Dec 24, 2013

Merry Christmas 2013! (#TT134)



My all-time favorite Christmas songs!




And this is the latest addition in my favorite Christmas music list. Could it be the next Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”? You're the judge :)


It’s Christmas Eve today and I’ll be having Christmas dinner with family  and go to church.

Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas everyone!

May this Christmas bring joy, hope, love and peace in all of our hearts.

xo, Jo

Dec 12, 2013

Last 3 weeks of 2013! (#TT133)

Hello lovelies!

It's crazy that 2013 is almost over. It just feels like last month when I spent my Christmas Eve at the hospital, and guess what, I'm now sick again again geez.. Not as bad as last year though. Hopefully I'll recover soon!

Let's reminisce your favorite (or guilty pleasure) hits of 2013! 



Which mashup is better? 

I think I like Pop Danthology better in terms of variety of the music selections and the beat in general. DJ Earworm is a little repetitive (too much of Lorde's Royals I guess?). But I like how selective DJ Earworm is in terms of how he combines songs with similar lyrics so it kind of flows nicely. What do you think?

By the way, have you checked out Lorde's latest single?


I might do a 2013 recap post on those events that I did not have the chance to blog about. Hopefully I have the time to do it before the New Year! I'm pretty busy at the moment juggling my time for work, looking for a new job, preparing for Yamaha Student Concert this weekend (SO nervous!!!), getting my Christmas shopping done and trying to maintain a good health! 

Are you as stressed as I am during the holiday season? :D

xo, Jo

Dec 5, 2013

Party Month (#TT132)

Hello lovelies! 

It's December!! Can you believe it? Christmas is coming real soon and it's time to party! Some of you may have or have not known that I'm not so much of an electro music fan. It's catchy and gets me in the mood but it's not something that I can listen to for the whole day (may get sick of it :x). 

But! I've been into indie pop lately and I guess this would be the kind of music that I can dance to all night long! It kind of reminds me of one episode in Lizzie Mcguire where the whole school becomes a fan of Frank Sinatra and the school dance just gets really awesome with the 70's/80's style (ref: picture above).

Here are the two bands that I've been listening to lately, plus Yeah Yeah Yeahs.



Cool? Awesome? You're welcome.

Below are the types of dresses that I'd like to invest in for parties this Christmas and New Year. Not vintage, but it's feminine with an edge! Inspired by my favorite looks from the recent AMA. Cutouts FTW!

Taylor Swift in Julien Macdonald


Kendall Jenner wearing Keepsake top and skirt


Have a blessed week!


xo, Jo

Nov 19, 2013

The art of letting go (#TT131)

Hey lovelies!

I'm currently on a business trip and got a little spare time to blog :) The mood this week is just mellow and relaxed. Hope you enjoy my music picks!

Introduced by my friend. Like it!

I love the harmony of their voices. Beautiful.

Also check out Taylor's new song for a movie titled "One Chance".


Letting go, letting go ain't easy
Oh, it's just exceedingly hurtful
'Cause somebody you used to know
It's flinging your world around
And they watch, as you're falling down, down, down


xo, Jo

Nov 12, 2013

Daydreaming all the time (#TT130)

daydreaming

One of my bucket lists: to travel to a foreign land with my bff(s)

New favorite band!

Who misses PLL?? I know I do! A LOT.

2AM Club never fails to impress me. Maybe once with their “Miley Cyrus” song (no bias), but that was just one and only time.


Daydreaming has been my favorite past time activity but I’ve been doing it a lot more lately.

Probably I get sick of things around me. My room, my job, the people around me, this city, and most often, sick of being sad of a broken relationship I can’t save and being lonely in general.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful of what I have. I have a great family and friends back home who love me very much, as well as other things that make me feel blessed. I just want a change. I’m sick of this whole routine, which is weird because I’ve never complained about routines, but I guess I’m just bored of being stable, you know?

I’m at this stage of my life where I wanna see the other sides of the world, learn and see new things, go out of my comfort zone. Being a young graduate who has a stable job is great of course, many people can’t even find one. Then perhaps several more years down the road I’d get married and have kids, then probably continue working from home. That’s the common life story that people always expect right?

I don’t know how my life story would end up, but I definitely want to make good use of my early 20’s not to just get a good job that pays well, but more importantly the life experiences that I’ve been longing for. I have never done an internship nor work part-time before. This job I have is my very first job and it’s full-time. Isn’t it crazy? All my life has always been focused on academic stuff only. My resume is full of certificates but zero experience.

So I’ve been thinking lately that I wanna go somewhere to have a work + travel trip for at least a month in a foreign country. Somewhere I’ve never been before where I don’t know anybody. So yeah, if you know any good websites please let me know. So far the sites I’ve come across only accept US or UK passport holders.

Wow, I just puked everything out right there. It feels good to share about this though. I’ve never shared this to anyone yet.

I feel I’m getting more and more adventurous these days. I’ve tried a few new things and I can’t wait to try out even more, especially travelling.

I will continue my daydreaming as usual, paired with relevant actions, I’m sure I’ll make it somewhere.

Mission Statement... and a darn good one at that.

xo, Jo the dreamer

Oct 30, 2013

YouTube Queens (#TT129)

Hello lovelies!

So excited to share this lovely original song by the two singer/song-writer queens from YouTube, Kina Grannis and Marie Digby. Both are extremely talented and beautiful. I have to say they’re probably the pioneers for YouTube female artists who’s gone viral. I’ve actually met Marie in one of her concerts in Singapore back in 2009!

Who do you watch on YouTube?

xo, Jo

Oct 26, 2013

SheInside Floral Gradient Shirt

White Long Sleeve Floral Chiffon Blouse

I had been wanting to get this shirt so bad! I saw it being sold in various online shops and I decided to buy it from SheInside this time considering the price and reviews from their members, which makes it my first purchase from the shop!

The material is very sheer and lightweight, but quite structured on the collar, which I like. I love love the design and the fact that the sleeves have button straps to secure when you roll up your sleeves make it even more practical during the hotter days.

I also like the stud button at the collar, which is kind of a surprise to me. One flaw that I find is that there is a tiny misprint on one of the sleeves’ end that is supposed to be clean white. It kind of looks like a pink stain but I know it’s just a misprint from the design. It’s not that obvious so it’s all good.

I reckon that it’s originally a Bershka design from their 2013 Spring collection, but seems like I failed to see it in the store. Thus, I can’t really compare it to the original piece. It looks exactly the same though (see picture below).

Have you bought anything from SheInside before?

xo, Jo

Oct 22, 2013

Ya no queda nada (#TT128)


One of the things that I find fascinating in life is when your favorite singer/band creates a song that truly describes your current situation. You can save your time and feelings explaining everything.


English:
It hurts to lose you
But even more to lose myself
And I realize that nothing,
That nothing, that nothing is forever
Loving each other like madmen
Feeling heaven and touching the bottom today
We lost everything
We became dust
What is left now?
There is nothing left
Now there's nothing left
The last kiss was lacking
And the courage to say goodbye
Today I realize that nothing,
That nothing, that nothing is forever
Loving each other like madmen
Feeling heaven and touching the bottom today
We lost everything
We became dust
What is left now?
There is nothing left
Now there's nothing left
To return to yesterday
And have you again
It was a fleeting
Without thinking, we got carried away
I know that you won't return
Loving each other like madmen
Feeling heaven and touching the bottom today
We lost everything
We became dust
What is left now?
There is nothing left
Now there's nothing left


xo, Jo

Oct 15, 2013

New playlist songs (#TT127)

Hello lovelies!

Here are some of the hot songs that I've been listening to recently. Hope you enjoy!

Finally a song from the rocker couple! It is very Nickleback-ish and my first impression was that it's a little dull as I can see Chad is playing safe with the song. HOWEVER, this song brings back somewhat the "old" style of Avril. Not to mention that Chad's voice is amazing and the entire video is full of emotions which just makes it even better. 

Ok this is not a new song under my playlist. I just wanna share the video. Eminem-sama! *bows down*. Do I even need to say anything else? :p

Love this MV! It's like Cinderella :D 

Cassadee Pope proves that not only she can sing rock but country songs as well! I still prefer her sing pop-rock though, perhaps because that's what me and most people have been used to. Her songwriting style is still pretty much consistent nonetheless. I still can imagine how her country songs can turn into pop-rock just with different play style on the guitar. Check her Wasting All These Tears here.

I like the beat of this song, not very much of a club song, eh? Unless they make a remix out of it. It's a double-edged sword ;)

Is it just me or does the vocal look A LOT like a younger version of Harry Styles? And this band overall is like 1D that plays musical instruments. It's always a plus point for me :)

And last, but not least..
My first impression: This is a LYRIC video? It's almost like an official vid and it's like a movie trailer with all the legit actors. I guess we just need to wait for the official MV for Gaga to surprise us once again. Music wise, umm I'm not sure. I'm confused. Haha

Which song(s) do you like best?

xo, Jo


Oct 13, 2013

Grateful Things of The Day #7

Oops.. My initial plan to post this every single day has failed haha. So I guess I'll just do it every now and then whenever I remember to do one ;)

Today, or lately, I've been grateful for:

1. The ability to keep smiling despite the difficult times

2. My friends

3. The opportunity to go for a casting for short films

4. The new people that I've met this week

5. My faith

6. The will to move on

What are you grateful for today?

xo, Jo

Oct 8, 2013

Never let go of me (#TT126)



Heyo, never let go of me
Hold tight it's gonna get hard to breathe I will never let you drown Even if we're going down 
Heyo, never let go of me When I'm sinkin'

Loose lips sink ships that's what someone told me
But this boat will stay afloat for as long as you hold me
We been through rough water anytime it was tougher
But the fact I came back to remind you I love ya
And if that's not enough, well I can one up ya
I pinky promise touch thumbs I'll never make you suffer
And all I ask in return is some reciprocation
I'll be your oxygen when you're running out of patience
So take a deep breath, and hold it tight
My heart is yours just reassure me that you'll hold it right
Don't be offended, I'm just the cautious type
To always be around and hold you down and never under, like

This is my message in a bottle, I hope that you receive it
If it washes up at your feet then open it and read it
To whom it may concern, insert your name here
It's destiny that we were both born in the same year
Three months apart, but on the same sphere
Staring at the sun, inhaling the same air
This type of love we got, they'll never get it
I'll be the Leo DiCaprio to your Kate Winslet
Sometimes I panic but I never take it for granted
I'll hold you 'til my lips turn blue like Jack in Titanic
And if I lose my grip, then just promise me this
You'll keep my love in a locket and always rock it, like

There's times where like, we find it hard to hold on to something
That was never meant to be held onto
But you let it go, if it comes back it was meant to be
If not, just let it be

This song pretty much describes what I wanna say.

Check out another great song by 2AM Club:

xo, Jo

Oct 5, 2013

Grateful Things of The Day #6

1. A sweet video by Style Haul on YouTube.

2. Friends who texted me first to tell their problems or just to ask how I've been doing.

3. My family! They came today for my brother's graduation next Monday.

4. Good meals that I had today.

5. Ability to control my emotions.

What are you grateful for today?

Goodnight!

Xo, Jo

Grateful Things of The Day #5

1. A tweet that made me go on Youtube to find JoJo's 2004 album playlist. Felt so nostalgic! I loved that album. I could see my 13 year old-self jamming beside my boombox in my room and memorizing the lyrics of each song. Good times.

2. Running to catch the train with my colleague AGAIN. It was kind of fun :)

3. 'Two of a Kind' series! Found the entire season on Youtube the other day and I've been watching it whenever I have time at home :) It was one of my favorite shows as a kid! I remember I tried to do my hair just like the Olsen twins on the show hehe.

What are you grateful for today?

Oh, surprisingly I didn't feel like it's a Friday and thus not so overly excited about it haha.

Goodnight!

xo, Jo

 

Oct 3, 2013

Grateful Things of The Day #4

Today I'm grateful for:

1. Healthy dinner (yay!).

2. Good chat with my bffs.

3. Being reunited with someone special.

What are you grateful for today?

Xo, Jo

Grateful Things of The Day #3

Today I'm grateful for:

1. Great dinner and quality time with friends.

2. Increased paycheck last month!

3. Minor period pain and good health.

What are you grateful for today?

Xo, Jo

Oct 1, 2013

Grateful Things of The Day #2

There wasn't anything special happened today. However, I'm still grateful for:

1. The extra sleeping time before I got up this morning.

2. The good book that accompanied me during my travels

3. The fact that I wasn't really starving when I reached home with empty stomach.

Hope you had a great day today!

xo, Jo

One day.. (#TT125)

Hello lovelies!

Lately I’ve been surrounded things related to one of the most beautiful things in life. Yes, weddings.

The fact that some of my friends are getting married, or even bearing their first child inevitably make me think of how my future wedding will look like. But most importantly, who I’m going to marry with.

I know I’m not gonna get married anytime soon. I still have so many things that I want to accomplish in life as a single. When one of my goals is to be a mom, that’s when I feel that I’m mentally ready to tie the knot.

It’s kind of scary to think about it. Will I make the right choice? Will my partner and I be able to go through all the problems in marriage life together as a strong couple? All I can do now is just to have faith that I will someday be with a man of my dreams and live a happy life together forever.

A couple of my favorite Youtubers just posted their wedding videos and they’re beautiful.

The first one is what I call it as my dream wedding. From the beginning till the end, everything looks perfect.

But this one is the one that made me cry so hard. I want a love like this. Is it too much to ask?

Beautiful, weren’t they? I can watch it over and over again.

Normally wedding songs are not so much about catchy tunes, but Jason Derulo and Kelly Clarkson have changed that. Enjoy!

For those of you who are married and reading this post, I wish you all a blessed marriage life and I shall join you all one day :)

xo, Jo

Grateful Things of The Day #1

1. Able to help a stranger buying a train ticket.

2. Yoga teacher that reminded her students to list down 3 things that we feel grateful for everyday.

3. A text from a good old friend.

4. Went home early from work.

5. Package received today.

6. TheFineBros YouTube video that cracked me up.

7. Spare time and energy to read a book and play the Electone.

These are more like "good things of the day" so I might change it along the way. I will try to post daily before bed as this will help me to be more grateful in life :)

Hope I can be consistent with this as I've been wanting to do this for a while now.

Well, goodnight for now!

XO, Jo

Sep 29, 2013

ASOS Haul + First Impressions

IMG_0419 edited

Hello lovelies!

Finally a haul post! It’s been waaay long overdue. Hope you enjoy!

This was my first batch of purchase ever from ASOS, after hearing so much about it from a British fashion Youtuber, FashionRocksMySocks. When I lightly browsed the site for the first time, I got hooked and in a blink of an eye I added tons of items on the wishlist!

Now that I look back, I think I was pretty crazy on the impulse buying. I spent over SGD200, which very rarely happens!! Because it was over SGD175, I was entitled for a free express shipping. I felt good at that time but now it’s like meh it’s just about a week difference. My money… Was it all worth it? You’ll see.

Clothing:

IMG_0455 editASOS Sleeveless Smock Dress - Spice, UK 6

I’ve always wanted to own more dresses, but since I’m more of a top-bottom kind of person, I’m rather picky on my dress options. When I browsed on ASOS dresses, smock dresses are everywhere, they’re sort of replacing the skater dress popularity.

IMG_0508 edit33
ASOS Smock Dress With Short Sleeves – Navy, UK 6

I’ve decided to go with the simple ones first. So I picked these two plain casual smock dresses, which were pretty affordable. I wanted to choose grey color for the sleeveless one as shown on the model but somehow it was not in the options, hmm.. They turned out to be really comfy, the material is good and the length is just above my knees. Casual modest dresses on the go!

IMG_0460 editASOS Skater Dress in Vintage Floral with Tie Back, UK 6

Then I picked another dress that is more dressy and I had been wanting a floral dress for a really long time. Plus, it was on huge sale! I think it still is right now, you can click the link above.

IMG_0461 edit

The length is perfect for me. It’s just slightly shorter than the smock dresses. The material is a little coarse but it’s pretty thick for chiffon. There’s also another layer of fabric from the waist line till below. Also, I LOVE the details at the back. It’s perfect for those who don’t wanna show too much skin. At the front it looks really modest but there’s a surprise at the back ;) I wore this for my birthday dinner and will be wearing it again for my brother’s graduation!

Accessories:

IMG_0403 edit3
ASOS Ears Boyfriend Watch

Finally I own a gold boyfriend watch! Even better, it’s got ears! Haha. The strap is kind of light, which kind of gives the impression of a “cheap watch”, but the overall look is still great to me! I think it’s pretty well-made for SGD54.80. I needed to remove about 3cm of the strap because it was too long. I wore it for a random photoshoot last month.

IMG_0409 editASOS Rope Chain Hand Harness

This chain hand harness is also too long and I have yet to adjust the length. Wish they had sizes for this!

IMG_0412 editASOS Mixed Finger Tip Ring Pack

I love stack rings! Simple yet so cute. Probably will get more of these from various places :x

IMG_0484 editASOS Grecian Leaf Hairband

Isn’t this pretty? Well, perhaps less pretty on my head, but I think it looks great on dark hair! There’s a stretchy band to wear at the back so it’s not loose at all.

Beauty:

IMG_0421 editKorres Exfoliating Body Scrubs 150ml
Korres Rice Proteins & Linden Shampoo for Fine Hair 250ml

I’ve always wanted to try Korres! So I was really excited when I saw several Korres products being sold in ASOS for a cheaper price compared to Singapore retail price! I’ve tried the scrub and it was GOOD! I use it on my back since somehow I get a little back acne these days. I can feel that the bumps got smaller and eventually got rid off after using this! I have yet to try the shampoo. Will update it as soon as I try it! :)

Summary:

I’m satisfied of ALL of my purchases and I think I’m a big ASOS fan now. I will definitely repurchase their clothes (only at reduced price though!) and Korres or other beauty products that are cheaper online, but I’m not sure whether I will repurchase the accessories, except for watches.

It’s because I don’t know whether they’re really worth it? I feel that I can get rings, bracelets, or headband else where that offer better deals, e.g. Forever 21 and H&M. Also, they normally don’t have sales on the accessories, they focus more on the clothing department. It’s just for this case, I didn’t have time to go physical shopping so I chose whatever most convenient haha.

Have you ever shopped in ASOS before? Do share your experience! :)

xo, Jo

Sep 25, 2013

The Trend-setters (#TT124)

Hello lovelies!

Wow, it's been a while! I've been too busy with work (yeah, same old excuse), but I'll try to get back on track starting this week!

Current listening pleasures:




YES, I LOVE THESE 3 PEEPS! They're so original, super talented and uber cool! 

What do you think?

xo, Jo

Sep 5, 2013

Rock it like it's hot (#TT123)

Hello lovelies!

Check these songs out! Worth listening! :)





Busy, busy, busy! Aghhhh this week has been so busy. I still have many songs that I want to share with you so stay tuned! :)

xo, Jo

Sep 2, 2013

I wonder..


How strong can love be? 

I know it can make people do stupid things that they might or might not regret later on, but can love alone overcome other factors that also matter to us?

Aug 30, 2013

Jungle Photoshoot

Hello lovelies!

Two weeks ago, I was invited by my colleague to be a "model" for an informal photoshoot. It was a random group of people who share interest in photography. I was unsure at first, but thought it was no harm to give it a try. The people were unexpectedly nice and friendly, although there was a little language barrier (me no speak Chinese lol), it was a good experience! It was my very first time doing a freestyle outdoor photoshoot, since all I've done before was family studio pictures and cheesy photobooths.

Here are some of the shots which I think I look decent enough :D


I'm not so much of an outdoor/nature lover, so I'm quite proud of myself to hang in the jungle with shorts haha!


I kept turning around at this shot because there were squirrels at the back!! Too bad the camera didn't catch them.


 It was actually a bad hair day for me. My curls were limp, my hair section was messy and the wind was not helping.

This gives me an impression of a Hongkong drama (though I never watched one lol).

Top: Forever 21
Denim overalls: New Look
High top sneakers: Pull & Bear
Watch: ASOS

The venue:

Isn't it beautiful? The place was actually a reservoir and there were many students having canoeing practice. Further down was one of the national parks where people go jogging and stuff, which looks exactly like a wild jungle to me :D Overall I had fun and hopefully I can do this again in the future! :)

Have a great weekend! 

xo, Jo

Aug 28, 2013

VMA 2013 (#TT122)


Although I did not watch the VMA 2013 live, I've watched most of the important moments of the show from various sources and yes, I was fangirling so much over 'N Sync being reunited (and still suffering from 'N Sync hangover); yes, I cringed while watching Miley's performance; yes, I'm happy that Macklemore brought home 3 moonmen; and YES, I'm still having 'N Sync hangover (have I already said that?).


Isn't it a little unusual that Gaga's performance was not the hype this time? Can't believe Miley would beat Gaga in the over-the-topness genre. Still need to give her points for that Ariel costume though.


And these priceless expressions by the Smith family are the best!! Many think that these are the reactions to Miley's performance but these were actually to Gaga's. So yay for that! When I watched the actual footage, both Will and Willow were actually munching chewing gum, thus in stills it looks like their jaws dropped to the ground. Jaden's got the million-dollar expression though haha love it!


The focus of the night: Justin Timberlake!!

I'm really really happy for Justin, he deserved all the awards that he received. Besides taking home the Video of The Year Award, he was also honored to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which is also known as the Lifetime Achievement Award, that is "given to musicians who have made a profound effect on the MTV culture." Oh yes, he definitely did. In his speech, JT thanked and shared the once-in-a-lifetime award with his boys, “Half of the moonmen that I’ve ever won, I won with these four men right there. So above all else, we can keep it at my house — but I’m going to share this award with them. This is truly an honor. Thank you so much.”


Full list of VMA 2013 winners:


Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award:
Justin Timberlake

Video of the Year:
Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”

Best Hip-Hop Video:
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton – “Can’t Hold Us”

Best Male Video:
Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”

Best Female Video:
Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”

Best Pop Video:
Selena Gomez – “Come and Get It”

Artist to Watch:
Austin Mahone – “What About Love”

Best Collaboration:
P!nk feat. Nate Ruess – “Just Give Me a Reason”

Best Video with a Social Message:
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Same Love”

Best Rock Video:
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Up in the Air”

Best Art Direction:
Janelle Monae feat. Erykah Badu – “Q.U.E.E.N”

Best Song Of the Summer:
One Direction – “Best Song Ever”

Best Choreography:
Bruno Mars – “Treasure”

Best Cinematography:
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton – “Can’t Hold Us”

Best Direction:
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z – “Suit & Tie”

Best Editing:
Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”

Best Visual Effects:
Capital Cities – “Safe and Sound”

I'm very proud of Macklemore! It's nice to see independent artists getting success that they deserve. This point brings me to the Artist to Watch Award that Austin Mahone managed to bring home.


I've mentioned before in one of my TT posts that Austin might be the next Bieber, which some of us are not so excited about. But this could be the underlying reason of him getting the award. It's hard to deny that his fan base is not identical or the same as that of Bieber, by which all of us know they could be pretty hardcore.

I'm not saying that he didn't deserve the award, I'm happy for every single artist that have been nominated and won this award because I know it's not easy for them to be where they are right now. What I'm trying to say is that it would be nice to see musicians with new sounds that can expand people's music horizons win this award. I would have been more than satisfied if Twenty One Pilots won this award :)

Overall, this year's VMA was all about JT (yes, I've said his name million times by now). His next album, which is a sequel of The 20/20 Experience drops September 30th!

Let's end off this post by re-watching the golden reunion 'N Sync performance! You're welcome :)


Did you watch the VMAs? Thoughts?

xo, Jo