Yes, I have a lot of goals but this is one of those that I'm really passionate about. Working on achieving it does not seem like work at all. In fact, I enjoy every minute of it. I've always love playing with it since I was a kid (without my mom's permission for using her stuff of course) but it faded behind school and work. However, it was recently reignited when I started helping out MoofMoof build his/our business. Thus I'm going to work on it while still helping MoofMoof build his business.

So what is this wonderful goal that makes me go all musical and lalala? Makeup! I'm aspiring to become a makeup artist so I've been volunteering to do makeup for friends and people who needs makeup services. Last week was my first time doing makeup for people whom I don't know. It was exciting. The girls were a joy to work with and I had so much fun working with them. I'm very happy and satisfied with the results even though it may not be compared to the works of professionals yet. All in all it was a very rewarding experience. Here's what I did to Becky & Joanne for their homecoming:

Name of project : Threading Mania
Objective : To thin out and shape the eyebrow
Model : Tomo
Result :

Guess which is before and which is after? right or left? It's pretty obvious right? If you can't guess it right, I would suggest for you to get your eyes checked.

We went to the pumpkin patch & the corn maze for the first time today at the Craven Farm. I gotta say I never thought that going to a farm full of pumpkins and corns could be so much fun.

To get our money's worth from the corn maze, we decided to take on the Wild Hare Route (the harder one, obviously) relative to the Bunny Route, thinking it would be a peace of cake. Boy, were we wrong! We were going round and round in the corn maze, from one loop to another. It was crazy! However, we eventually made it out alive after HOURS of being stuck in the maze. Note to self - don't ever underestimate the corn mazes again.

We then move on to pumpkin hunting. It felt like playing the Harvest Moon game in real life. How awesome is that, huh? I got to push the wheelbarrow, walked in the patch and marvelled over the farm that is full of adorable pumpkins. Don't ask me why, but I've always thought that pumpkins are adorable, big or small.


We were having so much fun finding that perfect pumpkin for Halloween until we realized that we dropped our camera, my tiny Canon SD780is. We spent the next 45 minutes walking back and forth in the pumpkin patch looking for that tiny black camera telling myself the whole time that we'll definitely find it. Finally, we asked the lady at the cashier if there was a Lost and Found, and she looked but there was no camera. We went back to the pumpkin patch for another round of searching. No luck. Just when things seemed bleak, we held on to the positive thought more and more, and we went back to the Lost and Found booth again, and surely enough someone had found the camera and had returned it. To the one who found it and to the lady at the booth, we thank you very much and may you and your family always be blessed and we wish you many happy returns. It is delightful to know that in our world of decreasing morals and values, there are still good samaritans out there.

Ahhh...what a day! So much fun and so many wonderful things to be discovered. Thanks to our lovely friends for inviting us.

The air is cool and the trees are turning golden yellow caressed by the gentle breeze. The grounds are covered with a sheet of gold. Ahhh...what a pretty sight. Yes, it's the time of the year, yet again. Fall is here, marking the time to shed our leaves and start anew. Which also mean, time to bring in some fresh new additions into the wardrobe. Fall has got to be one of my favourite season. It's not too hot, yet not too cold. It gives you so much flexibility when it comes to fashion. You can either layer it up or thin it down.

I was suppose to shop for a waterproof snow boots as winter was predicted to be colder and more snowy than last year. However, my vanity gets the better of me. I ended up getting these:

You can always trust me to choose looks over practicality. What can I say, I'm vain like that.

Imma Bee...Imma Bee...Fan! I'm an official convert of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. True that Artistry Lip Conditioner (ALC) works well but it's not as nourishing and long lasting as Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (BBBLB). And yes, I'm a distributor for Artistry's products and saying that BBBLB is better than ALC may seem like a bad choice but hey I'm a consumer and an individual just like everyone else. Certain stuff works for me and certain stuff don't work quite as well.

Artistry does have a huge range of high quality products but I'm always aware that everyone has their own preferences. Thus I always tell my clients to try, try, try and see if they like it. If it works for them, great! They are happy with their product and I made a profit but if they don't, no harms done and they get their money back. I always thank them for giving me and my products a chance. My clients' satisfaction is my top priority.

Anyway let's get back to BBBLB. For those of you who have been using the regular lip balm and have seen no result, you might wanna give BBBLB a shot. It's 100% natural and most importantly it does not contain petroleum base ingredients. Petroleum base ingredients can actually irritate certain people and make their lips dryer. I've been looking for a lip balm that works for me for my entire life and I've gotta say BBBLB has to be the one. I've been using it for almost 3 days now and my lips has been soft, supple and moist ever since. I'm in love! It contains peppermint oil too. Every time you breath in with your mouth, there's a tingly cool feeling to it :D.

I hope this review will come in handy for those of you who are still searching for that perfect balm.

Have not had any good sleep since I arrived in Seattle a year ago. I'm cursed to sleep like an ancient Chinese peasant. I turn and toss and wake up with backaches whenever I sleep on a soft bed. MoofMoof's bed is what most would call soft and comfortable. However it's not my block of bed. I end up feeling lethargic every day.

To solve that, we both pull out our sleeping bags one night. Slept through the whole night wrapped in warm fleece blankets. Voila, I woke up feeling fresher than ever. Unfortunately, MoofMoof looked like a zombie (one with a terrible backache) the whole day. Obviously, hard and firm is not for him. Thus, we've been sleeping separately for the past 1 week. Me on the floor with my sleeping bag and fleece blanket, him on the bed with our awesome quilt. We are miserable!

Is there a bed out there that is soft on one side and firm on the other? If anyone knows such a bed existed, let me know. Or if you know of any good idea to solve our problem, let me know too.

At least for now, I don't have to wake up feeling like I need to go back to bed in 2 hours.

Decided to try my hands on stage makeup. This is my first one so let me know what you think. Any feedback, good or bad is very much appreciated.



Here are the stuff that I use to achieve the look:

Concealer : Artistry Essentials Concealer (medium)
Foundation : Artistry Essentials Mineral Foundation (medium)
Eyebrow : Darkest colour from Artistry Essentials Colour Quad (medium)
Eyeshadow : BH Cosmetics 120 colour palatte (4 colours - shimmering yellow gold, shimmering bright orange, blood red & shimmering white)
Eyeliner : Revlon liquid eyeliner (black)
Mascara : Artistry Total Mascara (black)
Blusher : Esprit pink blusher (can't remember the name) + Maybelline's bronzer in medium
Lip Liner : Artistry Lip Define (nuance)
Lip Colour : Artistry Iconic Elegance Trend Colour Collection - Inspired (dark berry)

My friend just sent me this link to a report from CNN of a woman who has 22 husbands and possibly a 23rd if No.22 decides to leave O.o RAWR!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/15/malaysia.old.bride/index.html?iref=hpmostpop

Went shopping yesterday with my little sister to cheer her up and to exchange a broken necklace. We walked pass a kid whom I assume is about 13-14 years old. Guess he's just weird or his hormone is running wild. He looked at us funny and said "Hi there!". I looked back and give him a 5 second look, MEAN one. He got scared and we continue walking.

Today, as I was walking out of the house with my little sister, again a kid in a passing school bus shouted, "Hey babe. Wassup? Do you like that?". Because he's such a little kid, my little sister started cracking up. I thought it was funny and laughed too but I also flicked at him. Muahahaha...yes, I'm mean like that, especially to perveted little boys. I think they deserve it because don't try to hit on me when your DICK aren't even fully grown yet. Mess with girls your own age RAWR!

Finally received the Artistry Essentials Makeup Kit in medium that I redeemed from my Ribbon Choices Gift Card. It came in a brown box, carefully wrapped in multiple air pillow bags. I tried the kit immediately and I've been wearing it for almost the whole day now :D

The box that it came in

An instruction book on basic makeup techniques

A makeup bag to store the makeup kit


Concealer : The smooth texture allows for a smooth application. Does not look flaky even after hours of having it on. This has to be my current absolute favourite concealer. I even use it as my eye primer.

Foundation : This self-adjusting 100% mineral foundation is very fine and light and it creates a sheer, natural finish. Self-adjusting means you can wear it from light to full coverage depending on your application method. I will blog about the 5 different application methods on another post.

Colour quad : The colour quad comes with 3 eye colour (light, medium, dark) and 1 blusher. Gotta love this quad! Texture-wise they are very fine, smooth, glide & blend very well. Thus no excess colour dropping under my eyes (very important!). Eye colours are not shimmery but they have a little shine to them and they complement my skin tone very well. Blusher is a little bit more shiny than the eye colour to give your cheeks that healthy glow. I have to say it's very long lasting. It still looks fresh on my face even after I've been wearing it for the whole day.

Mascara : It's a black mascara and it gives a beautiful even coat for the lashes. However I still prefer my other Artistry Total Mascara (in black) that gives me a smoother application and allows me to customize the length and volume of my lashes (best of all it comes off like a rubber gloves with warm water/eye makeup remover)

Lip gloss : At first glance, I thought the colour is a little too dark but it appears very natural after I put it on. It is very smooth and not overly shimmery. Most importantly it is not scented as I can't stand scented lip gloss because they ruin the flavour of my drinks & food. Similar with any other lip gloss, re-application is necessary from time to time.

Face brush : It is soft but not as soft as my big fluffy face brush by Eco-tools. The bristles feels very similar to a Kabuki brush so it'll be perfect if you want a medium coverage. As for today, I used my big fluffy face brush because I usually go for a light coverage as my everyday look.

Eyeliner brush : The brush is soft but dense enough to provide a smooth & steady application for eyeliner. But for my look today, I used my Sonia Kashuk smudge brush instead (No reason why. Just because I can :p). I will try it out next time and I'll make an update here if I'm not too lazy.

Oooh that's a long haul for a first one. What can I say, I tend to sway to the extreme side. Before I end, here's a before and after picture of me:


Clean, moisturized face

My everyday look using the Artistry Essential Makeup Kit
(if I have the time, I might do a breakdown of this look some time)

Makeup do wonders to a person's look eh?

Ate Jack In The Box and now I feel guilty and I have a sudden craving for dancing. Other than swimming, running and pilates, I used to dance to maintain my weight. Though I'm no master at dancing, I've been doing it since I was 5 from funny chicken dance to bhangra dance to chacha to chinese fan dance to joget to Grease and to weird hip hop routine that we created ourselves, I had a lot of fun doing it.

After I graduated from university, the only times I dance were in the club. Sometimes I wish I'm back in school dancing away with my girls not having to worry about anything at all. Hmm...this calls for an action. My next goal shall be to take up a dancing class but what dance should I pick though? Latin? HipHop? Jazz? Dang it, I wanna learn it all!

Alright, nuff of blabbering! Time to blast some BEP and shake my booty! Uh woo Uh woo!

This post is written for those who has no daily facial regime and is going to have a facial done at a spa or do it at home on their own for the first time. Here are the things you MAY experience from a facial:

Redness
Why? : The exfoliation process removes all dead skin cell revealing new fresh skin.

Sensitivity
Why? : Some skin might be sensitive towards certain contents in the products for example alpha hydroxy acid which is a pretty strong natural agent that your skin might react to. Also some people's skin are sensitive to constant touch and also scrubs which might leave your skin feeling a little sore.

Breakouts
Why? : Improper or inconsistent skin care regime may lead to an increased of clogged pores and even if they remain dormant, excess oil and bacterias are still present. Thus the impurities that are pulled out during the facial might come out in the form of acne. This will continue to happen for a number of following facials until the impurities are completely cleared depending on how badly your pores are clogged.

Those 3 are the major possible post-facial symptoms, so do not panic and do not worry because it is perfectly natural and normal.

Reminder: If you're planning to do a facial to look your best for a big day/night/event/occasion, plan to do your facials 4 or 5 days before the big day to avoid looking like a swollen peach :p

To celebrate the Bulan Puasa or the Ramadhan Month (well I don't actually celebrate it because I'm not muslim but any occasions that has good food is my celebration. Muhibah kan?), I've decided to make Onde-Onde or Buah Melaka which is one of my favourite delicacies sold at the Pasar Ramadhan (Ramadhan Market).

Onde-Onde is a soft, chewy green glutinous rice balls coated with coconut shavings and when you pop it in your mouth, a generous amount of melted palm sugar come oozing out of it. Nyum! It's delicious and MoofMoof gobble down most of it.


Don't you just love looking at the green fuzzy balls? Trust me, you'll love it more in your mouth.

So if you're looking for something different to serve during tea time, this may just be what you're looking for:

Ingredients:

• 250 g Glutinous Rice Flour
• 200 ml Pandan Juice (screwpine leaves) [substitute: 1 teaspoon of essence of coconut mixed with 1 or 2 drops of green food coloring + 200 ml water]
• 150 g Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), finely chopped [substitute: gula jawa]
• 100 g Grated Coconut [substitute: unsweetened desiccated coconut or dried coconut flakes]
• A Pinch Of Sea Salt

Method:

• In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with Pandan juice and knead lightly to form a smooth dough. Cover the dough and set aside for about 15 minutes.
• Mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 - 3 minutes and let it cool completely.
• Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15 g each) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball.
• Cook the glutinous rice balls in the boiling water. When the rice balls float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water.
• Coat the rice balls with grated coconut and serve immediately.

Easy eh? Have fun trying it out!

Yeap, I haven't showered Roccio in 3 weeks and he's a walking stinky poo poo. But he's still very adorable nonetheless.


Does this look like a disgusted face? No? Oh whatever!

You know what's weird? We are so used to his stinky-ness we actually love it! O_o And we sometimes don't shower him on purpose so we can all smokey that lil stinky poo poo. That just goes to show we are one crazy household, particularly me and MoofMoof.


This is what my stinky poo poo would do for his treat

Yes, I cut my hair short again after it has grown to a shoulder length. My brother and my parents told me not to cut it anymore but nyah I never listen. I'm so used to doing whatever I want and feel like doing to the point that I'll fight for it. Though a haircut doesn't call for that.

This time I've decided to try yet another new salon that I've found through yelp.com. Saely's Salon is run by a really nice Korean lady. I gotta say she did an awesome job for a $25 haircut. This is also the first time I truly love my haircut since I moved to Seattle. At the end, I still think Asian stylist knows how to deal with Asian hair best. And best of all, Saely's Salon is located 5-10minutes away from my house (driving distance).

For those of you who are living near the Seattle area and are looking for a good Asian stylist, I highly recommend Saely's Salon at 15007 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133 or visit http://www.studiojyc.com/ for more information. Appointments can be made through jane@studiojyc.com

Last but not least, TADA!

Front look

Side look

Have you ever experienced dry, chap lips and when you slap on your favourite lip colour, your lips end up looking like some crack butt hole? Well I have, all the time actually, and so I dare not wear lip colour until I tried the ultimate Lip Care Kit by Artistry! It comes with a Lip Polish and Lip Conditioner.


Lip Care Kit .34oz each - $20USD
(180 days money back guaranteed)

The Lip Polish gently exfoliates away dry skin cells to instantly reveal soft, smooth lips while the rich creamy Lip Conditioner moisturizes and hydrates to soothe and keep the lips soft and supple. With the benefit of antioxidants, Vitamin A and E, your lips will feel as soft as they look. Together they give you the protection you've always wanted without being heavy or sticky. It's so pouty-licious good that I've decided to become their rep and start selling them.

For the first 4 to order it from me will get a 10% discount off on all purchase (US residents only). To order or if you have any further questions regarding the products, email me at samanthaang.h@gmail.com

I always believe that having a DREAM is the key to the path of success. Simply because of the saying:

"watch your thoughts, for they become words.
watch your words, for they become actions.
watch your actions, for they become habits.
watch your habits, for they become character.
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

MoofMoof and I both have a DREAM. We want to be financially independent and retire by the age of 35. Yes, it sounds difficult but it is not impossible. WHY do we place ourselves with such a difficult challenge? The answer to that is very simple: TIME is GOLD. We don't want to have to spend the rest of our life working our ass off for someone else and missing out on life. Life is not about the expensive and luxury things that the world has to offer but simple things like watching our children grow, sitting down for dinners with friends and family laughing over silly things and being able to take in what the world has to offer and see how beautiful it actually is.

These simple things in life are very dear to us, thus we will do whatever it takes to make our DREAM come true. We are truly grateful to have wonderful friends and family who stand by us and cheer us on while we embark on our journey to reach our DREAM. Thank you people, we love you!

This full week, MoofMoof, Roccio and I will be them piggies in the oven. The sun is out everyday and the temperature is soaring high, way higher than what I've experienced in Malaysia. It was 42C/108F in the afternoon today. According to the people who lived here all their life, this is abnormal and this is the first time it has happened. Did I bring the sunshine all the way here with me? I wonder...Thank god it isn't humid here. Every time the hot air is blown my way, I felt I would suffocate and my heart would stop beating. That's how bad it is (at least to me, it is). As much as I would love a warm day, this is way too much for me to handle.

BUT, the day wasn't all bad. A parcel that arrived at the door today did brighten up my day. It was some skin care and makeup products by Artistry. I tried the samples given to me during Bite Of Seattle (food fair that happens every year in the summer) and I find myself falling in love with them thus I ordered a bunch of them online. Best of all it comes with 180 days money back guarantee even if the product is almost used up.

The Time Defiance Skin Refinishing Lotion has to be one of my favourite skin care product now. It leaves the skin so silky smooth after only the first time applying it, I kid you not. It's amazing!

As for the makeup products, I can't find a reason not to love their Essentials Mineral Foundation and Essentials Concealer. I have very dry skin and numerous brands of foundations and concealers made my face look very cakey and wrinkley after a while of wearing them. However the Essentials ones are so fine and light they make my skin look natural. Even on a hot day like today, they didn't melt and didn't make my face look blotchy and shiny. Ahhh...those are what I call, products well made...

Even though it'll be a HOT WOK for the whole week, I at least won't have to look like a blotchy, shiny roast pig :D

Everyone is in the picture except for the photog, Jenn
(picture courtesy of Jennifer Tai)

That day was the first time I saw so many Malaysians since I moved to Seattle. I didn't know most of the people at the party but was told by a friend about the existence of that party and so we joined her. I'm really glad that we decided to go cause it was simply AWESOME! Fun people, finger-licking-good Malaysian food(I couldn't separate myself from the keropok ikan[fish crackers] bowl) and a place buzzing with real Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) not Bahasa Indonesia. Before I was always excited whenever I hear people around me speaks Bahasa Indonesia cause that's the closest thing to home...HAHAHA


Keropok Ikan
(picture courtesy of Jennifer Tai)

That day I felt at home. I can't wait for the next event! :D

Sorry guys, I know I've been gone for too long. Can't help it though, I'm too caught up with summer and too busy helping MoofMoof lay down his business plans. As promised, I pick a couple of my personal favourites from my post-wedding pictures to share with you guys. Enjoy...






I have to thank my friend also photographer Jennifer Tai for her amazing work. It was a very cold windy day but working with her was fun and relaxing. You can always depend on her to come up with brilliant ideas for a picture. To check out her work you can visit http://www.jennifertai.net/ or become her fans on facebook OR follow her on twitter @Jennifertai

After much debating and tons of researching, I finally placed an order for this lovely palette from BH Cosmetics.

My super high footylicious pumps by ALDO arrived in the mail today.

The sun was out the whole day. The day was warm and beautiful. MoofMoof and I refused to let the day pass without doing anything so we geared up on our sunbathing kit and head to the lake by our house with Roccio.

Went dress shopping with my new gal pal today for her prom in David's Bridal.

We both found our dresses at an amazingly bargain price and trust me, they are not cheap looking dresses.

We just got lucky to find those 2 stunning dresses priced below $50 each *gasp*.

WINE - when it comes to wine, I'm not the type of person who goes after branded, well known, expensive wines. I'm the type who likes to try all different types, brands and price range of wines. To me, brands and price don't really matter. What I care more is if they sit right on my palate. Today I happen to hop into Safeway for a little grocery shopping while my laundries are having a jolly good time in the laundromat and the husband decided to make it up for the lost Sunday that he caused. So we decided to grab some wine to go with our dinner. Lookie, lookie what we found:

Since MoofMoof and I decided not to have a wedding ceremony, we thought it might be nice to just have a photoshoot of me in a wedding dress and him in suits or some sort to commemorate our marriage. We've booked our photoshoot with new and rising photog JenniferTai's Photo Artistry (check out her work, she's really talented) for next month. Btw she's from Malaysia too :D . 

Dress 1 (BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Silk Gown)


Dress 2 (JS Boutique Crisscross Jersey Gown)


Dress 3 (Adrianna Papell Beaded Chiffon Gown)

Sunny, windy, chilly, fun, crazy, hot dogs, cheese burgers, chicken wings, salad, beers, delicious, tiring - those are words to summarize our barbeque party in Golden Garden. 

Kiam Chai Ark (sour mustard duck soup) is one of my favourite soup. I can even eat it with plain white rice. It's a Malaysian Nyonya dish that my grandmother serves every Chinese New Year. The recipe I'm giving today is not the original recipe but one of my variation.

By now most of you should know that I'm one of those gadget freaks. Staying true to that nature, I recently bought a new compact camera by Canon, the PowerShot SD780 IS. It's black, it's sleek, it's tiny and it's only 0.7 inches thick. Oh so sexy! It's absolutely the right camera for my everyday use (my DSLR will be reserved for when the time calls for it). I just dumped it in my bag or slip it in my back pocket whenever I head out the door. It's so tiny it can even fit into my skinny jeans' pocket.