It's May

I trust some of you guys may have heard, I've made my yearly pilgrimage to Sydney, just flew here on Monday on the SQ 380. It was a pretty pleasant flight (to me!), in fact it might be one of the best ones I've ever had and I fly almost every year since 8. I'm not proud of my carbon footprints, but I make it up by walking a lot. ;+) So I had the last 3 seats all to myself right against the wall as the plane was bit empty (yaaaay!), which means the time I would've spent elbowing someone while fidgeting or trying to climb over to make it to the loo will be missed (NOT!). Suffice to say, I got my movies, american TV, food, Tiramisu ice-cream all in the comfort & peace of my 3-seater. I even got about 3 hours of lie-down sleep minus the movies & food. Determined to enjoy this situation, I even made the 2 steps to the loo 3 times during the 7 hours which usually I cringe to climb over people or get annoyed when people try that. I avoid the loo usually, even for 7 hours. LOL I was pretty well-hydrated this time! ps, fly weekdays, its $200 cheaper. :+)

Anyhoo, some of you guys prolly already know that I have to be here in Sydney for a little while to see my other half who is finishing his phd and is unable to make it back to Singapore. My next sem starts in July so I'm gonna head back only then. I'm hoping to wind down a bit, after all that crazy work & school stuff. And, to plan for our autumn/winter collection for 2010.

On that note, I've gotten some news (read: official email from SK peeps) that Shinzi Katoh fabrics are not allowed to be made into stuff and advertised sold online, i.e. not for commercial use. Funny thing is it was not indicated on the fabric selvage (like some Sanrio fabrics), neither was it on the website, not to mention SK fabrics are sold in various sites online. But arguments aside, we can't go on using SK fabric for our off-the-shelf items, but if you like a custom item, let us know and we can work something out privately.

So there it is, our little May update. I'd plain forgotten to pack my new sony pink cam in so I'm gonna have to survive with DH's old sony. Hope the pictures will still be good. :+) Hope you guys are having a good start to the month.

Spring

They say its spring! I know quite a lot of you guys are snowed in and looking earnestly at the sky, hoping the sun would shine soon (you twitter peeps!). I admit I don't really know how that really feels like as I spend more than 2 decades in a mid-summer all year round type country. It ranges from ridiculously humid & splashing wet to monstrously sauna-like warmth. I used to yearn for cold weather and curse myself for having been born here in Singapore. The thing about summer is that clothes get boring and well, you don't get to 'cover-up'. When I went over to Sydney, it was bliss for half a decade. I shelled out for hand knit baby merino jumpers (sweaters), trench coats, pea jackets & all kinds of booties. I loved the layering effect a lot. Obviously, I got a little loose-y with the snacks. Now that I've been back here for a while, I've sort of gotten used to the obnoxious heat since its much easier to workout outdoors without having to spend too much time warming-up & gasping for air in the cold. Clothes do get boring (tees, shorts, havaianas), but its easier albeit unforgiving to watch the changes, so no more piling on snacks. :P

I hope it gets better for you guys who are battling/hating the cold. Stay close to the fireplace/heater! And yes, spring is here! Still hoping that someday I'll get to sit beneath a sakura tree and watch the flowers fall around me. I gotta settle for sakura prints for now. If you love them too, do check out the cherry blossoms MiniZs in store! The prints are amazing, better yet, printed on dobby weave cotton which gives a beautiful texture & feel.

Happy spring everyone!

Managing time...

So I've finished one accounting theory case study paper. The whole thing left me feeling more loathing of the finance and economics driven world more than ever. Its all about who owns the most cash gets the most say. Where's the love dude?

I shall not bore you guys with the gory details. I went straight out with my girlfriends for dinner after I sent in the paper, in the pouring rain no less. It was dramatic! I was glad to rid of some of the semester's work. there will be one more Audit report due in 2 weeks and then exams at the end of April. But all that aside, I'm seriously dying to crawl back to my drawing table & sewing machine to make stuff! Its weird but creating stuff, despite the sweat & ouchies, is really the only thing that takes me away from it all. My current fav is the Snaps wristlet purse. They are so so so cute to behold! Of course, and having great times with friends. But, I simply must learn to manage time between studies & making stuff. :P

What do you do to wash yourself off from cruelty of the world? ;+)

Sundays

Spent last Sunday shopping for supplies & packing up gifties for lovely florspace customers. I'm not sure why but the gifting process is quite therapeutic for me. I think its because of the simple act of giving. Also, I imagine the happy faces of the recipient when they open up our packages. Recently, the lovely emails we'd receive is really humbling! They really make our days so much brighter, and makes us wanna do more too! Thank you so much for taking time to write us!



We're also continuing the yummy fruit candy from Japan coz you guys seem to love them! Yeap, we don't ever stinge on quality coz its the only thing that matters to us in this awful profit-driven world, which we're pretty tired of! So everyone gets a good shopping experience!

Hope you guys had a good weekend too!

Beware the Ides(eyes) of March

Obviously I was gonna whine. About the unforgiving nature of cellulite, white hair and the damn rush of time. Not that we really can do anything about the last one. My trip to Bangkok has been wonderful, loads of family time, culture, nice people, food and shopping. So good was the little trip that the withdrawal hasn't quite worn off. When I got back, the joy of exploration was suddenly removed. My emotional state plummeted, so low that I've quite lost the ability to motivate myself into doing things that I love. It became a "have to do" and I've always hated that. I think I've got the ups and downs of a bad behaving artist. Hence the excuse for not writing. ;+)

It has since gotten a little better as the memories of the trip wears off though I know school work is gonna tie my hands up again as the papers are due, very soon indeed and while we busy ourselves with the restocks of over 20 very popular & long-awaited MiniZs, we're also putting up our Cruise 2010 collection. I pray school isn't gonna kick my ass too hard this time. I've got one more semester to go after this one and I'm done. DH is still busy with finishing his phd paper and I miss him & Sydney terribly. Its funny but the only solace is to experiment with new recipes at home with mom. Today we created veggie mini Okonomiyaki. It was pretty good! I'll put up the recipe soon. Promise.

And I'm back to whining about how can I beg for more time to do everything and still actually have a life, visit museums, go to my fa cafe without looking at the time & browsing at bookstores. Hell, I actually miss my bed! How do you guys chill in this day & age?

tired

Suddenly I realised I'm tired. Its been sorta building up these days. Between the last year of school beginning to kick my ass, making stuff, listing Decole goodies, & some gnawing life issues, I'm beat. Seriously.

A fellow crafter asked on twitter if I'd slept among creating all the stuff for the shoppe.

I was amused but in reality, I do sleep. Just that maybe the recent cloudy dreams of my childhood memories makes it even harder for me to be fully rested and energetic for the day. I kept floating through the day and living through dream-state at night. I might be yearning for simpler days. I'm not sure. Boy am I confused!

And I miss Sydney. The pace is definitely slower. Yes it gets crowded and noisy but there's always a quiet space to escape to. My apartment, the park, museum, by the harbor, somewhere! But here in Singapore, like Hong Kong / Shanghai / Tokyo etc (if some of you guys have been to those places!), there isn't really a quiet space per se. I'm not kidding, since as I speak, my neighbors upstairs are screeching their furnitures. I prolly ought to mention they sometimes do that at 3am. Periodically, they drill / hammer their walls at 11pm. I'm not sure whats up. I completely understand the agony of getting used to crowded asian cities as some of my friends have mentioned. Today an american dude yelled at a bunch of local kids who were blocking the entrance of a supermarket/mall. He spent most of his time knitting his brows in the supermarket after. I don't think he enjoyed the shopping trip. I didn't either, coz I came home distressed and head-heavy. The 100deg weather prolly doesn't help either.

Gonna need a lot of decent rest to hit the ground running again. (>__<)

summer love

its been 20 days and spending summer in sydney with my beloved DH isn't as steamy as one might think....metaphorically that is. I'm never a summer weather person. People who know me would know that I'll need 25degC or less to function like a normal decent human being. I'm precisely writing because its too hot to sleep. Sweating and sleeping isn't normal for me and DH thinks we should ride out the horrible heatwave weekend without airconditioning or electric fans. No, he isn't a green-maniac. He's just good in adverse conditions. Not me. I'm 'spoiled' in terms of the weather. I'll cut costs by working in the heat back in singapore, but come sleep time, I need AC, period. One time that my AC brokedown, I went without sleep for almost a week. It was madness. In the end, I was almost insane.

Now that DH is snoring under the 'wet blanket' I made for him, out of towel soaked in cold water, I'm free to indulge in my late-night thoughts I haven't been able to do in a long time. Through time together and apart, its difficult not to deal with the tiny annoying differences we both have. We've been together for almost 13 years now and have spent about 5 years long distance, through hours of arguments, tearing apart each other's characteristics, likes, dislikes, beliefs so many many times, and yet, life still manages to throw us curve balls when we least expect. Perhaps its the nasty heat thats making us less huggable, but isn't couple-hood suppose to survive these adverse situations? I realized I've changed... no longer looked at him the same way I used to. I hate it when that happens. Here is a guy that I've spent so much time and been through so much with, we literally grew up together, yet I'm losing connection with him. No longer it seems exciting, no longer do I feel the rush, the need to be with him. Its a freaky realization. Does this mean this is it? End of the road? No more light at the end of the tunnel? I cried bitterly at this new-found realization. What's gonna happen to us? What am I to do? I told DH, please do something to win me over, and fast. The worst thing was, he didn't change one bit, he still loved me, still did silly little things for me, even though they felt unnecessary. I felt horrible at myself. Maybe the 'freedom' I enjoyed in Singapore without DH was a bad idea. But I could only have time to make stuff and somehow excel at it because I had all those time! Did all that became my life? Has it defined my existence - one without DH? Did he become redundant in the process? There were so many questions directed and I didn't know who or what to blame even though I felt like I was the perpetrator.

A few days later, when things run better after the weird outburst I thought, maybe me, him & us didn't change at all. Maybe it was because I had to be alone in Singapore that I felt I had time and space to self-actualize, to do things I really wanted. I felt happy and the feedback that fed this happiness was all the nice things people said about florspace and the stuff we made with our hearts. It is so important that everything is smooth and everyone is happy. I didn't sleep for 2 days when a dear customer received an empty package. My heart stopped short and DH didn't quite know how to deal with my annoyance then. I felt happy only when it was resolved and she was happy. The only drawback with this life arrangement where I see DH twice a year is that, left to fend for myself, I had to sink myself in the little life I handmade for my very self. The little existence in Singapore remains wholesome with only a smidgen of it left for DH and when that tiny bit shrinks smaller and smaller, that fear of DH's redundancy is realized.

But in the end, after all those thoughts were sorted out and we found new things to discuss (eg, Twillight series, Jacques Lacan & Le Parkour), everything seems to be fine... for now. We still have our little differences, annoyances & the horrible heatwave but it seems we'll be okay. I like to think there's always someone better out there and settling is the easy way out. But when do we stop to think that maybe we should hold back ourselves, work on things and not call it quits when the road gets bumpy? Love is never easy anyways.

Still, when do we really know when its not okay? I'll never know.... I'll enjoy my summer love for now & will try be nice. :+)

guilty

Not guilty of eating too much chocolate cupcakes, but of neglecting the blog. Oh wait, that too. Yikes. Its been such a crazy time, I had mosaics of great etsy finds yet have absolutely no time to post them up. I'm really intending to do so when all this madness (exams) end and I get a little break with DH in sydney. He's got broadband now so no excuses!

After my bout of stomach flu in September, everything's like whirlwind! Loads and loads of custom orders. Well, loads to us anyways coz we take time to make stuff, to make sure every little detail is of supreme quality. I get antsy and guilty and can't get to sleep at night if the stuff isn't as good as I want them to be. So on and offline, we do buckets of purses for weddings, shops and people simply love our stuff! Heavens bless these wonderful people who keep us alive. I know, its not Thanksgiving yet, but we feel so lucky to have such wonderful support! Its not a millionaire job, but its good enough for me. Hell, I'm living in heaven! Ironical but so true. LOL

If this all sounds bit fast, its because I'm high on coffee & stressed out from studying for the tax and corporate accounting paper looming at the end of this month. (*gasp*) Worst yet, my landline at home decided to trip out on me suddenly. No internet, no landline at home right now til end of the week when the technician comes. I'm actually writing this at a coffeeshop at the next suburb over at 9.15pm on monday night. Not complaining since they got coffee, smidge of wireless internet and proper table and chair. The facebook flash games won't work tho. Maybe its a good thing, since I got quite a bit of admin done. phew! Apologies to everyone who's been waiting for feedbacks from florspace. yikes! But thats done. finally. :+)

All that said, I'd better get back to my books. See ya when I see ya.

A little humor for the tired soul

DH emailed a little poem(below), together with this cute comic. Feeling a little tired & out of sorts lately albeit still working. A little sick & tired of everything actually. So much to do and so little time. Hopefully the "downbeat" bug will go away soon. Maybe I need to get away for a while....

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

a better thursday... indulge!

Did you notice food always makes us feel better? Not that its always a good thing though. I think its my low metabolic rate that allows me to gain 5 pounds after a square of chocolate. Its nuts I tell ya. I work like a horse, lose a bit of weight and it ALL comes back after I cave into a trip to haagen daz (Thanks CT! LOL). But hey, we only live once and I believe we should live it to the fullest! Seriously, being overweight is one of my least concerns as long as I can find clothes to fit me, or at least make some to! Even though its one of the lowest priority, I can still run really fast to chase a bus, or away from a robber/rapist/weirdo. So, judging someone's weight rather than ability is shallow. You heard it here first. I say that coz I know young, thin, pretty girls who cannot run to save her own life. So people, take care of your health, run, swim, play tennis, eat fruits. Bu don't forget the chocolates & ice-cream too. As CT says, small amounts in moderation cannot hurt us, instead will bring us joy! ;+)

So if you're feeling crummy that the week seems to last forever, indulge in a piece of chocolate, eat a sundae or buy a cute new dress. You will feel better! :D

Need a hug monday

I need a hug. Looks like its gonna be a long week. A deadline is approaching. Have to send in an assignment for school this weekend and we had to sit around for 4 hours this evening but its still kinda half done. I'm beat and so are my mates but I'm pushing myself so much to finish the darn thing, I'm surprising myself! Then I thought back about some people saying that I'm a superman. Am I really one? I thought about it on the long way back home. Campus is on the other side of town which can be rather trying to commute to frequently. Well I do have a case of perfectionism, or rather being anal about having to finish something I start or I won't look at it anymore. Its kinda got a time limit, or shelf life, this attention span of mine. And this weird need to make a super long to-do list which I never get to finish and will feel awful at the end of the day. This includes updating the blog too!

Reviewing my typical day...I do multitask a lot apparently. Making breakfast, dealing with online admin, snapping pictures, uploading/editing them, packing can all happen at the same time. It might have something to do with ADD too. But hey, it gets a lot of things done! Plus after breakfast, I study, do assignment, laundry & cutting up stuff to make. Oh and I put in music/movie/TV re-run at the same time. By evening I'm beat from having to deal with everything plus the horrible tropical heat, I catch a quick shut-eye for 20mins before dinner comes home. Then its postal run, and back to make stuff, shower, talk to DH over the phone & more online admin(listing, emails, convos, blog, flickr, etc), more packing, research for DIY/eco concerns/fabric/cameras/whatever else before getting shut eye for the day. Suffice to say, I hardly get to sit around for a minute, except travelling or during uni lecture.

I think the measure of lethargy is how much one misses the bed. LOL

-----
p/s: Helped a girl with seriously bandaged ankles up the entrace steps at campus today. The poor girl was walking so slowly and painfully yet so determined to continue school! She was so thankful and I felt better being of at least some help to her. But seriously, where the hell is the disabled access ramp at SIM!? Tsk tsk.

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.

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?

Internet addiction + life lamentations

Do you ever feel like life's somehow trying to get you down? I don't mean to lament on the blog so much, but sometimes it feels like cyberspace's the only immediate place for escape. Its strange how much we've come to depend on the internet to create joy in our lives. In reality, I feel like barely living, a walking corspe if you will, yet each time I get online, I feel alive and will not hesitate to spend many hours just gallavanting around happily! When I feel annoyed in life, I go to the internet for solace. Its like a blanket of hope, a source of joy for my otherwise dreary everyday life. Mental note, its ok when I get wacked in reality, there's always internet. What if there wasn't? I love Sydney and am looking forward to spending the next 2 months there though I cringe more inwardly than a hungry hippo coz I know internet is so difficult and pricey over there. Not to mention the laptop I have to lug around and DH's lack of a cozy internet space. Its quite ironical that we do need a physical space in reality to enjoy the internet for that matter! I swear I'll spend my time online anyday than to venture into the crowded streets and malls and returning home with nothing but bad memories of the trip. I can't help but really ponder on the lack of internet facilities and/or if I can get rid of this enormous addiction. Its far worse than being addicted to coffee or sewing, methinks. What if there's no internet?!?!

Anyways...recently I've discovered some rather nasty social phenomenons (in Singapore),

Young husbands smoking in front of his kids and wife,
Men spitting all over the street,
Men talking so loudly on the cell phone, it tremours through the bus,
Women carries bag on shoulder, wacking into my face on the subway,
Guy steps on my toes (literally!), doesn't apologise, stares right at me,
Girls chatting very loudly in the bus, flings hands all over comically,
Men smoking all over the exercise park area,
People "forgetting" about Earth Hour,
People speaking dismissively & judgmentally & loudly in public,
Mothers with kids jumping queues,
etc.

Of course, there's my own heightened sense of irritability due to impending project deadlines and exams. I'm pretty close to pulling my hair out!

But, I try to appreciate the beauty in life, and people,

Nice lady at the school canteen,
Attentive finance & accounting lecturer,
My cooperative project people & friends,
Nice ladies in town who sell me my hoard of fabric (you know who you are!),
Beautiful stars in the sky (but wish there's less light pollution!),
Perfect lemon yellow crescent moon tonight (even made a wish!),
Wonderfully entertaining internet sites (too many to list, really!),
Helpful florspace elves (what would I do without you?),
Wonderful florspace buyers and supporters who keep coming back (HUGE thanks!),
Waking up each morning believing it'll be better today....


Feel like pulling your hair out? Just close your eyes, Take a deep breath and say to yourself, "This is not going to last forever." Works for me, most of the time. ;+)

Happy April Fool's guys. No joke here.

Earth hour lowdown + day after

I spent the hour with everything off in my apartment, just sitting there in almost pitch black darkness chatting with mom. It was quite a nice time catching up, except that the heat & humidity was killing me. I didn't realise I'd depend so much on the electronic stand fan in the lounge not to mention juice for internet, computers, AC. Without these comforts, it felt like 18th century. I busted out my japanese folding fan and started fanning myself profusely. Of course I got tired in the process! We realised that most of the neighbors didn't bother. Its quite sad actually. Its just an hour, and its to save the very place we're living in! Not that we shouldn't do our part everyday. I go green all the time, recycling everything I can, putting them into the right bins if I can't use them anymore, using less water, using less electricity and power-saving bulbs, biodegradable trash bags, bringing my own grocery bags to the supermarket.... hell, I feel alone in this environment! Singapore obviously doesn't do enough. Or maybe people didn't know, or they don't care. Either ways, its just awful.

I met people for the school project and they said they "forgot/didn't bother about earth hour, coz no one was doing it anyways". I stared blankly, but in my heart I ache for earth. ouch.

Because of the yearly earth hour, I start to really appreciate the existence of lights, internet and my AC! What would we do without them!

Let's try our best to be nice to earth and be a little more conscious of our consumption habits!

.....
Hazel, so nice to hear you enjoyed Earth Hour too!

Cary, that's sad! I thought Singapore was the only ignorant place! Like you, I'm appalled no one bothered. We should make it a point not to abuse electricity. Thanks for sharing though!

Come back, mojo!

Hmm, I'm not too sure what happened but 2 days ago when I was trying my best to work 2 large everyday totes I'd wanted to finish since, um, a month back, I had to stop at the finishings coz nothing just seems right anymore. I was gonna try a different handle thingy, but it looks just wrong with the print. I tried pleating, again it was all wonky and weird. In the end, I just stopped, threw it back on the table, slumped on the couch to watch re-runs of Two and A Half Men. I think their limbo-ness kinda makes me feel better. But thats not the point. I tried again the next day, and horror of horrors, nothing! Nada, zilch, zero. They have been lying there almost all week now, unfinished and looking really lonely. Then I sat, frustrated and it hit me. My sewing mojo's gone. I hope its only out for an errand but by the look of it, it may have gone fishin'. I'm terrified since there are custom orders awaiting and angry people knocking on my door. Ok, maybe its just my guilt a-rat-tatting in my head, but still! I hate for people to have to wait, like I feel like I'm being made to wait.

So all that talk about writer's block and magic disappearing (Kiki's Delivery Service) was true afterall. I just didn't think it'll hit me. A sewing block? Who would thunk it?!

The funny thing though, is that the ideas don't stop streaming up there! I could be sleeping and thinking about bag construction or walking down the street trying to mentally tear apart someone's really interesting-looking bag/purse/jacket, whatever. I sorta feels like I'm mentally sewing! Yet in reality, the hands just ain't movin' the way I want it to and at the same time, everything seems plain wrong even though its perfect in my head. I can't get around this problem and with school deadlines creeping up so quickly, I fear my sewing block is taking longer than necessary to clear. Its completely new to me, though it has been 2 and a half years since florspace started. Of course, its not an excuse to delay anyone's requests. I will continue to search for mojo.

"Come back, mojo, come back!"
Boy, that wasn't a dream.

Jan 31st already?! Some quickie updates....

January is over! Well almost, and yet I haven't aged a day. LOL No significance, distinction, nor difference. Nada, zilch. In fact, there's a bit of domestic "disturbance" between me and DH. Ah, men. Can't live with them, not sure if I want to live without them. They just simply don't change now, do they? tut tut. LOL Hopefully we'll sort it out soon. :P

Anyways, we're working a big bunch of MiniZs Extended! Recently, my guinea 'piggies' (you know who!) have pleasantly discovered that they actually use it for everyday! They tell me that the swinging strap and extended length actually accomodates a bit more stuff, like cellphone, money, card, keys and usb drives without bulking up. I think they said its great for ducking out during lunch and a bit of hands-free mid-day shop. Woo hoo!

So yeah, more supplies shopping tomorrow! Can't wait to bag more useful stuff!

Oh and we were featured by the nice Annemari at Notebook of Handmade. Love her picks! Do check it out, but you may end up with a few pennies less! All's good though. ;+)

Gosh, its almost LNY?!

Yeah, the title says it all! I've been so engrossed with school, making stuff, DH, going out.....hell I barely feel I'm living! I don't get working moms. I can barely make my life happen and yet they can fit manicure and taking kid to soccer and whatever else in between. My eye brows have been unkempt for longer than I'd like it to be. *hefty sigh* Not to mention a bit of a hiccup with DH. We have major issues about me not liking people to keep stuff from me and him loving to keep stuff from everyone. Tsk. We've been together for a long time, almost 12 years now and its almost the final frontier, some deeply rooted behavior we can't both seem to uproot. He thinks we're star-crossed. LOL I think I gotta learn to live with black holes. He's very free with his thoughts and analysis about life and concepts, but so guarded with actual day-to-day mundane stuff. All men are weird about stuff, isn't it? Hmm.....

Anyhoo. I'm avoiding malls! They keep playing Lunar New Year music. God, it gets stuck in my head forever and I can't get them out! Ridiculously annoying.

Also started doing up my fav types of bags, with wooden handles! I find them beautiful and grown-up yet always maintaining the girlish edge. The one I had up was snapped so I'm gonna try to squeeze in time to churn out more. I hate it when I have to rush things without proper inspiration and zeal to finish them. Tend to crap out that way. Gotta find more time!

God, if you're listening in, please, somehow stop time for me! *____*

If you don't hear from me by Lunar New year in a week, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR to my chinese friends out there! Health, prosperity and wonderful life to everyone!

Ponder.

Its 2009 and I don't bother making resolutions anymore when I break them the next minute anyways. I still drink loads of Starbucks and down fried foods. I'm wishing I have time for gym and also, maybe, for DH to return to Sydney soon. Family and social demands are at an all time high and I struggle to meet orders and make new stuff for your guys. Not to mention that school starts tomorrow. There's only 3 units to be completed this sem, but I get the sense that its not going to be easy. Thats the thing about uni. It always get rough in the 2nd year. Happened for the 1st one too. Oh sigh, shmsigh. LOL

Above shows a whole bunch of MiniZs that have landed in my shop. I have trouble trying to stop making them! They're almost therapeutic to me right now. But I have to do other stuff like cut up fabrics & my brain won't stop thinking of making more things! Boy, one of my resolutions has gotta be to clone myself.

Anyways, I'm hardly getting sleep and I feel guilty when I spend time away from DH coz he's only going to be here til end of Feb. And I won't see him til end of May. Its been like this for a couple of years now and I've gotten somewhat comfortable to the seperate togetherness. Kinda like Woody waving to Mia from across the Park. Wonder if we'll kill each other when we finally live together for good. I think it almost happened during our Sydney years. Hmm...

I'm typing mindlessly right now... need more coffee, or sleep.

Almost good-bye 08

I admit, I got nothing, except for this picture of me opening CT's pressie on christmas morning. I love christmas mornings. The happy memory of opening presents will stick with me for good, or least I'm trying really hard to keep it that way. Its still pretty busy down here. My folks are back. Not that I'm complaining, since I've bitched about the rubbish-chute being the doorway to roach-hell. I wish they'll find someone to fix it soon. I would, but hey, its not my place, not my call. They also brough back yummy cakes and bix from Taiwan and HK. They'll tide me over for a while. I can spend my snacking money on more handmade goodies from etsy! Woo-hoo! See? I'd make my christmas last. LOL

DH's still busying trying to finish up his book chapter. Pretty stressed I think, since its due like tomorrow. I hate being caught up my pants til the 11.59 hour and you know guys, they never listen. So I'm playing this one cool. Bet he'll want to jump out the window when his thesis is due next year. *sniggers*

I spent the yesterday and today running errands and packing up yummy goodies and hanging thingies for florspace peeps. Yeah man, they all take time to pretty up and are all hand done, one by one! Its the packaging and the love that matters to me. I hate it when people just throw your stuff into some bag and shuff it to you. God, that happens everytime I get supplies. I hardly stalk the malls and mostly avoid them at all costs, especially weekends. Shoot me if you see me in one. Then again, I'd prolly be badly behaved or zombied-out by then. heh heh

Not sure why, but sending packages to Australia, mostly NSW, makes me miss Sydney life a lot. Maybe its the coastal winds, the fact that I can turn a corner without bumping into someone, or highly likely that its mostly roach-free. I miss my insect-free 29th floor apartment a lot. Feelings like these does hit home bad, its making me want to say yes to working 16 hour days mindlessly in some cubicle just to be able to afford a home there asap. I'm truly in 2 minds about that one. Its funny though, coz I work almost round the clock now, but I'm not feeling crummy about it at all. I admit the thought of working real life makes me remember that I hate the early mornings when I have to get up and pick clothes at some unearthy hour, survive the rush hour, the lunch hour, the bitchy colleague, and the overtime nights. Will I have time to make stuff, go to the gym, enjoy an afternoon movie in the comfort of my home? Guess not. The huge 'but' here is, we gotta pay the bills. Life does suck a little when that has got to be on the table. Hmm....

Ah, that brings us to the resolutions. I still wanna make more yummy stuff in 2009! Thats a given! But I'm also gonna put yummy things for your home in florspacehome so do bookmark that. They will be limited and unique, though still maintaining our philosophy for cuteness & function. Expect our tried and tested big coasters, table containers, table mats, floor mats, reading blanket, etc. Boy, I've waited long enough to make them! Just gotta fine-tune the materials and design. I suspect someday my thirst for perfection will kill me. Oh wait, maybe I'd already know that. LOL

Have you guys made any resolutions for 09 yet? Share your quirkiest one!