Forget minimalist, pile it all in

Credits: Lifecycling

I know it's a bit too early to dream of my future home, but I do. I dream and sort of build it in my head all the time. I've always wanted a minimal white based home with grey accents and pops of colours here and there. Obviously I've been very Western influenced (like big family homes instead of tiny apartments) when it comes to interior design, never mind the fact that this is Singapore where the sun is crazy and my future (mostly white) house will probably have fungus growing on the walls in about a month or so. But I just came across this amazing Japanese website. Of course, I don't understand a single thing on it but you don't need to read Japanese to appreciate the ultra-cool Japanese style homes featured. The pictures above are from the same house which I really, really love. Now I'm starting to think that my ideal minimal home is ridiculous because it'll be no different from a showroom when a home should be lived in and look lived in with lots of character. Regardless of the clutter. I'm loving the woody furniture and how everything doesn't look expensive or too showy at all. It's the perfect kind of home.

There is a light that never goes out

Sometime last month, my dad, bro and sister went on the iFly! Ok partially because I had such a fun time and I thought they would enjoy it too so we had a mini family day out. It was great and totally insane because my dad bounced off the wall and flipped over. In the iFly tunnel. With the strong wind right straight at him. We bought the DVD to keep the memory.

Fever bug

Noon on a Monday morning and I just rolled out of bed. Fever bug is hitting my family again. Melissa was down with fever last week, mom still having sore throat and cough and now me. The accumulation of food overload during Friday tasting, Sat Men's Fashion Week craze and I totally just died on Jotham's bed yesterday. And again on my bed this morning after multiple crazy nightmares and woke up to find myself covered in sweat urgh.

The boy just went off to field camp this morning. It might be just me being silly but with each progressing stage of army, it's getting tougher. And there's the 3 weeks of Thailand in a few weeks time. Army boys seem to be dropping like flies nowadays during training and I'm worried to death. Stupid period is making me an emotional wreck once again.

The neverending search

Credits: COS stores

To me, the white shirt is the most important clothing item one can have in the closet. Also possibly the hardest item to buy. I have 3 entirely white shirts and 2 other collar/bib details white shirts but urgh, not quite the perfect shirt. I don't know what I'm looking for exactly but I like shirt number 4 above. No, I love it. Seems like COS (a store quite elusive to me since I never bought anything from there or even seen any of its item in real life ever) is recreating 5 classic white shirts from their previous collections (no idea why shirt 1 is missing from the website) to celebrate their 5th anniversary. 

Sadly, COS webstore don't ship to Singapore. ): Why is Singapore opening up another H&M when all we need is like COS and Monki?

Sugarbomb

In case you're living under a rock (like I am, since I just discovered this gem of a singer), Lana Del Rey is an amazing singer. But of course Florence Welch still has my heart but she is close enough. However, I must say, Lana Del Rey looks a little weird though. I think it's the pouty thing she does with her lips but hey, enjoy the good music. My favourite song from her is Without You.

Time to live

Credits: Turned Out

A random thought that came to me today when it was pouring outside: Life is really wonderful if we stop being so critical and picky. Yeah sure, the weather in Singapore is unpredictably hot or cold or wet (sometimes all 3 in one day ie today) and there isn't plentiful of lush greenery and mountains to gaze at. But on days when the weather is perfect with a light breeze, no sun and no drizzle, it's well worth it. My steps feels a little lighter, the air smells a little sweeter and the surroundings look a little... different. In a good way. That's when I huddle in my jacket and pretend that I'm walking in another country. Just because. 

(Some sort of) reflections

Credit: Dressup

If you click on the picture credit above, you'll find a lot of beautifully made clothes in navy, red, grey and black. Basically everything I want to own right now. 

I haven't been shopping much because 1. I don't see anything that catches my fancy and 2. even if I do like something, I don't feel compelled to buy it or I'll just find fault with it (lousy quality, looks similar to what I already have etc). I'm guessing being with Jotham has some sort of influence on my shopping habits. That boy knows what works for him (chinos) and what doesn't (jeans, btw he doesn't own a single pair i find it amazing he actually has clothes to wear) and is possibly the most picky shopper ever. He doesn't do impulse buys like me (in the past at least) and he thinks through every purchase like it's the last thing he's ever going to buy. That said, the price point for guys' clothes vs girls' clothes is vastly different, it would be irresponsible to not carefully consider every purchase. *EDIT: I just found this article and it totally summarises what my previous sentence.

Every since I started work and getting a monthly salary, I got more excited to save my money instead of spending it. It's so weird, I know. I can't wait to transfer the bulk of my money into my non-touchable savings account instead of leaving them in my active account. I'm doing quite good so far, am very proud of my newly found frugal lifestyle. 

Since this blog is to record the happenings in my life and all sort of nonsense "milestones" (don't even know if you can consider whatever I've written so far milestones haha but whatever), I would like to add that I've also started to read alot again. For a period of time, I didn't read anything. Not that I dislike reading, I just didn't want to. Just didn't have the feel to read. Neither did I have the time nor energy. Now, this explainable urge to devour every book sitting on my bookshelf (they've been sitting there for a long long time) is back in full-force. 

Cemeteries in Bohemia are like gardens. The graves are covered with grass and colourful flowers. Modest tombstones are lost in the greenery. When the sun goes down, the cemetery sparkles with tiny candles. It looks as though the dead are dancing at a children's ball. Yes, a children's ball, because the dead are as innocent as children. No matter how brutal life becomes, peace always reigns in the cemetery. Even in wartime, in Hilter's time, in Stalin's time, through all occupations. When she felt low, she would get into the car, leave Prague far behind, and walk through one or another of the country cemeteries she loved so well. Against a backdrop of blue hills, they were as beautiful as a lullaby.

For Franz a cemetery was an ugly dump of stones and bones.

The unbearable lightness of being by Milan Kundera