A bucket list.

As morbid as this might sound, I want to make a bucket list!

Bucket lists are lists of things you want to accomplish before you... well, kick the bucket, I guess! You know those, "50 things to do before I die" kinda ones.

I don't think bucket lists are only for terminal cancer patients anymore. Everyone should learn to be a little more adventurous and live outside the box a bit! These days, everybody's just focused on their careers and studies and constantly GETTING SOMEWHERE in life (even me).

Life isn't about destinations, it's about JOURNEYS! Hahahah so cliche, I know! But you have to admit, it's kinda true.

Lots of people never get to do some of the things they dream of doing simply because they can't find the time, or they forget.

When you make a list... YOU MAKE A LIST. You put those things into perspective and it starts having some PRIORITY.

It's no longer a daydream, it's something you HAVE TO DO. And hopefully, it'll motivate you to seek out the opportunities!

No applause necessary! *tenkiu, tenkiu* Holy crap, should I consider a future career in motivational/inspirational speaking? Yes, no? *snorts* I'm just kidding.

I don't have a complete list planned out yet, I intend to make it up along the way.

But I've recently discovered, while watching some travel show on TV, that I REALLY want to try hang-gliding! Which is strange, considering I have an irrational fear of heights.

Hmm, do they have PINK hang-gliders??? 0=D

Bungee-jumping tends to be something that many people want to do, but not me. Weird, isn't it? I'd go for hang-gliding, but not bungee-jumping.

Oh, and DEFINITELY NOT sky-diving! I don't think I like the idea of jumping into emptyness, with nothing there to catch you. Doesn't that thought scare you?

I'm really not the daredevil sorta person at all. I also don't think I'd want to go up in a hot-air balloon... small space, fire, height... t-too many fears :S

I think snorkeling would be awesome too! But not scuba diving, for obvious reasons i.e. I can't bloody swim T_T Also, who doesn't have a fear of drowning??

Was NOT easy to find a snorkeling pic that didn't have any boobs/butt D:

I know, I know, the stuff I added to my list are really contradictory T_T And this is turning into a post about what I would NOT want to do T___T Even I can't understand it the way my mind works!

But at least I'm making an effort to overcome SOME fears! I think that's pretty much a big accomplishment already (Y)

Are there any things that you've got your heart set on trying at least once?

Aspirations.

Today, I dragged myself out of bed at 6.30 am, fever, sore throat, runny nose and all, and was half an hour late for school.

I still feel like death warmed over, my nose is so stuffed that everything I say sounds like it starts with a letter H T___T Hair's huhink hi hate whore hand hallink hick! (3 stars for whoever knew what I said!)

We had career and higher education talks at school. Representatives from a few Malaysian universities came to brief us on their courses, and our options for the future.

I was once again faced with pondering a daunting dilemma. For years I've had my mind set on becoming a lawyer. Now, with each passing day, I become less and less certain.

When one of the speakers mentioned Nail Technology, my classmates voiced my name, and I felt a burst of pride. Obtaining recognition and appreciation for something you love doing has got to be one of THE best feelings IN THE WORLD.

I dream of becoming a manicurist, and opening my own nail parlour, and running the hottest nail blog in Malaysia.

I also dream of studying journalism, and becoming a writer, and writing for a Malaysian women's fashion magazine.

But I know these are both not papa-approved paths for my future. My parents, especially my dad, does not think these are acceptable careers for his could-be-brilliant daughter. My sisters are both Dr.'s, and I am naturally expected to aspire to something of similar caliber.

My parents only wish to see me succeed and they will do whatever necessary to help me achieve that. It is, essentially, flattering to know that they believe in me enough to think I can become a lawyer.

I don't know what my definition of success is yet. It's probably got something to do with money. When people say it's not about how much you make, it's about how happy you are, that's bullshit.

Life isn't always all about happiness, that I know now, unless you were born under a lucky star. It's about striking a balance and making sacrifices.

So, in order to not let my parents down, in order to strike that balance, I will become a lawyer. I will become successful and do well for myself and be able to support my parents in their old age. I will be able to afford a pair of Christian Louboutin's with my first paycheck.

This list is from a post I drafted in December 2009 titled "Aspirations":

1.) To own a pair of Christian Louboutins before I'm 30. (Bought with my own money, of course.)

Shoe-maker to the stars. 

2.) To become a paid blogger by the time I'm 20. (I suppose I already am kinda a paid blogger, having made a meager RM1.75 in my maiden week as a Nuffnanger.)

 

3.) To own and drive a pink car.

I think this would be like my perfect first car! Or I guess I could just get my sister's old Proton Wira spray-painted pink next year T_T

4.) To become an awesome lawyer with super chio clothes! (Errr...)

Not that I don't want to (become a lawyer), I do. Honestly, of all the "high-flying, papa-accepted" career choices, it's my favourite.

But I no longer dream of it every day the way I used to.

Do I choose to take a risk for happiness, or risk happiness for duty? This is my crossroads.

NOTD: Cherry candycanes %

Candy, candy, candycane!

Ask and you shall receive, my friends: more nails! Omg I'm like a factory :D Say hello to girly, pink nails that totally shout me! ♥

I've been wanting to do this manicure for like, 6 months! But because I can only do my nails every 3 months, I schedule all of it long in advance and I've only just found time for this now. Another Konad-less one :)

Elianto Nail Color - #33 Peach, SilkyGirl Ever Glossy - Snow White, Elianto Nail Color - #40 Twilight Zone and The Face Shop Nail Color - PK105.

Most of the photos were taken in the car during our Penang-KL drive, using my digicam's High Sensitivity setting (which makes it impossible to take blur photos no matter how much you shake!).

My sister's shades that I found in the glove box, which I don't think she really needs anymore... ;)

This was taken with my camera balanced on the dashboard and my hands pressed against the windscreen :P

For me, nail art started out as an experiment, something cool to try. Then it turned into a hobby, something fun to do. And then it became a passion, something I loved doing. And now it's firmly an addiction, something I can't live without.

You wouldn't believe the satisfaction and pleasure that doing my own nail art gives me. I will, one day, start my own nail blog. Without a shadow of doubt. Or I might just stop blogging about any other stuff here, cause I know most of you come just for the nails anyway! Pffft.

This is the original, done by Thriszha, which I fell in love with at first sight. I find it so fun how browsing nail blogs for me, is like shopping for nails cause most of the time, I'm capable of simply recreating whichever one I fancy.

Would you just look at the precision and control of ArtsyRN's strokes?? People like this make me realize that I have an immensely long way to go still in my manual nail art tutelage, but I will get there some day!!! Complacency (look that up in the dictionary if you must) is simply not an option.

You won't be seeing anymore NOTDs or KOTDs from me till September and trust me, I'm sadder than you are about this :( But oh well, every holiday that passes signifies one step closer to graduation, one step closer to me doing nails full-time!

I still dream of opening my own nail salon someday. That's how much I love doing this.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

You wanna be famous? You wanna be a star? You wanna in movies? 

You wanna have boobies...? xD

Being in Form 5, with graduation only 7 months away (:O!), each and every one of us is pressed with the tough choice... what happens after that?

Our childhood has flown by, and now we have to make the hardest decision yet. Where will we go from here? Who will we become? What will we do with the rest of our lives?

We've always thought that leaving home was so far away, in the distant future, that we didn't have to think about it yet. But now we do. It's looming upon us. We have to think hard, and choose fast.

I know what I want to be. I want to be a lawyer. Ever since I was 8, I've known I wanted to be a lawyer. A lot of people ask me, what made you decide? I always reply "It's a long story."

I think today is the day I tell that story.

When I was 8, I watched a movie. It was about an underestimated blonde girl who loved pink and had a big dream to prove herself to everyone.

Her name? Elle Woods. The movie? Legally Blonde.

"Meet Elle Woods. She's a lawyer with a heart of gold...and a mane to match!"

Okay, please don't laugh. Yes, I know how superficial it may sound, I chose my future career based on a Hollywood movie when I was 8. But Elle Woods made being a lawyer look so pretty and sophisticated and PINK!

I was mesmerized by Elle Woods, who was a college sorority girl and stereotyped bimbo who got dumped by her boyfriend and then decided to become a Harvard law student to win him back. She soon realizes that her boyfriend is a total prick who doesn't deserve all her hard work, so she ends up becoming a lawyer to prove that she's more than just a dumb blonde. And some other nonsense about overcoming obstacles, and nobody believing in her, etc etc.

She showed that you could have brains and beauty, and she's so strong-willed and opinionated and never gave up. She's sweet and bubbly and bold and most of all, CHIO! (This is also the movie where I fell in love with Reese Witherspoon.)

I know it's just a story from a movie, but I soon realized that we had some things in common, and I also had a lot of the qualities necessary to become a lawyer. 

Plus, I could already imagine myself in pink suits and high heels like her, sauntering around a courtroom, flipping my hair; buying a chio Mac laptop (not in a bunny suit lol!); getting my nails/hair done while studying.

I literally want to BE Elle Woods. I can just see it now!

Did I mention ALL THAT PINK she wears??? And THOSE SHOES?

Please, don't think I'm naive. I'm not. I know what lawyers actually have to do. It is not a fashion show and the courtroom is not a runway. I actually have personal skills that I consider to suit the future career of my choice.

But I found out recently that I have been HORRIBLY DECEIVED! (Okay la, maybe not so kua zhang?) 

It turns out thaaaat... lawyers can't wear colourful jewelry NOR PAINTED NAILS when they go to court.

FML!!!

AAAARGGGGHHHH!!! The nails, omg the nails! The sheer thought of not being able to do my nails is killing me. Can you imagine me, my whole life, with NAKED NAILS??? I think I'd rather die. Really.

You know, I think I'm such a mass-comm girl. I wanna be able to wear chio clothes to work, dye my hair and style it nicely, Konadicure my nails and wear killer heels. I don't think there are any sensible, high paying, professional jobs where I can do that!!! Sigh, so right now I just feel very tortured :(

Next time I go to any education fairs, conventions, talks, etc, the first thing I shall ask about the Law course is: Am I allowed to have fancy nails when I work as a lawyer? If they say no, I'll spit in their face!!

I MUST FIND A COUNTRY WHICH ALLOWS THEIR LAWYERS TO HAVE CHIO NAILS!!! I WILL MOVE THERE WITH NO HESITATION PLZ!!

Orrr... I could always go to beauty school! And then become a certified manicurist :D This is one of my more deep-seated and less-known dreams. My dad would sooner kill me than even think about letting me go to beauty school.

Although ironically, my namesake Stella, actually came from the name of none other than... a beauty school in Malaysia! It's called the Stella-In Beauty Academy!

My mom was undecided over what to name me after I was born, and then she saw the sign for Stella-In and thought that Stella would be a pretty name for her adorable little newborn. Interesting, huh? I bet you didn't know that! Maybe it's fate?

Okay, I'm digressing.

I guess, as always, I want to have my cake and eat it too. Maybe as an adult, you just can't do that anymore.

Pictures courtesy of Fanpix.net, IMDb and Google Image Search.

KOTD: Overdue Chinese New Year nails.

This post is sooo overdue it's embarassing! Chinese New Year was freaking one whole month ago! I am a naughty procrastinator D:

Being the manicure genius that I am (eiseh!), I've already come up with the ideas of what kind of nails I'm gonna do this March holidays. So excited, busy harvesting nails now (inside joke)! I've grown quite attached to my "square-shaped" nails that Jia finds so repulsive. I found it repulsive at first too okay! But you get used to it. And then it grows on you.

Like a lot of other things in life, ironically.

My nails for the first few days of CNY were actually really simple. I'm sorry if you feel disappointed!

Then for CNY concert and Maria's open house weekend, I did something in red and silver with blings and glitter for that extra kua zhang factor!

I've planned 3 different pink-themed (suck it, pink-haters! :D) Konadicures for the holidays. I just love mixing styles and blinging it up cause I feel like "normal" Konadicures are too easy for me already. I prefer stuff that's more advanced and challenging!

Gonna test it out as soon as I publish this post. Someone please reassure me that there's no assembly tomorrow! My nails are well on their way to being a less-shitty length and I will not be thwarted on the last day of school. I will not!

I dunno about photos though. My dad took my digital camera with him to India to take photos of my sister's graduation ceremony and the Taj Mahal, so I'm gonna be blissfully thick-skinned and blatantly start begging.

DOES ANYONE WANNA BE KIND ENOUGH TO LEND ME THEIR CAMERA FOR A DAY OR TWO PWEETY PWEASE?? 0=)

I planned to use my canggih webcam but f my life x2, the photo-taking gods are all ganging up against me, its software Logitech Quickcam was removed from my laptop during the reformatting in December :(

More reasons to hate my lao yia laptop! I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the day I get a brand-spanking new laptop and super canggih semi-pro digital camera in hues of pink! Have I told you that that's one of my goals in life? To upgrade myself to all fully pink belongings!

Pink laptop, pink mouse, pink phone, pink earphones, pink household appliances, pink CAR someday... Even pink business suits to wear to court when I'm a bigshot lawyer! Obviously kidding about the bigshot part. I'd honestly rather be a rich tai tai? But both of those are topics for another day :)