Blast from the Past - Nostalgia

Welcome to a new week, lovelies! Thanks for your sweet comments on my previous food-related post :). I hope everyone had a restful weekend.

I came across these bar soaps from Nostalgia and found them simply irresistible! The vintage inspired packing is soooo pretty (I hear them calling out to me)! And I’m totally in love with those cute names. I know we’ve been using liquid soap for a while but don’t bar soaps just bring you back to childhood days? The important thing is, these gorgeous bars are made from natural materials and won’t be drying out your skin.

Nostalgia also has other toiletries, including these body balms.

Natural ingredients, beautiful designs and handmade craftsmanship. What’s not to love?

[images: Nostalgia]

My Day as told by Food

cereals with cranberries and soy milk

tuna & lettuce wholemeal sandwich

Japanese okashi

Japanese shrimp curry rice with vegetables (bad iPhone picture)

ice cold beer

That’s my Thursday for you :)

(click to enlarge images)

Thanks also for your sweet comments about my handmade journal in the previous post!

Embroidered Linen Cloth Wrapped Journal

Lately, I’ve been preoccupied with sewing and embroidery. I relish the “ta-da!!” moment when I see the completed image materialise before my eyes. And it’s with the knowledge that I’ve sewn it carefully thread by thread!

I’m happy to say that I’ve listed another journal in my Etsy shop. On top of being handmade, the hand embroidery on this journal makes it extra special! The journal is wrapped in Japanese linen (I simply adore the raw look and feel of this natural fabric) and I hand bound with sweet pink thread. It’s made with lotsa love!

Click over to the Etsy link for more details and images. I’ve also re-listed a few other items in the shop, so do check them out! :) If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ll know that I’m also making tote bags. I’m still at it and I want to have a few before I list them. So stick around, ya?

A Little Escape - Negla

Let’s go for an escape! Erm for me, that means to Tokyo. But erase from your mind all the sights and sounds of the crowded streets of Shibuya or Shinjuku. We are venturing into the suburb to uncover the gems hidden within!

It’s here that you will find Negla. Vintage furniture and zakka items. This shop is all charm and coziness! To me, this is a perfect place to while away the afternoon.

I hope you enjoyed our little escape! I’ve been hard at work making some journals with fabric covers and bits of embroidery. I’m excited to give you a peek either tomorrow or Friday so remember to pop back in here!

[image: Negla]

Clash of the Prints

Hi there, it was great to hear from some of you in the previous post! Certainly glad to know I’m not the only one guilty of loving not-so-healthy food. A lovely reader mentioned that she wanted to follow Cookie Cutter but it wasn’t obvious how to (thanks so much for highlighting that). On the right column, just after “I am *Hearting*”, you can “Place Cookie Order”. Click on the appropriate button to subscribe. I hope this helps :). If you too were wondering the same thing, click on to follow now!

For today’s post, I thought I’ll inspire us all to be more adventurous with prints and colours. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I tend to stick to safe options. But as these images demonstrate, a clash of prints done so tastefully is oh so pretty! It’s fun! And what’s life without fun? So go on, try it!

Are you like me, a little too sedated? Or have you always been bold with your decorative choices?

[images (from top): 1 Maggy Moon Interiors, 2 Vintage Heaven, 3 Jasna Janekovic, Lily of Opulence, 4 Petits Details, 5 House Dreams, 6 Craft & Creativity, Larking About]

The Weekend & All that It Brings

Yay! It’s Friday and I love it because it holds the promise of the entire weekend! Sweet! I look forward to the weekend because it’s when I get to do what I want. That could be 1) to just laze around at home, with the telly of course. 2) to throng the malls and get my necessary and not-so-necessary shopping done. 3) to get outdoors and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. 4) spend time with loved ones. The weekend’s also when I unplug from the internet and give my perpetually achy shoulders some much needed relief.

So that all sounds good and balanced and lovely. But ahem, I also top that all up by allowing myself to indulge in food. As much as I make it a point to eat healthy, the weekend’s when I let my guard down a little. (If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know I have a weakness for chips.) You can bet it’s going to be so this weekend too!

Good old burger and fries. I actually do LOVE them ALOT. You’ll have to admit that they taste so good! Ice-cream is definitely up there in my list of most-loved food (it beats chocolate by just a teeny weeny bit). I imagine heaven to be a place where there’s free-flow of ice-cream and one doesn’t get fat or sick from them. And just to make it all sound a little balanced, I’m going to say I didn’t forget my serving of fruits! Strawberries!

What about you? What are your food indulgence? What is it that you love about the weekend?

[images: simplypix]

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

The weather is rather strange these days, isn’t it? It’s supposed to be one of the warmest months over here but it’s been raining buckets! This morning, I woke up to really dark skies. I thought I’ll share a few cute finds to help you weather the winds and rain. Who says you gotta be in drab to be weather safe? These will help you step out in style! (click to enlarge)

1. A feminine trench with ruffles
2. With such cute wellies, the playful you will emerge and you’ll want to jump right into that puddle!
3. Water-proof AND chic bag
4. Chilly in the office? This cardigan not only keeps you warm but oozes so much style
5. The sky may be grey but you’ve got your lovely candy coloured brolly

La Nina or not, I’m not going to let the wetness dampen my mood! Hope you like these!

[images: 1. Anthropologie, 2. Net-A-Porter, 3. LULU Australia, 4. Anthropologie, 5. Kate Spade]