Sunday, March 30, 2014

EGGCITED

I'm so Egg-cited!

Because on Sat, i became the photographer to my gorgeous cousin, Sam Mitzi (http://sammitzi.blogspot.sg) and we got some really incredible shots! Can't wait to show a few snippets here. It really helped that Sam was so model-esque to start with so all i did was gave her a few comments on what we could try and press the shutter.
 I'm so proud of myself for not failing terribly. 

Also, for all you patient readers, Tim and i have finally completed our I date for our ABC dating series! It definitely took us long enough but it was so fun once again. I blogged once on how 2 weeks back we tried setting up this I date but it was an epic disaster. Read the date that went wrong here. But after that experience, i got lots of great advice from my family and friends and thanks to them, our I date was the perfect setup that i had in mind. And i couldn't have done it without my other half, Tim:)

So yes, im super "egg"cited to show you guys what i've done over the weekend since it was such a good one and i love sharing ideas for other couples to take inspiration from.
Hold on for the posts this upcoming week. 

Till then,
Melissa 

Thursday, March 27, 2014

THE $50 PICTURE


Only because it cost me $50 to bribe my dearest brother to take this photo of me.
And because he's a really amazing photographer, he also threw in this second picture for free.


Fine, at least the little one looks good in both shots.

Till then,
Melissa.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

POLAROIDS FOR THE WEEKEND


Last weekend, our family took a trip down to Batam for Indonesian food, shopping, cheap massages and A&W. It was fun while it lasted and ideal for short trips on short notices.

We don't always spend a lot of time together because we're all busy doing our things. Sometimes, i'm guilty to say that plans made with friends or Tim presides over my family plans. I may not have understood the value of family time back in my younger days, always so eager to get out of the house, to go play, to do something other than stay at home. 
But i do now.

We all learn from experiences. 
It wouldn't be the same if i went back in time and told the 15 year old me that someday, i'll come to cherish my family a lot more in time to come. That i will stop fighting with my sister over clothes and i will come to dote on my brother like any other older sister would and that i would finally know the sacrifices and challenges that my parents went through to bring this family together. 
No, the 15 year old me wouldn't understand, wouldn't think so far ahead.

I had to go through the growing up stage on my own and come to that realization all by myself.
I think it doesn't matter that it took me 24 years to appreciate my family. Because at least at some point of my life, i've finally learned to trust, believe and fall back on them in all times.

The people in my house will always be the most important people in my life despite it all. 

To family.

Till then,
Melissa

Monday, March 24, 2014

TROLLEY BABY



Lucky shots of this baby smiling because she hates being on anything moving. 
But yeah, i went to the supermarket and i got a "hot" dog. 
Just one.


 And a gorgeous unblocked view of the city in the east.
Just blue skies, green trees and water slides.

Sundays come and go so fast.

Till then,
Melissa 

Sunday, March 23, 2014

DARE TO DREAM, AFRAID TO ACT





A sudden jabbing to do outfit shots.

I've recently been so uninspired to do anything. 
Even my blog posts are getting shorter and shorter with word counts not exceeding 20 words. Short is not sweet. Short means lazy and yes i've been ass lazy these past few months. But that's what being sick does to you. And i've been coughing my lungs out the past week after barely recovering from the same cough about 3 weeks back. It really has been a crazy, shit year for 2014. I only hope things can go up from here and not down.

I need a toast to happier times!

 I need more inspiration in my life. I want to get creative, do something fun, out of this world, something i've never done before. I want to live wildly while i can, enjoy my youth, embrace the vigor that life brings before old age and brittle bones gets me down. I want to see the world, help others and fight causes.
 I want to be something bigger than who i am now. I want to look back in life and say "I did this". 

So many "I wants" 
but how much of me will do the things i dare to dream of?

Till then,
Melissa


Thursday, March 13, 2014

THE LOVE APOCALYPSE


Since the start of this year, Tim officially joined the working world alongside me, fighting the corporate battle.  And i have to say, we are not impervious to this change and this new environment has been impacting our romance by quite a bit. 

Why i say so is because at the end of each day, we've become two deadbeat zombies that cannot wait to crawl into bed after a mind-numbing work day.
That's all we're really interested in.
Dinner and sleep.

Which suitably explains the lack of dating posts or anything remotely close to an update on my blog. Because i've been doing nothing but sleep and squeeze in the time to exercise 30 mins a day. And  weekends are just for the compensation for all the sleep we’ve lost during the weekdays and by the time we're up,  half a day has passed us by. The rest of our scarce time is usually spent with families and friends until the wee hours of the morning in which we get too tired once again.
Oh, it's a vicious cycle i tell you. 

I'm honestly baffled by how a working couple can keep the romance alive in their relationship when Tim and i, as young as we are, are always
Too tired to function
#truestory

Finances also play a huge part in this downfall of romance as well because suddenly as a working adult, you're capable of earning your keep and paying your own bills that used to be paid for by your parents. And boom! you're saddled with study loans and miscellaneous bills that keep your eyeballs up to debt and you wonder if this will be your life for your entire life. So much so that dating seems to become an additional burden to bear especially with Singapore being voted as the most expensive city to live in. 
It just one-ups the entire depressing situation we have on hand right now. 

In this case, how in the world are we supposed to keep the romance alive? I know it's definitely doable but i would presume also incredibly challenging and requires super budget-planning skills.
I definitely hope this is not our future in time to come.

So as one half of a working couple, wish me luck while i hunt for the tips and tricks to surviving this romance apocalypse. We need to keep our love alive!


Till then,
Melissa

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

WHY I STOPPED MY 365GRATEFUL PROJECT


The answer to that is mainly because i felt like it was becoming a chore to me. Something that even though didn't take up too much time a day could go by so easily once i've realised that my day is over.

Also, as i went through the motions, everyday felt repetitive to me. I think i'm simple and that everyday i could be grateful for the exact same things that i was grateful for yesterday or the day before. And i think people are only willing to see my dog's picture or homecooked meals as the things im grateful for that many times. 

But while it's repetitive, it's also very true.
 Everyday i'm grateful that my mum prepares healthy meals for me to take to lunch, i'm grateful that my family is healthy and well and my grandmother, even in the hospital, manages to pull through day after day for us to visit her and watch her get stronger. Everyday, i'm grateful that my dog comes up with new antics that makes me gush over her and how Tim and i squeeze out precious time to spend together. 

My life isn't interesting but that of an average person. Someone who goes through the daily grind of an 8am - 5pm job and comes home too tired to function and repeats it for the next 5 days until the weekends. And then  it's sleeping in late days and waking up to find out that half the day has passed by. 
Yes, my life is that mundane.

So even if i don't continue with this photo journey to document every single thing that i'm grateful for every single day of my life, it doesn't mean that i will stop being grateful for the things i have in my life. And i dont think i've ever said the word "grateful" so many times in a post before.
Phew. I'm grateful that this "grateful" word vomit will stop now.

Thanks for following me on this journey thus far. It's been a good month and a half with it. 

Till then,
Melissa

Sunday, March 9, 2014

THE DATE THAT WENT WRONG

Once in awhile, its okay to mess up. 

If you followed me on instagram, you'll know that a few weeks back, my I date installment for our ABC Dating didn't go exactly as planned. Perhaps taking a break rattled my creative juices and suddenly executing a themed date seemed like a huge challenge, like i've bitten off more than i could chew. 

Everything went wrong, nothing looked the way i imagined it to be, i got electrocuted by loose wires and there in the mess i've created, i sat on the ground walloping in my own desperation to be "creative" and to pull off another surprise for him while fighting the urge to text him and say "I can't do it"
I succumbed eventually and did it anyway and the boy arrived at my doorstep with food and cleaned up whatever i've destroyed. 

Here's the pile of mess i ended up with. 
I had no idea what was i thinking wrapping fairy lights on a ladder. 



And despite it all, there really is a good side to every problem i face. 
There's a good side with Tim and his patience and understanding and his willingness to do this with me even though i wanted this to be a surprise for him. And then there's friends and families who so generously offered love, strength and advice when i spoke of the difficulties i had in planning this I date.
Because of all these good things in my life, i'm optimistic that this idea i have in my head can materialize as i envisioned it. And it all can become a reality. 

Thanks to all those that were incredibly supportive and helpful in this trying time.
This I date will come true. 


Till then,
Melissa