Friday, July 31, 2009

Half Market Tote!



I posted the above playshot on flickr yesterday. Were you guys curious to find out what it is? ;+) I know I was! Yeah, its highly likely I'm standing alone as a seriously mental bag lady! LOL Anyways, I gotta admit the tiny retro flowers background is actually my ironing board cover which the elves had gotten a while ago coz they know I'm gonna fawn over the kitschy print! I did and it goes well with the Couleur Envelope Tote, doesn't it? This shot was just begging me to play with it digitally! After some cross processing, vintage-ing & polaroiding the shot, it looks somewhat like the lomo effect...sort of. ;+)



Taa-dah! Its a hafu~(half) Market Tote! Our usual Market Totes are really great in terms of size, but while searching for possibilities of variety (I blame ADHD!), I had to do a cute version of the mom-sized totes! I also loved that despite the tote being soft-sided, its really lightweight and foldable which means, extra storage and burst of color on the go! It tucks neatly into the flat envie tote! I wear a lot of black and commuting in the crowded city, sometimes there's not enough room to even move! This tote guarantees ease of reaching in while on the shoulder especially in a tight jam and a quick stop at the organic market. The pleats on all 4 sides adds 3D-ness to the color-popping effect!

A little florspace happiness everyday! here!

Friday Finds: Camera



After my little excited post on playing with toy cams, you'd guessed I'll do the Friday Finds on old school memory makers! :D I'd been surfing around etsy vintage section for as long as etsy was up. LOL Only in recent months have I discovered that there were vintage cameras in all shapes, sizes, in strangeness and wonder! My earliest memory of a camera is someone sticking his head in a box with a black cloth over his head. We're told to stay frozen in a tiny musty room with a stiff backdrop. Then suddenly, pop, a blinding flash and it was done. I saw stars for a while after that. I didn't like studio shots because I felt it was stiff. There weren't signs of life, so to speak. I loved shots of things in motion. Obviously the cameras I own then did not accomodate the accuracy of speed. Not that I can really afford a DSLR now, but thru Lomo-ing many years back, I've come to relish the slightly dreamy, light-wonky, unexpected pictures of older cameras and toy cameras. Not just cameras per se, talented etsyers are taking the old school memory-makers a couple steps further. Here's are some of my humble finds....

1) CHEESE KATAKANA Graphic Tee Womens

2) Vintage Rollei 35 Camera - Eco Friendly tote Graphic Canvas Tote Bag (Style no. ct278)

3) Vegas Sky - Lomography Fine Art 5 x 5 Photographic Collage Print

4) Photo Finish Bloom - SLR Camera and Film Brooch/Pin

5) Vintage Brownie Starmeter Flash Camera

6) Miniature Vintage Camera

7) Camera Gang. 6 Oldies

8) Kodak Duaflex IV with Flash

9) Vintage 1950's Kodak Metal Film Canister


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Shhh! florspace's anniversary sale starts in a week! About NY time 12pm, 7th August. ;+)
Need time converter?

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Giveaway Time!



As we promised, its giveaway time! We're giving away 3 yummy MiniBs worth $9 each! Hosted by MommyPR.com, its a great blog featuring loads of info for moms and moms to be! :+)



Really easy to enter, our shoppe and tell MommyPR one other product you would like to have other than the one mentioned in the review. Check the post on how you can get extra entries to join in! wow!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Macaroons to feel better!



Originally uploaded by ange de l'amour
After a rant, there's no better cure than a nice cup of hot chocolate and beautiful macaroons! :D

Mid-week Rant - Attack of the babies


mX news, 21st July 09, Melanie Sullivan (Click on article to read!)

Courtesy of my dear husband, who scanned out this article for me from our favourite free paper, mX in metro Sydney, Australia. By now, you guys might have already known that besides being a commitment-phobe, I'm also allergic to kids. And while the popularity of having a bun in the oven shoots up, the availability of annoyance, strollers blocking the way and wailing kids are on the rise. But as the author mentioned, there's something else of note - Moms using babytalk. I have sensitive ears and using baby talk on adults (even when kids are around) is simply not ok! I'm not sure how the moms feel, but its demeaning and honestly, quite an insult to both mom, kid and everyone else. Yes kids are the way to the future, but thats in your universe, not mine. I will steadfastly not procreate and its my life choice. I celebrate yours, but will you even acknowledge mine? People who hear of my decision see it as a "plight" of ignorance that the world desperately needs kids. They will "pity", chide, and try endlessly to change my opinions thru a series of pseudo-logic that I can tear apart in a sec. But nooooo, they'll never hear of that. The worst attack comes when one has to attend a Baby Shower. This is one of the worst things only your closest friends can inflict on you. I couldn't have put it in a better way than the lovely author, see points 1 & 2 on the right column of the article.

And YES, motherhood is CHOICE to be made, not a rite of passage. Ugh. The last time I was at Westfield Hurstville shopping mall, a mother with a pram wanting to edge herself into the narrow corridor to the restrooms yelled, "PRAM!" to everyone around obviously with the intention to let her in first. Plain and simple, its YOUR CHOICE to have kids. Isn't it a tad rude to implicate and impose on everyone else? I'm always happy to help if someone with kids has problems manouvering the stroller going down the escalator, or picking up the pacifier/toy/towel or to give up my seat on public transport. I happily gave my seat to a family on the plane before so that they could sit together. But in this case, its really just plain rude to yell "pram" at everyone.

In the end, I walked right in before her.
One small step for me, one big realization for childless people everywhere.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Lomo & Superheadz-ing



As excited as a kid on christmas morning, I braved the wind and pouring rain, dragged my school tote to collect my first roll of film from the (new) ColorSplash camera I bought back in April. I used an expired colorslides 400 from Kodak saved from my Fisheye lomo-ing back when I was in Sydney. I love saving rolls of film til they expire! I still have a roll of sepia back from my japan trip back in 2000. LOL I'll use it when I finally get a proper Lc-a or a Horizon from lomo. For once, plastic is sorta fantastic (ugh, i hate myself). And to save at least some plastic, I bought a 35mm conversion adapter for my clunky Holga 120SF. I love how boxy the Holga is, its adorable! I haven't actually used the Holga in 120 yet (Boo!) coz I'm clumsy and a dork when it comes to dealing with 120. :/



Anyhoo, I got the film processed at my cousin's place, still paid the full price though! Didn't ask for paper prints, but the scanning costs more than the processing. Hmm....what gives?! That aside, the minute I saw the burst of colors of the mini icons on the CD insert, I was sort of blown away! Hey, its still my first tryout roll, so cut me some slack! LOL The range of reds, blues & yellows were intense as promised by the slide film. I think I'll need to work on my focus, distance as well as which color flash to use for when. There were 34 shots, but some of them were awful blurred and exposed. The rest of them are available here. I didn't carry the cam out of my place. I was pushing it and really wanted to try the flash indoors. In a way someday when I look back at the shots, it'll be a snapshot of things around my place at this time. :+) Only bad news is that the rubbery surface of my CS X-Pro edition cam has gone bit melty on me. I had to lose the silver skin it came with and clean it up a bit with eucalyptus oil. Not everything's out yet, but its better with tiny bits of tissue "fur". Its like winter. LOL For peeps who have the shiny plastic Colorsplash, count yourself lucky!

Ahh....the mysteries of lomo-ing. When everyone is snapping themselves silly using digital cams, I relish in the dreamy, wacky colors the toy plastic cameras can provide! Yes, I am quite old-school in everyway (almost!). I'm also in the midst of trying out a fuyuneko edition of a Superheadz micro cam that uses 110 film. A very nice friend brought it back from Japan a while back and I really had no idea what it was initially! But the thought of using such a cool looking shape of film in such a tiny camera got me excited about taking pictures with toy cams again! I had put down my Fisheyes (1&2) when I came back from Sydney couple of years ago. Its surprisingly more expensive to process film in Singapore than in Sydney, especially to scan them. Anyways, I'm besotted with Superheadz Demekin (Fisheye 110!) which comes adorably packaged in a fishbowl blister pack! Oh & the tiny book camera! Perfect for spying (in a good way, that is)! LOL And it's made to look like a real vintage book, with a sleeve and all! Oh I'm in way over my head about new films right now! Only problem is my cousin's place won't process 110. And not to mention those photo shops in the 'burbs won't even touch a C-41 slide film. Tsk. The worst thing is 35mm film is rarer than rare in the major shopping places now! *_____*

Next to come, a B&W roll of Fisheye2 & hopefully someone will process the 110 roll from my Superheadz Fuyuneko. woo-hoo for film!

ps: its embarassing but I gotta admit I dreamt about buying the Demekin while shopping in Tokyo. Kiddy & nerd! :D Kinda wished it was for real though. LOL

Friday, July 24, 2009

Friday Finds: Mustard



This opens a new segment in this little blog world, Friday Finds! There are plenty, plenty of amazing vintage things picked by discerning etsyians, not to mention amazing crafters on etsy.com so instead of posting at randon or trying for the elusive etsy Treasury, I'm gonna try the Friday thing. Hopefully I'll be keeping it up duitfully! :P

This friday, I'm obsessed with Mustard Yellow! Ain't this the cheery sunshine color that always get forgotten in the blacks of metropolitain city? It reminds me so much of meadows and holidays in the country where time just crawl by while we just sit on haystacks watching the clouds go by..... Let's explore a little of this yummy summery color!

1) Rotary Telephone from VintageEye
I have one in blue and the loud yet classic rings always brings me back to yesteryears!

2) Leather Heels from 19vintageclothing
I'm loving this loads! I have a pair of vintage pumps in red but this is really egging me on to buy it! Will look amazing with dark navy denims.

3) American Tourister Suitcase from ResourceClothing
Ahh, the classic AT suitcases never fail to make my heart skip a beat. I own several but not in mustard yet. This color is getting rather besotting!

4) American Tourister Carry-On from SuzisCornerBoutique
Oooh! Another one of those Carry-Ons I gotta add to my collection eventually. Matches the Suitcase perfectly!

5) Colemans Mustard Spice Tin from AntiNu
Whats a list of mustards without the mustard? LOL Love vintage tins, they are the easiest way to add a bit of vintage-y touch to your casa without breaking the bank or putting in a nail. Sweet.

6) Mikasa stoneware plate from Kultur
Printed with simple tulips reliefs, these dinner roundies are not just for food! Carefully hung on the wall, they brighten up your kitchen or dining area! Just be sure to use strong plate holders to prevent crash mishaps!

7) The suit from lovethyvintage
This depicts the 60s so perfectly! Just add a hat with some netting and proper pumps and you're ready for lunch or the afternoon derby! The ladies will be so jealous!

8) Plastic Juice Pitcher from halfcaf
No retro kitchen should be without one of these! So bright, it'll pop on your kitchen counter! Mom has a muted latte plastic melmac pitcher, right out of the 70s, in our kitchen! I never appreciated it when I was younger, but I'd never give it up for the world now! Yaaay for vintage & moms!

9) Canister set from sassboxclassics
Last but not least, home retro-ness desperately needs these babies to be on the kitchen counter! Not just for its cute looks, they store biscuits, tea, and other foodie knick knacks in such mod beauty! Note the wooden knobs! woo-hoo!

Go mustard! :D

of Men



Boy does time flies! Its funny how we keep saying that but it really only goes faster, doesn't it? I do relish the simple days where we have less to deal with. A simple pot of tea like the one I've just put on and a little quiet idyllic afternoon with a good book is all I crave for these days. I've been back in Singapore for 24 days now but it really seem like yesterday that I'd just left Sydney. I do miss the weather especially now that the heat here has become awfully oppressive at 91degF and above, not to mention is far more crowded in Singapore than in Sydney. Nonetheless, its nice to be back sewing up a storm for the shoppe. :+)

A couple of thoughts ran thru my head the other day and thought I'd share. From my end of the thinking stick, seems like guys have it harder going for them these days. The women empowerment movement has been going for eons now and it seems that women have no issue speaking their mind, being overly sensitive & analytical about relationships with people (not just love), and patting themselves on their backs, calling that emotional support. Don't get me wrong, I'm a girl too and yes, I do face issues everyone else does. And I emphasize "everyone". It seems that guys do face issues with people & feel too but apparently, instead of analyzing the situation/experience to bits, judging and talking it to death with their BFFs, they simply brush it off or keep it to themselves. They do see things in a different way. Its really from a different angle and yes, they do have considerate feelings! Over the years of being with my other half has thought me a lot of lessons. We talk, a lot, about everything and while we might not always see things from each other's eyeballs, we try to empathize. And that word doesn't mean "emotional support", it really means taking yourself out of context and trying to feel what the other person feels. Its a strange practice and for a long time, I couldn't do that myself. Its difficult when one's entire brain is covered in the colored goo of one's own thoughts and opinions, we forget that the other person matters too, even when we want them to listen to us. And the fact that guys find it difficult to express their thoughts clear enough for the women to understand, makes it all the reason for us to drift apart. We all have work, life, issues and so forth and sometimes its darn difficult to speak to someone when they don't listen. We look for our girlfriends to lament, to empathize and for pats on the back, but we forget that at the end of yet another long day, the men need that kind of support too! They may not ask for it, may not complain that we're not spending enough time & attention on them like our BFFs do, but trust me, they need a hug every now and then, to say that you still care and you're still there for them. Something I said to my other half before I moved back to Singapore a while back stuck with him, "No matter what happens, I'll always love you". Sure enough, I'd already forgotten about it but he reminded me and told me it mattered and it kept him alive. I was touched in a long long time.

It sounds so Stepford Wives, but its true that if we women are not lavishing attention on our other halves, or even your good friends, they will look elsewhere for the attention (but may not always end up negative). I'm pretty sure we'll feel the same if we're being ignored. Its a lovely reminder of assurance. Men do not think about sex all the time. That is pretty true from hundred of articles of men myths on the net. Its really the media that sensationalize that. We all have roving eyes, not just the men! Perhaps its the extended period of time me & my other half spend apart that we end up cherishing the time we have much more. The distance does have some occasional annoying consequences but nothing to raise hell about. I do remember a time where we spent everyday together during uni days yet still drift apart because we took each other for granted that the other person will always be there anyways so we don't have to be nice to each other. Its so easy to slip into that really. So, eventually, its not the geographical distance that keeps people apart, its really the effort to spend time together doing stuff, listening & experiencing that really helps keep people together.

Instead of taking the easy way out & slipping back into a hermit life, why not give the men in your life a hug today?

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Blog Exclusive! 2 Sanrio Hello Kitty Cube Wallets up for grabs! - SOLD!



Blog-readers exclusives! We're having 2 of the cutest Hello Kitty Cube Wallets up here! Its Retro Kitty on the left and Kitty + Apple Trees on the right! Made with care and love and the same kind of quality you'll expect from all our purses at our etsy shoppe! Only one of each, so do hop in, drop me an email if you'll like one! They come in cute wrapping & extras so they'll be perfect for gift-giving of for keeps!

More pictures here!

Email to order - florspace1@gmail.com
$35 + $7 shipping worldwide. Paypal only!


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Update: ALL SOLD.
Contact us for custom requests!


Sunday, July 19, 2009

Thanks Katy!



Just wanna take a moment to say thanks SO much to Katy of imagingermonkey for sending me this basket of wonderful goodies! I won her giveaway last month and this basket arrived in the mail last week. It was such a mood uplifter since I had to leave DH behind in Sydney at the end of last month. Had so much fun finding out whats inside! Suffice to say, its so enjoyable that the pack of skittles is gone, the super cute polkadot notebook is becoming a staple in my tote, the pin cushion and basket is on my sewing table getting plenty of workout, the handy & pretty cut fabric squares planned for a quilt, the seeds have been planted (fingers crossed that they'll sprout!).....Katy's an amazing gift-giver and I'm just so honored to be the winner! Its cliche to say but its true that I hardly ever win anything in my life. LOL

To pass on the love, we're having a giveaway of our own soon! ;+) Stay tuned!

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Fawn of Mushrooms



By now, you guys'll prolly know my fondness for mushrooms. I love them to bits, eat them, stare at them, make them, play with them... It is only a matter of time before they mushroom out into totes again. One of my fondest memories of my first mushroom totes were of this one. How happy was I to find that fabric! Even today as I unearth another out-of-this-world-cute mushroom print is sure to make me grin and squeal! This print is particularly special as it incorporates another fav character - the fawn, aka deer, aka doe...etc. I loved Deery Lou when Sanrio came up with it eons back. It evokes memories of beautiful secret woodlands, or the garden of Eden, with apple trees & honey bees, elves and pixies having a cuppa on stumps. Oh yes, I should prolly mention that I grew up with fairy tales, Alice in Wonderland & Enid Blyton. :+)

Pair this etereally adorable print with a slightly more unexpected polkadotted sky blue (usually it'll be red!) as I was really thinking of well, the powder blue skies with puffy clouds in that secret garden! All thats left is a rainbow and maybe a cute leprechaun before its pure magic!

Let's have tea in the secret garden here! ;+)

Monday, July 13, 2009

The Rilakkuma Trio!



If I had a character addiction, it might be Rilakkuma. I keep coming back to this adorable yet lazy bear! Yes, Tenorikuma (must be the coffee thing) is pretty close and cute, but this guy, LOL, even DH thinks I laze like Rilakkuma! Remember the first ultimate set back in 07? It was a mod summer yellow version of Rilakkuma! That said, I had to double faint when I saw this print before I left for Sydney. That was back in April, but I can't help reliving the little happiness I felt. Not just Rilakkuma, but a pink version of it! Above all, I pulled out my schedule book for this year and voila, its a perfect match! I knew I didn't have time to dabble with the poor fabric, just begging to be made into something cute for someone nice. It was the day of departure. I rushed it home, kept it nicely together with the rest of my private reserve stash knowing it'll be the first thing I'll go for when I'm back. I did almost, just alsmot forgot about it when I came back but since I was missing DH terribly, I opened my stash and there she was smiling at me. Before long, despite the heat, i managed to do up this trio for some lucky Rilakkuma lovers! We don't have much of this print and apparently its out of print, typical for most fabrics unfortunately. I hate it when good prints becomes unavailable, but well, I guess all we can do is to cherish them!

Anyways, I thought it best to combine this candy-ish pink background with a little chocolate brown. In comes mr. polkadots and miss cottony lace and we have cuteness! The cube is a special edition with the same chocolate polkadots inside too! They just look so yummy together! Best thing? Get all 3 and the 2 purses ships free! Just pay for shipping of the tote!

Look at them here!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

2 new totes!



2 new totes in store! We're loving the new wider size, slightly tapered towards the top makes it more lady-like and pretty. :+) Stand-up handles means you can grab n go! Perfect for your everyday essentials, carried in style!

Check them out!

Sunday, July 05, 2009

I keep walking...



So, I'd worn these boots around for a day and surprisingly, it was pretty enjoyable! Albeit the 33degC, it was apparently wearable and kinda cool too! Just wanted to document the thought in case it goes missing at the back of my head. Dying to make more house shoes coz I wanna stop buying for everyone in my family. Why buy when you can make? And I can make 'em cute! :D

It started pouring toward the evening and while the sun sets, I am reminded of how DH and I would do a little sunset hug to commemerate the little event. He likes rain days, I like to play in the rain! During the very rare events that we got up for the sunrise, we would do the same. I felt a little sad then. I suppose its not been long enough and the seperation anxiety still lingers quite strongly. On Wednesday, as I got up alone and ate alone, it felt strange to be doing all those things I was doing before I went to Sydney, like nothing had happened. Suffice to say, it felt almost like I dreamt the whole thing up and now am back to reality. I often am asked, "how do I keep a distance relationship going?". People look on increduously when I tell them we'd already spent about 4 years apart. Perhaps its the little silly insignificant things we do that keeps us together, perhaps because we squeeze everything out of each other; we're dedicated to what each other does, kinda like being kept in the loop. We almost don't let each other stray and we speak over the phone every night. Obsessive yes, compulsive, maybe a smidge. Well, I guess we do get sick, want to move on, stray, whatever you call it, but hell, we find out new things about each other and sorta get stuck again, in a good way. In the end, I tell people, you both gotta want it badly enough to stay together. Perhaps in time, when it does end one day, I'll look back fondly on the memories because so much of what we had was good.

A little melancholic today. ~___~


p/s: fellow bloggers, if you can't do uploading, try the manual way. upload as usual, right click on the uploaded pic in the pop-up window to copy the URL of the picture, go to the "Edit Html" tab and copy this img src="URL"/. The URL is the one of the uploaded image. :+) Or try this link for instructions.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

updates

hmm....i've been trying to update the blog for a couple of days now since I came back to Singapore but apparently blogger won't allow me to upload pictures. They simply don't appear and after trying on 3 different computers for the billionth time, I gave up. But hey, it doesn't stop me from writing now, does it? :+) The rest of Sydney related pictures are available on flickr now.

Well, I must apologize for my disappearance. Updating the blog was tough during the vacay since DH and me were trying to squeeze "things to do together" all the time. Twitter was the only "micro-blogging" I could afford to do. We see each other only a couple of months a year as he's in Syd and I'm in singapore and he might not be able to make it back this year, what with all the phd review, job search and migration thingies. sigh, but hey, who needs this greenhouse anyways? I'm looking forward to sunbathing at Bondi at the end of the year. Yes, its summer downunder in Dec. I always remember Homer saying "so, its opposite land!" LOL

So, we're back in operation. florspace elves need a bit of easing in but we're definitely working on things to come! Meanwhile, its just a little lull period. Today, I took sometime to finish a project I'd long wanted to, since last year. A pair of home boots! It took the entire afternoon coz I'd mistaken the number of pieces and ended up with just one boot initially! LOL They turned out pretty cute eventually.

Also managed to go shopping and picked up Shinzi Katoh chopsticks rest and a dinner set. Also the very adorable train set. I'm tempted to extend the carriages though I know I shouldn't over-do it. Space here is so limited! Hmm.....I need a warehouse for storage!

But the best news of all has got to be the wonderful basket 'o goodies I won from Katy! I honestly didn't expect to and just wanted to comment on how cute it was! Such a wonderful surprise it was! It does help feel a little better coming back here without DH.

My folks promise to bring me out for Dim Sum tomorrow at Chinatown. I'm missing the fruity prawn springrolls. Hopefully blogger clear up the picture uploading prob.

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