Form & Function

I'm usually not the type to swoon over cute electronic gadgets, but this nifty little thing has caught my attention. I must say this is the cutest gift I've received this X'mas. It's a black Mickey Mplayer designed by iriver, a company based in South Korea. What I love about this is that the design remains simple and clean while incorporating core functionality. It's not overworked. You will see a lot of thought is given to the design of this Mplayer, right down to the packaging. The two spherical ears are functional, with one that controls volume and the other to forward/back soundtracks. The quality of the music output is good in my opinion. I especially love the earpiece. It's made to wear like a necklace with the mickey player as a pendant. The Mplayer comes in many delicious colors, I'm so tempted to collect a few more. Did I mention it has won a few design awards too? I'm absolutely won over. Thank you Cindy!

(photo source: Akihabaranews.com)

And here's the latest of the pack - Mplayer Eyes. The LED eyes display different eye signals when in operation, showing various menus such as Play, Rewind and Volume like a monitor. Now that's what I call a good design with form & function!

Distressed Luxe

I'm at the stage of gathering materials to make up a mood board for the interior theme of our new place, which hopefully will be ready by sometime mid of this year. We've now decided on a term which I made up - 'Distressed Luxe'. Do not mistaken it for Shabby Chic, it's not. It's a theme which I hope will achieve an old world feel with some form of luxury, without looking shabby. Yesterday, while at a local bookstore, browsing through mazagines, a favorite pastime which I love, I came upon this vision of the french style which I think fits the mood. I'm in love with the whole color theme: french blue, white, black with a subtle touch of gilded pieces.

The monumental Salone Grande, which was built in the Fifties and based on 17th-century plans. The summer home for the Prince & Princess of Borromeo, Italy. La dolce vita!

(Source: W magazine)

A little girl with long legs...

You must be wondering what this is? It's made of silicon...read on and find out!

As you know, a pair of chopsticks is an essential part of growing up as a Chinese. We were taught since young to use a pair of chopsticks to eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner. My daughter is now 3 years old, so as the Chinese half of the family, I'm suppose to impart her this skill...but it's not easy to a toddler teach how to use chopsticks. Some people takes years to really master it to the extend you could pick up spherical objects. It requires some talent! Me? Yes I can. :) You certainly need patience and lots of practice or you can get 'CHOPSTICK KIDS' to help...

While I was in Bangkok, I stumbled upon this cute nifty gadget named 'CHOPSTICK kids' (chinese with ease) in a homeware store. Now that really crack me up! It's essentially a figurine of a little girl/boy made out of silicon with chopsticks attached as legs. It helps to align the chopsticks so that you can take out a little bit of frustration. So now, my daughter would use it every now and then because it's colorful and fun too! You still need a little skill to use this. The trick is not too squeeze too hard or your chopsticks will cross, which is a no-no. It's also washable, soft and foodsafe, what more can a mommy ask for? Did I mention it's great for adults too?

Her Morning Elegance

Life is a journey...

hello my new found old friend,
an old electric sewing machine
saved from collecting dust in a corner
you were there all along but i didn't notice you until now...

You must think I'm silly, but when I first started sewing in my teens, it was on my grandma's antique Singer peddle sewing machine, so my memory of a sewing machine was that, not something in a box that is portable.

Deep plum linen passport cover with lime green scribble design, scrunched detail with contrasting fuchsia satin lining. Personalized with hand embroidered owner's name.

And so, my journey with you started again. I've decided to make a passport cover for a special friend. A friend who gave me the nudge, to realize my dream, to start my online shop. Her name is Sara. Thank you & Happy Belated Birthday! I hope with this passport jacket, it will start you on your own journey & take you places you wish to go or never thought of going before.

Happy Trails...❤nicole

Bespoke Poppi Lace Collection

Ah...finally finished a bespoke Poppi Lace collection for a customer in UK. She's going to wear them to a black and white themed ball in October. So cool! I'm very pleased with how the cufflinks and earrings turn out. Ah I can breath now...before I rush them off to the post office...

One week or so later...
my customer received them faster than I expected...here's what she has to say:
"I received the earrings, cufflinks and ring a couple of weeks ago - they are absolutely beautiful. THANK YOU so much. I shall pass on your details to my friends and also be back in touch with you when I need some more jewelry for a special event."

THANK YOU Emma, it's my pleasure!

Colours & Patterns

I'm really excited about the prospect of decorating our new place. The first inspiration that pops into my head is this is shop which I love to death ~ Designers Guild. This London based worldwide name is establish by designer Tricia Guild, who is the brainchild of this furnishing fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery empire. I admire their ability to mix colors and patterns with such flair & ease.

We're still undecided about what theme we're going to for this time for our new home. Rock Vintage? Shabby Chic? Baroque? It's a tough choice. But I do know what I like from this shop, and I'll share some of my favorite picks with you. I'm sure their website will inspire you too!

nabucco fabric, image from Designers Guild

copacobana fabric, image from Designers Guild

lebond fabric, image from Designers Guild

tsugar wallcovering, image from Designers Guild

aliseda fabric, image from Designers Guild

jorosa fabric, image from Designers Guild