Clueless & Obsessed

iStyle Monday : Shimmer and Brown

2009-11-23T09:23:00.003+01:00

Brown is one of those colours you cannot get ride off no matter what the season´s IN colour is. I grew up wearing lots of brown, but nothing exciting a cut in that department. The designers today however, have the foresight to turn any grubby looking colour into something amazing for example this great looking bag and boots! I´d say, pair them daringly with something shimmery or clash them as you wish. LOVEEE IT!

Self Printed Bottle Labels

2009-11-23T09:21:00.003+01:00

I found these on some sites and thought ... of wowwww, I've got to make these one day! Now that I have a copy of Illustrator in my PC, perhaps I could even brush up my long lost skill at designing work!

iStyle Monday : Furry Boots

2009-10-12T09:57:00.002+02:00

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend there! Ours was not too bad. While hubby had fun putting up our 3D photoframe with souvenirs from our travels, I spent quite a bit of time going through hubby´s massive CD collection, loading up all my favourite songs onto iTunes and than synchronising them to iPod for I will be travelling 8 hours on a fast train to Geneva next week and iPod is a necessity! Other than that, my Seven Experiences business set up is more or less ready to take off and when it is 100% ready .... I will perhaps feature them once a while here. Good plan?

Speaking of holiday, I was just packing my boots for my trip when my winter boots from last years Ski holiday caught my eye. It is hidden right behind, and guess it is time to move them forward eh. It is nothing fancy, something that I impromptu picked up in Sauerland as it was freaking cold than, and nothing that my shoe can do to save my toes from turning blue. But if I have it my way, and had it planned well ... I would have go searching for something like the one I feature here. It is goooorrrrgeoussss don´t you think?

They say shoe can make a statement to your outfit. And I never though I will agree with Furry Boots kind until I saw this one.

Mad loveeeee :-)

Grey Kitchen Remodelling Plan

2009-10-12T09:30:00.005+02:00

Hubby and I had the sudden urge to remodel our kitchen after our visit to Ikea few weeks ago. Ours currently though is perfectly sized for the two of us, and is built with very good quality material, it is green and red in colour! The colour combo, needless to say got me questioning ... where did that inspiration come from! According to hubby, it was from one of the Kylie Minoque´s concert backdrop he attended many years ago. Ha.

So ... here are some samples I found from kitchen designers in Flickr. They all look really good here don´t you think? And I think, we may have a hell of time deciding on which one.

In love with Nature

2009-10-12T09:20:00.003+02:00

Nature of the other kind :-) If you love quirky designer items combining functionality and at the same time, with great aesthetic value ... this is it. A product call Nature from the talented duo
from Design Night.

Imagine growing my beloved herbs at the lower compartment and lovely flower plants at the top! Lovely, loveelyyy ... definately on my wish list.

Green with Envy

2009-10-07T09:37:00.003+02:00

It is only when I arrive in my new home country that I am greeted with so much green in my life. Not only we have a huge, green garden downstairs, our whole house are surrounded by flowers and green in our window boxes. To add into the greeness, hubby themed our living room green with splashed of the shade on our dining chairs, cushion covers, vases and candles.

Well ... green is not my favourite colour, but I am learning to love it. There are certain shades of green that I will not pick up for example leave green, but give me olive green to yellow hues green anyday, and I can do wonders with it be it with clothes or for our home. Recent addition to our home? A stack of light olive green rectagular dining plates :-)

iStyle Monday ; Girly Shades

2009-10-05T11:24:00.004+02:00

It is interesting living in a four season country. Summer is always colourful, and Spring too, and when Autumn hits, you see more brown, grey and green on the streets. Come winter, it all turns to black and grey. A bit boring, but its practical. Though its cold today as we are currently experiencing Autumn, I would like to spice up my wardrobe with pastel colours and purple. I hardly wear them here as I find them challenging to wear. My clothes are mainly black, grey, brown or red. Boring. Also, this is such a girly colour, and I think hubby would not be surprise to see me in those shades. Should I?

New Blackboard Function

2009-10-05T11:17:00.003+02:00

I can think of thousand and one things to scribble on a black board. Fortunately, Ikea carries some pretty nice ones here and we came home with one two weekends ago. At the moment, I am having fun putting up the following ;

a) Today´s Menu, Complimentary
b) Schedule of the Week
c) Leaving messages on my whereabout to Hubby
d) Telling hubby what to do!
e) xxx (censored) Haha!

Global Touch

2009-09-29T12:58:00.003+02:00

Me and hub are huge travel fans. But it does not stop right there. Apart from our huge collection of travel books, maps, photo collection, postcards, magnets, souvenirs etc ... we picked up a HUGEEE Map from Ikea two weeks ago (and costed us a whopping 140 Euro!) to cover almost one side of our office room´s wall. The kickoff timeframe for this mini project is this Saturday, but I suspect it will be extended to many other area.

Am super excited!

iStyle Monday : Winter Jacket

2009-09-28T10:02:00.002+02:00

This week´s style is inspired by my constant search for a perfect winter jacket. Though I have a few in my closet, especially the grey one that saved me from the chills last winter, it is GREY and I´m still trying to get use to using that colour as an outfit to match the rest of my wardrobe. I kinda like the black one at the top left hand! It look ohhhh sooo practical, and I could almost feel how warm I will be, being inside it :-) Now, all I need to do is go find something similar like this one, coz I don´t have the budget to splurge on a designer piece here ... so if any of you came across this design and its within the price region of 300 Euro and not more, do give me a buzz. It will be much appreciated :-)

iStyle Monday ; Gilet Look

2009-09-14T09:03:00.004+02:00

Thank you for hanging on and coming back here. iStyle is back again after a week of hideous. But that is not a bad thing, because I came back inspired by more Swedish inspiration. This weeks pick is a Gilet which I will not mention whom the designer is, but lets just say that it is a shame that this Gilet is made from Rabbit Fur. Though I admire the cut and design, I would not buy them in reality as this only means that rabbits are skinned for them. How gross is that? So, that aside ... and just for the aesthetic of it, I am loving this look at the moment and I feel that it is most appropriate with the current climate right now. And ohhh .. the japanese inspired belt, ain´t that a nice touch?

Grey Matter

2009-09-10T18:10:00.003+02:00

While driving home from Dusseldorf from our Stockholm trip, me and hubby stumbled upon a handsome looking black Passat right infront of ours. While I ooh-ahhh at the colour and wondered why was our grey, and not handsome black ... hubby explained that grey is the new black in Germany. For cars, that is. Well, I don´t quite buy it as I find grey can at times be a bit too boring and too serious. But after browsing through some grey inspired apparels and homes on internet, I think hubby is right! It can look chic and casual when it is done right. Here are some examples. What about you? Are you a grey fan?

Project 2010 Diary

2009-09-02T08:46:00.004+02:00

I spotted some of these handmade diary´s in Etsy and just could not resist sharing them with you. Even in technology age of blogging, penning down one´s thought with pen on paper is nostalgic isn´t it? Especially on preciously selected material, and getting them DIYed yourself. I would love to embark on this mini project if I come across come lovely materials :-)

Mooses and Deers ...

2009-09-01T10:07:00.007+02:00

In the spirit of Scandinavia which we will be visiting soon. I have never thought of decorating our home with prints and figurines of mooses and deer, and it surely is not too bad :-)

The Girl In Me ...

2009-09-01T08:52:00.003+02:00

My hubby says I´m still a little girl at heart. I think he is right :-) As much as I love black/white/grey/neutral for they are practical and timeless, they are indeed boring at times. Here´s a little something I love indulging on whenever I can ...

A little bloom on my hair or dress ...

There is always something for the home ... in every corner and I love them in baby pink and green particularly.

A little something I carry with me all the time. Not nessesarily this, but anything fluffy and inspiration to bring around ...

I love dressing up my drinks ... especially on a hot, summer afternoon.

There´s always flowers next to our bed :-)

Not to miss out ... my breakfast, lunch and dinner :-) Pretty enough to eat.

What are your favourite girly things in life?

iStyle Monday ; Sister´s Cardigan

2009-08-31T13:57:00.002+02:00

Today´s pull-together looked is inspired by a cardigan my sis gave me three months back when I was back in Kuala Lumpur. She gave me a grey cardigan that looked somehow similiar to this piece here but minus the print, and another in black colour. I was speechless initially as she had bought them to be worn here during Autumn, and yeah ... she and her little princess had planned to come visit me. So imagine my dissapointment to receive the cardigan. She had officially informed me that it is not possible for her to visit as she had developed greater fear of flying as compared to a year back when we flew to Hong Kong. I think that trip did it to her. So yeah .. there is a emotion attach to this cardigan :-) So anyway, here´s a look which I think I will pull together when Autumn officially hits. Infact, it is already nearing Autumn here, especially in the morning. I have my Thomas Sabo Charm Collection to get this look, along with black jeans and black top. The only thing missing is a pair of lovely boots like these ones. Time to get shopping again!

A Collector´s Home

2009-08-28T12:26:00.002+02:00

I am in love with anything white in a home. Anything, as in anything goes ... and when couple with rustic or wooden pieces here and there, its to me ... my dream home. Since months, I had been safe guarding a particular copy of LivingEtc because it featured my dream home. Its sitting prettily somewhere in London and how I wish I live next door! Just to have a peak at the real thing :-) so to speak. LivingEtc calls it the collectors home and I could not help associating the owners hobby with mine. He loves collecting things while travelling, and does I. He loves taking photos, and printing them in BW and so does I! He loves a little DIY in his home and so does I. He loves a little mix and match and ... well ...

This home, or his home ... really is so ME. I LOVEEE IT.

Handmade Spaces

2009-08-26T15:15:00.002+02:00

There´s so many things I wanna tell me. Since quitting from the trainee job, I had been doing a bit of soul searching on what I want to do next. Being in a foreign land is not easy, moreover having to learn new another language. Somehow for the past two weeks, there´s a new light at the end of the tunnel. I chance upon an idea and had decided to embark on it. It is still at infant stage hence I will not reveal too much yet, but I can reveal that it had something to do with my old profession (a little) and also, combining them with my favourite pastime.

Today´s entry is a little something that can be related if the idea expands (I hope that happens!). Before leaving for Stockholm, I will be taking up sewing classes and hope to learn to be more handy around the house. Thus, I was fairly attracted to some of the photos here when I saw them on internet. I want to do all those with my hands. All the beautiful displays and items around the house. Especially the handmade ones, and not just admire and gawk at them! So, here´s to my new hope and dreams.

Coloured Baskets

2009-08-24T12:57:00.002+02:00

Looks good even as decorative.

iStyle Monday ; Lemon Blues

2009-08-24T12:39:00.003+02:00

Its hot and sunny here. Perfect day to wear the brightest light dress and head to town for a little shopping activity. Actually, today´s look was simply inspired by a lemon plant I picked up last weekend. I love lemons but not quite for an outfit until I stumble upon this dress in Net-A-Porter. Its totally eye catching and remind me so much of the neon bright fashion famed during the 80s! But with flowy cut and soft, oh soo soft looking material that is just so perfect to wear right now. Just like the 80s, I´d like to pair them with killer heels and a hand pouch in lemon shade, no less :-) And tadaaa ... you´ve got a look here.

Have a great work week ahead everyone!

Chic and Comfy Ballerinas

2009-08-20T14:32:00.005+02:00

There are certain type of shoes I notice, will appear popular no matter where you live. Unlike the fashionable boots which chic ladies from tropical ladies dream of wearing but not quite practical in their climate, or the ever fashionable wedges which depend solely on how heavy the sole is to carry you through the day, Ballerinas are popular all over the world when if the weather does not get too cold. I love Ballerinas. And when I find a good pair, I wear them till its hem shouts out to me, asking me to stop abusing them. As of late, I have been hunting for new pair of ballerina again. My current favourite is past its prime time so I´d ordered a replacement. But needed another comfy pair for my upcoming trip. Ballerinas I find, is the most perfect shoe to bring for a vacation. It is small and light enough to carry, and pretty enough to wear them with your dresses, jeans or shorts. I found these pretty up the scale ballerinas here. But if you look in UK´s ebay, you will find pretty good ones at a steal too. And I am doing just that happily :-)

iStyle Monday ; Me + My Camera Outfit

2009-08-17T12:51:00.005+02:00

There are certain outfit I favour more than other when it comes to photography day. Right now, light, stylish dresses preferably in light cotton just does it for me. Since I am still in boots stage - yes I know that boots are more suitable for autumn and winter versus the humid weather now, I like the idea of slipping a pair of beige coloured socks within for sheer comfort. And to keep the hair away, a dressy hair band like these, thank you :-)

When We Retire ...

2009-08-12T16:15:00.004+02:00

Hubby and I were talking about our retirement plan the other day when the topic of where shall we have our retirement home when winter hits our home in Northern Germany. Malaysia, naturally were one of our choices but we were just toying with the idea of somewhere in Europe incase we´re not too fit to travel a good 12 hours flight then. Excitedly and just for the fun of it, I began oogling at some photos in flickr on some my personal favourite place at the southern border.

Can you guess the name of these towns?

I guess the one with the blue roof top is not too difficult eh. Well, from top to bottom, they are
a) Lake Garda, Italy
b) Santorini, Greece
c) Sevilla, Spain
d) Provence, France
e) Portofino, Italy

Wow ... I really hope that our wish would come true. PLUS an internet connection to keep ourselves connected with friends and family ... than, it would be the ULTIMATE retirement plan :-)

iStyle Monday : Flirty Chic

2009-08-10T11:11:00.003+02:00

I think it is safe to say that an MTV video from Natalie Bedingfield inspired this outfit. Have you seen her Soulmate music video? I though she looked great with an outfit close to this, although I must add that the song is thought provoking. The dress above is from none other than wacky Viviene Westwood in her Anglomania collection and ohhh ... don´t you just loveeeee her flirty dresses sometimes. The Leather Wedge Boots is from Chloe and the moment I saw this, I knew this would be the type of boots I wanna get for the upcoming Autumm / Winter season :-) To me, wedges is the way to go for someone whom wants to look good but yet, can´t take killer heel balancing.

White Flowers

2009-08-09T14:15:00.002+02:00

Short, Sexy Hair ...

2009-08-08T18:14:00.007+02:00

Oohh ooohhhh ... this is really bad. Audrey Tautou look sooo good here that I feel like chopping off my hair.

Top 10 Stylish Bar Design

2009-08-07T11:49:00.009+02:00

No heavy wood look, nor intricate carving on the bar counter. I have been longing to have one of these for the longest time, but since ours, a DIY from hubby is still in good condition - this remains a dream. But no harm drooling and keeping an archive here for `just incase` - you know what I mean :-P

Here´s my take of each ...

A) I love my home in white hence it is not a surprise that this tops my list. The beauty of it is, it not only serves the function of storing your bottles, the roomy table top is perfect as a bar table too. The only set back is, there isn´t enough room to store the glasses and bar accessories.

B) Very clever idea of hiding the bottles, glasses and accessories behind close doors when not in use. The height is great for preparing drinks and reaching for your item, but not so much for your guest to hang around though.

C) A foldable table top is ever so practical when entertaining. And when not in use, fold them back in. The storage space is good for a small crowd, but not enough for wine enthusiast. Perfect if living in a small apartment.

D) Another practical one where you open up the cabinet from the front to expose the shelves within. Very clever idea and roomy too. I can see all our wine, cocktail, shots and beer glasses fitting in there. Superb.

E) This wall unit is great if you have a beautiful piece of wall to show off behind. One must als keep everything neat and tidy at all time with this so-called counter. Though space is abundance, I am a bit concern over the dust collecting on the expose glasses though.

F) Almost a dressing table :-) I am not sure of its functionality but the design is surely stylish. With a stool being place infront, this bar gives me the impression that its perfect when you need to drink alone while starring hard at yourself infront of the mirror. Quite a depressing feeling bar if you ask me but nonetheless stylish.

G) I can imagine the bar counter in one corner of our wall. Practical with more space at the bottom shelving to hide away our bottles and wine.

H) A rather small bar cabinet. I´d think this is perfect for cocktail lovers with enough room for cocktail glasses and some liquor bottles stored within. No room for wine bucket and such at all.

I) A very stylish piece that doubles up as a bar table when the two cabinets are pulled together. The legs look a bit wobbly though, but as long as you hold your drinks well - hmm, you must hold your drink well on this bar :-) than ... everything should be fine.

J) The RED industrial looking one. Such an eye catcher isn´t it? This is the traditional bar counter layout but given a lift with simplier edge, material and BOLD colour. I think I can live with this :-) for the WOW effect.

My favourite in terms of design and practicallity is B, D and G. Which is yours?

Limited Edition 1991 Nissan Figaro

2009-08-07T09:44:00.003+02:00

Ohhhh ... this Figaro simply screams out CUTENESS to extreme! I think if Nissan were to produce it again, it would anytime take the world by storm as how Mini did! What I love about it is, although its classic from exterior, the interior is totally cool, new and functional like any new model. Moreover, its affordable priced for a city car.

There is apparently only 20,000 of this classic and the last I check, there is only a handful here in Germany! UK seems to be a hit - I´d assume that it made more sense importing to UK from Japan since this is a right hand drive car but seriously, I don´t mind having one even on right hand drive road :-)

Whatever it is ... its such a charmer. Is classic making a comeback like how Mini did?

Get personalised ...

2009-08-06T15:07:00.003+02:00

I do wish I can sew sometimes, and have no fear over needles so that I can have a closet filled with lovely dresses like these.

This bride here is really an amazing lady. I came across her wedding feature in some blog where she shared the details of how she and her hubby DIYed their whole wedding! I think its the way to go, keeping it personalised and close to your heart :-)

For those married, don´t you just wish you can get marry all over again?

These Ballerina Flats Are Made for Walking ...

2009-08-05T08:08:00.005+02:00

You keep saying you got something for me, Something you call love but confess, You been messing where you shouldn't have been messing, And now someone else is getting all your best

Well these flats are made for walking, And that's just what they'll do, One of these days these flats are gonna walk all over you

oh mamaaaa --- these flats cost a whopping 90 Euro :-(

iStyle Monday ; A Dress for Every Occassion

2009-08-04T15:42:00.004+02:00

Dresses are my weakness. I have dresses for my fat days, dresses to make me feel like the most desirable woman on this planet, dresses for a hot day, dresses for comfort and dresses for me to go indulge in a major buffet session. I have my last count about 2 months ago and my dresses stands around 30 pieces in the wardrobe. Its not much for any asian girl standard, but in where I live now, its major cultural shock to my friends when they were told this number. Although I am not getting that much chance to wear that many dresses anymore (the people here are not very dressy hence i don´t want to stick out like a sore thumb), I will still occassionally drool on them when I see them. These are some that I am drooling over and oooohhhh how I wish I am back to my dresses days again.

Hippie Getaway ...

2009-08-02T13:06:00.002+02:00

Oh ... I am sooo in the mood for a little getaway hippie style. The gorgeous, colourful photos of boathouses and caravans are just so tempting on the blogs I´d recently stumbled upon. For example these boathouse which are docked in one of Amsterdam´s river here. Don´t you just wanna pack your lil bag and go stay there for a week or two?

Just imagine waking up every morning from the river´s gentle rock ... ahhh, how soothing is that. And the ray of lights shining from the creek of your lil window, and as you peek outside upon lifting your rustic curtain, you are welcomed by the sigh of serene river infront of you ...

What about a little sweetness in a rustic caravan filled with pastel furnishings :-) What a summery feel! More so when the soft furnishing´s plushy and soft, inviting you to just sink in and enjoy the summery heat around.

Summer, summer ... enjoy them when its here :-)

Scrunch Boots and Tinkerbell Ballet Flats

2009-07-31T09:03:00.002+02:00

The joy of internet surfing really is finding a gem like these and sharing them here. I was browing my regular column as usual (the links on my right) when I came across these lovely boots and a yellow pair of ballerina via here. Aren´t they lovely and unique? I can bet you that you wont´t bumb into someone wearing exactly the same thing as you (oh god, don´t you hate it when it happens) and that´s enough a reason to go pick up one.

Bento Cuteness

2009-07-30T13:06:00.004+02:00

Lets enjoy a bit of Kawaiiness today, shall we? Today, I would like to introduce you the art of arranging food from the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. Since years ago, this art had fascinated many asians and westerners alike all over the world. Google them or flickr them, and you will be amazed with what´s staring back at you. To the Japanese, one should not just enjoy the taste of food with your tastebud, but also with your eyes and every sense you have. Something that I find fascinating and at times, finding myself arranging my food such a way even during buffet sessions :-) As for now, I am happy with gawking at those photos on flickr.

Check out the cuteness!

Perfect Hobo Bag

2009-07-29T12:21:00.004+02:00

I had finally found the perfect HOBO bag from an asian style website. The yummy factor is, it does not cost an arm and a leg, it is leather and it comes with my two favourite colour! There´s also free shipping to this part of the world for purchases above USD150.00 and this my friend, cost USD157.00! How is that???!!!

Someone´s Boathouse, Amstersdam

2009-07-29T11:11:00.007+02:00

I am in love ... with someone´s boathouse.

Because of this charming boathouse, honey had promise to bring me to Amsterdam just to experience living in one after next month´s trip. Well, for a few days only not longer as we simply been holidaying too much and its bursting our financial spreadsheet. On the side effect of this, I am not sure if I am feeling giddy right now due to next month or this? But whatever, life is good here and I could not ask for more.

Here´s the houseboat ... seriously, I can live like this ... like forever :-)

Chinese Theme Birthday Party

2009-07-29T11:03:00.002+02:00

When I have a daughter, I am so gonna throw her a chinese theme birthday party. She might not like it when she is old enough to know what she wants but hey, I can still do it when she is one years old! Young enough that she doesn´t know how to protest :-)

iStyle Monday; City Flow

2009-07-27T08:44:00.002+02:00

Truth to be told, after last weeks iStyle featuring orange hues, I am very much a city girl at heart whereby black, grey and brown rules my wardrobe. I love basic pieces that I could gel together day in day out in a jiffy, and speaking of large bags and leggings ... who in the city does not like it? It is oh-so-practical for the sudden urge to dump ones latest shopping item inside isn´t it? And leggings ... the ever versatile leggings that keeps out the cold climate during autumn/winter while doubling up as a bottom when paired with a huge top. Whoever the inventor is, bless him/her :-) Shawls, boots, leather jacket, little black dress and more ... this is my kind of style when living in the city.

Provencial Air on Dining Table ...

2009-07-25T14:38:00.003+02:00

Although I recently blogged about my intention to have a modern looking porcelain set, there is still a nagging voice in me urging me to grab a french classic set. The thing is, I have not come across any good ones in this part of the world, and had even scouted ebay for them.

The ones shown here are from some US sites. I felt it is a bit too far to order from and wish that if only its available here ... Hmm .. I guess I will sit on it a while more before making a decision.

But really, doesn´t it look so chic? The thing I feel about diningware is, if one were to use a clean line diningware, than one has to spent more effort on other probs such as the table cloth, wine glasses, accessories and more ...

But with these ... its attention grabber on its own and it really does make a dish look ohhh so deliciously yummy like how french food does. Not to mention how it will liven up my food porn pictures!

Childhood Memory ...

2009-07-23T07:05:00.003+02:00

Good morning everyone :-) I thought I´d share you this beautiful sketch by Patricia Bushing today. I simply love how she´d use watercolour effect to illustrate the clothes design and it made me reminiscent back to my childhood days where I´d spent hours and hours sketching all these stick models with my favourite 2B pencils. Growing up to be a fashion designer use to be my childhood fantasy, but somehow after entering school with all the practicality of math and science taking over the centre stage, all of my dreams were soon forgotten. How sad.

Well ... my love for beautiful asthetic had always been there. And so, the birth of this blog was borned and my passion, slowly being cultivated again. What do you think of this sketch?

iStyle Monday ; Garden Chic

2009-07-20T10:50:00.002+02:00

My garden needs some TLC. With the scoring hot weather one second, and pouring rain the other ... it is not wonder our flowers and vegetables is fighting for their life! Whenever I go down for some gardening, I am at most in my shorts and t-shirt. I work with my bare hands without any glove, afterwhich I had to spent some time scrubbing all the soils away. As for footwear, I should have gotten the garden boot I spotted in Tschibo sometime back but deep within, I am still hoping to get one that I truly, truly love and not just like it for the sake of having one. But this pair here, well ... it was the SOLE reason why I put together this look. This pair of orange colour garden boots totally rock the hell out of me. The colour is not only vibrant to the T, I love the cut. And of course with such gorgeous looking garden boot, one just need matching outfit to gel them together doesn´t it?

Little Paper Hermes Purse

2009-07-18T10:15:00.003+02:00

For those of us who don't want to spend our life's savings on a real Hermes bag, there's a customizable, downloadable paper model on their site. (Find the picture there that looks like the one above and click it.) I guess this little bag could sit on your desk and hold a jellybean or something. Enjoy!

European Window Boxes

2009-07-18T10:10:00.002+02:00

All of them are a breath of fresh air, don´t you think. I think I am one lucky girl to be living in Europe for there are still tones of old houses with these old window boxes to be admire. Ours without an exception :-)

Villeroy & Boch Urban Nature Collection

2009-07-14T22:48:00.008+02:00

Grandma Kocks was an avid porcelain collector. So as Mama Kocks. Infact I think the whole family from xxx generation are porcelain fanatic to the point that my hub is one too. Both Mama and Hub had herited some sets from the previous generation, especially Mama whom has a few cupboards in every nook of the house just to store them in place. As for our collection, it pales in comparison of course. In our little kitchen lies a full set of Villeroy & Boch´s Bauernblume Series, Johnson Bro´s Olives de Provence, Scherzer and Wunsiedel - of which I think all of it are discontinued and we´re only able to extend the collection by ordering from replacement companies like these.

Hub I must add, likes his porcelain a bit country feel. Me on the other hand love them classic or modern, and preferably a white series. To me, it not only look timeless, and great on any table setting, it sheds a perfect light on my food photography hobby too.

I´ve thought for a long time to start a porcelain collection. I have yet to start, but if I do ... this series by Villeroy & Boch will be my choice!

What do you think?

iStyle Monday ; Patriotic Blue

2009-07-13T15:52:00.008+02:00

It is time again for iStyle Monday and boy, did the week passed by quickly?! Today, I am putting together a look which I call Patriotic Blue, a blue synoynamous with flags from countries such as USA, France and my beloved homeland Malaysia but thats not how I got inspired by the colour. It is more the case that the weather here in Germany had been crazy of late. You get a week of scoring hot sun, followed by another week of gloom and rain from morning to night. The temperature had not fallen too drastic yet (fingers crossed), but it sure is handy to have a light jacket at hand for the sudden chill. Here is one of my favourite look for past week´s temperamental weather, with patriotic blue representing the rain, gloom and all and a dash of BOLD RED jacket representing what else ... but the heat!

Have a good week ahead everyone!

My home should look like these ...

2009-07-10T08:27:00.003+02:00

I like my home, don´t get me wrong. I live in a 100 year old, solidly built semi detached house located in the prettiest part of town. I wake up every morning with birds chipping happily and if I feel like it, the garden with wonderful blooms will greet me just a few feet away. The exterior of the home is a mix of beige brown bricks, black tile panel and russet coloured roof. Opening up the living space within to allow the lights in were dark wooden frame windows surrounding the house. They are not large windows like Holland homes and I find that a problem. While many friends drool over how spacious and solid our space is, well ... I am a product of bright space generation. If I had it my way, I would love the whole exterior to be of not darker than a shade of medium gray, or classic shades. If I had it my way, I would love my home to be anything close to these ... lots of white, cream, some pastels and coordinated brown and wood. If I had it my way, I want our home to be stylish and yet, livable. It is then that one feels like one is celebrating life every day in their beloved space.

Star Styles ...

2009-07-10T08:19:00.001+02:00

Caravan dream ...

2009-07-07T16:04:00.002+02:00

I wish I can take a road trip on this beautiful Caravan to a hidden corner, somewhere in France for a weekend. It does not have to be that far, secluded in the woods but distance enough to get away from all civilation. I will make sure to bring along the best bottles of Röse, and the finest of soft cheeses and darkest of chocolates. I definately don´t want to miss out a few good books to simply take my mind off the real world for a while and when I feel like it, an accordian to fill up the quiet, unexpected night. Take it away ...

Lovely, lovely ...

iStyle Monday: Comfy Passion

2009-07-07T07:30:00.001+02:00

Good morning everyone :-) It is the start of the week again and hope you all had had a great weekend. Firstly, I ought to apologize for skipping iStyle Monday post for the past three weeks. Travelling had taken me to the other corner of the world where internet access was just so impossible. Now that I am back, also me prepping up myself to kick start my new job, I cannot wish for anything more to dress to work than these comfy pieces to take in the 8 hours of running around. Like it?

Pastel Screams Spring / Summer

2009-07-03T08:26:00.002+02:00

Some things are simply too sweet to be passed up, and here are some photos I downloaded from decor8blog, which was meant to be enjoyed personally but I thought I´d share them with you here. Don´t you just wanna sing `I see skies of blue, and clouds of white ....

Inspiration for Home Office Project

2009-07-03T08:10:00.002+02:00

It is unbelievable that I have so much time at work place as a trainee. Everyone had told me to be prepared by the workload, I mean everyone but it was just the opposite so much so that I had time in had to sketch out a simple layout of our new home office renovation. I reckon, we won´t be doing much but major changes will be having two sets of table instead of one - which means that we will each get one! Hooray! I am sure Hub will be so please with it coz I have taken over things in this room since I arrive in this home. Hehe.

Well ... this are some of the ideas I have in mind. Not sure if this will pass the visa application process (means. will hub like it?)

a) Huge World Map on the wall. I am pretty sure hub loves this as he is an avid traveller as me. I also thought that it would be cool to have a soft underlay for us to pin up our holiday pix on the destination we visited :-) Anyone knows what can I get a huge copy of world map?

My inspiration corner is up, but not filled fully. Though the board is easy to construct, putting the right pieces of inspiration is way tricky than I thought to make it look artistic. Looks like I have to sharpen my observation in this area.

As for the furnitures, I am thinking of having them in white with splashes of wood pieces. Hub would love to have them in wood totally but I thought it would make the room look dark, and dull. Hub will also bring back some cool, OLD army chairs from his workplace after I spotted them during my visit there last week. Hub´s company bought over an old army place for operaton and I couldn´t be more please that there´s tonnes of those gorgoeous chairs there!

If it is not because of hub reallyyyy ... the room will be given a total white splash instead. White always looked chic, fresh and bright and you will never go wrong with anything placed in a white room.

My heart is beating fast for ...

2009-06-27T23:20:00.003+02:00

Miu Miu Coffer ...

Beautiful Sweetness to Admire

2009-06-26T09:08:00.005+02:00

I think I am still a little girl at heart. Yesterday when I was out shopping for wrapping paper for my inspiration board project, I had without fail reach out for a pink based wrapper each time :-) The sweetness is just so irresistable and I think it might be freaking hubby out soon, for he is afraid that I will turn our home office space into a princess corner soon. I hope it will not get out of hand, and would somehow mellow down a little because after all, it is a living space for both of us. But over here, this little corner, I can fill it up with all the sweetness I want ... thank you soooo much internet inventor - whoever that is :-) So here it is, a glimpse of here and there for everything lovely and ohhhhhh-soooo-sweet to prepare you for a wonderful weekend ahead.

Oh My Pig ...

2009-06-25T16:10:00.003+02:00

I walked into La Casa and extended my pig collection by ordering an Auge 2004 from Ritzenhoff today. Its not cheap but what can a girl do? Don´t you just luv his lil snarl at the corner of his mouth?

My town needs stuffs like these ...

2009-06-25T16:01:00.005+02:00

I was just telling hub last night that there is a shortage of gorgeous home decorative item store in where I live. To top it further, they are willing to spent on high end ones coz they simply are home loving people. Isn´t it time to give it some thought ... or come on someone, come and invest in such a store here. On positive front ... I can help run it (wink)

H&M Autumm Winter 2009 Collection

2009-06-19T08:11:00.005+02:00

Tell me what are your thoughts on these. Though they looked really good on these leggy models, I do question if normal Janes like me can pull them off. Love the colour though ... easy to mix and match.

Lisianthus

2009-06-16T08:12:00.004+02:00

Starting the day with a flower feature is surely a breath of fresh air.

No ordinary flower such as roses or tulips but instead, a soft pink petal tip kind held beautifully by its fresh, green willowy stem. These babies are called Lisianthus and I could not say more how delicate looking they are.

I can imagine myself waking up to them every morning, with its stem decending lower and lower each day and finally giving its life worth every attention before it turns brown.

Pretty lil petals of soft hues ... hmmmm ...

Images from here.

iStyle Monday; Subtle Glitter

2009-06-15T13:42:00.004+02:00

I use to grow up loving glittery stuff. Anything for that matter, from metal to stones to anything at all. Until I catch sigh of myself one fine morning trying to put together a gold coloured skirt with a matching top for work and not just any glittery work in Los Angeles that I do for that matter but a nine to five job in an office. What was I thinking?!

The morning sun that day must have been having its fair share of fun trying its best to cast its bright light to my already brightly litted room. I can´t describe the shock on my face against my pale, yellow asian skin on how the outfit drowned me under. That was the last I saw of my gold skirt and its top.

I still love the colour, mind you but not quite to that extend. I have accepted the fact that yellow skin and generous amount of gold does not marry well. Subtleness is the key. It works, and like anything else ... less is more and same goes to glitter for me.

Inspiration. Home Office.

2009-05-22T09:50:00.002+02:00

My inspiration corner is under progress in our home office. Its fresh, light and is filled with all things lovely and inspirational. Hubby just need to replace the background with a cork material, and once thats done, I will get them covered with the loveliest paper cover or fabric I can find.

But if I move over to the other 3 corners where the computer, shelves and what not stands, its disheartening. While I like my space to be soft and friendly, my hubby (a growned up man naturally) love them functional and sturdy. Colours not important. Cute lil things? Whats that?

What a contrast to my taste!

I need a corner to store my knick knacks, my wrapping papers, papers, ribbons, buttons, cards, decorative, picture frames and all sorts. But good news is .. hubby had given me the green light to do whatever I want in this space! My hubby, he is the sweetest, sweetest ... ever.

So here goes ... another project I wanna embark on when I get back from my honeymoon. And here are some ideas I wanna steal and incorporate in. What do you think?

Polyvore Fantasy ...

2009-05-20T08:36:00.008+02:00

For a piscean, this website is gods-gift! Playaround with it and you will understand my excitement :-)

Polyvore is a free, easy-to-use web-based application for mixing and matching images from anywhere on the web. It is also a vibrant community of creative and stylish people.

Enjoy!

a quiet storm by decor8 featuring Monsoon accessories

on a quiet day by Secretsofabutterfly on Polyvore.com

vicino a te...... by newiris featuring Jimmy Choo shoes

almost lover by decor8 featuring Monsoon accessories

21 Days Images ...

2009-05-19T14:16:00.003+02:00

Which I can imagine vividly in my mind. Nothing short of happiness and excitement.

Create The Best Album Cover Ever

2009-05-19T14:10:00.002+02:00

Here are the rules:

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, or similar to put it all together.

5 - Post it to FB with this text in the "caption" or "comment" and TAG the friends you want to join in.

Mechanical Music Box

2009-05-18T09:50:00.007+02:00

Hub surprised me with a lil musical box he picked up from a Teddy Bear shop in Baden-Baden yesterday. Not only was the box intriquing (coz its a manual music box and is pure mechanical work), he picked the most perfect song in it. This lil gadget really ... is pure joy. Its such a beauty in simpliest form, churns out the most beautiful melody and is so small and handy to carry around that I will definately pack them into my luggage coming Thursday.

iStyle Monday; New Classics

2009-05-18T08:23:00.007+02:00

How was your weekend? I cannot believe that Monday is here again and its my second time putting up iStyle Monday for you all! For this week, I have chosen white, cream and beige - a colour combination that works all the time and is a classic, in my humble opinion. Do check out some of these gorgeous stuff from Marc Jacobs, Rayban, Lanvin to Alexander McQueen. Although they are fairly new in design, I think its a classic for more years to come.

All items can be found here.

Life Without Colour ...

2009-05-18T07:41:00.003+02:00

Have you though of what its like living life without colour? I can imagine it to be boring. Imagine my garden in black and white. Or having my meal in black and white. But on the contrary, clothes, home, cars and here, a perfect photo composition of a parisian women in black and white. I can never get enough of it.

What about you?

Tschibo Garden and Picnic Week

2009-05-16T08:24:00.002+02:00

Tschibo started featuring their Garden and Picnic merchandise since yesterday, and I´ve got only a week to go pick up these stuff. Should I get the garden clog?

Hooked On Paris Living

2009-05-14T11:51:00.008+02:00

Anyone whom knows me knows that I´m hooked on Paris. Two months of knowing her in two separate occassion is not enough.

How can anyone get enough of Paris. Not only she is seductive, she is charming, chic and cosmopolitan all roll into one. Its a sigh to behold when you´re in Paris. Its streets are filled with love and life, its air is filled with tantalising aroma of freshly baked and coffee. The chic Parisians are always immacutely coiffed up with perfume air lingering around you. You will be greeted with music everywhere you go and its dining scene is impeccable. Even a humblest piece of baguette for dinner makes you feel like you´ve lived life to fullest. Not to mention the avant grand of its shopping district and impecable museum selection.

Oh ... how I wish to reunite with her again and here´s a little flat that I am smitten with. It would be a bonus if its located in Ille de la Cite.

Dream, a little dream ...

Feed Your Soul Artwork for Free

2009-05-14T11:33:00.003+02:00

Good things are meant to be shared isn´t it?

So here it is, a project I´ve just discovered this morning and have quickly printed out a copy each of some of the work featured there on my thickess paper around. They are beautiful aren´t they? Be it for framing up or simply to be hung somewhere.

Check out the project here.

Nakedness

2009-05-14T10:05:00.002+02:00

It got me thinking about flowers and vases yesterday when our wedding venue event manager called me yesterday to confirm our flower arrangement for upcoming wedding party. The ballroom is chic, dark and edgy unlike the many boring ones found in my homeland Kuala Lumpur and so, I have to strike off the idea of having my usual classic selection such as roses, lilies and what not. Somehow, I am smitten by the idea of having the flowers in clear vases to bring a little contrast and edge to the ballroom. What do you think of these?

Mädchen + Frau

2009-05-13T14:40:00.004+02:00

I hope you´ve had a wonderful day. I´ve just returned from more shopping for my upcoming trip home. After all the walking and searching, it sure is a bliss to just sit back and enjoy some beautiful contemporary artwork and photographs from Jennifer Squires Production on my PC. The one showned here is something I can relate too, from being a girl to a woman that I am now. I simple adore the texture of the artwork and its simplicity.

I know its spring but ...

2009-05-13T14:35:00.003+02:00

I really like this look ...

From the sleeveless turtleneck design dress right down to the walking boots, everything here spells 3c; comfort, classic and chic.

Project Inspiration Board

2009-05-13T14:23:00.002+02:00

This is it. I have more of less decided to create an inspiration board with ribbon tapes and have even started shopping for supplies and materials to kick off. My hubby had offered me his solid metal frame which houses his collection of photograph. Not only that - he´s even offered to help me incorporate a cork base board within the frame. I´m still toying with the idea of using a simple styrofoam. Reason being, I can change the paper covering the styrofoam as often as I like and its cheap. Moreover, its a nice feeling to create the whole thing from scratch. Now, I have to decide on a few things ;

The inspiration board size
What background paper to use
What to do with the border
Ribbons, what colour and which thickness
Content

Balcony Garden, Remake

2009-05-12T22:05:00.003+02:00

There might be a possibility of us expanding our current balcony to beyond the current size. Might. But what´s a girl to do that she got herself super excited and googled away for inspiration, just incase if it really does come true.

Oui ...

2009-05-12T11:47:00.004+02:00

What a gorgeous ring to have for once in a lifetime engagement :-) If only I´m single, I would pull soon to be hub into the nearest CD / Christian Dior store.

Twombly vs Dufy, Possibly My Top 2 Favourite Painter

2009-05-12T11:37:00.003+02:00

One is edgy and confusing, way beyond time in expressing himself in his art, and the other is pure soft, pastel, romantic and everything lovely.

Perfect Bolero

2009-05-11T12:38:00.001+02:00

My wedding gown´s the exact shade of these gorgeous Bolero and I can´t think of anything more perfect to go with my gown and the after-event attire.

Scent of Magnolia Home

2009-05-11T11:34:00.004+02:00

A Girl at Heart

2009-05-11T11:07:00.001+02:00

You know you´re a girl at heart when you heart these ...

Inspiration Area

2009-05-11T10:16:00.007+02:00

Now that school´s over and I´m about to start my practical take in a local Ad agency, its about time I put my creative juice in good use. I have been thinking of having a creative corner for all things and photos that inspires me for the longest time. Perhaps, it is a good time to embark on that now, now that I´ve got two weeks free.

iStyle Monday

2009-05-11T10:08:00.006+02:00

Satin, Cotton, Soft Pink, Pastels, Lime, Olive, Flat Sandals, Green Beads, Lolita Pieces, Crochet ...

In A Week

2009-05-08T08:17:00.002+02:00

Six

2009-05-08T08:15:00.001+02:00

For the girls back home.

Spring Must Have

2009-05-08T07:33:00.001+02:00

Our lil garden will be flowing with blooms of all shapes and sizes soon. I should be on a lookout for more interesting vases to spice them up.

Searching ...

2009-05-08T07:27:00.002+02:00

Where can I find these cute short neck wrap?

Would Milk Taste Better?

2009-05-08T07:20:00.004+02:00

For all the lil bundles out there. My choice - Isabella for Kaylee.

Dressing Up Our Staircases

2009-05-08T07:07:00.004+02:00

We live on the first floor of a semi-detached house. While the whole place is in pretty good acceptable condition, two of our staircase left very little to imagination.

The one at the front door is one of them and resembles the ones here except that its painted green and coated in dark grandma era carpet. Did I hear SOS? Yeap! Here´s an inspiration on what we can do.

Adjoining the entry hall is a hidden staircase to our attic. This is a neat look too. What do you think?

Both photos are from here.

Project : Grandma´s Sideboard

2009-05-07T09:51:00.006+02:00

This exact piece of sideboard herited by Hub from his grandma had been sitting on our entry way for ages. Been thinking of ways to vamp up the piece and the space. This is an idea.

The new CHANEL N°5 film

2009-05-07T09:08:00.001+02:00

Gorgeous Ad featuring Audrey Tautou. Seen it? Production must have cost a bomb.

Sinful cuteness ...

2009-05-07T08:44:00.004+02:00

3 more weeks before having to fit into `that`dress again. How I wish for a slice ...

Crowning Glory

2009-05-06T19:15:00.007+02:00

Style + Length + Colour + Volume = Desire

Beit + Seit, can you transform mine to these?