Falling in love is an amazingly fierce emotion that it'll take the strength of Goliath to fend it off, for yet all it takes is a little boy with a sling to drop you down again.
Had an Etsy afternoon, just clicking through and taking snapshots of what I thought were pretty things - hoping that they'll inspire me to giving that 'men's club' a name. I asked Isaac and Hongjun what would make them join a club, and they weren't of much help. But I noticed that money was a key drawing factor. A club with attractive benefits and promotions would lure them more than hot babes. Perhaps that is jus the view of two guys. We probably need a broader perspective.
Aside, it was rather surreal spending the whole night listening to them talk while watching the waves and the cuttlefish-like umbrellas. Each time my phone sounded with an SMS, I would notice also, the time it was. 330am. 4am. 423am. 5am. Until we finally decided to walk back to the main island, I really thought I was dreaming... sleep talking... just, really, disconnected from self.
Oh, and I had 3 2s twice in our rounds of dai dee, and I won both times. Wahaha.
Anyway, my body clock has been warped up over this holiday season. I've been reaching home at times when others are waking up. Oh well. I shall be spending some time with God before I think I'll concuss again shortly. Nap time. Haha.
Happy new year folks. Hmm... I think I've just about spent away all my new year money on taxis!
There was nothing to say the day she left Just filled a suitcase full of regrets I hailed a taxi in rain Looking for some place to ease the pain Then like an answered prayer I turned you around and found you there
Remember me rambling about the Romantic Princess TV series 2 posts ago? Well, they have this really huge house - almost like a palace in its own right - in the show. (Princess mah...)
This girl, Xiao Mai - played by Zhang Shao Han, was the long lost granddaughter of the excessively wealthy Wang Fu family. The family not only owns the mammoth-sized estate but also some bank, school, hospital… and I don’t know how many other groups of companies and organisations.
But back to that palace home they have. Xiao Mai’s room alone has a few sections (ROOMS) to it. The bathroom is the Jacuzzi type and about the size of Zong Ren’s bedroom – and more. Then there’s the living area (yeah man, a living room within her bedroom), her bedroom and some random corridors… Wuzun’s room is another amazing feature (he plays Nan Feng Jing - one of the four boys who grew up in the household, because the Patriach needed a successor to his fortune).
And for just total random-sake… I wished I had my own pretty princess bed! No… I don’t want to be filthy rich and living in a colossal, but hey, I would have my own home someday! I hope it’s like… burgundy based. I love burgundy.
Reminds me of the red wine I had at Wai Ching’s wedding, and my little smart aleck intro to red vs white wine. Anyway... that all said. I really like that bedroom pictured above. Pretty ey? :)
There has been the usual Hari Raya pasar near my place and it never fails to amaze me how every single food stall is selling the exact same variety of food! It's true! Save for some specialised ones, everyone else is marketing their fried noodles, fishballs, goreng pisang and the likes.
Anyway, there are also many stalls selling lanterns for the upcoming Zhong Qiu Jie. I was going to buy a Barney lantern for Brandie, but I didn't know how much it was and if she will like it. She's a big fan of Barney for some reason, but that's not a bad thing. I like Barney too.
"It’s time we designers stop thinking of ourselves as merely pixel people, and start thinking of ourselves as the creators of experiences. And when it comes to experience on the web, there’s no better way to create it than to write, and write well." (Read the rest of it at A List Apart)
Hur hur. Guess who's already in on it?
Me lah.
I wonder how many designer + writer ppl there are in this world? I would like to meet some. Drop me a note if you are :)
I think I was just telling someone recently (must have been Eunice)... you know how some mothers would nag about your skirt being too short? My mom wasn't one of them though, but I know of others - and it's common. Of course, even if my mom did once before, I wouldn't have remembered because I didn't quite start wearing mini skirts till I was about 18. By then, she had stopped bothering about me over most things.
But did you know that the mini skirt fashion isn't really a "youngsters nowadays" issue? Have you seen how the fad was like back in the heydays of Audrey Hepburn? Short short short - and tight too! haha.
That said, Kate and Kass has some really beautiful clothes from those wonderful vintage years. :)
I love the colours on the new MRT trains, and I'm especially obsessed with this red one for obvious reasons. I love maroony colours!
But I also love the other two combinations. Maybe because they're new, so they look really good. The blue is very carbon-like while the green is nicely foresty. Really nice. I wonder what went through the minds of the MRT guys when they redesigned the new trains. Did they have some colour swatches to select from? And why the decision to have this duo colour idea?
Interesting crap for a late Saturday night. Hehe. :)
But no, I'm not staying up late just to ponder about MRT seat colours. I'm not that retarded. I've been trying to write my articles for work which I have to submit this Monday! I think I'd have to drag till Wednesday. :( But I feel accomplished. I've been working on the train and on my bed and while having dinner. Having a laptop is really quite useful. No, I don't have one. I merely stole Zong Ren's Powerbook. Hur hur.
Unfortunately, I can't quite afford a laptop - much less, a MacBook. :( I would really love to have one the same way Zong Ren is itching for a new Cervelo (or something like that).
Today's Adobe CS3 launch really inspired me - for what, I'm not quite sure yet. But it made me want to experiment new things again, the way I wanted when I was still studying. I haven't graduated that long but I suppose working life doesn't quite make me very enthused about exploring change.
This is almost like a continuation from yesterday's blog entry - where I simply wanted to do everything else, but work. It's so uncanny that I feel the irony working in me. (whatever that meant, I don't know. I just felt like saying it.)
Seeing the new features the CS3 has to offer, makes me want to delve deeper into CS2 - first. Truth be told, I'm still hooked on CS no number. Haha. I didn't upgrade to CS2 because I didn't know what were the new features, or I simply didn't know how to operate them... and like I already said, I wasn't quite interested either.
But now I do.
Damn, that must have been a really convincing sales pitch Adobe did today.
So, anyway... I think the most amazing feature of all the many amazing features is found in the wonderful word called "integration".
I'm a web designer (and copywriter) by profession but I think I'm not quite into the whole web design thing, really. I feel more affiliation with print; but I feel much more comfortable writing for web. I know I'm a strange one but anyway... that's what I'm made of, after all. Not many people go around with a dual personality like mine, you know.
But what I was trying to say is this. I'm really disgusted by how I have to redo all my layers when I work with Flash. COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND DOESN'T HELP THAT I'M NOT SO VERY PRO WITH FLASH.
And now, the saving grace of all designers. I was absolutely bowled over the exportability of layers (even editable text) from Photoshop to Flash. [By the way, this is the first release of Flash and Dreamweaver sans Macromedia since the buy-over.] No more copying and pasting and what stupid crap I seriously vehemently hated.
The new integration is like a precious treasure finally uncovered. It's like discovering an oasis in the desert. I know I sound cheesy, but I am truly gratified.
Love it, love it, love it!
Now I can only hope that I'll actually get to use CS3...
The Princess Finds Baby Moses, by Lim Si Ying Jessica
I noticed this in the latest copy of Word@work newsletter from the Bible Society and thought that this was really well drawn! Compared to the other winning entries - which were good too, I suppose - this was my favourite. I thought it depicted the surprise of the princess and the worry of Miriam, Moses' sister very well. Plus, the dressing and styles of the two are very well contrasted! The whole idea of drawing only half of Miriam also further added to the whole 'secrecy' of her mission.
I know I haven't posted a thing in the last couple of days. Wow! Haha. I've been looking at words and more words lately. Reading press releases, editing articles, writing stories... I think I'll soon be more aware of school systems than my teacher-friends!
For a breather, here are some pretty fashion shots I found. Korean designer/based in Melbourne (one of my favourite places!) Yeojin Bae was featured in DailyCandy last week and I am totally in love with her designs! And I really love the model too. I think she carries with her an alluring glow that is both confident and delicate - goes pretty well with the style of dresses! I wonder who is the stylist for the photos. Hmm. :)
Here's another Asian, Nuj Novakhett from Thailand / based in US. I didn't quite think her dresses were wearable - at least not in my taste, but the styling of the shots, again, LOVELY.
I'm suddenly very interested in looking out for more fashion photography.
Reinar is really an amazing person. On its own, this photo would have been already spectacular. But with Reinar, it gets even better. He found a connection between a shot in the real world and an excerpt from the imaginary.
I was just telling Liwei that when I first read what Reinar wrote, I thought it sounded like Murakami. Then when I scrolled through, I realised it really was Murakami.
My favourite paper makers, rock scissors paper, have outdone themselves again with these splendidly so-very-adorable valentine greeting cards! I wonder if I can get them from wood would...
The Lunar New Year is coming soon - the only reason I see myself looking forward to it is, of course, the ang paos! But I suppose this new year has something else for me to get excited about - the piggies! Haha. While I'm not a big fan of pigs like eueu is, it's still my year. And I won't deny it but those piggie decorations I've been seeing at the pasar malam are really adorable!
So while we are on the topic of piggies, I noticed this from design 3000.
Cute eh? Too bad for us, our local sockets aren't made like that round two-pin one they have.
But on another note, while we are celebrating the pigs, I'm quite proud to say I'm celebrating fitness. Haha. My gym classes have been fantastic. We're midway through catching the steps of Janet Jackson's "So excited" for my MTV Dance class, and enjoying a helluva time with the Nike Rockstar workout - Bollywood style. (Watch it! It's way cool!) I'm going to pace myself a lil and slow down for this coming week because zongren said I must allow fallow period. (Ps. He didn't use the term "fallow", I'm paraphrasing what he meant.) Anyway, work will be quite a dreadful pile this coming week for the next three weeks - all the weeks before CNY. It seems every client wants to complete their projects before the new year holiday and that leaves us with crazy deadlines. I hope I'll still be able to make it for my afterwork classes. I really don't wanna miss a lesson of my dance classes!
Ann Wood is a Brooklyn based designer/crafter whose little birds and magnificent ships (all handmade) got me (and the others in my office) a little mesmerised.
I love how the birds are all lined up like that, in shades of green patterns that so well-compliment the entire set of them. So pretty!
I went to the gym today (alone!) and was on my way out of the building when this lovely shop (Wood Would) caught my eye. At first, I thought the name of the shop was so cute.
how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood?
I also thought they had a pretty logo too! Simple, but well, good. Hehe. And so, I walked in... and I fell in love with everything!
There were stuff from rock scissor paper(where the mod animal series is from, all the way in california), wooster and prince (super cool paper products!) and mmmg (more extremely cute stuff!). If I had the moolah, I would have bought half the store!
The Matryoshika card is like the cutest thing. The die-cut Russian doll opens up into smaller dolls, just like how the real thing does!
Today marks yet another L.I.Y. day for me. Learn-it-yourself.
So our client demandedrequested we place all our files in templates so it's easier for them to make the changes. Well, it was in the requirement specs but somehow along the way, it was misinterpreted. Our definition of templates was not the same as our client's definition of templates. And thus, today, I made an important discovery.
Call me the guru.
I'm really thankful for all the L.I.Y. I'm so often able to accomplish. Did you know? Almost all the design softwares I ever use were self-taught! I think it's in the blood. God created a masterpiece. Me!
Hehe. Thank you, Lord! :D
EEesssh. Such a ego-post.
My only wish now is to do something else L.I.Y. Like learn to sew properly. Although I can sew... I pretty much suck. I hated sewing the whole of my secondary school life and never handed in a thing that was not sewn by someone else (i.e. my beloved seamstress aunty).
Sigh. I suck.
So I'm not so ego afterall
All righty. I had to skip cell because I'm stuck here implementing this new gimmick for the project. I wonder what time I'll get to go home. Maybe soon. Or maybe I should go to Jurong and say hi to everyone.
Where animals meet fashion, and I make a wishlist.
i discovered these wonderful handcrafted pendents from dapple-grey, via Oh Joy!, just like my flamingo - from Bangkok. Although I must say I find the handicraft of my flamingo far pleases me! Can't wait to return to Bangkok and source for more! :P
I found these cuties at rock scissors paper, an online stationery store based in the US. And there's no doubt, I'm adding them to my wishlist! They do International Shipping!!!
They do have a wide range of designs and prints but who could blame the mouse-lover (i.e. me) for choosing this mouse and mushroom combo? Haha. The mushroom is actually created using various fabrics so every card is different!
Then there's also the mouse notebook. I love how they used a swirly tail as a design element for the repeated pattern! And do you see what the little one is holding onto? So adorable! I love it everytime I see my mice grabbing onto something. Their little nimble paws are so tiny but so strong! You know, I should really create my own mouse icon in honour of the little dearies I love so much... all six of them! To Theodore, Toby, Tezuka, Tasha, Tania and the late Tiger. :) Yes, I really should!
And just so as to show that I do love all animals (save for some cold blooded amphibious exceptions), here are some of the other designs. I love the fox one (that somehow looks kittyish! haha).
There are other non-animal prints available at the store, but this is range belongs to what I think is this: So cute! :D
I nearly got cheated of $3.90 yesterday at Watson's. I was out on a mission (my own) to buy packets of wet wipes, which I use everyday to clean up mousey and their cages. Watson's stocks the cheapest packs I can find. Even Daiso can't beat the $1.95 price tag (why, Daiso is but 5cents more; sometimes I really amuse myself).
Okay, so Watson's has this buy 10 get 1 free on $1.95 items promotion. I decided that since I'm always using at least 5 pieces a day or even 10 some days, and they run out of stock every now and then - especially when I'm trying to restock, so perhaps I should just get 10 packets. So I pay $19.50 for 11 packets. (one free!) However, after some browsing, I bought a few packets of face mask instead. Seemed like a fun and indulgent idea, besides they were two for $1.95. So I took four. I also took two packets of travel wet wipes, in preparation for mission trip (which is really quite sometime away) and one packet of facial wet tissues aka make up remover wipes.
With that, I have already gotten five $1.95 items. Meaning I should get six packets of Kodomo wet wipes to complete my buy 10 get 1 free on $1.95 items promotion, right? And so I did. Grabbed six packets and headed for the cashier.
And he made me pay $23.40. At first I thought I miscalculated and bought extra. Then I thought perhaps I'm just bad at math. But after I walked out of the store, I decided I should check the receipt. Lo and behold, he charged me for eight packets of wet wipes instead of six.
Now now. I'm very sure I took six. Afterall, I went through so much trouble counting how many I should take. So I returned to the store and got my refund of $3.90.
*happy*
Okay, so that's that. On a very distant yet similar note (haha!), I came across some really kitschy wet wipes case by the stylish New Yorker brand, Kate Spade.
Aren't they cute? The site actually says she's got "a mouse, elephant, rabbit, and monkey" but the sheep and monkey were all I found. Cute, nonetheless.
She's also got these really really pretty peacock plates which reminded me of the very pretty peacock top I found at Forever21 last Saturday.
The droplet pattern creates a wavy fluid appearance, aptly portraying the peacock's luscious beauty. There's something about this design that is so ethnically Indian, yet so contemporary Western. I love it!
And while at the site, I discovered Jack Spade - the male version, with a really interesting interface!
Another interface worthy of mention is Thomas Paul's - which retails designer cushions that make for a very delectable home space!
The birds represent the colours of cushions available, so in a way, you shop by colour. The interactive site loads pretty quickly despite its animation load. :)
And while I'm in the mood for pretty things, my shopping at Forever21 reminded me of how much I love their clothes! The cutting and material are okay... prices are not as budget as I would have liked but they win hands down for their deliciously charming prints. The style is somewhat stately mature, despite the very cutesy prints. I bought a bunny dotted top and wanted to wear it rightaway! It's like a polka dot top, but instead of circles, the dots are shaped as bunny silhouettes, making for a really perky top - I like!
I couldn't find a photo of it on their website (the designs in Singapore probably differs from those in the US) but I did find these two that I thought were so pleasing to the eye. :D
I'm in love with the little button details on the rainbow top (right), the blue staps that come under the sleeves with a little button finesse. Lovely!
Wow! What a lenghty post. I'm still contemplating on that peacock top I found. The $30+ price tag really bothers me. I think I should stick to my $10 Bugis Street finds. Sigh.
Long overdue, I participated in a mag swap organised by decor8. My swap partner, Helen, from Virginia USA is actually of Korean ethnicity!
And thanks to her, I found myself with these three awesome mags.
Real Simple is readily available in most book stores here, but at a hefty price. I've been wanting to get a copy of my own but never got down to it. So here I am, with my first copy! :)
I've never seen ReadyMade before, but it's quite an interesting read too. All the fancy stuff you can make on your own is just awesome.
And domino, is my favourite among the three because it was the first mag which caught my eye. It's pink (yay!), has pretty fonts and a flexi-yet-well-grid layout. :) Love it. In fact, I love all three!
Haha, here's some long overdue pix. Ok, it's not that long overdue but anyhow...
My pretty pretty pretty wristlet bag customised, designed and handsewn by Grace, from nitty gritty. :D
The photos do no justice to the colours, fabric and detailing gone into it. There's ribbons, lace, different sort of fabric prints all over, and even little beaded details (the pretty flowers on the pink fabric are beads/sequins handsewn on, not prints!) Isn't it impressive? And best of all, I'm the only one who's got it! Like Eueu and some others puts it, "it's so YOU!"
It's mine it's mine it's proudly mine!
And something else less exquisite, much less well made, way less perfect is Project Kitty Kitty Dreams.
I know. Kitty looks queer. Haha. He's my first attempt! (or should I say "she"?) I spent my stay home Wednesday (on Medical Leave) putting Kitty together with my brand new sewing machine. Even though I made several booboos, I must say I'm quite pleased with prototype A. Heehee.
Okay well. Till Prototype B comes along... have a good weekend! :)
I really love these folding screens. Usually, I'd associate such screens with Chinese period dramas and exotic Chinese women changing behind them. (I'm Chinese and not half as exotic looking. Eesh.) But with these non-cheena-exotic vintage style prints, they're so very charming. On our first visit to Pluck, the lady told us the screens were for sale, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what they were referring to. Neither could Rasyidah or Lynette. Until I relooked their store today and checked out their website.
I'm coveting one already. Eeeks.
While Joy is bent on finding these stuff in Bangkok, I'm finding them all too irresistable to be wholesale items. :P And if you can find these sorta quirky wineglasses in wholesale haven, Bangkok, then I don't know what is unique anymore.
Okay actually, I'm down with the flu and I skipped Thai class because of it. But instead of resting, here I am, shopping online thru all my favourite online stores and galleries and craft blogs.
Life is so exciting with craft
Local designer, Kookii : Yen - or so she calls herself, has the most kitschy interface of bright happy colours that well, makes me really happy. :D And her little clutches? Woowwweeet! Cute neh! :D
Haha. And I just found out that she is a friend of the girl who owns Pluck, the wonderful store Lynette, Syidah and I stumbled upon at Haji Lane.
The store stocks a good range of fascinating finds, some vintage, some quirky, some just plain must-haves. :P It's funny cuz Syidah, Zongren and I went to Haji Lane previously to check out a 2nd hand dress shop (another branch of House of Japan) only to find a notice saying something to the likes of "ice cream parlour opening soon". We were so excited about it. And as it turns out, it's more than just an ice cream parlour. It is actually a whole combi of delicious ice cream with all the quirky stuff we like!
And it's amusing too, cuz Syidah was just talking about getting mural-style gigantic motifs on her bedroom - cuz she's getting married - and then we found these in Pluck.
Huge vinyl stickers! So pretty too! They come in a range of designs and you can stick them as you please, instead of just following the designs. But of course, the designs are really pretty already!
Well, yeah. It's soon to be our favourite haunt. Ooh. I just love my workplace. :D
Oh, but the 2nd hand dress shop we were looking for? It wasn't open the first time round, but is now. Really old school dresses. I felt like I was rummaging thru my mom's wardrobe. Haha. And obviously Zong Ren wasn't looking for the shop, he was just waiting for us to have lunch. :P
**
On another note, big big shout out to
PRISCILLA TAN!!!
...because she's so sweet. She got me a little Tigger & Roo (my fave!) Christmas ornament and inside is the cutest little fella! I don't know what it's called exactly but I've got the bigger version (in the same colour!) that nods its head under light - solar powered - so now they sit together as a pair. Hee. So cute. The bigger version was bought for me by James a long time ago, during poly days! Waa. Hidamari No Tami.. something like that. :P But I like to call it my little botak.
Thanks girly. :) muack muack.
**
Actually, I have a lot more things I wanna blab about. Like my new little clutch bag I was so excited about - it's gorgeous, and the really random other things but alas. My digital camera officially died on me for the 2nd time in it's lifetime with me. :( I think it's time for a upgrade. But after much thought, I decided I don't really need a camera. So, I'm forgoing it. :P Waste money. It's like me and new phones. As long as my old one works fine, I don't give a damn about buying a new one. Electronics are not my thing. So for my Bangkok trip, I'm borrowing one from Daniel - yay! (whom I haven't seen in eons) and I'm contemplating borrowing a video cam from Sharlene - Zong Ren's sister-in-law. Hee.
Okay, so when I get my hands on a camera (or when I can bluetooth the photos from my phone) then I'll ramble about all that other things. :P
Plush You is an annual plush show by some crafters (who have their work in Etsy! Really nice!) where they gather loads of plush toys from everywhere to be put up for display and for sale.
It is slated for October 9th but thanks to Flickr, we get to preview it here. And thanks to flickr, I'd actually get a chance to see all that's there.
You just don't get much similar events here. :( Boring Singapore. Bleah!
* Oh and did I mention, I found a wonderful stash of retro buckles and elastic strips to make belts with! So pretty! If you want, I'll make some for you :) Just roll in the orders! (price-wise, for friends, it'll be a good $7 onwards, depending on size/style of buckle/elastic) Cheap cheap!
another shot of the stuff you'll find in the Korean baskin robbins site + they have a whole conglomerate of other fancy eateries like my favourite Dunkin Donuts!
For May, the theme was "Fruit" and I the lovely pear above is by another Craftster, Jenny. The pear face is so cute, reminds me of all those lovely pattern books I found at Kino yesterday!
And check out the lovely little worm another participant, Ria, added here! Haha.
I actually have a stash of acrylic paint I meant to decorate my new book shelves with - because they are of a raw wood finish (typie cheap Ikea stuff) and I wanted my room to be as pink+red+purple as it can be. Hah.
I never got down to doing anything. The paints are still in the tubes. Nice and neat. Eessh.
I don't know how many of you recognise this fella. I watched Sesame Street all through my childhood and till now I can still sing the cute lil tune they play when his segment comes up. Haha. What a dear.
I think I might wanna begin on some shot glass craft now tht I'm inspired.
