Ely1

Some take longer than others - on average, about 14 - 20 working days. US and UK shipping direct is much quicker, like my mirror which only took 4 days. Also getting a little worried as the the first store I ordered from (FotoFaucet) is not responding to my emails! They are also taking forever to relist the items I bought. Have added to the pet madness from Amazon: Litter box cupboard which goes perfectly with the washer and dryer! No, really, I'm not a crazy cat lady - Just excited that my Australian cat will be joining me on 21 April so we officially have a countdown date! I'm HUGE on animals - I just don't want to compromise on style And a piece of metal art from eBay: With some halogen track lights, it'll look amazing! Did I mention I'm in need of some support group?

He'd probably be more transfixed if I use this:

Very, very nice Maydream! I sooo want one with my cat on it

I also got my 40" LED for $999 - Not at the IT Fair though. Harvey Norman at Milenia Walk will match the IT Show prices. Mine is the Samsung, but the Sony Bravia cost the same. The Sony 46" 3D LED NX710 was $2799 - If you get it from Best at IMM, they'll throw in $70 Giant voucher for the 46" and $30 Giant voucher for the 40" - freebies are the same (2x goggles, 3x 3D Movies, wireless dongle, 2x HDMI cables).

Have you set up a PayPal and eBay account? From there, just enter quantity and click Buy It Now. You'll be brought to the PayPal page, you key in your login details and then select the card you wish to pay with (under More Funding Options - if you have more than one card). To verify and link your card, follow the instructions and pay SG$3 - you'd receive a pin in your credit card statements, key that in and your buying amount will be lifted. The $3 will be forwarded to your next purchase so you actually don't pay anything. Do let me know if you need further help, I'll guide you through it -Ely

I totally understand the feeling of being ignored. Wrote so many emails with floorplans (about 20 firms) etc, and got like 3 replies. Best to call and speak a little, then say "I'm sending you my floorplan, when should we set up an appointment to meet and discuss?". Learnt that this truly is the most effective way to go. Get someone recommended by the good folks on renotalk so you'll feel less apprehensive and remember to read the T&C! Many appear to be the same quotation but have a lot of hidden costs. Haha Maydream, I think I'm more of an impulse (or impatient) buyer - did some reading on renotalk and research on the Net, and bought everything in one day. Upon getting home, I do more research and start wondering what I should change about my order, so it's good that you actually took the extra time! The bed was a different matter though, totally lost count how many I've laid in, got so fed up at lying down and trying to remember "the feel" that I bought the last one I tested that felt plush.

Gah! Finally succumbed and bought a pet bed for the bedroom: How precious is it?!

Hi May, I bought it from the store I mentioned to you: Hot Wind 2008 I got 3 of these and they ship direct. Bear in mind though, shipping from HK/China takes a really, really, really long time. Sigh. My UK shipment came in 3 days.

DAY 17: Tiling in living, master bathroom and balcony almost complete. Mirror has also been delivered (super fast!). Also had to order more steel traps as I miscalculated before, so I got the pretty square ones too. Living & Balcony: (Note the obvious aircon trunking flaw - I can't put my sliding doors up~) Balcony: Bathroom: Have also decided to change the Electrolux washer to the 14991 model, which is made in Italy. A little pricier than the Bosch but I do like the Time Manager functions. The tension in the rubber-band budget is really getting really tight - it is so going to snap back into my face leaving a fat red welt. When pictured right (like in this still from the Australian TVC), it actually looks display-worthy! -Ely

Good to know. TV in the bedroom will only be 40" so I won't experience the darker corners like you mentioned. The Samsung's main selling point is the thin panel, which really is a boon when it's being made into a swivel feature in the bedroom. This TV will probably only see the sleepy-time TV and workout videos usage so I think it's quite safe. We're relying on our main 46" Sony Bravia for the real entertainment experience - 3D goggles and all! Thanks for the article, was a good informative read -Ely

Ooh, should I change the Samsung then? I only chose it because it's thinner, and it's meant to swivel in the bedroom so I thought thinner would be nicer. Same price for a Sony.

Cat litter box, to be placed in the laundry area: Am really loving this /swoon

Whee! More purchases (and the concurrent Electrolux vs Bosch dilemma): TV for Master Bedroom: TV for Living Room: Home Theatre is officially done! Wine chiller: Also succumbed and bought the square steel traps because I realised we needed more for the house

Borderlinx is a consignment merchant, just like vPost - except they hold your items for 1 month free instead of 2 weeks (vPost, you pay each week thereafter) in order to consolidate your parcels and save on shipping. Borderlinx REQUIRES a Citibank card though - you can sign up here: http://www.citibank.com.sg/gcb/credit_card...lobeshopper.htm Registration for both are free, and both have online cost calculator so do a little research before deciding how to ship. This is most effective if 1) certain online shops only post to US/UK/Japan (with vPost, you have a Japan address too) 2) Shipping relatively small items and those that offer free national shipping (so you don't pay shipping twice) 3) Some online shops only accept US credit cards - then you can utilise the concierge service for free, and they do the buying for you. There are always promos, so keep an eye out. Borderlinx just had a 15% discount that ended Jan, and before that, there was a 30% shipping discount - unlimited usage. I go to RetailMeNot for discount codes. vPost's promotions are stated on their website. With eBay, you'd require a PayPal account - free to set up and extremely user-friendly. I have several addresses I can ship to (Singapore and Borderlinx and vPost) and several credit cards so I can choose which with every transaction. May seem daunting when you start out, but it'll all really easy Good luck!

Thanks anyway Think I was at this shop too and their retail prices were over the top.

We need a support group, reglxt. Online Shoppers Annoymous. I even purchased my ROM dress from eBay - a BCBG dress for $49. Rock and Republic jeans for $4.25, Nine West shoes for $3.90, Under Armour sports bras for $9, True Religion jeans for $30 - $60, 7x boyshorts for $4.99 - all brand new with tags. Because my size is pretty standard, I can get most of my clothes online from major brands. Got a matching Coach wallet and bag for $80 for my brother's gf. An iPod armband cost about $2, 6x iPhone screen guards are $0.99, dog e-collar for $0.99, expensive multi-vitamins for about $6ea. I got my Dior Gaucho bag second hand for $20. Now I'm building my Blu-ray collection - $4.30 for S.W.A.T, LOTR Trilogy Blu Ray for $31, Avatar Extended for $10. With petfood and supplies, it's sooo much cheaper with Singapore online sites like doggyfriend.com.sg and kohe pets. Free delivery and their rewards system is much better. With bulkier items, it will be better getting them shipped directly, or via Amazon (some items have international shipping), or check rates online with Borderlinx first using dimensions and weight. Pretty sure you get some nice discounts if you're a first time user of vPost. Only difference is that you'd have to manually update your invoices to Vpost (I highlight and bold every necessary field so it's easier for them to key into the system) but sometimes, this can be a lot more clearer than the computerised system of Borderlinx since their descriptions of items are very vague. They do, however, have 24hr online chat support which really helps. Both vPost and Borderlinx have very similiar postage rates (without discount promotions etc). vPost takes about a week to deliver, whereas Borderlinx takes about 3 days via DHL. With Borderlinx, you'd need a Citibank card, but their delivery schedules are more flexible for those working and don't want their parcels delivered to the office. Have fun shopping May Dream! Muahaha! -Ely

Pretty sure I saw similiar ones at SSC, Ho Kee and Poh Joo - just didn't check if they were simply plastic coated or chrome/brass/steel, nor do I have any indication of the prices here. I just bought mine online since I was getting the tap. I'll have to warn you that online shopping is VERY addictive. Just ask reglxt

The seller hasn't relisted the items, but write to ask anyway. Here's the eBay shop: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/FOTOFaucet?_trksid=p4340.l2563 His postage is very reasonable. Another shop I found is here - S$18.40 + S$1.90 postage. Many other designs from US$16.50 onwards + US$1.50 international shipping, they will combine shipping charges. Stuff like: - Ely

Yes, totally crazy shipping prices! Argh. Currently watching a metal art piece that the artist will ship direct for US$85 - am so tempted! Will definitely cost a bomb if shipping with Borderlinx as its 68" long. Also found my pet igloo on Amazon that will ship for US$50 direct, as compared to $300 via Borderlinx. If pick up from the NY store direct, it's on sale for US$49 /cry! Don't have the same luck with the Cheeky Chaise by Marmalade Pets as they won't ship to Singapore direct, so may have to opt for these instead: The pets better enjoy them!!! -Ely

Welcome, and congrats on the EM! The ID selection is a tedious and rather nerve-wrecking one, but breathe through it

Hmm, thanks Marshmallow - guess I'll leave that out and use that money somewhere else. I've scoured the net for pictures of laundry designs with just the machines side by side and they actually look acceptable. keke Thanks for your compliment on the cat - I'm sure Bondi will be mighty pleased - he also has the best nature in the world! I can't wait for him to join me back in Singapore once the apartment is ready. The steel traps were bought online for $8 per piece. Gogo eBay!

The sinks we're considering:- For wet kitchen: Dry kitchen: Anyone has thoughts on Elkay, Englefield, Rubine?

Many ways to get the wife interested in HTS - Just bring her along when auditioning systems! Bring her favourite CD or movie - trust me, I don't see how anyone cannot get excited by a HTS! In our relationship, I'm the one who does the networking/IT/software/PC stuff, whereas the husband's domain is more hands-on construction - he's making our steel traps for the balcony like these: as well as overseeing all the steel door frames, windows etc. My DIY is limited to making things pwetty - like restoring old furniture, customising our own decals, having the final say in all things design We delegate different tasks to each other, like he's in charge of TV selection, while I do research on HTS receivers etc. We're a pretty good team I think. Out of curiousity, what is your dream HTS?

Totally cannot afford more poison. wru antidote~

Firstly you need to decide what use you're going to get out of your system. Primarily TV, cable, DVD/Blu-rays, downloaded content, music? If it's simply cable and TV mostly, then it should be a lot easier - a 2.1 will do with some entry level speakers. We had already decided on a 5.1 system and I gave ourselves a budget (not inclusive of player), and read every page of the 3k budget system thread. Headed down to Adelphi, went to KEC and spoke to a guy named Alan and had him set up several configurations for us. Already decided on the Velodyne Chq-8T subwoofer and paired them with Def Tech Pro Cinema 600s and then 800s, and with the 1000 center speaker - but felt it disappointing and lacking of the "ooomph" I was looking for. The Def Tech Pro Cinema 600s combo is about $1.7k, and the 800s are $2.7k. The husband had secretly auditioned the B&W's MT30s the day before and was quite blown away by them, but they cost about $3.6k alone so I refused to even indulge his whimsical pleading to "just hear them". Yes, definitely put my foot down or the budget will keep ballooning, like it already has! You'd also need to know how big you can go (speakers k!) - the MS Genie are small and are about $1.5k. The Mythos and Tannoy Arenas were a little above our budget - closer to 4k, with the Mythos about $4.2k inclusive of sub and receiver. I stuck by my initial choices of sub and receiver (Onkyo 608 - hear NOTHING but good stuff about them - check them out online) so merely listenened to other speakers. You can also check out Yamaha receivers which are pretty good. Alan brought in the Wharfedales, because our previous feedback for the Def Techs were "mediocre", "not rich enough", "not very crisp". He's pretty good and customed-focused, and would tune everything according to our expressions - a slight downturn of the lip, an unimpressed shrug, a wide satisfied grin. We tested the same scene of Avatar, iPod music, and some jazz vocals music - wanted to keep as many variables the same as possible. We tested several configurations of the Wharfedales, floorstanding and bookshelves and center speakers and finally decided on the floorstanding ones (Diamond 10.6), with the 10.CC center speaker and rear 10.0 speakers. We found that the floorstanding speakers gave a richer, deeper sound and since our living room is about 4.75m x 5m, I felt we could afford having floorstanding ones. Our rear speakers would be ceiling mounted. It came up to 3k nicely so it matched our budget perfectly. I'm less pedantic about asethetics (the guys call it WAF - Wife Approval Factor) since I am geekier than most female counterparts - I actually like how retro the speakers look. Other brands recommended by renotalk audiophiles are NHT, PSB and KEF. We then decided on getting the Oppo 93 blu-ray player (about $9xx) since the upscaling conversion makes every DVD makes look Blu-ray, are region-free, supports 3D, without the hassle of FAT32/NTSC limitations- the discontinued 83s only support FAT32 so files that are NTSC would be limited to 4gb per file, meaning if a file you're playing is 12gb, you'd have to play one 4gb segment at a time - returning to menu 3 times and selecting the next segment. A refurbished Oppo 83 (mint condition) is about $550. As we plan to watch a lot of content via a media player which acts as a NAS, this was a big determining factor for us. I'm hoping to stream everytime wirelessly through the house, so thr AC Ryan Playon was a no-brainer for me with its wireless capability, 2TB NAS with external HDD support and multi-format support. Everything would then be hooked up to the Onkyo receiver (so lots of HDMI cables!). The Master Bedroom houses another HD media player and an Xbox so that would also act as a media center. I'm crazy about having music everywhere so even the bathroom would house an iPod dock, or I might explore Sonos at a later stage when the budget allows. Will definitely suggest going down to Aldephi and listening to several systems and brands yourself - the abovementioned thread gives many suggestions of shops and brands. Don't be too swayed by anyone's personal perferences, just tune in to your own and once the music hits the right spot, you'd find yourself with a valium-like contentment Hope this helps! -Ely