Why do people steal?

I recently made an online purchase of some craft items from the United States ("USA"). This is the second time I have made this purchase from the same seller and the first time, I received the package in less than a week. This time, it has been more than 2 weeks and suffice to say, I am getting worried. The package could have been lost in transit or stolen. As the seller sent the package via US International Mail, the tracking number of the package is only useful for when the package is still located IN USA. Once the package reaches Malaysia, it is treated as normal mail and you will not be able to locate it. I must say I should have been smarter and opted to purchase insurance for the package. Alas, I did not but I will be smarter next round if indeed the package has been stolen or lost. I will keep you updated.

Update : I got both of my packages this week! Am super happy and nothing was broken!!! Yippee! Just don't know what took the Malaysian side so long to deliver the package. It was stamped cleared in August! Anyway, better late than never!

The above reminded me of something that happened a long time ago. I had just graduated from university and was packing and boxing up the stuff I wanted to get sent back home. I used a third party carrier (as it was cheaper at the time) and proceeded to send my stuff back to Malaysia. The stuff arrived a few days after I came back home and was delivered directly to my house. To my horror, I found that the boxes had been ransacked and that precious things have been stolen!!!

The thieves had gone through all my boxes and stole my entire collection of CDs. They did not want the CDs with chinese songs though. Anyone who knows me, knows I am attached to my music CDs so I was devastated. They also took other items of sentimental value and once done ransacking, they taped up the box again. I must say they didn't do a good job out of it either!

This is just a warning for the young ones who are about to graduate and come back to Malaysia. Buy insurance on the products you are shipping back through these carriers unless you are paying a hefty sum for carriers like DHL, FedEx, UPS and etc. However, a point to note is that friends who used the same carrier but lived in Singapore, had no problems whatsoever. Go figure.....

On a happier note, I have taken pictures of more cards that I have made and hope to post it on the blog soon. Am also thinking of selling these cards on my other website at Serenity Gemz but not sure if I should. Any thoughts?

New hobby!

I have not been updating my blog recently because I am suddenly caught up in all my craft hobbies! I started an ambitious cross stitch project about 7 months ago and still have about 35% to go before I'm finished! It's a picture of a fairy. There is supposed to be a pair of them but I don't know if I'll be able to start on the new one after I am exhausted with this one! Hahaha. Here is a picture of the fairy that I am stitching and what I have done so far...

Completed Picture

Picture is split up into 6 parts. I have finished 3.5 parts!

I forgot to take a picture of the other fairy that I would like to complete but you can sort of see it on the top right hand corner of the completed picture. So wish me luck! I am hoping to finish it by the end of the year! Hahaha. If anyone is interested in cross stitch, I get my materials and threads from this craft shop in SS2 called Yee Button House located at No.33, Jalan SS2/55, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. They can be contacted at 03 - 78770049.

The second and newest hobby I have picked up is cardmaking! I swore I would not pick this hobby up or even scrapbooking for that matter as I know a friend who got into scrapbooking and LOADS of money was spent on materials and tools. I do not remember what was the catalyst that brought me into the craft shop but I was doomed from there on! I thought I could control myself and only buy enough materials and tools to make simple cards. I have always been in love with greeting cards and whenever I go overseas, I would pick up lots of beautiful cards because let's face it, greeting card variety or options in Malaysia SUCK and I see the same cards being sold over and over again every single year!

For those who are interested in scrapbooking or craft material, there are only 3 retail stores that I know of that sells these materials and tools. They are Scrap Book Memories (previously located in the Old Wing at 1 Utama but moving to Tropicana City Mall, located next to Toys R Us), Papier Love located at The Curve and Craft Haven located in 1 Utama. My advice is to shop around before you make any purchases. This is because each store sells relatively different items and prices can vary quite significantly. For example, if you want to buy those Martha Stewart punches, get them from Papier Love as it is much cheaper compared to Scrap Book Memories.

There is also an online store where I find prices are quite reasonable and that is Scrap n Crop. However, I order a lot of my materials and stamps from overseas because even with delivery costs and the conversion, it ends up much cheaper than what I would get here. For example, for those who know, Hero Arts stamps sell for about say RM80 for a set of acrylic stamps. When I order direct from USA, it probably ends up being about RM20 cheaper, and that is including delivery cost!

For those who are interested to purchase items overseas or just to get ideas on scrapbook layouts and card ideas, these are some of my favorite sites to visit:

• Two Peas In A Bucket - You can get design ideas plus it is an online store
• Kristina Werner Blog - I love her cards as they are simple yet interesting

You can go to YouTube and search for their videos as well. Or maybe you shouldn't because then you'll be hooked and spend loads of money you don't have like me!

Anyway, the post is getting too long, so here are some of the cards that I've made. I will not say they're fantastic because I am still trying to experiment with different materials and techniques. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions!!

Apologies

I just wanted to write a short post to apologise to people who do read my blog. As I am blogging from an iMac, all the fonts and font sizes look alright to me. However, I noticed that when I am reading it from a PC, the blog posts come in all different fonts and sizes! I'm not sure how I can correct that so my apologies in advance if the posts are hard to read.

If anyone can tell me how to fix this problem, I would be grateful. :))

Sephora in Malaysia!

Last Sunday, I was walking from Pavilion to Starhill when I noticed that there is a new construction site right where the old Lecka Lecka gelato place was. I actually did not think too much about it until my husband pointed out that it was a YTL venture joint with Sephora. I stopped and looked at the sign and I couldn't believe it. YTL was actually going to build a structure just to house Sephora!! Yes, the makeup giant we all know, SEPHORA! There is no news yet on when it's supposed to open, so I guess we'll just have to wait for it.

Let's hope that we Malaysians, can now get our hands on cosmetic and skincare brands that have been so elusive to us, and hopefully not at an exorbitant price! I for one am personally looking forward to brands like Urban Decay for cosmetics and Frederic Fekkai for haircare!

ASTRO Channel 412 & 511

Are you currently having problems with viewing the above channels on Astro? If you are, this might just solve your problem in the simplest of ways.

Step 1 - Do you own a Panasonic cordless phone? If, yes, is it currently plugged near your Astro decoder?

Step 2 - Turn off or unplug your Panasonic cordless phone.

Voila! Your problem should be solved. If not, call Astro for the technician again.

How did I come to know about this? I have not been able to watch the above channels for a few months. Recently, I got fed up of waiting for it to magically correct itself and called Astro. A report was filed and the Astro technician came to my house a few days later. All they did was turn off / unplug my Panasonic cordless phone and MAGICALLY, I could view Channel 412 & 511 again. I asked for clarification and the technician stated that many people had complained about this and most of the time, it has been because the frequency of the Panasonic cordless phone is interfering with the Astro frequency for those channels.

However, I have had this cordless phone for 4 years and never had trouble viewing the channels until recently. So the technician guessed that Astro could have changed certain frequencies (can't explain more since I don't know anything about this satellite stuff!). Apparently, the technician said one of the customers requested that Astro replace his Panasonic cordless phone since it wasn't his fault that the frequency was interfering with the Astro channels. I wonder what became of THAT request. Hahaha.

So hope this blog post helps some of you having the same problem as us!

Burt's Bees in Malaysia!

Yesterday I was at The Curve and pretty much walking aimlessly for awhile when I stopped and stared at something for a long while because I couldn't really believe my eyes. Right next to Border's Bookshop on the Ground floor of The Curve, were the renovations boards indicating that Burt's Bees ("Burt's") was going to be a new addition to the shops at The Curve!!!

I first learned about Burt's when I went to Singapore sometime last year and walked into Sephora. I bought the Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil just to try out the product. Suffice to say, I am very happy using this product as it keeps my lips smooth and moist. The pomegranate oil is supposed to infuse your lips with antioxidants.

Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil

Picture extracted from Burt's Bees website

Basically, the brand is all about using natural ingredients for its products. Currently, half of their products are 100% natural and the company is aiming to to meet a goal of 100% natural formulas for all their products. All products are free from the following:

• Sulfates
• Parabens
• Phthalates
• Petrochemicals

Currently, Burt's has the following product ranges : Lips, Face, Body, Hands and Feet, Hair, Baby and Mom, Men, Sun and Outdoor and Gift Packs. Let's hope that when the store opens in Malaysia, most of the products will be available. I would really love love to try out some of their other products, for example their Lip Shimmer products which I was told by the Sales Assistants in Sephora, were one of Burt's best selling items.

I believe the store will be open for business in another month or 2. You can read more about Burt's Bees' products at www.global.burtsbees.com.

Has anyone used Burt's Bees products before? If you have, please let me know which product you love and would recommend to others!

Update : The Burt's Bees store is now open at The Curve right next to Borders on the Ground Floor.

Update 2 : If you buy above RM200, you will be eligible for a loyalty card which entitles you to 10% off on all products for life and a 30% discount on the week of your birthday.

My old love is back!!!

My all time favorite restaurant is called Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar. It is a fine dining restaurant located in MiCasa All Suite Hotel on Jalan Tun Razak. I was pretty distraught when I found out that the hotel would be undergoing refurbishment works and that the restaurant would also be closed down during that time. It's not that I frequent this restaurant often (otherwise I would be flat out broke), but even though I only went once a year, the food and the service never disappointed me. So you can imagine how devastated I was when my husband braced me to hear the news that Cilantro was supposedly never going to re-open!!!

Fortunately for me, we found out that Cilantro DID decide to re-open and my hubby decided to take me there to celebrate my birthday. All smiles!!! I couldn't wait to find out if the restaurant was going to be able to maintain its level of service and food quality. So here goes.....

On arrival at the restaurant, I did not notice any change to the entrance of the restaurant. On the interior, nothing had been changed at all except for perhaps some lighting fixtures and upholstery being done on the furniture. Otherwise the layout was entirely the same as before. Cilantro is not a big restaurant. The whole restaurant probably holds about 14 tables with 4 private rooms. In the basement, there is a room that can accommodate a party of about 20. There are also sofas in the basement where you can adjourn to for after dinner drinks and perhaps, a cigar. :))

As for the food, my hubby decided to go for the Degustation Menu which consisted of a little of everything. 'Degustation' is defined by Wikipedia as a culinary term meaning 'careful, appreciative tasting of various foods" and focusing on the gustatory system, the senses, high culinary art and good company. The degustation menu was priced at RM300++ per person. For a full description, please refer to the Cilantro link.

Appetisers under the Degustation Menu

Main Course of Lobster under the Degustation Menu

As for me, seeing that I'm a less adventurous person when it comes to food, I decided to order a Cream of Truffle Soup (RM58) as my appetizer. Boy, was it delicious but that's because I like truffles. They used to have a Truffle Souffle in the previous menu which I absolutely loved but the soup is a good substitute. For my main, I decided to go with Maine Lobster Acqua Pazza with Asari and Pistou (RM238). Yes, I had to ask the waitress what it all meant! Hahaha....Basically you get three large pieces of lobster meat, one gigantic asparagus and small clams in a dish with some soupy type of sauce. It was uber yummy as well.... Oh, and they also brought some more vegetables and asked if we would like extra on our dish. I thought that was good of them. There was nothing left on the plate by the time I had finished with it. :))

My all time favorite butter with mixed with olives (although it might be truffle this time) ... I get confused... But it's good!

Cream of Truffle Soup

Maine Lobster

I must apologize in advance as I forgot to take pictures of the dessert that I ordered. I had the Ginger infused Blanc Manger with Mango Sorbet (RM35). Basically it's a soft jelly like pudding which has a slight ginger taste to it, accompanied by a scoop of the most delicious and smooth sorbet I have ever tasted. The sorbet was so good that we ordered two more scoops each of three different flavours to be shared with my sisters, brother in law and soon to be brother in law. SO SO SO good.....

My sis had this dessert - Chocolate Terrine with Pistachio Ice Cream

The only little grouse we have about Cilantro is that the coffee is not very good. The coffee has not been able to measure up to our expectations but what the heck, everything else is good and I'm NOT a coffee person. Hehehe.

Has anyone eaten at Cilantro lately? Let me know what you thought of it!