Category Archives: Parties

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

2 February 2012 16 comments

Hey guess what, it’s Chinese New Year!

OK, Chinese New Year actually started more than a week ago.. but I’ve been busy on playdates and looking after Hunter, so haven’t had a chance to blog about it yet. And anyway, was preoccupied writing up his 1st Birthday entries :P

But yep, Chinese New Year is really exciting for us this year because it’s the first time we’ve celebrated in …. believe it or not….. over a decade. I think the last time we celebrated was when I was 18 yrs old or something like that! It’s not exactly big in Australia, and in China the whole country practically shuts down whilst everyone visits their own relatives, so we could only bum around at home.

But THIS year, we’re in Singapore and can celebrate! And, even better, we have Hunter now. It was his 1st CNY so of course we had to dress him up in a traditional Chinese outfit. I figure since Hunter is a mixed kid, he would look pretty funky in it :P

"Oh maaaaan.... what have Mum and Dad DONE TO ME?!?!"

Getting into the CNY spirit :P

It was still a pretty low-key CNY celebration for us, because my Dad’s side of the family don’t even celebrate it, and my Mum’s side just barely. So all we really got was to go over to my Aunt’s place where she had an ‘open house’. But it was fun! Sooooo much yummy food (which is kinda my benchmark on whether a party is good or not, heh!!) and lotsa family friends there too. Hunter was a bit shocked with the people, but had fun :)

Cute decor!

All comfy on my parents

Chris finding out what it's like to be Dad to a lil girl :P

Mr and Miss Chinese New Year

"May I have a snack too, Mum?"

My aunt dug out this photo.. of my 2 cousins and I! I'm on the right of the pic, if it isn't obvious :P

A 60TH BIRTHDAY BASH

12 November 2011 12 comments

So this year, not only did I turn 30 years old, but my aunt also had an iconic birthday – her 60th birthday!

To celebrate, my cousins (her daughters) threw a birthday bash in her honour and invited close friends and family to join in the fun. Of course, it was held at the Cookyn premises which was all decked out and is a great spot to hold a party.

Freakin' huge and gorgeous flowers @ Cookyn

Birthday girl with my 2 beautiful cousins

I decided on the easy-way-out and dressed as an Aussie beach bum, using the sarong I bought during our Bintan holiday. It was simple cos I just wrapped it round me and tied it behind my neck. In retrospect, I should’ve worn some clothes underneath cos I felt rather… errmm… flimsy throughout the party!

Hunter came as an Aussie kangaroo, another easy-way-out since I already had that outfit when he was dressed as a kangaroo for Halloween. Was very pleased with my decision because it was cooooold at the party so he was kept warm and snug in his outfit.

Aussie beach bum with her pet kangaroo

The food was…. awesome. Well, it IS a Cookyn party after all! The roasted pork belly was especially scrumptious, especially paired with a big dollop of super-creamy garlic mash potatoes. But most of all, I LOVED LOVED LOVED the chilli con carne hot dogs. It’s one of my favourite foods and this one didn’t disappoint. So good I had 3 or 4 of these babies and was in seventh heaven :D In fact, I also shamelessly took back 2 tubs(!) of the chilli con carne afterwards to put into pasta at home, teehee.

Foie gras and cheese. YES PLEASE.

Seafood salad, anyone?

Me, rather pleased with all the food

I ate 3 (or was it 4?) chilli con carne hot dogs. They were that good. *licks lips*

: Love this pic of the cheeky boy

The room was decorated with a ‘travel and living’ theme (though Hunter and I were the only 2 people that dressed for it – booooo), so had a worldmap as a backdrop against a wall and lots of cute lil props to take photos with. I was trying to get a cute pic of myself and Hunter, but the ‘roo was not being cooperative!

HELP my kangaroo is trying to escape!

Us with our uncle!

My Dad with his two beloved lil ones

Family pic

: A photo containing all the people I like :) And, check out that impressive cake!

My aunt with the sunglasses I gave her :)

And the birthday shenanigans don’t end here… my Mum and Dad’s birthdays are both coming up in December!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY ELLIOT!

22 September 2011 9 comments

Happy Birthday Elliot!

My favourite nephew turns 3 years old!

The cute lil man gets up to such hilarious antics and says the most amusing things. It’s just crazy how quickly they grow up. It makes me look forward to when Hunter is the same age and actually forming full sentences. How fun it will be!

Enforced kisses from Mum

We had a family lunch at Seb’s Bistro, a fantastic family-oriented restaurant that is wonderful for kids, thanks to the huge play area inside. In fact, I’m considering having Hunter’s 1st year birthday party here because I think it’s great for both kids and adults :)

I thought the food was a little on the pricey side (mains are around SG$25-30 each), but I suppose you also pay for the ambiance. Dining is outdoors undercover, by the way, so make sure you dress appropriately for the weather. I really liked my Seafood vol-au-vent, which had huge chunks of fresh, delicious seafood in a creamy mornay sauce. Next time, I want to try their Pork Belly, which was unavailable when we were there that day.

Cold cuts appetizer. The rillette (on the left) was fab!

Crispy whitebait - my fave appetizer

My seafood vol-au-vent. Luscious!

Lamb shank with mash - so tender, this was excellent

Duck confit - oddly, rather dried out. Though the chips were great!

1-for-1 beers. They were GIGANTIC!

The cake was organized by madmoneymonkey and stole the show. It was a custom made WIGGLES cake, of course! The birthday boy is Wiggles-obsessed, you see ;)

Assembling the cake took a lot of skill and effort, with a huge dose of laughter ;)

Closeup of the cake, with a cameo from Hunter

And my present was, what else?, a Wiggles puzzle game, that helps him learn and form sentences and is partly a game as well. I think, from now on, I will give kids educational/game presents.. I figure if they’re going to play with something, might as well learn from it, right?!

Elliot with his new Wiggles sentence-making game

The staff were really lovely, especially since we were a large group and rather boisterous :P It’s not easy when you have kids at the table! But they took it all in stride, and even let Hunter go into the play area for free :)

He was in such a solemn mood the whole afternoon though! Didn’t crack a single smile and just regarded everything and everyone with the most serious, almost forlorn, face. He can be such a weirdo sometimes. He’ll be laughing like a maniac at home, but when we go out into an unfamiliar environment he suddenly becomes so serious as he studies everything around him. Let’s hope he expresses the same seriousness when it comes to studying in the future ;)

Solemnly going down the slide

Solemnly playing in the ball pit

Elliot the chef. After all, he IS his parent's son!

Oh my, aren't we BLESSED with this small smile from Hunter, finally ;)

Solemnly with my v gorgeous cousin

Just you and me, my son

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A FABULOUS ‘CHINDIAN’ WEDDING

12 September 2011 20 comments

I first met my lovely girl friend, Leana, back when I was living in Australia and she had moved there for university. We were both around 18 then and I actually can’t even remember how we first got to know each other.. but I think we were online friends first. I know it’s incredibly nerdy, but almost all of my great female relationships are with friends I’ve first known only online. After all, you already know you’re almost guaranteed to click since you’ve already chatted online extensively and have the same interests!

Anyway, she is a self-described “chindian” (Chinese Indian), must have met the only other chindian of our age.. who, coincidentally, is from Singapore. What are the chances, right?!

And so their wedding was at the luxe Four Seasons Hotel, and the guests came resplendently dressed – many wearing glittering Indian saris or Chinese qipaos. It was like a gorgeous fashion parade, so I was quite thankful that despite not having time to have a shower or even do my hair/makeup properly (we were in a mad rush since we had to bathe/put Hunter to sleep prior to leaving), I managed to pull on my Alannah Hill party dress and so at least didn’t look too under-dressed.

The Four Seasons hotel

Reception area

I was super excited when I heard that the Singapore prime minister and other ministers were at the dinner, just 2 tables down from me. I’m not sure why I got overly excited, considering I don’t care much for politics. I guess it was the first time I’ve seen him in real life! From my vantage point, he appeared pretty down-to-earth and friendly. I was keen to run up to snap a photo with him, but was a bit shy (STOP LAUGHING I DO GET SHY SOMETIMES OK!!!) and so didn’t. D’oh!!

Anyway, as we were milling around with cocktails, we heard that there was a Peking duck station at the other end. We legged it over there and true enough! Delicious peking duck wrapped in soft pancakes. Yummy.

Peking duck makes me happy

The meal was delicious and I loved how it was Western food. Weddings in Singapore almost always have a Chinese banquet so it was unique and much appreciated. And, what can I say? The food was absolutely fantastic. Four Seasons really does whip up a mean meal.

The ballroom

Pretty table setting

Goats cheese tart with caviar

Poached salmon, chilled prawn and scallop in young lettuce with fine herbs served with red wine vinaigrette

Roasted butternut squash bisque infused with sunflower pesto

Mandarin orange and champagne sorbet

Roasted rack of lamb with onion dusted eggplant puree, roasted peppers, rosemary jus

Red velvet wedding cake

Mid-way through our meal, the bridal party got up to do an Indian dance. I don’t know if it’s traditional or not since I know nothing about Indian custom or music, but it was awesome to watch! Very energetic and entertaining, and had all the guests in hysterics ‘cos of all the crazy dancing and jumping around ;)

Dancing!

Video of the dancing

Me and the lovely bride :)

LA MER & COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE EVENT

2 September 2011 10 comments

All ready to leave

I never knew, but Cosmopolitan has been banned in Singapore for 22 years (!). I read it all the time back in Australia, and didn’t realise that there wasn’t a local version in Singapore. But now, they’ve finally launched. The very first issue is out in all it’s splendid orange glory, complete with Unsuitable for the young stamped on the cover. I guess I must be admitting I’m old then, by reading it ;)

So the Cosmopolitan team paired up with the La Mer ladies to throw a decadent dinner at the White Rabbit at Dempsey. Originally an old chapel, the restaurant boasts lofty ceilings and pretty stained-glass windows. It’s all quite open-plan, with the tables and bar all together in the main area.

On this particular evening, there were lots of chatty Cosmo folk, beauty/fashion bloggers and of course the elegant La Mer team. I was really surprised that the event was a sit-down dinner, because I was expecting cocktails and canapes. And I was so so so happy it was a proper dinner, because the food was fabulous!

Homemade lavender-spiked truffles. Ooooo!

Inside White Rabbit, a converted old chapel

My dinner partner :)

Sitting cafe-style

The La Mer team introduced us to the benefits of the brand and how they use sea kelp to create their Miracle Broth which lies at the heart of the brand. I personally like La Mer products because of the sleek packaging, crisp products that don’t confuse, and their lovely light scents.

La Mer: beyond miraculous

Inspirational stories from women at the event

The food was an impressive 7-course meal, whipped up by the White Rabbit restaurant. Each dish came out beautifully presented and went down a treat. I went wild over the Salted Caramel Chocolate Tart dessert.. which was molten creamy dark chocolate encased in a buttery chocolate biscuit shell. It was rich but a chocoholic’s dream.

The luscious menu

The fantastic food. My favourite was the dessert!

After our meal, we proceeded to the counter with the enticing array of La Mer products. We learned that their original Creme de La Mer comes in 4 formulations, to suit your specific skin type. I personally love the gel cream version, that comes in a luxe glass jar and smells just like a spa. It makes my skin really silky after using it and isn’t too heavy for day use.

Showcasing the famous La Mer cream, in 4 different formulations. My fave is the Gel-Cream version.

Doing a mini-facial on a volunteer

For me, I’ve used their Cleansing Gel which makes my skin feel really clean and soft, but I’m now eyeing their Cleansing Foam that I think will be even better for me. I’m also a big fan of their Refining Facial, a superb scrub with diamonds in it – it’s abrasive enough to make my skin feel smooth afterwards, but not rough so it doesn’t irritate. I’ve also used their Lipbalm before, a pretty little tub of pepperminty goodness.

But the main thing I’m after now is The Concentrate. It’s a concentrated serum that complements the skin’s natural healing process and even though I don’t have burns/scars on my face, I wonder if this elixir will really improve my skin tone. Hmmm…