Phillip Phillips Home Video

Come away on a road trip, at least for awhile.

Maybelline Jelly Glow Blush

Still getting a kick out of using the photowonder app...

Just picked this blush up from Watson's. I like the fresh clean look of new cosmetics. Ahh, so clean, so new...

Totally fell for their marketing ploy and bought the 'limited edition', bundled-with-BB-cream offer. (Note to Maybelline: you win.)

Objects Found - A Creative Challenge

There is much adventure to be had in looking through what I already own and setting myself a creative challenge of using it. I've had both the gold-ish wristlets for years. One had a little bell attached which, upon closer inspection, could be removed. Not very convenient and shall we say grown-up to have a little bell tinkling every so often. The flower brooch was picked up recently at H&M and I've used it maybe once or twice which is a great waste of material, not to mention the manpower that designed it, made it, shipped it, sold it. I have a feeling my carbon footprint is pretty large. 

So - in the spirit of making do, my challenge to myself is to make use of each of these 3 objects at least 3 times in the next 7 days starting Wednesday.

p.s. loving the photo effect of a free app I downloaded called PhotoWonder.

Hobbits & Air NZ

Brilliant. I watched it right through! Looking forward to the Hobbit movie.

Quote

"Do what you’re good at and the money will follow. Do what you love on the side."

-The Cynical Girl

Inspiration

Posts have been sporadic, I know.
Just haven't been inspired to write anything lately.
But today, I liked these images from set & prop artist Joanna Laven, via Sacremento Street.

I admire the work of prop artists who pull together seemingly random, ordinary items to form a beautiful collage.

I like the whiteness of this room, the light shining cheerily in through the tall windows. I like the wood accents and dashes of green. In short, I would be very happy in a room like this.

This photo reminds me of little containers from my childhood. I like containers - neat receptacles to keep and contain things. I like the jewel tones.

Have been enjoying work greatly, and am looking forward to getting back to work on Monday to tackle challenges and strategise on how to move my team forward. Life is good when you enjoy your work!

Have an inspiring week ahead.

p.s. more inspiration from this post by Ali. I love yellow.

Make a difference

...or make the world a better place, whatever your slogan.

For some reason this morning, I got to thinking about the Harlem Globertrotters. Being skilled at what you do, having fun AND doing good? Too cool.



Nearer to home, I read about this business man named Michael Dee some time ago in the Straits Times. In trying to find the article, I stumbled on this other interview.  Inspiring... real-life adventures in what I consider to be really living.

Update: found the ST article I was looking for - here!

Stamp Lovin'

For my last day at my last department, I bought boxes of chocolate to give away to my colleagues. The Ferrero Rocher chocolates that I chose ("Ambassador, you're really spoiling us!" hahahahah!) came in clear box that I was happy to recycle as a new home for my stamps. Use 'em or lose 'em, as I always say. That and Reduce, Re-use, Recycle!

I haven't been in the mood to use stamps for awhile, just a little here and there. I think what stops me most is the thought of cleaning the ink off them afterwards, which can be such a drag...

But seeing the stamps lined up so neatly and ready for use, I got a little more enthusiastic. Watching these videos by Lawn Fawn certainly got me in the mood for stamping again...

I also like their banner card which I'm having some problems linking to, for some reason...happy Sunday anyway!

Foods I can now live with

I used to hate wang shui (coriander) with a vengeance, picking each tiny bit out of my soup if it ever had the misfortune of being placed in my bowl.

Then I guess I grew up, because I quite like it now.

The same goes for:

• brinjals
• celery
• ladies fingers
• & chilli

Crafting for charity, continued

The crafting for charity continues though I think I'm running out of steam.

I decorated two blank 7gypsies albums and am putting them up for sale. I hope they get adopted and enjoyed!

I did a travel journal with one, and I called the other one 'enduring love'.

The idea is that the journals are lightly decorated according to the theme, ready for including text and photos and well-wishes, if wanted. Voila, a time-saving purchase if I do say so myself.

I realize that I...

• LOVE using my rub-ons and distress ink
• would NOT want to do craft full-time for a living!

Made with love...for charity

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I'd committed myself to making some craft stuff for an upcoming staff bazaar.

I am pleased to say that I managed to make some cards and mini butterfly-themed cards. My favorite discovery was how the Martha Stewart butterflies can be attached to card stock with ribbon, and stuck onto a card, making a 3D effect. I made 14 of the cards, 5 of which have already been picked out (by my boss who happened to walk by... an induced pre-sale!)

Sometimes a little push is all it takes to get over procrastination...

All proceeds will go to the President's Challenge.

Saying farewell: brought to you by the letter C

Two weeks to go before I move to my new workplace and I'm looking forward to it.

I have been shredding with a vengeance, quite a lot of which was stuff I lugged with me from my previous job. My friend C says I move jobs too little. C, a seasoned mover, regularly clears her stuff each month. Ah, well, we learn.

For this move, I'm bringing as little as possible with me. I'm limiting my stationery, junking a decade's worth of training notes, packing things to bring home. I gave away documents to people who would use them, and a cushion to my cleaning lady. 

Feeling all fresh and psyched! And admittedly, I'm thinking that I won't stay too long in my next job. Stay long enough to accomplish things and make a difference, and move off once things stabilize and some one else can take over. (We'll see...)

So anyway I made a little keepsake for C, who is a pink fanatic. I had letters, acrylic, even sparkly flower stick-ons (thank you Chelle!) which I put together fairly quickly. Although it doesn't show up that well in the photo, it also has some sparkly bits from shimmery powder that I sprinkled on the still-wet acrylic paint.

For the backing, I punched some small holes in a piece of firm paper and threaded pink ribbon (thank you Chelle! :p)  to hold the letter in place.

Voila.

Craft for charity

My workplace is holding its annual staff charity bazaar soon.

My colleague suggested selling some craft stuff.

Foolishly, I offered to contribute some craft stuff, like DIY kits or handmade cards. I say foolishly because that means routing out some of my stuff and trying not to go nuts staying on task and not getting distracted with all the things I could possibly make.

I'm going to make butterflies from my scraps, for a start. That'll get me going and give me time to mull on the rest while I work :)

DIY name chain & preparing to move

Five weeks till I start my new posting. 3 years ago I was getting ready to move, and here I am moving again. It gets easier, I think. Hopefully.

I'm making little keepsakes for a few friends I made along the way.

Just 'a little something', like this keychain. 

I'm happy to say I found a use for a keychain ring I saved from an old lanyard or something. I had alphabet beads, and I used ribbon that Chelle gifted to me. I attempted to do a satin stitch on the ribbon to sew up the ends, too.

A Nod to William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower...

Happy 47th Birthday, Singapore

You're looking pretty good.

On Bourne. And Decluttering.

National Day holiday today!

Watched The Bourne Legacy yesterday. Ignore the critics - the series is still awesome! Watched it with my aunt lil who is my Bourne Buddy, having watched the first 3 with me. Jeremy Renner definitely gives Matt Damon a run for his money...and then some.

As for today....it would be a good day to de-clutter or maybe not. And by the way, here's a good post, should one want to get started.
http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/08/decluttering-tips-from-an-aspiring-hoarder.html

Hmm.

And off to relax we go...

Saturday

Saturday!

Today we are going to my aunt's for her famous chicken macaroni soup (and lots of croutons, please). 

My grandma is making poppiah, and we might just bring along some Tim Sum that my brother just brought back from Kota Kinabalu. Yes, we are a little hardcore that way.

I miss Manukan Island. It was dreamy and a great place to while away an afternoon.

Then in the afternoon, I have Bible study cell group and dinner plans with Wen.

Now I need to get going on my Saturday housework so that I can go out to play!

TTFN.

DIY ribbon loom

Make do, or make over. 

I remember reading an article describing that was how people used to live. And though the options were a lot more limited, they still managed to have a good time.

When I tried googling for the term, I came across 'Make Do and Mend' instead. The slogan was used during World War II to encourage British citizens to gather scraps and contribute all that they could find to aid the war effort, like metal pots and pans and even railings (info from this BBC webpage here)

In that vein, I was delightfully inspired by Poppytalk's post on a DIY ribbon loom. 

Because, you know, hoarder that I am, there was a loom from my childhood sitting in my cupboard! It was bought for $2.90 at MPH a few decades ago. I will have to ask around to find out if any of my aunts bought it for me.

So I dug the loom out, and rummaged in my bag of ribbon scraps to fund a ribbon of suitable length. I used an LV ribbon that I've also had for a long time.

Here are some photos of how things turned out.

Stretched out on the flower loom

Instructions on the back of the box

The finished flower

Arteastiq & my DIY art

Here are some photos from a visit to Arteastiq, a tea lounge and art jam hosting venue at Mandarin Gallery, Orchard Road. I was there last December with a group of colleagues.

It's a pretty place, with a good view of leafy trees.

But that day, I was there not for tea but to make my own piece of art.

Starting with a blank canvas...

I selected paint colors...

And created my own piece of art that now sits on my bedside table.
Well, it's no Van Gogh, but I'd like to think it's a cross between some of my favorite artists/periods: Mark Rothko and the Impressionists (Paul Signac)

Oh and the funny thing is, it's easier than it looks to do what other bloggers have done:
Specifically, Elise's finger painting or big script art.
I also referenced Oh Happy Day's abstract art or potato prints.

It was kind of fun for a day out.