too comfortable with, but if you trust the ID, it should be fine. I just prefer a breakdown so I can effectively compare quotations, which gives me the flexibility to choose what I can do later or without if budget is a concern. Essentially, choose someone you feel comfortable communicating with. You're going to be seeing each other a lot for the next two months, so it's important that you get along with your ID and have a mutually respectful relationship with. Hope this helps! -Ely

Hi Stinker, Congrats on your new home and nice progress there indeed! Seems like you can retain most of the original place since its condition of the floors etc look pretty good still. I love the 3D designs! Do post more pics as you progress -Ely

May, wallet almost empty~ The Husband calls himself Broke King. -Ely

Lol! Maybe I should include more links in my posts... Haven't got anything exciting to share, except for the Come With Me Kitty bungee harness and leash so Bondi can take walks with us. However, I anticipate this: -Ely