little miss firefly

where did january go?

2012-01-30T21:42:00.000Z

i have no idea...

well, vague ideas, yeah.

i think

i lost the days to

backlogs at work

and cleaning up after christmas

and getting back into our usual routine

before the holidays confused

my body clock

and appetite.

while this winter has been mild and enjoyed by many

i preferred the snow.

coming from the tropics,

snow hasn't lost its novelty for me yet.

this winter was all about

mild temperatures

strong, gusty wind

dark clouds

and rain.

anyone can understand then why i'm mad about my mustard coat.

it cheers me up everyday.

really.

today my laptop at work decided to break down.

so i went home because i have a backup of everything in my own laptop.

i loved it!

i love being able to work from home.

it was dark as usual so i raised the blinds to let as much light in as i can.

before i know it, Tom perched on the window ledge watching the birds.

it helps when you always have a camera close by!

photo is from Daily Tom.

(be a fan, says tom.)

obviously, i haven't had enough of my fruit basket yet!

i found some old books at the charity shop last week.

i love old books.

and charles dickens.

looking forward for February!

i still haven't thought about my word for 2012.

everyone seems to have a word for 2012.

i'll think about it tonight.

maybe.

anyhoo. have a good week everyone.

week 2

2012-01-15T15:40:00.002Z

2012 officially started for me last week. yep back to work already.

it felt weird getting back into my work routine after a 2 week holiday!

they were 5 long, painful days which seemed to go on and on and on.

the worst is almost over though, and this new week should be easier.

i hope.

nothing like a new haircut to 'mentally' prepare for work! ^_^

my MIL and i went to our local salon to get our hair done.

my hairdresser asked if i would like to have my hair blow-dried with curls.

or something like that.

i said absolutely! i've never had curls in my whole life.

i'm boring like that.

and how i loved the results!

the curls lasted for about 2 hours max. ah well.

there was a soft drizzle when we went out of the salon and we didn't bring an umbrella.

a girl asked me if i'd like a plastic cap to put over my new hair.

i said no, thank you.

this is a picture of Tom from last autumn.

that is the softest tummy in the whole wide world.

most of the time, i can't make him look into the camera.

but he was very tolerant this morning, he posed for me!

i just made him his very own facebook page, so if you love cats, click here:

Tom (still under construction, but there will be daily photo updates, cat quotes and cat vids!)

i was in Grafton St. last week looking for that tiny shop where i bought a small kuhn rikon knife

last year. i thought it was cute with the polka dots and pink sheath.

i loved it! for a small knife, it was surprisingly very sharp and perfect for chopping onions, carrots and parsnips even potatoes.

anyways, long story short, i gave it to my MIL when she was here because she has fallen in love with it (yes it is possible, especially when your two fingers just recovered from being fractured).

well, i couldn't find the shop again instead i stumbled into Stock Design Store in South King St.

my jaw dropped.

it's a shopping heaven.

they sell stuffs you didn't know you needed.

and that is the story behind my fruit basket on the picture above.

sweet, isn't it?

♥

happy new year

2012-01-02T23:49:00.000Z

i hope you all had a wonderful holiday.

ours was quiet and simple and beautiful.

we went through a lot this year and came out stronger, healthier, happier.

we still keep counting our little blessings...

before the christmas break, a friend baked me some fairy cakes. yes cupcakes in ireland are called fairy cakes.
the cutest plate evah is by Donna Wilson.

this is the first year i used my planner until the end of the year.
(this year i went for the soft cover and suprise, surprise it came with stickers! yes.)

we knew we would be very busy in December so we decided to put up the tree earlier. that's our supervisor on the chair, quality control is tops on his agenda.

this i have learned on writing christmas cards - put up the tree, light some scented candles, put on some old-fashioned christmas music and writing cards will never ever feel like a chore.

something new for me : christmas wreath on my dining room wall
sourced from Garrendenny Lane.

the husband was crazy over blue lights. obviously i'm not too difficult to convince.

this is the warmest winter i've had here so far.
but a cup of hot chocolate piled high with cream makes up for the lack of snow.
(plate and mug by Donna Wilson)

i still have holiday until the end of the week. yezzzz!
my mil flew in from amsterdam to spend the new year celebration with us.
and to join us in celebrating the husband's birthday.
we're going to the hairdresser on thursday...
my hair's really annoying me i think i'll have it chopped off again. she's getting a perm.
lastly, i'm a bit worried about going back to work next week - because it means i'll be terribly busy again and i'm quite liking my long holiday.
on the other hand, the work waiting for me in the office is starting to nag at the back of my head.
so i was so glad when i found this quote yesterday, i'm officially declaring it as my inspiration for January:

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ~ Albert Einstein

anyhoo, happy new year everyone!
this is my prayer -
may 2012 be a year of opportunities, may i never cease to look at the world with wonder, may i always pass on the kindness which i constantly receive from strangers and friends alike, may i keep dreaming and believing in myself, may my heart be continually grateful, may i always keep the faith.
i'm claiming blessings of good health, happiness, peace and overflowing love for all of us. ♥

a good week

2011-09-21T01:15:00.003+01:00

[from a bouquet of peonies i bought sometime last May, they're still lovely dried]

i'm on my second week at work already and so far, i'm loving being busy and having the flexibility of going home early thus avoiding the rush at the bus stops in the afternoon. part of my schedule's flexibility is being able to keep my volunteer work every tuesdays. the boss' fine with it, the old ladies at the charity shop are happy to still have me, and i'm thrilled i'm able to keep both jobs so everything seems to be going really well so far!

[from my flower box in the garden]

for the first time in over 3 years, i watched the all-ireland football final match between Dublin and Kerry. everyone seemed to be talking about it the last few weeks so i tuned in to the telly last Sunday afternoon not wanting to be left out of course! it was very interesting to have a peek into the world of GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) as it is so much a part of the Irish culture and society. because Dublin has been our home for the last 3 years, i cheered for Dublin evidently. though a bit louder than how the husband and the cat wanted it to be especially at the last 7 minutes when the game's momentum turned and Dublin emerged victorious. i couldn't have picked a better timing!

i was able to do one wash load this morning before i left for my volunteer work but didn't have the time to hang them dry. i left them to the husband who apparently has a few days off from work and just enjoying his vacation la balcono. when i came home this afternoon he told me there's only one dress left in the line as it was still damp. i found my dress hanging like this. i can't imagine how our laundry line must have looked like earlier. someone was obviously in a hurry to get back to his playstation.

it's terrible, isn't it? but the worst thing is, i laughed out loud when i saw it.

in conclusion to my strangely happy start of a week, here's a picture of tom who never fails to make us smile and giggle on a daily basis. we'd be lost without him!

have a lovely week everyone.

update!

2011-09-15T21:53:00.004+01:00

[at home, tom is the boss]

i'm finally back working again albeit part-time. which is good because it means i still have time to pursue what i really want to do - taking photographs. i don't know how long it will take me until i feel good about my own photographs but i'll get there. someday. anyhoo, with jobs so difficult to find if not impossible at all with the current economic climate, i'm very happy to be working again. every little penny counts!

we finished early today at work so i walked through St. Stephen's Green for a bit of peace in the midst of the noise of the city. and to people-watch. i ended up watching these cheeky pigeons awaiting bits from someone's lunch. very entertaining i must say!

lovely carriage outside St. Stephen's Green. i spy a wool blanket on the seat!

walking towards my bus stop, a huge chalkboard along O'Connell Street caught my eye. i just saw it today and i spent a good while reading. i looked it up online soon as i got home and learned that it's an I AM AFRAID project by meandhimandyou with ABSOLUT Fringe.

here's what it's all about (from their website):

==========================================================

Project Info
There is a feeling of fear and uncertainty in our country. As a result of the greed of a select few, the majority of the Irish public are afraid. They are afraid of losing their jobs, afraid of never finding a job, afraid of not being able to pay back loans, afraid their kids will have to emigrate, to name just a few. The Irish public face many challenges today, as a result there is an urgent need for radical change, new ideas, imagination and inspiration in Irish society. How much stronger would the city feel if everybody shouts their fears. Therapy on a city scale.

==========================================================

true, true...couldn't agree more!

and for our final picture of the day:

have you tried blogging with a cat sitting on your lap, with his head resting on your left wrist as you type? this cat thinks my lap is his couch. unfortunately i tend to agree with him most of the time! O_o

i guess i need to order chinese now, the family is starving!

xx

not so random...

2011-09-13T01:48:00.003+01:00

five weeks ago, i attended a short course at the Gallery of Photography in Temple Bar. the course ran for 4 weeks, for a few hours every Saturday. each class usually has a maximum of 6 places, but there were only 3 of us in our batch, all girls. one was a young Irish girl, the other a lovely Mexican girl and of course, i'm filipino. shows a lot the diversity of Dublin's society these days. we had the nicest teacher in the world too, and how he has opened the complex world of photoshop for me! i started out completely clueless about photoshop, and i'm quite proud i have finally grasped the basics of it. Masks and Layers scare me no more, thanks to JP.

i'm not so sure how it happened but after our first class, my Mexican classmate S and I walked out together from the gallery, wandered through the farmers market of Temple Bar, sat down in a coffee shop and talked over cups of espresso and cappuccino for three hours. if my phone hadn't beeped with a worried message from my husband why i'm not home yet, we wouldn't have realized how late it was.

we did exactly the same routine x 3 more saturdays. something about her that just clicked with me and vice versa, it's amazing! maybe it's our love for photography that connected us, maybe it's our cultural background both sprinkled with Spanish influence, or maybe it's because we're both foreigners here, i don't know. all i know is that our feelings for kinship is just so strong we decided to meet again last saturday, despite the class being finished already. we're meeting again of course, and collaborating even for a project. i am excited for the possibilities of the things we can craft together!

it's not everyday that you forge a friendship with someone who has exactly the same interests as you do, who inspires you and at the same time is so much fun to be with. no sir. that a special friendship was born over random talks of apertures and f-stops, adjustment layers and lightings...over mexico and the philippines, a smattering of spanish words and english translations, of love stories and friendships back home - my faith is renewed that the world is not so bad after all.

here's another one who makes my world much, much sweeter...

{tom on my notebook pretending to blog}

have a fab week everyone! i'm off to volunteer work tomorrow and anticipating for a fantastic news when i get home. ta! xx

lomo love

2011-09-12T00:44:00.004+01:00

{me & my favorite dress again + lomo smena}

film is still very much alive.

while i love my faithful digital Nikon, the old soul in me constantly longs for old school photography. with old, i just mean photography as they knew it in the last 50 years or so and not as old as this; a great article by the way about The Wonderful World of Early Photography from the archives of Neatorama.

that said, the 35mm film camera i won on an auction in ebay indulged my guilty pleasures.

the following photographs were taken by my Lomo Smena last winter.

the excitement+anticipation building up as i slowly use my 36 exposures is just priceless.

recently, the husband got me a new toy through the wonderful (read: inexpensive) world of Lidl. a negative scanner! now i can just get my roll of film developed at the camera shop, dash home and scan them through my scanner. shallow i know, but happy days! ^_^

eats

2011-09-11T16:09:00.003+01:00

when one lacks culinary skills (and patience), one makes do. strawberries, cream and...frozen pastry!

squidgy chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream. so yummy yet so simple to make anyone can do it, even me. recipe here.

and for working in front of the computer, i like it simple.

have a lovely sunday everyone. xx

trip to town

2011-09-10T23:22:00.001+01:00

was in town today to meet with a friend and the sky was a gorgeous blue! the leaves have started falling too and the cooler breeze is telling me autumn is close by.

Trinity College Dublin

finding Bewley's Cafe in Grafton Street bursting at the seams as it was lunchtime, we turned off a lane at Johnson's Court and found this quaint barbershop along. the warm and friendly owner, having seen us taking pictures from outside welcomed us in. here's a video from vimeo of The Irish Barber:

The Irish Barber from Tiago Gil Batista on Vimeo.

on another note...

i love this book!

beautiful photography and writing by pia jane bijkerk.

hey

2011-09-10T01:22:00.001+01:00

oh yes we do.
but we'll get to that later.

first, my recent favorite picture of me and my darling cat. nothing like a burst of sunshine after a rainy morning to dry your wool blanket outside + a fluffy cat following you around to make one's day.
poor thing, just one of the things he endures for us really.

have a great weekend!

xx

vintage cat ladies

2011-05-18T00:06:00.003+01:00

i just have to share this link, click for more.
hilarious collection of vintage photographs featuring....the rotten spoiled cats and their ladies! ^_^

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beribboned

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purrrrrrrr

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furry fashion

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hmmm...the kitten? or the baby?

vintage cat lady #1, fifty years from now

vintage cat lady #2, fifty years from now. tattooed for good measure.

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easy listening with Erik Satie

to go with my rainy day and hot cup of tea!

ixxi

2011-05-17T13:39:00.002+01:00

loving this brilliant product!

just found this today via yvestown:

what is ixxi?

ixxi is a modular connecting system. With x's and i's you can make your own photo enlargement or photo collage in any format possible.

Upload your photos and choose how large your photo enlargement or photocollage should be.

Create your personal ixxi using the easy online module,
or select an image from the ixxi imagebank (art and photography).

ixxi is an inspiring product for business presentations, exhibitions and interiors. With the use of cards in various materials and sizes one can create special walls and (temporary) spaces.

{source}

you can use your own photographs (note the minimum resolution requirement) or pick from their library with themes from famous paintings of the dutch masters to beautiful photographs of various photographers.

sizes range from 80cm x 60cm (4x3 squares @ 20cm/square) and can be customized for up to 500 cards or squares. you do the math. at €24.90 for the smallest size, i think it's just priced right. they ship worldwide too.

my all-time favorite dutch master. hands down.

ixxi isn't only for your walls. makes for a pretty room divider too!

love the dark contrast in this minimalist living room

even the cat likes it.

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Yvestown is giving away two ixxis.

head over there now for a chance to win!

x♥x

found

2011-05-16T15:54:00.002+01:00

image: taken by me

text: old Dutch saying

literal translation: in May all birds lay an egg.

nest: found beside the cycle path last fall

blue egg with brown specks: hatched half, found in my garden this spring

happy monday!

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current obsessions:

1. this website, snailmail lovers alert!

2. hearts

3. lovely lettering

4. gorgeous food photography

5. this tea towel

6. this song:

colours

2011-05-11T23:04:00.000+01:00

...to brighten up my day.

vintage lace and wool and silk threads from my vintage stash. i don't use them. i don't think i'll ever use them. these lovelies are from france and i got them (a bagful) from the charity shop i used to volunteer with. For Free! oh the perks i had before. *sigh*

some people collect cars, dolls or toys, china, books and so on. i collect...haberdashery? old haberdashery? ~~junk?~~ vintage notions?

small pastel-colored soaps that are too pretty to use in the bath! it's a boxed set i bought from a thrift store last year which i thought would look nice in the guest bathroom. i changed my mind though soon as i got home, because looking at them makes me so happy. i know that if i place them in a cute bowl for the guest bathroom i'd be tempted to tape a "Do not Touch" sign. so for now, they stay in my craft room and whenever i need a smile i just have to take them out of the box and smell them. insane i know, but i'm shallow like that.

grey linen and pastel embroidery floss is happiness. this is a Sublime Stitching pattern from the Dutch-Russian transfer set. i think i need to make one for myself too.

but my favourite smile-generator would always be this black and white fluffy cat. he's stubborn and lazy and affectionate and cuddly and just so stinking cute. ktnxbye.

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talking about things that make me happy, i think this video is just beautiful. heart-achingly beautiful.

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

what makes you happy?

x♥x

wednesday blues

2011-05-11T07:49:00.005+01:00

sending some cuteness your way.

hi from tom!

while i was away

2011-05-08T15:19:00.014+01:00

here are a few snapshots of what happened the last few hectic months behind me.

pictures tell better stories than words.

no, let me say it again. pictures tell better stories than me.

just before christmas, i finished stitching this little present for my friend Anne in Chicago.

i haven't been crafting so much to be honest, i was just deadbeat tired when i get home.

my lovely MIL arrived from holland to celebrate the new year with us.

we had a very cozy new year's eve at home. cozy (and more) in dutch is "gezellig".

i baked cupcakes for the husband's birthday...and for 20 of his colleagues!

it's lemon flavoured with butter frosting topped with fresh strawberry and kiwi.
this picture was taken in the early morning before he left for work.
notice the gloves and hat beside him, it was still freezing cold then and he goes to work on his bicycle.
the reason why i make sure he always has hot porridge for breakfast and a healthy lunch on his rucksack, even if that means foregoing an hour more of sleep for me! ♥

i found a temporary job in january.

never mind the date, this is the only "nice" picture i have coming home from work.
[read: i love the dress, it's a vintage find from the charity shop]

the cat obviously missed me. or so i like to presume.

i also went to college again after over 10 years. yes i'm that ancient.

i think i have an essay due that week and i was cramming.

sadly, some things never change.

i turned 32 last february. wait...32?????????!!!!

i can't believe it myself. but deep inside i'm only 25. and some days just 18.

especially before the semester ended and i was in panic mode for a presentation.

i got a new haircut last march. my first salon-haircut since i moved here in dublin.

i used to chop my own hair before i decided to splurge.

it felt soooooo good to have somebody wash my hair again.

they even made me tea while i'm getting my hair done

and most of all, i just hang out with the cat when i'm home.

we missed each other very much.

the last few months had been a learning experience. like TOTALLY.
it was mad, hectic, crazy, chaotic, exciting, but absolutely a fabulous, exhilarating adventure.
i worked, i studied, i made friends. i grew up. i feel i'm a wee bit wiser too.
the experience opened another world for me which i've never seen before.
it was waaaaay too different from my perch in my craftroom window.
not everything was pretty and rosy in that world
but the people i've met and the lessons i've learned made the journey worthwhile.

happy sunday!

x♥x

new fave

2011-05-08T00:40:00.011+01:00

we bought an electric juicer a couple of months ago from the Lidl and i love it!

making a glass (or two) of fresh orange juice has never been this easy for me. it's quick, gets ALL of the juice out and most importantly, so easy to clean. its other virtues include: lightweight, inexpensive and easy to use. did i mention cheap? it also reminds me everyday of my plan to eat, drink, live healthy. beat that. though i wish it has the power to compel me too.

it's not only for fresh orange or grapefruit juices though. hot toddy, anyone? (not just for winter!)

disclaimer: not a paid ad!

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p.s.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there!

To our moms in the Philippines and in Holland, sending you all our love. xx

thumbcats

2011-05-06T23:54:00.000+01:00

watch out for the cat who's a-stitchin'.

medical story, dublin style

2011-05-05T08:44:00.012+01:00

i was so set to start running in the mornings again and then it rained today. bummer.
(so i'm hanging out with the cat in the meantime to relax my nerves. the reason they're all tangled up is explained further below but it might bore you to tears. btw, i took this picture yesterday to try out my new tripod and it was fun! aside from having to wait until the cat joins me.)

on second thought, my flowers will be happy!

we have a hospital appointment later in the afternoon, the husband is due for a minor surgery for nasal polyps. poor thing has trouble smelling and breathing the last few months. the doctor said it should be a quick procedure, so we're hoping recovery would be quick as well.

setting a medical appointment here in ireland, well in dublin at least, has been quite a pain by itself. to see a specialist, an ENT in our case, we have to see our GP first to get an endorsement/recommendation. we decided to see the specialist from the hospital that is closest to us which is about 20 minutes to cycle, only to find out that we can't set the appointment personally, but have to post the GP's letter to the Outpatient Department. it took some 2-3 weeks to hear from the specialist of our appointment, which was only possible about three months later. so 3 months later the husband went to see the specialist and after a quick check, was recommended for a facial (i don't know the medical term) scan. he was told he would receive by post the appointment date for the scan. a week or two later, we received the appointment date scheduled two weeks later. okay...are you still there? we're only halfway through, hang in there. so off he went for the scan and was told again that he would receive by post his next appointment with the specialist to discuss his scan result. it was another 2 weeks before he saw the specialist and details of the procedure was discussed. again, we will receive by post the date for the surgery which they hoped is in the next 5-6 weeks. we were holding our breath for the letter to arrive and when it finally did, we were so relieved as we were doubting if we would ever receive it as weeks passed.

the story doesn't end there though. that surgery date was exactly two weeks ago. a week prior that, we received a second letter from the hospital with a "new date" written on top of the form but saying exactly the same thing as the one sent to us earlier. i tried to ring the hospital to ask what's the deal with the two letters saying exactly the same thing but nobody was picking up the phone so we thought, well, perhaps it's just to reinforce their first letter.

so, on his admission day two weeks ago, we're both on a day off from work and himself very nervous since the time he woke up. we're supposed to ring the hospital at 3 in the afternoon to confirm if there was a bed for him before we go there. so all dressed up and his bag packed, i rang the hospital. surprise, surprise! the date was postponed to two weeks later because the doctor is not available. i was shocked. and mortified.

anyways, life must go on. himself was elated though and relieved as he was dreading going to the hospital, not to mention for surgery, no matter how minor it's still surgery. we feel there's still a 50/50 chance though that they'll cancel the appointment so he went to work this morning and will be home at lunch for a bit of time to relax before we go. if we can.

i didn't intend to write so extensively about this whole thing, but i'm glad i did to remind myself of what happened. the next time one of us needs to see a specialist, it means it's time to book a holiday for the philippines. the philippines may be a third world country but seeking medical attention is much easier there. no kidding.

and oh, we made a major boo-boo too so it's not all the health system's fault, they can't help it to be inefficient working with fewer personnel because of all the austerity cuts. we have health insurance so we could have chosen to see a private doctor and it "might" not have taken us about half a year to get a hospital appointment. i'm not really sure, but that's certainly an option. but because seeing a private doctor would mean travelling far (well, not really, it just means waayyy too far from our neighborhood) we preferred to wait for the hospital closest to us. in summary, we have no one to blame but ourselves. end of story. 0_o

praying that everything goes well today. xx

p.s. the surgery is NOT on the hospital close by but somewhere i haven't even been to yet. so much about our personal preference, eh? ^_^

**UPDATE: postponed to next thursday again. {insert £$%^&*%$£}

tea break

2011-04-28T08:18:00.000+01:00

obviously my favorite part of the day.

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on other news, i'm attending a funeral service today in glasnevin. a colleague's mam passed last weekend. the fact that i met her lovely mother a few weeks ago in a chocolate shop in town while i wandered after work for some shoe therapy made the news seem surreal. i can still remember her smile.

anyways, i'm off now, i need to be there early!

ta! ♥♥♥

the long way home

2011-04-28T00:18:00.002+01:00

a video of the cycle path on a sunday morning. taken some time in early march i think, just before spring.

sorry for the quality, it's very shaky. this is supposed to be in HD, but it seems like onetruemedia doesn't support that quality. i'm not sure. anyways, i recorded this with my husband's new point and shoot in one hand and cycling with the other hand. i still have to master the trick i must say.

gotta love cycling!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

i'm back!

2011-04-27T23:11:00.003+01:00

i know it's been a while but so much has happened the last few months i'm still reeling. but that's for another day. today the afternoon sun was glorious as it shone through our living room, filtered by the window shades. the wind was still a bit nippy though but we're enjoying the long day lights.

i'm back on taking photographs again and i'm quite excited to pick up my camera after so many months of neglecting it. i'm not making promises but i want to get back to blogging again. it gets quite lonely without having the comments to look forward to!

again, hi everyone, it feels good to be back. <3

the cat and i

2010-09-02T14:55:00.001+01:00

tom and i were in the garden today to enjoy what seemed to be the last breath of summer. the grass felt surprisingly soft and cool on my feet. the sun was warm on my skin, the wind fresh and smelled good. the cat rolled on his back, looked up at me, a black furry ball of contentment. i squinted in the sun and thanked God for simple days like this.

2010-08-20T19:24:00.002+01:00

photo taken yesterday on my way to volunteer work. i love it when there's no expensive shopping involved in my outfit, i feel lighter, happier...

on another note, this week's been very good because i got quite a few orders in my shop, my supplies arrived safely, and the rain's been fantastic for my vegetable garden. i have lots to be grateful for!

last tuesday, i wrote a tutorial for etsy ireland blog on how to make a fabric tape. you gotta check it out!

and lastly, thanks to you for being here. i suck at blogging this year, i don't know why, my blogging mojo has left me it seems. but hopefully, i'll do better for the remainder of the year. ^-^

have an awesome weekend. give your lovelies a hug and a kiss. tell them you love them. whisper a prayer of thanks that you have them in your life.

♥♥♥

foggy thoughts

2010-08-12T00:51:00.002+01:00

for the first time since tom came to live with us, he explored the comforts of my lap.

and so there goes my things to do list...

♥♥♥

tomorrow is an early start for me. early for us means 5:30am.

the husband goes to work at 6:30, and i needed to do extra volunteer duty myself because

one of our oldest volunteers' sister passed away so she's off down the country to be with

the rest of her family. nellie is 86 and she's one of my favorite girls in the world, bless her.

you can't underestimate her carrying a cane, she can spot a silk scarf

from five meters away...a lovely jumper hanging in the rails close to the wall

from her perch beside the till. she can laugh heartily and giggle like a girl

when we're engaged in strictly girl talk. i'm gonna miss her tomorrow.

meantime, it's almost one in the wee morning!

tom is curled beside me, sleeping sweetly already. perhaps dreaming of birds,

and scaling fences, and his favorite tuna-flavored food.

but i must drag myself to bed now.

have a great day everyone.

♥

let's celebrate, quick!

2010-08-11T09:19:00.008+01:00

~~i am awaiting for my 100th sale on my packages&strings shop!~~

~~be it and i'll throw in a sweet gift with your purchase. yay, exciting!~~

thanks magpieandbutton,
you're taking home the party loot bag!

thanks a mil ♥♥♥

tuesdays are happy days

2010-08-10T21:59:00.000+01:00

i went to my volunteer job today and met M, my new co-volunteer for Tuesday mornings. she's a lovely french woman, a perfect picture of one who has aged gracefully and beautifully. i'm looking forward for my french lessons (and french recipes!) in the coming weeks! we had a lovely day today talking about so many things that the hours flew so quickly. for someone who has been working from home for over two years already, it's a real treat to have some exciting girl talk from time to time. the icing on the cake is that she's really nice too.

in the afternoon, E, another volunteer from Uzbekistan arrives for the afternoon shift. he's been in dublin for three years already to learn English and he speaks both Uzbek and Russian. we've been working together for about 2 years now. i usually stall in the shop while i wait for my bus, so for about 30 minutes, i get free Russian lessons from him as well. can a girl get so lucky?

every tuesday, at about lunchtime, two seniors come to drop by the shop for a chat. john loves western movies and he's the only one i know who still buys VHS tapes. he hoards them. he comes with his friend joe. they're both septuagenarians, or so, i haven't really asked them their age. i think it'd be impolite as the two hold great pride in their strides. anyways, today i introduced them both to my new colleague, the french lady M. john always had loads of stories to tell, but today - among many things, he told M there's a magnetic force that draws them to the shop every tuesday. M exclaimed, i know!!! Odette!!!

i mean, how sweet was that?! God bless their hearts. ♥♥

sometimes it tires me to tell stories about what happened to me regardless how funny or exciting were they. but today i thought i must get back to my daily or at least weekly ramblings. someday my memory might fail me, but i wouldn't want to forget the nice people i have met. here's hoping my blog will keep them all for me to later remind me of them.

have a lovely, happy week everyone!

may you meet the nicest people in the world too.

2010-08-09T14:40:00.009+01:00

i've been guest blogging for Etsy Ireland last Saturday. here's a copy of my post. enjoy and be inspired!

=================================================================

hello everyone!

i've been scrolling through 70 Etsy pages with the "craftyirelandteam" tag and i'm overwhelmed with so much talent and crafty goodness! here are a few of my favorites :

1. Anemone on the Shore by meluseena
2. Irish Gaelic Folk Art Bird Ornament by homespunireland
3. Fuchsia Rose and Brass Beads Necklace by ABoxForMyTreasure
4. Marino Felted Slippers by suzanneorford
5. Summer Festival Hat by purlsofcolour

...and speaking about creativity, check out this brilliant short film by Tanya Davis and Andrea Dorfam titled How to be Alone. my husband and i have left our friends and family back in Holland and in the Philippines when we moved here in Dublin, so i could relate pretty much to that feeling on my first few months here. i'm glad that ireland is so easy to fall in love with, and how quickly i found my peace and focus and happiness again.

HOW TO BE ALONE by Tanya Davis

If you are at first lonely, be patient. If you've not been alone much, or if when you were, you weren't okay with it, then just wait. You'll find it's fine to be alone once you're embracing it.

We could start with the acceptable places, the bathroom, the coffee shop, the library. Where you can stall and read the paper, where you can get your caffeine fix and sit and stay there. Where you can browse the stacks and smell the books. You're not supposed to talk much anyway so it's safe there.

There's also the gym. If you're shy you could hang out with yourself in mirrors, you could put headphones in (guitar stroke).

And there's public transportation, because we all gotta go places.

And there's prayer and meditation. No one will think less if you're hanging with your breath seeking peace and salvation.

Start simple. Things you may have previously (electric guitar plucking) based on your avoid being alone principals.

The lunch counter. Where you will be surrounded by chow-downers. Employees who only have an hour and their spouses work across town and so they -- like you -- will be alone.

Resist the urge to hang out with your cell phone.

When you are comfortable with eat lunch and run, take yourself out for dinner. A restaurant with linen and silverware. You're no less intriguing a person when you're eating solo dessert to cleaning the whipped cream from the dish with your finger. In fact some people at full tables will wish they were where you were.

Go to the movies. Where it is dark and soothing. Alone in your seat amidst a fleeting community.
And then, take yourself out dancing to a club where no one knows you. Stand on the outside of the floor till the lights convince you more and more and the music shows you. Dance like no one's watching...because, they're probably not. And, if they are, assume it is with best of human intentions. The way bodies move genuinely to beats is, after all, gorgeous and affecting. Dance until you're sweating, and beads of perspiration remind you of life's best things, down your back like a brook of blessings.

Go to the woods alone, and the trees and squirrels will watch for you.
Go to an unfamiliar city, roam the streets, there're always statues to talk to and benches made for sitting give strangers a shared existence if only for a minute and these moments can be so uplifting and the conversations you get in by sitting alone on benches might've never happened had you not been there by yourself

Society is afraid of alonedom, like lonely hearts are wasting away in basements, like people must have problems if, after a while, nobody is dating them. but lonely is a freedom that breaths easy and weightless and lonely is healing if you make it.

You could stand, swathed by groups and mobs or hold hands with your partner, look both further and farther for the endless quest for company. But no one's in your head and by the time you translate your thoughts, some essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept.

Perhaps in the interest of loving oneself, perhaps all those sappy slogans from preschool over to high school's groaning were tokens for holding the lonely at bay. Cuz if you're happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay.

It's okay if no one believes like you. All experience is unique, no one has the same synapses, can't think like you, for this be relieved, keeps things interesting lifes magic things in reach.

And it doesn't mean you're not connected, that communitie's not present, just take the perspective you get from being one person in one head and feel the effects of it. take silence and respect it. if you have an art that needs a practice, stop neglecting it. if your family doesn't get you, or religious sect is not meant for you, don't obsess about it.

you could be in an instant surrounded if you needed it
If your heart is bleeding make the best of it
There is heat in freezing, be a testament.

=================================================================

thanks for dropping by! ♥♥♥
xx

my new supervisor

2010-08-09T13:22:00.008+01:00

okay, obviously i am besotted with this cat.

he's an old chap already, and loves to supervise what i am doing. when i'm sewing, he'd hog the chair i am sitting on, leaving me about one-fourths the space for my buns.

this picture was taken last week while i was tidying my desk. naturally he had to be there to make sure i'm doing it right. but the moment i puckered up my lips for a goldfish kiss, he turned his face away. great compliment eh?!

by the way, Tom has a funny story to tell of how he came to live with us - just about a month ago or so. he's telling it very soon, so watch out for that. ^-^

ohhh, jen, you had me laughing out loud with your plan to catnapZ him. i've just increased security in our house, just in case. :D

have a lovely week you sweet thing who's reading now. tom sends a flying kiss to all of you. ♥

{chinese spammers not included! grrrrr!}

summer!

2010-07-31T02:08:00.015+01:00

we were at the botanic gardens of dublin last thursday.
i took loooaaaads of pictures.
so hard to pick a favorite, but here's one that makes me smile. ^.^

happy weekend! xx

meet tom

2010-07-30T23:04:00.001+01:00

our new baby.

(we've always wanted a cat)

kj and i are smitten.

he just walked into our home and never left.

love! ♥

may something adorable and sweet walk into your home and never leave too. ♥
xx

fabric coasters

2010-07-30T01:48:00.003+01:00

i love linen. it's texture, it's crumple.
i love fabric coasters.
i've made lots of them before, but didn't really feel confident about selling them. i didn't think people would actually be willing to buy them. so i gave them away as presents.
i was surprised that they actually liked them!

so one day a couple of weeks ago, i made a few sets again.
spent a day styling and photographing them.
the best part was that i get to drink all the chocolate drinks and cups of coffee i made. yum.
oops, the ones showed in this set are cups of green tea. i love it too.

i posted the pictures on my facebook album.
if friends like them, or notice them at least, then maybe, just maybe, i can sell them.
and i'm a lucky girl to have good friends on my list.
i was able to sell a few sets in a week's time!
hooorraaayyy! it felt good. ^.^

here's what Joy has to say about her loot *blush*. click.

let me know if you'd like to order some, i'd be really really really thrilled.

cheers! xx

handmade bookmarks

2010-07-29T08:31:00.003+01:00

busy, busy, busy lately. but it's all good though.
spent my days, and weeks creating. just feeling my hands do it.
loving photography too!
i can't decide which one i like best, to craft or to take photographs.
i guess both.
it's a beautiful opportunity to be able to do what you love doing.
and making people happy with them.
i love happy endings.

these are giant paperclip bookmarks i made with fabric-covered buttons. love love love. ♥

thanks for dropping by! xx

monday

2010-06-21T13:14:00.007+01:00

“Love is always bestowed as a gift―

freely, willingly, and without expectation.

We don’t love to be loved;

we love to love.”
~ Leo F. Buscaglia

it's a beautiful monday morning here, and my head feels a bit heavy which is not a very good start. i do need some fresh air, definitely, so maybe i'll hop on my bicycle later to go to the library and return the books i borrowed three weeks ago { *gasp* has it been that long? }. or maybe not. maybe i'll take the bus instead and daydream by the window. we'll see.

last week Kj's aunt & uncle in the netherlands celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. yes Diamond, how awesome is that? the burgemeester even congratulated them in their home with flowers and such and they were featured in the local paper. we wrote them a card, well Kj did as my dutch is a total muck, and he said something like, we're hoping we'll have the same long happy years as them...which totally cracked me up. he would be almost a hundred years old by then and me not very far behind him! but well, who knows?! ^-^

ohh by the way, i'm glad some of you liked my new no-poo regime from my previous post. i've read about it first at Life Candy, she has more tips on going natural with your hair care, and i know you'll enjoy her blog very much! i found her blog through Toni's Wifely Steps when she was guest-blogging there the same week that i was. if you have other natural health and beauty solutions, fire away in the comments box. i would love to hear them!

and before i forget, i'd like to thank iHanna for the sweet mention of me on her blog {apparently, we were on the same page in the Craft Corps book}! she wrote a fantastic review of Vickie Howell's Craft Corps book, you must check it out for inspiration if you're a crafter who dreams of making a business out of your craft.

thanks for dropping by, hope your monday's as delicious as my vanilla ice cream! ♥

news bits

2010-06-20T16:05:00.012+01:00

yes i was away for like, 3 weeks? my husband had a 2-week holiday from work so i had to take a leave from my "work" as well. had to close shops for a while and live for the moment (read: be lazy). last week i caught a bug, the allergy bug, that is - itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing 387 times a day (or so, it felt like it). this is my 3rd summer in dublin and the first time ever that i didn't feel well, so i didn't quite know what to do with it. i was hoping it'd be over in a few days but by the end of the week, i was spent. drained. exhausted. only then did i bother to go to the drugstore and ask for an OTC med. the pharmacist didn't look surprised, apparently, i'm not the only poor victim of the season. i'm not a pill popper but thank God for Clarityn tabs and Opticrom eye drops for making me feel normal again!

i finished reading Elizabeth Berg's A Year of Pleasures this weekend. i love her beautiful, tender way of writing, and though the way things in the story seem to fall perfectly into place are too good to be believable, still, i'd love to read it again just to savor the poetry she makes of everyday ordinary things. it makes me want to cuddle with the husband and enjoy even the most ordinary of things as sharing a cuppa, or watching tv or just watch him from our bedroom window while he mows the lawn. reading a story about losing someone you love deeply makes you appreciate and love all the more.

on another note, everyone i know seem to be pregnant and having children. i think 2010 is a very fertile year, although not for us. by choice. cold feet? maybe. we keep pushing the deadline away, and for the meantime, the neighbor's cat revels in our love. yesterday morning she, the cat, was with Kj in the garden and in the afternoon she slept beside me on the couch while i finished knitting a scarf i started last year (i know!). did i say the husband is allergic to cat hair and dander and whatever? that's why we can't have a cat of our own. so far he's doing great by the way, no horrid allergy reactions whatsoever so we're happy campers! feline included. which reminds me, maybe we should give her a name. Poes (dutch for cat) just don't do it for me.

lastly, i have totally ditched my shampoo and conditioners and gone no-poo, hopefully, for...forever? fingers crossed. i now wash my hair with a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water and condition with the juice of half a lemon in a cup of water. this is my 4th week, and so far, so good. no more moanings for dry, lifeless hair, and definitely less hair to pick up on the shower drain. i'm saying goodbye to dandruff too, what a relief. i've read the no-poo movement from another blog, and while it's not for everybody, i'm happy it works for me!

have a lovely week!
happy father's day to all dads out there, especially to my daddy, mijn schoonvader (my late FIL), my BIL Folkert, and my big brother Jake! i {he♥rt} you guys so very much.

craft corps giveaway winner

2010-06-07T13:00:00.005+01:00

hello!

thank you everyone for joining! sorry that i wasn't able to post the winner immediately, the husband and i were on holiday last week to the island of Arainn Mhor, in the north west of Ireland. we said hello to the ferocious Atlantic ocean crashing wildly on the cliffs, hiked on steep terrain, saw the bog fields for the first time, and just totally, helplessly fell in love with the rustic appeal of the island. it was a fantastic experience - with the lovely weather and the warmth of the locals. it's definitely a place we're visiting again!

anyways, on to our winner. i used a random number generator because i'd like to be surprised myself who would be the lucky one. and it's :

and commenter # 17 is:

thank you Bina, and congratulations! please email me your postal address and i'll have the book shipped to you this week. { littlemsfirefly at gmail dot com }

and to everyone who left comments and congratulations for me, many, many thanks! it feels very nice to have you here in my blog!

here are some pictures from Arainn Mhor (Arranmore). have a great week!

vacation la balcono

2010-05-27T23:26:00.004+01:00

we had a lovely time last weekend...

we soaked up some sun,

read dutch magazines,

and enjoyed being lazy.

we opened our red parasol,

enjoyed the blue sky

and drank fresh orange juice.

it felt like back home in the tropics. ♥

on other news,

please visit Wifely Steps, Toni has a special series of wifely steps posts from her

blogger friends. today's post is the 4th from a series of 7.

{ the guest blogger is me! }

please drop by and wish Toni & Husby a happy 7th wedding anniversary!

---------------------

oops, please don't miss the giveaway on my previous post! ♥

---------------------

craft corps book giveaway

2010-05-26T18:50:00.007+01:00

so this morning i got a wonderful surprise from the post.
my craft corps book arrived!

so what is this book all about?

"Through a series of insightful and often humorous interviews, designer, TV host and writer Vickie Howell gets to the bottom of how 30 influential designers and 60 every-day extraordinary people are taking part in creating and living the new, American Dream. Craft Corps is more than celebrating craft; it is about creating your life through the shift in career possibilities, making a living doing what you truly love, and celebrating individual creativity in a fast-paced, electronic world. It is an ever-growing community of people that flourishes online, both locally and globally. Craft Corps is a book, a blog, a community, a movement."

and what made me so excited about it?

because i'm in it! ♥
i'm one of the 60 crafter profiles included in the book.
to say i am delighted would be an understatement, i'm absolutely thrilled to the moon!
Thank you so much Vickie for the wonderful opportunity to be part of it! ^-^

so to celebrate, and to share to you this wonderful, inspiring book from Vickie Howell,
i'm giving away one copy to one lucky reader.
if you'd like to join, please leave a comment to qualify for the giveaway.
you may share a story as well of a time when you made something for someone.

giveaway will run until Thursday of next week, 3rd of June.
will announce the random winner on Friday, 4 June 2010.
winner must contact me within two weeks for his/her postal address,
otherwise i would have to draw another one.

please share this post to your friends or on your blogs!

thank you, and have a marvelous week!

------------------------------------------------------

are you a crafter? do you love creating?
join the craft corps community! submit your story by clicking on the widget below:

Trade Secrets

2010-05-20T09:45:00.000+01:00

Hello there! I'm guest blogging for Etsy Ireland today!

I have always loved sending snail mails as much as receiving them, since grade school in fact. I love the handwritten notes, the stationery specially picked for me, and the enclosed little surprises like an odd sticker, an old postcard, a bookmark with a beautiful quote, a comic strip torn from the paper, a photograph. I know the feeling of receiving something unexpected, and how it makes a simple letter even more meaningful. From these feelings so vividly tucked in my memory I have sent out every package from my shop. Regardless of the amount of the item purchased, packages big and small were all carefully and lovingly wrapped from my home. The reason I do it is simply because I love doing it. Packaging is definitely my most favorite part of shop-keeping.

Which brings me to my trade secret #1 : Business Cards

I always enclose a Thank You card in all of my packages in the form of these postcards. There's a pretty space at the back where I can write my handwritten notes as well. These lovelies I got for free from Vistaprint . For free, yes. I can pick the design from hundreds in their library and customize the texts for my business and only pay for VAT and shipping. For a small fee, I can upload my own photos and designs and voila, my very own unique postcards. I also have return address stickers and rubber stamps availed for free from them!

The gift tag used here is from an old set of free business cards from Vistaprint which contained my mailing address. When we moved, I felt so stupid for having my address printed on the cards and I couldn't bring myself to throw them away because the material was very good and I love its design. Then a bright idea hit me...gift tag punch of course!

That little tag is still from the same business card with my shop name beautifully printed on the upper corner. A scissor and a hole punch transformed it into a cute gift tag. I love it when nothing gets wasted.

Handmade cards and notes for shop customers are still the best way to do it, but as your shop gets busier, it's handy to have something cute and ready-made for you to grab and write on.

Trade Secret #2: my favorite shops

This is definitely my favorite online shop here in Ireland. Cara Craft Supplies is my source for punches, cutters, and other crafting tools. The delivery is super fast too, and their prices are very competitive. I always shop around for good deals, and all things considered - shipping fee, customer service - they're my best choice.

And finally, my favorite brick and mortar shop in all of Dublin. Ritzy Rags is a charity shop of the Friends of the Elderly and they stock beautiful vintage clothes, linens, shoes and bric-a-bracs, and unlike the rest of the charity shops around Dublin, theirs are mostly, if not all, from France. The items you'll randomly find are very unique and it's one of the secret jaunts of costume designers and young design students. Thing is, you'll have to drop by week after week because you just never know when's a good thing coming in the racks and shelves.

spending and saving

2010-05-18T00:16:00.000+01:00

At a time like this when most parts of the world are still in financial crisis, people's attitudes and spending habits change. They tend to become more creative with how they manage their finances to stretch their paycheck and get the most value out of it. In doing so, they can set aside something for their savings and still afford the little luxuries in life, from giving presents to a bit of shopping.

Our custom at home is not to buy expensive presents for each other, always the simple and thoughtful presents top the marks especially if it came with a sweet card. Presents doesn't have to be expensive, there are lots of simple but thoughtful ideas to be had online. With a little bit of creativity and attentiveness, customized t-shirts make great gifts. You can have full control over your design, and yet save yourself from the technical details of printing it yourself. If the celebrant is a soccer enthusiast (hello South Africa, World Cup 2010!), this year is perfect for the coolest soccer t-shirts.

Another creative way of managing expenses is by shopping around for coupons and discounts. This is very common in the Dutch culture as well (korting, aanbieding), and we used to get loads of flyers of them in our mailbox in Amsterdam. I have to admit this has rubbed off on me, and I'm really proud of the huge savings I now make so effortlessly. Recently I got my set of crystal champagne flutes from the coupons I have collected in my local grocery. Sweet! For online shopping, check out Savings.com for free online coupons.

Share your spending and saving tips, I'd love to hear from you!

the craft room

2010-05-12T01:02:00.005+01:00

hello there, welcome to my craft room once again!

i had to re-arrange this room recently because we had guests coming, therefore i had to make some space so they can at least move around our only spare bedroom. it's quite a challenge to tidy up when you have hoarded loads of ~~stuff~~ crap and you only have half a small bedroom to manage along with. after a week of dragging furniture around this tiny space, i finally settled on this arrangement. and i'm loving it! my tools are close at hand, my supplies on both my sides and it's very nice when i can find everything in its own place when i need it.

tissue paper for wrapping shop orders
packing area - holds my thank you cards, adhesive tapes, scissors & a roll of baker's twine
chest of drawers holding stocks of glassine bags, cello bags and rolls of baker's twines
tins and boxes holding ribbons and sewing notions
stocks of deco tapes and paper washi tapes for my supplies shop
more shop inventories, some WIPs waiting patiently for their final packaging
baskets of yarn and fresh lavender for a new project
my sewing/daydreaming/writing table. also holds my basket of outgoing posts and more craft supplies.

this window lets in a flood of natural light, so it's perfect for working with my sewing machine, or writing thank you notes, or for sitting around with my cup of coffee in the afternoon.

this bookcase used to sit in our bedroom and i dragged it in my craft room because it can hold so much and yet take up so little space. i pimped it up a bit using wallpaper which i snagged on a sale at Laura Ashley. the table next to it is my packing area, my favorite part of course, and i love having my supplies close at hand.

i used a wooden cutlery holder from Ikea to hold my Thank You cards, calling cards, postage stamps, stickers and tags. a set of tin buckets holds my baker's twine and scissors and cutters. this table has shelves under it which conveniently holds my bubble mailers and mailing envelopes.

the closet on the far right holds my sewing machine, fabrics and boxes of collected scraps and bits and pieces of everything with crafting potentials.

so, this concludes our mini-tour of my mini-craft room. before you make any conclusion though that everything looks neat and organized, i'd like to let you know that it wouldn't be anymore in the next 24 hours. it just so happened that when i took these photos, my guests (my mother-in-law and her childhood friend Antje) have just left for the Netherlands and therefore i haven't been in this room for the last few days.

share your space, leave a link so i can visit yours as well!

happy wednesday!

♥

coffee is on the way

2010-05-05T09:25:00.010+01:00

...and other prints by Helen Dardik

etsy shop: Orange Studio

blog: Orange You Lucky!

today, i'm loving giclee prints, beautiful colors in classic vintage style,
and playful illustrations by helen dardik.
enjoy!

coffee is on the way

{ this print reminds of my friend Anne, the javaqueen! }

make time for tea

{ i ♥ this. so much. }

awesome

{ an awesome reminder for the crafty! }

sweet anticipation

{ ahhh, love. sweet love! }

a walk with a duck

{ a duck in red shoes, how cute is that! }

mary had a little unicorn

{ apple printed coats are soooo in. love it! }

ABC

{ this is not just for kids. perfect for kids at heart as well }

see more gorgeous prints from her Orange Studio.

Inspiring Monday with Paper Atelier

2010-05-03T13:43:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! I'm glad to be featuring my favorite handmade shops again on my blog. It definitely makes for a good start of the week for me.

I'm thrilled to feature today the Paper Atelier shop by my friend Glenda. She's got loads of new stuffs in her shop so i'm really excited to show some of my favorites.

Fine Art Photographs by Paper Atelier

gorgeous prints from her travels

1. Handmade Vintage Typewriter Cahier

2. Plans For World Domination Moleskine Cahier

3. A Pair of Buttons Note Cards - Personalized (Set of 5)

4. Red Flower Handmade Fabric Notebook

5. Burst of Daisies Mini Note Cards (Set of 5)

One can never have enough notebooks and notecards. I know you'd agree. Check out these yummy, yummy Paper Atelier handmade notebooks, gocco printed moleskins and notecards.

Meet Glenda over at Oodles of Goodles, the lovely lovely blog she keeps with her sister Mai.

Happy Monday!

korean fashion and beautiful photography

2010-05-02T06:32:00.002+01:00

♥

i have a friend in south korea and she's one of life's many blessings to me. my good friend H who belongs in the same "blessing file" is also married to a wonderful korean man and they have one little chinky bundle named Missy. aside from them, i'm also in love with many things korean....

like beautiful photography...

and simple and sweet fashion!

what could be cuter than a girl in a bicycle, or in this case, with a gorgeous bicycle!

floral dress, teal cardigan, leather belt and pink patent bag with a chain shoulder strap = love

this dress spells dainty. and dreamy days. and walking barefoot in the grass. and a tall glass of cold lemonade.

i want her pink wellies.

pronto.

florals with cath kidston

2010-05-01T16:15:00.005+01:00

many thanks to your sweet comments and emails, i too am glad to be back blogging again. sometimes there are too many voices on my head and too many thoughts for me to sort in silence. while i love my quiet times, i'm now ready to blog and read blogs again.

so....

at the moment i'm dreaming of summer and warmer places and a break from the damp irish weather...

vacation a la cath kidston

i'm totally smitten with the new clothing collection from cath kidston.
spring has put me in the mood for everything floral and feminine, so i'm really swooning here.

where are your dreams taking you?

in the meantime, have a fun weekend!

p.s. the picture of the girl with the bicycle ticks all of the boxes on my list.

good morning!

2010-04-30T07:23:00.002+01:00

weekend starts on a friday here in our house.

it meant no rude awakening from the alarm clock at 5:30.

hoooray!

if you think porridge oats for breakfast is boring...cook it in the hob with milk for 3 minutes, top with your favorite cereal (mine's Oats & More from Nestle), some sultanas and a generous sprinkle of flaked almonds. yum. goes well with a cup of green tea and a splash of morning sunshine.

happy friday!

p.s. Prettige Koninginnedag!!!

{It's Queen's Day today in the Netherlands}

spring lovely spring

2010-04-29T19:57:00.001+01:00

i spent a lovely afternoon today with my friend Deirdre and her daughter M at the National Botanic Gardens. i was torn between stopping to admire and smell the flowers and capturing them on my camera before the day ended. half a day certainly is not enough, so i'm definitely going back there with the husband sometime soon, perhaps with a blanket for lying on the grass and a thermos of hot coffee!

i wish i can bottle up the freshness of the spring air and the gaiety of the flowers because it'd be something i would love splashing on myself every day.

the garden is open for everyone - there's no entrance fee and there's a lovely cafe close to the entrance gate which is a wonderful treat to cap your day out.

if you're in Dublin, the National Botanic Gardens is about 10minutes from the city centre and there are a few bus routes that can take you there. click here for more information on how to get there.

will post more pictures soon!

have a great day everyone!♥

Layla Grace

2010-04-26T01:39:00.006+01:00

I just found another eye candy online which is too hard to resist ogling at. Layla Grace is an online boutique which carries a sophisticated and clearly carefully selected treasure trove of things for the home, for you and your family. The website is beautifully presented in elegant floral design and vibrant colors, which make browsing a treat in itself.

Product categories are mainly classified into Home and Bedding, Children and Women. If you need ideas for presents to give, there's a Gifts category which can help you decide according to your budget, the occasion, and the person you are giving it to. You can even make your own Gift Registry for your special occasion!

{click photos to enlarge}

For a nesting mother looking for a crib bedding, here are a few goodies which might catch your fancy. Pictured above are designs from Matteo Bambino, if you're looking for vintage linens and classic heirloom materials.

If you love shabby chic and good old red white and blue dotty goodness, here's a cute set for your little man from Little Bunny Blue.

If your style veers towards modern prints, here's a gorgeous vine floral design in beautiful shades of pinks and greens from Skip Hop. For more designs, see here.

Lastly, I can't help but include these baby pettiskirts which are just too cute for words. There are sizes for toddlers and children, and even for newborns! The pettiskirts are perfect for wearing to any special occasion such as a birthday party or a wedding, or for making memorable portraits, or just for your little one to prance and flounce with.

Enjoy the cuteness overload!

shop update

2010-03-20T19:32:00.001Z

just a quick update to let you know that i have listed some pretty stuffs at my shop.

i have new fabric deco tapes and masking tapes over at packages and strings.

have a great weekend everyone!

te druk!

2010-03-07T17:54:00.004Z

...or too busy!

last week's schedule was so crazy for me to blog. or even facebook. i miss miss bloghopping, but there's just too much to do at the moment, it's overwhelming. :(

i'm so happy for the weekend though. among many things, i am grateful for:

the lovely, sunny weather we had for two days in a row now.
spring seems to be saying "hello" finally
Kj is back to having two-day weekends, overtime work is over! hooray!
that meant we were able to cycle yesterday to town and order a new cycle for him,
that is, after a year of nagging from me and Mem.
i slept and slept and slept. for two days, no alarm clock at half five to wake us up!
the house smelled very clean! today i hoovered and dusted and opened windows to let the fresh air in.
i did two loads of laundry and hung the sheets in the sun. beautiful.
i received lots of mail loving from february till last week, and i'm excited to blog about it soon!
my friend Gracey in Rotterdam safely delivered her little bundle of joy last Tuesday! love! ♥
and finally, i'm grateful for sweet treats on a Sunday afternoon, served warm from the oven and topped with a hefty serving of whipped cream!

have a wonderful week everyone!

inspiring monday

2010-03-01T08:33:00.003Z

have a lovely week, everyone!

{ be inspired with dainty femininity in today's favorite Etsy picks }

1. opart

2. ouma

3. YourWillingSkin

4. WeddingAisle

5. jkldesign

happiness is

2010-02-26T14:13:00.001Z

coffee break in between crafting (and facebooking!). ^-^

just had a cup of coffee and a chunk of homemade chocolate cake with whipped cream. ♥

have a great weekend everyone!

winners { share the love }

2010-02-26T12:20:00.000Z

hello! this week has been crazy with my shop, volunteer job and school. but i have finally drawn the winners today, thanks to everyone who joined! Until our next giveaway! ♥

Congratulations,

Daisy Petal Designs Winner - Fortuitous Faery {lucky, lucky girl! this is the second time she won my giveaway!}, please contact me with your choice of hair adornment!

Linen Calendar Winner - Sleepless in KL {yay, i've also won vanilla beans from her blog!}

-------------------------

~~it's almost my birthday again, {this Sunday already, yay!} and as per tradition, i'm hosting a giveaway to celebrate. my way of thanking you all for following my blog for two years now. Thank you! ♥~~

to join, simply share in the comments section what love means to you. don't forget to include which country you are from - as proof that love speaks the same language, regardless of age, race, beliefs and geographical location. ^-^

one winner will get to pick a hair adornment of his/her choice from Daisy Petal Designs. if you'd like to shop one for yourself or as presents, she's been very generous to offer littlemsfirefly readers a 10% discount on her shop. just mention "firefly" on your message to seller before you check out. {i love her headbands, see my previous feature!}

another winner gets this imported linen fabric 2010 calendar from my shop. i know it's a little bit late, but these babies were delayed in the post during the busy holiday season. this is huge, and printed on lovely, high-quality linen and perfect for your kitchen. click here for more photos.

comments will close next Monday, 23 February 2010. the two winners will be drawn randomly and announced on Tuesday, 24 February.

Happy Friday!

thirty-one today

2010-02-14T15:08:00.002Z

...with someone to love,

with something to do,

and with so much dreams to live for.

i am a happy birthday girl.

via etsy: irenesuchocki

bundle up

2010-02-13T10:26:00.002Z

the big freeze is finally over here in ireland, but the weather is still a bit nippy. i'm looking forward for spring, i know it's just around the corner by now. in the meantime, let's keep warm!

trafalgar square

2010-02-12T05:00:00.001Z

Enjoy these whimsical prints from Trafalgar Square. Her illustrations make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and make me wish i have a baby now, as in pronto, so i can hang these pictures on the nursery wall! These are just perfect for your sweet little ones!

Take a trip down your childhood memory lane via the Trafalgar Square. There's a rainy day sale at the moment, $10.00 for 8x10 prints!

p.s. {If you feel you must buy me a birthday present, you know where to go.} ^-^

Little Dreamer

Swan and Princess

Catching Stars

Golden Afternoon

Rabbit Girl

My Little Bird

Fly Away with Books

flowers for your hair

2010-02-11T12:18:00.006Z

banish bad hair day forever with lovely flowers and a feather!

mustard gas party

2010-02-10T10:46:00.000Z

my husband forwarded me this photography website and i'm blown away. introducing:

Mustard Gas Party

check out his website to see the rest of his collection.

my Valentine Ideas

2010-02-03T13:00:00.004Z

Please visit Jane {hearts} Crafts for Valentine Ideas!

i've just lost...

2010-01-30T10:11:00.002Z

...4,000 comments from my blog (in about two years of blogging). it's really really sad, but that's how it is. thanks to haloscan for breaking my heart. if you've been using haloscan for your blog comments, you know what i'm talking about. i have decided to export all comments though, for my own personal file. ♥

anyways, i've successfully removed the haloscan codes from my blog, and reverted to Blogger's default comment system. if you're having problems how to get the codes out of your blog, i've found this brilliant tutorial online which will solve your problem easy peasy. go to I Didn't Know That!!! for a free step-by-step guide on removing your haloscan codes.

thank you for following me in the last two years, thank you for the thousands of comments left on this blog. those comments has connected you and me and us, and started many beautiful friendships for me from across the world.

it's a fresh start for my blog again, and i hope you'd start commenting because it's too quiet here! ^-^

and of course, it's almost my birthday month, so a giveaway is in order. watch out for that! ♥

Hearts for Haiti

2010-01-25T16:50:00.006Z

I've received my print from Brid bird today, purchased via HeartsforHaiti.

it's a beautiful print of a whisk and masher, and it's soon hanging on my kitchen wall.

thanks Bridget, it's a lovely print!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

You too can help in your own small way the people of Haiti recover from their tragedy by supporting Hearts of Haiti, which is an:

"...Etsy collective...comprised of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops. It is dedicated to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy fees and Paypal fees) go directly to DoctorsWithoutBorders (http://doctorswithoutborders.org/) in bi-monthly increments. This shop has permission to use the DoctorsWithoutBorders name and a separate bank account and Paypal account have been opened to maintain the integrity of this shop.

Items have been donated from many individual shops; each shop has included their particulars ( country, shipping time) in the item listings. All items include seller-donated free shipping (most worldwide, see individual listings). Because the need is SO great, we want you to buy and help support Etsians helping Haiti. The theme for the next few weeks is: heart items--- but we have so more!! Please browse our sections to the right and know that your purchase in this shop not only gets you a great Etsy item, but also helps alleviate the needs in Haiti through donations to DoctorsWithoutBorders (MédeçinsSansFrontières)."

Three Ways to Help:

If you're an Etsy seller, donate an item(s) from your shop to HeartsofHaiti. For further information on how to donate, read here.
Shop from the HeartsofHaiti at Etsy, and get free shipping.
Spread the word!

Share some love today! ♥

chicken and veggies risotto

2010-01-20T11:37:00.006Z

i'm still a bit busy working for my shop, so i'm not really back to blogging yet. in the meantime, let's make some chicken risotto!

Ingredients:
3/4 - 1 c risotto rice (good for 2 persons)
chicken breasts
olive oil
2 c chicken stock
1 onion, diced
mushrooms
carrots, peeled and diced
frozen peas
salt
pepper
paprika

1. Rub salt and pepper on chicken breasts. Fry on olive oil until brown. Set aside.
2. Drain oil from pan except about 2 T.
3. Add risotto rice, onion and season with salt. Cook and stir rice until lightly browned.
4. Add mushrooms, carrots and chicken stock. { I used 2 cups of boiling water + 1 Organic Stock Cube.}
5. Place chicken on top of the rice mixture. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika.
6. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until chicken and rice are done. Add frozen peas on the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
7. Serve with fresh cherry tomatoes or cucumbers or a garden salad!

Note : This is very filling and very tasty, if i may so myself. {husband loved it!} ^-^
happy cooking!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

p.s. i hope you all are having a wonderful week!
next week i'm off for my formal Dutch lessons and i'm quite excited! ^-^

shop update

2010-01-16T12:00:00.006Z

i have new products added on my shop this week!

black & white baker's twine

- baker's twines are very handy for so many crafting needs. you can use it to jazz up your packages, bookmarks, gift tags, garlands/banners, tie up cookie bags - the possibilities are endless. my baker's twines are very reasonably priced, if not the cheapest deal you can find. plus, they arrive nicely packed in brown paper and strings.

Linen Fabric 2010 Calendar

- this is a beautiful calendar printed in high-quality linen that is perfect for your kitchen or craft room. this is huge at about 17.5" x 31", so it's great for recycling next year to a market tote, hand towels, glass coasters, you name it.

i have one linen calendar to spare, so i'm offering it for free when you order at least $10.00 (excluding shipping) from my shop. this is valued at $6.50 in my shop ($7.99 in other shops) so it's a very good deal! first buyer gets the offer!

click this link to the swann&smerlin shop.

thank you, have a great weekend!

inexpensive birthday treats

2010-01-15T17:46:00.010Z

i'm a girl who loves surprises. especially birthday surprises. (hint...hint!)
but no, i'm not going to talk about my birthday just yet, it's a little early. ^-^

we celebrated the husband's birthday on the first week of january. he used to dislike celebrating his birthday because it's so close to the holidays making it one too many celebrations in a matter of two weeks. that said, i feel it my duty to try to make a little something special for him on his birthday, that wouldn't feel like an extension of the holidays.

it would have been easier if i can just buy him a present and take him out to dinner and be done with it, but no, my husband is a man who doesn't seem to need anything! he's a very simple guy who doesn't get blown away with new clothes or new gadgets. so, since he loves thoughful surprises (as long as it doesn't involve a party with 50 of his relatives ^-^) and handmade presents, there we go!

i made a paper garland for him, from my paper stash. - this is very simple to make. just cut a triangle pattern, trace it to your favorite prints and cut away. punch two holes on the base of your triangle and thread through whatever twine you have on hand. you can pick a theme for the colors (mine is pastel), and you can use magazine pages, newspapers (which you can paint with your favorite color if you have time), scrapbook paper, even construction paper.
i printed his own birthday boy banner. - you can design in your computer your own happy birthday banner, play with fonts and graphics, print on a stiff cardstock and cut away. you may layer a colored construction paper behind to jazz it up. punch two holes on top, and thread through your twine. if you are satisfied with your banner, you may laminate it even so you can use it again the next year.
i used Pritt Sticky Tac to secure my banners on the wall. it's very easy to use and won't damage your wall.

i picked up these happy birthday candles from the thrift shop for a euro a few months ago. they're like red-violet in color. i bought the birthday boy card for him early last year as well (Paperchase had a closing down sale, so i grabbed a few stuffs) , and it inspired me to make the matching banner for it. it pays to pick up things you like in advance, helps make the preparations easier.
i baked him a chocolate cake! anything made with lots of love always tastes good.
and lastly, i made a short movie for him. - there are lots of free programs online which you can use to make a mini-movie/slideshow. i used onetruemedia.com. i scanned Kj's photographs from when he was a baby, along with pictures i took of him (most of which he wasn't aware of) and our wedding pictures too. it played with my favorite music, and lots of texts for my birthday message for him. and he loved it!

the husband is looking forward for the next time he's the birthday boy again. he's absolutely enjoying it!

please add in your favorite birthday ideas, and how you make celebrations more meaningful! ♥

happy weekend!

birthday cake

2010-01-11T15:46:00.009Z

i made my husband a chocolate cake for his birthday last 3 january. i've never baked a cake in the last 13 years or so, and i was a bit intimidated to try to bake again after so long. i looked for a quick and easy recipe, and chocolate flavored too, because well, you can never go wrong with chocolate. i think. and the place to go? allrecipes.com!

the aftermath in my kitchen was indescribable. flour explosion, splattered batter everywhere, a full sink of dishes to wash, and my apron a yummy palette of chocolate and flour. the reason of the mess was my hand-held mixer of course (not me!!! ^-^), it took a bit of time to get used to it again. i got so close to flinging the mixer out of the kitchen window. anyhow, we survived it. the mixer and i. the cake made it to the oven! and what do you know, it turned out to be scrumptious! the husband and i ate one hot cake straight from the oven!

you just have to try the recipe. we ate our cakes for many days after with a cup of coffee.

this is the link to the original recipe at allrecipes.com : Dark Chocolate I.

i made a few changes though as i had to rely on my cupboard supply. if you want a really quick and easy recipe, this is the one to try. it's very straightforward, and no special skills required. you need to be very patient though, and try not to eat one hot cake straight from the oven (or fling the mixer out the window). if you're a newbie in the baking department, you might find my notes useful:

1. instead of just 2 c boiling water, i added 2 T of my favorite instant coffee. (i've read this tip on one of the comments at allrecipes.com)
2. use self-raising flour if you don't have baking powder.
3. if your cupboard yields only sweetened cocoa, use only 2 c of sugar.
4. you have the license to eat the cake straight from the oven. but it pays to wait a bit more, let it cool down, and get the frosting it deserves.
5. it tastes much better the next few days. the size of the remaining cake is inversely proportional to its taste. the smaller the cake, the tastier it gets. be warned!
Update: 6. be sure to line your pans with parchment paper because this cake is a real sticker. you're more likely to tear your cake without it!

Frosting:
Melt 1 cup of your favorite chocolate (dark chocolate with hazelnut is reallyyyy yummy) with 1 cup butter on a pyrex dish, placed inside a pan with boiling water. takes a bit of time. be patient. stir until smooth then pour over cake. make sure your cake has cooled properly! Add chocolate sprinkles on top. Allow to cool a bit more. Serve with slagroom/creme supreme on top. * i'm in chocolate dreamland now *

Enjoy! ♥♥♥

featured!

2010-01-09T12:50:00.003Z

hello there!

just a quick post to say Thank you! to the lovely ladies who featured me on their blogs. i am so thrilled!

The Infinite is a shop based in Singapore carrying handmade goodies from all over the world. Founded by two young students, they've come a long way now from where they started early last year. From an online shop, they have now expanded to opening the real thing, named The Blogshop. I feel very fortunate that my lunch cards are making people happy in that part of the world! Thank you Nicolette for the feature, i wish you all the best!

Thanks to Lindy as well, for featuring my baker's twine in her blog! Hop over there for a dose of creative ideas and inspiration! She's an etsy seller too and i'm drooling over her pretty paper goodies!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! I'm back blogging soon! ♥

make do

2009-12-08T17:25:00.005Z

at a time when the economy is bad, jobs are unpredictable, and money is tight, a girl can make do with a little bit of shopping. here's my wardrobe update for a tenner. ^.^

i have a few more that needs some tweaking and mending but i haven't the time to do yet. for now, my thrift shop loots make me very happy.

{ yes, that's a basketfull of cable crap behind me. sorry i forgot to kick it aside. }

featured

2009-12-05T10:22:00.005Z

I am so thrilled that my baker's twines were featured in two lovely blogs the last couple of days.

these are available in my etsy shop, and i have a Baker's Twine Special offer until the month of December only. Order all 4 colors now and get five (5) yards of natural unpolished jute twine for free!

thanks to wolf and willow of melbourne, australia!
what a lovely blog, truly sweet and spice and everything nice, perfect for your daily reads!
{ wolf and willow etsy shop }

thanks also to going home to roost, who included my twines in her gift wrapping feature.
be inspired with the many pretty ways you can wrap up your holiday presents!
definitely a blog to bookmark for crafty inspirations!
{ home to roost etsy shop }

my favorite corner

2009-11-29T16:30:00.007Z

cleaning and tidying up my craft room took a rainy sunday morning and a slightly swollen left eyelid to finish. i needed a distraction as i'm not feeling so well because the small swell in my eyelid is irritating me big time, like a pebble on a shoe. on second thought, it feels good to get some extra loving care from the husband though!

i toiled all day today as the rain lashed on my windows, and the trees outside swayed to a fast windy track. it was beautiful, it gave me some sense of calm, knowing i am dry and safe and warm inside.

here are a few pics from my corner, it feels happier and brighter now. ^-^

have a great sunday!

what's your favorite corner in your house?

vintage find

2009-11-21T15:03:00.005Z

the wall on our kitchen used to be bare. i can't get my hands decorating it because we're just renting and i might upset our landlord, who i have to say is very nice to us. when we first moved in, he left us a bottle of red wine and a "welcome home" card, and that's very sweet i must say.

after a few months though, i can't stand looking on the bare wall anymore. i agonised for a long time what i'm going to do about it, until i scored this set of brass birds from a charity shop. they're beautiful and in excellent vintage condition, and for 10euros, i know they're meant to be on my kitchen wall.

i hung them up last thursday while kj was at work. since i still haven't gotten around to framing some photographs and prints i've stashed away, i hung our wedding pictures instead and the ceramic plate and tile with Frisian quotes from Mem and a rustic wooden sign i snagged from Laura Ashley last christmas.

kj loved it! now it's a cozy homey place to be. ^.^

happy weekend everyone! ♥

thank you sooo much!

2009-11-20T17:46:00.006Z

for all the greetings,
it was heart-warming to read your messages.

kj and i had a wonderful celebration. ♥

winner

2009-11-20T17:33:00.004Z

hello there! i was planning to make this post last weekend, but i was buried deep in the craftroom with shop orders and making about thirty handmade thank you cards for our family in NL. i know it was a bit late to say thanks for the presents they gave us some moons ago, but maybe, just maybe the personalized touch would make up for it.

anyhoo, i have a lovely giveaway to celebrate kj and mine's wedding anniversary next week. i thought of sharing a special treat to you lovely people out there who read and follow my blog, because i have truly, madly, deeply enjoyed your company. ♥

i'm giving away one whimsical print from my bloggy friend Sinta, a swiss-filipina artist based in the UK. she blogs over at knittering about her knitting, travels, fashion, and art. do check her blog and say hello or best wishes, as this lovely girl is just back from her honeymoon! pop over her etsy shop too and bookmark your favorite print!

Red Birds are Pretty

Yarn Mice

~~what should happen? what would happen then?~~

~~leave a comment on this post AND follow this blog --> see that Follow Me button on my sidebar? yep, that's it.~~
~~pick your favorite print from Sinta's shop and hold on to it until i pronounce the winner.~~
~~comments will be closed on midnight of our anniversary, 19 november GMT+1.~~
~~i'll post the random winner by the 20th of this month, and winner MUST contact me within five days for his/her print of choice and mailing address.~~
should the winner fail to communicate, i'll draw another random winner 5 days from announcement.
Sinta will post your favorite print. ^-^

and that's all.
thank you, you may tell your friends about the giveaway as well.
happy thursday. ♥

Congratulations Kayni, you won!
please email me of your favorite print soon.

thanks to everyone who joined!

two years

2009-11-19T12:55:00.008Z

Oh, the comfort,
the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person,
having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words,
but pouring them all out, just as they are,
chaff and grain together,
certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them,
keep what is worth keeping,
and with a breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
~Dinah Craik

for kj,
mijn man, mijn liefde, mijn leven

hand-knitted socks made especially for us by kj's old neighbor in the netherlands.

brown paper packages tied up with strings

2009-11-18T13:13:00.008Z

i love making things. i love my little shop. and more than anything else, i love packing orders. i get so much thrill in wrapping up little goodies to send off to places across the globe, and knowing that someone is eagerly awaiting each of them.

my favorite materials are brown paper, strings, stickers and gift tags. i'm a hoarder too, i simply couldn't throw things away. every envelope that arrived to me has been re-used for my shop, including every bit of bubble wrap, tissue, and any other wrapper that a present was wrapped with, i've saved them all. orders from my shop were sent out wrapped with little bits and pieces of recycled materials from my crap box. thus, the challenge for me to make something pretty out of them!

this brown paper used to wrap a pack of paper which i recently purchased. i thought it'd be a shame to throw it away when it doesn't have any tear. it sure came in handy with the shop order i received last night, and i think it looks beautiful with its worn look, creases and imperfections.

i usually finish my packages with jute twine to complete its rustic look. my gift tag was made from my old calling cards. i have hundreds of them and since i couldn't use them anymore as we have moved addresses, it would've been a waste to throw them away. to punch gift tags on them was a light bulb moment that sent me over the moon. really. i think i even made a little dance when the idea occured to me.

this paper is lovely because it's your regular brown paper packaging dyed green on one side. this was a paper bag for something i bought in a shop. shame to throw away as well, huh? i ripped off the handles, opened the sides and bottoms, and voila, i have a beautiful wrapper. gift tag was made from a card misprint.

i know some people would rather have shiny, brand new packaging. but i just can't bring myself to do that, not when i can recycle. so if you're buying something from my shop, or expecting a package from me, you can sing Maria's My Favourite Things with me. ^-^

rainbows are on my list of favourite things too. i snapped this last week, on a wet morning when the sun managed to peek through the dark clouds. it didn't last long, a couple of minutes or so, and then it was gone. i'm lucky to have a husband who loves to gaze out the window to watch the sky, because he calls me when he sees a beautiful sunset or a flock of birds or in this case, a rainbow.

i hope you're all having a great week! don't forget, my giveaway ends tomorrow midnight!

-----------
p.s.
i have a few strings on my shop.

Etsy Ireland Giveaway

2009-11-14T14:32:00.004Z

hello, i'm re-posting this from the Etsy Ireland blog.
head over there for a chance to snag this giveaway!

Ok its Giveaway time at last!!! This very special giveaway is essentially a mystery box -containing an assortment of handmade items made by various members of the Crafty Ireland team! This little box of crafty Irish goodness contains a nice mix of;

♥ Jewellery
♥ Original Art
♥ Stationery
♥ Accessories &
♥ a heap of other fun stuff!

quote day

2009-11-14T10:54:00.004Z

being able to do what i love doing, that is happiness.

i hope everyone's having a great weekend!

two years ago around this time

2009-11-06T16:31:00.004Z

♥ picture diary ♥

my friends gave us a little party...

my bro-in-law helped me pack little wooden clogs for my wedding favors

can you guess where's this place?
mem and f and kj and me

this place is 80 hectares, around 3,000 feet above sea level, and 95% man-made!

following the tour guide...

kj took this picture of myself filming him. and look at the man beside me, do you recognize him? i can't remember his name, but he's in Pinoy movies and soap operas! ^.^

happy weekend!!!

from a grateful heart

2009-11-05T12:01:00.007Z

it's our wedding anniversary month again, and i'm really glad that it falls on thanksgiving month! the year is almost over, and it seems like the last ten months has been so short, that i can gather my memories of it so easily and fit them on my pocket. life hasn't been perfect and will never be, it wasn't all fun and laughter as i've cried many tears, but it was nonetheless beautiful. for me, there is always beauty in hope, in dreams, in faith. and my heart tells me everything is going to be alright.

i have so much to be grateful for - despite of, in spite of - and my heart overflows. but for now, i'll say thank you to my husband, for everyday has been beautiful with him.

what are you grateful for today?

---------------------------

p.s. watch out for a giveaway before our wedding anniversary! ♥

postcard winner

2009-11-03T08:48:00.006Z

thanks to everyone who left a comment!

i've picked a winner this morning via random.org, and because i know dolls spook her (perfect halloween treat!), i'm sending a sweet kitty postcard with it.

congratulations Jess!

let me know if you're still on the same address. ^-^

quote for monday

2009-11-02T05:00:00.003Z

sweets for sweet november

2009-11-01T16:01:00.012Z

yay, it's november again my sweet friends!
let's start it with some pictures, shall we?

these goodies were given to me by gracey last september during our holiday to the netherlands, and they're all deliciously pretty!

i got yarns, paper raffia, ribbons, cute bear magnets, pencil, a flower pen, stickers, a memo clip, a deco tape, crochet hook, playing cards, a fruity eraser, a flower sticky note, and a set of Jip en Janneke rubber stamps which i have been drooling for since 2006, all contained in a cute pink paper valise!

yes, i can't get enough of them. i don't know if i'd have the heart to use them too.
not in picture is the jar of alamang (shrimp paste), which i have been happily feasting on since we arrived here in dublin, and the jar is almost empty now!

i also got these gorgeous handmade bracelets from eloise, an old friend i met from a forum back in 2005 i think. she and her family recently move from amsterdam to rotterdam, so i got to meet her and gracey at the same time.

1) me, eloise and gracey 2) gracey 3) eloise 4) B & C, little sweethearts of eloise

and i love ladybugs. rotterdam city hall

rotterdam world trade centre

rotterdam city hall, taken by gracey

thank you girls for the pressies and the wonderful time we spent together in Rotterdam!
i already miss you both!

~♥♥♥~

what does november mean to you?
it's our wedding anniversary month!

how time flies!
we're going to be two years married in 18 days,
so watch out for a giveaway soon!

the knitting and stitching show plus a postcard giveaway

2009-11-01T08:59:00.020Z

the knitting and stitching show arrived in Dublin again this year and since i loved my experience so much last year (despite the weather, it was a very wet day then), i bought my ticket for this year's show a few months in advance.

the weather was lovely yesterday, it was a bit nippy but it was bright with a little peek from the sun. i was on the bus from o'connell street to ballsbridge in dublin 4 with cheerful women in various age and sizes, and i can guess from their enthusiasm that we were crafters alike and headed for the same direction.

true enough, a throng of happy women stepped off the bus in front of the Royal Dublin Society, each one rushing with quick steps to reach the entrance of the building.

it felt great to be back there again for a much-needed retail therapy. as usual, i was overwhelmed with sooooo much to see and buy and drool over.

it was the ultimate girl power!

when my cash was up, i went up to the second floor to stay away from the tempting, delicious goodies before i start swiping my credit card. it was a crafter's nirvana. i was high with inspiration just by looking.

i saw Ingrid Wagner too, for the Big Knit Project. i was looking forward to get my hands on her giant needles, but she was out of wool and had to go get some first. and then i got distracted with something else (so many eye candy around me) and i forgot to go back to her. i didn't remember her again until i was home. sigh.

look at those needles! i think they're great for toning muscles as well.

on the second floor were for artists and each booth was decorated creatively with their works, i almost didn't want to leave. i'm glad i remembered to take a few pictures. this is from wendy stephens and i love her hand-bound leather notebooks! at this time, i was already out of cash and i'm still not sure if that was a good or a bad thing. because i want me a soft-leather notebook!

this booth from orla o'brien evokes nostalgia. i love the vintage feel, her use of neutrals and reds and browns, her dolls which looked sad and weathered and haunting.

i am so in love with the prints from lisa connolly. she's opening an etsy shop very soon, and i couldn't wait. it's not your usual sweet pretty prints, but her sketches of black and white are very unique and very classic.

and look at the poster, so very geeky!

i didn't splurge this time, i just bought a few basic crafting tools which i really needed. i love my new embroidery scissor which came with a free leather case, it's definitely calling out to be used. i just dumped everything in the bed, sorry, i wasn't in the mood to make pretty pictures because it was very dark here this morning.

i also bought stitch markers for sleeplessinkl, who has been knitting on top of her work, travels, 5 kids, photography and blogging. i got new knitting needles as well, another crochet needle, a stitch counter, wool for my christmas scarf, and some pins for my brooch projects.

my verdict from the knitting and stitching show? amazing. totally blown away! i wished i had more cash to spend but in the end, it didn't matter. i was filled with creative inspiration and that's more than money can buy. ^-^

cheers!

~♥♥♥~

the giveaway

so, because it was halloween yesterday, i'm giving away one postcard from orla o'brien, featuring her doll "Aisling". leave a comment on this post if you'd like this treat, and i'll close comments on monday night. i'll draw a random winner on tuesday morning.

happy sunday everyone!

sweet!

2009-10-31T05:00:00.000Z

today i'm off to the knitting and stitching show again.
i don't know what sweetness i'm bringing home again but i'm excited!

have a great weekend!

bike love

2009-10-30T11:32:00.015Z

The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man.
Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish.
Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.
~Iris Murdoch, The Red and the Green

Get a bicycle.

You will not regret it if you live.
~Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"

Think of bicycles as rideable art
that can just about save the world.
~Grant Petersen

~♥♥♥~

i am in love with my bicycle. i really am.
it wasn't love at first sight (or ride!) to be honest though, as i have always associated it with exhaustion and panting and cold and thirst and every other imaginable inconveniences. in the past, i rode it because my husband made me. otherwise he will go cycling to parks by himself and i didn't want to be left alone and miss the fun and the beautiful scenery. i rode because i needed to pick up packages from the post office and the bus didn't drive there and taxis were ridiculously expensive. i rode because i was in a hurry and couldn't wait for the bus to take me to the shopping centre. i always felt "forced" to cycle.

that was a year and a half ago. since we moved farther from the main street, my bicycle has given me the convenience of getting there in five minutes. whenever i have shop orders to drop at the mailbox, my bicycle saves me a whole half an hour of walking back and forth. when i'm out of bread or milk or cheese, the shops are a few pedals away. it has made me enjoy going out, feeling the cool breeze on my face, feeling my hair flap and ride the wind, and feeling the thrill once again of my childhood. the simple joys of cycling hard while half-standing, riding through high curbs and bumps and swerving smoothly on curved paths. during these brief moments i feel totally free from my worries, as i become fully aware only of my legs and toes and arms and hands and i've never felt so well-coordinated as when i'm cycling.

kj has been cycling since he started walking. he and his brother and the rest of their schoolmates cycled to school, rain or shine, sleet or snow. they cycled everywhere. mothers with their babies, dads with their kids, grandpas and grandmas, teens and adults...to the park, to the grocery, to school, to work. kj used to have two bicycles in amsterdam and he drags them 8 stories high to his flat. he can cycle for hours and hours and that's no big feat. i may never be like him, but at least i'm starting to love it (and i don't have to drag it to the 8th floor).

i only wish that dublin would invest more on cycle paths, and make the roads safer for cyclists. we are fortunate in this part of dublin though, because we have convenient cycle paths around us that we have never felt the need for a car. the shops in the main street are 5 minutes away in my cycle. kj's work is 15 minutes away, and the big shopping centre and even the hospital are 30 minutes away. we cycle through beautiful scenery all along, and the changing of seasons bloom before our eyes. we can stop at any time to enjoy a sunrise or a sunset, or pick a blackberry from the bushes, or shriek (just me!) excitedly at a brown furry rabbit hopping in the distance.

this video is soooo worth watching, it's about cycling friendly cities.

so, who's going cycling with me?! ^-^

discoveries : toadstools and bees

2009-10-28T09:34:00.005Z

curious things found during our walk in the woods
beetsterzwaag, the netherlands
september 2009
---------------------------------------------------

Everything is blooming most recklessly;
if it were voices instead of colors,
there would be an unbelievable shrieking
into the heart of the night.
Rainer Maria Rilke

If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it;
blame yourself that you are not poet enough
to call forth its riches;
for the Creator, there is no poverty.
Rainer Maria Rilke

Let life happen to you. Believe me:
life is in the right, always.
Rainer Maria Rilke

Live your questions now,
and perhaps even without knowing it,
you will live along some distant day into your answers.
Rainer Maria Rilke

If a little dreaming is dangerous,
the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more,
to dream all the time.
Marcel Proust

Only through art
can we emerge from ourselves
and know what another person sees.
Marcel Proust

The only real voyage of discovery
consists not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes.
Marcel Proust

The time at our disposal each day is elastic;
the passions we feel dilate it,
those that inspire us shrink it,
and habit fills it.
Marcel Proust

---------------------------------------------------

what have you discovered today?

my favorite things

2009-10-27T08:47:00.005Z

~♥♥♥~

i love the smell of parsnip and cucumber and melon and tomatoes
i love to sauté garlic because the smell reminds me of my dad's cooking
i love a hot shower before bed
i love a hot bath especially if my husband prepared it for me
i love lying in on weekend mornings
i love being still to listen to sounds around me
i love to smell my husband before i sleep and when i wake up
i love the feel of a cool breeze on my face
i love the warm hug of a thick coat on a cold wintry day
i love finding treasures on thrift shops and sale racks
i love laughing out loud
i love hugs and kisses and passionate embraces
i love the pop of cork on a wine bottle and of tin caps on jam jars
i love teatime with the husband when he's home from work
i love coming home to him too, and being welcomed in a big hug
i love the thought that someday i'm going home to see my family
i love it that i can pray and cry to God when i am worried and sad and helpless for loved ones who are in pain and ill
i love the psalms for it comforts me that, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

what is it that you're loving today?

quote for monday

2009-10-26T01:00:00.001Z

i've been thinking for quite some time now and finally concluded that we have three kinds of weather here in Ireland.

1) oh gorgeous, lovely weather! - glorious sunshine, warm and exciting and promising. there could be a soft cool breeze, or none even which is the best. skies would be clear blue, scattered puffy clouds here and there. it meant wearing flipflops, sandals and pretty flats. it meant wearing skirts and tank tops, and definitely a lounging day in the garden with a cool drink in hand or for visiting parks and having picnics or for hitting the beach and baking in the sun (except myself, as i'm brown enough, thank you). a light cardigan would be nice in the early afternoon though. i can expect this weather anytime between june to september. people are happiest and in their best humour at these times...just don't ask me how often we get this weather.

2) Hmmm, not bad... weather - the so, so weather. it's perfect for going shopping, running errands, or for just getting anything done outside the house. could be cloudy but without strong wind. could be sunny, but a little windy. could be spitting rain, but without the gale. could be chilly but without the wind to make it worse. could be windy but at least it's dry. i survive with a light jacket, an umbrella and a scarf to warm my neck. this is the in-between weather too, as it could happen at any time during the year except on winter. people are still happy at this time, they smile a lot and talk a lot about the not-bad-weather, and how it could be worse. kj and i like to cycle around this time too, depending on the weather combo of the day - if there's no strong wind on the menu, then i'm game. if it's windy, i'll come up with 999 excuses why i couldn't go. ask kj, he can recite them by heart.

3) oh dreadful! weather - i shiver by its name alone. it's a combination of the elements above and more, minus the sunshine part. for the visual people out there, it's any or all of these: rain, gale, hail/sleet, snow, frost, freezing temperature, dark clouds. mix and match, and you have the recipe for this weather. starts in november and ends around the early part of march. time to bring out the antique hot water bottle as well as our electric footwarmer which looks like a giant Uggs boot for when we're watching tv, and not to forget our dearly loved electric blankets. if anything, we like to be VERY comfortable in the house. the gas bill shoots up too as we crank up the central heating and the electric bill as well for the regular use of the dryer, and all our heating apparatus. days are very short and woollen socks and blankets and fleece pjs dominate the couch. sweaters and thick coats and boots are being retrieved from the closet, add to that hats and scarves and gloves to complete the bundle. people still smile and are happiest at this time too, because hot cups of coffee or tea flow continually and family sits down to talk and shiver together, and there are celebrations for christmas of course and new year and further on, the coming of spring.

and that's how i know ireland to be. and that's why i love it here and call it home as well.

pictures galore

2009-10-25T14:27:00.011Z

now you see me... ^-^

life has been very busy here with me, and i may have felt a tad too tired to blog. tired, and lazy and uninspired to blog. but it's not all that bad, i've had quite a few custom orders received from my shop week after week after week, so i have been working really hard behind the screen. add to that a little paranoia about being online "too much", that i thought about moving blog. again. i'm still thinking about that though, i haven't decided yet. you might not notice it, but i've removed most personal posts as well. yes, part of my paranoia.

anyways, here are some pictures from our last holiday. i took so many pictures that i don't know which to post! maybe i'll do a few random ones every now and then.

i took my stuffed monkey with me, his name's Aap (aap means monkey in dutch!) and i've had him since 2006. kj gave him to me when i was in amsterdam and since then he has travelled with me everywhere. he's still wearing the scarf i made for him when i was still in the philippines.

i also brought with me miss Eire Iggy and she had to fight with Aap as to who gets to sit by the window. kj won by the way, so they had to take turns sitting on his lap.

we met our little nephew B, and he's the cutest little thing in a tiny stripey shirt!

baby B with his doting dad, kj's only brother, F.
these boys have beautiful blue eyes.

Mem organized a small party for us to meet the rest of the family. kj's cousins and aunts and uncles came, and here we were enjoying the weather at the restaurant's terrace while waiting for dinner.

my husband who doesn't like parties and being the center of attention didn't know anything about the party. i was Mem's accomplice and we gave kj the shock of his life.
hi baby! i promise no more parties!

that gorgeous lady standing on the right side is my SIL, Z. almost everyone can speak english then, but they were thrilled when i bragged "ik kan een beetje nederlands spreken".

we went to visit Tante Annie, Oom Piet's wife. she has a beautiful garden at the back of her house.

we went to the graveyard as well, to visit Oom Piet and kj's dad. that's me with a watering can actually, i watered the flowers as well.

Mem always had a cup a coffee for us, and bread and cheese and tarts. and we're not even allowed to help her.

this is the house where kj and his brother grew up. this is where they were born too.

kj and i walked to the woods as it was a beautiful summery day, and met this grandpa with his granddaughter, looking out for insects. i was thrilled they obliged for a photograph.

we walked for more than three hours in the woods and i took soooo many pictures of toadstools and trees and of my husband.

so, let's do more storytelling some other time again. i hope you enjoyed the pictures!
have a great week ahead of you!

happy birthday!

2009-09-27T10:35:00.007+01:00

to my MIL,
our dear, sweet Mem
may you have more happy, healthy years!

a big kiss from us,
kj and odette

~♥~

since we couldn't celebrate mem's birthday with her, kj and i decided to give her a little surprise party the day before we left. coincidentally, mem plays badminton every monday morning at a fitness gym some 20 minutes away from her home. she left around half past nine in the morning, and told us she'd be back at a quarter past eleven. trivia: the dutch are very accurate with their schedules, they're always on time if not earlier.

so, as soon as mem left, kj and i quickly went into action. he inflated the pink balloons with a handy bicycle pump which i brought with me from ireland while i threaded on a ribbon the printed letters i made for her birthday banner. then we quickly went into the quaint shopping street to see if the bakkerij (bakery) is already open to buy a birthday cake. we didn't have time to arrange for it earlier because mem was with us all the time. note: not too long ago, some shops in holland (except in big city centres like amsterdam) open late on a monday, some don't open at all and on sundays, well, they're close.

we cheered when we saw that the bakery was open, but no, they didn't have a big cake that could pass for a nice birthday cake. so we got 3 different mini cakes, and a bottle of bubbly drink and a funny card from the supermarket. we were panting when we reached home, as we had a few minutes left before mem arrives. i was arranging the cakes on the table when we saw her car parking on the curb outside. kj saw me stare at the clock, 11:15. he smiled and whispered "i told you!"

kj and i posed under the birthday banner and waited tensely for the click of her keys on the door. we heard her shuffle inside the hallway, dump her duffle bag and slowly enter the living room. then kj and i sang her a dutch birthday song, and a happy birthday song as well. mem was so surprised she wasn't able to say anything except OH! again and again. she was so happy she was kissing and hugging me and kj. she told us she was wondering why the house was very quiet when she came in, as she was expecting us to be packing up already. ^-^

gefeliciteerd mem! i'm glad you enjoyed our little party!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

so yes, we're back from our vacation a few days ago. we had a very hectic schedule because we crammed everything to just a week of stay, thinking we could take a quick holiday to the countryside of ireland upon our return. unfortunately, we were both so tired and didn't feel like going anywhere at all. the ams-dub flight would have been very short at an hour and 20 minutes flying only. what sapped our energy was the train journey from the north of holland to amsterdam, which is another story for another time.

we arrived in the late afternoon of tuesday, and the next day was spent sorting the heap of mails on our doorstep, picking up my package at the post office because we missed its delivery (kj picked it up for me!), unpacking suitcases, and taking lots of naps in between (at least i did). i felt soooo tired then. the following days were still sunny albeit chilly, kj and i cycled to the main shopping street to return my overdue books at the library, mail off a shop order at the post office, and shop for a few supplies for my craft room. we stopped by a starbucks and had caramel macchiato and paninis. since my husband thinks their coffee is ridiculously overpriced, i paid for it myself (with his money of course, haha) while he waited for me at our table. it doesn't bother me that much as it does him. it's typical dutch attitude, hence, no apologies about complaining. ^.^

caramel macchiato is lovely by the way. even the dutchman is convinced.

so, i still have to upload the pictures i've taken from our holiday, hopefully tomorrow i'm able to do just that. i'm a bit busy in my shop working on for christmas products and listing new items for my shop. i'll see you then next time!

ik ben op vakantie

2009-09-19T09:12:00.002+01:00

i am on vacation!
i am having a good time in the netherlands with kj and family.
yesterday i was in rotterdam with gracey and eloise; great food, great company! (we ate lechon!)
today we're going to a family party which my husband doesn't know about yet.
i''m going to take lots of pictures...i have taken looottss of pictures already...
thanks for the thoughts about ome piet. we visited his grave last wednesday. we met tante annie too.

i'll see you all next week when we're back in dublin.
happy weekend!

in memoriam

2009-09-13T12:27:00.004+01:00

Ter nagedachtenis aan Ome Piet,
moge hij rusten in vrede
Wij wensen de familie van Ome Piet veel sterkte
toe in deze moeilijke dagen

liefs,
kj en odette

~♥~

this is the wedding card from Oom Piet* and Tante Annie, which they sent to me and kj for our wedding in 2007. i have never met them personally when i was in the netherlands as kj lived in amsterdam then and they in Friesland. all they've seen of me was from the wedding pictures which we gave to Mem. we all looked forward to meeting each other face to face, especially since the diagnosis of Oom Piet's brain tumor early this year. kj and i sent him cards the last few months and he had liked all of them. just two weeks ago, he gave instructions to Tante Annie to prepare a pot of flowers from their own garden for me to take back here in Ireland. he knew we were visiting on the 2nd week of september, and though i have never met this man, i felt a connection with him somehow because of his thoughtfulness, despite his illness.

last friday night, Mem rang to inform us that Oom Piet passed away last thursday. i was shocked i had no words for it. kj was still in the bath then, and i sat on the edge and cried. for so many reasons...for Oom Piet, for Lolo Kune, the thought that something might happen to my parents while i'm this far from them, what if something happens to the old ladies that i work with...

you just don't get used to the thought of people dying. especially if they're people you love and care about. everytime that happens, it strikes me as hard as before and the pain is just as raw and as painful like before. you don't fully get over your loved ones' death as well, the void they've left on your soul remains, and though the pain is not as much anymore, the longing to see them again lives on.

--------------------------
*Ome Piet is kj's uncle, his father's brother. he also looked much like my late father-in-law.

mail goodness

2009-09-12T22:02:00.001+01:00

as if i haven't said it many times before, i love everything shabby chic. a few weeks ago, a wonderful lady from australia (she's also married to a dutch man, yay!) ordered a few sets of lunch cards from my shop. as we sent convos (etsy mail) back and forth, she mentioned that she has recently opened her own online shop selling shabby chic goodness among other delicious things. naturally, it sent me clicking to her shop immediately and fell in love with her vintage metal bird! soon i was imagining how it would look like on my christmas tree, and how it will make a beautiful keepsake to pass on to my child someday as a reminder of her/his childhood. i had to snap off from my daydreaming because 1) i don't have a child yet, and i'm not even pregnant 2) i just had to buy one...for a start. i received it from the mail last week and it was just as beautiful as i imagined it to be, that even kj liked it! Thanks Fiona, i'll be back at your shop soon because i just have to have the butterfly...and pears! ^-^

{ buttons and giraffe are mine^-^ }

this week, i also received the loot i won from maythird (who, i found out later, is also a Filipino in the US, how awesome is that?!), of paper goods for scrapbooking from her etsy shop. i found her blog as i was "window" shopping over at etsy for my daily creative dose, and luckily, she was a hosting a giveaway then. what a happy surprise when i checked her blog a week later that i won the contest! thanks May, i love everything you sent! i have not tried to scrapbook yet, but i know someone who does and i have a long overdue package to send to her...so, i'm going to pass on to her these goodness because they're too good to keep in my drawer. i am sure she will love all these!

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don't forget to visit!

all things deliciously shabby : emily flutterybys
scrapbook supplies : maythird