New look

Jessie jots...

Hellowww visitorss... just like when we needed a bath and put new cloths on, my blog needs one too.

So here, giving the blog a new look. Hope you all will like it. :)

When the cat was a baby

Jessie jots...

Once upon a time, when the cat was a kitten. Just too cute for words. And just posting up for fun.

Welcome to our crib!

Jessie jots...


This were pictures taken some time ago, back in September 28th, when it was still warm and we were doing 'spring' (suppose to be fall) cleaning. We didn't have a lot of things up yet in these pictures, and by just looking at the pictures, it reminded me how Pipi was still so tiny! when Pipi was sooo little, she was only as long as toilet paper roll. Ah.. so cute!

Dad has been an avid fan of my blog since he discovered it. Hello Papa! :) I know he would enjoy these pictures of our new place. Who could have thought a blog is an effective way to communicate and stay in touch.

First picture is the master bedroom with a detached bathroom outside, which I failed to take a picture but who would want to see a regular bathroom with the toilet bowl first thing visible to your eyes.

Sad to say that everything you see here is from Ikea but the good thing is the curtain is from Target. Haha nothing fancy... just playing matchy matchy here.



The view from the entrance. On the right is the large built-in closet.

Oh the side table is from TJ Max, love that place! Only $30 a piece, we bought two. Planning to paint it all white but hadn't had the chance.

I chose the blue mostly inspired by the pictures we took for our wedding album last year. We were pleasantly surprise how everything came together. Even bluey fits in the picture. By the way, Bluey is my dearest pillow which follows everywhere I go. He's been with me since I was... erm, this is embarassing, since 10 years old. Don't puke just yet, I do air him and wash him once in a while. He had been refill with new feathers, so rest assure that he's pretty clean.

Moving on... just so you get out of the nauseating thoughts.... the living room with my hideous curtain. I regret making the choice to use these curtains. I wanted a natural look to the living room but this was too much.

The whole time we were vacuuming, cleaning and dusting stuff, Pipi was in Lala-land the entire time. Only twitching from time to time, must be from a really sweet dream. You can see her here on the floor next to the dining table, unaware of what's going on.

My kitchen nook! The least favorite part of the apartment but its the place I use most.

The view of the dining table adjacent to the living room. To the right is the balcony. At that time, we didn't clean up the balcony yet but we'll get to that further down. Again, I kind of regret that the dining table was a little too large for the space we had. However, when we were hunting for one, the apartment was empty and we didn't have a place to eat. Sitting on the floor and eat for 2 weeks was long enough and we couldn't take it anymore. So buying this piece was quite a rush but if we continue to hesitate, we will find nothing else.

And can you believe it we transported this dining set with 4 chairs using our Toyota Matrix? And carried it all up, just Yew Wai and I, with two flight of stairs? OH YEAH hahaha I didn't work out for nothing, right? haha just kidding.

The second bedroom with an attached bathroom. I chose to hide the adjoining vanity and wardrobe area due to FENG SHUI reason... yes that's me, sometimes I'm quite superstitious. I believe if there's water flowing down the drain and if you use the bedroom often, you will lose your fortune slowly. That's why Chinese believe that you should shut your bathroom door or shut your toilet bowl, so that your wealth will not sip through the draining hole when the energy flows through. Any feng shui practitioner out there? Please correct me if I am wrong.

I must say though, with the dark curtain hanging like this, the whole room look like a spa... except that you have to ignore the computer part. haha

Behind the curtain is this vanity and my hand sticking out with the camera. It's a nice room overall but I just wish that they had a door to cover the vanity. I love to do facials and my make up in here, or do facials for Hushby because water is easily accessible. To the left is another bathroom.

Looking out from the vanity, here's the view of my computer, my gateway to the rest of the world. I have a clear view of the swimming pool from the computer, which is nice but not visible to where this picture was taken. And then, the futon. The furniture that had served us well since the days I was working in Minneapolis (Charlotte might remember this!), we just have to replace the mattress after so many guests. The old TV was also another great item we got from eBay. It was when Yew Wai first landed in the US, he got this for us - our FIRST TV. Now I use it for yoga and working out. Yep, this is also a work out room.

The next few pictures are taken last month when I had all the plants planted. We just recently bought a grill that has a story on its own, I'll keep that for later, but before the grill was here, we started out with a small herb garden, so that by the time the grill arrive, the herbs would be ready for marinates. haha! Anyhoo, the round brown pot grows sage, rosemary, thyme and basil. The smaller pot to its right is parsley.

The larger tree on the left is lemon tree and the lower right, is a tomato plant. The lemon tree is doing great. There's a lot of purple flowers blooming now, strange how it blooms now when the tag says it will only bloom in spring. We have about 3 or 4 tiny lemons growing now, hopefully it will be big and juicy for my upcoming roast cornish hen.

It's all organic here for my plants, since I'm growing them myself, I might as well go au naturale. So here you see, organic soil, organic pesticide, organic plants.

Rosemary, thyme and sage, couple with lemons are always a good start to marinate your chicken for roasting! Yummy... leftovers are even better.. Oh don't get me started!

The tomato plant, however, is a failure. The flower buds are everywhere but it won't turn into anything. I think we don't have enough sunlight, especially this time around when daylight is shorter. It's still growing though and I'll keep it until next summer just to see if it will be a potential fruit bearer.

Our next project is to get a patio set and then, we are set on that part of the apartment. Then Yew Wai will have his big toy to play with and I'll have my place to eat.

Papa, make sure you show this to Mommy.

Playing cat and mouse again

For you Pipi fans out there! Pipi is playing cat and mouse again, this time clearer. :)

I added the next video because I just simply love it when Pipi is being nice... no biting and no scratching, just letting me touch goes to show how much she loves me too! hehe And then background song was a nice touch, thanks to http://www.pandora.com/. Man, just sounded like some 'romantic' moment but no, it was cute. :) Enjoy!

How I wear fake eyelashes

Jessie jots...

For the sake of you Wei Ling! In return of your recipes hehe :D

Like you, I used to have trouble putting fake eye lashes on as well. This one you see I'm wearing is my second pair. I'm lucky to find out the way to wear it before spoiling many others and making a hole out of pocket. You need a couple time to practise before putting it right. Don't buy the cheap lashes, they can only make you look faker. Choose one of those more natural softer kind.

I'm still no expert in make up and especially putting fake lashes on. Maybe someone who had training, someone like Shuh Jiuan can give better pointers than me. But if you want me to show you, here's how I did it.

Beware! You may need about two hours to apply your make up when you include fake eyelashes into the scene!


First and foremost, I apply all the eyeshadows and eyeliner I want before putting any of the fake lashes on. Measure the fake lash to your own eye lid. Cut the lash if it's longer.

When the liner is dry (if you're using wet eyeliner), start applying the glue on one of your lashes. Don't put too much, just dotting several points will do. Tilt your chin up so that your lid is half close.


You want to focus sticking the fake lashes by lining it up with your eyelid. Just let it sit on top of your own lashes.

Pick it up with your index finger and your thumb.

To begin sticking, use the one end of the fake lash, align it at the corner of your eye lid (opposite side of your nose). The fake lash line should follow the eyelid once you stick the corner in. I also use one end of my eyeshadow brush (opposite of the brush end) to help me press the lash line onto my lid.

Using your eyeshadow brush, press the fake lashes onto your lid, one point at a time. Don't drag the brush with you. Dot four points. Two on each corner and two in between.

Rest it for a minute or two. Adjust if necessary. Usually the glue will stick back if you pull it out a bit.


If you did a mistake and it's beyond repair, take it all out. Wash the fake lashes with your make up remover. Then repeat by putting glue on it again. Repeat the other side, don't be like me. haha


Once you think you did a successful job and your lashes look like they grow out of you, clamp it. Make sure you clamp it close to your eyelid and tilt your chin up while doing it. If you clamp it somewhere in the middle, your eyelashes will only curl inside, not upwards.

The cock eyes

Apply mascara for a dramatic look. If the line of the fake lashes seems too obvious on your eyelid, draw eyeliner over it.

I did not put mascara on mine because it was dramatic enough. I also chose a pair of fake lashes that was sparse and not as long as the other ones. I only wanted a natural pair of fake eyelashes, only a little longer than my own. That's why it's not as obvious in these pictures. Hope that helps!

Face with no make up and unkempt hair.

GAH!

Face with make up and straighten hair.

How come guys don't need make up and they still look just as good? HMPF

Let me know how you did! Do my tips work?

Hot Date

Jessie jots...

So yesterday, I had a hot night. It was hot everything... hot chef, hot food, hot sushi, hot drinks and most of all, a HOT DATE. My hot date was due for a special occasion and he chose teppanyaki for his birthday dinner. How can I resist? It was only an opportunity to dress up and try new things.

I tried on new fake eyelashes. Not too bad for a first timer! It was tricky to put it on but once it stick, it look awesome. You can't really tell from the picture but it definitely make the eyes pop. :) And my face is a little red here, had a little too much to drink... but who can deny a girl Amaretto Sour and hot sake... mmm!

The last time I had teppanyaki was when I was in high school... that was ages ago. I can't remember what it taste like but I remember clearly the chef stir fried some cabbage that looks like a dish I could easily make at home. I never go for teppanyaki since... until now.

For a foodie like me, it was difficult to choose! They offered too many good things. The type of meat that is... from shrimp to filet mignon, scallop to halibut. I didn't think the Japanese restaurant would be that fancy but it was. We made our choices, for him, New York steak and halibut and for her, New York steak and scallops. I thought that is what is going to be served, but no... the 'combo' also comes with fried rice, fried noodles, miso soup, a bowl of salad, a big serving dish combination of vegetables, some glazed carrots, and not forgetting the big chunk of steak and scallops and halibut. MY GOD! We can feed a village with these!

You choose what you want to eat and the chef for the night will perform his culinary tricks in front of you. Quite impressive stuff, with the knife flipping and flame burning from the onion rings... while I was impress, I was also afraid he might hit us with the knife or with something flaming - I'm only sitting less than 4 ft away. The 'show' didn't last that long thankfully and luckily I walked away scar-free. Must be hard to perform tricks and cook on the same time! It's not some dinner you can have every other night though. Too rich and just too much food! I even had leftovers for lunch... enough for me to feed a football team. Haha!

At the end of dinner, I gave my Hot Date a card I personally made with the help of my home HP printer. I think he likes it or maybe just pretending? Just kidding. There was a hint for his last present in the card and he was suppose to find it. It was his third present and he didn't realize there was more when he already received two. His first was a mousepad I made for him from http://www.snapfish.com/. Second was a moisturizer from Origins, because his lips and skin were cracking from dryness. And his third? The hint was COLD. He found it in the freezer without any problem. This guy is too smart. Well I guess it's too easy. haha

I know the card look childish but I only had about an hour to work on it, considering that I had to take some time to walk to TCBY store and get the yogurt cake, my fake lashes, my card papers, envelope and stickers, in between of doing laundry. So no time for fancy artwork or whatsoever. I thought something simple should work, so some stickers from a scrapbook store to accesorize the card should do the job. Like an untalented poet, it took me a lot of time to compose the birthday poem - just so there's enough pointers for him to realize there's a present needed to be found. When he read the line "a present with your name in blue", he went "in this the one?" pointing on the little blue cake on the card. Of course no haha!

The moment we open the cake box, our little fluffy friend came right up to my feet, and climb on top of the dining table bench, which she never did and she knows I don't allow. "But it smell so good!!!" Yes I know, so we figured, it's only fair she gets to enjoy the special day as well. I remember reading somewhere saying that cats do not like anything sweet. She is the contrary to whoever claim that! She'll take anything that is sweet and creamy in nature. Yogurt and ice cream fall into that category and when she smells it, there's no way to say NO that cutie face.

We end up playing with Pipi at the end. It's like a ritual now, that she gets some attention everytime we are done with dinner. She's so funny, you have to watch!




This time round, unlike the other years, we celebrate my HOT DATE's birthday discreetly. Just the two of us and the cat. It was a great night overall, my hot date was HOT and looking even HOTTER at 27... haha my mom would agree! Another year older, another year wiser and another year handsome-r! Happy Birthday :)

Wedding Card Design part 2

Jessie jots...

Looking at my blog history, I don't think I've mentioned that Charlotte has confirm what design she wanted! I know Jen, you said looking at the place where the reception will be held, card style# 4 is definitely the one and you are right! I must say though, that Charlotte also liked style# 2 but in the end, this was her choice.

The background color is suppose to be ivory, much lighter than what is projected here in the cards. It may or may not be this yellowish, depending on what the printer has to offer but because we wanted a hint of yellow as the accent color, there will be an inch of satin yellow ribbon with a translucent yellow or purple wax paper to hold all the cards together before putting it into the envelope. I can't wait to work on it!

My greatest achievement will be to see them printed and materialized on my hand! Wish me luck!

Now I'm going to get my hands on passing the California driving test. And say bye bye to my Minnesota driver's license!

Grateful

Jessie jots...

Hushby and I watched it all happened yesterday night. Chicago folks gathered up at Grant Park in spite of the cold and the wind, they were there since noon until sun set. Hushby and I were at Grant Park on May 2006, and felt a touching moment as we have both stood on that piece of land where it is now making history. We watched the news seconds by seconds and just when we realized Obama won the race, we hugged each other and proved ourselves right that God was not going to fail us.

It was a victorious win and Obama's speech sums it all up. People were shedding tears hugging strangers without discriminating the differences in skin color, relieved and overjoyed only with one common reason: that the Democrat won. It was so touching when Obama stood out at the podium with his wife and two daughters. If you have seen Michelle Obama speak, you will agree with me that she is not only charismatic but definitely qualify to be the first African American FIRST Lady. One cannot deny the speech was delivered with such an amazing amount of renewed positive energy and hope, yet with humility.

I'm particularly proud of Minnesota and California being the 'blue' states. I don't know how my friends would view of me being an Obama supporter but all I can say is our future together can only get better, even if McCain wins.

Unfortunately, Proposition 8 is projecting like it is going to pass. If I can vote, I would be one of the folks with a banner saying "NO to 8" on my chest. I can't believe even such developed country, people are still continue to believe in discriminating and felt like it was "civil" to strip off equality on the gay and lesbian community. Please give them the freedom they deserve, just like anybody else. Why should they be treated like a second class citizen? Why is this even tolerable? Just like when women were once not allowed to vote, we will look back one day and shake our head that gays and lesbian were treated as a second class citizen. Even if Prop 8 will pass now, I believe the next time round, it will NOT. It's only a matter of time.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you fellow Americans!! Eventhough Yew Wai and I are not American citizens and eventhough we did not grow up here, we live in this land long enough and went through tough times just like any other regular Americans did. We fell in love with this great country and foresee wonderful opportunity for ourselves, thanks to Americans with kind hearts. We too experienced the effect of the long battle in Iraq, the budget cutting in local state universities, the dooming economy and the social problems that comes with it. We pay taxes just like any other people, in fact more to cover for our immigration status. We abide to laws and regulation only to live in the US legally and pay our dues without the government on our side. And eventhough we are classified as "Aliens" in this country, let alone be respected and not be treated like an unknown species, we do not take it in our heart only because we have been given great opportunity. Living here is already BETTER, much much BETTER than what we had.

So thank you my American friends who had voted for Obama. Thank you for the opportunity to experience better future together... with us! :) Thank you!