White Spaces

Hi there, no, I didn’t forget about you. The reason for the erratic posting the last week was that I took an impromptu little trip over the causeway to Malaysia. The heat was getting unbearable over here and I sought some relief from the highlands. But I’m glad to be back home and back looking around the blogsphere. I spotted these gorgeous white spaces and thought I’ll share them with you. Love how the white opens up the space and the plentiful natural lighting. Makes me feel like inhaling deeply.

I caught Handmade Nation, the movie over the weekend and really enjoyed it. There were a few screenings that day and I caught the one in the afternoon. It was really inspiring listening to other crafters and gaining an idea of how a craft fair is like. The sad thing was there were like only 10 people in the room. And I know the multiplexes in town were then thronged with people catching the latest Hollywood movies. Hopefully, one day, we will have more support and appreciation of indie and handmade over here.

[images: 1 masminto354, 2 greige, 3 & 4 Light Locations (via lushlee)]

Now, I Fancy

A few looks I’m loving now:

Denim shorts

Heels and socks

Oversized tops

[images: Stockholm Street Style]

Kawaii Mono - The Small Object

How was your weekend? I participated in a run on 22 May, Saturday. It means I’m having aching legs right now but I do feel a little accomplished. But I also realised I’m getting a little muddle headed. I had it in my head that the run was on 22 May but I kept thinking that it was Sunday (don’t ask me why). T and I were whiling away the time in a cafe on Saturday afternoon when I made a call. In the midst of the call, I spoke about the coming Monday and I had said 23rd, Monday. The other party corrected me, 24 May. “Isn’t Monday 23rd?” I asked. Upon getting the reply, my mind processed the implication that I had the dates all screwed up in a split second. I put the call on hold and said to T, “s**t! I think our run’s today!”. Thankfully, it was a late afternoon run and we still had 2 hours to go. I kept whining about having no mental preparation for it but T was very sweet to just take it all in (even though I was the one who made the silly mistake). So, yep, we made it to the run and we completed it.

On to today’s post. If you, like me, are a lover of all things sweet and cute, you’re going to love what I’m about to share with you! Aptly named, The Small Object, this wonderful online shop stocks the most kawaii little things! I so smitten with the stamp sets (collecting stamp sets is so addictive by the way!).

Organisation idea cards for the crafty you

Alphabet print (I’ve seen quite a few of these and always love them)

For those of us who love our needlecraft, isn’t this needle holder the cutest?! And don’t get me started on the thread holder.

I hope these sweet little things brightened up your day. Happy Monday, lovelies!

[images: The Small Object]

Of Mac & Books

My Macbook has turned its back on me recently. To think that I’ve been taking such good care of it. Hmph! This is also the reason why I haven’t been checking out some of your blog lately. While I try to get it to stop throwing tantrums, I have sought solace in old friends who are not at all temperamental—books!

I’m reading a few books right now and enjoying them according to my mood. There’s non-fiction, there’s chic lit, there’s even comic! Some frown on novels and chic lit and feel that one only has time for non-fiction, edifying books. I beg to differ. I think it’s perfectly fine to have a wide repertoire and it in turns contributes to one’s different style of writing too! There are times when my eye lids turn heavy with just a page of information-laden book but reading novels/chic lit transports me away from my world. As I read, the mental images of the story build up in my mind. It’s like watching a movie! Totally engaging! What do you enjoy reading?

I’m glad to have time to catch up on some reading. But I do hope to get my Macbook to stop its nonsense soon.

[images: 1 Candy Pop, 2 & 3 We Heart It, 4 ArtofAli, 5 & 6 We Heart It]

Sticky Affair

I’ve been suppressing it. I tried pretty hard to. And for quite some time too. But I’ve still developed a crush on sticky tapes! Don’t ask me what I intend to do with them. I just want to collect all those adorable designs! They’re so pretty I’m sure I can find numerous uses for them. Do you share my love for sticky tapes? This Korean website, 10x10, I spotted seriously doesn’t help!

Look at all the cuteness the tapes can contribute to:

[images: from source]

Handmade Journal with old Enid Blyton book cover

I’ve been on a creative high lately, not just with the ideas but with the actual hands-on work as well. Rather than buying lots of materials and then letting them sit silently in the cupboard, I’ve actually been making things out of them!

My latest creation is a handmade journal made from an old hard cover Enid Blyton book! I’ve had the idea swimming around in my head for the longest time and I’m glad I finally pushed myself to see it materialize!

I scoured various places for old copies of Enid Blyton books. It made me sweat a little because they not only had to be in decent condition, I also refused to use the newer versions with modern cover designs. My benchmark was that the cover designs had to be the ones I remember from my days of reading the books or older. I chose Enid Blyton books because they offered me an alternative life when I was a kid coped up in a little apartment. They transported me to a land of adventures and mysteries, magic trees, wishing chairs, afternoon teas and ginger beers, boarding schools and midnight feasts… The blank pages in the journal are interspersed with a few pages from the original book. I thought these let us remember what it was like reading these books. Lastly, I spiral bound the journal in antique brass which I thought adds to the vintage vibe.

Personally, I’m happy with this journal and I hope you do too. It’s now listed in my little Etsy shop! Click over to see more pictures and get more details.

Food Affair

Hello there, did you have a nice weekend? I did! I played Scrabble, packed an item I sold and also caught the Very Short International Film Festival (each was not more than 3 minutes long. Really cool!).

And back to the food-related bit on my Hong Kong trip which I promised. Everytime we visited, T and I make it a point to go to this local Hong Kong style café. We love it for how unpretentious it is. It has stayed the same all these years despite the recent increase in number of tourists because of word of mouth marketing.

Love the retro titled wall and little booth seats!

Sinfully delicious French toasts.

I tend to be more adventurous when I travel, in general as well as for my palate. We had street food under make shifts tent. It’s nice when the weather is cool.

Hong Kong style desserts is also one of the must eats.

For some reason, we really like the sushi restaurants in Hong Kong!

I’m delighted my Japanese stitch bound journal was sold and I will be listing another item soon! Keep your eyes peeled on this space for updates :)