App Review - Re(mine)d

Hope you're all doing well guys! Today, I'm gonna talk about this new app named ReMINEd. When I got asked to review it, I was really curious about what that app can give me. I'm a techy person so it's no surprise that I was quite excited to try it out. To give a quick overview about it, it's a visual app which can help you prioritise and attain your personal wants. 

Desire

- With ReMINEd, you can just enter the name of the object of your desire to save it on your Mine Box, a place where you can find all your existing wants. Desired objects depend on the person, whether it be an expensive suit, a brand new smartphone, a new townhouse or a luxury car. 

Visualize

- To help strengthen your desire, ReMINEd provides you with a chance to add a picture of that object you want. You can add a picture from your camera or grab a photo online. 

Prioritize

- Set your priorities straight by indicating the level of priority for each desired object. You can also set an alarm to alert you of the target acquisition date. 

Attain

- Set the goal. May it be to save a certain amount of money or buy a new car after three years, ReMINEd will help you set your desired goals effectively. 

As you may see from my blog, I like visual stuff, I feel more motivated when I see something. The reason why I gave my blog a makeover is because I needed a little more push to continue blogging. In this case, I think my prayers were finally answered. I'm the type of person who wants to accomplish a lot of stuff but tend to ignore it after a few days. I've always wanted an iPhone since the 4th generation came out but I never got one. The very first thing that I added on my visual wishlist is an iPhone 5! I like how it tells you the date when you uploaded the reminder and the level of priority that you want to set for it. I also like how there's a post-it on the lower right where you can type whatever you want to push you harder. In my case, I placed a deadline so I can start saving up right away. I will update you on my progress!
Personally, I think this is a very great app. People tend to be more motivated when they are reminded constantly of what they want. You can be more creative and start posting intangible stuff such as "Pass final exams!" or "Graduate highschool/college!". You can photoshop your portrait wearing a toga or something, just to push you a little bit more. Not only will it help you, it will also excite you seeing yourself wearing a toga ;) Those are just a few examples of what you can do. The possibilities are ENDLESS. You can also upload your wishlists on Facebook and share it with your friends for utmost support!
Final verdict: Really great app, totally using it from now on. They have a free version which lets you upload 5 wishes. Alternatively, you can purchase the full version for only $0.99. Amazing, isn't it?
Download it now and be inspired!
Links: Remined Official Website Remined iTunes Link Remined Facebook

PS: Check out my sponsors page! I'm now accepting sponsors for November :) It's my birthday month so I'll be sooooo thrilled to have you! I'm hosting giveaways on 2 big blogs in the next coming weeks so rest assured that I'll be getting a good amount of traffic. I also tweaked my 'about me' page a bit ;) 

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Never maltreat a freelancer, karma's a bitch ;)

My Monday didn't turn out quite well. I "studied" for about an hour and slept for the rest of the afternoon. I know that I should be freaking out because I have an exam on Thursday and I still haven't accomplished anything yet. Moving on to the bright side, I received a few emails regarding my new shop and I'm so thrilled that you guys like it! I hope you can help me spread the word around, I will be forever thankful :)

Today, I will talk about my negative experience as a freelancer. I don't know if I'm just attracting bad luck these past few days but I have come across several rude clients and it's really getting in my nerves. Don't worry, these bad clients don't belong in the Blogger community so it's not you ;) I just want to share it because I know that a lot of my friends here in the blogosphere also work from home. I hope you'll learn a little bit of something from this post :)
As most of you know, I am a Freelancer and I've signed up on different sites such as Freelancer.com and Odesk. There are many other ways on how I come across potential clients but these 2 are the most common places where I reach my target market. I offer a lot of things, I'm not really a big fan of staying under a certain niche. I write articles, academic essays, social media marketing, VA, some areas of design, etc. Normally, when you establish a "contract" on those two websites I have mentioned, you have the right to ask for a "milestone payment". Basically, clients are required to make a deposit of the agreed amount to the website to ensure that they will pay, but it will only be released to the freelacner's account once the project is done. (approved by the client) 
I've built a good reputation for myself so I'm confident enough to politely ask clients for at least a 50% deposit. The problem is, there are some clients who simply don't wanna do it. They insist that I SHOULD DO THE WORK FIRST BEFORE I GET PAID. I'm sorry, but that's just not possible. I spend a lot of time working on projects and it would just be really unfair if the payment is not secured. It does not matter whether you have good feedbacks from other freelancers, you should make a downpayment to secure the time and effort that the freelancer's allotting for you. Every time this happens, I carefully explain my terms and the reason why I need a deposit. You know what  I always get? Rude replies stating "how will I know if you will get the work done? Why do you want my money? Do the work then you'll get paid." I get really pissed off because clearly, they haven't read the website's policy that the money will only be released to my account as soon as they've approved my work. There are times when I simply don't reply anymore because I don't wanna work for someone who's rude and has no manners. 
Just to give you an example of what happened 3 weeks ago, I had this client who hired me to do his academic essay. He placed a 50% milestone so I started doing the project. I gave him the first half of the essay with no reference yet because that was our agreement, that I will only release the full, complete essay as soon as he deposits the remaining 50% milestone. He demanded to get the full essay and so, I sent it to him. Oh boy, he refused to pay the second half. I contacted Freelancer and they told me that they can't do anything about it. I got really furious because he clearly took advantage of me and I lost some money. Being the little bitch that I am, I uploaded his essay on many websites. I'm pretty sure that his essay will be submitted to Copyscape or Turnitin... and you know what happens next. Karma's a bitch ;)
So guys, if ever you'll hire a freelancer someday, make sure you treat them right. We spend a lot of time  doing our jobs and value the quality of our work, all we ask in return is for our clients not to be complete assholes and run away when it's pay time. We won't work for free, we need to eat too.
And for you who's also a freelancer, never allow yourself to be maltreated by a customer. One tip though: when you deal with a customer, especially when you don't know who you're dealing with (just a username with a fake pic ugh), establish a professional relationship and nothing else. It would be best not to befriend them because there's a very high chance that they will take advantage of you. Only befriend a customer if you truly know who you're dealing with (example: bloggers!!!)
That's it. If you have any questions, I will respond to them :) 

PS: check out my sponsor friends :) How I Dwell Now and The Brothertons 

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Now Open: The Savvy Chics - Design, Writing, VA.

Aaaaaand it's officially open now!

We're still making lots of improvements so please bear with us :) Visit our website, take a good look around, and contact us. (Hint: we have special deals to the first 3 customers so get in quick!)

Just to give you a fair background about this business, we decided to call it 'The Savvy Chics' because we're a team of 14 ladies who all have different backgrounds and talents. We've decided to come under one brand because most of them are freelancers who aren't active in social media networks and advertising. It's fun collaborating with several people around the globe and coming up with several ways to share our talents with YOU!

As I've mentioned before, this is a labour of love and all of us cherish and value our work. We're so excited to hear from you and start creating something that you'll truly love.

Visit us now at: The Savvy Chics

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Second month here on Blogger! || Blogging Tips from a newbie

Today marks my second month here on Blogger! Just to give you a bit of overview about my past blogging experience, I actually "blogged" over Tumblr for almost 4 years. I've made great connections and even met a great friend on that website. I had fun, but something was lacking. As I've mentioned before, I blogged over at different sites (like the kind of blogging that I do now, only a tad bit more mature haha) but Tumblr was different, most people didn't actually 'blog'. My dashboard's filled with funny memes and 1-sentence posts. I tried doing that for the past few years and I had tons of fun, but I eventually felt the need to move on. I've known about Blogger for a long time but I never bothered starting a real blog because it was too intimidating for me, getting used to Tumblr and all. I actually used to have a very personal site on Blogger, no one knew about it except for myself. But I ended up deleting it anyways, so don't try to find it ;)
Long story short, I eventually made a new account and started this little blog :) It took me AGES to come up with this url, I literally spent endless nights thinking of a good one, something that will totally apply to me. Fortunately, I came up with this one and alas, Lovely Serendipity was born :D

Now, I'm going to tell you some tips and comments from a newbie's perspective. I know you've seen this type of post from almost every blog but I just want to add some stuff so here ya go:
1.) Design - let me start with the most obvious one. If you think that as long as your content is great, people will start following your blog, then I'm sorry my friend but that's NOT how it works. You need to invest on your design, whether it's your time (if you're a savvy designer) or money (if you're not that confident with coding and other stuff) The moment that people see your blog that is a total... disaster (I'm sorry) but they won't even bother reading your recent post. I am not talking about spending hundreds of dollars on extravagant designs, just keeping it easy to read with a bit of design that will show your personality is enough. In my case, I use headers to give my visitors some hints about myself. My first header was this and I'm confident enough to showcase it to everyone because that's me, that's what represents everything that I will write on this blog.
2.) Advertising - This somehow relates to my previous point about design. Just some friendly tip: If you decide to start sponsoring other blogs, make sure that your overall design + blog button are pleasing to the eyes and attractive. Imagine paying $40 to sponsor a big blog with a poor blog design, it's a total waste of money because people will just click the 'x' button. This also applies to swapping ads btw.
3.) Join BBN/Blog Hops - I've established friendships here on Blogger by signing up on BBN and joining blog hops. Bloggers are SO friendly, they are always willing to help newbies settle in blogosphere! Make sure to click around as well so you can meet other bloggers, it's never a one sided friendship, guys! You need to make the effort too. 
4.) Leave GENUINE comments, always - Bloggers love getting comments, so long as they're genuine ones. Personally, I think it's rude to comment on a post saying that you like her blog and just slamming your url at the bottom. This clearly shows that you didn't even read it! What's worse is when random bloggers say that they've followed you and that they would love you to follow back, only to see that their profile is nowhere to be found on your GFC. Only leave comments when you have thoroughly read the post. Bloggers (including myself, of course) take a lot of time and effort in typing up a post, please be considerate.
5.) Turn off the damn CAPTCHA! - I love commenting on other blogs but it kinda bugs me when I need to type random words on blogs that enabled captcha :( I know that some may say that it prevents spammers from bombarding their comment boxes but is it really worth it to drive away lots of precious comments? There are days when I seriously can't be bothered typing them, especially if I've already hit the refresh button several times and I can't still read the damn thing. Remove it now. If you're a bit lost, google it. Take my word, guys. 
6.) Don't be too vague on your title posts, be creative - Your followers follow heaps of other blogs too, so make yours stand out. There's a big chance that they will just scroll past your newest entry on their dashboard if your title isn't that catchy. Ask yourself what title would trigger you to click a certain post, that always works out for me.
7.) Tell everyone that you're offering free swaps - I gained readers through free swaps, honestly. If people know that you're offering it, there's a big chance that they will swap with you! Just another friendly tip though, please understand that there's a fine line between being friendly and somewhat rude. If you've only started and have about 30 followers, don't ask people who have 500+++ followers to swap with you because that's just not fair. I'm sure they offer affordable advertising rates, so if you really dig their blog and want to get your name up there, purchase one :)
8.) When you really love a certain blogger's post, shout it to the mountains!!! - Promoting other bloggers through social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook is a good way to show co-bloggers that you appreciate them and their effort. A simple tweet which says "I love @(insert name here) post! Check it out at (insert url here)" will SURELY make any blogger smile. I know that they will appreciate it and feel more inspired to blog :)
9.) Make a Twitter and/or Facebook account - This really helps. Sometimes, your GFC followers might not see that you've posted a new blog entry. Twitter is a perfect tool to remind everyone that you've posted a new one for them to read! ;) It also helps in getting to know your favourite bloggers. Of course, they won't post on their blog about the most random bits and piece of their day, but there's a high chance they they will tell about it on Twitter! Bloggers also give incentives such as discount, promo codes, etc to people who follow then on Twitter/ Facebook. This also helps if you're a big fan of joining giveaways. Oh and how can I forget, this can promote your blog too!!! If other people retweet your funny tweet and whatnot, you are exposed to THEIR followers too! The list just goes on, sign up and you will find out more about it soon :)
10.) Enjoy the ride - Be yourself and never let those numbers you see on your sidebar affect you. ALL of us started off with one follower. If you persevere and put your heart and soul into your blog, everything will turn out just fine. Just a lil' bit of patience and you will see the result that you want :)
I hope this helped you, especially the newbies!!! There are tons of other tips which you can read from other bloggers who have better experience in Blogger World (google it!) Have a good friday, guys! xx

PS: Give my newest sponsors some love and brighten up their day! How I Dwell Now and The Brothertons

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If I could change the movie endings...

Alright, so if you're following me on Twitter, you would have probably seen my tweet saying that "I will rest today (now considered 'yesterday) and just unwind." Well, that actually happened; I didn't do anything work-related yesterday. I just pigged out (oops) and searched for more blogs ;) It's actually depressing to find my Blogger dashboard so dead at this time, figured that I should follow more blogs from the other side of the world! (ehem English bloggers) 

Okay, enough about that. Today, I'll just be rambling about how I would change a particular movie's ending ;) I find myself picturing a different scenario every time I finish watching a movie - and that totally irritates me! I hope that someday, I can learn how to accept how the movie really ended. *sigh. *Note: I did my best to pick out movies that are popular so you won't scream "SPOILER!!!" in front of your laptop (or whatever device you're using to read this) BUT if you haven't seen it yet, then I would recommend skipping that number. If it's too late, sorry! Get it on DVD or something ;) (I would say torrent it but shush)


1.) A Walk to Remember - Now ladies, I know your hearts still ache for this one. First of all, I've always loved Mandy Moore ever since her music video 'Candy' came out. I then became a big fan and religiously watched all her movies and bought her albums. Of course, when this movie came out, I was ecstatic. I watched the movie before reading the book (oopsie) I hoped that the book would give a slightly different ending but... ok I'll shut up now. 
If I were given the chance to change the ending I would: Duh, of course I won't let her die. So after getting married, Jamie's still battling with cancer and Landon's just there to support her blah blah blah. I know that in the story, Jamie's miracle was her husband but wouldn't it be better if she witnessed a greater miracle within herself? She was really kind and loving, she even saved Landon. Landon also deserved to have a miracle, he changed for the better and turned his back on so many things just so he can be a much greater person.  The type of ending that I would like for this movie is for her to survive, have kids, and share her inspiring story through songs. 



2.) Star Wars (Return of the Jedi) - If you haven't read my 'about me' page, then you wouldn't know that I'm a die hard fan of Star Wars. I've watched all 6 movies hundreds of times and every time I watch this episode, my heart just breaks even more. 

If I were given the chance to change the ending I would: Obviously won't let Darth Vader die. In all fairness, he was the chosen one and one of the galaxy's most powerful Jedi ever. I'm aware that he was only half human and half machine at that state but George Lucas didn't have to be so mean and let him die (sad face) Luke saw a conflict within Vader and at the end, he admitted that Luke was right. Vader could have proven himself once again to everyone, especially his children. The type of ending I would like for this movie is for Luke to carry him out, Vadey still hanging in there, and Han Solo recommends this particular creature or medicine from Corellia which can save Darth Vader. He then slowly regains his health, gives Leia and Han Solo his blessing, then lived happily ever after.

3.) Titanic - You definitely saw this coming, didn't you? Why of course this is on the list, I think every girl will include this, won't ya ;) I pull off my hair every time I have to sit through the ending. The movie's really good, I will never get tired of watching it. But the ending just makes me cry (well, not anymore. I think my heart's turned into stone, thanks to these type of movies that forced me to try feeling emotionless!!!) 

If I were given the chance to change the ending I would: let Jack live. He's like the I'M A SURVIVOR type of guy, he will never go hungry because of his ultimate skills. He's Jack, the person who can achieve and get anything as long as he's determined to do so. I believed he could have come up with several ideas on how he can survive. I've seen endless debates on how Rose could have shared some space with Jack, but I'm sorry folks, if you attended Physics class you know it's just not possible. The type of ending I would like for this movie is for Jack to survive and get his happy ending with Rose. She learnt how to finally speak out and stand up for herself because of Jack, and I think she deserved to have that man for the rest of her life. So anyway, Jack could have prolly disguised himself as a lady so he can jump on the freaking boat. I know that this is very unethical but if you were in a situation like that, you'll do whatever it takes to survive. Orrrr maybe the rescue ship could have arrived earlier. I don't know. Just let him live and I'm fine. No need to break my heart every time I see Rose letting go of Jack's hand :( [ also Rose you stupid fuck why did you let go of that necklace. I could have used it for a giveaway or something]

That's all for now guys! I think I'll do this on a weekly basis ;) Stay tuned for next week's movies! I better go to uni now, have a happy Thursday!

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Life is a battlefield (well no, just dreading finals)

I've worked 8 hours straight (unless Peanut Butter and Jelly time is considered break time) working on this new business that I will soon open. I actually don't have much energy left to make a "real" post so I'm just gonna bombard you with random stuff (yet again)

1.) Whoever said that becoming your own boss is easy.... is a big fat liar!!! I've worked for myself before as a freelancer (still am) and it wasn't that tough. I just signed up at ODesk and Freelancer.com, updated my profile, made bids on projects, and waited to get hired. Yes, I spent countless hours bidding and convincing potential clients on why they should hire me, but that's it. I didn't have to invest so much time, effort, and money before. This new upcoming business of mine is like my first child - I stay up until midnight to sort things out, contact members, update the site, etc. It may sound like I'm complaining, but I promise I'm not! :) In fact, I love what I'm doing and I think that's what matters. As I've mentioned on my previous post, I'm more confident working for myself and not anyone else. I also perform best when I LOVE what I'm doing. Seriously, I'm a very stubborn person and I can't really bring myself to do something which I don't like at all. Okay, this is getting a bit long. Main point is, I'm happy and I've never felt so determined in my entire life. Accomplishing something at the end of the day feels so great! (Although I think I need to slow it down a bit because finals are coming but I will launch it soon enough!)


2.) I came across a forum on BBN last week about sponsoring ads and which blogs gave them the most traffic. Well, I have some great news for you because I got myself a very great bargain. I know that most of you will be logging on to Passionfruit Ads as soon as you finish reading this. Wanna know why? Camie who blogs over at Wild Spirit offers her ads for only $7. Yup SEVEN DOLLARS. She currently has 6000+ followers and because of that, she sent me about a thousand hits last week. I've known her since I was about 14 and trust me, you will love working with her :) Send her some love and tell her I sent you! You can send her a message here or follow her Twitter. 

3.) Don't you just love my fluffy puppy slippers? I can't stop walking around them, they're just too comfy. My dad bought it from a garage sale on Saturday and gave it to my brother. I could not resist not having it so I just get it whenever he's at school ;) He doesn't even pester me about it... so I guess it's officially mine now? :D

PS: I finally reached 400 followers, just in time for my second month here on Blogger! :) I'm super happy and thankful for all the friendships I've established here so far :) Also, I will post the second part of my previous blog entry about my traumatic experience before the week ends. Have a good Wednesday guys! xx

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Traumatic Experience: Part 1

There are 2 things you should know about me: I nearly got raped when I was 6 and I had a bus accident when I was 9. I still cringe a bit whenever I remember those days but I've overcome my fears and became stronger because of it. I used to find it hard to talk about those stuff but as the years passed, I'm no longer afraid and am prepared to share my story. 

Why am I sharing this? I've come across several people, both online and in real life, who say that  women who wear 'sexy' and 'revealing' clothes are giving the rapists a 'go signal' to come and take advantage of them. Honestly, I find this very ignorant and disrespectful.  

One fine afternoon after school, I got home and saw our maid using the washing machine. I was (actually, still am) fond of bubbles so I opened the lid, dipped my hands, and started playing with it. She got so furious when she saw what I was up to so she threatened me; she said that she'll ask the infamous drunkard/drug addict from our neighbourhood to come inside the house. Everyone knew that guy, he was always causing trouble and people were afraid of him. I thought she was only bluffing so I still continued playing, boy I wished I stopped.
She went outside and came back a few minutes later with the guy. I started crying and running because  he really scared me. "Do you want to play with me? If I catch you, I'll kiss you! If I kiss you, I'll take off your uniform!" I ran as fast as I could to my parents' bedroom, locked the door, hid and cried under their bed. I can't remember the rest of the story but I know that I had fever for days and our maid obviously got fired. 
It really changed me, I was so scared of getting near any guy, including my dad and other male relatives. I found it difficult to cope up. I never wanted my mum to leave my side, I was ALWAYS afraid. Fortunately, my parents decided to move because the place we were living in was totally unsafe. I eventually got over it.
One thing that really upsets me is when people joke about rape. Don't get me wrong, I joke most of the time too. In fact, I joke about pretty much everything but there's a fine line between joking and being offensive (aka total jackass) I am also so tired of hearing people say "she got raped because she asked for it" REALLY? Since when did short skirts and spaghetti straps mean RAPE ME? No woman ever wants that, people dress up to flaunt their stunning bodies, to look good, to feel confident, NOT TO GET RAPED.  I know that a lot of women (and also men) have experienced more traumatic cases in their lives. Mine is nothing compared to those who got really raped and abused. I just hope that people will think twice before saying something. Rape happens because of rapists, people who only think about themselves, people who have no respect and dignity. Rape is not a joke. It happens all the time; and instead of spreading hate and rumours, show them that you care and support them. 

*Stay tuned for part 2, I will post about my other traumatic experience soon.

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My Bucket List

I write bucket lists every year and I obviously end up making new ones since my preferences and perspectives in life change from time to time. I need a lot of motivation and inspiration now though so I guess I'll a new one today. Now that I'm nearly 19, I hope I can stick with it for a long time. I also hope I can accomplish at least half of it. 

• Write a novel - My grandpa was an author and published 6 books (or more) before he died. He included all of his grand children's names on those books and he really inspired me to practice writing. I want to write my own book someday, I don't care if it does not get published. Writing a novel with all my heart and soul is what truly matters.

• Own a successful business someday - I can really see myself handling my own business. I have so many ideas and I just can't wait to put it all into actions. 

• Ride a submarine and visit the wreckage of the Titanic- I will do whatever it takes, even if I have to marry a marine in order to experience it. 

• Hot air balloon date - Typical woman here who wants a romantic afternoon with le hubby on a hot air balloon! Please?

• Have wonderful children - I've always wanted to have a big family (that means 4 or more children!) I can pretty much imagine myself going to family outings with so many kiddos who are competing for my attention. I love children and I hope my future husband does too :)

• Jet ski race with my boyfriend - We both love the sea and any activity that involves water, I just don't know why this never happened yet :(

• Hug Robert Smith and Andrew Mc Mahon for making such beautiful music - Please, I'm not the only one who fantasises about doing this, right? Those 2 gentlemen did the world a huge favour, and that's obviously producing wonderful songs. 

• Ride a motorcycle - Okay, don't give me that weird look. My mum never allowed me to ride one because it's "dangerous" ... but don't tell her I wrote this though! It's our little secret ;)

• Create my dream home - I certainly love wasting my time browsing through home magazines and the internet, looking at big and beautiful houses. Although, I would still pretty much prefer to design it according to my needs and style. Knowing myself, I want everything I own to be customised - I want it to reflect myself, my personality. 

• Bake a cake for someone special - Okay, I've never baked a cake before.. Well, maybe in Home Economics class but it doesn't count because it was a group project, okay? And I want my first cake to be given to someone really special (oh god, now you can pretty much imagine how cheesy I am)

• Fly a kite - I remember owning heaps of colourful kites when I was younger but I can't recall ever flying them. Never too late guys! 

• Hit bullseye on a dartboard - Self explanatory...

• Scuba diving - I've always wanted to do this but the people around me are either scared or simply can't be bothered doing it. I seriously need to meet new friends who are passionate about this.

• Graduate uni with flying colours - I know that my hard work will pay off within a few years :) Gotta make mum and dad proud!

• Win NaNoWriMo - I just know I will.

• Learn how to play the piano again - My cousins and I used to attend piano lessons when we were younger because our grandpa encouraged us to do so. I only studied for about 2 months... and I totally regret it now. I wish I pursued playing because it was like a therapy for me, like a stress reliever after a long day.

• Invent something - A game? Trend? or even just an idea, I simply want to contribute something worthy for everyone. 

• Buy my dad his dream car - I always tell him that I'll buy him a car when I'm already earning my  own money (I was young ok and I wanted that cute Barbie doll) But seriously, he has done so many sacrifices for our family, always thought about us first, and loved us with all his heart so I want to reciprocate that by fulfilling my promise. I know that his ultimate wish in life is for us (his 3 children) to finish college and be successful in life but I also know that a car will be a huge bonus ;)

• Go shopping with my mum for the whole day... my treat! - Like my dad, she also sacrificed a lot for us. She never buys new clothes anymore, she always prioritises us first. She earns a lot of money, but she never spends it for herself. My mum doesn't even buy herself lunch during the weekdays, she saves it instead so she can help us repay our student loan. I want to make it up to her by buying everything she has always wanted. She deserves it.

*I will still update this, but that's all for now :)

Make a list too and link it back to me! Is there something on the list that you wanna achieve as well? Share your thoughts :)

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Do You Believe in Fortune Tellers?

Hope you guys enjoyed my previous post about my garage sale haul! :) I'll try to look for more awesome items on Saturday!

Obviously, my post for today is about fortune tellers (or psychics, whatever you wanna call them) And no, I didn't sign up to those infamous astrological slash psychic websites. A middle aged woman actually went up to me randomly outside the mall and asked if I had a few minutes to spare. It was broad daylight and her intentions seemed harmless so I stayed a bit for a chat. She then told me straight away that she's a psychic and that she's more than willing to give me a free reading - the only catch is that I have to tell my friends all about it (and I did, but not because she asked me to. we'll talk about that later) and that I should take note of everything she'll say very carefully. I have always wanted to try it out so I agreed, I had nothing to lose anyway.

Long story short, she actually amazed and crept me out at the same time. She mentioned a lot of things which I've never told anyone, not even my bestfriend nor boyfriend. After indirectly showing off her skills (or black magic, as others would call it) she then proceeded to tell me about my future. She also mentioned something about my current relationship with my long distance boyfriend, which gave me a very reassuring feeling I must say. 

Now, here's the problem, I've become obsessed. I didn't waste my time looking for bogus psychics on the internet, I want HER. Before going home, I always pass by the spot where she approached me but I never saw her again. At first, I thought she wanted to give me a free reading as a sign of promotion; but then I realised that she didn't even give me her contact details - nothing at all.

That happened a month ago and I still constantly think about it. I told my friend about it and he said that his grandma also has special abilities with those kind of stuff, but she never shared her so-called gift with her family.

Despite that incident, I still believe that everything that happens in this world is caused by our actions. Do I believe in fate? Yes, but to a certain point. Say for example, you met your significant other at your university - that's fate. But you would have never met him if you decided not to go to college, or went somewhere else. What happens to us are still the roots of our actions, and that is why I'm trying really hard to forget everything that the psychic told me. Also, if you're wondering whether I think she's a fake or not, I would say that I'm not sure. I'm a very skeptical person and I never believe in anything unless I can prove it. 

I know a lot of people who are extremely obsessed about knowing their future (I know heaps who have consulted different fortune tellers!) and I think I've somehow figured out the reason why. When a person who claims to have gifts tell you all these wonderful things which you've been wanting to hear since day one, you tell yourself to believe it. Of course, you'll eventually crave for more details and more readings, which I think is very unhealthy.

What about you? Have you met a psychic before? Do you believe in their special abilities?

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Mini Home Tour - Garage Sale Edition

I bought all of these for just $7! The lady wanted to sell them as a set (I was only after the big and small ship) so I had no choice but to take them all home. The 2 men captured my heart after a while so they're still sitting there; otherwise, I would have included them in the inorganic collection ;)

Again, I bought it as a set for $15. Whenever we have visitors, they always ask how "expensive" they are, I just simply say "oh, not that much ;) "

I finally believed in 'love at first sight' when I saw this. A mini fountain with lights for only.. ummm.. I think it was $5? It still works, it's just not plugged. Love love love this.

Oops! Now you all know that I'm too lazy to wipe the dust... can I make up an excuse and say that it adds a vintage effect to it? Yes? Good! I've always wanted a doll house but I don't have the time to look for someone who can do it. There are heaps on ebay but shipping is too expensive! (at least $300) I'm not looking for the plastic ones, I visualise it as something modern and classy! (pastel colours, duh) 

This one's my favourite because it looks really elegant... Can you guess how much I paid for it? 

Yup.

$1

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Why I Blog

       

 Hey guys! Hope you had a lovely weekend :) Can't say mine was superb, but it's not that bad either. I am in the process of doing some changes on my blog (giveaways, design makeover, etc) so stay tuned for that! 

 First of all, I would like to thank you guys for taking the time to read my previous post and sending me heart felt comments and emails about it. Your messages really boosted my confidence and made me feel good about myself, so I really appreciate that. 

 Second, I made a post about 'how to deal with break ups' because I recently came across Brandi's blog about it. I ended up typing a novel about my 2 serious relationships instead; so for now, it's stored in the drafts! I decided to make a new post for today, it's about why I started blogging (everyone seems to be doing it so might as well jump into the bandwagon, right?)

 I have been blogging since I was 13. I came across several blogs which contain really great and inspirational posts. Others have really great design, while some have beautiful photos and stories to share. I fell in love with that idea, the idea of sharing my daily life and opinions on the internet. I joined several websites and tried to find my niche. I knew that the only thing I have to offer on the blogosphere are my thoughts, since I'm not really a beauty nor fashion guru. 

 It was really great! I became so engrossed, taught myself how to customize my blog since I want to attract readers. I went from one blog to another and wrote thoughtful comments on posts which I really loved. Soon enough, I gained online friends who share the same interests as I do. I have tried every blogging platform, I feel like a blog whore! You name it: Livejournal, Xanga, Multiply, Tumblr, and many other sites (can't remember their names now)

A lot of popular bloggers really inspired me to continue blogging, even though only a small number of people are able to read whatever the hell I type. I wanted to know how it feels like to receive feedback and comments from others saying "wow! I can totally relate to that" or "I know how it feels (insert similar story here) so I never lost interest in blogging. 

So there goes a mini intro about why I blog. 

To sum it all up, I just love the idea of getting the chance to share my stories to others, hoping that at least some of them will find it inspiring too, just like the ones that have inspired me. I want to seek assurance from fellow bloggers that I'm not the only one who feels this way (take this and this as an example) I also find blogging as a therapy by letting all out my emotions which I can't say through my mouth to people I come across every single day. It's relieving, but at the same time, addictive too. I'm aware that there's a high chance that someday, I may feel that blogging has become more of a duty than a hobby. When that day comes, I just need to remind myself why I started blogging in the first place and perhaps, take a look back at this post.

Blogging will always be a big part of my life. I may not have a large audience; but hey, at least I have readers out there who take the time to read whatever's on my mind.

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Life is too short - What's stopping you then?

2 of my school mates in my previous school died this year so I can't help but be preoccupied with the idea of death. They were both very young (18 years old) and I know for a fact that every single day their families, especially the mums, still weep for the loss of their sons. One of them is yet to find justice. Because of this, I'm reminded everyday that life is too short and that anyone could die any moment. I'm not stating this in a morbid way, I'm not suicidal. I just think about losing people, or myself dying. Whenever my mind just decides to float around, especially when I can't sleep at night, I think about "What if I suddenly disappeared?" "Who would come to my funeral?" "Would my internet friends ever find out?" "Would my family be the same?" I have no answers, but part of me thinks that my memory would be pushed to the side, something more troublesome than anything. "Oh, she had such potential," they would say before walking away and leaving me in the past.

I could die tonight, crossing a street in a city that does not know me. A car could come hurtling at me through the dark rainy night, with me completely and utterly alone. Eventually, my family would hear about the news and then my friends and school would be informed. Who would regret not saying goodbye? I would like to think old friends would feel a little sorrow, but somehow, I know they would not. I am just another stranger who happened to cross the wrong street on the wrong night. 

I imagine losing people all the time, bloody car crashes and dramatic hospital scenes. I try to use this to make myself apperciate them more, for I can feel the overwhelming misery of being without them. This could be the last time I speak to a favourite teacher, my boyfriend or my best friend. Time does not stop, it moves on. Why must I run through life when I could walk and make the most of the time I have? Sometimes, I am overcome with the urge to hold someone tight before they go, to tell them I love them and that I need them to stay safe. I think I am strange.

When I think about ceasing to exist, my first worry is all the things I never said or did. Regrets, they are called. What if I died after my mum and I had a fight? I would hate for her to have to live with that guilt. Or, what if I promised to be there for someone, then left them when they needed me most? I imagine the fragility of him, how he only opens up to me. I do not want to die because there are too many people I am afraid to let down. I care too much, even for those who barely remember I exist. 

I can look at you in the eye right now and tell you that I've changed so much; and that my perspectives in life have diverted into a different direction. I used to bottle up all my feelings and emotions and never tell people about it - boy, I'm so glad I changed. I let people know how I feel about them and how important they are to me. No, I'm not exaggerating. I tell my friend that my uni life (and life in general) would basically suck without him, and he tells me the same thing. Even though we see each other almost everyday, we never forget to say it because hey, it's such a nice feeling to know that you've made a big impact on someone else's life. 

Life, as we know it, is only temporary. If I were to die unexpectedly, at least the people I love and cherish know that they've made my life journey pretty amazing. That's how I live my life right now and if you haven't started telling your loved ones all the things you want them to know, you need to get off your computer and tell them everything you wanna say. Life is short, tomorrow is never guaranteed, so what's stopping you from telling them?

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Self - Esteem: Part 2

I already posted a blog update about my self-esteem issues a couple of weeks ago; but today, I felt the need to talk about it again. Don't get me wrong, life in general is really great at the moment. I just find my insecurities crawling back in my head every now and then, especially when I'm applying at different jobs (at least whenever I try to.. I never click "send" anyways) For now, I'm totally fine with freelancing. I'm making a good amount of money by writing essays and being a virtual assistant. But what happens after I graduate? Surely, I need to start looking for a "real" job, and this is what I'm really scared of.

I never had a proper job. When I was in high school, all I did was tutor students who are having a hard time in English. They approached me and asked if I was interested in tutoring them since they really wanna pass high school and they're more comfortable being taught by someone who belongs in the same ethnicity as them. It went great, I had fun teaching them because it was a really fulfilling experience, and they're all in different universities now.

Now, you may wonder why I'm scared. I have a lot of reasons, but the main issue I have right now is that I have ZERO experience at all. I'm turning 19 next month and I've never even had a proper job. Most people in my age can already fill up their CV's with heaps of experiences and referees, and it depresses me every time I realise that. I feel like a total failure and so left behind, I wish I could turn back time and change that. I feel really embarrassed to even present my CV because there's nothing really important that's listed in there. Imagine an 18 year old applying for a job with no experience at all; if you were the employer, would you even take the time to read all the other stuff I've typed in there.? Yeah, I figured.

I know, I know. You wanna ask me why I never looked for a job. Well, here comes the second issue: I feel like no one will accept me. I have to be frank, I'm very very insecure with my appearance, especially with my height (I'm 5ft) No experience + not impressive appearance = overly insecure little me. I just can't bear the thought of being rejected because it really puts me down. I wish there's a cure for that, I would gladly splurge money on that cure as long as I can. 

I'm surrounded by people who truly appreciates me, and I'm truly thankful for that. It's just that I won't have these people forever and I would have to face the REAL world someday, and that scares me.

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What I've Been Up to Lately

I did some online shopping at Dana's Wonder Forest Closet sale! I'm pretty sure she has more items for sale, don't miss out!

Nothing really interesting is going on with my life right now... just same old me who's on cloud 9 because everything seems really great :) I have finals coming up in less than a month so I decided to no longer accept commissioned work until mid-November. I'll just finish up all the projects I've accepted then I'm taking a break. I'm still available to work as a virtual assistant but no more writing for me until then. I really need to ace these because I'm too broke to repeat another subject. I also enrolled for summer school because I still lack one core paper.. I just want to finish my degree as soon as possible!!!

I've been feeling so inspired lately and during the past few days, I've come up with several ideas... but those ideas would have to wait until I finally graduate. It's a really great feeling whenever I'm feeling so motivated to start something.

My dream of having my own business someday is what drives me to study really hard. I wish I could do it right now, but I can't. Plan is to work for a few years and finally set up my own company. Just wish that this blog would still be alive by that time so I can show it off to you guys and give discount to those who commented on this post ;)

You may be wondering my why goal is all about money. Well, I'm 18 and already have thousands of debt due to student loan. I came across this blog last week, it's about a Harvard graduate who paid his loan in 10 months. Please read it if you have the time! His journey is really inspirational :)

If you guys have any suggestions on how I can repay my loan easily, PLEASE tell me. I'm too desperate to wipe it out as soon as possible.

God why did I even go to uni.

Okay, have a good day, guys! Off to have roast for lunch :)

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Quick update before I enjoy my weekend!

I had a really great Friday! Martin and I finally went to uni (yes, if one of us decides not to go, the other person won't go to uni as well. We're like peanut butter and jelly) We only stayed there for about an hour and went back to town, grabbed some milk tea, and did our online homework in Crown (our former school) I like lists so I'll continue the rest of my day in bullet points!

• We stayed in Crown for 1.5 hours. Martin has this bad habit of pressing all the buttons in the elevator and ever since we moved to Massey, he never had the chance to do it again.. Well, his agony didn't last too long, he did it a while ago and it was so embarrassing to see people looking at us every time the elevator opens. I just wanted to hop off the elevator and pretend that I don't know him.

• While we were inside the bus, Martin suddenly punched me and yelled "YELLOW CAR!!!" and I knew this was gonna be a tough game. He ALWAYS sees the yellow cars first and I end up being a punching bag :( I wonder what the people inside the bus were thinking? Hope we didn't distract them too much! 

• Went to Newmarket to meet up with Miguel. He texted me at midnight and asked if I wanted some Carbonara (he's a culinary student!) and of course, I said yes (I never say no to food, duh) Martin suggested that we should go to this particular restaurant and I got really excited because I haven't been there for ages but Miguel suddenly remembered that he had to babysit his little bro (who, btw, is not so little anymore.. gaaahh kids grow up fast!)

• Miguel gave me 2 containers, one has Carbonara and the other one has this some sort of garlic pasta which tastes really good! Unfortunately, Martin took the carbonara away from me! :O How in the world is that fair? I craved for that ever since Miguel told me about it and, poof! Gone just like that. 

I'll keep this update really short, I have a busy but fun weekend ahead! I'm participating in "Lovely Letters" and I'm soooooo excited to send some snail mail to my partner! Also, If you're planning your posts for next week, have a look at my previous update about the things I would like you to blog about. I hope it will give you some inspiration! 

Also, please check out this really awesome giveaway from Olga!

Click here to enter!


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Ways I Motivate Myself When I'm Feeling Down

Happy friday, guys! I'm actually at uni right now but I really felt the urge to start making a post! This week has been a bit rough, so glad that it's about to end. I hope next week would be much better because I'll surely go insane if it continues to be like this :( I slipped and hit my head on Monday and I've been very cranky ever since. I've sort of pushed away a lot of people, my boyfriend included.

Anyway! Today, I'm just gonna be babbling about the things I do to motivate myself (which applies to me perfectly at the moment since I'm feeling really down and uninspired)  

I make a playlist -Truth be told, I'm a very sentimental person. I even have this playlist on my iPod entitled "Mood". Every time I feel helpless and whatnot, I just listen to that playlist and those songs help me relax. They remind me of happy times and it gives me a warm feeling inside, knowing that things will eventually be okay. If you want my best pick, listen to this song, you'll be just fine :)

Read a book - I have so many books in my room that I've never read because I'm too busy. Whenever I feel soooooo unmotivated, I just pick a random book (well, not really.. I pick the one with an inspiring gist) and read for the rest of the day. I tend to become emotional over books, especially when I can imagine myself inside the character's shoes. Have you guys read 'The Giver'? or 'PS: I Love You'? I've read those books heaps of times and I just get all the feels in the world (sorry, Tumblr language here) Whenever I read something that moves me, I suddenly get all the energy to start doing stuff all at the same time, it's insane.

 

Buy new records - I have this favourite record store in town called 'Real Groovy'. I always make sure that I drop by whenever I'm having a bad day. I spend like an hour just looking through records, hoping that I'll find something which will scream "BUY ME! BUY ME! I'M A GREAT ALBUM, SO BUY ME!" to me. I always tend to buy albums which I've never heard before but end up loving them anyway. Such a nice feeling.

Play my vinyl records - always struggle to decide which record I'll play first; I have over 500 records to choose from so it's never for me. But to give you a fair idea, "Everything in Transit" by Jack's Mannequin is my top favourite album whenever I'm feeling all emotional and stuff. 

Pig out - Seriously, I feel really good whenever I eat whatever the hell I want. I'm not conscious about what I eat at all (oops, totally unhealthy I know) It just so happens that during the weekdays, I always pass by the town so it's really convenient for me to just splurge money on food ;) Chocolate milk tea  and sweets will never cease to make my day <3

Find some new blogs to read - It seriously makes me happy when I stumble upon blogs which have really inspiring content. Whenever I read their stories, it just makes me feel so motivated to move my ass and start being productive.

Make plans with friends - Catching up with my friends is also my therapy. The only friend that I always hang out with is Martin, I really don't have the time to mingle with others. The main reason for this is uni - we're in the north and they're in central. I only see them during study breaks and parties. No matter how rocky my situation is, I'm always happy to see them :)

Watch my favourite TV series - In my case, it's One Tree Hill and some other Asian romantic-comedy ones :) Yes, I'm an OTH die hard fan, don't hate! Those series just remind me about heaps of stuff so I somehow end up feeling a whole lot better.

What about you, guys? What do you do when you're feeling down?

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