Last nite was spent helping Shaun cover up his white hair, while David makes us LASAGNA for dinner -- still in preparations for the wedding...
I have not done this in quite some time now.... not even with my own hair.. so it was quite funny... took me back to my High School / College days when friends and I would get together once a month and do an all niter session of coloring hair each other's hair...
Okay, so that's another thing to check off my list, of things I can do to help with the wedding...
Tracked down where to pick up one of the things on my wish list, MyBu Collection led me to this spanking, brand new Vinyl Heaven shop in Taipei, Monster Gear!!!
Had to spend a couple of hours in the shop chatting with the staff, Rita & Eva - very friendly and accomodating, plus perusing through all the goodies... tokidoki, molly, scavengers, be@rbricks, dragon figures, brothers' free figures, etc.. -- and there is sooo much more of them to see... I know I will be needing to get back soon just to really take it all in....
The shop showcases Molly, another creatiions by the team dehind Hong Kong's Brother's Free... She is just aout 2 ywears old but already gaining q big following here in Taiwan... Molly arts, shirts and figures are scattered throughout the shop... I held off though, as I know if I buy one of her -- I will be in BIIIG TROUBLE... it will be a start of another collection....
Truly my kind of shop... see more of my photos here: Monster Gear HAPPY FAN GOING HOME WITH MONSTER GEAR GOODIES!!!
Over the years living in Taiwan, I would sometimes be surprised with cookies delivered in some of the fanciest packaging ever... all sorts of shapes, colors, designs, and material... most of the time, the packaging are a whole lot better than the cookies in them... I have come to know that this is a custom for the Chinese that the bride to be's closest friends will be given these Western Style cookies... and this past Wednesday, I had the pleasure accompanying Lyn and Shaun in search of the perfect ones to give away to Lyn's closest friends...
We headed on to Wen Li St in the Shilin District of Taipei - a long street that is really cookie heaven... Shop after shop devoted to catering to the bride to be's cookie needs... and I have come to realized, it is quite a big industry this whole thing is...
I so enjoyed all the choices... was sooo hard to really choose as I was excited by sooo many of them... Louis Vuitton looking bags.... apple shaped containers.... antique style Chinese carrying case... etc.... if I could have it my way, I would have opted for an assortment of choices -- a different one for each different friend... but of course, as we all know far too well, in business quantity dictates the purchase price... and I suppose, it is BEST that everyone gets the same one so as there is no jealousy whatsoever...
So we are now down to two styles to choose from, now it is up to the final pricing from a couple of places to make the final decision... I cannot wait to see as for sure, I will be getting one... LOLs!!!
Fell in love with this cookie jar, Limited Release to welcome the upcoming Year of the Ox! Another MUST HAVE!!! More Photos Here: COOKIES!
Got this from a friend -- and thought it GREAT & FITTING -- So I decided to PASS ON TO YOU ALL.
As we get closer and closer to XMas, life becomes more hectic and stressful even, running around making sure the last gift on the list is bought, all presents wrapped, XMas cards sent, RSVP to parties filled out and returned, etc... So take a deep breath and READ ON -- we all could use some ORDINARY MIRACLES!!!! ==================================== I Wish You All a Day of Ordinary Miracles
A fresh pot of coffee you didn't have to make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. An unexpected visit from a friend, new or old. Green stoplights on your way to work or shop. The fastest line at the grocery store. A good sing along song on the radio. Your keys right where you look. I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy. Happy Holidays 2008!!!
During Xiao Pang's last visit in Taipei, they happen to take him to McDonald's for dinner - and he bought one of the PREMIUM Toys McDonald's, Taiwan is offering right now for the Holidays -- Chibi Maruko-Chan, from a popular Japanese Animated Series. I got to see it when we joined them for a nite out and of course, liked it a whole lot right away...
The day after, during a coffee get together with Juliana on the 9th, she had McDonald's for lunch so i was able to get the Premiums for myself... there are 6 different offerings in the set... alas, as always, am missing one to complete the set.... Not sure how long the campaign is gonna go on for - I am determined to complete this set before XMas!!!
Mirror, Mirror on the wall.. which 2 wedding dresses and 5 gowns are the Fairest of the all??? Pictured are some of the BEST Choices.... Lyn in Various Choices...
The morning was spent shopping for "this and that" - things needed for the wedding... a quickie lunch @ MOS Burger, and then off to pick out gowns for Lyn...I must say, as exciting as it is to go through countless of gowns - both wedding and evening gowns - to pick the right ones (we needed 2 White Wedding Gowns and 5 Evening Gowns), it is just as tiring and frustrating... The Wu Siblings shop for NEIKU (undies)!!
A tired Bride to be, a frustrated Groom to be, and Director brother.
Of course, it was a lot of fun for David, Liya and I - as we just need to pull gowns after gowns for Lyn to try on... but for Lyn and Shaun - it must have been really trying as they just do not have that much time to spare... Good thing we were actually all in agreement for the most part... so 4 hours later and numerous gown changes we chose what Lyn will be wearing for the pre wedding photoshoot (very romantic clooks), and for the actual wedding (sexy and glitz galore!)...
Liya & I even found time to goof around in between gowns.
As a THANK YOU and a SURPRISE for us helping through the day -- Shaun took us all to see the MAYDAY's concert -- one of Taiwan's Premier College Bands... a nice way to end a very tiring day...
11 more days till XMas!!! I finally got my XMas CDs out... listening to it while I process photos of yesterday's Wedding gown hunting trip.... so of course, the first thing I played is my FAVE out of all the XMas songs - for many years now, this has been my ultra FAVE: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland.
This VIDEO is actually from the movie, Meet Me in St. Louis…. in my opinion, simply the BEST version of this song…. and am not just saying it because I "happen to know Dorothy" - so am automatically supposed to like Judy Garland…. Just feel her version is so understated and so direct …. and yet you can still feel the sorrow, hope and sweetness in her voice….
I was introduced to this movie one XMAS year…. just as most of my XMasses in the US, I was alone… my family is all over the world — with their very own families… and my partner at the time, usually goes home for XMAS to be with his family… we welcomed the New Year together instead… so the words to the song kinda hits me more…
of course life has changed for me of late… having moved back to ASIA, albeit in Taiwan… I am now much closer to my family in Manila so I am blessed enough to go home the last few years… but my love for this song never wanes… and the memories of it keeping me company over those bleak XMasses spent in America will always be appreciated….
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Written by Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be light From now on your troubles will be out of sight, yeah
Have yourself a merry little Christmas Make the Yuletide gay From now on your troubles will be miles away, oh ooh
Here we are as in olden days Happy golden days of yore, ah Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us, once more, ooh Through the years we all will be together If the fates allow Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, ohh And have yourself a merry little Christmas now Oooh…
Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us, once more, ohh Through the years we all will be together If the fates allow, oh yeah
But ’til then we’ll have to muddle through, somehow Oh yeah, oh ooh oh And have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Last nite, I accompanied Lyn & Shaun check out a couple of places for the wedding ensembles.... I never knew how time consuming and frustrating something like this is... I thought, you go in, you talk price, agree, and then the fun begins -- you try on the clothes... WRONG!!!
First place we went to, the negotiations went on for over 4 hrs... and still came to no fruition... at least, the 2nd place, armed with what we already know from the previous pone, went smoother and faster.. It helped that Lyn's colleagues used them for their own wedding a couple of years ago... with that accomplished, we go back in this afternoon to start trying on dresses and hopefully pick them out -- a wedding gown plus 3 other wardrobe changes...
Today we will be joined by David and Liya, who is back from England for a couple of months... 4 differing opinions at play -- this should be a fun afternoon... LOLS!!!!
12 more days till XMAS!!!! Well, most of us are probably watching the classic movies that gets re broadcast year after year during the Holidays: "White XMas", A Christmas Carol", The Sound Of Music", and so on... or Newer XMas Classics: "Home Alone", A Christmas Story", Scrooged", etc...
One movie that has become a tradition for me is "Love Actually"... The movie follows 8 interrelated couples - all dealing with their own kinds of LOVE -- set during the frenzied month of DEC... culminating on XMAS DAY...
It is one of those movies that has everything and are all well told, well paced, and each with its' own HAPPY ENDING -- even when the couples do not really get together in the end... It is both heartwarming and REAL.... Below are the two STAND OUT story arcs in my opinion...
The BEST STORY LINE: This Kiera Knightley one is one of the sweetest pay off in a love story movie...even though the GUY does not get the girl....
The MOST HEARTBREAKING one: Midlife Crisis at its' most devastating.... knowing that your other half is having an affair.... the look on Emma Thompson's face upon opening up her XMAS gift of a Joni Mitchell CD is so heartbreaking....
...The other stories are just as GREAT and TOUCHING... this is truly one of the BEST Holiday movies for the MODERN TIMES..... and will Forever be Timeless.....
So most Catholic and Western people I know whose marriage is dampen by a Death in the Family has to CANCEL or MOVE their wedding to a different, later date... but for the Chinese, the Belief is that a couple must be married within 100 days of a family member's death... As Shaun's father very recently passed away, the countdown begins for his wedding with Lyn (David's sister)-- couple this with the belief that The Year of the OX is not a good time for marriages (seems it is considered an unlucky year to get married)-- what usually takes a year in planning will have to be done before the Chinese NY (3rd week of JAN)! Hence, all the craziness and excitement going on in our household at this time....
This will be an AMAZING feat to accomplish as basically it will be three celebrations: one in Nantou (Shaun's familial home); Kaohsiung (Lyn's); & Taipei - where they both now resides and most of their colleagues and friends are....Now factor in the Feng Shuei part of the whole thing - where one needs to consult with the fortune tellers to see which dates in that little time frame, are good for each of the rituals: family engagement, wedding ceremonies/banquet in the three places, etc... and all the running about trying to get everything accomplish and done: wedding gowns, photo shoots, catering, etc... Let's not forget WORKING throughout all these preparations...
I myself, would just run to the nearest CITY HALL and get it over with -- but if anyone can make this HAPPEN, I know THEY CAN!!! They are two of the KINDEST & SMARTEST people I know... and Lyn is one of the most AMAZING women I have ever met -- very Dedicated, Diligent, and most of all, ORGANIZED... if you meet her you will be able to tell right away that she is totally one of those POWER WOMEN who knows how to take charge and be in control - FAIRLY, mind you...
For our part, David & I, are here to lend support... in any way we can... first up for me is to go WEDDING GOWN shopping this weekend... that should be FUN! This is actually my FIRST REAL CHINESE WEDDING to ATTEND - you know am EXCITED!!!!
Get ready to Rumble!!! The Pink Variation of the tokidoki Tiger Series is Finally in the House!!! This little one gave me a bit of a hard time, got me on the run scrounging around for him... I got the other three in Taipei - but this one was SOLD OUT... then I tried to get some friends to pick him up in MANILA but to no avail also... Good Thing the tokidoki shop in Los Angeles still have it - and I am now able to complete the set. Extra THANKS to Mary for helping me get Pinky here.... Just glad he is not too pink... just the right shade of PINK for me.... Soon Pinky gets to join the rest of the TIGER Tribe!!!
Noir et Blanc
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*We are not forgetting the bigger dolls, that's for sure!!! Introducing
"Noir et Blanc" - our brand new collaboration with FuZin - made especially
for th...
Halloween 2016
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*Is everyone ready??? Am never ready but I sure have fun during the month
of October. Mostly because a few toys get to come out.*
*Sharing my Display and...
"Most people know that I love the simple things in life.... traveling is my one TRUE Passion.... I love to dance and to keep fit, RUNNING is my exercise of choice -- though with the TAIWAN heat, am inclined to go for a swim more..."
Last nite was spent helping Shaun cover up his white hair, while David makes us LASAGNA for dinner -- still in preparations for the wedding... 
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