Valentines's Day 2015

I am convinced that there is something wrong with my iphone 6 plus camera. The pictures taken using my phone camera does not seem sharp and focused. I shall go back to using my Samsung mini for my upcoming BKK trip!

So this was us, on Valentine's Day 2015. Our first Vday as husband and wife! 

Our couple #ootd captured by my mum. Not too bad I say. 

This Vday felt like Chinese New Year to me, because everything on me was new. My new dress from Love Bonito, my new wedge from Ferragamo and my new Celine bag, which I've bought for the longest time, but it had never seen daylight (as I was hiding it from the husband. teehee)

Our first stop of the day was to Etna, located at Duxton area for lunch. Can't believed that we have never tried this italian restaurant despite passing by it so many times last year when we were preparing for our wedding. 

After we parked the car, I spotted a great spot for #ootd #wiwt so we spent some time here trying to get a good #ootd shot. 

The husband can never do a proper #ootd, so this was his. 

And these are mine! Took lots of it, but was still not satisfied. And thus we returned back again after our lunch to take again.

#ootd is really hard work I tell you. 

And my huge face while waiting for my food at Etna. 

I hate growing out my fringe because its always at this annoying length. 

Complimentary bread on the restuarant! Look at the cute heart shaped bread. 

Really don't judge a book by its cover, because it was a really really hard, almost inedible bread. The others were nice though. 

My main dish, which was soft shell crab linguine (which I changed to spaghetti) in lobster bisque. It was DA BOMB, but the husband hates it because he couldn't stand the strong seafood smell. 

And his Hawaiian pizza. This husband is like how boring please. Order a normal pizza when in such an atas restaurant. But anyhows, he enjoyed it lots.

And how could we not order a Tiramisu in an italian restaurant. When it came, I was a little disappointed because it was not dusted with cocoa.

But when I tried it, it was heavenly! It was dusted with pistachio crumbs and it was a really good combination. Definite must try!

Was supposed to take this couple picture before we ate the tiramisu, but I was so excited when it came that taking a couple picture took a backseat. 

And the final #ootd shot which we took after lunch, and this time I was satisfied!

A day before Vday, I was informed by the Luxola team that I had won their Valentines Day giveaway, which consisted of a makeover by Makeup Store and a dinner at Marmalade Pantry (but at 9pm!)

And it was a wrong day to wear my Ferragamo out, because it was really biting my feet, and by 3 plus, I couldn't walk anymore. I needed to rest before I could make my way back to the car park to retrieve my flats (smart me brought out my flats, just in case!). 

At about 4pm, we made our way to Paragon for my makeover. Sorry for the lousy quality of the pictures, because I took it from their facebook. 

Thank you again @Luxolasg again for choosing me! :) 

By about 7pm, we made our way to the Mamalade Pantry at The Stables. Totally not a good place to go at night, because we got really really lost, and almost wanted to give up the dinner. 

We drove into a dead end (super dark and no night lights). The husband couldn't see the roads and when we reversed, the car probably hit a pole, but I refused to let the husband get down the car to check it out. 

This situation happened too many times in horror movies, and I was not going to risk the husband's life like that! (hahaha)

But anyway, we somehow got the GPS to bring us back to the right path again, and ta-dah, here we were at the restaurant, greeted by a lighted carriage with horses. 

It was a 4 course set meal for us, but we didn't get the appetiser because it was salmon salad which both of us don't take. He had beef tenderloin while I had my codfish.

Honestly, I wouldn't go for such set menus again or I won't pay for them during such occasions. 

Firstly, because I don't get to choose what I wanted to eat and secondly, we had to wait for the chef to finish cooking the meals for all couples before we got served each dish. Super long wait. 

My review of the food. Etna tasted better. The food served at Marmalade Pantry was mediocre. Not sure if this was the usual standards, or because the chef had to churn out so many meals in such a short time, thus the substandard. But, I still enjoyed my dinner because it was my first such experience, and I didnt have to pay a single cent for the meal which cost $222 after GST!

And so, this was how I spent my Vday 2015 with a flower, not gifted by the husband (hmph!) but Luxola!

Dad's 60th Birthday

Dad, mine and my niece's birthdays all fall in the month of July. 

Today's the 17th and it's my niece's birthday! That little girl has grown up so much already and is demanding for an iPad as her birthday present! Kids these days....

Doesn't even know how to type and spell, yet demanding for an iPad.

So anyway, 12 July was my dad's birthday and since my brother's family will not be coming back to our house as it is the fasting month, the hubs and I decided to bring my father for a dinner to celebrate his big 60th. 

My mum used to tell me... that when you're 59, it's a "dangerous" age to be in. You either make it to your 60th or you'll die when you're 59 (not sure where she heard this from). This saying was actually quite scary because earlier this year, my father had a cancer scare and I thought this saying was coming true. But I'm glad it's all over and whether the saying was true or not, my father did make it and we would be celebrating his 60th! :) 

Hmmm.... yea, I'm still at the #wefie stage. 

I was makeup-less, and had only applied lipstick ! See how amazing my camera is, and how important a lipstick is to brighten and lit up your entire face!

So this year, we brought them to Thai Village for his birthday celebration. Initially, he had not want to go to this restaurant, because it is pretty expensive, but my mum persuaded him to go. 

Some pictures while we were waiting for our food. Must make use of my new camera!

And the dishes that we had ordered.

Shark fins soup to share. 

I know there are tons of  people out there who are anti-sharkfin cuisine, but I really love my sharkfins soup. I'm sorry. 

Crab beehoon. The hubs think that there is a smell to it, I guess he was referring to the ginger taste, but I love it. The only time I can have my seafood is when I'm with  my own family because the hubs does not like seafood. He does not know what he is missing out in life. 

Some salted chicken or something. Totally didn't look like the picture in the menu, and I regretted ordering this, because it was so so salty! No, I don't like this dish!

Fried beancurd, which is tasteless on its own, but delicious when dipped in the sauce that they gave. Crispy on the outside, and soft in the inside!

This dish needs no further introduction. Broccoli with scallops. Too little scallops I think. I only got to eat one, unless the hubs had taken more than (teehee)! 

Seafood fried rice! This dish was the last dish (I've no idea why), and by the time it came my stomach was almost filled to the brim already. But I still tried squeezing it in! Love it still. 

And finally a family photo! 

The bill came up to almost $300. It would have been much lesser if we had not ordered the shark fin's soup, but I thought the money was well spent! $300 for the smile on dad's face. Priceless. 

And an #ootd #wiwt shot by the mum! Not bad I must say. 

The Husband's 29th @ Alkaff Mansion

Almost a month ago, we celebrated the Husband's 29th birthday. It was his last 2X birthday, so I wanted to make it more memorable for him :)

I heard many good reviews about Alkaff Mansion and I thought it would be a good place to bring him to, because the ambience looked really romantic. The venue was initially meant to be a surprise, but I gave him too many clues about the venue and he went to googled it and found his answer. Major spoiler.

Came 6th March 2014, I was very excited the whole day about the celebration as if it was my own birthday. It was a weekday and we didn't have access to the car, biggest mistake of all. Alkaff mansion is really really really inaccessible and we walked all the way from Tiong Bahru. It was also not an easy walk there because the roads were steep, many stairs to climb and the weather did not show any mercy too.

The never ending road and one of the many steep steps that we had to climb before we got to the restaurant. 

and the steps leading to the restuarant! :) 

It was a really really beautiful sight at night, with all the blue fairy lights (just what I had imagined my wedding dinner to be like!) . But it was unfortunate that we didn't manage to take any photos with the pretty surroundings!

Not forgetting to take some #selfies to make the walk and climb more enjoyable! 

And here is the exterior of the restaurant. 

Seated inside, waiting for our dinner to be served! We really liked the ambience, because it was so quiet, so posh, and so fine-diningish, and the staff were very helpful and polite too! Totally made this experience even more perfect than it already is. 

This was our starters, which was really expensive. We paid $28 for this and we thought they would serve at least 5 of it? But, to our surprise, we each only got to eat 1, and it was also my fast time eating caviar. 

Absolutely delish! The scallop was so fresh, so QQ and the caviar didn't taste as bad as I had imagined it to be. 

Me and my lobster bisque. Was never a fan of Lobster Bisque, but this bowl got me hooked on it ever since. The Husband didn't like it very much, because it left a bitter after taste which I quite enjoyed. I felt that the after taste was not as strong after a few sips of the soup. 

My main! Seafood pasta I think. Did not disappoint again, and I finished every every single pasta and sauce on it. 

The husband's order ALL THE TIME. So resistant to change. His steak. The portion did not look very fulling but it was!

And how can I forget the desserts; Tiramisu! Which was .... okayish in my opinion.

And the surprise birthday cake, which I did not know what it was.
Before our dinner, I made an arrangements with the staff to sing him a birthday song and they came with the cake! :)

And the staff singing the birthday song to him while presenting him with the yummy cake!

He was looking so so so shy! And I enjoy teasing him about this picture because he look so gayboi_85! 

The boy and his last birthday surprise that he was so eagerly waiting for. 

He thought he would only receive a Mont Blanc belt but I was secretly preparing to buy him the iPad mini because he had always wanted to buy, but did not as he wanted to save the money! 

Was not supposed to splurge on anything because we are saving for our wedding. Now I probably have to eat grass for the next one month to pay my credit card bills. 

But it was all worth it! :) 

And us, taking the last few pictures to remember this beautiful moment that we had spent with each other. 

I hope he had enjoyed his birthday as much as I did.... and to many many more birthdays celebration together!