Follow your SWEET dreams

Met a lovely gal who has followed her passion for baking cupcakes and established a sweet company called MISS CUPCAKES.

Truly another brave person who chases a dream and makes it a reality.  That's what life is worth living for, isn't it?

Saatchi Gallery - NENDO: Thin Black Lines

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Improvised Spaghetti dish

This dish came about randomly as I knew I wanted to discover other ways to utilise leeks other than in soups.

Ingredients:
Sausages of choice (preferably beef/pork)
Spaghetti
Leeks (cut into long thin slices-similar to width of spaghetti)
Pasta/tomato sauce

1) Boil spaghetti in water with salt
2) Remove meat from casing then mince in pan. Add leeks & sauce immediately to allow the flavours to blend. Ready when meat is well cooked.
3) Drain spaghetti & drizzle with olive oil.

Meal is ready in 3 simple steps.

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BBB - Notting Hill

Starter: 5* /5

Pancetta wrapped Monk Fish on rosemary sticks with beetroot, tomato, capers & lemon

Main: 3* /5

Pan Seared Sea Bass and shaved fennel salad with macerated raisins, pine nuts,
orange segments and dill

Dessert: 1* /5

Chocolate Cake w/Lemon Ice Cream

Beach Blanket Babylon

The interiors of this restaurant/bar is absolutely charming and perfect for intimate and large dinners.  Many restaurants in London are not capable of comfortably accommodating large parties for events but BBB seems to satisfy that with its Georgian Mansion decorated space.  The bridges and steps do make it tricky for the heels.

The food was rather disappointing.  I had the Monk Fish as the starter which was just amazingly blended with flavours and textures.  The next fish - Sea Bass - was just lacking flavour.  It was as if none of the ingredients meant to compliment the fish had a purpose! What's the point in that? And, I shouldn't expect any bones, which I did get a prick. Finally, the chocolate cake dessert was so horrible I couldn't even be bothered to take a picture.  There is a huge difference between 'cake' and 'fudge'.  Obviously either we misread the menu or the kitchen can't tell the difference. 

Overall the atmosphere is amazing with great customer service.  There should be a taxi service during these bitter winter nights though, considering it's a walk to the main street.

Would I return for another sitting? Maybe at the Shoreitch branch just to give that a fair shot.

New Agent @ Agent Provocateur

Yours truly will officially be at Agent Provocateur's head office starting Monday!
Being able to write passionately & persuasively (*wink wink* cover letter) is part of the skills required for Marketing - online & e-commerce.

Look out for the new collection and holiday specials!

Just in time for the holidays...

 

La Perla Sample Sale
(lynku.com)

 

Starts: 01/12/10 - Ends: 02/12/10
Hornvale Ltd, 4th Floor, 22 Newman Street
London
W1T 1PH
020 7291 0930

---

LA PERLA CLEARANCE SAMPLE SALE

Up to 80% off retail lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear, outerwear, hoisery and fragrance. A wide range of sizes available


We accept all major credit cards and cash.

Starts: Wednesday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December 2010

Times: 10am to 6.30pm

***HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!***

Kipling Caitlin Clutch

'Roomy and functional' was the main selling point for a brand I usually associate with 1990's pastel backpacks.  Kipling's display of their 'clutches' on Regent's Street grabbed my attention as I was heading to Momo's for drinks and desserts. 

The problem I have with this range is that the items are all made in China, therefore is cheap in price.  For such a well design and 'functional' bag, they could have invested some money into having it made in Europe - particularly Italy. 

The features I find really annoying about their website!
1) When you first go onto the webpage, the images that loop are looping way too fast for the customer to read.  Useless if you actually want customers to read what you're trying to advertise.
2) The images used to preview the range is too tiny. We don't all have time to sit there and click on each image.
3) Once you do decide a style of clutch/bag is interesting, the views are limited to two or even one image.  How are customers supposed to imagine how the bag could be held, opened, zipped, etc....?
4) The images that are supposed to correspond to the style of the bag is not consistent. Ex: Lottie and Lottie L has images of different bag sizes, the customer wouldn't even know which they are buying
5) Although there is a 'Quick Buy' option, there is no 'Quick Preview' instead.  The first step is allowing the customer to view products easily and quickly then they could check out.

Anyway, they are only just my comments.  Feel free to oject otherwise after taking a tour on the site.

Certify your Office skills

I spent all evening searching for Microsoft Excel certification training courses.

Why? Because it's one of the only ways to prove your skills are of a certain standards and can be recognised globally.

Why is that important for fashion? Buyers, merchandisers, allocators, to name a few, all use Excel to organise data and analyse numbers. It's necessary to prove you have the capability to create and present charts and reports

I came to the conclusion that I didn't need all the MOS certifications but should really focus on Excel and Powerpoint.
Basically either you sign up for training courses, which I don't understand why there are only a few in London, or you can buy books.

My choices are: Excel 2007 Bible ; John Walkenbach's Favorite Excel 2007 Tips and Tricks

Once I have gone through them, preparation for the exams may be done on the Microsoft website. 

Exams to be passed:
77-602 certification for MCAS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007
77-603 certification for MCAS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

Invitation to: An Intimate Geography

"Lahd Gallery London is proud to premiere AbdulAziz Al Qahtani: An Intimate Geography, a solo exhibition by celebrated Saudi photographer artist Abdulaziz Al Qahtani.

In a never-revealed-before exposé of social taboos, Al Qahtani will show a series of taboo inspired photographs for the very first time in London and the exhibition promises to be an exciting exploration of taboos in contemporary Middle Eastern society.

Employing a broad spectrum of captivating visuals, Al Qahtani illustrates the relationship and interaction between Middle Eastern women and Western societies. The categorisationof taboos will be challenged and any such boundaries broken down. We all know that taboos are society’s way of labeling and informing, and how often they are used to conceal an underlying truth. Even when contemporary standards of social decorum are brought into question, any such categorisationis futile as societies are not static, but rather fluid across time and space.

The exhibition provides the opportunity for thorough self-examination and critique. It traces one artist’s fascination with social taboos and provokes questions about the complexities of contemporary Middle Eastern society. Seen together, the controversial photographs comprise a kind of societal portrait, but only from a different perspective.

AbdulAziz Al Qahtani: An Intimate Geography shows why taboos may in fact be the only way for us to learn and rediscover our true human nature."

-Lahd Gallery  

RSVP @ http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159922257383327

Time	02 December at 19:30 - Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 10:00
Location	Lahd Gallery London, 92 Heath street NW3 1DP

 

Alexander McQueen AW10 Tortoiseshell Knuckle Box Clutch

Mmm, put that on my Christmas wishlist.

Usually I'd leave it to the Americans to get away...

Anything For Her : French film lacking a better title and ending. However, it kept my attention the whole way through.

Gossip Girl Blair quotes:

'As long as I'm with you (Chuck), I'm Hillary in the White House. And I want to be Hillary, Secretary of State. Except with better hair.'

A gift to read

Probably the type of book you'd skip a night out for....

Even the service was 'eclectic'

 

 Crispy glazed Marmalade Belly pork with Stilton pear

Rendez-vous of lobster, scallop, squid & mackerel with a saffrom risotto cream

Dinner at Michael Moore Restaurant

Skull obsession continues

 

The thing about skulls is that we as humans will never get over it.  It's part of a human obsession even if it means we carry an imitation of it on our necks, fingers or bags.  

This is my newest piece from Peter Lang to add to my collection.

Peter Lang designs and makes his coveted pieces in Australia.

Follow him @ Twitter.

À la folie... pas du tout

My continuous effort to learn French ... this was intense though.  

You can always depend on the French to do the attention grabbing in film and the crazy in love!

Elephant & Red Balloon by Graphic Nothing

Order them at Someprints.com

via Thrillist

Mark Liu's Unicorn Collection SS10

Mark Liu's philosophy has a strong emphasis on minimising waste throughout the design and production process.  

He continues to successfully release aesthetically pleasing dresses while limiting scrap disposal.

Updated Office Dress - Burton for Alexander McQueen Resort 2011

 

All the pieces are great, but I would narrow it down to this piece that would suit the average woman.  Covers just enough skin and over-the-knee length while maintaining femininity.

Stirred up by hunger!

 

Homemade Stir-Fry Noodles w/Chicken

• Bell peppers (I like using all 3 coloured peppers to create a visual mix)
  
• + Mushrooms
  
• Chicken
  
• Noodles
  
  -sliced ingredients into strips to compliment noodles
  -cook ingredients seperately then combine at end

Every City girl's essential shoe - Butterfly Twist

Recently I've discovered the perfect flats that fits into my going out clutch bag!  These 'Clever Litte Soles' are comfortable and fabulous! You can order these discreet but essential shoes online at Butterfly Twist for only £14.99!  The website presents a comfy sensation that is simple and direct, just like the concept of the shoes. However, the butterfly cursor is very annoying...

Alamada keeps his center stage

Carlos Alamada continues to maintain his stylish, exclusive, and cozy restaurant/bar ALMADA on Berkeley Street popular after a year of success. With an invitation-only guest door policy, Carlos has been able to hand-pick the 'Friends & Family' members in London and internationally. Fantastic food, familiar faces and great fun!

Of course, I would choose to celebrate my birthday at Almada this year.

However, if you're not a friend or lacking a friend of a friend to put you on the guestlist, there is always the famous New York style American brasserie AUTOMAT on Dover Street. Ideal for a Sunday gathering or a intimate family sitting over breakfast/brunch.

Naiomie Santos represents Guam @ Miss Earth 2010 in Vietnam

An ambitious young lady, Naiomie, has been recently crowned Miss Guam Earth 2010.  She now represents Guam (my home island) in Vietnam for the running of Miss Earth 2010.

Although Guam is a tiny island, Guamanians have a big heart and large ambitions. We are EVERYWHERE for small population and we go for what we want.

Find out more about Naiomie and support her confident journey.

Mulberry Winter Sample Sale

David Otokpa Photography

David Otokpa

Talented and expressive London-based American photographer: contact him for fashion and commercial projects.
Follow his blog / twitter

One too many shakes of pepper

Homemade wholesome Asian style winter beef casserole.

Ingredients:
Beef (diced or shredded)
Seasonal vegetables
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Ginger
Garlic
Spices of your choice

Cook the beef in pan with little bit of oil for about a minute.
Create a broth base with soy sauce, salt, pepper.... OR just by using beef broth cubes.
Place the vegetable and meat into a tray then pour broth over.
Put into oven on rougly 180C for about 20-30 mins or until meat is cooked!

Tastes of Sweet Memories

Henri not only amazes me with his poetic photography (yes it's very true) and deep quotes, he continues to bring life to the bakery goods @ Guam Bakery.

LV gets me again & again!

Maybe I'm one of the billions of Asians that end up drawn to LV genetically, or it could possibly be because they never fair to bring back old styles with a new contemporary twist!

My interview with them is Monday so wish me luck!

SC Bag PM Calf Leather

Bonner's Latest - worth a read

Bonner's latest - worth a read


It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

It is certainly the best of times for economists with a sense of humor. Absurdity and cupidity are right out in the open where you can laugh at them. Today's financial events - predictable consequences of clownish meddling and currency debasement - are funny enough. The official reactions practically double us up. Central bankers and finance ministers are proudly doing things that they used to be punished for. Henry II brought his bankers together in 1124. Those found guilty of debasing the coinage - an earlier form of quantitative easing - were either castrated or they had their right hands cut off.
What can you say about that kind of monetary policy? It worked.

But as for today's monetary system. It is the worst of times. Not in 3,000 years, says Nobel prize winner Robert Mundell, have we experienced such "monetary instability." What? What about when a German Mark lost nearly all its value in a single day? What about when the French replaced the old francs for new francs at 100 to one? What about the Hungarian pengo hyperinflation of 1947? Currency crises come around much more frequently than Mundell, the "father of the euro," thinks.

In England, the government of David Cameron has announced the biggest cutbacks since WWII. He's going to lighten the UK government expense load by 81 billion pounds over the next 5 years. Nearly half a million government employees are to be given the heave-ho. So far, the British public is taking the news like a donkey informed about original sin."Carry on!" they said to each other as if it were the Blitz, as if there were something vaguely noble at stake.

In France, the government is implementing pension reforms, the highlight of which is to increase the retirement age for government employees from 60 to 62. This seems like such a timid reform. Anglo Saxons wonder what the frogs are so upset about. But they've taken to
the streets. Early this week, one out of four French gas stations were out of fuel. Hundreds of autos were torched. Even schoolchildren were on the barricades. At least most of the manifestants were in it for a good reason - to get money. The deluded students thought they were upholding a matter of principle.

On the surface, the two nations seem to be taking two very different approaches to solving a problem. The English buckle down. The French rise up. The English submit to reality. The French stick to fantasy. In London it is the season of Light. In Paris, Darkness descends
before noon.

"What separates civilized man from the wild beasts?" they ask in The City.

"The English Channel," comes the reply, followed by a good chuckle. On one side of the water, it is the spring of hope, or so they believe. On the other, it is winter of despair. And yet, they all hope to go to Heaven and sit on the right hand of God. That they are headed in another direction is the point of today's reflection.

The real problem in both countries is the same. The welfare democracies made promises they can't keep. "Government can have only two legitimate purposes," said William Godwin, "the suppression of injustice against individuals.and the common defense against external invasion." Beyond that the decline in marginal productivity of government spending is remarkably steep. The courts and police protection have real and immediate payoffs. Retirement, unemployment, bailouts, payoffs, tariffs, subsidies, free food and lodging, committees, councils, regulations - all quickly have perverse outcomes. More and more people switch from producing to conniving and chiseling. The more something for nothing is available from the government, the more people do nothing useful to get it - including getting control over the government itself.

In both England and France, the spending cuts on the table so far are too little, too late. A three percent deficit was regarded as such a serious threat to the financial integrity of the European Union that member states who surpassed that level were supposed to lose their
right to vote. France runs a budget deficit of nearly 8% of GDP. Its public expenses are about $1.5 trillion per year. Even if the projected savings of $96 billion by 2018 (when the pension cuts kick in) were realized, the amount is trivial. But so are the savings to be
realized by the Cameron government - also trivial, and likewise programmed so the presumed benefits are realized sooner while the costs are suffered later.

But at least give them credit for pretending. Over in the USA, the Obama government shows no interest in jettisoning any of the accumulated ballast of the last half a century of boondoggles, bailouts and bunkum. Instead, with new health care and regulatory programs, it is adding to them. The current budget deficit is close to 10% of GDP, with no plausible plans to reduce it significantly. Instead, the political elite dream that they will "grow their way out" of their financial problems.

They count on stimulus to rev up their economy. But what do they have to "stimulate" with? Only the same quack elixirs that got them into trouble in the first place. The government either spends more money.or creates more of it to spend. More fiscal stimulus is off the table in Britain, and probably in America too. Instead, they both aim to get bywith a little help with their friends at their central banks. Ben Bernanke has made it clear that he is ready to provide more unconventional stimulus - via money printing. The smart money is betting that Mervyn King will do the same.

And the really smart money is getting out of town.

Wardrobe clear out of designer merchandise!

Friend is clearing out her wardrobe, selling all the designer items found in this album.

Even better than sample sales!