Pochette a Mouchoir

Whew! This took a Loooooong time to finally launch! I got requests for a tissue covers way back last year. florspace is only a baby 1.5 years old so last year is a pretty long time ago for us! Miss pochette a mouchoir went thru several transformations, from just a mere tissue cover to full size MiniZ, to a MiniZ+, then with an added wristlet coz apparently loads of people pack light these days. Are you guys swinging these in clubs? I must go check it out. I'm embarassed to say I have a terrible lack of social life and/or night life. Hmm....I might miss my clubbing days sometimes.



Back to the pochette. We needed something compact coz there was one trial that um, came up too big coz I had wanted to carry 3 packs of kleenex around. Blame my lack of zest for replenishing my supplies, lest I end up at the eatery with no cleanup mechanism! Yikes! This um, happened today. (double sigh) I had to make a beeline for the loo right after the late lunch. Anyhoo, I've asked around and people do replenish regularly, 'cept me. So we went for the streamlined look, expanding on our well-loved MiniZ size, we added a one-kleenex tissue slot on one side and a multi-purpose pocket on the other. The pocket itself went thru trials too! It was too short, then buttons won't fit. But we realised the pocket was deep enough and with stuff thrown in, your subway cards won't fall out. Let me know if they do and we'll revise. I went and expand on the cute matching trim on the edges too! ;+) Makes it so much cuter, methinks.



And so, it came up looking so much like a multi-tasking GI-Joe girl that we had to put a wrist strap on it so that its all you need! Yeap, perfect as a wallet! Yaaaaay!

ps, our inspirations came from thinking about the same thing over and over every waking moment. Just need to add that I don't surf around the net or other's shops to "get inspirations" and ultimately lift someone else's designs. If you're seeing double from our stuff, let us know. We'll be happy to hear and we'll go from there.

***In case you didn't know! MiniZPlus Pochette a mouchoir is a florspace original. We dedicate our lives to creating unique designs for our dearest audience. So if you're a purse maker, please try not to lift our designs/names and call them your own. Thanks!

iwannagotoParis!

Well, someday anyways. I went there on a Europe vacation thing like a decade ago. I miss Paris loads. Everywhere looks so dreamy and romantic. So old world, so put together and decadent. Feels like my kinda town, well, when I can put myself together and lookk that way, that is. For now, its just dream. So dream I did when I found this fabric in Japan. Coupled with the old postage insignias, stamps, flags of France and the Effiel, I knew I was sold! Ok, they had me at the linen and the tower. ;+) I am a sucker for great fabrics, big time.

I love the cute name too! But I can't take credit for it, coz the inspiration comes from my favourite interior store, iwannagohome!. Love them loads, great home things, loads of proper glasses in gorgeous cabinets, chandelier and french chairs imprinted mugs and espresso cups, plus have you seen their gigantic Mr Burns-esque chair? Wow. Regardless of how big I am, it prolly sits 3 of me. LOL DH would've loved it. He's got delusions of grandeur. Now I'm gonna need Diptyque candles and I'm all set. I'm also perpetually in love with the apothecary jars on their hall tables, the selection of exquisite faux flora and the luxe cushions on the seats. I could go on!

Anyways, do check out the cube at my store! I'm loving the understated French Bleu snaps yet a rouge zipper sets it all in a different light when you open it. A little shy and a little unexpected...



We added the matching tote! Check it out!

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Easter everyone! My god, where does the time really go? I spent the whole day making new stuff. Expect some new goodies, cute and functional of course, coming to town! I had to squeeze out a day to do hands-on experiment when all I did thru the week was bust my brain over management accounting and stats. Eugh. Anyhoo, do take time out during this long weekend, take a long hot shower, read a book, pray, join in the egghunt, eat lots of chocolates & spend good times with the family! Afterall, how often do we get to do all that?!



And ps, we made it to 900! *phew!* I never really thought we would coz it started really small but now our supplies are overflowing and wonderful people have been buying our stuff and touting it for us! Gigantic thanks to everyone who loves us and also those who take time to leave sweet comments for us! They never fail to make us smile from ear to ear! Your continuing support has put food in our tummies and has enabled us to get more and more fab materials for fab goods. Give yourself a hug. You deserve it!

florspace loves you! Remember to keep and stay green!

God bless.


edit: Thanks SO much you guys, for your sweet words! So glad my random ramblings are in some warped way, entertaining! LOL ;+)

Dead tired

I can't decide though I'm pretty sure doing a degree is a pepetual pain maybe 'cept for those that you pay for without the pain. Oh wait, your pocket hurts. Ok, thats sarcasm I hear you say. I'm taking a breather, a 5 mins breather before its work, work, work. And then I feel like that guy up there. He's a CJ7. Anyone watched the movie? I caught it on the first day of opening and it was such an adorable and heart warming movie. I've been watching nothing but horror and zombies. It was all DH's fault. No romantic comedys for me. Damn. Anyhoo, I feel dead, like that guy up there, with crosses over my eyes. Hardly slept, just floating through life as it is. I'm worried about school coz I'm not doing too well this semester. 4 of the suckiest modules altogether. Its like planets crap aligned. I plan to wear CJ7, like this. Couldn't resist picking this up while shopping for swap stuff. Hey Isabelle, I bought a bunch of super cute Marie things! Woo-hoo! Must be the stats class backlash?

Ok, I'm going to spend some waking mins playing with my best friends, Crafe and Cotton Friend.
(Sorry Cotton Time, you're late.)

Hogging is a bad habit!

I've been chided! Hogging purses is not a good idea. My gigantic wardrobe, the kind that would house a family in tough times is literally overflowing. Um, yeah, besides clothes, there's the toys, purses and more um, stuff. So when I wasn't releasing these super-coveted Attumn Trees cube, I got yelled at. By mom, no less. So there, this is the 3rd last one, i.e., there's only going to be 2 more left in the world before it goes extinct. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate this fab print when I was in Japan which was a major bummer. Its perfect for the cubes and everyone seems to love it! This 1/3 release though, has a tiny tiny issue. It isn't major to me, so you decide.



To uh, squeeze out every bit to make these yummy cubes, I had to squeeze out all the fabric I had! So hence, this one shows a tiny tiny bit of the selvedge text at the corner of the top zipper part. Just one tiny section, no biggie, I swear. The rest of the wallet is still in the usual fab quality and shape. You won't even see it most of the time coz it puffs up anyways.

Still, its really up to you! ;+)

(will try to get rid of hogging habit.)

edit: Lesley (ericandles), that is so great to know! At times when I feel crushed by the world, its sweet feedback I get from you guys that makes me wanna keep going. Thanks SO much!

Hello 888 + taking stock

What a number! LOL I know, I'm unabashedly flaunting meaningless milestones. Its been a long Sunday. I managed to sneeze myself awake (20 times?) this morning at 9am when I planned to sleep myself silly coz I'd been missing out on sleep for weeks now. It was tests after tests, then DH left, then it was lots of lovely people making orders, then more tests. Life does indeed go on endlessly. My head keeps telling me, "you need a vacay". Is everyone feeling that?

Anyhoo, I promise myself this blogpost isn't going to be lamentative (!!), but to give huge thanks to everyone who made up that number! If not for the computer screen, I'd give you a hug. Your support made our motivational gears running and our unending passion to create quality handmade goods. While re-reading florspace's etsy profile, I realised how important it is to stand by the philosophies I'd first created when starting florspace, which is to create individualistic purses that are of quality materials, cute, versatile and most of all functional. I demand each piece to be personally "abused" by me before it goes to you, test stretched at the seams to make sure they survive a purse-wreck while in our bags or when the drop. If I don't see myself buying the item, there's no way it goes into my shop. Its a strict basic rule, at least for us. Looking back, its great that I took a moment to bring myself back to where I'd envisioned instead of being led further with every single day that passes.

Which explains why florspace isn't a hobby. We're not here to make a quick buck, but to share the quality that always should have been but have been lost in the sea of perpetual consumption. So understand if we're a tiny bit pissed when we're being thought of as another home-hobby-turn-shop-for-profit thing. I've always wanted to do this and will always do.

*phew* Its prolly damn weird to be "taking stock" in March. Oh hell.
I'm perpetually late anyways.

Overheard

"Some people walk through life like numb dumb idiots"
- Beautiful Losers Director Aaron Rose

Priceless quote. Keep it real people.

Heard on Threadbangers.

The rain pours endlessly

"Kiss me" hedgie from loveberries (Candi)

Its been one weird week. DH left and the rain came. He's a fan of rain and was lamenting how needlessly hot it was and the rain never came. Its been pouring, anything from tiny snow-like specs to cats and dogs, like right now. I'm stuck at a cafe, with a smoked salmon caesar salad as lunch and um, a very heavy laptop (still). I had a test on Tuesday, which made me miss my ortho med appointment with the hospital (knee pains) and no sleep last night (literally so I know there was rain all night!) to finish a crazy amount of tutorials the lecturer decided to smack us with, knowing well there's no recourse since its the mid-sems period. Not just that, to add to the cruelty to students, he'll "pick" 2 this morning for hand-ins out of the bazillion questions we had to do. Law mid-sem, Saturday morning. I'm so touched by the amount of cruelty undergrads have to go through, I'm almost delirious. Oh wait, maybe I'm just high from the fumes at the back of the public bus that broke down in the middle of the trip here, in the pouring rain. Free rides for everyone! (said the sweet busdriver)

I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now, 'cept pure irritation from the clicking tongues of middle-age "aunties" on the bus who "tsk tsk"-ed at the broken down bus and 2 other accidents along the next complimentary bus ride here. Note to self, must find a world of non-tongue clickers. *strike out 'Xhosa speaking nations*. I arrived at the cafe with my pipe jeans soaked through my knees. Maybe that explains why I needed the ortho, plus I put tremendous amount of stress on the bones trying to run on it. I remember someone saying running is unnatural. He's my kinda guy. Trying to lose weight is a major pain in the ass (or knees/ankles/whatever).

*munch*
*yawn*
I wanna go home & make stuff!

edit: its pathetic, but I haven't done anything more than register my macbook with apple. *sad*
edit2: Marsha, I totally know what you mean. Sometimes I drag too much to go to the PO and get angry emails! Yikes...but try. Its tough. Beat that and you'll beat procrastination. Really.

edit3: Poor Annie. I know how you feel. Hang in there and thanks so much for reading my random mumblings!

I am a Mac convert

*gasp* I am now officially a Mac convert. I'm still typing this on my Dell laptop but hopefully not for long. I've been dying to replace my old pc for a while not because its lousy or anything but its chronically heavy and has taken a toll on my shoulders & back. Ouch. Dad told me to wait for the IT Show to hopefully get a better deal. He had already gone earlier to scope out things. I was convinced to go today to take a look after the law lecture in the morning. Big mistake. The place was literally swarming with people. It was like India. But then they all acted like the owned the sidewalk so maybe its more like New York? We could hardly walk and I was under a lot of stress to figure out what I really need and what was available. Size, weight and aesthetics meant the world to me, then of course I get seriously upset when the performance fall short of my incredible demands. It was between the SZ Sony Vaio, another Dell (for sake of loyalty and the great package!) and Mac. I was even considering Mac because of the improved features it offered. I've always been a PC user and had a brief stint with it back in Sydney Uni. It was a horrible time with the "Jelly" mac coz it hung 9 times in an hour when I was desperately trying to do an assignment with a program only available on the jelly. Friends assured me otherwise of Macs later on but I was obviously ambivalent. Besides, there was no reason to jump in til now.



So I took a while to think about my choices, 2 hours to be exact, coz it was hell getting out of the crowd and onto dinner. Everyone was hungry and annoyed, plus I was still in 3 minds, literally. Suddenly all the info on the pamplets didn't mean jack to me when I tried reading it over dinner. It wouldn't have mattered if I had picked one over the other and if I buy one now or weeks later coz I'd still be in 3 minds! They were pretty much similar in performance. That was when I told DH about it over messages. He said something along the lines of what I felt and added that eventually if everything is similar, then its aesthetics. I was so overwhelmed by the ram, the wireless cards & bluetooths that I forgot to see if I liked the outlook. That was when I marched back to the exhibition and prompty bought a MacBook. Naturally I had to settle for the 2.4Hz version coz I know well that I'll crank up if its eventually lacking. It came in a big slim pizza box which everyone was staring at in the mall coz apparently Sony was the popular choice. I didn't really like the outlook of the slim Dell nor the Sony coz it looked a little off from what I had in mind subconsciously, fingerprint recognition or not.



Anyhoo, Its a huge transition for a 20 year long PC user! (Yes, I'm that old.) I felt like I'd had sold my soul to satan! I had a bit of inauguration party in my room. Parisian jazz & tea was served. Champers would've been nice but its late. ;+) Just me and my shiny new mac. I was stoked when I slid open the box and found the incredibly aesthetically appealing styrofoam and the way everything was laid out. Now, thats, fabulous. (yeah, I like styrofoam, from Mac. Hah!)
I was instantly reminded of my very big old heavy iPod I bought yonkers ago for $800 and was stoked by the packaging too! PC relateds were always crummily packed. I guess thats what Apple's all about. Yaaay! Its weird how outlook/packaging can sometimes remove any misgivings/ambivalence.



I haven't really started the Macbook yet. Need a day to sit down and figure it out in solitude. *whew!* That was my account. I won't blame you if you're bored! Sori~!

Macbook users, being an Apple-dork, I'm gonna need help, shortcuts and stuff to know.
Good sites to recommend for help?
Thanks in advance!

DH has left the building

Its official, he's left for Sydney tonight. Its been a flashy couple of days with lots happening and a terrible lack of sleep. Its 2.30am here and I'm left with a sick aftertaste of pure loneliness. Its creepy, slowly and surely envelopes the physical being with little to no warning. And it ends in pure pain. Pictures are from the little Hinamatsuri celebration at home. We didn't get to do this for a couple of years and since he got to extend his stay this time, we got to it. I just realised there was still some Sekihan (kidney bean flavored rice) left in the fridge. Breakfast settled. DH offered me these sweets we bagged on Saturday's trip into town. Its apparently shaped this way so that birds can get to them easily. Its a tad too sweet for me. I'm a lemonade kinda gal.



I'm totally in love with the pink pedestal though.... the one on the left is the lemonade candy, which DH hates. He wrenched his face into a ball when I fed him one. OOps.



DH got this for me yonkers ago. Its the Sanrio version of a Hinamatsuri display. He makes me take it out every 3rd of March. I'm sure I'm gonna miss him loads since we got used to living together. But I'll try to be back in swing really soon. Then there's the mid-terms. Isn't life predictable? Its always something.

p/s: apologies to everyone who's expecting emails from me. I'll get to it soon.

Spring Showcase

Trying out the Spring Showcase thingy. Almost forgot I booked the ad! There's something about seeing your stuff on the showcase. I'm not sure. But it sure looks like fun since the last 1st main showcase thing we did. Thanks everyone who dropped by, say hi and bought something! ^____^



Anyways, I'm mighty sleepy after doing up a whole bunch of stuff. Check it out if you got 2 secs to spare! (And you do if you're reading this. LOL)