DIY Plushies' Tissue Box

So yesterday i was thinking about what to write for today's post, the original thought was to share some of the creative and interesting furnitures i saw online, but that was because i had no new DIY products made. However, when it was like 8pm at night, i saw this cute little yellow platypus sitting on my shelf. It was a souvenir i bought from Japan ages ago, i bought it because the green bun at its mouth can be pulled out and it will kinda "eat" the bun back. Unfortunately, few months ago, the eating trick won't work anymore so i just put it on the shelf and leave it there. Sad case.

Looking at my favourite plush toy, i made up my mind. I'm gonna make it a useful toy instead of just lying there on the shelf and accummulates dust. So, i took out the scissors, glue and a packet of tissue. Guess what, I'm gonna make it a tissue box!

It was a simple surgery, first i cut the middle of its head following the seam line (Sorry for hurting you my platypus!). Just a hole that can fit the tissue in and took out the small tool that now failed to do the eating trick.

Then, you can pulled the string that attached to the green bun and glue the green bun to the mouth so that it won't fall out. Lastly, i took out some of the stuffing material so that the packet of tissue can fit in. And, that's it! Easy simple and quick as a wink =)

The photo shown is before i glue the mouth.

Anyway, thanks to the tissue box idea and my platypus can once again stay on my table. Even better now as it can provide me tissues!

ps: If u want to have some viariation, you can buy different colour of tissues, which can add more fun to this cute tissue box, i.e. the platypus can have different hair colour =P

Cream Puffs!

Dear all, hope your weekend was great and relaxing! Mine was pretty exhausted but overall it was alright =) My usual weekend plan is to hang out with my bf but last week he wasn't able to make it so i ended up making cream puffs on Saturday. I had 2 experiences in making cream puffs in the past, which both of them took place during my good old uni times.

First time it was quite a messy experience as I did it in a very small kitchenette in school hall. Another problem is i didn't know the underlying theory of baking and therefore just follow the recipe without making any adjustment. Ended up with really watery mixture and therefore when it was baked, it was quite hard to form a proper shape. Unfortunately i lost the photos i took for my first ever made cream puff, which has extremely smooth surface as I dun have the tools to shape them into proper cream puff shape. Nevertheless, the taste was kinda good except the whipped cream melt down as i injected them when the cream puffs were still hot.

2nd time, i made cream puffs in my rented apartment as my housemates and i were in the bakingmania state at that time lol. I thought i can polish my skills of making cream puff there with more accuracy and appropriate adjustment. This time, I add the egg amount according to the texture of the dough as i dun wan it to be too watery again. The cream puff was a 100% success! However, not for the whipped cream. I didn't learn my lesson from last time and injected the whipped cream too fast too furious again so it melt. Foolish me. Absent-minded me. lol.

THIS TIME, i found a really detailed recipe which tells everything that i need to know. I will provide the link at the end of the post so that u guys can try it too =) However, i was worried that I might make too much cream puffs so i halved the amount of ingredients required. Another problem that i faced this time is that the eggs in my house is surprisingly too big. After i added in one egg, the dough texture quickly become like the porridge for little baby =.= No choice, i had to add in more flour as it won't form nicely even if i do nothing. First batch came out like crackers, so i add in more flour. Accidentally too much flour (damn it my shaky hands =.=). So 2nd batch does look like proper cream puffs, but the texture is too hard. Well, i have no more dough for 3rd batch so that's the end of it. haha.

Now, for the whipped cream. I used to buy ready-made whipped cream but this time, i decide to do it myself! This is the most enjoying part of the whole baking session to be honest. I used heavy cream bought from tesco and added in some honey for flavouring. I took advice from the web and put the cream into the fridge before i start whipping it. More problems! I can't find the whisk! So, ended up using a metal spoon. Luckily, metal spoon do the tricks too. It was surprisingly easier than i thought as after whisking for 5-10minutes, the texture of the cream changed.

So, i put it in the fridge again as i learnt that low temperature is the key of getting a good whipped cream haha. Today, i took out the whipped cream, and yey, it looks fantastic!

End of the story: Happy with how i made the whipped cream but not so proud of the cream puffs haha.

Oh yes, the link of the recipe: http://cook4youme.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-cream-puff-for-2012-valentines.html

Enjoy!

Silver Linings Playbook, the outsiders-won't-understand-LOVE

It's Friday people! Weekend is just around the corner and care for some movies?

I was actually struggling whether to introduce Silver Linings Playbook or Side Effects, and i decide to do Silver Lining Playbook :) Side Effects is a psychological thriller and might be too heavy for people to cope with it after a week of crazy work lol. So, something lighter, i.e. a romantic comedy-drama might be a better option to have a relaxing weekend (or actually it isn't, it just happen to has a happy ending lol ).

This is a great movie with great actors and actress. Imagine it has EIGHT Oscars nomination including ALL four acting categories. That is how GOOD this movie is.

I know, people might say Oscars nominated movies are normally boring and boring and BORING. But trust me, this one is fun and it makes you think about lots of things after watching it. [Spoiler alert] The dancing part at the end actually reminds me of another movie Miss Little Sunshine, which also has a surprisingly entertaining dancing part.

Basically this movie is talking about a man whose wife has an affair with a colleague of both of them. And when he accidentally saw them together, he beat the hell out of that man and ended up being sent into a psychiatry hospital. When he came home, he was still obsessed in getting back together with his wife and has tried his best to achieve his goal. One day, he met his friend's wife's sister (i know, complicated relationship), who has problem coping with her ex-husband's death. They somehow were attracted to each other and the girl tricked him into entering a dance competition with her.

The pace of the show is generally very natural, which some people might find it slow. But i think that pace is just nice for a movie like this. Like the parts when people trying to cope with their own psychological problem. That moment of silence was very convincing and I literally is amazed by their acting performance. Love the chemistry between all of them. They are awesome!

[Spoiler alert] Love the part when Pat and Tiffany were discussing what anti-depressants they have taken on the dining table. It was creepy but amusing haha. Also, love the performance of Dr Patel as well, he is like such a serious person at work and when it comes to american football, he went wild lol. Love his indian accent too, it's like Raj from Big Bang Theory haha. 

This movie shows how very messed up people can be happy just because of very small things that means the world to them. Everyone has their own problems, you just have to face it and deal with it. I love the attitude of Tiffany, she's like "Ya i'm very fucked up, but i still love myself. So accept it or leave me."

I wasn't that impressed by Jennifer Lawrence when she was in Hunger Game, but she really did a very great job in Silver Linings Playbook. Can't believe she is same age as me! The acting performance was very polished and well played. No, i don't love her, i just like her performance in this movie lol.

Bradley Cooper did a great job too. He earns what he has. Having so many supporting roles played in different movie, finally this one got him a very fruitful experience. Although he didn't win the Oscars, I'm very sure people in the industry has notice him and will make him a great star sooner or later. And btw, he was in Hangover movies haha. The psycho in that series is different from the one in here. lol.

It's Skin Mango White Cleansing Foam + Power 10 Formula YE Effector

Today, I'm gonna share the pleasant surprise i've gotten in my Vietnam trip =)

So, that trip was horrible overall but the last night walk in Hanoi was great. Best part was the sales assistants of It's Skin handing me the samples of their products, including the Mango White Cleansing Foam and Power 10 Formula YE Effector. I was actually quite surprise as she gave me two types of products which is considered quite generous as i looked 100% like tourist and didn't look keen to buy anything from them either. Have to say they are very well-trained in serving potential customers. 5 stars for that =)

The nearly finished samples that I was given. Love the cleansing foam. The effect was unexpectedly good! First when i saw the texture which contains those little bits, I was worried that they might be too strong and hurt my skin tissue. However when i apply the foam on my face, i can barely feel the bits. Surprise, surprise~! The after effect was great, I feel even more refreshing compared to my previous cleansing cream (Just to be clear, I used to LOVE my old Olay Clarity Fresh Cleanser before i try this ). Plus, it makes my skin feel so natural without the tightening feel i used to experience from the other cleanser which i forgot which brand it is. Oh and btw, it smells good =)

On the other hand, after applying toner, i used the YE effector, which consist yeast, a popular ingredient nowadays in making facial products. First time, I accidentally squeezed too much and apply too heavily on my face, which was not a pleasant experience as it makes my skin feel like i had botox or something. However, 2nd time, i've learnt my lesson so i apply it in minimal amount and turned out great. After applying it for a few minutes, i actually feel like my skin is flawless (I know how weird it looks when i touch my own cheek and smile @.@). Great product! 

The actual look of the product. On the left we have Mangowhite Cleansing Foam and on the right is the YE effector.

When i google around, i come across this website which sells these products in USD and have clear explanation on all the products, so i 'll just share them here so people who are interested can have a read.

Oh and in case you are kpop fans, It's Skin is endorsed by 2PM. 

These will be my sharings for today =) 

More prints!

Today, let's talk about my next shopping target =)

Just to be clear, I'm not a person who read fashion magazines and make great effords to look fashionable. I just follow my own instinct of shopping so my choice might be very outdated or so but I DON'T CARE.

After watching Project Runway season 10, I have been inspired to try getting more colourful clothing since I've been wearing monotone clothes and the most colourful pieces i have are checkered tops and dress. Not exactly like single bright yellow or neon pink those kind of colourful but more of a tie dye or ombre type of colourful. 

Love this print and the story of the print! Can't believe an X-ray photo can turn out to be this amazing. Have to say if i have the budget, I'll definitely get that pencil skirt on the right. The design is pretty basic, which is totally my cup of tea. Since my code of fashion was pretty much simple and NO bling bling. I dunno what kind of code is that but, oh well.

Another unaffordable love, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania collection. Love the tone of the dress, it's simple yet looks complicated. Bonus point is how the head on the garment peeking at the model's face.

Cool leggings by Alexander McQueen. Too bad i'm in a country which has super hot weather so wearing leggings will be a crazy idea. Pretty sure if i do it i'll be sweating like hell and cursing myself for making such a idiotic decision of wearing leggings. (Not intended to scold anyone who love wearing leggings regardless the hot weather. To wear or not to wear, it's your own decision )

For a more affordable option, ASOS is my first visited website. Used to love ASOS when i was studying in UK as they provide free delivery and free refund. Best part is the refund booth is just opposite my apartment which encourage me to get more try more and refund more. It was crazily easy. 

This printed dress is from Warehouse, which is quite cool if you keep the black and white colour tone and add in little bit of leather factor in the overall style. It can be a good everyday wear as it is actually a very simple basic dress. 

I have to say, I'm still a big fan of black and white as well as leather stuff despite the fact that i said i want to try something new like prints and stuff. Guess i'm too loyal to monotone lol.

Now, time for some jeans!

I have gained interest in a London brand recently which is called Pepe Jeans, from the name you'll know they do lots of jeanswear. They have quite a number of interesting jeans available on ASOS. I'm now showing 3 of them here =)

Quite cool huh? They are fun and vibrant and you just need a simple T-shirt or top to match with them. As for shoes, high ankle sneakers or heels or boots, anything will do! 

So, interesting prints will be my fashion code this spring/summer =)