Ely1

May, they have gorgeous dresses (though their recent collections have been less than stellar) but have got several and the jersey is really flattering! Sleek is still undecided due to the humidity and moisture of the bathroom to WIW, so we'll see. Till then, you're the only honoured one with graced with my Lux Ad Besides, I'll pick boring to flooding!! - Ely

Ha! Couldn't he be arriving with a heel-ed partner?? Yeah, and then the statistical facts about how naming your child would determine his/her future! I guess no Tyrones, Jamals, Alyssas, Jazmins, etc for me And whatever gave my choices in literature away??! A friend once bought me "Berdorf Blondes" as a present and I was so aghast I couldn't finish reading it...More surprised at the fact that she actually said "Oh, got this because it's soooo yoouuuu!". Everytime I flip a page, I'm rolling my eyes ! Don't get me wrong, I like The Danny Diaries and Shopgirl as chick lit, but somehow find it awfully difficult to get through Jodi Picoult - they just don't hold my interest despite their bestselling and Oprah's endorsement status. Recently consoled myself (because of extra hacking and re-tiling) with a haul of books - Paul Valery, Flaubert, James Joyce, Jean Genet (typically Virgo, I have a list of To-Buy books I carry with me~), and several of Vogue coffee-table books! Couldn't afford the Tom Ford /cry I've heard that girls tend to take after their fathers (like I do, despite your comment about me looking like my mom) - body shape, hair/eye/skin colour etc, my mickey mouse ears ugh. We'll just hope those "so pretty, beautiful" babies blossom into swans k? Or maybe I should just "aim" for a boy, though I don't want the child to take after me either... >< But if he's ugly, at least he won't be short of company if he's rich and smart, jes? Use their other email: blisssingapore@blissmail.com and VISIBLY CC their NY PR manager: brooke.temner@blissmail.com , PA to head honcho: debbier@steinerleisure.com , their blog: blog.blissmail.com ,complete with a tweet!: http://twitter.com/#!/BlissSpa I think that should get their attention? Or, since we're such night-owls, wouldn't hurt to call their main office I've done that several times and it worked remarkably well! Customer Service: (888) 243-8825 (Starhub has free calls to the US!!) - Ely

LOL! Seksi May, no wonder you have that daring shower of yours! And a lot more!! Haha, yes! Well, The Husband might be totally expecting these: (choosing more Work-Safe ones...) When I MIGHT actually be getting are: Of course I'm not revealing what I'm REALLY getting Ha! - Ely

Hi huzc, Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly how much it was - probably S$40-$50 excluding framing. We got it in Bali - Ely

Wow, thank you, rayfox!! What a beautiful compliment! *blush* I think everyone has their own personal style/taste, and my pockets simply are not deep enough for the designer furniture I lust over Besides, I have a kitschy streak, a love for luxe and a weakness for vintage glamour, so trying to blend everything together was quite a challenge - I simply purchased things I love, and hope it all works out Don't think I'm of position for people to learn from - I think it's merely about not following trends or blindly purchasing designer items - just buy whatever you love that makes you smile I've learnt the painful lesson of the importance of knowing when to stop buying buying buying. Add each piece lovingly and it'll be a true reflection of who you are and everything that you love. Thank you, again, for such a lovely compliment - Ely

Jes. Besides it's pouring, and Bondi and Maxey are enjoying the balcony as I type: Now going to be an Obedient Wife and prepare dinner for The Husband who just approved of Victoria Secret's spree online (of course, his perception of VS and what I'm actually buying might not exactly be the same... ) - Ely

Oh wow, newnyew! Gorgeous! LOVE the gold mosaic tiles with gold-framed mirror, and the animal-print tiles, like you knew I would. Also love the pretty accents you have all over, makes it so personalised, and such a colourful happy home! Can't wait to see what your creative energies have in store for this "minor" revamp! Welcome back to RT! - Ely

LOL! I hope no one mis-reads "making art" as something else... Very abstract indeed Oh, it's beyond tea I'm afraid. Just went to the store for a can of beer. Still waiting for my laptop from Asus service center so I can start "making art". It's the main computer I use for my gaming, graphics, videos, etc. The graphics I've chosen are all stored there, and I still need to go buy a canvas for a hand-drawn quotation (should probably buy like 5 to allow for mistakes omg). Thankfully we have enough notebooks around the place to use one as a browsing notebook, which now earns a resident spot in the balcony On a good note, there's a small trinket I bought that definitely cheered me up: You're, of course, welcome to the RT gathering some time next month - Ely

Thanks newnyew! We'll be enduring more hacking and re-tiling of the master bathroom due to blotched attempt at installing shelf and some drainage problem. Will have to replace my steel trap *sniff* for those normal plastic ones except in black. Surprisingly, not as disappointed as I thought I would be as that steel trap didn't do very much in trapping, if at all. Always tried to "clear" it after a shower but there's nothing! And I know I usually shed quite a bit of hair during showers so was wondering where it all went. SO DAY 120... and still re-hacking /cry Sealant also needs to be applied to the shower screen as water keeps seeping out. It's a literal flood in the bath, about 1" high when trying to take a shower. The Husband is now using the Common Bath instead~ Carpenter needs to come in to properly screw in the lights at my vanity dresser as they've been consistently falling off... Will this ever end? - Ely

Thanks for this, patsy! But but but... there are no prices to be won! *sulk* - Ely

LOL! Perhaps because I've lived the nomadic life in Australia, moving from one rented place to another and trying out all the machines, including those coin operated ones omg >< Honestly, I can't compare the Electrolux with a Miele (since never had one, and it belongs to completely different price range) - but I did read lots of washing machines reviews before deciding on the Electrolux. It was a debate between Electrolux and Bosch (both had negative/positive reviews), but the Harvey Norman salesguy took care of that~ Samsungs are also not bad, I hear LGs do quite a bit of dancing, and the Fisher & Paykel top-loader in Australia has been operating for more than 10yrs. Sometimes it's the mega brands that disappoint - like my MIL complained constantly of her Liebherr fridge - it was rusting etc only after 2 yrs, and she loves her Japanese branded one now. /shrug Odd that it was the opposite for me, Shumin. Went to HN to get the Bosch but they kept pushing the Electrolux The most common complaints I read from reviews about Electrolux can be easily prevented by cleaning the rubber trim drum once in a while, emptying your pockets before putting your clothes in the wash, and of course, removing the brackets behind... Shumin, the tray has slots for pre-wash, detergent and softener, simply add and load it up! No need for timer. I use Persil & Vanish in the detergent slot, and add Downy Anti-Bac in the Softener slot. Pre-wash if you have heavily stained clothes and you can put Vanish in the Pre-wash slot instead. Here's a review of the Electrolux and if you're interested in how much a 8kg capacity can actually hold... Reviewer added that this pile of laundry consist of: 10 pairs of underwear 16 socks 2 pairs of trousers 3 t-shirts 2 cotton shirts 4 pairs of jeans 1 pair of shorts 1 (heavy) hoody top Hope this helps! - Ely

Love your place, JS! Mmm, the simplicity and the eclectic personalisation really works fantastically. What a gorgeous job! You should be so proud - it's a beautiful mix - with the deer head, the cowhide, the vintage suitcase (always wanted one too haha!), the London clock, the vintagey-modern guest bathroom, your framed vintage posters ! All the things I love! Again, beautiful Enjoy your gorgeous home! - Ely

I know many other girls personally who can easily rival my collection In fact, was cursing at how small the shoe cabinet was! This is my inspiration haha! : - Ely

That is true, RB. Not so much hard work as it's become a form of habit to put things back where they are, making the bed daily etc, and to have mopped floors daily (since we'd always lived with domestic help). Daily cleaning (ie. wiping all table-top surfaces, vacuuming, mopping then dry-mopping) only takes about 2 hours max, so not a huge trade-off, especially when I consider it a work-out to compensate for all the late night suppers I have We have very few surfaces actually (thankfully) - it's the Saturday Major Clean that is tiring - all windows, glass, doors, laundry, cabinets - but we do that as a couple so it isn't so bad. Was considering having the kid locked in the common bedroom and impose the same rule as we do with Maxey ("no toys outside!"). Still, I find myself picking up after Maxey almost every hour! Things will be very different indeed but we'll take it one step at a time, and enjoy the "show flat" for a while yet We've also agreed to change the couch in a few years so no threading on egg-shells when handling red wine on the couch. - Ely

Oh, please don't mention the shoes... I had to throw away quite several pairs because the wardrobe is too small! Not to mention, it's going to be hard for me to buy any more shoes! AHH! The Husband has imposed an "one pair in, one pair out" rule so must figure out which ones I want to chuck (or secretly conceal) before getting new ones. Yeah, I wasn't kidding about the clutter. And it's like you said, footprint, an organised clutter, ie. not household clutter with piled up dish rack or strewn laundry, or just bottles and boxes of stuff everywhere. You don't even see a dishwashing sponge (thanks to Simple Human haha!). I'm the sort who keeps the electric kettle and rice cooker after each use... It's an "American clutter", perhaps, maybe because I've been so influenced by Apartment Therapy, DecorPad etc. I never used to buy local home magazines. What's difficult is knowing when to stop buying/adding, and maintaining everything in its place. What's important is knowing when to stop sweating the small stuff and finally enjoy the home I so lovingly built. What I would like to add: More flowers!! - Ely

Kitty loves kitty rug... - Ely

Oops, the postman came... PHASE 1.9 small accents for an already cluttered home...

Wow, May! Say "cookie-cutter" one more time, I'm coming over with my cat-o'-nine tails! Must feel pretty special being featured in the papers eh? For all the work, and thought, and effort you put into building your home, I must say it's really well-deserved! Can't wait to see your place in the papers! YAY MAY!! *poms-poms* /victory stance - Ely

WIW & BATH: And, Bondi loves the sub... Like I predicted: - Ely

MASTER BEDROOM: (finally with curtains drawn and new sheets, but still prefer the all white sheets bleh~) -cont'd

COMMON BEDROOM & BATHROOM: (TBA, so only study nook for now): -cont'd

WET KITCHEN & LAUNDRY: - cont'd

VIEW FROM LIVING ROOM: CORRIDOR TO ROOMS: (where I practice my strut for Sleek's housewarming performance~) KITCHEN ISLAND: - cont'd

FOYER: STUDY NOOK: - cont'd

PHASE 1.75 To even my utter amazement, these are pics taken BEFORE the daily ritual of cleaning... And yes, it's that tidy everyday - already too much clutter as it is to tolerate untidiness. Thankfully, both The Husband and I are quite neat-freaks. LIVING ROOM: (view from balcony): (view from corridor): (full front, without the **** dog trying to be in every picture): -cont'd