Ok, by now you guys'd realise I'm too lazy to host my own giveaways! LOL But in comes the nice people at fabyuhluhs who love the Everyday Cupcake MiniZs so much, they'd ask me to give out 2! And so I did. All you need to do is pop over, read the lovely post, put a comment and you're in to win yourself a yummy cupcake MiniZ!
Hop on over!
3 quality MiniZs for absolutely nothing!
Ok, you gotta go here to post a comment and you're in the draw to win one! How easy is that!? And who doesn't need free stuff these days? Thanks to the wonderful people at adiaha.com for saying such sweet things and hosting our first giveaway for the year! I love her site coz its full of useful tidbits, things to ponder about and great finds! Keep 'em comin', adiaha! :+)
What are you waiting for? Hop on over!
..........
Its ended and congratulations to 3 lucky people, Allie, Jessica & Megan!
Harumi & Sakura Garden MiniZs
Yeap, the week has officially begun on this side of the earth and though its almost St. Patrick's day (Leprechaun!), Spring is about 4 days away! We're officially starting our Pink Spring SALE early, for just 2 weeks ONLY! So for these 2 weeks.....*breathe* all 'pink' purses are 20% off! The same fabulous purses with great quality are up for grabs at a lower price! There's no better time to stock up on gifties and also presents for yourself for almost surviving the 1st quarter of 2009!
With the way the economy is going, we all need a little pink uplift every now and then, don't we?
Grab yourselves some decent quality from florspace. ;+)
Pink Spring SALE!
ALL 'pink' purses are 20% off!
Til 3oth March 2009 only.
Limited Stocks, while they last!
At florspace.etsy.com
(Custom orders do not apply.)
Drawstrings aplenty! Its yummy drawstrings time at florspace. We love them so much and people are requesting them for on-the-go knit goods, kid's toys, gym gear, travel laundry, unmentionables transport.....wow the list could go on! They're super duper fun to create, while they take up quite a bit of fabric, it looks so cute in the end! I love the end product everytime and regardless of how it gets measured, somehow it seems to have a little mind of its own, ending up cute all the time! hehe
I particular love the Cherry Trees GM size one above! I love large drawstrings myself and use a couple depending on when and where. Let's see...I use one for gym which has straps for hanging onto the hooks when I shower; it stows my shower things and clean underwear + the towel actually fits in too! I love that I don't have to put my things anywhere else coz I doubt the cleanliness of public places a lot. :P Speaking of, I use another for bed clothes and unmentionables when I travel since they can be kept clean and safe. I like having clean bed clothes and underwear to look forward to at night. Regardless of how icky and horrible the day turns out to be. :+) They are very lightweight, yet strong enough to carry clothings. You can also fold them up and carry them with you for groceries and extra things you might need to carry in your day! I also use 2 on the hooks in my room near the door for storage of knick knacks. Also PM sizes are best for small things like memory sticks goes into my everyday tote. Wow...thats a lot of drawstrings!
The best thing I like about them is that they are so easy to care for! Just invert them, throw them in with your usual laundry, take them out, reshape and air-dry! No dryer coz they can shrink, just like your sweaters can felt!
Go drawstrings!
.....
p/s: March 20th is the first day of Spring!
Watch out for our Pink Spring SALE!
Details to come!
You heard it here first! Wooooop! ;+)
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During these not so good times, we need to save a little and keep the luck going! I've been reading about St. Patrick's Day over here, and finally sitting my ass down to find out about the history of it all. I must say I didn't keep up with world history much and my high school history was about singapore, malaysia, japan and the WWII. Not much fun. All I remember was a lot of memorising stuff, crammed my brain full of weird facts.
Anyways, find out how you can get involved in the parades and drinking fests right here! Onr of my fav things to do is to sit home and make stuff! Find out how you can get your kids involved and make something festive for paddy's day! Loads of green stuff, activities and fun!
I think I'll go make myself some Emerald Isle Punch and some cute shamrock cookies!
Oh I almost forgot to mention Leprechaun is on sale! So, save a little, keep the luck going and maybe he'll help you find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!
Don't forget to pinch someone if they're not wearing green on the 17th! Check out other commong traditions here!
Apparently my mojo gets online from time to time and reads my blog! After my outcry late into the night yesterday, he came back for a visit. So I took the opportunity to finish up the Counting Sheep set I was dying to for weeks. The other piggy one has to wait. Oh yikes, I shouldn't say so much! LOL I was thinking about it for a long time coz the finishing for the sheep one wasn't right. I was trying too hard to put in more stuff that wasn't meant to be there in the first place. It was meant to be just sheeps! Anyhoo, just to keep the lovely zakka spirit alive, I managed to find some amazing cotton zakka lace in that perfect oat color for all the trimmings. I could eat this stuff if it was edible! And adding that little accent was because the vintage french crystal button was just begging for some attention. Methinks he sits proudly on the cute little lace ribbon on the side.
I tossed out several ideas for the handles, like using raw cotton canvas (inside) but it was too plain and didn't fit. Wooden handles just made it look worse. Even my signature woven cotton handles were somehow out of place! My Biscuit tote that I use everyday is a peeling leather I got from my Japan trip earlier but that was the only pair. In the end, I realised, sheeps only go with sheeps! I had them attached on both the inside and outside coz I wanted it to be super hardy for what you might throw in, which make this the perfect bag for travel, school, work or play. No excuse for leaving your sweater or that novel at home now. There's also double large pockets inside. People have been telling me to include larger pockets in my totes. I'm starting to see why after installing some in the one for myself! They keep stuff safe, especially the puffy extended pocket for gadgets.
This set also features something I'd been wanting to make for a while - a Key Home! I have been using one for years and love the idea that it covers the abrasive metal of keys, keeps it safe from other delicate things in your bag as well as keeping them all in one place!
So yeah, some of my little thoughts that goes thru my creations. There are more but it'll prolly bore your brains out!
Check out the Counting Sheep set right here!
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.
Happy Hinamatsuri everyone!
I'm a little bummed DH didn't managed to stay til Hinamatsuri but he did leave me with a table of cute goodies for the celebration! And he's gonna call me later. :+)
A little traditional song for the Doll's day.
Akari o tsukemashou bonbori ni
明かりをつけましょう ぼんぼりに
Ohana o agemashou momo no hana
お花をあげましょう 桃の花
Go-nin bayashi no fue taiko
五人ばやしの 笛太鼓
Kyo wa tanoshii Hinamatsuri
今日は楽しいひな祭り
Let's light the lanterns
Let's set peach flowers
Five court musicians are playing flutes and drums
Today is a joyful Dolls' Festivalｌ
Yeap, he's gone. Back to Sydney (Australia) that is. I decided to do a little random/update blog, plus the very chocolate muffin I baked couple of days ago for him, before he left. Its supremely chocolatey and I'd opted for the easy way out by purchasing Betty Crocker's cake mix. I know, I should've done it from scratch, but didn't have the time. I think it was a spur of the moment thing. "Let's have one of your cake-things for breakfast", he said. I thought plain muffins were a little well, plain. Besides, DH wouldn't like chomping on several muffins like that. Molten chocolate would make it more fun, I thought. Tough luck, Crocker's chocolate frosting was out. I searched my brain for liquid choco recipes. The stress made me buy 2 small bars of cadbury and a tub of very thick cream. Strangely though, it turned out ridiculousy yummy. We were licking our fingers like a bunch of pre-schoolers at breakfast. Just remember to do double-boiling and don't be shy to pile on the cream. ;+) (To Charlene, I apologise for not including the molten chocolate for your box of muffins! It was gone before I knew what happened. :P Just hope you enjoyed them somehow!)
So yes, I'm suddenly free of DH, but there's nothing to be proud of. I get this strange empty feeling all the time, like being naked in public. Not to mention the bed's supremely cold at night without someone around. I've even resorted to wearing my old Sydney University sweater. I do miss Sydney and the only solace is that I'll get to be there in about 2.5 months, after the papers.
All that's left now is the awful assignments, tests and exams. BUT, I'll get to make more stuff for florspace soon! OOOOooooohhh, so many ideas keep bursting into my brain!
Happy Valentine's everyone!
Its not a day just for lovers but for everyone to show their care and love for each other! I strongly believe in that coz all that overprized thingamajigs in the streets are really getting to me. I wish they won't hallmark everything. Go DIY this year! Make someone something out of nothing. Its not crass or cheap, but it shows how creative and amazing you really are, to take time out to actually make something for someone with your hands! Check out Meg's Valentine's episode for ideas or look at how to make someone a pair of underwear! There are a whole bunch of amazing ideas out there to make stuff these days but if you're better at other things than hands, shop for them at etsy!
Anyways, do stop and tell someone you heart them, thats pretty much all that "gift" that someone really needs. :+) So I'm sharing my fav poem with you guys. Its also the one that goes on DH's letterpressed card, handwritten of course, regardless of how ugly my handwriting is! :P
To My Dear and Loving Husband
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee, give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persevere
That when we live no more, we may live ever.
- Anne Bradstreet
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Rendered in old-time filter :+)
Boy we're beat as hell! These new MiniZ Extendeds were suppose to hit town like weeks ago but it only got released yesterday and today. Phew! My days are jammed with school, projects, family and errand running! I barely sit and breathe and having those tea-brewing, novel reading quiet afternoons feel like miles away though I haven't stopped hoping! For the wonderfully patient people who are waiting for custom orders, please do let me have a bit more time! I apologise for the ridiculous wait but they are definitely on the list. I do want to make sure they are perfect before you get them! ;+)
Anyways, do check out the big bunch, 20 print designs of MiniZ Extended Wristlets available at the shoppe! You'll find a design for almost anyone for anything from everyday wallets, to ipod cozy. Available only in limited numbers, and just $14!
Right here!
ps: fancy the Hello Kitty ones? Check out the post right beneath this one, that is if its not sold out! ;+)
Patchwork Kitty No. 1
Etsy won't allow Kitty to be there so we're putting up these 2 cuties exclusively on our blog! There's only 2 available, so do be quick! Details below!
Japan-import oxford cotton exterior (Sanrio Original)
Red gingham cotton interior
Both interfaced for a sturdy purse
Red zipper
Grosgrain ribbon + D-ring for attachments
Matching swingable wrist strap + detachable spring clip hook
Perfect for your gadget, or coins, keys, lippy, cards, mints...even a small camera! And for when a big purse is too much.Approx. 6" x 3.5" height.
Patchwork Kitty No. 2
Just $14, each + $5 registered airmail worldwide.
email florspace1@gmail.com to order.
Specify which one you'd prefer (1 or 2).
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. ;+)
We were too lazy & lethargic to get our asses out to dinner after a day of work and ridiculously sweltering sun. So I pulled out the pasta & bottle sauce. Turned out pretty good according to DH.
Quick tip, sauce may come from a bottle, but actually bothering heat it over a pan makes the difference! It gets yummier, trust me. Here's what I did.
Chop up 2 cloves of fresh garlic, fry til fragrant, add sauce slowly, stir in extra goodies like seafood, mushrooms, shredded chicken, cube veges, you get the idea, simmer, toss in loads of fresh gound pepper, bit of herbs (those in the bottle ain't fragrant after sitting in for so long), simmer over small fire til your pasta is al dente, serve quick!
If you're adding cheese, do it while the sauce is piping hot. It melts in and voila. Dinner. ;+)
ps: I'm loving the quality of Marks & Spencer pasta. And I merely bagged their choco biscuits before! Boy if only I can grocery shop there everyday, I'll be set.
Its been a while since I created this! Obviously I couldn't forget how darn cute it was so I did another rendition of Classic Kitty!
Go grab it quick before etsy warns me not to put up kitty. yikes.
Just $45, right here!
In honor of the inauguration by archicraft
"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America" - Obama 08'
Happy Inauguration Day! Caught some live action of the inaug and man, thats some party! Wish I was at the Hill right now. We have high hopes for Obama! But everyone would have to do their part to make this world a better place! Let's recycle and waste less for one. ;+)
And, I gotta say, I'm SO loving the Obama handmade goodies on etsy! Wow, etsyers never fail to amaze me with their talent! Just take that amazing cross-stitch up there! Check them out!
Just wanna let you guys know that we did a whole fresh bunch of cute MiniBs in your fav prints up in the shoppe right now! Lotsa reviews of our little MiniBs always mention that they are really quite indispensible in their lives! Always great to have a little cute compartment in your bottomless tote for the smaller things, like keys, cell, lippy, usb drives, mini tampons & pads, and maybe that secret photo of someone you like and mints for when you finally meet him! ;+)
And I thought I'll try to cheer everyone up today since it looks like today, 19th Jan is the worst day of the year. Not particularly to me since I've been feelin' bit crummy for a little while, with little rest & me-time and trying to manage school, shoppe & DH. Not that I'm complaining coz the sooner school ends and the sooner DH goes back to Sydney the better! LOL Too much of something can really be bad sometimes! Shhh! I long for more time and better spirit to spend on making stuff. My brain's practically bursting with ideas yet I'm ridiculously tired or busy most of the time. Spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak. Thought I'd never understand that!
Here's HOPE for everyone who's feelin' bit blue today. Breathe deep and reboot! And remember, hey, things can only go UP from here!
Just wanna scoot by to say big thanks to Charlotte of FancyPicnic who chose to feature our XOXO MiniZ for her list! Love her cute blog and choices! Who said winter had to be dreary? A touch of muted colors is all one needs to stay warm and beautiful! ;+)
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!
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.
**updated 17th March 09.
Just an FAQ blogpost for unreceived mails/packages.
All florspace orders are packed in good order, endevored to be shipped usually within 3 business days after payment is received, unless public holidays or unforeseen circumstances. Packages are sent registered airmail, which means your order comes with a tracking number, insured for up to S$60 ONLY. Should you require more insurance, let us know beforehand.
After shipping, we will input the tracking number against your payment at paypal and paypal will send you thr tracking notice.
Your article can be tracked here. Information available is sparse, usually an email would have to sent to the SingPost system for more information. Note that exchange of info is required between the postal systems at your end and our end, so time is required for that. Singpost quotes up to 2 months for the exchange of info.
The most annoying and common cases are lazy postman who forgot to leave a notification card at your door when they attempt to deliver your package. Always try at your local PO with the tracking number to see if your package is already waiting there for you. Usually that is the case. Do email me for your tracking number if you did not get anything from paypal.
Do recognize that there's always a risk for online purchases as the physical package would have to go through the shipping system, which isn't always the easiest to deal with. We buy online ourselves a lot too. Its almost awful for us to say, as soon as the package leaves our hands at the PO, we have no control over it. Its harsh, yet tearfully true. We would still endevor to keep you guys happy, as we treat you as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Remember to always be nice. Its much easier that way. :+)
Just wanna swing by to say Happy New Year guys! Its been quite a year and we hope for love, health and happiness for everyone!
Have a wonderful time!
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!
From my earlier post, I was happy. It was bliss celebrating christmas with just DH in our cosy little place. My folks are touring so we were left on our own, which was heavenly. Dinner & breakfast was great, peaceful and just what I'd hoped for. I guess I was a little gloatful, too soon. We had to run out to meet DH's folks for Christmas day lunch, which has becomed a yearly tradition now. We used to go to Jack's Place at Bras Basah Complex, which was kinda nice, coz it was a quiet little spot, off the crowded malls. There was no lack of christmas spirit with their festive hats and fun pack, balloons, tooters, clappers and exploders. The food wasn't excellent, but the menu was festive enough. Steak and turkey was key. This year, they decided to go for Sizzler at Suntec. The place was pretty quiet. I soon would realize the reason - no festivities in sight. The menu boasted seafood. No turkey in sight and we had to spend about 30 bucks a person for the all-you-can-eat salad bar. No offense, but I'm never a fan of all you can eat unless it included fresh oysters & fresh raw salmon. The "Salad Bar" was disappointing, with salads and indecipherable seafood. The 4 variety of fried items were cold to eat, the crab claw, according to DH was more flour than crab. Unfortunately the ice-cream was more ice than cream. Suffice to say the food isn't pleasant, not to mention the service staff were rather rude, in speech as well as in service - rushing to clear the table way too quickly than appropriate. We all agreed it was back to Jack's Place next Christmas. phew!
We caught Ip Man (eep mun) in the night. I had to wait in my 3.5 inch diamante heels for 3 hours in a suburban mall, wearing a black with white polkadots 50s style dress, among throngs of t-shirt/shorts clad dwellers. It wasn't the day I'd expected. It felt like harsh reality, coupled with the pinch in my feet. The mall didn't have a bookstore (surprise, surprise *eye roll*). I remember asking DH several times, "Don't these people read!?" I wished I was stuck somewhere with a cafe and bookstore. The cafe corner we went to had a very lame christmas clown/philanthropist performance. I did not appreciate the noise, nor the kids and adults clamouring over our table. Oh, and we had to wait for the movie to begin coz there was a slight problem and most of the earlier shows were filled.
The movie was lovely. I left feeling my heart had been tugged to bits seeing the subtle lightning-fast hand movements of Ip Man. It reminded me so much of the days I used to practice Wing Chun. Nevermind the story in the movie didn't have a proper beginning of where he got his skills etc or it was too much propaganda of the art. It was suppose to be his life-story afterall. I felt pretty priviledged to be able to know more about this guy. The beauty of Wing Chun to me, is the small, efficient, functional movements it prides itself. Without the use of big, brutish, garish movements, one can still defeat a giant, if need be. I loved that I could one day still defend myself in small space, like a toilet cubicle, or in an elevator. Seeing Ip Man's movements was truly amazing, especially the use of the 6.5 pole, which I sadly never got to learn. I had to stop several years ago since there was a lack of people to play with. Someday!
My folks are returning so I had to do some cleanup this evening. Found more roaches around. I fail to understand these creatures. I had really traumatic experiences with them as a kid so everytime I see one, I have a mini heart attack, never mind I'm a grown adult, I can leap away like I'd seen a ghost. It doesn't help that my senses are ridiculously sharp (DH said so), that I can detect a Vuitton fake from miles like I can see a roach dead or alive 10 metres away. I'd decided to situate multiple cans of strong insecticide around the house. Finally I'd realise a couple of days ago, they're coming from the chute. In the older estates, the chute is still in apartment. Ours had prolly gotten old & maybe loose, that weird creatures would find its way into my place. I do still have mini traumas when I see them, & they are responsible for my occasional night terrors but now that I've sort of found the source, its kinda easier to find them. I hope they'll go to my fancier neighbors instead. :P
Kinda wish I was still living on the 29th floor of my Sydney apartment. No weird living creatures there. Oh wait, my husband. LOL
Christmas pictures. (The happy ones)
Hey Babes and doods! Just wanna squeeze in a quickie to say MERRY CHRISTMAS you all! Hope you guys are having the greatest time just chilling out with friends and family! May lovely things happen to all you wonderful people!
This year's quiet for us, but oh so enjoyable. DH and I had such a great time whipping up dinner in our own little casa, by little tealights & High Society's Passion cd. Cosy romance doesn't get better than this. DH thinks its the best christmas ever. Perhaps without the hustle and bustle of dining out under pressure of crowds, crappy food and high prices! ;+) It was storming outside too. The warmth of the tealights really fell into place nicely. I'm just glad we all had such a great time!
Our Christmas menu
(mostly concocted by moi! hehe Pictures!)
Starters - herb fromage & wholemeal baguette
Soup - Creamy red with diced carrots, onions & apple (I have no name for this one, merely an inspiration, but it turned out so beautifully and complimentary with the cheese and bread! Such a sweet surprise. Even DH, who isn't a red-soup person, loved it. whew!)
Salad - Small serve of over-the-counter butter leaves, croutons, cherry tomato & thousand island dressing
Main - Roast Turkey breast from the gourmet counter, with sauteed garlic granules in light butter, herb, mushroom and tiny drizzle of honey. (DH loved the tiny sweetness!)
After Dinner - Organic peppermint tea (from one of my swaps!) with an order of log cake from The Coffee Bean, which turned out surprisingly yummy with the slight bitterness of the ganache & rich chocolate. The tea truly refreshed our palate with every forkful of cake!
There was champers with cranberry in it thru dinner. I had to settle for something cheaper, though I was running over town looking for Moet (I'm a huge fan!).
Nuts. Next time!
Can't wait for christmas morning!
psst! I bought DH a bunch of books he'd love! hehe
I know its a tad too soon, but we couldn't hold back the pink restocks! I don't know how it happened, but pink somehow just brightens up any crummy old day! We love these and the fabrics are limited, so if you haven't got one already, do collect one! They were from earlier this year, but we added the ring for the restocks so you guys can literally hang more stuff on them! Multi-task your handy dandy purses! ;+)
To 2 families who deserve a better christmas! Hopefully this little gesture makes their holidays a little better. I think there's nothing like the giving spirit at Christmas, no? I've been passing on little gifts to behind-the-scenes people who have been wonderful to us through the whole year of madness! Hope they love the handy purses! Who doesn't need another!? LOL
Hope you guys are holding up well. We're still sewing here (!?), no break yet! My hands are bit numb from the action today. I keep thinking of new stuff to do. Oh darn my overly imaginative brain!
Oh goodness! Where has the time gone! Its been such a busy time, DH is back for christmas and we've attended my BFF's wedding where I had to do duties as a bridesmaid. It was good fun and so happy to see her happily married! We've been busy shopping, eating and generally gallavanting around town! We've been busy here at florspace still, managing last minute gifts, donations for families to have a nicer christmas (Barefoot mommies!) and whipping & whooping up loads of restocks! *pant + sweat* And there's gonna be spring & pink collection coming too! Loads of pink & prettiness! If you love Japanese prints, stick around! ;+)
Whew! DH just told me that we managed to scoot in a last order for the log cake. He couldn't find the log that he wanted despite shopping around for days! *eye roll*
Anyhoo.....if we don't blog within these 6 days, do have a smashing christmas! And meanwhile, do checkout out cube wallets, just in! You now how hard it is to make them and how much time we take so they'll come in bit slowly. :+)
ps: CT, Bazillion thanks for the christmas pressie! That was really sweet & unexpected! Gonna be under my tree til christmas. See if I could wait til then. LOL
Unfortunately etsy did not allow non-craft supplies Decole type-things to be on etsy, so for the cutest, non craft supply, I'll be moving them onto my blog. We'll prolly start a blog just for that, so keep checking our profile for the link soon! Meanwhile, if you need them, feel free to contact us at florspace1@gmail.com Payments by paypal only.
The super rare Little Chef Wood Playset above is $55, shipping is $18 registered airmail worldwide. Its a little pricey coz its heavy, postage sense.
I'd wanted to put this up on etsy! But I might violate the no-kitty rule, so its available here on my blog. When its sold, there'll be a SOLD right next to the title, so you'll know. This is one cute and very functional clutch! We're experimenting with sizes, and this uber cute little fabric came into our hands before the BFW sale and it was half-done on the WIP table. I couldn't wait to get back to it! Its prolly a known fact that I'm a huge vintage fan. This print features Hello Kitty back where it started in 1979. I loved the bold colors, simplicity of the items chosen, like transport and school. The strength of influence might have come from kids. ;+)
It measures a good 8" on top, 5" tall and 3" wide bottom, perfect for your tolietries when you travel or as an everyday wristlet pouch. I know we all like to jam stuff in our bags. I'm guilty of having a bag-in-bag problem. Hmm....now that I think about it, its not so much a problem as it is a good habit to organize, non? White polkadots on red inside.
Comes with a 5" wrist strap, which you can feel free to dangle and swing, coz we use the good and strong YKK zippers. We'd decided to attach the strap on the zipperhead as a security feature, to remind us to zipper up before gallavanting! ;+)$35 (S$52.50), ships free internationally, by normal airmail. (Usually $6)
Paypal at girlbythewindow@gmail.com
Local peeps, email florspace1@gmail.com to nab this ASAP.
Do it quick, coz its a one and only, for now.
Catch? I need your feedback on size.
SOLD! Thanks CT! Boy, you've lighting quick hands! LOL
Its been such a long week, yet it truly felt like it disappeared in a split of a moment. When I'm delved deep in sewing, packing or online admin, it felt like forever. Yet time would fly by faster than the speed of light. There were so many world issues - market crashes, airplane troubles for Qantas, terrorist attacks in mumbai, strikes in Bangkok, yet florspace reported a truly remarkable audience during the Black Friday Weekend sale. We are truly humbled and appreciative of everyone and anyone who waited by the screen patiently for the sale to commence, those who came, saw, grabbed feverishly, paid immediately and on time and to everyone who's been so understanding of our situation and the true lack of time by not asking for too much customs. We feverishly sewed, packed, relisted and sent out your packages in hope that it will all reach happy people in time for Christmas! It is such an immense joy when our purses were described as 'the perfect stocking stuffer'. We couldn't have been prouder coz it was exactly what we wanted everyone to feel! Everyone deserves the good stuff!
With tears in our eyes, we want to convey our sincerest thanks to everyone for all your support this year, and may you guys have a peaceful, wonderful & sparkling Christmas with your loved ones!
Our hugest offer ever! X'mas prints are 50% off so if you haven't stuffed someone's stocking already, do pick one up. It'll put a smile on just about anyone's faces! I adore how much people have been telling me that these are the perfect stocking stuffers!
Yaaaay!
ONLY $3.50 each! Right here. Going, going going....
After all that lamentations, its time to present our hope for the future. We pulled out our all time favourite print for this year's ultimate set - the retro mushrooms. Every year we do one splurge. This set will come with secret, sweet stuff we're not revealing yet. All in good time and a surprise for the receiver too. ;+) All we can say is that its a lot of shrooms.
These mushrooms, a burst of life and colors are a representation of our hope for the future for this doom and gloom year we had to go through. May things become simpler, people more honest and lives get richer with experiences of nature and adventure.
RRP$99, now $79. See the hope.
I lost quite a bit of concentration during sewing today and had an accident involving the needle pricking my finger. My mind is somewhere else. As you all already know, florspace is having a sale. The funny thing is, we're getting a barage of orders from Singaporeans, a lot of them. I'm not surprised. My international friends, I don't even know where to begin to dissect the behavior of the average Singaporean. I love quite a number of them. People like CT (who's becomed my BFF!), who takes pain to know us and understand that our work is a labor of care and love, each one takes blood and sweat to produce, each one almost a piece of art to us. We will not be compared with mass produced items in the market. I'm mad, we're mad, because these people unabashedly pester and beg for further discounts or simply act as they wish. Discount has become a very ugly word to me over the years. I almost never utter it and never ask for it. I pay for my purchases because I deem it to be worth that much, if not, I just don't purchase and move on. Never will I bug & push for discounts and demean the item so that it will be further discounted. I respect people's work. I tell them I love them because they are sharing a item made from skills I don't have. Unfortunately, there are some who utterly refuse to care about who we are or what we do, nor even read our sale conditions. They do as they please, they come and they go. We need time to re-explain & answer questions for which they are already available. They just do not bother at all, which is really sad to us. I waste time & get distracted instead of spending valuable time thinking up better stuff for you guys. An example would be this. "Sorry" and "Thank you", has becomed an impossible word to utter to some Singaporeans.
My international friends, I love you because you appreciate us and our work. You guys make me want to do more, sleep less and pack orders at 3am. Singaporeans, you have A LOT to learn, especially humillity. Your behavior is not for my judgement, but your behavior does reflect on you directly. My other half taught me that. Its amazing how people don't even realise that here. Sometimes, I'm just plain amused at they way they stick their noses up in the air, with absolutely no care for their neighbors, at home or in public. I'm proud to say that I've never behaved in an irrespectful manner especially to sales people because I commiserate their pain. If I get annoyed in public because of the crowd, heat or incorrigibly rude people, I head home and recharge.
Still, I love peace and being nice. We try our very best never to be mean. florspace always has been about sharing quality made stuff because we're sick of mass produced crappyness, and we're sticking to that philosophy. To bring my point a little further, I'm a great fan of Vuitton & Hermes, not because its expensive, popular or celebrity-endorsed, its for their dedication to quality. If I ever had the chance, I would gladly give up my life to be a student of a Birkin maker. I have the same respect for their items as I do with my own work.
We may not be world famous, but for the handful of people that we reach, we want you to be absolutely happy. That, really is the greatest reward.
Disclaimer to Singaporeans: This is not meant to be an attack on anyone. If these all sound like crap to you, then florspace isn't for you. We won't take it to heart and we won't miss you either.
We're kinda pooped! But we're happy that quite a number of you guys chose us for your christmas presents! HUGE thanks and hugs go out to you! It's really heartening to know that yummy purses are reaching people. No more crummy store-bought ones. ;+) Anyways, bet you all haven't seen those 3 in years. LOL Just kidding, prolly just months back. We're completely out of these fabrics and they're reserves, just in case. We took them out and made them into cute MiniZs again! IMO, they are the classics of traditional Japanese designs. Plus the texture makes it so much more interesting.
Of course, we didn't forget to reload Winter Wonderland! Just 2 more, in case you guys need it for gifts. Its such a cute print, I need to hoard more of it for now. ;+)
3 NEW ones! The Carte wallets came before these handy dandys, I know, but the essential MiniZs are out! I love Le Matryoshka Noir because I tend to get careless and drop my purses in the street even though I cringe to think what the sidewalks has seen, so the black background is heaven for me! hehe Obviously Monokuro Boo would be perfect too! It was tough to get the print to centre without wasting large amounts of it. Gotta think more economically. *racks brains*. And, we all need Sundays! The cheery Sunday print is bound to lift just about anyone's mood! Cute sentiments, cute scene & trees at the back. Lemon gingham inside to boot. What could be better than lazing around til noon on Sunday with a good book?
We work in our PJs, so you could shop in it too!
(And no one would judge you even if you shopped on the can. heh heh)
ps: Garden Party Reversible Huggable Hobo is in too! ;+)
ppssssst! You want to WATCH the 3rd day. We have something nice coming. Shhh!
STARTS at approximately 1pm Singapore time, 12am EST, Nov 28th 2008. Will end Sunday 12 midnight (Singapore Monday, 1pm)
Black Friday-Weekend Sale Conditions:
1)Reserved, preorders, customs not included in the sale
2) Sale items are not included
3) Florspace Home items not included BUT can be shipped together. Wait for a revised paypal invoice, SG wait for revised email notice.
4) Payment is expected immediately at the time of order for international paying by paypal.
5) Payment is expected within a day for local orders, ie, payment has to be received in our bank account within a day after information is emailed to you.
6) No further discounts will be allowed.
7) While stocks last, or subject to our production capabilities. Items will be relisted as the sellout, so a little patience is in order. :+)
8) Conditions are subject to necessary changes.
9) Violations of rules mean sale will be cancelled. Sorry!
The GOOD news is...
Spend $50 and above, you'll get free extra yummy goodies in with your order! Ranges from our exclusive unreleased christmas stockings, our printed calendars which some of you guys have already received...plus ALL ORDERS gets yummy candy canes, our exclusive christmas postcards, keyring.....etc!! We don't usually hawk our freewares, coz they're always given out out of goodwill and most importantly because we love you guys for your continuous support! So everyone's gotta know every order comes with extra love! ;+)
Tell your friends, shop in your pjs with a mug of hot choco. What could be better?
THE Black Friday-Weekend Sale
-----
Phew! The first 12 hours of the sale has ended and so many of you guys waited patiently at the computer for the sale. HUGE HUGE thanks to everyone who's SO supportive of florspace! Your monies put food on our table & to buy more yummy fabric choice for you guys! Couple of the big ticket items have sold out but we'll try to put up more for sale tomorrow! Been working our asses off today so we need a bit of shuteye first. ;+)
- 12.13am 29th nov GMT+8, 11.13am 28th nov EST
I woke up and found them like this. I had to move them from my shelf to the craft shelf so that I could use the stamps. They are stamps afterall. But it was strange. One moment they were friends and that lousy Snowy Snowman is whispering to Santa that I shouldn't get presents this year because I'm bad. I'm really not that bad this year. Really. I even gave up my seat to old and disabled people on public transport. Ok...I yelled at my neighbors upstairs and complained about them a lot but really, they are the ones who tried to test my sanity in the first place. I worked like there's no tomorrow and only vacationed once when I saw DH in June. So why shouldn't I get presents?! LOL Anyhoo....I woke up today to find them back to back. Well almost. Snowy is still as mad as ever. Maybe its for the better. I'm looking forward to a pressie from Santa! Must sneak him more chocolate cookies. Maybe the low fat kind.
Need the sleigh ride for a bit of spice in your life? Here.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Oh so many of us have been drooling over Decole & other cute goodies, so I finally caved in and opened florspace home! Here you'll gradually find cute goodies for reasonable prices found & handpicked by me! I buy them retail and do not make huge sums of profit out of them. Like the philosophy of florspace, I prefer to honestly share the goodness with everyone! I can't sleep at night if I'd cheated someone. I suspect its gotta do with John Lennon asking Paul McCartney, "How do you sleep at night". Sigh, it goes a long way!
Anyhoo, go for goodies here!
...
Thanks Laura!
Just swapped the banner for the little shoppe. This time I'm actually early for my sale administration work. LOL I'm finding it tough to manoeuvre with the limitations of 700 by 100 for etsy banners. What do people think? Everyone seems to be holding up fine. Maybe its just me. I'm just lousy with the photo-editing. I messed up with photoshop coz it was really too complicated. Then I thought of learning Illustrator after spending too much time at Paul Frank's site. But I thought, its prolly a good idea if I did not. It might explode on me! I'm using photoscape and its so-far-so-good. *phew!*
Whoa, I cleared up 5 bags of stuff today from just 2 cupboards! Plenty of old mags, school notes, old diarys and some trinkets. Most of them are going to goodwill. If you're in town (Singapore) and deal with magazine papers (like make stuff out of them; coasters, baskets, bags, bowls, boxes, wallart, floor collage(!), table, woven art, envelopes, etc.), feel free to come over and collect them. You might need help. Its impossible to carry a bagful over 2 inches. I'm waaaaaaay too deep in my fabrics to delve into other projects right now. I would LOVE to do everything, but I gotta keep focused before I go insane! Its like what Laura would say, "I gotta clone myself". Ditto, girl.
I gotta take pictures. Its 12am now, so til next morning! *yawn*
....
p/s: Thanks you guys, its so encouraging to hear you guys! *beams*
