A dream - Valentino Spring 2010

It’s Friday! So let’s talk something light-hearted, shall we? And what better than fashion! Have you seen Valentino’s Spring 2010 RTW collection? The pieces are to die for! The designers romanced soft natural tones and worked with gorgeous fabrics like tulle, lace, chiffon and organza. The effect created is soft and sheer. Isn’t it fabulous that they are so, yet still look very chic and modern?

I think it’s so apt when I say these pieces are a dream! I REALLY love them.

P/S Aren’t those fanciful shoes by Philip Treacy wonderful too?

Okey dokey, I'm going off to further swoon over these and am signing off for the week. See you on Monday!

[images: Style.com]

Periodic table of Typefaces

Do you find yourself looking at something and going “nice typeface!” or “nice but pity the typeface”? And this happens even when type is supposedly not the central focus of it? I do this pretty often and, hehe, I hope it’s not irritating the people whom I subject this to. I’m sure those of you who share my love affair with typography concurs.

Have you seen this Periodic Time of Typeface (click on image to enlarge)? It’s way cool!

It lists 100 of the most popular, influential and notorious typefaces today. As with traditional periodic tables, the subject matter is grouped categorically by families and classes of typefaces. Each cell of the table lists the typeface and a one or two character "symbol", the designer, year designed and a ranking of 1 through 100.

All right fellow type lovers, *collective sigh*!

Go here for more information.

[images: from here]

Lovingly packed

I had my first international sale from my little shop over the weekend!! It was for this journal. To show my appreciation, when I packed the item on Monday, I threw in 2 of my fabric cat notecards! I hope she likes it! This is what the packaging looks like now. I’ll look to improve it when things stabilise a little. I’m all for packaging. It makes so much difference doesn’t it?

Afternoon Tea

Remember the lovely gift box that my Japanese friend gave me (see it here, scroll down) from Afternoon Tea? I checked out their website today and *giggles*, you’ve guessed it! This is going to be yet another post on Japanese lifestyle shop love. Don’t hate me for it :).

I really like the kitchen set in the first image. I know it's a little excessive but don't the bananas look so good like that? And the little onigiri (rice ball) containers are too cute! Erm, who says indoor slippers have to be boring?

Loads more on their website. It's in Japanese but it won't hinder you.

[images from source]

[Weekend through the eyes of my iPhone] - #9

Hello lovelies!
How are you today?
I wanted to tell you about my weekend.
T and I celebrated Friday by having a drink.
I fascinated myself by taking photos of the place.

As I walked around,
I closed my eyes
And let myself be transported
To the time when this place was still a school
It was teeming with students!
Their chatter, laughter and their energy.
Ops! A little one just brushed me with her schoolbag as she ran past.
Ahh, I know why.
The school bell just rang.

On Saturday
We finally watched Julie & Julia.
I don’t understand why it took this long to hit the theatres here.
Of course I loved it!
It made us both hungry though.
And off we went to an Indonesian restaurant for dinner.
Can you tell I love spicy food?

My weekend was a simple one.
What about yours?

All the World's a Stage

Who am I? Have you ever asked yourself that? When I started blogging seriously, on Cookie Cutter, I felt like I was finally letting myself go. I felt released. I wrote what I wanted. No one drew the boundaries but me. This is truly a space I can call mine. It means being all girly and gushing about cute images, raving about beautiful apparels, going on and on in paragraphs about interiors and stationery etc. These are stuff people in the “real world” may term as “fluff” but here, I proudly place “fluff” on the pedestal. Better still, I found you guys who love these as much as I and are proud of it!

In the initial days of Cookie Cutter, a friend remarked that the person I am in here is kind of different from the person I allow myself to be in the real world. This means that my friends out there know a somewhat different Sandy from the one you guys know here. The thing is, this friend prefers the Sandy he sees here and feels this is where I let my real self surface. I thought about this. The good thing is, this means Cookie Cutter is successful on a personal level. I enjoy doing it, some sweet readers have kindly said they like it (thank you!), and it’s a piece of work born out of my true self. On the other hand, the troubling implication is that the “real world” is like a masquerade for me. This would be the extreme but yes, there is a gap between my so-called two selves. This friend added that the consolation is that with my taking the leap and channeling my energy into creative work, I have narrowed the gap significantly.

I hope that one day, my two selves will be merged so that there will be only one me. It’s tough because we have responsibilities to fulfill and there are certain expectations that come with them. But it’s just too tiring to be changing masks all the time. What about you? Do you find yourself changing masks too (please tell me I’m not the only one with this problem)? Have you successfully achieved a singular identity?

[images clockwise from top left: thelittledeer Flickr, We heart it, your life it seems extravagant, We heart it, Wasting, poofybird, RNDM]

Parcels in the mail

I haven’t been opening my mailbox for a couple of days and when I did so yesterday, I found a parcel for me! I LOVE receiving parcels! It’s a cocktail of excitement, anticipation, surprise and delight that sends me into a few seconds of dizzy high. The parcel I received is from the sweet and talented Lisa Tilse. Thanks, Lisa! It totally brightened my day! I’m sharing the lovely items that Lisa mailed me. She knew exactly what I am crazy about—stationery and fabric!

The generosity and support I’m getting from this creative community is something which I’m so grateful for!

Thank You & Hello

Hello lovelies!

I want to say a big "thank you" once again as I continue to receive your congratulations (here and here) ever since I launched my little Etsy shop. It's such a delight to hear from fellow Estysians as well as folks who are saying hello for the first time! Knowing that I have your support means alot to me.

I would also like to say "hello" to new friends who are following me on Twitter. It's wonderful to be connected to creative people like you!

Hope everyone's having a great mid-week!

[images: Kan&Kusa Flickr, We heart it]

Quintessentially Japanese - susu

It’s no secret that I am lover of almost all things Japanese. And I know some of you reading share my obsession :). We all love it for different reasons. For me, I’ve always been drawn to the simple, clean, natural slant in their designs and products. One sees this in their apparels, furnishings, interior designs, art and craft. There is something in them that is quintessentially Japanese. It differs from the western's clean designs which tends to be sleeker.

If I am failing to convey my point effectively, this Japanese lifestyle store, susu, illustrates it well. Their website is in Japanese but it’s not going to stop you from browsing at the images of their inviting products.

They have those Japanese tapes that we can't get enough of too!

[images: from source]

Japanese Magazine Love

I’m still elated from the opening of my little Etsy shop and all your sweet comments! It makes me go on a creative high and want to make more with my hands! Is the sun a little brighter and the birds’ singing more melodious today or what?

I’ll like to share some Japanese interior magazines love with you today. If ever I'm feeling blue, a trip to Kinokuniya and a few Jap magazines in my arms later, I'll be good as new!

Their love for nature is reflected in their generous use of wood and other natural materials. Gorgeous, isn't it? I especially love the desk in the first pic. Pardon the bad photography (Leslie, you reading this? Help! :p).

Cookie Cutter on Etsy!

See something extra on the right sidebar? *grins* CookieCutterEtsy is now live!! My very own little shop! I hope you’ll find time to check it out and to pass the word around if you love it. I handmade everything myself. I tend towards simple and clean designs. There are only a few pics here so do click on the link to see the full listings. I’ll see how things go from here and will then look into putting up more items. Drop me a comment to tell me what you think too, ok?

Somebody pinch me? I can’t believe this is happening. For some of you, it might not be a huge thing at all especially since you’ve had it running successfully for quite a while now. But for me, it is. Since it’s a big occasion for me, let me ramble on abit, will you?

Let’s see, I’ve thought of having a little online shop many years ago. That was even before I learnt of Etsy or embraced the gifts I’m blessed with (there, I’ve said it. One should have the self-confidence to say this). I just knew I wanted to sell something online. Maybe it’s greedy Sandy wanting to jump on the wagon like everyone else so as to earn a quick buck or two. Obviously, that didn’t materialise because it was just too hazy.

Then in recent years, I discovered this creative community formed by you wonderful people who are reading this. I realised, hey, this is real, what these people are doing and the support they give to each other. Being exposed to all your amazing creative works and blogs resurfaced my interest in a field which I’ve buried for way TOO LONG. I looked at your shops and thought maybe I can do it too but any creative work I did—sewing, painting my room—was relegated to the free time on weekends. Because my day job “was more important”. This went on for quite a while. I told myself then I will have my own etsy shop but I couldn’t even put a deadline to that because I didn’t know how I would find time to do it (we’re talking about handmade, remember?).

But I always felt this latent energy in me trying to break out. I wanted to do more. That voice in me was much louder and I feared if I didn’t listen to it then, it would be silenced forever. Isn’t one of the happiest things in life to be true to thy ownself? So for those of you who followed me on this journey since I started this blog, you would recall the giant step I took. I leapt (hehe, I just had to borrow the expression from Rufus and Lily. Those who know what I’m talking about are already giggling). It wasn’t easy from there but it was liberating and I could make my plans concrete and forced myself to see that it materialises. And so, here we are. I’m proud to say CookieCutterEtsy is now up and running!

To all of you who have already dropped a note to congratulate me, thank you! I’m especially touched since that was actually the first time I heard from some of you. I hope I’ll continue to hear from you. For the wonderful people who pop by often to say hi, I just want to say you are a great encouragement especially during the quiet times. And last but not least, I want to thank T for never failing to cheer me on and helping me stay true to myself.

Exiciting Announcement

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm in the midst of setting up my Etsy shop. Finally!! I'm busy putting together some pictures right now and will let you guys on it soon! For now, here's a sneak peak. There will also be non-paper goods. I'm so exicted!

[Weekend through the eyes of my iPhone] - #8

Welcome back everyone! I hope you had a well-rested weekend and is now roaring to go with regard the new week!

This weekend, we had a few errands to run and so drove around quite a bit. I’m not sure why but I must have spotted a record number of Volkswagen Beetles on the road for a singular weekend. They weren’t just the New Beetle. There were actually more of the Type 1s (now you see that my love for vintage extends to cars as well). The cutest and most adorable of these was a Type 1 in white and baby blue. Swooooon! I wish I could have snapped that one in time.

T and I rewarded ourselves for the busy Saturday with a lovely dinner at a quiet place off town. We’ve been to this place a few times and this was the first time I noticed the interesting lightings near this staircase. Makes it all look cool and swanky, doesn’t it?

We also caught a beautiful movie. It’s been some time since I enjoyed a movie this much. Set in Belle Epoque Paris, the film boasted gorgeous cinematography, beautiful beautiful period costumes and interior sets. But more than these, the movie managed to draw me in and captured my emotions before my realizing so. It engaged at a level that many Hollywood productions fail to and I didn’t have the conscious awareness that I was watching the film as an audience in a cinema. I love how subtle it is and how a lot is conveyed without explicit articulation. It’s a movie that I can revisit and come away with different understanding each time. It’s like peeling the layers. Oh, should I mention that Michelle Pfeiffer’s luminous in this film? That said, I’ll have to admit that this film wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But if this sounds like you kind of thing, go catch Cheri.






[movie images from: here]

Fairies and their Lights

When did you realise where you passion lies? I think it took me quite a while to find out mine. Or rather come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t all that into Mathematics and Science. With the realisation, I look back and discover that there were actually signs along the way (which I was often quick to overlook or dismiss).

When was the first time you happily perused an Ikea catalogue? I recall being only in elementary school then. Before that I had completely no awareness about how interiors look (completely forgiveable due to young age). But that Ikea catalogue changed everything! It opened my eyes. Of course I then bugged my parents to take me to Ikea. Back then, the Ikea store here was kind of small and cramped. It didn’t bother me one bit though. I thought it was almost as good as visiting the amusement park! It wasn’t flat showroom pictures in the catalogue pages anymore. The real furniture pieces were right before eyes! From then on, I started looking forward eagerly to the catalogues every year. That moment when I first flipped the pages of an Ikea catalogue, that was a definitive moment for me. That was an indication of my love for interior décor at a tender young age.

While the “practical” stuff in life may submerge this love of mine sometimes, it’s always there. With the connection to the blogsphere, it has been very much kept alive. Recently, I’m so fascinated with the idea of using fairy lights in interior decor. I now think it's almost a sin to only take them out in the festive seasons! Such pretty things should be displayed all year round. They look so beautiful draped over the mirror or bed. I love how they evoke a soft and warm feel. And what a nice name, isn't it? They'll like what they are called. I can almost see little glowing fairies prancing about.

It's gonna be a busy weekend for me. There's a long to-do list with items waiting to be striked off. Have a nice weekend and I'll see you next week!

[images from top, top left, clockwise: art star Tumblr, lenaah Flickr, We heart it, We heart it, We heart it, Viktor Vautheir Photo Graphic Library]

Soft Interiors

In the mood for dreamy and rustic.

Because it's like living apart from reality.

[images: We Heart it]

Soft fabrics

In the mood for feminine delicates and sheers.

Because they evoke a fairyland feel.

[images from top, left to right: Shiborilove, Pony Tail Flickr, mrs. french Flickr, We Heart It, Krisatomic Flickr, yvetteinufio]

Travel in Style

I dread crowded public transport. Especially during the morning rush hour.

Imagine this:
It’s Monday morning.
You’re dragging yourself to work.
You have to squeeze to get into the subway carriage. Quick! Quick! Before the door closes on you.
Now that you’re in, you feel like a canned sardine.
Surrounded by sleepy and grim-looking faces.
You hope the person behind you don’t embrace you when the train jerks.
Because you are trying to balance like a ballerina on the little space your feet found.
Rats! You forgot that you should stop wearing peep-toe heels on weekdays.

Argh, urban life…. One should be travelling in style. Like this:

[images from top, left to right: Allister Ann Flickr, Doubletake, LOOKBOOK.nu, This is Glamorous, Remeno Tumblr, We heart it, We heart it, Paoulina, Thumbelina]