(Harper’s Bazaar)

The hotel was festively decked out – a lovely welcome.

First up, lunch. We headed straight for the Vietnamese restaurant in the hotel, Spice Garden. The best bun cha (grilled pork skewers and rice noodles) ever can be found here.

Then we headed out for a stroll. The streets were bustling and lively. Clearly people were in a cheery mood in preparation for the New Year.

This Angry Bird game made me smile. Comes complete with iPhone!

Afternoon tea at Paris Deli, our favourite cafe.

Nearby, we discovered the cutest little textiles store. Well-made and affordable table runners and scarves came home with us.

This street corner seemed to be the ‘hip and happening’ hangout spot among Hanoi youths, who were sipping lemon tea and chewing on kwa chee while giggling over Youtube videos on their iPads.

We stopped this street vendor to buy…

… some masks! Doing it like the locals :-) But no, really, the pollution was getting to us.

The next pit-stop was M’s favourite banh mi store, Nguyen Sinh. Banh mi is this east-meets-west sandwich with French baguette, and a mixture of mystery-meat cold cuts. We’ve also seen banh mi with veg (lettuce, carrots, onions) but this store didn’t include veg.

The Hello Kitty calculator was begging to be photographed :-)

There were lots of people buying calendars for 2012 – yeah, analogue rules!

Back to the hotel for the evening. The lights were so pretty and festive, I felt so lucky to be here with M :-)

By the poolside, the best creme brulee ever. Eggy and soft and perfectly crisp on the top, with an almond tuile biscuit.

Next, the New Year’s eve celebrations, cha ca la vong, and more.

I’m actually going to Hong Kong for work tomorrow till Friday. Then, next Wednesday a trip to KL seems imminent. The week after, it’ll be Hong Kong again for a day. My head’s gone a little dizzy just saying that. Phew. But the trips are for exciting new projects, so I’m pumped!

So here’s a cheerful colour-tastic head-trip for you — have a great week and an even greater weekend ahead :-) xx

p.s. Must. get. round. to. uploading. Hanoi. pics!

(black*eiffel)

Bak kut teh at Balestier while shopping for lights – a major deja-vu moment from my childhood. Yibs, do you remember? We came here with Cody (our cousin) when we were kids. :)

It pays to be eagle-eyed in lighting shops – we found these wall lights in a dim corner, hidden from view; after half an hour of (post-)rationalizing where to place them, they’ll go near our dining area and front door.

The prettiest, creamiest cat I’ve seen. L-O-V-E.

Some of the darlingest friends one could ever have. And who keep me laughing even when I’m feeling down.

This is the view from the waiting area near the operating suites at the hospital. One of the most nerve-wracking moments of my life, while waiting for mum to come out of surgery – this Christmas tree reminded me to always be hopeful.

Countdown to the new year in chilly Hanoi – I felt very blessed and loved, and thankful for being able to end the year on a grand note :-)

(via jeanasohn & Studded Hearts)

(Rachael Yamagata’s rendition of ‘I Wish You Love’)

(via Plussixfive)

We’re trying to make furniture-shopping an ongoing thing just so we find the right item fit for our needs – lately I’ve been thinking of my dresser.

I’ll need it to hold a whole bunch of skincare / toiletry products, makeup, and also my beloved jewelry (my babies!).

This dresser is so gorgeous with the vintage tile, made modern with acrylic shelving and a cute little jewelry rack.

I’m very persnickety about jewelry storage – has to be in a lined drawer with compartments or they oxidise / get tangled together etc. So this Samantha Wills  jewelry chest is really calling my name…

Note to self : fresh flowers in the walk-in wardrobe would make dressing up feel twice as fun :-)

(Pinterest & Samantha Wills)

Then I found Maybelline’s Magnum Volum’ Express mascara in waterproof.

The formula’s a little clumpy, but it elongates and plumps up my lashes beautifully. It doesn’t curl though, so you need to curl your lashes before using. But once you apply, the curl holds all day – even with my slightly oily lids and sensitive eyes. And removal is painless, swift and easy with some waterproof-makeup remover. My lashes don’t feel like dried toast after removing the mascara, and there are way fewer ‘casualties’ along the way.

I’ve fnally found a mascara I can wear all day, everyday! Whee :-) So I thought I’d share the joy with you.

Oh, and Watsons and Guardian pharmacies are running 20% discount on these now, so if you’re keen on trying this baby out, there’s no better time.

I wonder if it’s just me “growing up” (or regressing age-wise, depends how you see it) but ultra-girly, feminine detailing has been really appealing to me lately.

These Suno dresses have me drooling. I’m having a white lace / pleat-skirt / embroidered satin moment right now.

(Style Bubble)