MY Wedding Gown...

..NOT

hahahah.. sorry ah, not posting it at the moment.. This is one of the gowns i tried on and kinda like. It actually has a thin black ribbon just below the bust area which makes it pretty unique.. without it, the gown looks kinda plain.. the beading took 2 weeks to complete! and its one of the couture gowns at D'sire, 3K and you get to keep it. Tried it on for zack and it didnt really impress him.. haha.. yeah, i didnt get that WOW factor too.

next.. tried THE GOWN for him.. needless to say, he likes it better! u know thats THE Gown for you when everytime you put it on, your face just somehow brightens, there's this sparkle in your eyes and you simply cant take your eyes of it. Perhaps i look at the gown a time too many.. but i cant seem to see myself donning anything else!

so on Sunday, we signed up with D'sire! yayyyy! Basically met all of our requirements! 1) Good photography - Avenue 8 Photography! (under Ave8 group: Montage / Andrew Chooi / Studi D'fia) 2) Service - 2 Thumbs up! 3) Gowns - need i say more? 4) Bridal studio - Boutique is the word.. the deco is awesome! half won me over when i stepped in.. yeah i'm superficial, so sue me! 5) Pricetag - just a little over our budget. Yvonne also included a teadress (cheongsam or kua) and 4 more photos - on the condition that they can have our photos from our photoshoot for their portfolio, which of crse we agreed.. 4 photos leh! (equivalent to $300)

and zack's gonna don a TUX! gosh.. with his tall frame.. he'd look absolutely absolutely dashing! cant wait for our next fitting! gonna meet up with Dennes (the designer) to discuss MY GOWN and zack's tux *grins* I started out with a MTM (made-to-measure) gown in mind.. (knowing how fussy i am) Then i saw this gown and i know this is the kind of design i'd like. Only problem is that to MTM that kinda design, it's gonna blow our budget to the sky and back. So i must say, we've found the best deal where our wants matches our means!

3 hours
5 bridal studios
and i found my WEDDING GOWN!!!!
aint that amazing?!

walked along tanjong pagar.. and the BS (bridal studios) there were intimidating.. middle-aged aunties/uncles standing outside, waiting for the next unsuspecting couple. Thank goodness i was with jo and sy, so they didnt really bother with us. So jo got her theory proven right.. BS shopping with your bf is akin to wearing a red flashing light saying "hassle me! hassle me!" i could only bring myself to enter 2 and even jo could tell i was half-hearted.. hahaa.. the gowns were plain.. photography medicore.. service so-so..

Sy then brought us to Amoy street (her territory).. and we chanced upon this boutique.. the rest is history..

i was really amazed to see that i look good in those big ballgowns! tried on some A-lines and i didnt get that WOW factor. i want a gown that isnt just nice.. it has to be gorgeous.. ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS.. and i found it! a Couture Gown with beautiful silver thread / crystal embroidery on the bustier.. the bottom and train.. MAGNIFIQUE! zack saw the pics (i sneaked a few shots) and went.."wow! this is nice.." and u noe what's more amazing?? He agreed to the 4.2K pricetag!!! said if i like it, we can confirm the package! heeheh... my darling soooo sweet..!

and major thanks to SY and Jo who accompanied me on a friday evening.. after a long day at work and lugging a huge bag ard (Jo) and also to Ming, for loaning me his Jo.. heh.. You guys are ze bessst!!! MUAKKSSSS!

i'm so tempted to post the pic up here.. even ching and ant (who hardly give praises) said its lovely! *grins*

going Bridal Studio shopping later with the gals!

gotta find a bridal package below 4K.. no mean feat cos i got my sight set on Kelvin from Chris Ling photographers for our photoshoot.. and the boutiques he ties up with aint cheap *sigh* though there's this BS which i really like but again.. $$$ .. we'll see if something better comes up or maybe, just maybe.. we can get something below 4k at Silverlining.. *fingers/toes/eyes crossed*

and Kelvin from Lighted Pixels is booked on the 7/7/7!!! *wails* he is the only one i want as the photographer for our actual day.. after looking at his pics.. every other one is bland as water..

gotta go now.. wish me luck!

oh boy.. check out today's Straits Times - Home section, the article on the front page. This was zack's case.

16 yr old boy was found dead in bed on the morning of his 16th bday. His parents and brother wanted to surprise him with a bday song, they barged into his room in the morning, musical instruments and vid cam in hand.. sang the song but he didnt stirred (his back was towards them). Then his mum realised his arm was blue..

remembered a couple of days back zack was telling me about this interesting collasped case he got that day - the abovementioned case. He was describing it to me (yes, over dinner, i got an iron stomach now).. how the boy was all blue when they arrived.. the term he used was 'synose' (not sure on the spelling though). Meaning there's no oxygen in the blood and bcos there's no oxygen, blood turns dark (almost black).. resulting in a bluish tinge to the skin. They couldnt do much cos he had prob collasped (medical term for stop breathing) for 2-3 hours but due to his tender age they tried to do whatever they could.. pumping in drugs and wat not.. It was so tragic.. unneccesary death to such a young promising boy. Realised the papers didnt state the cause of death..

guess what has arrived?

nostalgic..

so i've finally uploaded and rearrange my ROM pics
3 mths overdue.. hahaha
took me the entire afternoon to tidy things up

here's a tribute to my mini gown

i'm still thinking of it

before setting off to Fort Canning..

adrian's cam is really good
colors are sharp

my lovely sister.. no, we're not twins

the side is nice..

i love the back of the gown too

clenching zack's hands and trembling..

love this shot..

the long awaited kissing shot..
(i love the other shot too! ;P)

in 8 months time..

you can view the whole truckload of pics here
or the links to my pics along the sidebar (right)
just didnt bother to rearrange the last batch from Adrian's cam
so enjoy..

bridal shopping time!

my sat? GREAT!

morning: sleep
afternoon: sleep
evening:
1) go to bikeshop to get lubricant for bike - it was closed.. ahahaha
2) Holiday Inn to check out deco theme
3) Raffles city to get our chandelier!!!
yay!! we bought it but the crappy thing was i cant pay by installments.. sheesh.. more bread for lunch next mth..
4) VIVO CITY... RAWKS.BIG.TIME

that place is huge.. i mean seriously HUGE. it has EVERYTHING, truly a shoppers' paradise.. only 3 levels but from one end to the other was a frigging long walk. Tthe 3rd level was lovely! it's an open atrium (with a shallow pond? - u call that a pond?) that overlooks the beautiful sentosa skyline (see pic above).. romantic.. good for part towing..

caught the 9.40pm show at GV - The Black Dahlia.. kinda boring but Josh Harnett more than makes up for it.. He bared his ass! prime stuff! but of course, nowhere compared to darling's.. my darling's ass is WAY cuter! *BITE*

5) KTM for ramli burger!!!

in fact, the ride towards harbourfront (Mt Faber) brings back memories.. sweet memories.. KTM as well *smile* for those who dun know, KTM is actually the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station (aka Malaysia railway station). Dont ask me what KTM stands for, i dunno..

one of our favourite eating haunts.. like a Malaysia eating experience.. imagine eating just next to the road, with cars, bikes riding past you just a few metres away. In fact, that IS Malaysia land.. haha

and the ramli burger is simply awesome! authentic ramli burgers, tender beef patty covered with egg.. cheese.. just thinking about it makes my mouth water..

was a long night and didnt get back til 2am.. and it wasnt til 5.30am did we get to bed.. tsk tsk..NOCTURNALS..

so what's up today?

it left a gaping hole in my soul..

it's been some day.. running all over the place.. only found the time to take a breather. Just placed my ROM mini gown on consignment.. it was just hanging there collecting dust so might as well..*sigh*.. left it at the shop and when i walked out, felt this pang.. it really was a beautiful gown.. and it means so much..

i'm soooooo in love

popped over to The Lifeshop - Raffles City during lunch. just love the stuff there.. they have this rustic classy concept which i totally love. The chandelier i wanted is sold out! *wails* last one was sold in August.. hai... but the guy told me it was going for $850 and its pretty big. Then i saw another one... *gasps*

it took my breath away...

isnt this gorgeous...!
and its only $465!
and small enough for my dining area


i can stare at it all day...

the 2nd phase

aint this gorgeous?!!! the black wrought iron chandelier. Its gonna be perfect for our dining table! $450 - $650 from The Lifeshop.

Can i get this darling??? pls pls pls pls pls pls...

so we're on to our 2nd phase of home deco.. after living amid all the clutter for the past 5 mths, we're finally gonna get shelves! and doing some deco arrangements to the rooms.

damn.. and we've yet to get our dining chairs.. blinds and black cord draperies for our living room.. hope all will be up by year end and perhaps we can plan a home-warming during Christmas!

and we're gonna have a CHRISTMAS TREE this Christmas!!!

"there were nuts on the floor.."

feeling the aches and bruises
from my fall(s) from grace

my 20.5 hr long sat:
9.30am: rise and shine
11.30am - 5pm: church / ikea
6pm: nap
9pm: watch Dominion - Prequel to the Exorist on HBO
11pm - 1am: nap (me) / soccer (zack)
1.30am - 5am: blading / coffee @ East Coast
6am: off to bed!

you didnt read wrong.. we blade at 1.30am in the morning! haha.. well, its cooler and lesser human traffic than during the day.. and, we are such nocturnals!

me: i'm not gonna fall this time!
zack: i'd try not to laugh
(i had the first laugh.. ahahhahaa... he had the last.. damn!)

we bladed towards bedok jetty this time round (left of Macs).. plenty of up and downhills.. just when i'm enjoying the sensation of flying, i had to pump real hard to blade uphill. But it was so good and refreshing, the cool night breeze plus a good body workout.. and plenty of laughs and squeals (me). Cant believe we get so much kick out of falling.. ahahaha..

and i almost nailed the A-turn! almost meaning i only managed a half turn.. hahah.. i need more speed and weight. Would have mastered it if not for my healthy fear of falling.. my bod just dun like meeting the ground. Perhaps its bcos of this lack of fear, zack is progessing real fast.. he actually wants to fall just to know how it feels like *shake head* but i must say he is good, confident and cool. I'm not gonna forget the part when he did a T-break and.... (its for me to know only.. hehe)

by the time we bladed back to macs, we were totally beat. Nothing beats a nice cup of coffee.. McCafe Himalayan latte.. my absolute fav! though i didnt have that last night cos zack ordered a frappe by mistake.. aiyo.. its ok darling, i still love u.. :P

ok lah, i'm tired of typing.. gonna go orr orr now. Woke up at 11.30am despite sleeping at 6am! cos my king wanted bfast in bed so got up to prepare for him.. i was feeling nice and wifey.. plus he offered to bathe the 2 imps though its my turn (and i just realised he didnt!)

friday the 13th

woooo...... best day to catch a horror flick!
i'm kinda interested to catch 'The Black Dahlia'
Josh Harnett... *swoonssss*

mid oct
time to start the hunt for THE GOWN
have to start early cos i'm incredibly picky
let's go bridal gown shopping gals!
narrow down to 3 then bring my laogong
he's the one with the cards.. heh

fact is.. kinda got my mind half made up on:
- the studio
- the photographer
- bridal bouquet design
BUT NOT MY GOWN!
duchess satin?
embroidery?
crystals?
ruffles?
A-line/ballgown?

i'm totally clueless! (but i know how i want the back to be *winks*)

jo was saying it's gonna be tough searching considering how fussy i am.. haha.. so true. I must have that 'click'.. every gown is gorgeous.. but only one will call out to you.. and i must find THAT ONE.

5.45pm
my laogong is coming to pick me from work!
he went to pimp his ride (its gonna be a monthly affair)

fixed a box and added a seat rest at the back of the box so i can ride in comfort
awww... so sweet right???

tata.. have a lovely weekend!

i'm sick and tired of it before i even started
i dun even feel like it anymore

my love affairs..

JEFFREY ARCHER
we met when i was 16.. and it was the start of a long steady relationship. As The Crow Flies was my first and i read it when i should be mugging for my o'level prelims. i read the 700+pages book and told my mum i'm done for my english paper.. and i aced that paper! *wiggles butt*

what should i say.. its a long steady mature relationship (like a marriage).. lengthy enjoyable ride though can be a tad boring at times but there's depth.. there's substance.. it captivates you and you cant help but be pulled into his world of tales.. (yes, even boring politics) Plots are artifully crafted and keeps you on your toes.. His short stories (12 Red Herrings, To Cut A Long Story Short) are exceptional! He never fails to deliver and you know you'd always have something solid to fall back on.

DANIELLE STEEL
like a guy who is always around.. at my whim and fancy, beck and call and we'll almost always have a good time. Close to a 100 books published (correct me if i'm wrong), i'm always spoilt for choice. Though i might have exhausted all the books in the library. My favourite one would be The Promise.. heartwrenchingly beautiful.

an easy going long-standing relationship.. not always on my priority list but i know its always piping hot on the burner, waiting for me to bestow upon it my attention. Beautifully written.. of life tragedies, losses and the courage you find within yourself.. miracles and hope. Steel brings me to the world of the upper class, rich and famous.. where ppl dines at Harry's and Annabel's in London (though its said that the original Harry's Bar resides in Italy).. holidays at The Alps.. shopping at Paris, Italy and what have you. And its here, i open my eyes to a world beyond my world.

LAUREN ROYAL
olalala~ the guy when i want a quick romp in the sack! what zack likes to call 'my sex books'.. (well, he thinks all my books are sex books.. haha) But in actual fact, only these has some pretty explicit stimulating scenes.

A fun-loving, excitingly sensual affair. Mindless entertainment. Set in England, in the 1600s, during the reign of King Charles II. The places and some characters in the books are real. Royal infuses history into her books so well, its a little wonder a history-buff like me will be captivated. Add some doses of humour and romance, you get a sizzling dish! So when i'm in the mood for romance and wants to be wooed, he is who i turn to.

her next book is called Tempting Juliana (wat are the odds!) out 7 November.. i so have to get it!!

DAN BROWN
the complex guy with a sophisticated flair.. spins me round and round til i cant get enough.. but i can only take so much of him. A daytime guy, never a night cos when he's with me at night.. i cant sleep! Not an easy-going r/s.. intense and addictive.

our first meeting wasnt too long ago.. about the same time the news of the death of the Pope came out. Angels & Demons came at the right time.. how apt. I was able to appreciate the book better cos of the secular events that was going on then. The plot is as intricate and winding as a celtic cross.. pulse-throbbing and mind boggling. I seriously cant read it before sleep cos it goes into my subconscious and stays there even in my dreams.. brain overload! and of crse, we have the famous (infamous) The DaVinci Code.. next in the pipeline - Digital Fortress!

NORA ROBERTS
what can i say.. my lover, my friend, my confidante. He is who i always turn to when i need someone. Always a comfort, always a joy.

Trilogies.. anthologies.. stand-alones. Though i love her stand-alones better. A good steady pace.. her characters just come alive and you are transported effortlessly into another world.

Oh, did i mention some of her titles are being adapted into movies?!!! Montana Sky, Carolina Moon, Blue Smoke, The Villa, Brazen Virtue and River's End! These books are awesome! and they are currently filming Montana Sky.

Just finished the 2nd book of her Circle trilogy - Dance of the Gods.. didnt expect it to be out in stores so soon and when i saw it lying on the shelf in Sunny Bookshop.. i grabbed it and could hardly contain my excitement! 3rd book - Valley of Silence out 31 Oct!!! *screams*

J.D ROBB
the new guy.. the new love! Exciting.. stimulating.. fast-paced.. never a boring moment, you just cant get enough of him! He always delivers.

it's year 2057 in New York City. A futuristic cop series. You get immersed into the world of crime-fighting NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her sinfully gorgeous gazillionaire husband, Roarke (aka the Perfect Man). Each book tells of a homicide crime and how Dallas and her team (Peabody, McNab, Morris etc) sets out to untangle the clues and traps. Here, justice always prevail. Next up: Born in Death.. out 7 November!!!

Pages fly when the cover is flip. Give me a JD Robb and Zack can go game til the cows come home.. i wouldnt bother.. hahahaha..

i'm feeling a little out of sorts now that i've finished Dance of the Gods..

i'm having the mother of headaches
perhaps i got a tumour
perhaps a vein will pop soon

anyways...


happy birthday ant!!!
happy birthday nora roberts!!!

i'm pooped!

just had the lovely dinner my sweetheart cooked for me!

zack's maggi goreng.. with heart-shaped sunny side up
awww... so sweet... muaksss

its been some weekend for the both of us
birthday party.. wedding rehearsal and the wedding itself!
this is my 3rd wedding this year (one more to go!)
and also my 3rd time as one of the 'jie meis'
and also zack's 2nd time as the Bestman
tot he doesnt make a good bestman cos he's always taller than the groom!

Adrian (zack's bro) and Irene's wedding - 8 Oct

in the morning was the tea ceremony and of course not without the saboing of the groom and his xiong dis. So after some exercise (POLE DANCING).. some healthy breakfast: 1) apple cider vinegar 2) super sweet rose syrup 3) mini bitter gourds 4) wasabi biscuits (one of the bros vomitted! ahahahah).. and a series of questions which Adrian answered really well! out of the goodness of our hearts.. we let them thru..

Adrian singing "You're my inspiration - Chicago" on his way in to claim his bride


one last hurdle.. "which is Irene's kiss?"

perfect score again! *applause*


the jie-meis


the xiong-dis


and the candid shot.. hah

we then adjourned for the tea ceremony on the groom's side

we managed to take a shot


and we rode off to church for the ceremony

imagine a guy in suit and tie and a gal in a white chiffon dress travelling on a bike.. what a sight we made on the road.. many heads turned.. ahahaha!

(no more pics for now til we get the professional ones from irene and adrian)

it was a simple, meaningful and beautiful ceremony.. held in church - SDA Jurong. Tot it was so lovely.. saying your vows at the place you met with all your loved ones around. I like something simple but meaningful as opposed to something lavish and extravegant. Then there was a nice buffet luncheon where everyone just mingled with each other. Well, i was going ard with zack and being introduced to his relatives and friends, those that i have not already met.. so many faces and names.. and zack must have said this a dozen times.."Hey! this is my wife, Juliana.. yes, we are getting married.. 7/7/7.. keep that day free k!" - or somewhere along those lines.. hahaha.. feels fuzzy being introduced as "his wife".. a nice kind of fuzzy.. after 3 months, sometimes i still cant believe we're married!

after all the makan is the dreaded cleaning up but i must say sweeping up confetti, putting the place back in order can be fun when its done with a group of ppl.. and imagine even Pastor Johnny was squatting down with a vacumm cleaner in hand.. i was impressed. The church is so like a family.. the ppl there are all so nice & friendly, so full of warmth. Always tot this is exactly how a church should be like - homey. You dun need a fantastic choir, or state of art PA system, or an inspiring music ministry. Its about substance, not just style. Though honestly, there were times i felt a little out of place.. everyone seems to know everyone.. everyone seems to have grown up together.. sharing a wealth of history you dunno about.. and i'm like the shy new kid on the block..

who feels like maggi goreng now...

so its 4 in the morning
when sleep cant find me
been under the weather lately
runny nose, cough, sorethroat
horrid haze

sitting in the dark as i'm typing this
i like the way it envelopes me
kind of a comfort seeing ant and vincent online
many things going thru my head
a little weary.. a little upset.. a little hurt
is it too much to ask?
a little consideration.. a little respect

i dun wanna think about it
so i'm off travelling to my other world
of spells and potions.. vampyres and sorcerers
of love and courage.. good and evil
its here.. i can find my fairytale

"you are ferociously busy.."

how apt..
feels kinda weird having some spare time at work
been a whirlpool everyday
challenging time ahead
and though there were times i tot i've reached the end
i tell myself i'm no quitter
there arent many opportunities where you are given to prove yourself
and one fell nicely on my lap
whatever it takes, i MUST make it
i like where i am now
i like this side of me
i'm surprising myself

yeah. peptalks.. i need peptalks!

you've seen the front.. now here's the back

so chio right??!!

just 3 shots for now.. we took tons but i'd leave the rest for zack to post