You're Not Alone

The boy has a striking resemblance to Edward Cullen from Twilight don't you think?

Food, Glorious Food!

I spent an hour this morning watching episodes of Nigella Lawson work her magic cooking classic Christmas recipes with a twist. There's something so captivatingly sensual in the way that she prepares her food. I'm drawn in like a moth to a lantern and watch, captivated by her rich ingredients and metaphoric way of speech. 'Aromatic' is definitely a word I shall start to weave into my vocabulary I think! I cannot wait to have my own kitchen one day with a cupboard fully stocked of spices and herbs to put together delicious food for my future husband and family.

Chocolate Peanut Sundae

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Butterscotch Fondue

Mirin Glazed Salmon

Ham in Coca Cola

I'm getting rather hungry after lusting after all these scrumptious foods! Time for a coconut jam sandwich :]

Redemption Never Felt So Good

Do you want to spend your whole life jaded?
Stuck in a rut that you created
Why don't you break the cycle?
Let love win
You're waiting for a sign
The fact is faith is blind
And you want Him, and you need Him
But you act like He's not there
Yeah, you know that you're hollow
And something's missing here
So you push and you pull the hole in your soul
But you can't make the hunger disappear

Fireflight - The Hunger

Are you accused or beaten down?
Want to dream again? Reach your destiny?
DO NOT BE AFRAID.
Faith is moving without knowing.
No one can touch you, nothing can stop you.
You are UNBREAKABLE.

All you need to do -- is trust

Simple yet Sophisticated

What have I been up to for most of this evening? Why, drooling over the latest trend from Chanel!

They were shown in the Chanel Fall/Winter 2008-2009 Collection. The two-toned tight look is quite a tricky trend to pull off however as they make your legs look wider than they really are! So if you have the courage of a tigress and the pins of Rachel Bilson then by all means, knock yourself out. Myself, I will just have to settle for puddles of drool and having sweet two-toned fantasy dreams.
Speaking of Chanel, I was visiting the local markets here in Kuching last weekend, and while gazing at a sunglasses stall the owner of the booth approached me and tried talking me into buying his top-of-the-line "Tchannel" glasses to which I could not help but burst into a fit of giggles.
I'm all for colour contrast - Although I am gradually heading away from my wardrobe of blacks and greys to something more vibrant, there is nothing wrong with the understated classic look of black with white!

I'm a Hippie Chic at Heart

A while ago I was people-stalking on Myspace (as you do) and came upon this talented girl. She goes by the name of Raquel Reed and is a makeup artist and model from New York! I instantly fell in love with her look - the colour contrasts of her clothes with her candy coloured turquoise hair is simply divine ^^

Tartan headscarf = forever in love

Don't those earrings just make you want to buy a packet of Wonka's gumballs and suck the candy coating off them one by one? Here they are again

Time is definitely up for my head of boring brown. Turquoise is probably a bit too high maintenance for me being on the other end of the colour scale but a lovely Jean red from the likes of X-Men (geek alert!) would be a wonderfully eye-catching enhancement don't you think?

Malaysia Travels - Part 1

I must apologise for my recent lack of posts - I am currently living in Kuching, Malaysia where I will be until the 23rd of December! This country is amazing, the climate is only just bearably hot but rarely sunny (not during monsoon season anyway) with thunderstorms every afternoon! The food is dirt cheap (dirt being an appropriate choice of word here) and the shopping is abundant. I just bought the phone I have been dreaming of for the past 4 months for $600 cheaper than I would have paid in New Zealand!!! Isn't it beautiful?! *swoon*

Listen to me, going on about gadgets when I should be aweing over the scenery! Well the landscapes here are completely unlike ANY place I have been to before - jungle covers most of Sarawak and the wildlife is gorgeous. Look at this female orangutan we saw!
She was carrying her baby underneath although you can't really see it from this photo.

I'll post more on my expeditions when I return and upload my photos. In the meantime, you shall have to be satisfied with these.

Afternoon thunderstorms

A Bidayuh longhouse (meeting room)

A bridge used for crossing swampy marshes between longhouses

The house I am staying at (left of the yellow house)

Red Hair Galore

"Like an apple on a tree
Hiding out behind the leaves
I was difficult to reach
But you picked me
Like a shell upon a beach
Just another pretty piece
I was difficult to see
But you picked me
Yeah you picked me"

  

Alison Sudol from A Fine Frenzy is amazing. Her metophorical lyrics and delicate melodies make for perfect summertime tunes. I especially love her hair in the below photo. She sure gives redheads a good name! I miss my once scarlet mane..

Mix It Up

I've recently become obsessed with blenders. I have yet to source the ultimate blender for myself, so in the meantime I have been doing a bit of research and came across these! Best thing of all, they help raise funds for Breast Cancer so it's all for a good cause.

Aren't they simply delightful! I especially love this lady:

This collection is available from PopGadget. Unfortunately they're WAY out of my price range... But hey, a girl can dream can't she?

But The Greatest Of All Is Love

" L'amour est patient, amour est aimable. Il n'envie pas, il ne se vante pas, il n'est pas fier. Il n'est pas grossier, il n'est pas égoïste, il n'est pas facilement irrité, il ne garde aucun disque des maux. L'amour n'enchante pas dans le mal mais se réjouit avec la vérité. Il se protège toujours, toujours des confiances, toujours espoirs, persévère toujours. "

~ 1 Corinthians 13v4-7

An Alien in Their Sight

This is where I will be going in exactly 37 days from now!
Doesn't the landscape and culture look magnificent?
I just love the vivacious nature of the people.

I can't wait to go to a pasar malam

Guess where?

Bring on the Summer Days

Today is unofficially the first day of summer. For some reason unbeknown to me I always think of feet when I think of Summer. Perhaps it's my inner hippie coming out, or maybe it's just my longing to kick off my stuffy heels and feel the cool grass under my toes. I'm really hoping this weekend is fine weather. My pale complexion could do with a touch of colour!

For those who aren't fortunate enough to tan well, Palmer's have a great cocoa butter formula moisturiser with gradual tanner which smells absolutely delicious! It also comes in a facial moisturiser. And for only $12 a tube who wouldn't love to smell like chocolate and look beautifully bronze?!

"All things colourful, quirky, vintage and bazaar!"

One of the girls I work with recently mentioned a book she had heard about; Bazaar Style by Selina Lake. I looked it up online and immediately fell in love with Selina's quirky and diverse style.



The way she blends colours and textures together is really inspirational. I especially love how she uses clothes as wall features. I am definitely going to take notes so that I can give my room personality when I move into my new place!

Accidents Don't Just Happen

"You are who you are for a reason,

You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique deisng,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was alloweds to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!"
- Russell Kelfer

The Connect Group I've just joined has been reading through Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life as a group and this is an excerpt from Day Two of the 40 Day Journey to discover God's purpose for your life. It's a captivating book and I highly recommend reading it if you're struggling to decide where to go to next.

"The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us."
- Romans 12v13