everything's changing

in 6 weeks, i will be getting a husband.

that is a very important thing.

but at the back of my mind, i am also squee-ing about something else. something that also makes my heart sing.

in 6 weeks (or maybe 7), we will get a cat. and i will have time to spend with the cat!!!

its name, will be Anpan.

catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcat

the HILARIOUS husband to be

context: we're looking at possible resorts to stay in Bali, and we're down to two - Kupu Kupu Barong and Kamandalu.

and here's alvin's sudden input.

direcow says:

DEAR

The resort was named Kupu Kupu Barong because of the many beautiful
butterflies seen fluttering from one plan to another around the resort.
Kupu Kupu means butterfly and Barong means giant.

ARGH

ARGH ARGH ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

he's deathly afraid of butterflies, not to mention GIANT butterflies.

hahaha, I LOVE THIS BOY!!!

nostalgia

i'm trying to recall when i heard this last... seems to have been pretty recent but for the life of me i just can't remember when.

=====

Jars of Clay - tea & sympathy

Fare thee well
Trade in all our words for tea and sympathy
Wonder why we tried, for things that could never be
Play our hearts lament, like an unrehearsed symphony

Not intent
To leave this castle full of empty rooms
Our love the captive in the tower never rescued
And all the victory songs
Seem to be playing out of tune


But it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy, no
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be


You begin
And all your words fall to the floor and break like china cups
And the waitress grabs a broom and tries to sweep them up
I reach for my tea and slowly drink in


'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy, no
'Cause it's not the way
That it has to be
Don't trade our love for tea and sympathy


So fare thee well
Words the bag of leaves that fill my head
I could taste the bitterness and call the waitress instead
She holds the answer
Smiles and asks one teaspoon or two


Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
We can work it out
Don't trade us for tea and sympathy
We can work it out

=====


YES IT WAS AT THAT CHRISTIAN CAFE AT MARINA SQ! pretty sure.

everything is said in silence

so yesterday, alvin and i went down to the wedding studio. it was time to pick our outfits.

3 weeks ago i called to reserve a gown which i had my eye on but didn't try because i had no time. i was also advised to try my gowns 1.5 months from my wedding date because 'there was no rush', said my coordinator.

that was complete BS. the gown was reserved by someone else already (reserved for the 15th of May; that customer tried on the gown 4 months before her wedding date!) and i was really upset. i was irritated and felt so cheated that i shifted my gown fitting 3 weeks ahead. the coordinator tried to cancel at the last minute but i stood my ground. which led to yesterday afternoon.

we met angel first; xinwei would come around after she was done with work. mel also had something on (haha bet she's busy with planning as well :D) so she couldn't come. the plan was for alvin to find a nice jacket, then he would go off while i tried my gown with just the girls.

nope, he's not allowed to see my gown until the wedding day. i really like the whole first look idea. it's the same as sex - the longer you wait, the more you appreciate it when it happens. it sounds gross, but i'm not trying to be!

really.

so anyway!! alvin found 2 suits and the one we wanted was also OUT because it was reserved by someone else getting married on the same day as us. this is not happening again, no. i looked straight at my coordinator (who happened to be around - i was being helped by her assistant that day) and told her, 'YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. you tell me to come in late for my fitting and everything that i want is out. are you serious?!'

so they scrambled around looking for another piece... apparently there was one more which was out on rental so they tried tracing it down. while that was happening, alvin just stood there wearing his 2nd piece... which just started to grow on us. so in the end we took that one.

then they said, 'oh this doesn't come with pants.' what?!' ARGH WHATEVER! we'll tailor our own.

my goodness, i really hate wedding studios sometimes. but alright, alvin's done!! he popped me a kiss and left.

i trust xinwei and angel's taste with all my heart, and i was so glad they were there with me. the studio was split into 3 floors, of which the gowns (a really small range) were on the 1st (new gowns of this season) and 3rd (older gowns) floors.

while we scanned the first floor, the girls rejected everything except one gown. i tried it on and i looked like a mess, so that was abandoned. moving on to the 3rd floor...

the first row we encountered were all rejected. xinwei outright laughed at the designs or rolled her eyes. it's damn cheena, i have to agree. all those pretty dresses i saw when i signed were all gone! we picked out a lot of dresses still, just to try and average out our picks. we all had our choices - xinwei was hogging the long gowns with elaborate skirts, angel picked those with great cutting for showing off the shoulders, while i spent all my time at one particular rack because it was the simple dresses rack. one really caught my eye and xw had to stretch all the way in just to grab that.

and then we also saw the dress that was never meant to be. funny thing was when we walked up the staircase there was a picture of the dress but xw waved it off. but the moment we saw it on the rack she was like, 'OOOH THIS IS PRETTY...'

woman. srsly.

i tried it on for kicks, and it was real pretty... if i was a size 6 (i'm a 10). meh. love the crosshatched lace skirt though! sigh.

the first dress i tried was one with one of those cake skirts... it was nice. and the girls loved it - but honestly i had reservations about it. i never really loved wedding dresses with those skirts... i don't know, it just wasn't calling out to me. but we KIV-ed it coz the girls were so sure every other dress would pale in comparison.

HAHAHA WE SHALL SEE.

dress after dress i kept trying. cupcake skirts, flouncy, super tight, super loose, chests that were only 0.75 times mine (i had half a boob squashed into the side of the bodice. i came out so we all could have a good laugh.)

then it was THE DRESS. the moment amber the assistant zipped it up, i gasped. but amber said no, it's not nice.

no way! in disbelief, i pulled the curtain back and hopped out (it's kinda hard to walk in) and the girls yelled, 'THAT'S IT! THIS IS IT! NO NEED TO TRY ANYMORE!'

shortie me stood on the platform and spread the skirt out. the front was so simple and elegant, then the back really surprised me with its detail which i missed the first time. man, it looked like this dress just came out from a fashion mag. and its details are in peach, which is the wedding color!

that's just amazing. this is also the same dress that caught my eye, and this dress turned out to be incredibly flattering! it's a cut which i never thought i'd ever wear. shocking man.

i tried on a few more very quickly because all i wanted was to wear that gorgeous dress for the whole day. at the end of the parade, i confirmed the dress and hence we were allowed to take some pictures so i can remember the details. then amber asked, 'would you like to see it with a veil?'

cue overexcited starry-eyed girls.

when she put it on, i could see angel and xinwei in my peripheral vision while i looked straight at the mirror. we were all stunned - xinwei had a blissful smile while holding on to a possible evening gown, angel was a little choked up and just reeling from the moment, and i just stood there, a little overwhelmed and teary-eyed. that moment was profound man.

it's like those brides + bridesmaids movies you see!!

when the moment passed, angel whipped out her camera and took pictures from about 10 different angles. hahaha. then we moved on to evening gowns.

i was not hopeful. i tried about 10 dresses before i sat down on the floor, tired out and exasperated. the colors were terrible, or the cutting was really really weird, stupid xinwei kept laughing her head off at how ge-tai some of them were. it seemed fruitless and futile, and we were nearing the end of their range.

finally, xinwei decided to pick a gown in a color which she really didn't love. but the moment i put it on the effect was marvelous. and it made me look striking even without the sash because the gown color was so complementary. we all called it the Cinderella dress for obvious reasons (in case not obvious, it's the color). :D

even the girls were amazed by how terrible it looked on the rack, but completely gorgeous when worn. i might decide to wear a blue sash in my hair for the banquet to match the Cinderella outfit. so funnn!!!

so this concludes my dreaded wedding dress search, and this is all the description i'm giving alvin hehe. also, the pre-wedding gown was done and altered beautifully!! that one damn chio too.

i'm just really glad this nightmare is over. time to clear catering and invites now.

God, i need strength. *rolls around*

woes of a loopy mind

there are so many things to take care of. so many.

i was suddenly reminded of why i wanted to start planning earlier - so that when the time comes for me to deal with people i will not go crazy on them.

but it has all come to naught, and everything is late, late, late. God is wonderful as always, making sure we get the best deals but it's so hard to sit down and spend time to consider everyone's feelings.

if i have offended or slighted you, please forgive me. :(

did i forget to invite anyone?? i can't recall!!! *head-desk*

weirdest wedding verse (prolly ever)

while i was looking through Bible Gateway for our wedding verse, i found this:

Proverbs 15:17
Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

man, that is so us. i really identify with it! there's food, and the word love and it just sounds so... healthy in body and soul.

it's nice. :D

---

alvin's response when he saw it:

direcow says:
HAHAHAHAHAHA

direcow says:

BEEEEF

The year-long Duet

In June 2010, alvin and i headed down to Amara Sanctuary for our first (and last) wedding show. There, we met the passionate BryanJean team, and signed with them their pre-wedding package. As you know, we've been so pleased with their work that we've also booked them to cover our actual day.

On that same day, Ling Jewellery also had a showcase and omg I LOVE THEIR WEDDING RINGS. i really hate going into Soo Kee, Lee Hwa, Tianpo and other standard jewellery shops because MY GOODNESS their salespeople can be so pushy to sell their designs that aren't any inspiring. bleh.

DO NOT LIKE.

so when Nicole, the saleslady, offered us some time at their booth (they were crowded), immediately i sat down. after a few rings which i was quite blasé about, she thought for a bit and said, 'ok... you seem to like classic designs. i have one which i absolutely love. hold on...'

she came back with a rose gold, half eternity (2 rows of belgium diamonds on each side!) band. i was quite meh... until i put it on - IT WAS A PERFECT FIT. it slid in so comfortably and it was so pretty with the bits of glitter at the sides of the band - elegant and not garish like some bands i see with diamonds. the sides of the band where the diamonds are were slanted about 45degrees so from the top of the ring you can see a little bit of the diamond... so it looks like a thin gold band trimmed with lace.

omg i love it so much. i didn't want to take it off my finger. it was also the only gold shade that looked good with my skin tone. alvin also tried on the saint maurice band and gosh that italian gold was so elegant and simple. his hands still looked manly, which was great. he tried one on which was so metro that i guffawed. i love that Ling makes such simple and yet expensive looking rings!

but the total price was WAY over our heads. so with a depressed sigh we left. even after nicole offered us a better price, i just couldn't justify the cost. we left!!! BOOHOO!!!

fast forward to yesterday and a whole load of rejected wedding band possibilities later, we decided to go down to Ling's shop at Orchard Hotel. before that i dropped them a note saying we met at Amara and was keen on one pair we saw that time. guess what - nicole replied and she remembered us! hurray!

i do love personable service.

when we got there, lots of smiles and 'HEY IT'S YOU!!' were exchanged. we went through the shop again, picking out new designs to try on although i've already had my heart set on the Duet (yes that's its name). even after all the other rings were tried on, none of them did it for us except for the Duet and a pair of geeky rings.

truth be told, i really like the geeky rings. and alvin ADORES the male version. its finish was like tarnished metal, and the look was.. so... medieval (alvin's words). we didn't get that in the end, and i'll explain why.

i was telling alvin before we stepped into the shop, 'let's not overstep our budget' - if they can't bring it down any further we'd just take it as it's not affordable and we just have to pick simple rings at the local shops.

nicole calculated the price for us as a pair. hmm ok best price is still about $350 off. so i asked again... and in the midst of that nicole mentioned the Duet rings that they create now were flat top instead of a slightly curved top like the one i had on my finger. the difference is there but not jarring... i did prefer the curved one though. so as i sat there and considered between the Duet and the medieval rings, i thought about the fit of the Duet... its weight, its comfort fit...

WAIT, THE FIT! IT FITS!!! as in, the one i had on my finger was the perfect size for me. and how awesome is that - it's the exact same ring i tried and fell in love with in Amara S. it's like, it's just been there... and waiting for me! oh man!

i've gotta get you now!

so we asked for the showpiece (i really can't believe how well it fits) plus alvin's italian gold band. we spoke to Colleen - the awesome owner of the shop, and well, she agreed to give it to us at a certain price. which was exactly the budget i had in mind.

YAY OUR WEDDING BAND WOES ARE OVER!!! so very glad we prayed too. such peace. :D

maybe i'll get my dowry set from here too - she's got new stock for peranakan inspired pieces. beautiful lace designs, i like!! :D:D:D

---

i may go back and get those medieval rings for 'rough-wear'. hmm. after the wedding i suppose.

Drugstore

Ok guys i need to replenish my face cream. Anybody need anything from drugstore.com? drop me a note!