La Dolce Vita : A year of love and friendship

Happy 2010 everybody!

As usual I've reflected on the past year and made resolutions to better myself as a whole. Not gonna be easy but where there's a will, there's a way. Insyaallah I get to fulfill the new year resolutions I've made.

Have you set yours?

As the last few hours of 2009 slipped away, I was at home reminiscing about events in the past year. Part of it were the ones that have brought me closer to the Vogue U ladies. I love you all and consider your presence in my life a huge blessing from the one above. Know that I will always be here for all of you no matter what.

Here's a look back at our many rendezvous. (bear with me cos there are many many photos)

More in 2010!!!

La Dolce Vita : Moral Values In Children

Parents out there would agree when I say that teaching moral values is not an easy thing. It's such a tall order that if I were a parent, I'd be really happy if I had some kind of teaching tool to use with my kid.

The Straits Times' Little Red Dot and Straits Times Press launched Eureka! - a book of life stories about history's greatest inventors and innovators. The stories illustrate different moral values and how enforcing each one in our lives is not only useful for us but for others too.

The best part? There are activities at the end of the chapters which also encourages parent-child bonding. Some of the content and activities are moe suitable for older children but I think parents can read through with the their younger children, explaining along the way. Modify the activities to suit your child's age and it'll be a great teaching tool. The book is available at leading bookstores in SG at $10 a copy. I've flipped through the book and think it's a great find. Probably will get one for teaching material and just for keeps.

Here's a link to read more about it.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_437234.html

La Dolce Vita : Fav Reads

Reading is such an integral part of my life. I have my paternal grandparents to thank for that. They encouraged me to read from young and I was never short of a book. I even remembered how I threw a tantrum cos I was told I could only get one story book for myself. Tsk tsk. I was such a spoilt brat. Haha.

Up to his day I can get lost for hours in bookstores. Just plonk me in the middle of Kino or Borders and I will happily while the hours away among the mnay many reads.

I read a variety of genres but the only one that I can't seem to stir up an interest for are sci fi and fantasy with the exception of Lord of The Rings.

Books that will always be in my must read list -

1) Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
    I was truly disturbed and touched when I read this book. Couldn't put it down til the last page.

2) The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
    Found it fascinating how this man weaved parts of history into his story and how this book prompted a lot
    of other writers of fiction and non-fiction to write on the same subject.

3) The Alchemist - Paolo Coelho
    Truly meaningful values in this one book. I reread this every so often.

4) Separate Beds - Lavryle Spencer
    A romance novel that is very untypical. Not thrashy at all. This one book will make you sad, cry, laugh
    and feel every emotion that the main character goes through.

So next time you're free pick up a book and share with us here.

La Dolce Vita : A Well Rounded Development

Have you ever tried listening to classical music while you were pregnant?

In the 90's there was this theory that expectant mothers who listen to classical music will have smart babies. This theory was never proven though but lots of those mothers did notice that their babies were calmer everytime they hear the piece of music. It is as if the babies recognise the music and finds it soothing. Just for that alone, I think it's worth trying.

Many cds available out there but I think Amazon has the biggest range and cheaper than getting at a store.

While giving your child an advantage musically, one could also include lessons on Islam. Other than listening to classical music, I think Islamic nursery rhymes would be great. Granted these are a bit more difficult to find here in SG but there's always youtube. It's never too early to start educating little ones on The Creator.

On that note, a friend of mine recently recommended this series of books for young children. She chanced upon the Bismillah Early Learners series by IQRA Foundation at the Darul Arqam bookstore. The series introduces young children to concepts such as colors, letters, shapes, and numbers through positive Islamic themes. Abstract concepts of Islamic belief and morals are presented in a simple and personal manner that children will be able to relate to.

I haven't had the time to go down to Geylang to get the books yet. It's a wonderful addition to any child's book collection and the concept is just great! A well rounded developmental book on worldly and spiritual knowledge for a child. Simply fabulous! Will update about the books once I get my hands on them.

La Dolce Vita : Marriage

On Marriage

THEN Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master?

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you
shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white
wings of death scatter your days.

Ay, you shall be together even in the
silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance
between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond
of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between
the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from
one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat
not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but no into each
other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain
your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near
together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow
not in each other's shadow.

- Kahlil Gibran-

I love this poem and I think it makes sense. The points spoken of here is something I strive to have in my marriage. It's not easy but it's worth trying. Ok yeah, I know sometimes I can be idealistic about such stuff.

La Dolce Vita : Bling bling money ain't a thing....really?

Women love the blings. Which woman wouldn't go weak when presented with a beautiful diamond ring? I know I would.

Nice???

Of course! You say.

Let's look at the routine when one goes diamond shopping.

OOhhh....nice ring/bracelet/necklace etc! wife says "Husband...I want to take a look please." Wife skips into shop merrily while husband weighs the possibilty of walking out of the shop a few thousands poorer.

Wife spots a piece of bling and asks to take a closer look and the questioning begins.

1st question : How many carats is this?

2nd question : What is the clarity of the diamond?

3rd question : What is the colour grading of the diamond?

4th : What cut is this?

Typical conversation right? But the most important set of questions is almost always never asked.

WHERE DO THESE DIAMONDS COME FROM?

IS THIS A CONFLICT DIAMOND?

DO YOU HAVE CERTIFICATION TO PROVE IT?

What are conflict diamonds and why is it important to be aware?

Conflict diamonds are diamonds illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas, particularly in central and western Africa. The United Nations (UN) defines conflict diamonds as "...diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

These diamonds are sometimes referred to as "blood diamonds."

Would you want to buy a diamond and unknowingly fund the killing of hundreds of fellow human beings in another country?

Although today only 1% of the world's diamonds production are conflict diamonds, they still exist. Imagine how many millions or even billion pieces of diamonds out there and calculate the 1%.

To learn more about conflict diamonds, google it.

You could also catch the movie "Blood Diamonds" showing on channel 5 this Sunday to see a depiction of the horrors these diamonds inflict on the African people. If not please get a DVD. This movie is one of the must watch on my list.

So the next time you buy a diamond, remember to ask the most important question of all. Yes, that diamond might look oh so pretty on you. But would you want to support an illegal military force who enslaves their own people so they are able to dig more diamonds to fund weapons? Would you want to have blood on your hands?

In wanting to look good, we women have to also be civic minded with our choices. I always believe in that.

La Dolce Vita : Good Fat vs Bad Fat

Healthy eating is always something that I try to achieve in daily life. But it is not easy especially with all the snacks and fast food easily available everywhere. So I made an effort to start the change at home. I have tried buying more organic food and switching unhealthy foods with less carnal ones.

The first thing I changed was I stopped buying any kind of margarine and bought good old butter instead. I'm sure quite a few of you are raising your eyebrows already. Isn't margarine a healthier choise to butter you ask? No. It is not. Simply because margarine is a form of hydrogenated oil. Yes it is unsaturated and many have been led to believe that unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils may lower one's blood cholesterol levels but recent studies have shown the opposite. The main reason is that hydrogenation actually produces trans fat which is an intense artery clogger. This in turn can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

So the main thing to look out for is not to buy margarine that has trans fat in it which is bad for your health. Even if the label says it contains unsaturated fats but do still check that it does not contain trans fat. If the product has a bit of saturated fat but no trans fat....that is a better choice over anything that contains trans fat. Cos a bit of saturated fat is actually good for your body as it contains omega 3 oils which is good fat. Switch to low fat soft tub butter such as lurpak low fat butter. The key is to look at the ingredient list and make sure there is no trans fat in the product. Plus....butter definitely tastes better than margarine!

Let's eat well for a healthy body!

My favourite butter. Damn nice!

La Dolce Vita : I love to Read!

BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up? Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. Tag other bookies.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen x
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien x
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee x
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens x
Total: 4

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger x
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
Total: 1

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Total: 0

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens x
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma-Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini x
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden x
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
Total: 3

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown x
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding x
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
Total: 2

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon x
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Total: 1

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding (in French)
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Total: 0

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens x
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker x
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno – Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Total: 2

80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White x
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom x
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton x (yikes read this in primary sch can?)
Total: 3

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery (n French)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl x
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Total: 2

Total of totals: 18. -- Looks like I have a lot of reading to do to complete the 100...oh wait 99...cos I dun have the intention to read the bible.

I am tagging all you Vogue-uers out there.

Sorry for the lame post today. Having a major migraine. If I'm feeling better by tonight I might post the goodies I got recently from Phuket. Hopefully this killer migraine will disappear by then.

Happy Reading!

La Dolce Vita : Out Damn Spot!

Ola everybody! I received an email recently asking for advise. Let's look at her(I assume it's a girl) problem shall we?


Hi Sis Blushwax,



I love your La Dolce Vita tips!! They are very useful. Thank you for sharing! But, i got a problem with pimples and i need your advice. I am 16 years old and have troubles with pimples since i got into secondary school. :( can u help to recommend any cream that is good and cheap(budget) for the pimples? thanks! appreciate it! ^^


From,


Pimple hater.
 
Dear Pimple Hater, I can so identify with your problems right now cos I am having the worst bout of premenstrual breakout ever! Hehe. Now let me stress on how important it is to cleanse your face properly especially since you are at the stage where hormones will cause your face to be really oily.
 
1) Get a suitable facial cleanser that's anti bacterial or with tree tea oil as one of it's active ingredients.
 
2) Also get a toner that contains witch hazel in it like the witch hazel toner from Guardian. Cheap and good! But remember not to overcleanse your face. This will cause more sebum and oil production which will eventually lead to more pimples.
 
3) As for the pimple cream, I swear by the Blakmores Anti-Bacterial Pimple Gel. Dries out the pimple in one night. I am not kidding. I used that when I was in school and even after I had a bigger budget. One problem though, I used to buy it from Watson's or Guardian but lately it's been difficult to find. If you do find it, drop me an email ok! I wanna get one too!
Here's what the packaging looks like
 
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any further help yeah. 
 
Vogue-Uers, any other pimple creams you swear by? Do share with us here. Care and share everybody!

La Dolce Vita : Blackhead and whitehead removal

Hey ladies, here's one of the many videos I managed to find on proper blackhead and whitehead removal. Remember...dun force it out if it won't come out. I know it is super irritating when the blackhead / whitehead refuses to pop out but u dun wanna end up with a bruise and scarring on your face.


http://www.videosift.com/video/How-to-Properly-Extract-Blackheads-and-Pimples

La Dolce Vita : Blackhead Woes

Everybody gets blackheads. Even the lady with the nicest and fairest skin gets blackheads on occasion.

Getting rid of blackheads can be a painful process.

I find that my t-zone is more prone to getting blackheads as I do have an oily T-zone. Blackheads occur when  pores are clogged with dirt and too much sebum.


So when you do get blackheads, one way is to go for a facial.

Another way is a home remedy.
Cleanse your face with a cleanser and pat dry. Exfoliate your skin.
Take a warm towel and put it over your face for 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, steam your face if you have one of those facial steamers. Then wrap fingers with tissue. Put pressure on each blackhead by squeezing under the blackhead and upwards. If by two tries it doesn't pop out, stop. You might end up bruising your skin which will then lead to scarring. Once you've extracted the gunk, pour some rose water or toner on a piece of cotton pad and place over area for about 10 minutes or so. I put my rose water in the fridge so it gives a cooling effect. The rose water / toner will help to kill all germs and shrink the pores after the whole deal.

Blackheads prevention.
First thing to take note is to use the appropriate products suitable for your skin type. Like for example using a moisturiser too rich for your skin would cause your pores to be clogged leading to blackheads. Too much make up can also cause blackheads...be sure to cleanse off your make up thoroughly. I like using Biore cleansing oil to remove my make up. Simply melts off my face.



Drink lots of water and eat lots of veg and fruits. More goodness for the skin.


Try using a moisturiser with BHA which will help to strip dead skin cells and clean out pores. Look out for products with salicylic acid especially in your night cream. Wake up to smoother and clearer skin.


Exfoliate your skin at least once a week and then use a clay mask that will help to draw out all impurities from your pores. Heard the Kose black warming mask is super good. I will do this two steps and then put on another hydrating mask so my skin wouldn't be too dry at the end of it.

Tip: You can get sheet masks at rock bottom prices from warehouse or expo sales. I always wait for the Robinsons expo sale to get my masks and also Anna Sui mascara ($12 compared to the normal $30 plus)

I also use pore strips sometimes but some dermatologist advise against it as it causes skin breakage. So if you have sensitive skin, you might want to avoid this.


Ok ya'all. Remember you have to be consistent with your beauty regime to maintain good skin.

Anyone tried any good masks before?

La Dolce Vita : A peep into my vanity

Here's a little peep into my daily skincare regime.

I use the above products daily. My regime constitutes 6 steps instead of the basic 3 as I included a serum, either a whitening or a pore minimizing serum and a sunscreen. The whitening serum is to help even out my patchy skin tone and the pore minimising is to help control sebum production on my t-zone. I must say serums really do work with constant application. Choose one that adresses your skin problem and insyallah it'll work. Another one is the under eye cream or gel. This one is not in the pic cos I've run out of eye gel...belum beli lagi.

Why use a separate gel/cream for the eyes? Can use the moisturiser for the rest of your face kan? Actually no. Cos the facial moisturiser you use is too heavy/rich for the eye area and might cause small milia seeds to develop around the eyes. So best if you can get a separate eye gel/cream.

Tip for application....always use your ring finger to apply eye gel/cream. This is to prevent excessive pressure on eye area which can promote stretching of skin which leads to wrinkles.

The extras :

Other than the basic steps. It's also good to regularly exfoliate your skin. Choose a facial scrub with beads that are not too coarse. Be gentle while scrubbing/exfoliating. Tak payah lah genyeh muka tu dgn scrub tu. Hehe...nanti kulit dah mcm kena sand paper pulak. Hehe. Exfoliation should be done at least 2 to 3 times a week if you have a lot of blackheads or whiteheads. It also helps to get rid of dead skin which enables make up to be applied smoothly and ensures that it lasts longer. So take care of your skin sweeties!! 

After exfoliating, apply a mask for your skin needs. For those with oily skin, find a clay mask as it helps to purge all impurities from the pores and prevent blackheads. Other types of mask availables are whitening masks, hydrating maaks, anti-aging masks and so on. Choose one that adresses your skin problem and apply right after you exfoliate. Tip....do not let mask sit on face for more than the recommended time which is usually 5 to 10 mins if I'm not wrong. Most people are under the wrong impression that the longer the mask stays on your face, the better the treatment will be. Not true. After the recommended time, the mask will actually dry up further causing your skin to be squeezed under it. This actually promotes wrinkles to appear on your face. So remember...masks should not stay on your face longer than the recommended time. 

Okie dokie. That's all folks! Hopefully what I've shared will benefit some of you out there. Feel free to share any additional info with us here at Vogue-U. 

Ciao!

  

Food For Thought : Enjoy the simplest things as much as the luxuries. Do you? 

   

La Dolce Vita : Facial Skincare

It's all about taking care of your facial skin today so you can put your best face forward everyday. As we all know today, skincare products can burn quite a big hole in our pockets. The price range of such products can be as low as $2 or sky rocket to infinity as in the case of La Mer products. Cheap doesn't mean the product is bad for your skin and expensive doesn't mean it will do wonders either. Similarly what works for one person might not work for another. So keep trying the different brands until you hit a jackpot and never let go! But no matter what brand of facial product, one must know what to look out for in the products to benefit the skin and what to avoid for one's skin type.

1-2-3

The very basic of facial skincare is the 3 step routine I believe most have already established. It is very important to stick to the routine every time you cleanse your face.

1 - Cleanse

Ok this is the first thing everyone does each morning and at night. The type of facial cleanser used should be suitable for your skin type. Those with dry or matured skin would benefit from using a more creamy and rich cleanser as the cleanser needs to be gentle and not strip away all of the skin's moisture. For those with oily skin, avoid such rich creamy cleansers at all cost and go for gel cleansers instead. Combination and normal skin can use the normal facial cleansers.
A tip when testing out cleanser, if your skin feels tight and stretched after you wash your face, the cleanser is too strong for you. Try find something that's more moisturising for example a cleanser with aloe vera as one of its' ingredients.
Another tip, when washing your face squeeze out the cleanser onto your palms and lather into a slight bubble in your palms instead of your face. This will prevent extra stripping of moisture from your face. 

  

2 - Tone

This is an essential step that a lot of people tend to skip. Toning not only removes whatever dirt or make up that's not removed from the first step but also works as an astringent and serves to shrink pores. So again get a toner that's suitable for your skin. For people with oily skin, try and get a toner with alcohol in it as it helps to control the oil and sebum production. This is what is prescribed but it really depends on how oily your skin is. A really good toner I've found for oily skin is this witch hazel toner from Guardian. It is effective and yet alcohol free which is always good! Whereas those with combi/normal and dry skin should avoid toners with alcohol content. The alcohol is far too drying for these skin types and will strip too much natural oils away which makes the pores go into overdrive. This is partly why you find that your skin gets oily after a few hours....overstripping of the skin's natural oils. 

3-  Moisturise

Moisturise moisturise moisturise! Even if you have oily skin, you still need to moisturise to restore the skin's balance. But do find a moisturiser that's suitable which means a gel based moisturiser is better for oily skin as it is lighter and not as rich. For dry skin, find a creamy moisturiser with shea butter or other enriching elements in it. Normal to combi skin would also do better with gel based moisturisers.
One tip is to try find a moisturiser with at least SPF 30 in it to protect our skin from premature sun aging. If not then get a separate sunscreen and apply BEFORE your moisturiser.

This should be the basics of skincare. The very basic before you add on any other steps such as a whitening / firming serum.  

My daily morning routine goes something like this - 

1 - cleanse with clarins foaming ceanser 

2 - tone with clarins alcohol free toner for combi skin

3 - slap on Clarins whitening/pore minimizing serum

4 - slap on biore/ZA sunscreen SPF 45 or is it 30?

5 - Moisturise with Clarins hydra care gel

What does yours look like? Do share any great products with us.

Til next time

Ciao!

La Dolce Vita : Raf's Way

Ciao everybody! Hope your week has been great.

Fret not if the week has been shitty so far cos we're one day away from FRIDAY and the weekend is just round the corner.Weekends are always about leisure and pleasure for me. Living the good life, full of pleasure and indulgence. Hence the title - La Dolce Vita: Raf's Way. Indulgence to me is having the luxury to partake in my favourite activities and just seeking the little pleasures in everyday things. Like listening to birds chirping at my window while sipping a cup of coffee and taking my time finishing that cup of coffee. A life filled with sun, good food, hospitality and passion. That sort of thing. I must admit that my life has been rather foot loose and fancy free since I left the teaching force. Which means more time in my hands to indulge in my loves and interests everyday of the week. Aaahhhh...La Dolce Vita. :)  

As some of you already know, I seldom update my other dusty blog (I have backdated posts from way back in March...haha). Not because I don't have the time but sometimes I over indulge myself in my activities which usually means I am either reading a book, learning more about photography or trying out a new recipe.

My trinity -

Books

Photography

&

Food

Yes. Those three things describe me aptly. I love reading..any kind of books - fiction, non fiction. You name it, I'll read it. My passion for reading is common knowledge amongst family members. They know that once Raf starts reading, she forgets the world. Seriously, if I could have it my way, I would be on a sandy beach with a book in one hand and a pitcher of lemonade in the other everyday. So since I read a lot, I thought it'd be good if I shared reviews of interesting books with you lot. Not just on books for adults but for children too. So keep a look out yeah!

 I also believe reading is essential to educate and enrich one's mind. Like Malcolm S. Forbes once said, "The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one." And since knowledge is not supposed to be kept to ones self, I'll be sharing little bits of info on education. If any of you mothers out there have any queries on the how tos of teaching a primary schooler, drop me an email at blushwax46@gmail.com and I'll try as much as I can to help.

Photography on the other hand is a new found love and I am learning step by step. Will share tips and what I've learnt for those who are just starting out.....like me. Since I've just started out and have a lot to learn, tips and pointers from everyone out there will be very much appreciated!!

Other than that, I'd also be sharing make up tips (what little I know of) with everyone. I am not an expert in this area..hehe. Just enough to make me presentable. My fav make up brand? Bobbi Brown of course. I prescribe to the natural look that Bobbi Brown advocates and application methods from Kevyn Aucoin. But I do glam it up for weekends and special events. More on that on the upcoming Thursdays. 

So basically, being footloose and fancy free Raf, I will post on anything and everything under the sun. Topics which do not encroach on my fellow Vogue-u-ers areas of expertise of course. Cos I'm more of a jack of all trades, master of none. Still lots to learn in my lifetime.

I'll leave you with something to ponder over.

Food For Thought:

When something is elusive, it pulls you to it. When something is always within reach, it's beauty fades.

Til next Thursday,

Live La Dolce Vita ;)