Newspaper Nail Art Tutorial

 Sometimes I feel that somehow somewhat I look younger without any makeup.

I am so baffled by it.

Anyway, I have plenty to blog about but everything is in a mess in my darn head.

Shall sort them them into different post. But first up, it is NAILART!

So guys can just relax one corner and totally skip this.

Newspaper nailart is really simple to do but avoid bright base colour (light pastel colour would do just great), reason being, the contrast between your nailpaint and newspaper ink isn't going to be that great.

Things You Need:

Base Colour of  your choice

Top Coat

Unwanted Newspaper

Rubbing Alcohol (to transfer the ink from the newspaper to your nails)

What's Newspaper Nailart without newspaper duh?!

Any unwanted newspaper would do just fine and tear them into small pieces. Mine was The Straits Times.

After you have your base colour on and dried, grab a bottle of Rubbing Alcohol and pour it into a small deep container.

 Dip your nails into the Rubbing Alcohol for a mo and place a piece of torn newspaper over it.

Lightly rub it for around 10-15 seconds before removing.

Fret not if there are parts of newspapers sticking onto your nail after removing.

Just get a wet cotton swab and gently remove it.

Do the same for the rest of your nails and apply a top coat.

A top coat is a must if you don't wish the newspaper ink to fade out fast.

And Viola!

*Please do ignore my ugly index finger as I was trying something out.*

Common Lies Women Tell Men

Before I start proper, I just wanna say I love this photo to the max!
Yeah, I've spent quite some time drawing the floral designs with black eyeliner. Definitely not an easy feat.
I love how this photo turns out! Don't you love it too?
Ahem! Enough with it and let's get started!


Disclaimer
 What I'm stating below does not simply represent the whole of testosterone-counterparts.



So, it is always said that women are unfathomable and it is darn true! We are mysterious and confusing in our ways. It is almost like Mission-Impossible to fully understand what's going through between our ears. While we strive to be candid, honest and truthful, we do lie at times (OMG!). Who doesn't? I can be sure you guys lie too. Most of the time, these lies from your little angels are little white lies.  Half-truths told to keep the peace and to protect her own feelings or yours.


And so *takes a deep breathe*, I'm presenting to you "Common Lies Women Tell Men".


"I'm fine"

I guess this is the single most common lie told by women to men. If you had truly believe in that, perhaps you deserve a good kick in your nuts. We are emotional creatures and do get upset! This is the code for "I'm fine, you won't be", we say one thing but mean another.


It's up to you to figure if you want to step into our minefield or run to the hills. Usually your best bet is listening.


"I won't get mad if you say I look fat/ in this. Honestly, I just want your opinion."

This is almost always a trap. It usually goes something like this; a woman will tell her boyfriend to be honest about the jeans that doubles as sausage encasing for her ass.


Whatever you do, lie!  Women like to get compliments --- which is what she's indirectly fishing for in this situation. She's lying for sure, and woman or not, who wants to be called fat?


However, if you feel that there is a need to save her from public embarrassment (because of her not-so-flattering outfit), you might want to tell her the truth as gently as possible. Something like "Honey, you look great with your make-up and hair done, but I feel that the outfit does not compliment your great look/top." or "Baby, this looks good but I prefer you in another outfit. We would match greatly as a couple with that outfit!'.


 "It's okay if you look at other women/you forgot (the important dates). I won't get mad."

Ah ha! Don't you think you're getting off that easily. This lie is one of the most frequently used in relationships. Typically, women who have been hurt by men in their lives, often inadvertently use this phrase as an emotional defense. For example, if a guy forgets his girlfriend's birthday, calls her by his ex's name or commits any of the other minor screwups that most men do on a daily basis. Forgetting important events is like a terrorist attack on her heart. Women can't just let it go. There's always a subtle, disembodied fear that it could happen again.


Instead of admitting that she;s actually quite hurt by his relatively minor offense, a woman will halfheartedly pretend that she doesn't care at all. In reality, she does care, very much so, but doesn't want to look too anal-retentive or bitchy about it, so she puts up the flimsiest of facades to indicate otherwise.


This lie is extremely easy to pick up as women barely bother to hide their irritation in this situation. Excessive eye rolling, mean tones and passive-aggressive behavior in general are dead giveaways. You better learn to pick up on it.


Save your ass and to cut yourself some slack on headaches later on by calling her on her real feelings and discussing why she's angry. Or! Just keep your god damn eyes on your angels when they already had theirs fixed on you and make an effort to remember important dates (set reminders, no excuses).


"I'm cool with you going to a strip club."

This is actually a brilliant subterfuge passed down by great women since Helen of Troy. The woman gives the man just enough room to do something completely ridiculous and then uses her subsequent rage run amok for months, without repercussions.


Do not ever believe in this!
I repeat "DO NOT EVER BELIEVE IN THIS"!


"I'm on my way/I'll be ready in a minute."

If she rings or texts to tell you that she is 'on her way', chances are she is not on her way. She might still be trying on an outfit. She might be taking it off again. She might be trying on the outfit she first tried on 20 minutes ago. Whatever it is, she is categorically not 'on her way'. 

"I'll be ready in a minute" is one of a same kind. If, before you leave the house to go on a date, you had to shower, shave half of your body, slather yourself in moisturizer/sunblock, put on several layers of makeup (not to even mention rectifying makeup mistakes), straighten or curl your hair, getting a massive headache to pick out the perfect outfit that makes you look sophisticated/sexy/cute, it would take you a long time to get ready, too. So, wait.

"Oh! This was cheap! I got it on a sale!"

Now now now! Men, we just love buying stuffs whether a not it is a necessity or that thing just look-so-darn-cute-and-pretty. Surely you have noticed that your girlfriend has at least 2 cupboards full of clothes, countless sticks of eyeliner (all of them are in black), countless lipsticks in different shades (although she only wear one particular shade most of the times), you name it.

It is counter-intuitive to suggest "saving" than 'spending" money. But as lies go, it's not such a bad one. At least she's bothering to lie. A worst indication of the state of your relationship would be a brazen disregard for the shopping addiction that will eventually cost your credit rating, your house and your sanity.

Or maybe it is to deny the notion of vanity, when what the motivation might have been was simply, "Wow, my [attribute] looks great in this, I have to have it."

I'm not sure about it but I feel that when a woman has got a real cheap good deal for her purchases, there's no way she would keep mum about it till you have noticed her purchases. Instead she will start blabbing about it non-stop the moment she got her hands on them.

That's much about it. Probably, I will be doing on a post "Common Lies Men Tell Women".

Adios!

Getting Down & Dirty: Bike Rim Chroming - The DIY Way

Booya!

Perhaps you can already tell what is today's blog post about from my Title.


Yup, I had my bike rim chromed in Feb (with the help of none other than DBT). I was too lazy to blog about it back then. Before the rims are chromed, it was reflective rim stickers.

DBT suggested that I should chrome my bike rim (the DIY way) since the reflective stickers are sort of peeling off and it distort the shape of the rim. I pasted the stickers on myself and hence, it was pasted on in a perfect circle shape.


We went over to Mustafa to get necessary stuffs.
It was really easy to chrome your own rims but be prepared to spend a lot of time on it.


So, it is really a good way to pass your time if you are dying of boredom. Plus! I think you need not spend more than $50 on getting the stuffs. Save tons of money from sending it to bike shop to do the work. However, it is back-aching work.


*DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE PATIENCE*


I believe you would not want to ride your bike out if your rims are in half-fucked condition

Here are some stuffs that you need before you proceed on chroming your rim :


1) Paint Remover ($6.50 from Mustafa Lvl 4)


2) Thinner (Very important! Splash this over the area where you had the Paint Remover in contact with your skin. The Paint Remover stings your skin very badly!)


3) Paintbrush ( Tip: get those with neat brush ends)


4) Sandpaper - 800 and 1000


5) A container (For easy dipping your brush in Paint Remover duh!)


6) Masking Tape (Optional, unless you have a pair of steady hands)


7) Autosol or any Chrome Polish


Optional: Snack and drinks

Everything prepared!


Let's get down and dirty then.


Step 1: Sticking The Masking Tape
P.S. Remove your rim stickers (if you have any) prior to this ok?


You can totally skip this if you think you have a pair of steady hands.


The purpose of doing this is to ensure that you do not get the Paint Remover at areas where it should not be. It is also to protect your precious tyres from it.

Tip: Tear the masking tape in short pieces so that you can stick it around the rims easier.

It should look somewhat like that when you are done. 


Step 2: Applying The Paint Remover


Now that you can apply the Paint Remover on with ease since there are masking tapes.

Tip: Don't dip your brush directly into the can of Paint Remover.
One, after a few dips, don't be surprised if your brush ended up in a bad shape with the bristles in all directions.
Two, the rest of the Paint Remover left in the can would not be that effective anymore.


Be good and pour some of it into another container.

Apply a few good coats of it.


It will take quite some time for it to work its magic on the paint.
Meanwhile, you can continue to sticking masking tapes/applying Paint Remover on the other side of the rim.


Or!
Sit back, relax, snack on your tidbits and monkey around.

This photo taken by DBT is so unflattering!

After some time, the paint would look some what like this.

You can start by gently scraping off the paint with either the brush or something else.
But be careful not to scratch your rims.


If some of the paint are not coming off, don't go scraping it even harder.
Leave it for awhile more or apply some of the Paint Remover.


When you are pretty sure that the paint are coming off, wash them off with water. 
Check for any paint left on the rim.


If so, apply the Paint Remover on it again.

(DIY Chromed rim)

(With reflective rim stickers)


Check out the difference of having reflective rim stickers and chromed rims!
It looks so much nicer!


Step 3: Sanding With 800 and 1000


Splash a bit of water onto the rims before you start sanding.


First, sand with 800 followed by 1000.
This is to sand away any dirt and ensure a smooth and nice surface before you start polishing.

Result of putting water and sandpaper together.


Step 4: Touching Up With Spray Paint (Optional)


This is purely optional.
In my case, parts of the black paint of the rims came off exposing the orange base-paint.


It was truly an ugly sight.


Hence, I have them covered with black spray paint.
You can also use this method to cover off the wavy lines.

To do this, use short strips of masking tapes to cover the chrome part of the rim.
Make sure that the side edges of the masking tapes form a perfect circle.
After that, proceed to spray on the paint carefully.


Leave the paint to dry.


Step 5: Polishing


When the paint is dry, remove the masking tapes and start polishing!


And then, YOU ARE DONE!

That's all for now!


Have fun chroming your own rims!


P.S. I did the sanding part while my DBT did the paint removing part. He couldn't stand me playing with the Paint Remover.

Valentine Tips For Guys

Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

"Valentine's Day is traditionally a day  on which  lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, giving presents and sending greeting cards. It is usually associated with romance."

*Screams in excitement! Oh wait! I should do a manly growl in excitement instead.*

So guys! Have you got what it takes?

Fret not! I'm here to offer some help. Hope it really helps in one way or another.

Oh yeah. Please do pardon me of my ridiculously drawn-on mustache and eyebrow. LoL 

So, you do already have a partner to celebrate with but you are troubled by many many stuffs. Venues, gifts, etc.

*Pulls hair in agony and  hyperventilating*

Ok! Pull yourselves together!

We shall look at them one by one, shall we?


But first thing first.
 To some, one of the least romantic days of the year is Valentine's Day. 

Yes, you don't have to clean your earwax out.

The reason being majority of the guys act like robots, purchasing flowers and chocolate for their sweethearts because that is what everyone else is doing. Many people celebrate the day out of obligation rather than celebration. 

So start showing the romantic and creative side of yours already.

Eating Venue

Unless both of you slept over the day before, please don't ever freaking bring your Valentine date to a coffeeshop for lunch/dinner after you have picked her up. Girls usually have the tendency to dress up on special occasions and would totally not have expected you would take her to a warm coffeeshop to fill up your stomach.

Depending on your date, an average restaurant or somewhere interesting with absolutely good food (best if you think that she hasn't been there before) would do just fine. You know the personality of your date better than I do, right?

If you don't  (be it because that's the first time you met her or what ever reasons) and wanna impress her, bring her to some exotic or high-end restaurant. That is if you don't mind burning a hole in the pocket or you simply could afford it. Making a reservation first is sure a plus-point.

Another venue would be the first eating place where you have asked her to be yours or the first time you have met. This is best for couples who have been together for long enough. Be it Mac Donald's or where ever it is, you can make it up to her  by saying "Honey, I remember this is the place where you have agreed to be mine / where we met on our first date." So start thinking hard now!


If you are a great cook yourself, whip up an awesome lunch/dinner or pamper her by serving the breakfast to her in bed. Not only will she appreciate your great or not-so-great culinary skills but also be touched by your gesture. Picnic-ing is also one idea.

Activities

This is quite a bit of a headache as there are not much special places in Singapore, unless she doesn't mind Zoo. Bet movie theatres and shopping centres would be crawling with loads of people! Just have to make do with it.


A nice little stroll hand-in-hand is romantic, especially for the both of you who have hectic life.


If you hasn't got any present prepared or prefer her to choose one on her own, then bring her for some shopping. Simple way out.  This way, you don't have to fret over what suitable present to get for her  and she could get something she really likes.  Win-win situation.

Gifts

Do something which would move her and mesmerizing her like, making a photo collage of her showcasing her in all moods. This would make her feel how closely you observe and know her. I would not advise guy to this for his Valentine date if both of you are not couples, this would probably scare her off thinking that you are a stalker (unless both of you are in love with each other for some time but haven't got together yet).


If you want to be on the safe side, get something which she can use or something she needs. You can get hints from daily conversations or facebook/twitter/blog.


As for cards, DIY. Don't worry if it look horrendous. I bet on my head that she would not mind it at all. After all, what girls look at are the hard work and effort put it, not the pretty card designs or the already-printed-on text on that Oh-So-Pretty card. Both of you might have a good laugh at your ridiculous drawings and handwritings. * Imagining*


For flowers, you can get those DIY roses at any Art Shop, like the kind I'm holding in the photos of this post. Unlike fresh flowers, they don't wilt and die off and so she can can keep it for as long as she waants. FYI, I have been keeping mine for 7 years. LoL. Good eh! If you like to, you may want to spray a little of your cologne on it.


Just sharing something with you guys. 
I had this one very memorable Valentine Gift though it happened 6 years ago. So this guy decided to give me a box of Ferrero Rocher Chocolates at a void deck. He insisted that I should  at least eat a few of the chocolates. So what happened was that coincidentally I picked out one and start peeling the wrapper off. What was inside the wrapper was a ring.  Apparently, he ate one of the chocolates and replaced it with a ring carefully wrapped up.


Yes. It wasn't at any romantic place, it wasn't any expensive chocolate and the ring wasn't any fancy and expensive one, yet it left a deep impression and brought a genuine smile to my face.
You get what I mean?


Dressing


You don't have to dress over the tops for this.
 Just make sure that you are clean, tidy, neat and smell nice. Remember to shave all that unsightly stubs of  hair growing around your mouth!


You might want to have a few toothpicks with you so that you can remove any food particles stuck between your teeth after meals.
You wouldn't want your date to be staring at your teeth while you are sweet-talking to her. It looks absolutely disgusting and it is embarrassing.

"Oh Great! I haven't got a Valentine Date!"  FOREVER ALONE!
*Slams head against keyboard*


Me: So haven't you asked anybody out?
You: Oh yes I did! But everybody rejects me! Nobody wants me!
Me: Something must have gone horribly wrong somewhere then.
You: AND WHERE THE HELL IS IT?!


Perhaps I would say your way of approaching is wrong.


2 very big NO-NOs!


One, acting all emo and depressed and lament how lonely you are going to get  on Valentine's Day to a girl. And then start asking her to be your Valentine Date. No way are you going to get yourself a date using this tactic. Even if you are genuinely getiing emo of this, don't start complaining to the girl who you are trying to ask out.


At the start of the conversation, you have already painted yourself as a pessimist.  By complaining that you have no date, it makes the girl feels like you are asking her to be your Valentine Date because you hasn't got one and thus approach her as a last resort.


Maybe she would agree going out on a date with you out of sympathy but, chances are slim.

Two, Male Chauvinist please ditch that gigantic ego away before you start approaching a girl.
Male chauvinists, you know it better yourselves.


A simple "Would you be my Valentine Date? I would love to spend my Valentine with you" is good enough. Short, sweet and straight to the point.


If all else fails, chances are she is either attached or simply not interested in going on a date with you.

Last tip.
It helps if you advise on your date's dressing beforehand if you are going to plan some crazy activities.

Get as crazy and creative as you want for your sweetheart!
Make it a memorable one.
I'm sure you would want something happy to look back at for you and her.
Pu your heart and soul in it, only then you can tell yourself that you have done your best for her on this special occasion. She would definitely notice it too.


Have a great Valentine's Day!


PS. Please don't come after my head if it didn't help in any way.


When I was typing this post, I freaking realised how difficult it is to be a guy. Just like how this society works, guys are expected to plan everything on such special occasions. I SWEAR IT IS SO GOD DAMN BLOODY DIFFICULT!  


I'm so thankful that I can get away with it. *Sinister laughters*

How To Rear a Pet Yabbies (Yabby), My New Pet

Hello! I am excited to show you my new pet, a YABBIE!  For those who are in my facebook already knew this.

But I shall elaborate more about how I got and how to rear it later.

Took a walk at Bugis 2 days back.

Bugis indeed have alot of people considering its on a weekday night.

After which, we went for Prawning over at Bishan!

That's one freaking long and fat worm!

Fat and Juicy~

What's prawning without some food and drinks?

After one hour at this pond, guess what's on the hook?

Of course a Yabbie! DBT told me it is a rare catch, so we waited for one hour not in vain.

The first thing that came from me was "I WANT TO KEEP IT!"

It is quite tiny actually. About the length of a hand measured from pincer to tail.

The ones (below) displayed at Hai Bin Prawning are much bigger and look fiercer. Mine has the cuter look! <3

I love pets. 

I have had Guinea pigs and alot of hamsters as pets. They are the cute, warm, fuzzy and cuddly kind AND live on land. Hence, this is my first unique aqua pet (Yabbie) apart from my goldfishes and so I have zilch idea of how to rear it and giving it the best.

Did quite a bit of research online for the BASIC must-knows.

Apparently it is actually water cray fish. In the Eastern states, it is called yabbies and over in the west it is called marron. They can make good, low-maintenance pets as they can be kept in fish tanks (with lids) at home and only need to be fed every two days or so.

Some Basic Facts About Yabbie

1. Yabbies are found across most of Victoria, western New South Wales, south-western Queensland and eastern South Australia.

2. Yabbies moult (shed their shells to grow bigger), which can take up to 6 hours, depending on their size. During this time, they normally fast and stay in hiding. Some may even eat their shell.

3. Yabbies are hardy and can tolerate poor water conditions and long periods of drought by burrowing deep into the river bed to stay moist.

4. Yabbies range in colour from brown, green to pale blue.

5. It may moult many times in their lifetime, but as they got older they moult less.

6. It belong to a group called Crustacians and are arthropods which are invertebrates - that is, an aniimal without backbone.


7. Yabbies have a life span of 5-7 years under ideal conditions.

(PS. Photo grabbed from Google)

Setting Up Home For Your Yabbie

1. Setting Up A Tank

It is pretty much similar to setting up a fish tank. But don't fill the tank with fresh water too high or your yabbie will crawl. Yes. I had mine crawling out and crawled its way across the room. If you must, place a lid over the tank. Take note of your air hoses, logs and rocks as it is a good climber.

2. Don't Overcrowd

Overcrowd and you can enjoy a free fighting show. I'm sure you would not want that to happen.

.3. Provide Hidey Holes and Gravels

You could throw in some short pipes or driftwood.

(PS. Photo grabbed from Google)


 I placed a mug in instead for temporary use. I do not have all the necessary stuffs available when this Yabbie was caught but at least I tried to find alternatives. =)

In nature, they love to burrow in the side of a bank or dam and that becomes their territory. Ensure that there's a heap of gravel in the base of the tank too as they do like to pretend to be a bulldozer.  

4. Filter

Provide a filter as they are very messy eaters and waste a lot of food, so water can easily be contaminated. 

 Feed Your Yabbie

Yabbies are omnivores (eat both plants and meat).

From what I have gathered online, I don't see anything that Yabbies cant eat! 

Apparently, you can feed it with prawn, peas, carrots, bloodworms, etc.

The important thing is to break the food up in small pieces and make sure it's eaten before you give the next piece.

I feed mine with Bloodworms. =)

Super value for money I tell you. 24 small cubes for $1 and my Yabbie did not even finish half a cube for 2 days.

 The Do's

1. Small Aquarium Aerators

Do provide aerators if the tank is small. If your yabbie is small and the tank is large then it is ok. However, aerators are good as it not only place oxygen in the water for your yabbie to brathe, but also circulates the water and reduce the risk of pollution occurring in its tank.

2. Be Careful of What You Put In The Tank

Its little claws are notorious for catching things, you would not want your goldfish or expensive fishes getting caught or eaten by it. Don't you?

3. Put A Lid Over The Tank

Need I to say much?

The Dont's

1. Overfeed

Yabbie only eat a little food and if you place more than what it can eat into the tank, then the extra food just sits around and rots. Rotting food will pollute its water and kill it. Refer to "Feed Your Yabbie".

2. Holding It

Don't hold it in your hands as it tend to dry out and it is not good for it.

3. Disturb It While It Is Moulting

Yabbies are very vulnerable during moulting, they are sluggish and defenseless at ecdysis (shedding or casting off of an outer coat). They may get stuck trying to emerge from the old shell.

Don't disturb or handle an ecdysing Yabbie; they can't breathe at this stage and any delay means they run out of puff before finishing. Small ones ecdyse in a few minutes but very big ones can take 20 minutes, or longer.

A Yabbie on its side in shallow water is usually moulting, sometimes what you see is the old empty shell. If not, wait for a few minutes and you will see the 'new' Yabbie emerge. 


4. Stress It or Grabbing Its Claws
When distressed, a Yabbie may loses it claws voluntarily. This is a mechanism whereby it is used to fend off predators. Usually, the claws will grow back during subsequent moultings but it may be smaller than its original claws.

What To Do If You Want To Add In New Yabbies To A Tank

Adding new Yabbies to a tank with existing Yabbies in it can be a problem.

Existing Yabbies will see the new Yabbies as invaders since the tank has become their territory and a massive fight will occur with death or injury.

What you can do is to remove the existing Yabbies from the tank and rearrange the stuffs (rocks, logs, sand, everything) in the tank. After you have done so, drop the Yabbies all in together. Old and new Yabbies are all now in new territory and they will settle in harmony with little fuss.

So, I have come to an end of "How To Rear Your Yabbie". Hope it helps.

Do share your experience with your Yabbie too. =)