Squirrel Sighting

When I cut through Teachers' Estate in Upper Thomson area today, I saw some movement on one of the tall trees that were in the corner of the lane. It turned out to be a squirrel! But before I could take out my phone to capture the moment, it climbed higher on the tree and was gone. :(

The pink star marks the spot.This was in a cul-de-sac at the end of Tagore Avenue, the area with a small chinese shrine and path which is a short cut - the flight of steps lead to Tagore Road / Tagore Lane and the industrial warehouse area. There are a few mature trees and quite a bit of vegetation here, conducive for a little squirrel colony.

The last time I saw squirrels was... ... in New York City of all places! It was summer in the city and I was at my uncle's apartment in Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. There was a raised rectangular area to sit on, with trees growing in the middle. There were little squirrels running around. I was having breakfast there, and had bought some blueberries from the nearby supermarket. So some of my blueberries became the squirrels' breakfast too! That was a nice memory.

Off topic: Today in the morning, I chatted with a nice senior lady. She was carrying heavy bags, but I did not have the opportunity to help her with them. She stays nearby my area, and when I went off, she said she would be going to Shanghai for a few months, back in December. She also asked if I was going to school! :)

DOB025 >>> iHerb Discount Code: DOB025

To receive a US$5 off your first iHerb order,
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You can cut and paste the code. The first 3 characters are letters, and the last 3 are numbers.

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I've ordered many things from there, and it is reliable if you select DHL International shipping. I've lost 1 order when I used free shipping, so if the purchase amount is small and you don't mind taking the risk, then select free shipping.

I usually order supplements and I find the site great for lip balm, soap, shower gel and I will try ordering shampoo and conditioner in future.

I like it that the customers' reviews are shown, so you can see their (often very frank) comments. Then you can decide for yourself what vitamins and supplements, and other products, are worth trying.

Sweet Spot Chocolates - Marina Bay Sands Hotel

My aunt treated me to some chocolates from Sweet Spot @ Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It is near the lobby of the hotel, on level 1.
I like the glass display of their items.

Those are little chocolate bits scattered around.

Here's the address in case you're around the area and craving for some sweet stuff:

Sweet Spot
10 Bayfront Avenue
Lobby Level,
Tower 3
Marina Bay Sands Hotel






Click on the pic to see the full sized menu.

Mine is the 12 piece box of chocolates.

See, that's my box below, next to the white baggie of pastries that my aunt selected for herself. Here are my chocolates. The Marina Bay Sands yellow imprint on the chocolate is cute, but I can't remember what flavour it is.

I still can't bear to eat the chocolates yet. So tempting... but will it live up to expectations, that price = quality? Hmmmm...

Update: Tuesday 5 July 11
~ Had my 1st piece of the chocolate. Chose the one with the red triangle at the corner. It is a strawberry filling. I am NOT IMPRESSED. It is not bad, but I don't find it so special as to justify the price tag. Ouch. $2.50 gone. Hope the remaining 11 chocolates would taste better. I mean, the remaining 10 chocolates, since there were 2 of the strawberry filled chocs.

Update: Tuesday 12 July 11
~ Took another strawberry filled choc yesterday, again, I did not think it was great.
~ Took the mint choc today, it's the one with the bubble/pebble surface. Now I'm more impressed, it is good. I can taste the outer bitter chocolate layer, and the mint chocolate inside is a good blend - the mint is not artificial tasting nor overpowering, and the chocolate (tastes like dark chocolate, not milk choc) filling can be differentiated from the mint.
~ I would get more of this flavour if I ever purchase from Sweet Spot.

Chloe Eau De Parfum

This is my signature scent!

Not that I have opened my Chloe perfume to use it yet, but it is the scent that I love most now. Each time I test it at the counters, I still love it, and I don't get tired of it, unlike other perfumes.

This is the 2008 Chloe, not the old Chloe which was launched by 1975 when it was under Karl Lagerfeld.




Perfume Pyramid
Top Notes
*Peony *Freesia *Litchi (Lychee)

Middle Notes
*Rose *Lily-of-the-Valley *Carribean Magnolia

Base Notes
*Amber *Virginia Cedar





Description taken from Fragrantica's Chloe Eau De Parfum page.
The new eponymous eau de parfum by Chloe is quite a departure from the once-popular tuberose composition of the same name. A light and fresh yet seductively strong and self-possessed scent, the new Chloe fragrance is in no way its predecessor's timid younger sister.

Just like all Chloe's bold, arty and free-spirited designs, the fragrance is feminine in a rather non-traditional, not all-out-girly way. Its accords expertly play against each other and they seduce the audience by being both elegant and daring at the same time.

The fragrance is very versatile, it is intended for everyday use and is more than suitable for becoming someone's unique signature scent. Chloe edp was launched in 2008. Chloe Eau de Parfum was created by Amandine Marie and Michel Almairac.

Chloe Eau De Parfum - Rose Edition 50ml

Bought this at the Metro 20% sale. There was a direct 20% discount, instead of rebate voucher.

It is the exact same scent as the Chloe Eau De Parfum (2008 edition), just packaged in a limited edition box and pink ribbon instead of the usual brown ribbon. The normal packaging box is more sturdy and thick compared to the normal flap box of this Rose Edition.

Because it was purchased at the Chloe perfume party, it came with a free cloth bag and a miniature of the Eau De Parfum. I managed to obtain some shower gel and bath scrub sample sachets too.

The EDP is $137 for 50ml, same price as the non Rose Edition bottle.

It is more worth it to purchase at the Chloe perfume party because of the gift-with-purchase. The little miniature would be about $20 if purchased outside, and likewise for a bundled pack of the body cream and shower gel/scrub.

I had been eyeing the little mini bottle for a long time, and previously, the only way to obtain it was to buy a set (75ml bottle + 100ml body lotion).

Considering that I already have an unopened 30ml bottle, I did not regret buying another bottle of it because when I was at Vivocity Tangs on Sunday (10 July 2011), I saw that the EDP had increased to $140. Annoyingly, they increase prices every year or less.

Miss Dior Cherie Eau De Parfum Part Deux

Finally bought the Miss Dior Cherie Eau De Parfum.

I was contemplating whether to buy a 50ml bottle + a 30ml bottle, but ended up only with the smaller one.

The manufacturing date (old manufacturing sticker) on the 30ml bottle was Jan 2010, which meant that it was DEFINITELY the old Miss Dior Cherie. Whereas for the 50ml bottle, it is a new manufacturing sticker and the date is Sept 2010. And there is no way of telling if the Sept 2010 is old or new scent because they supposedly mix the production batches.
Picture here is of the new bottle, which I do not want to accidentally buy.

The LVMH office lady said that the perfumes made in late 2010 could be a mixture of new and old formula.

I didn't want to take the risk of buying a new formula Miss Dior Cherie.

Especially since it turns out that the new formula scent may be in the old packaging bottle! Sounds confusing? Here's an article on the reformulation of MDC, read it and it starts to make sense/scents/cents.
Simply put, the old bottle may contain the new scent or old scent, depending on when it was manufactured. The old packaging is no guarantee that it also contains the old scent.

I tested the 'old packaging' bottles in Isetan Tampines, Sephora Takashimaya and Sephora Marina Bay Sands. Despite being in the old packaging, the scent had NO popcorn note or caramel sweetness, which definitely meant it was the new scent - orangey musky - which I disliked and had to wash off. The new scent is quite headache-inducing on my skin for some reason.

And the more I smell the reformulated MDC, the more I agree with my guy friend that it smells a wee bit like stale body odour. Ahem.Here's the 30ml bottle, at the old price of $95. I took a photo of it with the Miss Dior Cherie Blooming Bouquet Eau De Toilette, which I helped my friend HW to purchase. Looks nice together! Twin Cheries! With the annual price increase at Dior, the same 30ml bottle (new 2011 version) would be $100. Booo!!!

30ml EDP: $95 (new price $100)
50ml EDP: $135 (new price $140)
100ml EDP: $190 (new price $200)

I'm still not won over by the pre-2011 version of MDC. The Chypre in it is an acquired taste. Depending on which tester I've tried, the scent is in different concentrations and smells slightly different. The production batches just don't seem to be consistent. Some smell sweeter than others, and I am aiming for the sweeter batches *grumble*

It's just not a "me" perfume. It is a gourmandy strawberry-patchouli-caramel-popcorn scent, not much of florals.

And on the skin, depending on which batch I test, it can get musty-musky. Or it doesn't last long.

But I had to get it because it would no longer be in production, and I wanted to keep a cute little bottle of the old Miss Dior Cherie. Maybe I will love it more when I finally start using the scent... Maybe...

Chloe Perfume Party - Chloe Eau De Parfum Rose Edition

I found out about the Chloe Perfume Party a little late. I RSVP and asked if I could still attend. As there was overwhelming response, I was put on the waiting list. To my pleasant surprise, I received a phone call from one of the marketing people at Chloe Parfums (distributor in Singapore - Luxasia), and she told me that I could attend the party on Saturday! She was working late and I was impressed that she took the effort to try to slot me in to the event. I thought it was very nice of them. Above is a pic taken from the Metro website.
Details about the event, also from the Metro website:
"Chloé parfums invites you to an exclusive rose party!
Be pampered with a rose hand spa and learn to make your own charming corsage, alongside gourmet canapés and bubblies.

The party will be held at The Paragon Orchard Lobby,on Fri, 24 Jun, 7pm Sat 25 Jun, 11am, 3pm or 6pm

R.S.V.P. now!"

The centrepiece for the event - the Chloe brand showcased by a magnificent wall of fresh red roses!

In the top right pic, within the display glass shelf, there is from left to right - the Chloe body creme, deodorant spray, Chloe Eau De Parfum Rose Edition as well as body lotion and shower gel. And a scattering of light pink roses.
At the event, there was a demonstration of how to make our own rosebud corsage.

Here are the materials provided. A lady from Greetingcuts taught us. It seemed complicated at first, but with the written instructions and her demonstration, it wasn't too difficult to make a pretty wrist corsage. She went around to help us tie the ribbons too.

First, with the burgundy ribbon, tie a normal ribbon. Then another ribbon on the original ribbon itself - make a double bow.

Then tie the white ribbon onto the burgundy ribbon.

The little leaves and rosebuds are stuck on with a special glue for flowers, apparently sold only at Far East Flora at Thomson Road.


















This is the 1st corsage I made. The ribbons are well balanced, and the little rosebuds nice and pretty. Unfortunately, I had the most un-brilliant idea of spraying the Chloe perfume onto the flowers, thinking that it would scent them beautifully. BIG MISTAKE. A short while later, the flowers started turning brown and 'wilty'.

Alcohol and live things, especially flowers, do not mix. The leaves were okay though, no worse for the wear after my ill-fated spritz of Eau De Death.

Photo here is of my corsage before the spraying of perfume. Sigh, so pretty but so short lived too. :(
I went a second time to do another corsage, after I bought the perfume, more about it in a later post. This time, I added extra flowers for an extra oomph corsage. And of course, I did not spray perfume on it! Little drops of decay on rose petals and a thing of beauty is no longer a joy forever. Heh, Keats I am not!

This pic on the right is of the 2nd corsage I made, with more leaves and rosebuds.

The end result is a larger corsage, but it may look a bit awkward on smaller wrists. So depending on how you would like your corsage to look, you can adjust the number of rosebuds you stick onto it. 3 rosebuds would be the minimum. You could also put some larger blooms for impact.

I enjoyed the event. There was champagne, fruit punch and finger food / canapes. AND CHOCOLATES! Love the chocolates.
I didn't manage to take photos though. There were people going around serving food while we were doing the corsage. Quite a pampering experience I must say.

They were selling the full range of Chloe perfumes, including Love, Chloe. There was also a separate Metro cashier corner, so customers did not have to go to the department store to pay.

There was also a nice range of gift sets as seen on this counter top. At the bottom sides, the boxes of Chloe EDP Rose Edition are all nicely displayed.
Here's a pic of one of the sweet looking models at the Chloe perfume party.

It was a pleasant experience and I ended up buying a bottle of the Chloe Eau De Parfum Rose Edition.

I'll end my post with some pics I took of my 1st and 2nd corsage, side by side. Took the pics in the bright sunlight. I placed the corsages on a guava plant. The red roses are also from the event, given when I bought the perfume. I'm pleased to report that 2 days after I did the corsage, the little rosebuds are still a nice colour, a little bit darker red as they are drying up. The flowers also shrunk a bit, making the corsage look nice and compact.

Bloom of the Pigeon Orchids!

Today 11 June 2011 is a happy day. The pigeon orchids have bloomed! I have been eagerly waiting for this for a few months already.

(The scientific name is Dendrobium crumenatum and it's commonly referred to as pigeon orchid. It is usually a roadside orchid grown on tree tops. My dad smelled them as a small kid when he was walking along some foot path, and could remember the unique and haunting fragrance.)

These particular orchids bloom for a short lived day or two ( and then drop off. And they only bloom in extreme sharp drops in temperature - which triggers the flowering of this type of orchid - and prolonged wet weather. More details here in the gardeningwithwilson blog: "One saying was that the flowering was triggered by the sudden drop in temperature of 5.5 degrees C or more caused by a heavy downpour. The buds appear nine days after such a time."

The rarity of the blooms and beauty of the fragrance makes it a special and happy occasion. Gardeners who wait and wait for an occurence of something will know what I mean - first rooting, flowering or fruits... it is so interesting to see the change in the plants.

There was heavy rain last week and yesterday. The most notable downpour caused flooding in Orchard Road on 5 June 2011 Sunday (the previous flood in Orchard was on 16 June 2010). Bad for retailers and tennants in Tanglin Mall, good for the Pigeon Orchids.

My dad saw the buds yesterday, and he was estatic when he saw the blooms today.We have never seen so many little flowers at the same time before. The past 2 occasions, there were only 1 or at most 2 on the chiku tree and the red palm where my dad twined the orchid stumps ('psuedostems') around.

Pic on the left - the messy protuberence is the orchid pseudostems.

This orchid was twined around the chiku tree's lower branches.

Interestingly, the pigeon orchids are not watered - the only time they are properly watered is when it rains. I believe the rest of the time, their roots are able to absorb some moisture from the air or morning dew.

These orchids were twined around the tall red palms.

Here's the orchid I plucked - I used the jasmine leaves as a backdrop to showcase the creamy whiteness of the orchid.

"Orchid posing among the jasmine leaves".


















I then posed the orchid next to a snail which happened to be in one of the the jasmine pots. The snail is about 6 to 7 cm long.

"Orchid and companion snail".

A pity that my nose is blocked, having a bad cold today. I can only partially smell the fragrance. This time, the scent isn't very strong, unlike previous times when we spotted the blooms in the hot day time.

Ahhh, if only someone could bottle the scent of the beautiful Pigeon Orchid. I would definitely buy the perfume! And use it on myself as well as the garden.

Here's a link to an NParks article.





Here is a closeup of the pigeon orchid - in bloom and the next day. Yes, it withers after a day and there is no more scent. Such a pity.

Cath Kidston Bags June 2011

Here are the Cath Kidston bags and items that I'm considering.
Wonder which are worth getting. Any ideas and suggestions?

1)Bunch Floral Mini Book Bag: £10
The bunch floral oilcloth kids mini bag is as multi-purpose as it's grown up equivalent. Perfect for shopping, going to nursery, as a party bag and for all sorts of goodies.

Size 20 x 20cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excluding trim.














2)Spray Flowers Mini Bag: £6
Our spray flowers kids' mini oilcloth bag is as multi-purpose as its grown-up equivalent. Perfect for shopping, going to nursery, as a party bag and for all sorts of storing and carrying.

Size 20 x 20cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excluding trim.

While searching for pics of this bag, I came across the Spray Flowers Old White mini bag which is no longer available. :(

Here's a close up of the print.

I have the cosmetic bag that came with the Cath Kidston Mook Spring Summer 2010, and it is in the exact same print. The cosmetic bag comes with the same print tissue holder and fold up mirror. Love!














3)Oilcloth Book Bags: £18
Size 33 x 38 x 8cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excl. trim.

Made from tough, wipe-clean oilcloth, our popular book bag has a multitude of purposes besides carrying books and folders. One pocket on the inside.

(a)English Rose Book Bag






















(b)London Book Bag






















(c)Summer Blossom Book Bag

Our book bags are something of a staple as their versatile design makes them ideal for carrying all your essentials and it's the perfect shape for book and folders. These oilcloth designs are ultra durable and great in the rain. The bag also has a small interior pocket for keeping small extras close at hand. This pretty Summer Blossom print is also available as a matching wallet.










4)Cut Roses Oil Cloth Box Bag: £20.00
Size 30 x 23 x 15cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excl. trim.
Our box bags are great for those extras that just won?t fit in your handbag. Perfect for carrying your lunch or spare shoes this compact design is also good for shopping too. Made from durable oilcloth they are easy to keep clean and fasten with a zip to keep things securely inside.














5)Button Rose Oilcloth Carry All Bag: £25
Size 40 x 32 x 12cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excl. trim.

Our carry all bags are something of an essential. Made from durable oilcloth they have a secure zip fastening to store all your essentials safely. The bag also has an internal pocket for keeping your keys and purse close at hand and the straps will fit snugly over the shoulder.

6)Oilcloth Mini Tote: £35
Size 32 x 21 x 11cm. 100% PVC cotton excl. trim / 100% cotton. lining / leather trims. For those who like to travel light our mini totes are perfect to carry all your necessities neatly.

(a)Candy Flowers Mini Tote
This design in our colourful Candy Flowers print has a nice neutral handle and fastens with a magnetic popper to keep your belongings safe and secure. Matching wallet also available.
















(b)Summer Blossom Mini Tote






















7)Oilcloth Day Bag: £45.00
Size 36.5 x 25 x 14cm. 100% PVC coated cotton excl. trim / 100% cotton. lining / leather trims.

Nothing nice in this range. After I did a draft of my post, more items were sold out.

I was eyeing the Summer Blossom Day Bag, but it's gone from the Cath Kidston website.

This is some random pic I found of the old range of bags. The bag that I have which came with another mook, is in the same print as the blue and small flower bag on the extreme right.