Shantel's Sixteenth,

"Strip me back of all my pride, my possessions.

Till all I want and all I seek, is your presence."

Presence Power Glory, Citipointe Live

Annnnnndddd.... -drum rolls- Shantel's finally sixteen! Hip hooray!

The Taipei crew, Mindy, Telly, Shimdo, Gracey, Ben and Alex spent a lovely day out in foreign places to celebrate our Telly's birthday. What a struggle it was for a bunch of us ABCs to read menus, not make a fool of ourselves in public places and survive waitresses and ice-skate sellers. Thank goodness for laughs and people like this to make being stupid seem hilarious. 

Grace.... why why why why.

We first met up at a random hotel lobby, waiting for Mindy and Shantel to arrive (who got off at the right bus stop, could have just walked straight across the road to meet up with the rest of us but nopppeee, completely missed the GIANT hotel sign and decided to take a taxi which took them, you guessed it, across the road), telling stories of our Taiwan adventures and funny mishaps. After, we walked down to a department store, stumbled upon an Italian restaurant Grace really liked so had lunch there! The courses were beautiful, the waiters cute, the prices dirt cheap. Of course the heavily edited photos below show just how yum it was; why else would I edit them?

After our tums tums were full, we went ice-skating at the Taipei Little Big Egg Arena (direct translation), and had fun getting amused by sellers, waivers and the safety measures of Taiwan :) Annnnd after skating, we went to some cute little dessert shop to have waffles and high tea to celebrate the big sixteen. Twas was a great day, happy birthday Tellykins, and hope y'alls having a safe holiday! :D 

RED Tour 2013,

Hi everyone! I'm jetting off to Taiwan in a few hours (Shantel is already there), so this post will be a quick one because I desperately need to pack my laptop up! Thought I'll squeeze this in though; because who knows when we'll get the chance to blog again? As you all might know, last weekend Shantel, Grace, Cassia and I had the wonderful opportunity of going to Taylor's RED concert. To answer the main question everyone seems to ask, no we did not get into Club Red (slim chances of getting lucky twice), nonetheless it was indescribable - definitely one of the most memorable nights of our lives. So without further or do, here are the pictures!

Curly wurly getting readyyyy.

Signature lyrics and thirteen on arms. (Yes we made our own shirts). 

Our outfits pre Christmas lights and glowsticks.

Donning on our light ups. 

Waiting for Taylor...

All 40,000 of us jamming it up. 

Everyone rushing off their seats to get closer when she changed stages// "Brisbane you look beautiful tonight!" We do Taylor don't we? 

Super bad close up, but it'll do. 

She was beautiful that night, giving us encouragements and inspiration throughout all her songs. She gave advice on heartbreak, on relationships, on dealing with friends, and of learning to get back up and begin again. I had no idea her words was going to touch my heart so much- but it did. Thank you Taylor, for coming in at just the right time. 

See you guys soon, I have a flight to catch xx 

Happy Birthday Sharina!

"And this very moment, of timid and fragile honesty.

Is precious and rare and fleeting." 

Scarlet, Brooke Fraser

Hello there lovely readers!

B Blockers are definitely getting into the Christmas spirit!! Yesterday, Marina and Shantel held a wonderful Christmas themed birthday party for B Blockers sans Tiff and Daphne (living it up in the Big Apple and in lockdown for AMEB exam respectively). Twas was lovely to spend time celebrating with the girlies before we all jetted off to our various holiday destinations,  so thank you Sharina for putting in all the effort! These girls definitely don't do things halfway ;)

First up: Candy Cane Hunt!

Happy Families feasting.

One of the presents: Snowflake pandora charm!

Scrapbook filled with tear stains. 

Marina opening the handmade mailbox of birthday messages :3

Classic water balloon fights. 

Happy chap :D

Merry early Christmas from the B Blockers! 

Happy Holidays people, have a good one and stay safe :D 

Procrasta-blogging

It's that time of the year again. 
The few weeks before Christmas where twinkling red and greens envelope every inch of shopping malls, where purple fallen jacarandas are trampled on, where the air becomes a misty humidity we're still struggling to get used to after the cool winter days.... and where exam time looms. 

End of year exams are indeed a stressful time, but Shantel and I are praising God for A+s and VHA10s! Let's do this, knowing that we can do all things in Christ who gives us strength :D 
So, in light of our absence for the next two weeks due to studying, I have hereby compiled a list of things you can do when our blog no longer becomes that worthy source of procrastination. 

1. Get back to whatever you were doing before you started procrastinating, i.e studying, prepping for exams, home baking with peanut butter 
2. Learn the Hannah Montana Hoedown Throwdown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj3OqMzNin4
3. Provided it's not raining (or actually if it is, that might be a bonus), grab a trusty diary and favourite pen, head outdoors at night, sit your bum underneath the field of stars and write down a reflective extensive list of things you have been grateful this year, until you have nothing to write, and start writing random things like "I'm thankful for potatoes and nail clippers." Unless you're Daphne that is; that's probably in her top 10. 
4. Do the same thing as above, except this time, write a soul detox- write down everything you feel regret for, someone who has wronged you and you've held on to, a mistake you've made, something that angers you etc. After, send a nice text message or apologize face to face to someone you've wronged, forgive them as Christ has forgiven you; relieve yourself from guilt or something you're harbouring against yourself- and know you're loved and forgiven. Clean out your heart so there's space for the goodies! 
5. Lick your elbows. 
6. Get yourself a copy of the book "Kisses for Katie" by Katie Davis and a box of tissues.
7. Grab a rope, head outside, and do some skipping. Whilst skipping, pray for Phillipines. 
8. Do something on this list: http://www.thea21campaign.org/content/21-ways-to-get-involved/gjf4co
9. Write a letter to your future spouse.
10. Google which animals hibernate in winter, and where, so when you stumble upon one during the season, you know something FISHY is going on 
11. Do the Five Love Languages Quiz: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/singles/
12.Study this photo for a while:

13. Send Shantel or myself an encouraging pre-exam message ;) ;) ;) 

Praying for all you prepping for exams, study hard, and remember to reward yourselves afterwards- you deserve it! We love you, and will be back soon xxx

A Tuesday Kind of Love

"A Tuesday kind of love is this: commuting to work knowing that someone cares about what you’re going to have for lunch; understanding that you do not have to be your dynamic, charming, weekend self this time; this time you can butcher sentences and make bad jokes and trip over thin air and it won’t change anything. A Tuesday kind of love is when weekends and weekdays are one and the same, expanses of time where unpredictable, irreplaceable closeness exists, swells, bursts. Tuesday is directionless conversation about things that happened five hours or five years ago; it’s knowing where he keeps his receipts and when he has a doctor appointment; it’s ordering Chinese food or taking his parents out for dinner because they’re in town or forgetting to eat because you’re full of each other’s words and there’s just no room for anything else. 

I don’t want to dream through our lives together, don’t want to sleep in, don’t want to put on my sunglasses and pretend that life’s a vacation. The fantasy is that I want to exist in reality; the fantasy is to be there for someone on a Sunday morning but also on a Tuesday night, when the haze and laze of the weekend has worn thin and seems far away as ever.
I want a Tuesday kind of love.”

By S. Georgopulos

Proverbs 31 Women,

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting.

But a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. "

Proverbs 31:30

Hey beautifuls! Super belated update on our princess brunch, but better late than never I guess.

These women draw me closer to Jesus, simple as that. These women empower each other, lift each other up, encourage and inspire us; they are lovely role models that believe we are worth far more than all the rubies and diamonds of this world. So to give honour where honour is due, thank you. <3 

"OP1? GO FOR IT! A21 LAWYER GO FOR IT! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!"

Just casually princessing.

"We have BIG dreams.

We want to graduate high school knowing we have done the best we could with our grades, B Blockers loving each other more than ever before, having the time of our lives at formal and shedding a tear at graduation knowing we've made the absolute most out of high school whilst exalting God in our studies.

I want to get accepted into law, Shantel into med, and Coco into psychology (and whoever else wants to join us).  We're gonna rent our own little apartment where food and money are scarce but encouragements and love is abundant. We will serve at church, and intern at A21 throughout our studies, travelling on missionary trips and helping truly the least of these. We will raise awareness on sex trafficking and let everyone know that though slavery was abolished decades ago, injustice is still going on. We will graduate and start working with A21, before gaining some vital experience, then leaving to start our own organisation. 

We will build our own shelter homes in places where most needed (Haiti- yes we did some research! There are literally NO anti-trafficking laws or shelter rescue homes there!). Shantel will medically attend to the abused, Coco will aid them spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, and I will fight for those girls who don't have a voice. Imma stomp into government houses and discuss with bureaucrats laws that target anti-trafficking. We will begin to live in a world where the term "sex-trafficking" is not a thing of the present but a thing of the past. We will put worth back into the girls in Jesus' name!

We will write a book together. Targetting our own experiences, trusting God, purity, and living set apart Christ centered lives. 

I don't know about you, but I think there's something missing in this. Where do the  hubbies come in? 

I have no idea.

But we're giving the pen to God and letting Him write our love stories. In the meantime, through all our dreams, we will be continually, relentlessly, and fervently praying for them. They'll swing along one day, and we will embark on our journey together to draw each other closer and closer to Christ, helping and serving each other to comprehend God's love for us. 

Those who save their loves will lose it, but those who lose it for the Name and renown of Jesus will find it. (paraphrased from Matt 16:25)

Now we just gotta lose our lives, our earthly desires, our temporary wants for the anticipation of ultimate joy when we see Jesus face to face." 

Flashbacks of Paradise

We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
How He Loves Us - Jesus Culture

So like, I guess I just can't stay away from the beach. It's just something about the way the waves kisses the shoreline and there's just always so many laughing and smiling at the beach. And so we got our excited little selves to to Surfers Paradise with a day of sand boarding, getting sand out of my eyes, staring at Tiffany's uhh extensive chest and pretending to be models coming out of the water. We're secretly VS models.

A small conversation. First day back at school.

Chris: Did you go to the beach?

Me: Uhh yes how did you know

Chris: Cause you're so damn tan

Hmm, I think that explains it. Anyway, without further ado.

You know they're great friends when they take pictures of you sleeping. With your mouth open. And hair all over your face. As far as I'm concerned, I just pretend that photo doesn't exist.

Chels ♡

Will be back for more soon, have a BLESSED week! 

Christina and Grace's Sweet Sixteenth,

Hello lovelies! Spent a wonderful night with a full house of B Blockers -gasp- at Toscani's South Bank celebrating Grace and Christina's sweet sixteenth! The night was magical and laughter filled as usual- great organizing by Christina and Grace's behalf, props to you guys. We also ended the night perfectly by checking out the Brisbane Fest light show beside the river; thanks Daphos and Tiffos for them photos as usual :)

Awww yeah groupie with no eyes closed. Quietly fistpumps to self. 

Chistas being attractive, Chistas not being attractive. 

Smiles and stuff.

Brisbane Festival Light Show 

Stay safe in your holidays people, have a wonderful one and see you soon! Be back to blog about Samuel's 21st once we decide whether or not we like him again ;) 

Let's go get away

Let's go to the be-each, let's go get away. Now, this is what a holiday should look like. Beaches may as well be the love of my life. Most perfect weather today, to get away to Noosa with Cassia, Tiff, Ama and of course, my papa! I've wanted to go on a road trip since forever, but silly exams and school in general got in the way. You could just imagine my excitement right? It looks like a wild girl jumping up and down because she likes beaches and their babes. Road trip consists of reminiscing primary school life, eating roast chicken, singing on the highway, and well deserved boogie boarding in the glorious water and sunshine. What can I say? It was a pretty damn marvelous day.

These girls are love. They can also be deafeningly loud.

Stay safe and rock your holidays. Be back very very soon. Don't miss us too much. 

In the mean time you should ask us things at www.ask.fm/shantellytubby and www.ask.fm/JoanneChen13

Lots of love ♥♥♥

Jotelly Is Back!

Hey guys! Yes we are back! 
Sorry for the super long delay after that last post a month ago... Shantel and I have been super caught up with exams and assessments. Of course, that is all done and dusted now, and we are ready for holidays, relishing the times where the spring days run together and there's a sense of satisfaction and contentment at not knowing what day of the week it is. 

Nonetheless, to keep you posted before Shantel blogs on Ama's birthday, here's what we did with the B Blockers the last day of exam blocks :)

Because we're lazy people after exam blocks, Lara, Shantel and I took the green cab from South Bank to race the rest of the B Blockers across the bridge. Of course, they won because we're too fat for the poor cyclists; but we had fun taking wind swept selfies and leaving sweaty butt stains on the sticky leather seats. 

Karaoking with Tiffany is the best. It's already been established everyone who goes clubbing should go with her, and Bohemian Rhapsody is our new awkward jam thanks to Daph and Grace. 

Selfies galore. 

Bye bye guys, and see you soon! xx 

Happy Sixteenth Daphne!

Hello dearies!

To keep you updated, Shantel and I spent a beautiful Saturday celebrating Daphne's sweet sixteenth birthday! The day started with Shantel defeating MBC at volleyball (awwww yis), before I met up with her at cultural bus stop. Took a while to decide which platform we were supposed to take the bus from, but good thing we bumped into Johnny and Wayneeee at the stop :)

The long bus ride consisted of many "Um where are weeeeeeeeee"s. 

Anyways we got there safely in the end, and walked smack bang in the middle of an intense Taboo game of Grace vs Everyone Else as seen below:

"I DIDN'T CHEAT!"  "Yes yes Grace you won the entire game we all lost okay?" <3 <3 

After scoffing our faces with deliciousness and filling up 4 buckets of water balloons (which were devoured in a minute once we started anyways), we got on our way to Rockside Riverside Rocky River Whatevers Park and commenced a huge waterfight. 

It started off sensibly with waterguns and balloons, but before long, everyone just grabbed buckets and started dunking them on people aha!

B Blockers Groupie-Chelsey with Cassia being sneaky. 

Twas was a lovely day, thank you Daphne and the Ho fambam for organizing such a fun-filled day! May you be blessed in all the years to come Daph Daph, love you heaps <3