my new toy + yu + thanksgiving

finally i got my 1st dslr. i've been hunting for one for a long time. this is the only camera(besides my lousy phone camera) that i have now, since i sold all my point and shoot. i'll probably need to get a new point and shoot as well. maybe when i get my bonus (wink *_^) i'm going to take real good care of this baby. fingers cross ^_^

went to a japanese restaurant 2 weeks ago for a scrumptious dinner. the bill was @_@, but it was worth it. here are some food pics. the chilean bass was so tasty. it's marinated in miso sauce for 48 hrs.

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving turkey eating fest. i went to denver with some friends for a short trip. it was really cold compare to austin and the scenery was mesmerizing. there are snow top mountains everywhere in mile high city. our thanksigiving dinner was *bleh. we had buffet at grand hyatt hotel. the food was cold and bland. totally not worth paying for. we drove to aspen/snowmass for skiing. it was a pretty exciting journey. we saw wild ram and dead deer on the roadside. it was so peaceful out there. it started snowing a little. sitting on the ski lift and watching those tiny snowflakes gently descend to the white covered ground gives you a peaceful and calm feeling. there weren't enough snow for snowmobiling :( but the women worldcup was held on the same weekend. we watched a concert and fireworks from aspen ski slope. something special from the trip. no shopping/hauling this trip ^_^ on a side note, it snowed in austin last friday. it was a rare sight down here.

shopping!!!! victoria secret is giving a free cute pup with any pink purchase. comes in silver, gold, pink, blue, green. hurry and get yours! y4ou'll also get a free pink panty with a printable coupon from pink nation. just sign up and print.

christmas is just around the corner. have you put up your decoration? i'm pretty lazy as i've just came back from the trip and will be leaving again next week. don't think i'll put up any decorations this year. picture is taken from silvertree hotel in snowmass village.

November Giveaways

Shop N' Chomp Giveaway

Prizes:

* Tsumori Chisato 2010 calendar book

* Limited Edition Tsumori Chisato for Shu Uemura mirror with pouch

* Handmade gold leaf stud earrings

* Various sheet masks

* 2 boxes of Revlon Runway Collection artificial nails

Rules:

For 1 entry:

1) You must be a follower of "Shop N' Chomp" blog

2) Comment on this post with your email address and tell me what your #1 holiday wishlist item is.

For 2 additional entries:

1) Spread the love. Enter a second comment that includes a link to your own blog or your tweet where you have shared my giveaway. Include the 1st pic above showing the prizes.

A Watercolour Sky 2nd Anniversary Giveaway

Giveaway ends November 11, 2009

Prizes:

China Glaze Nail Lacquer in For Audrey

Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate

Dior High Shine Mini-Lipstick in Catwalk Mauve

MAC Pro Makeup Remover Sample

Rules:

1. Be a public follower via Google.

2. Leave a comment with your current beauty obsession [e.g, pink lips, perfect skin, etc.]

3. If you are one of the first/existing 308 followers, you get another entry. Leave another comment saying so.

4. [Extra Entry] Mention this giveaway on your blog and leave another comment with the link.

**There will be a new giveaway every week, so 3 giveaways in November.

Sweetcheek's Giveaway

Giveaway ends November 16, 2009

Prizes:

St. Moriz Tanning Mousse

Eyeko Fat Balm in Raspberry

ELF Mineral Lipstick in Nicely Nude

NYX Round Lipstick in Sash

Neutral Eye Palette

Rules:

1. Must be a follower

2. Comment saying "Enter Me"

3. [Extra Entry] Mention this giveaway on your blog and comment with the link.

The Ultimate Lash Mantra Give Away

Rules:

1. Leave a comment to say Enter Me and become a fan of Lash Mantra on Facebook if you have a Face book account.

2. Post about this give away on your blog, if you have one. Include the Prize Picture above.

Duration: 2 weeks (9th November – 23rd November) See Timer in my side bar.

Winner will be drawn on the 24th of November by Random.org and your address will be sent to Lash Mantra for direct mailing from there.

Savvy Mode's giveaway here

Rules:

1. Be a Savvy Mode follower for one entry since this is to kickoff holiday shopping for Savvy Mode readers.

2. Share this giveaway for 2 additional entries.

3. Sorry, this is open to US and Canadian readers only.

4. Entry period Nov 9 to Nov 19, 2009

The Polka-dotted Apple's FIRST Giveaway!

The winner will get (all brand-spankin' new!) :

Rules:

1. Must be a follower.

2. One comment per person. If more than one, the person will be disqualified.

3. Giveaway ends on November 29, 2009 at 11:59PM EST

4. Must have more than 10 people enter or it will be cancelled.

5. Winner will be chosen at random via random.org.

6. Include your email in your comment.

7. Open internationally.

Answer these questions in a blog post and link back to my giveaway post**:

What is your most prized possession?

my computer. it's my work, entertainment, communication box :) no way i can pass a day without touching my computer (except travelling maybe)

What is your definition of beauty?

hmmm.....don't really have one. i think everyone can be beautiful with the correct aesthetic techniques. fyi, i've seen too many before and after photos. well, that only answers for outer beauty.

What makeup item (Brand and name of product) would you recommend to me?

ecotools blusher brush. it's a good brush that doesn't hurt your wallet.

What is your favorite KIND of makeup item and why?

bbcream/foundation. it covers up all your flaws.

A weird factoid about you. :B

i'm a heavy sleeper. i won't wake up even if you kick me zzzzz

What is the fondest memory of your childhood?

fighting with my siblings. it helps to build character :P

Describe yourself honestly.

i'm a dreamer. i have lots of thoughts/ideas about what i'll do, but most of them have not materialized. i'll try my best to do them whenever possible cos' life's too short :)

Tell me something I could do to improve my blog.

your blog's title font/color. it's hard to see with the background.

new wintery layout + bats

decided to change my new layout to a more wintery look to match with the season. it's going to get colder and colder pretty soon. it's kinda depressing every evening when i leave my workplace the sky is already dark. i'm going to miss the warm sunlight.

went jogging at town lake. it was nice and refreshing to see the calm sight.

guess what i bumped into??? bats!!! it was around dusk and they were going to forage for food. austin congress bridge has the largest urban bat community in america. sometimes i see bats in my office. i've no idea where how get into the building. i better keep my snacks locked up!

the picture quality is pretty bad. those tiny black dots in the sky are bats. it's time for me to get a new camera :P

on to beauty related post :) i received sephora holiday catalog in the mail today. they're having a promotion when you buy 12 deluxe sample size scents($50), you'll receive a full size bottle of your favorite scent for free! this looks like a good deal. what do you think?

had a small NYX haul some time ago when ULTA had $5 off $10 coupon. read tons of reviews and tutorial related to NYX, so i just had to get my hands on some :) pretty good excuse, eh.

lipstick: flower, indian pink

felt tip liner

trio shadows for esxy babe's eyes only!

lipsticks are pigmented but it's not glossy or shimmery. gotta add lipgloss of course! i'm loving the liner.

Nails!!! Revlon Tropical Temptation. like the neon color

jack-o-latern + spooky nails

it's so hard to pick the perfect jack-o-lantern. you want it to be in perfect round shape without any bumps or dents. have you picked yours yet? i wonder if ppl still go out to the farm to pick from a pumpkin patch when they can be easily found in your local grocery stores. i guess it's more fun for the kids to get on the hay ride, petting those cute farm creatures, circling in the maze etc. i feel like going to one now :)

lots of colors, shapes and sizes

my pick!!!

my carvings. pretty different from what i had in mind. suppose to be a scary haunted mansion, but it didn't turn out that scary. i got lazy at the end :P

halloween theme nails. spooky??

I've been tagged !!!

i was tagged by the lovely WithLove,Elle from aussie. arigatou ne. check out her blog!

6 sorta interesting facts...........

1. i found out that i'm allergic to nuts, caffeine and dark chocolate in my junior year. been trying my best to stay away from all the temptations.

2. i'm 10k++ miles away from my family.

3. i love watching horror movies. i do get freak out and gross out and i might even scream, but i like the excitement, suspense and thriller. can't wait to go to a haunted mansion for halloween :D

4. i enjoy the smell/scent of freshly cut grass (kinda weird, huh?). it just gives me a warm feeling inside but i hate the noise from the lawn mower as i'm usually still in bed >_<

5. i hate doing dishes. i don't mind cooking, vacuuming, dusting, washing etc. i just don't like touching all the greasy leftovers.

6. i always daydream. i can even dream while i'm driving. fortunately i can still keep the wheels straight :-P

tsubaki + oktoberfest (weird combination)

cloud + rain = thunderstorm

i love shiseido tsubaki treatment with Camellia oil EX. my hair is usually dry and frizzy at the ends, but after using tsubaki my hair is so soft and silky. i applied it on my hair and put on a shower cap for 10 mins before rinsing. like the camellia scent as well.

here is Japan CM for Shiseido tsubaki products. It features a lot of japan celebrities. i like Maki Horikita in Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Atanshinchi no Danshi. had a good laugh watching these dramas. also the song in the CM is by SMAP (Dear Woman). it's a catchy tune.

Oktoberfest !!! a celebration commemorating Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen marriage. went to Fredericksburg which is 1.5 hr away from austin. it's an old historical german town. some of the old buildings are still in sight. the weather was playing games with us. it was raining practically the whole day but it didn't stop the crowd from enjoying the festival. anyway, the journey was pretty interesting. saw horses, cows, sheep, goats and i think i saw camels. my friends didn't believe me. they said it's a llama. wonder who's right........

cows that look like tapir (white patch in the middle) + raindrops on my window

a historical museum greeting us......finally arrived !!

a stamped on my hand indicating that i'm part of the festival :)

tons of german food (sausages, bratwurst, Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut, german potato sald), music etc.

non-stop supply of german sausages

had bratwurst and sauerkraut with a roll. my mouth is way too small for this giant sausage. had to bite some bread, sausage and sauerkraut bit by bit

drank german wheat beer from the oldest brewery in the world. yummy.

long rows of beer tap

german flags deco

german live music. couples dancing and having fun

people dressing up for the festival...cute!!

Love package + Sasa haul

sun is out again after a week of rain and wetness........

received a surprise love package from WithLove,Elle. she included a lovely Dior bracelet with studded heart charms. i'm crazy about accessories. this is gonna be added to my collection. also a dangling cross earrings. SK II whitening skin sample and a chapstick (in time for fall. my lips get so dry when it's cold).

a huge haul from sasa. they're offering free shipping when you purchase above $75. apparently, it's free shipping now when you use paypal until mid october. great time to check out their website. i've seen a lot of negative reviews about their customer service. i'm lucky everything went well for me. they didn't charge me when i added an additional item after i placed my order. shipping takes about 10 days. not too bad considering they ship from hong kong.

relax relax......not everything is mine. i'm ordering for my friend and WithLove,Elle as well. i tried kose coenzyme Q10 sheet mask. it doesn't contain a lot of fluid and it dries off pretty fast. don't think it's doing anything for my skin besides hydrating it. it's cheap though :P

had a late nite snack in downtown. it's highly recommended in yelp. always wanted to try one, but it opens at 9pm and i can't wait that long to fulfill my hungry tummy. i had lamb and beef kebab. would prefer more sauce, otherwise it's tasty. the first bite was extra yummy as i was really hungry.

that's not me in the pic :)

Food + Flag

Gloomy Rainy Day...............

it basically rained the whole day. the weather changed from 100 degrees to 57 degrees. brrr........shiver shiver. it's time to take out my sweater, jackets, scarfs etc.

nice gloomy purplish sky outside my apartment. pardon the blueness as my hands were shaking.

interesting food pic. country flags made out of local delicacies. feel like travelling to these places.

australia

switzerland

italy

france

japan

$1 Swedish Meatball.....mmm

Ikea had $1 Swedish meatball meal over the weekend. how can i resist??!! always like their meatballs. it was extra yummy since it didn't hurt my purse :P

then i walked around for a bit and look at their new designs. i like to see how they decorate the tiny little spaces they have in those cubicle rooms. i promise not to buy anymore big furniture as it's going to be difficult when i move next time. there were a lot of new lower price items. got a new set of quilt cover + 2 pillow cases although i don't need any. it's only $2.99!!! what if i spill juice on my bed and need a fresh new quilt cover one day?? :P the material is a bit hard, but i bet it'll be soft after a few washes.

went to mall to pick up some leggings. fall is coming. it's buy 1 get 1 50% off.

Dinner time.....went to Chen Noodle up north. they make their noodle from scratch. i had egg and tomato. suppose this is good for my skin? it was yummy. like the sauce and the noodle is sooo smooth.

finally.......my bamboo plant is dying :( forgot to water it. this plant is suppose to be one of the easiest to maintain. guess i don't have green fingers.