Veni, Vidi, Visa - Ferragamo Loanne In Burgundy
Labels: retail therapy
Sunday, August 22, 2010
And the perfect way to end a weekend is...
... scoring your favourite brand of shoes at 50% off during an end-of-season sale. 
Last day. My size. Meant to be.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 10:18 am
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
Labels: home life
Friday, August 20, 2010
So the saying goes.
It means looking good on the outside is superficial, hence skin deep, and what really counts is your personality.
However, when your husband looks at you in mild shock after you've just emerged from your nightly toilette in all its radiant barefaced beauty and exclaims," What's happened to your face?", you know it's time to do something about it.
What Hubs was alluding to were the nasty angry cyst-like bumps and spots which have congregated along the jawline and forehead. I've always had clear skin until we went to Beijing. And because I do not want to waste your time, dear reader, this is the abbreviated chain of events:
Beijing + air pollution like you wouldn't believe = blocked pores = whiteheads, blackheads + pimples
Thank you country of my forefathers.
The condition lifted somewhat when we went back to the Netherlands for two weeks. Then it was on to Singapore. Again I present you the abbreviated chain of events:
Singapore + humidity + mild (anything after Beijing is practically pristine) air pollution = more blocked pores = whiteheads, blackheads + pimples
Then I think the stress from the last few months also contributed to my facial woes. Last week, I decided enough was enough, I made an appointment with a dermatologist.
I met her today and it was the best thing ever. We went through my daily skincare regime and she shook her head and said I do too much work. Then she peered into my face with her special magnifying eyeglasses. It only took a minute or two but I never felt so exposed in my entire life. Then she tells me my pores are clogged, extremely clogged and all my lotions and potions are causing it. Stop using the whole lot she says. I coiled back in horror. They are not working, is it? If not you wouldn't be here. She has a point.
So goodbye Chanel and Estee Lauder, hello La Roche-Posay, Clindoxyl, Differin and Glycoli Acid. And to make things go along even faster, a couple of monthly acid peels, starting with one at the end of the month. I have been warned that my face will actually get worse before clearing up so I'm bracing myself for it.
Beauty is only skin deep. It means looking good on the outside is superficial, hence skin deep, and what really counts is your personality.
Well, a girl can have both can't she?
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 4:29 am
And... We're Back
Labels: home life
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I didn't plan on taking a hiatus. It just came about naturally. The many things which happened these last months had nothing to do with food and while I do share about the latest going-ons in Cookalot, some things are just best left in the family closet.
Several changes have taken place this year. First up, we have moved. For once it's just apartments and not countries. We had only signed on for a year in the previous one and the lease ended in July. It's still a three-bedroom condo, only smaller. But what we sacrificed in space, we exchanged for location. We are now living in a prime spot in terms of dining, entertainment and shopping. Most importantly, I can now walk Sonny-boy to school as opposed to sending and fetching him home in a cab. Yep, still haven't got round to learning how to drive. Next year. Promise.
Which brings me to the other major change. Starting in January this year, we have enrolled Sonny-boy in a local school. When we first arrived, we put him in an international school but the environment wasn't as conducive or nurturing as we would have liked it to be. After some discussion between Hubs and I, we decided we would try him out in a local school. Now the Singapore school system is notorious for being strait-laced but we thought the structure is exactly what Sonny-boy needs. I will not bore you with the details except to say he is doing well - not top of his class but not failing either - and has even joined the Red Cross. There are a couple of foreign students in his class so at least they have some common ground. To date, he's got two close friends, a boy from Singapore and a girl from Texas. Yes, blond haired, blue-eyed and all. Not in the inner circle but buddies all the same are another two boys from India and Vietnam. So, it's really quite good.
This is all I have time to chat about now. There are the other bits and pieces, but like the twelve days of Christmas, we'll count them down one at a time.
For the moment, pasta making beckons.
So nice to have my mojo back again.
The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 7:06 am
