Let it pour;

“Happiness is a perfume which you cannot pour on someone without getting some on yourself”. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is boxing day, and I am still brimming with happiness from the festivities!

I went with A and the best friend L to L’s church for Christmas. The choir was lovely and the congregation warm and welcoming. It struck me suddenly that everyone in the church seemed so much at L, that it was almost a part of her. Caroling and revelling in the presence of God. A beautiful and calming message on the need to have God’s peace and joy in every day of our lives.

And I took a cable car (now called the ‘Jewel Box’ at Mt Faber) and also saw the Swarovski cable car at Sentosa!

I folded little stars at the beach and was happy.

I still have 353532 christmas cards to write and I haven’t started. Please forgive me if you receive your card in some irreverent month like February and have no idea what my scribbly handwriting means.

My little cat Tempura has been Quiet. And she has turned Female and actually mewed sweetly at the Black Cat who visits her all the time. I think he is actually winning her little feline heart.

On Christmas presents – JRV awesomely got me the Kate Spade Great Gatsby clutch I had been lemming for earlier!! I can’t wait to use it! And A got me the Penguin postcards. Which also has the Great Gatsby postcard in it. As I often say, I am feeling literarily decadent this Christmas. Also many lovely things from people in the office which now sit happily on my table, including a newly crowned Tottoro dustmite cat (to Irving: It looks like the Tottoro dustmite became a cat!)

Have a blessed lil Christmas, everyone. I refuse to move on to the Chinese New Year, and want to be stuck in a snow globe, forever!

(Irving, if you’re reading this, lets chit-chat soon on tiramisu clock timing! Yes I know its you’re exams but lets have a minute chuckle and you know that Big Brother is watching you if you are eating cakes instead of studying Important Things like Constitutional  or Evidence Law’)

Marching soldiers

We had our Christmas party in the office yesterday which was awesome fun! Sushi, turkey, macaroons, logcake and champagne… and evening was spent wandering half around the country for the Eve delighting in old time stories and ramen. I feel like I’m bathing in a tub of happy Moet bubbles this Christmas, and have had so many little adventures.

Still haven’t processed the Christmas photographs yet, but little snippets from meeting GF in Tokyo Deli, where she rendered us horror stories of working in Compliance and we shared a lovely meal of light japanese hamburger, salmon, eggplant and the like:

I was quite in love with the place, which boasted of light japanese fare for the afternoons.

Steak at Angus Steakhouse (Irving would like this):

And more general happy Orchard festivity!~

I’ll write more soon when all the rampage of Christmas celebrations are done! Meeting my best friend for Christmas service tonight and I am so excited. The true meaning of Christmas, when all is said and done, to be found in the right place at the right time.

I bought a little bottle for my best friend. She is Little Miss Giggles, and I am very naturally Little Miss Scatterbrained!

Have a beautiful Christmas, everyone.

Wild thing;

Wild thing, you make my heart sing

 

December days;

Nearing Christmas, it is such a dream of doing so many things with the people I love! Some snapshots of places in Singapore decorated for Christmas that I captured on my visits to Paragon, Plaza Singapura, Orchard Road etc. (Irving must be getting excited of these names!)

Sesame street for Christmas! I have mixed feelings about them, though Sarah Jessica Parker’s appearance made it a little better. : )

I went cycling again at the beach which is a marvellous feeling – the wind in your hair, the little dogs in the park, the gentle stars – and how everything is a deja vu sort of junior college memory. I feel all at once 17 years old again, thinking of boats and Conrad from a distance and the life forward is an adventure.

Milk dessert with rainbow rice – something I used to feed to little cats under my house. I am usually not sure if cats are lactose intolerant, but I remember this little black cat called Duane who really liked my scotch butter snow ice. Looking upon a cat licking snow ice is one of the sweetest sensations. Looking upon a person you like licking snow ice, might give an equivalent warm feeling.

Irving, I am struggling to remember whether HK had snow ice, but perhaps they do!

I went for steak at Angus Steakhouse as an early Christmas dinner (photographs to share later!!). Also very homely and inspires thoughts of Christmas fireplaces. Irving, we have to talk soon, and exchange our Christmas stories. Tomorrow?

And inspired by GF, my work table is now decorated with little snapshots – so many memories. Supplies from Kikki.K thanks to book vouchers from a law firm! Everything is neat and orderly for the moment, just the way I like it. But it is a little more colorful for the year.

Irving, do you recognize Y playing the piano? Do you remember the day in the little church? Y and I were waiting for you, and he was playing Chopin and Rachmaninoff. That day of us three together – the piano – the lingering poker games – one of the happiest days of my life, even though it was so simple.

The calendar is of me and Gregory Peck – I wish! But it is a lovely sephia print version for Roman Holiday and the days are all in Italian.

And to cross over to the new year, XJ and D are having a delightful party they have titled ‘Forest Romp 2011’, which puzzles me as I do not understand the FOREST and keep thinking GUMP and I am still floating from reunion happiness from the last party and still am in a delusion that YH will come dressed in a sari and Sunil will sing National Day songs.

As we bid farewell to 2010 and usher in the new year… etc etc.

IT’S TIME FOR OUR ANNUAL RUMPUS, FRIENDS!!
Gather your ruffles and sharpen your fangs, moisturize your toes.
For this year’s final picnic and next year’s first this shall be.
…
and that’s my valiant attempt at poetry for you.

here are 5 special things that might entice you to come:

1) The Moon will be Big and Bright like a Boil on a Butt
2) Long-lost friends (and fiends) will be there, & new ones i’m sure.
3) The FOOD will be glorious (as usual, POTLUCK. hahaha)
4) Ghost Stories, anyone?
5) The Childhood Memories Mini Charity Auction

Details on the Auction:
– Each person brings an item from your childhood that is rather precious to you/has a special story behind it
– Each item is put up for auction (starting bid 50c) and we bid for it, like calm, civilized adults. just raise your balloon to bid.
– Item goes to the highest bidder
– And at the end of it all, we shall donate the money to a cause/charity we all agree on!
– CLAUSE: the person who brings some shitty toiletpaper that no one wants to bid for ought to pay 50c to take back his own toiletpaper, whether he wants it back or not

2011’s THEME: What You’d Really Wanted to Be When You Grew Up
* twister-friendly clothing, if possible (but would totally understand if you’d wanted to be a hooker or mini-skirt model)

Things to bring:
– Food/Drink/Vitamins
– Your Lover(s) (if you have)
– Picnic mats (if you have)
– Lights/Glowsticks/Lamps/Lanterns
– Your Lovely Self

A balloon for your thoughts, Irving? I know you want to twister yourself silly already!

Nautical

I haven’t had outfit posts for awhile, and I thought to share of this lovely nautical piece by Milly Walker, which I wore for the day and also mixed with a skirt/jacket/belt with the navy/white theme for the office.

~Literary Christmas Wishlist~

If only someone would get these for me and make me a very happy girl!~ But this is my very own literary wishlist for Christmas, and something you can use if you are rushing for those last minute special gifts for your literary loved ones too~ : ) And as you can see from the selection, indeed I am feeling decadent this year.

1. Encyclopaedia of the Exquisite: An Ancedotal History of Elegant Designs

“A select showcase of the unusual, the piquant and the frankly bizarre, enthusiastically researched and displayed with élan. . . . There is plenty to enlighten even the most world-weary terrestrial, not least in the form of new angles on some of our most comfortable clichés.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“Certainly one of the more unusual books you’ll come upon this season, the Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is an attractive compendium of literary sketches on unusual topics that appeal to one’s sense of fancy. Random, unexpected, charming—the alphabetized entries in this ‘History’ are the perfect addition to any lady’s bedside table this winter.”
—The Free Lance-Star

“I admit that it was the design of this book that first led me to pick it up; I was drawn to its unconventional, squarish trim size and glittering, red-etched cover. But, once it was in my hands, this odd, precious little object had me totally absorbed. . . . Jenkins has channeled her obsession into an idiosyncratic catalogue of the good things in life: hot-air ballooning, Champagne, top hats. Each item is explicated in a vignette just a few pages long, shaded with lovely observations.”
—The New Republic

“Encyclopedia of the Exquisite lives up to its unique premise . . . interesting and entertaining. [Jenkins takes] the reader on a fanciful tour. . . . Her goal is to assemble a collection that describes beauty of all kinds, interesting, affordable and, as collections of miscellany often are, eccentric. In this she succeeds, and Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is both attractive and addictive. It is certainly catnip for the trivia-besotted, but it also is a work that can easily be read in short bursts, and reread as the whim dictates. With its accompanying rich bibliography, it also provides an excellent starting point for the further pursuit of any of its myriad topics.”
—The Denver Post

 

 

2. Postcards from Penguin – I have written about these before, but I caught a glimpse of them yesterday from Rockstar, Cineleisure and they were absolutely gorgeous in person! 

 

This is a collection of 100 postcards, each featuring a different and iconic Penguin book jacket. From classics to crime, here are over seventy years of quintessentially British design in one box. In 1935 Allen Lane stood on a platform at Exeter railway station, looking for a good book for the journey to London. His disappointment at the poor range of paperbacks on offer led him to found Penguin Books. The quality paperback had arrived. Declaring that ‘good design is no more expensive than bad’, Lane was adamant that his Penguin paperbacks should cost no more than a packet of cigarettes, but that they should always look distinctive. Ever since then, from their original – now world-famous – look featuring three bold horizontal stripes, through many different stylish, inventive and iconic cover designs, Penguin’s paperback jackets have been a constantly evolving part of Britain’s culture. And whether they’re for classics, crime, reference or prize-winning novels, they still follow Allen Lane’s original design mantra. Sometimes, you definitely should judge a book by its cover.

3. The Kindle – need I mention any more??

4. Café Society: Socialites, Patrons, and Artists 1920-1960

  

Aristocrats, millionaires, painters, fashion designers, choreographers, and musicians of the café society fox-trot aboard cruise liners and mingle at dazzling parties in Paris. Exclusive, extravagant, and beautiful, these cosmopolitan socialites were the patrons who galvanized the phenomenal success of the greatest creators of the early twentieth century. It was a whirlwind of sumptuously decorated villas and yachts, up-and-coming haute couture and jewelry designers, and elite evening parties, immortalized by fashion photographers like Cecil Beaton. Combining elegance and fantasy, the members of the café society enjoyed a sophisticated, avant-garde lifestyle. Some of the century’s most original talents—from Cole Porter to Yves Saint Laurent—stepped into the limelight via the café society. Through archival photographs and period documents, this volume recounts in historical detail the intrigue and impact generated around the world by this stylish jet-set.

Thierry Coudert contributed to the catalog for the exhibition Cartier 1899-1949: The Journey of a Style, staged at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in 2007. A close friend of Alexis de Redé, he has a deep and abiding interest in the artistic and cosmopolitan world of the café society, and over the last ten years has assembled an important collection of archive documents on the subject.

 

5. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s embossed Penguin texts – see below!

Miss Dior Cherie

My favourite commercial of all time, produced by the lovely Sofia Coppola! Very Jane Birkin.

I want to live in France – eat pastel colour pastries – see balloons in the sky – try on funky glasses – live alone in a hotel room -wear a different peach dress everyday – cycle and take over cars –

In that life the hot french dude in the last few frames is just peripheral.

You Only Live Twice or so it seems,
One life for yourself and one for your dreams.
You drift through the years and life seems tame,
Till one dream appears and love is its name.

And love is a stranger who’ll beckon you on,
Don’t think of the danger or the stranger is gone.

This dream is for you, so pay the price.
Make one dream come true, you only live twice.

And love is a stranger who’ll beckon you on,
Don’t think of the danger or the stranger is gone.

Fitzgerald strikes gold;

I was in the newly opened Rockstar store in Cineleisure yesterday (fantastic store really, with lots of knick knacks and maps and whatnot) and came across a whole series of F. Scott Fitzgerald books in Christmas edition embossed covers. Stunningly beautiful. I was mesmerized instantly – indeed the namesake of this blog – magpie in many meanings.

The published photographs don’t do the actual covers justice but I had to show a bit of what I mean:

So stunningly beautiful that I could actually splurge on the entire collection. But I was a good girl and bought only one – Flappers and Philosophers, cause its one of the longest texts and I have been reading it for some time. Also eyeing The Beautiful and the Damned, it wasn’t selling in the shop yet.

Its literally black gold – two of my absolute carrying wintery colours. And Fitzgerald is the perfect choice – straying a little almost into decadent indulgence. It wouldn’t have worked with my other favourite authors – and try as I might I can’t for the moment list a single author whom I can think of being suitable for this type of cover. Any suggestions? I am all for decadent writing this Christmas. Mostly I can think of dirty green covers for Albert Camus and Aldous Huxley.

I am currently reading Goethe’s Elective Affinities, inspired by JRV:

“German affinity chemistry historian Jeremy Adler, did his 1977 PhD dissertation on the chemistry used by Goethe along with follow-up articles and chapters, such as 1987 book Goethe’s Elective Affinity and the Chemistry of its Time, wherein he thoroughly studied Goethe’s use of chemical theory in Elective Affinities. By extending the reference of an established chemical theory to encompass social interactions, according to Adler, the novel provides the basis for a universal theory of affinity.

The term “elective affinities” is based on the older notion of chemical affinities. In the late 19th century, German sociologist Max Weber, who had read the works of Goethe at the age of 14, used Goethe’s conception of human “elective affinities” to formulate a large part of sociology.[4] In early nineteenth century chemistry, the phrase “elective affinities” or chemical affinities was used to describe compounds that only interacted with each other under select circumstances. Goethe used this as an organizing metaphor for marriage, and for the conflict between responsibility and passion.

In the book, people are described as chemical species whose amorous affairs and relationships were pre-determined via chemical affinities similar to the pairings of alchemical species. Goethe outlined the view that passion, marriage, conflict, and free-will are all subject to the laws of chemistry and in which the lives of human species are regulated no differently than the lives of chemical species.[5] [6] [7] Opinions over the years have been split as to whether Goethe’s theory was used in metaphor. [8] [9]
1809 title page of German polymath Johann Goethe’s Elective Affinities or “Die Wahlverwandtschaften” (German), the first book, since Greek philosopher Empedocles’s 450BC chemistry aphorisms of how “people who love each other mix like water and wine; people who hate each other segregate like water and oil”, to model human relationships as chemical reactions or chemical processes.[10]In the novella, the central chemical reaction that takes place is a double displacement reaction (double elective affinity), between a married couple Eduard and Charlotte (BA), at the end of their first year of marriage (for each their second marriage), and their two good friends the Captain and Ottilie (CD), respectively. The first marriages, for both Eduard and Charlotte, are described as having been marriages of financial convenience, essentially arranged marriages. Specifically, when they were younger, Eduard was married off to a rich older woman through the workings and insatiable greed of his father; Charlotte, likewise, when her prospects were none the best, was compelled or obliged to marry a wealthy man, whom she did not love.” – Wiki

Admitably, I have committed a literary faux pa and have never really read Goethe, despite owning and having read quite a bit of analysis on that same text! I also loved Turgenev’s Faust, though it was meant to be in the spirit of the text than criticism of the text itself. I suppose I was always intimidated. So Elective Affinitives is really sort of my first foray into Goethe territory, which is altogether quite exciting because I suddenly understand the chemical reactions that Turgenev was speaking about, though of course Turgenev was more of a romantic (which Chekhov frowned upon and ridiculed in Seagull). I feel suddenly that these several other texts have been preparing me for the moment till I finally read Faust, and perhaps it is a sort of literary timeline towards a glistening finish.

Doesn’t the plot read a bit like another take of a Wildean type comedy? Or perhaps it was just the general structure of that time. I just haven’t read enough comedies.

And I haven’t gotten round to watching any of the movies I borrowed yet. Have been so busy! And I want to see the Wooster & Jeeves british comedy version that Xiaodi so raves about. Dr. House in smiling session!

I love all the Christmas carols. I also visited Raffles Hotel yesterday for dinner and everywhere the traditional red/mistletoe theme brought warmth to my heart.

I wish you were here too Irving, to build up a little Christmas tree with me. I’ll be nice and even let you put incongruent things on the tree.

I saw a pink Snoopy scarf yesterday and thought of you! And it was a very big Snoopy. I think I would like to get a Schroeder scarf for you, and a Lucy scarf for myself, but I am not very sure where to find that.

Merry Christmas all you blog readers!~~

Somewhere

I’m crazy about the preview of Sofia Coppola’s new movie, Somewhere. Already I can’t wait to watch it.

Or how about Black Swan? Movies to look forward to.

From the official site:  BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect. BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter,s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Red roses and Poe;

Some personal shots from the event first, as I am still processing my general shots from the event, with some cute behind the scenes footage of the girls.

I think I look pretty different from normal, and a friend even thought I was S under the mask instead. Shisheido sponsored the make-up for the day, and they did some really unique looks for the girls.

The runway experience was awesome, and I really enjoyed being with all of them. Credit goes to Aeth for her hard work in planning the fabulous runway.

Skirt: Moi Meme Moitie Irongate; Cuff: Kvodesigns; Corset: Own

Photographs taken from various places and not mine own – thank you Wan Hua, はやし しゅみん, Liping