♥ woolloomooloo sky ♥

lunartik custom tea tour – chari’tea auction on ebay

October 16, 2010

last summer, i was humbly honored to be invited by the super talented matt jones aka lunartik to custom a blank lunartik in a cup of tea amongst many greatly talented artists. our custom teas have been traveling with matt and showing at many wonderful galleries and tour venues. it has finally come to its last tea tour at the kidrobot in london. on friday, oct 15, all the amazing custom teas will be available for a charity auction on ebay. the chari’tea auctions end on oct 22.

i’ve enjoyed many nights of needle-felting my piece, “lunar-tree in a cup of leaves” with some yummy felt french macarons and felt tea bags. :) hope they bring you smiles, too. :) please check out my custom piece on ebay and bid on it if you like (or on any other amazing works by all the talented artists involved in this awesome project)! thank you!! xoxox!! ^^

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Lunartiks Chari’Tea Auction 2010

Welcome to the final part of the Lunartiks Custom Tea Tour.
These amazing Custom Teas have been travelling the world since 2009 and now they finally come to rest at the Kidrobot Store in London.
These Custom Teas are on display for the very last time!

You can own your favourite Custom Teas by bidding on them in this Chari’Tea Auction! There is no reserve on any Teas. Just go onto the Auction, be passionate, be brave and bid as much as you can!

- Bid on Custom Teas by -
Pete Fowler – Matt JOnes – Okkle – Dust – Mr Scruff – Jon Burgerman – Farkfx – Ayako Takagi – Rich:Art Sichi – Cris Rose – Lukas Gulcher – Kenn Munk – Sneaky Raccoon – Veggiesomething – Tortoy – Teodoru Badiu – Eine – Jo Gough – Ian Stevenson – Phil Corbett – Lou Pimental – Jefff – Crom – Caitlin Ashford – guinea pig design – Doktor A – Phil T Hunter – Burnhead Studio – Anker – Tado – Toaster – woolloomooloo & Triclops

We hope to see you all TONIGHT, Friday 15th October from 6pm at the Kidrobot store in London!
Matt JOnes and Special Guest Artists will be signing for the NSPCC Charity!

- Event Details & Bidding Information -
Event Page Link | Facebook Link

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Cheers,
Matt JOnes

** poster and words by matt jones

Posted in for a good cause, my crafts, shopping, woolloomooloo in artshows + exhibitions | Tagged charity auction, custom tea toys, ebay, kidrobot london, lunartik in a cup of tea, lunartik jones, lunartree in a cup of leaves, woolloomooloosky | 3 Comments »

makeup spring cleaning + bobbi brown brush cleaning spray

September 16, 2010

coraline can help you! ;)

(this post was written back in april, but didn’t get to publish it until now…)

ever had a makeup drawer filled with beauty products that you barely used, yet couldn’t bear to toss them away…yet? well, time to rethink about what you have in that makeup bag/drawer/counter of yours. even though most cosmetics do not carry expiration dates, please be aware that all beauty products do have their own self life. once your makeup is opened and used (even once), harmful bacteria could start building up. they could cause irritations, or even worse, an eye and/or skin infection! if you’re thinking to yourself, “but…this one is expensive!”… hmm, maybe you should think of it this way… if your spoiled/contaminated, expensive makeup caused a more serious problem to your skin and/or eyes, how much more expensive would your doctor/dermatologist visits and treatments cost you? :p this is also why it’s actually not very ‘clean/safe’ to sample “testers” directly on your face. i don’t get how some of the ladies don’t think that it’s unhygienic to try out lipsticks and lip balms directly onto their lips without considering the possibility of transferring bacteria from such publicly shared items.

few months ago, i did my periodic makeup spring cleaning, and got rid of half of what were sitting in my makeup drawer (which were not alot.) i generally don’t put on much makeup and am not too adventurous about experimenting on cosmetics, so i’m glad i’m not one of those who’s addicted to splurge on makeup whenever they are out in the department stores/boutiques with piles of barely used cosmetics ended up lying around in the house. :p makeup spring cleaning is not as complicated as you might think, yet it is as crucial as cleaning out your medicine cabinet. being the forgetful me, i keep a handwritten ‘guideline’ in my makeup drawer for easy reference. nothing new, it’s all basic information that i’ve followed throughout the years from what the experts suggested. i’ve typed them out into a little ‘note card’ for you (below), if you’re interested. feel free to print it out (for personal use) and keep one around in your makeup bag/drawer for easy reference. remember…whenever there are signs of spoilage (even a slight one), you rather toss it, then risk it! always practice good hygiene, keep your beauty products as clean as possible, and don’t neglect keeping your makeup tools clean as well. ;)

it is very important to clean your makeup brushes/sponges, especially if you have sensitive skin like myself. i’ve been washing mine with johnson & johnson’s baby shampoo (not only does it clean well and is gentle, i simply love the smell of all j&j baby products!). as a general guideline, it has been suggested that we clean our makeup brushes with shampoo and water at least once every two weeks, but since i don’t put on makeup everyday, washing it/them after every application is simply not practical and too time consuming to do early in the morning/late at night. so i was looking for a more convenient solution…and found this fabulous alcohol free “brush cleaning spray” by bobbi brown. i’ve been using it for more than a year now and am still loving it. :) it’s meant for an easy light cleaning after each use, so you should still remember to wash/deep cleanse your brushes on a regular basis.

here’s a little youtube video featuring my one of my blythe girls showing you how easy and fast it is to use the bobbi brown brush cleaning spray. it is my very first youtube “demo clip” that i whipped up using my flip camcorder back in april, so please excuse the super amateurish shooting and limited/lack of editing. :p everything’s done on the flip camcorder. hope you enjoy! and happy spring cleaning! ^-^/ xoxo! ♡

Posted in health + beauty, shopping, tutorials, video clips | Tagged blythe doll, bobbi brown brush cleaning spray, coraline, makeup, spring cleaning, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky, youtube makeup demo | 2 Comments »

a rainbow of macarons happiness

August 4, 2010

as you might’ve noticed, i love macarons! :) they’re so cute and pretty, but i don’t really eat lots. one of these delightful dessert is enough to satisfy the palette of anyone who has a sweet tooth. ;) i enjoy pairing it with a strong cup of aromatic tea to balance it out. :)

after my first spontaneous try on making my first set of these cute dessert, and again for this artshow piece, followed by the bridesmaids’ gift bag custom orders, i’m really loving my little needlefelted macarons. :) so, i made this set of assorted flavors as a surprise birthday gift for a dear friend. :) hehe, a little rainbow of happiness goes a long way! :) these are in strawberry, green tea, lemon, orange, chocolate, raspberry, blueberry, and lavender flavors. ^^ which flavor(s) do you like? :) xoxo!

Posted in eco-friendly, my crafts | Tagged birthday gift, felt crafts, french macarons, needlefelt, rainbow, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 2 Comments »

iphone 3gs -> iphone 4

July 31, 2010

wall-e and eve welcoming the new iphone 4! :) …and bidding farewell to my lovely trusted 3gs… aww, i’m gonna miss my hello kitty case, too…*sniff sniff* hehe, but it’s all good. :)

now, here goes the ‘story’ of this little transition, …and as promised to some of my friends, i’m sharing photos showing the problem i had with the camera on the iphone 4 before i got the new replacement. :)

as friends have known, i’ve adored my white 3gs and had been quite attached to it since i received it as a christmas gift in replacement of my 2g. due to my dry eyes problem, i limit my online time on the computer, and hence, have heavily relied on the iphone for daily news feed, and i do all my tweeting via this ‘fruit-gadget-on-the-go’. ;) earlier this month, when my friend’s at&t contract expired, he decided to get the iphone 4. since the iphone would be his second line/phone, and knowing how much i’ve been utilizing mine, he *ahem* lovingly (hehe :p) offered to switch with me after only having it for a week (yes, his new iphone 4 for my 3gs!) :) of course we’re both aware of the reception/antenna problem on the iphone 4, but a bumper or case would readily take care of that problem, and apple has now offered it for free to iphone 4 owners through their “iphone 4 case program“ (you’re eligible for this offer only if you purchased your iphone 4 before september 30, 2010.)

however, we found another problem on the 4, which was its camera. apart from news feed and short email replies, the functionality of the camera has been quite essential to me as it’s practically replaced the p&s i used to always carry in my bag (for those random daily snapshots.) we noticed photos taken with that particular iphone 4 came out to be pretty yellowish. yes, the white balance and specs of the camera on the iphone 4 differ from that of the 3gs, but the ‘yellow tone’ was disturbingly obvious, especially in low light. :p (i’ve included photos taken with that particular iphone 4 vs those taken with the 3gs below.) we took it to the genius bar, and ‘mr bartender’ was initially abit skeptical of our claim as he said i was the first to address this problem to him. the camera flaw soon appeared quite apparent to him after he’d compared the photos with his own iphone and one of his coworkers’, then with one in the store. ;) he offered an exchange but we decided to test it out for another week, while i get to make a decision on whether i want to switch mine to the 4. ;)

here are few photos taken with both the iphone 4 (before the exchange) and the 3gs for your reference. :)

outdoor iphone 4 vs 3gs – daylight natural lighting

outdoor iphone 4 vs 3gs - daylight natural lighting closeup

indoor iphone 4 vs 3gs – normal restaurant lighting

indoor with flash vs without flash both on the iphone 4 – normal restaurant lighting

hehe…well, the following week, when i got back, straight to the at&t store we went, for our new sim cards, and happily made the switch. :) after another appointment with the genius bar for that new iphone 4 replacement (this time, the ‘bartender’ said he’s had seen the same problem from other customers as well), and having tested the camera right away, i’m happy to ‘declare’ :D that everything pretty much works as it should be. :)

the new iphone 4 vs the 3gs

so, now that everything’s good to go and a final initial syncing was completed, i’m officially a proud mommy to my new iphone 4 for a full week now. :) (not to sound ungrateful, but i’ve wished it’s a white one :p, although rumor has it that the white 4 will be delayed until end of the year??)

*smiling* so, to those who have gotten your iphone 4, how do you like yours? i really, really love the multitasking feature, and so happy on how i can categorize and organize all my apps neatly into folders (so instead of using up ten screens on the 3gs, all my apps now fit conveniently into just three screens on the 4!) the sharp 960 x 640 resolution on the screen is fantastic, and yes, apart from the 5-megapixel front & back camera, and the built in zoom, i’m loving the HD wide screen video recording upgrade. it’s not a secret that i prefer natural lighting and i don’t normally like to use flash in my photography, so i barely use the flash on the camera at all. :) i’m not too crazy about the extra “inboxes” though, but i guess the “all inboxes” would be pretty useful for some people. :)

all in all, i’m very happy with this new buddy. :))) hehe, i do kinda miss my white 3gs…and every time i see it, it’s like meeting up with my adopted-out daughter. :p thank you sooooo much again for the switch!!! xoxo!! ^^

Posted in gadgets | Tagged apple, eve, hello kitty iphone 3gs case, iphone 3gs, iphone 4, iphone 4 vs 3gs, wall-e, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 3 Comments »

watching the world go by…in silence

July 9, 2010

when i was little, my elder brother used to shoot home video clips of us. he also loved to write and direct short films. his little sisters and brother were all casted as his actors. :D after he was done editing, we would host “movie premiere nights”…cutting out scrap papers to make our own movie tickets, and his room would become our make believe movie theater. it was so much fun! :))) somehow my brother stopped taking photos and shooting films altogether after high school. :(

last year, i got a flip video camera and have been enjoying shooting random amateur video clips of “nothingness”… i enjoy filming random people/cars passing by while in a cafe, or whenever…and while on the road (don’t worry, i only shoot when i’m not in the driver’s seat ^^) most clips were actually shot with my iphone though (since this little trusty fruit gadget conveniently follows me wherever i go. :p) every time i play back a clip, there’s always something new in the clip that i hadn’t see before… and i find myself doing mental editing, adding songs and sound effects. :p hope someday, i’ll be able to shoot and edit something abit more presentable. :)

for now, here’s a little amateur “silent movie” style short clip to share with you. hope you’ll enjoy and have a great weekend! xoxo ^-^/

(if you’re having trouble viewing the video clip below, check it out directly on my youtube channel here. thanks.)

Posted in random little glimpse into my life, video clips | Tagged amateur, iphone, mini cooper, silent movie, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky, youtube clip | 1 Comment »

r.i.p. mr. dumas + hermes x jackie chan

May 13, 2010

i’ve recently read about the passing of hermes’ chief executive of thirty years, jean-louis dumas (also known as jean-louis robert frederic dumas-hermes) at the age of 72, from the new york times. although hermes started out as a harness maker, they’ve been more famously known for their beautiful silk scarves, and those handcrafted kelly and birkin bags which, even after you’ve placed your order, there’s usually still a few-years wait before you get a hold of your unique handcrafted piece. (though i personally know of people who own/carry them, i must admit, it’s hard for me to justify spending so much on one bag, when i could donate that amount of money to a more charitable cause helping those in real need.)

anyway… i’ve always been a scarf person… i remember my mom gave me one of my first scarves when i was fourteen. it was a beautiful hermes, my first hermes. being the sentimental me, i have kept it with me all these years. although i have not worn that particular one since high school, but whenever i look at it, it reminds me of my freshman year…a rather memorable year, to say the least. ;) upon reading the sad news of mr dumas‘ passing, i wanted to post something hermes as a little tribute. so, it reminds me of another hermes scarf that my mom sent me last year…

hermes x jackie chan 1 c2010w

the scarf was given to my mom and it’s called “les tigreaux” which has a print of two playful cubs on a blue background (i believe it comes in a beige version as well.) my mom’s not really into scarves and knowing that i have a thing for limited editions, she passed it on to me. :) hermes did this exclusive coloration in limited edition of 400 especially for the jackie chan charitable foundation (jccf). jackie met with the ceo of hermes in paris while he was filming “rush hour 3” and they decided on this collaboration. it was supposed to be released in time for the (beijing) olympic but got delayed until dec 2008. the two energetic and joyful cubs represent the “bright future that jackie chan envisions for the generations to come” (as said on the note card that came with the scarf.) i don’t think i’ll wear it anytime in the near future (it’s simply too mature and too loud for me :p) please check out the link if you’re interested to learn more about the jackie chan‘s charity. thanks again, mom! xoxo :)

…and may you r.i.p. mr. dumas… …
(sorry for not iron-steaming the scarf before taking the photo below. my iron-steamer has broken and i haven’t had time to shop for a replacement, yet. :p)
hermes x jackie chan 2 c2010w

Posted in fashion, for a good cause, mail day, shopping | Tagged fashion, hermes, jackie chan charitable foundation, jean-louis dumas, les tigreaux, limited edition, scarf, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 2 Comments »

mother’s day bookmark for you :)

May 7, 2010

mother’s day is coming up this weekend…in a couple of days actually! ;) here’s a little bookmark i made for my mom for mother’s day this year. (the photos of the uglydoll ox and my favorite french macarons were snapped fairly recently with the iphone. they were intended to have that soft tone. ) ^^

if you have not gotten anything for your mommy, please feel free to print one out for her or you may print it for your own personal use if you like. :) happy reading and have a most wonderful mother’s day weekend!! ^-^/ xoxo

Posted in free stuff giveaways, my crafts | Tagged diy bookmark, free stuff, french macarons, mother's day, ox, riedel wine glasses, uglydoll, vinyl toy, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 1 Comment »

pompom’s vet visit

May 3, 2010

i’m very very grateful and thankful that pompom‘s always been very healthy since he was a puppy. there’s no need for frequent visits to the vet, other than his routine annual checkups and vaccination updates. however, this fairly mellow little baby (albeit him having just turned into a teenager/thirteen, he’ll always be my baby ^^) would put on his best defensive mask and gets extremely nervous visiting the vet or the groomer. each summer, i try to get a same day appointment for both his vet visit and summer shave with the groomer, so my poor baby doesn’t need to go through this anxiety and gets all stressed out for more than one day. however, this year, i received a reminder postcard/letter from the vet way months earlier. they explained that as pompom is getting old, it is recommended that he gets his checkups bi-annually now. thankfully, too, this time, the examination and blood tests all came out fine, except that there seems to be a slightly high amount of protein level in his blood. his vet, dr. park wanted to make sure that this is just temporary (otherwise, it could lead to other health problems), so we need to go back for a followup in a few weeks’ time. pompom has also started on a joint supplement. i hope everything will be fine, and he stays a healthy baby. :)

here’s sharing a little video clip of pompom on the day of his vet visit. we took a little stroll in the park early in the morning before we headed out. thanks to my friend who came by to drive us to the vet, so i could sit in the back seat of his car with pompom to prep this anxious baby for his dreaded visit. :p as i mentioned, pompom gets extremely nervous at the animal clinic, so he’s been asked to wear a muzzle for his visits. without the muzzle, it would be almost impossible for anyone (except his mommy, especially when he’s in the examination room) to even get near him at the clinic. that day, my friend and the nurses there referred pompom as “hannibal lecter” (anthony hopkins‘ character from “silence of the lambs“.) :p at one point in the video clip, you’ll see that pompom looked for the door and wanted to get out of the exam room. :p at the end of the day, i think pompom was, not only physically, but mentally exhausted as well, and he took a long snoring nap once we got home. ^(v)^/

enjoy the clip, and have a wonderful month of may! :) xoxo

(if you have trouble viewing the clip below, you can check it out on my youtube channel ^^)

Posted in pompom, video clips | Tagged chowchow, dog, pompom, vet visit, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky, youtube clip | 3 Comments »

trying to do a tiny little bit more for haiti

January 22, 2010

on tuesday, jan 12, 2010, haiti was hit by a magnitude of 7.0 earthquake… the aftermath has been extremely heartbreaking and devastating… hundreds of thousands lives lost and countless still missing…

it’s hard to watch/hear/read the news without one’s heart aching, feeling helpless and crying for them. i know times are still tough for many folks in this economy (and i’m sorry for asking in this tough time), but please be grateful that we are still the lucky ones, not in/affected by this devastating earthquake. so, let’s reach out (be it in big or smaller ways) by donating and/or praying for them. they desperately need water, food, medical aids, shelter among other things, and the best way to get these necessities to them is by monetary donations. i’ve made my donations to the red cross, doctors without borders, and the clinton bush haiti funds. always make sure you’re donating to trusted organizations by checking charity navigator. …so, what were you planning to purchase today that you don’t actually need? why not use that amount to help out those in desperate need right now?… … if you’re not able to donate money, please continue to keep the haitians and those helping them over there in your thoughts and prayers. thank you!!!

for donations via u.s. mobiles/cellphones:

- text HAITI to 90999 and $10 will go to the red cross haiti relief funds
(for canada, text HAITI to 45678)
- text QUAKE to 20222, $10 will go to the clinton bus haiti fund

two years ago, i did a toy adoption for red cross donations for the san diego wildfires, so i thought of doing it again this time to help out abit. same “procedures” as to how to adopt and donate (below). last time, i only ask for donations directly to the red cross, but i would also like to ask for donations to be made to “doctors without borders” this time (or if you have a preferred charity that would utilize their donated funds wisely, please feel free to send the donation there, and just show me proof of donation and your adopted toy will be sent out to you.)
(i know i’m abit late…been really busy and didn’t have time to gather my toys and take pics until now…sorry)

here is how i hope it’ll work again…

1. i’ve posted all the toys (and few new tokidoki and hello kitty makeup items) i’m donating for you to adopt in this set.. they are all from my own personal collection and i do take very good care of my toys, so they’re all in excellent (or even new) condition. ^^

2. please flickrmail me (or leave a comment here) which toy you wish to adopt, and you will make your donations directly through the red cross website (please click/specify it’s for the “international response funds” on the donation page) or the doctors without borders website…donation amount will be the appx price i paid for the toy, and of course, any extra amount of donations are always deeply appreciated and welcomed ^^

3. please forward me the donation email confirmation that you would receive directly from red cross or doctors without borders (which will show the donated amount) and i will send out the toy to you on my own expense. (sorry i can only send via regular mail, since priority or express shipping will add up and will be too much for me and i rather donate the extra postage to the relief funds)

p.s. i’m not usually online during the day, so please be patient when sending me flickrmails about the toys adoptions. i will try my best to respond in the evenings. thanks. :)

thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, for your kindness and big heart. xxxoooxoxoxxx!!! *biggest group hugs* xoxo

Posted in for a good cause, my little toy collection, toys | Tagged donation for hait, toys, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 2 Comments »

color palettes and paint brush plushies

December 9, 2009

i made these for the “no more monkeys jumping on the bed” plush & paint group show currently showing at monkeyhouse toys & art gallery in silver lake, los angeles. please come by if you are in the area. there are tons of awesome pieces in the show. :) and as some of you know, monkeyhouse toys & art gallery will be closing their retail space after this month. i’m really sad to hear. please continue to support them via their webstore. they will always have a special place in my heart. the monkey on my plush palette is the logo for monkeyhouse. the idea behind this piece is that even after monkeyhouse closes its retail door, they will still live on forever through joyful rainbows of their love for the art. and of course, as in all my pieces, there’s always that red or pink heart somewhere. ^^ i especially love the little paint brush. :) if you’re interested in my piece, please contact info@monkeyhousetoys.com, thanks. :)
xoxo

monkeyhouse toys & art gallery proudly presents:

NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED
Group Show
Dec. 5 – 31, 2009
Opening reception: Sat., Dec. 5th, 5-9pm

Plush and painted monkey group show featuring special guest artists:
Carol Powell, Janet Davenport, Erika Icon, Josh Taylor, Toys From Saturn, Heidi Kenney, Cimmi Mills, woolloomooloo, Julia Y., Suzi Boneshaker, Bee Harris, Delphia, Man Ling, Marcel de Jure, Adah Glenn, Jenny Harada, Clara Boo of Curioddities, Julie B., Linda Tieu, Zola Anderson, Stephanie Unson, Vera Paras, Rafael Cruz, Christine Velez, Hurricane Dee, Max, Terri “Tooter” Berman, Erik Hietter, Ginger Vidal, Audrey Harrison, Winona Regan, Douglas Alvarez, Halle Chavis, Donna Letterese, Christy Kane, Kelly Thompson, Paula Reynoso, and more…

monkeyhouse toys & art gallery
1618 1/2 Silver Lake Bl.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-662-3437

** postcard & words on postcard by monkeyhouse toys & gallery

Posted in artshows + exhibitions, eco-friendly, my crafts, woolloomooloo in artshows + exhibitions | Tagged artshow, monkeyhouse toys & art gallery, no more monkeys jumping on the bed, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 1 Comment »

world aids day + franco moschino

December 1, 2009

today is world AIDS day. please take a moment to remember those who were/are affected by this terrible disease. this year, a distant cousin, whom i’ve never met, passed away from aids. he was my cousin’s cousin from her dad side of the family. though i’ve never even talked to (or heard about) him before, it still saddened me upon learning about his passing. by the time my cousin and the family heard of his condition, he was in his final month… i’ve never known anyone (or anyone who knew someone) who has/had aids. i remember the first time i was aware about this disease was when the franco moschino foundation was established, after the late franco moschino passed away, to help children who’s battling HIV and AIDS. he was one of the few fashion designers who inspired me when i was a kid. growing up, there were always tons of fashion magazines and fashion house catalogues lying around the house. while my mom and sisters were enjoying being informed of the latest fashion trend season after season, i was more intrigued by the creations, the details, the colors, the constructions, and the designers behind the master pieces. silly it may sound, but when i was in elementary up til high school, i was able to identify the fashion house that created/designed the garment without peeping at the labels (which would come in handy being in the fashion industry.) franco moschino caught my attention because of his whimsical style of adding humor to fashion in a decoratively clever way, like adding bright red ‘lips’ and hearts onto a classic chanel jacket and chained bags, like stitching “pasta” in resemblance of “prada” onto the totes, etc., etc. of course not everyone was amused and he had received his fair share of ‘courtesy letters’ from fashion houses whom his collections were inspired by (or ‘made fun’ of :p) stepping into a moschino boutique is always a fun experience. it just makes you smile. it seems like when i hear of AIDS day or any aids awareness events, i would remember this brilliant designer and walk down my own memory lane. til this day, moschino remains to be one of my favorite fashion house. franco really opened my eyes at that tender age with a new perspective…, that rules are sometimes meant to be broken, that we should not be afraid to be different, that we’re encouraged to think outside the box, and how important it is to have humor in our life. no matter where you are in your creative journey, i wish you all the best and that you can always find inspirations in everything or stories around you. always keep your heart and eyes open, and you’ll start seeing magic. :)

and in honor of world AIDS day and of everyone affected by cancer (be it as a cancer patient, survivor, or families and friends), here is a really inspiring and uplifting pink glove dance youtube clip i would like to share with you. as you know october is national breast cancer awareness month, but of course any cancer awareness is a daily effort. this video has been a work of love…heartwarmingly and brilliantly put together by the amazing people at the providence st. vincent hospital in portland, oregon. the video makes me smile, cry, and is simply an inspiration. enjoy and don’t forget to give your loved ones a big hug. xoxo

Posted in fashion, for a good cause, random little glimpse into my life, video clips | Tagged franco moschino, inspirations, pink glove dance, providence st. vincent hopspital, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky, world aids day | 6 Comments »

bridemaids macarons

November 27, 2009

i love french macarons very much, and a recent photo i took/styled inspired me to try my hands on making some needlefelt macarons. it was for this custom project that got me sitting down one late night/early morning and tried making my first piece. i was utterly happy that it came out pretty yummy, so i started making a box of them as part of my custom. though each macaron took 40-50mins to make, it was so much fun working on them (despite some bleeding from the careless needle-poking :p)! :) the second photo below shows the macarons in green tea, strawberry, lavender, mocha, and lemon flavors.

recently, i was commissioned a custom order of my needlefelt macarons by a bride-to-be as part of lovely things she included in the bridesmaids gift bags. words can’t express how happy i am whenever someone enjoy and appreciate my little crafts/amateur art pieces. (thank you so much!!! and i’m really honored to have contributed in a small way to your special day!!)

if you’re interested to commission me custom orders for these needlefelted macarons, please contact me with the details (date you need them for, the occasion, any special flavors you prefer, quantity, etc.) when enquiring, please bear in mind that i don’t use patterns, so every piece won’t be in the same size, that each needlefelt macaron takes almost an hour to make, and that i’m not a full-time crafter. ;) thanks and have a wonderful weekend! xoxo! :)

Posted in commissioned work, eco-friendly, my crafts | Tagged bridemaids gift bags, eco felt, felt crafts, french macaroons, handfelting, macaron, needlesfelting, party flavors, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 4 Comments »

give yourself a little time to rest

November 25, 2009

ever felt like you never gotten enough sleep or rest day after day, week after week and eventually feeling mentally drained? that is when your mind and body is crying for help and asking you to take a break for yourself. you have to. but i didn’t. i started feeling extremely tired about two months ago, at times even feeling almost feverish, but i was not sick, …yet. not until i woke up one day about a month ago, with a fever, feeling dizzy, having a massive headache, muscle ache, nauseated, a sore throat (i wasn’t even coughing yet the day before), cold sweats, chills, short of breath, and barely any voice at all. it was so sudden, and with all the H1N1 swine flu going around, i was really concerned. i forced myself out of the bed and tried to make a doctor’s appointment. the earliest available was the next day, so i just drank lotsa water, took tynenol, and just curled up under my duvet and slept.

the next day when i was at the doctor’s office, as usual the nurse brought my medical chart, checked my blood pressure, weight, temperature, etc. i couldn’t even talk, so i handed to her a list of the conditions i was having/feeling on a piece of paper i had handwritten it that morning (i remember i was so dizzy and just grabbed a printed notice our association left at the door, and i wrote on the other side of the paper :p) the nurse read it carefully, clipped it to my chart and handed to the doctor. she was really nice and attentive, bringing me water when i was coughing a storm. the first thing my doctor said to me after walking into the room was, “how are you today?” i looked up and greeted him with barely audible voice, and he said, “oh, feeling miserable huh?” after examining me and referencing upon my notes, he was concerned and asked if i was around anyone who had H1N1 or in crowded places recently. yes, i had been…always…at the theater, shows/exhibitions, events, concerts, conventions, conferences, seminars, etc… he wanted to get me tested for H1N1 immediately. the nurse came in with a cotton swap to take sample of my mucus through my nostrils and told me we would know the result in ten minutes. those 600 seconds they left me coughing alone behind closed-door felt like 600 minutes at that moment. :p finally the door opened…it was definitely a huge relief when my doctor delivered to me the result that was negative. i was so thankful for the great news. he wrote me a prescription for a course of antibiotics, an extra strength cough suppressant, and i should continue with tynenol for my fever and muscle ache. i was ordered to stay home and not be around crowd until i’m fully recovered. it was such a bummer to be this sick at the wrong time, as i was really looking forward to go to amy sol‘s opening at copra gallery (formerly known as copra nason gallery), and to drop by the 5th anniversary opening at gallery nucleus that saturday evening. but i must admit, it gave me an excuse to let myself rest and able to sleep and sleep and sleep. i was literally home for the first two weeks, only to get out of the house to walk my dog, and i was/am so grateful and appreciative that my friend took the time to bring me food over the weekends that could last me throughout the week. my appetite was pretty unstable during this time. apart from the illness, i was also experiencing the full side effects of my medications…they made me extremely dizzy and nauseous. there were food i’ve always liked that suddenly made me feel even more nauseated just by looking/smelling them. other food that i don’t usually crave for, i was gastronomically tempted to devour in. it was a weird experience, and my mom teased that it was like being pregnant. :p when all my medicines were finished, i was still coughing a storm all day and especially during the night. i started taking some over the counter cough suppressant for another week and patiently waiting for the side effects to go away. so, after about a month now, i’m so happy and grateful to start feeling ‘almost healthy’ again this week. during this time, resting (mostly sleeping a.l.o.t.), it gave me some quiet time to think…about all sort of things. having lived away from home so many years, i’ve always been pretty independent, but somehow i started physically missing home (which is rare for me…to feel homesick). i was missing all the home cooked meals and being pampered and taken care of. anyway, so much to catch up on now that i’ve just prioritized my endless to-do list to get re-organized. i also just realized it’s thanksgiving week when someone at the grocery store said to me “have a nice holiday” couple days ago! see how much i was out of touch with time and missing out a whole month of events and information. :p with this coughing, i should still avoid being around crowds, so i’m sad that i can’t volunteer at the “thanksgiving dinner in the park” this year. it’s gonna be a quiet little thanksgiving for me. hm, i wonder if we’re gonna skip the turkey altogether tomorrow. :p

have a wonderful thanksgiving, everyone! please remember to give thanks, and pray for those less fortunate than we are. i’ve said it so many times, but i do strongly believe that life is about loving and giving. and with all the seasonal flu and the H1N1 going around, please pay extra attention to your own body, listen to what it has to say to you, watch out for signs, take good care of yourself and always make time to give yourself a mental and physical break whenever you can. life is short, live well, stay happy and healthy. xoxo :)

Posted in random little glimpse into my life | Tagged give yourself time to rest, health, sick, thanksgiving, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 3 Comments »

“beyond eden” art fair

October 17, 2009

i was invited by zara of black maria gallery (again for this year…thanks zara!), and gary of copranason gallery to attend the vip preview night for “beyond eden” art fair last friday, oct 9. the vip event started at 5-8pm but we didn’t get there until almost 7pm due to traffic (you know how it is in LA :p). crowds were pretty consistent and i love that it wasn’t overcrowded as expected for the following two days when they opened the event to the public. apart from black maria gallery, copranason gallery, gallery nucleus, crewest, carmichael gallery, thinkspace gallery, gallery 1988, la luz de jesus, lebasse projects, billy shire fine arts, subliminal projects, synchoronicity space, and of course the los angeles municipal art gallery participated in this huge event. it was really very nice to see familiar faces again, and to finally meet with wonderful people i’ve talked to over the years, but never gotten a chance to meet in person until that evening. :) there were so many amazingly beautiful and awesome pieces in the art fair, and i’m humbly happy that i got to pick up another painting by one of my favorite artists that evening. :)

i was also particularly excited to see some photography exhibitions there as well. one such corner that caught my attention was the “heroes & villains” exhibition by tatiana wills and roman cho. they did an exhibition hosted by one of my favorite galleries in LA…corey helford gallery some time last year. this series of work was a three-year project and showcased so many of the great talents of contemporary artists who influenced our culture and current art movement, such as mark ryden, gary baseman, chris anthony, tim biskup, audrey kawasaki, simone legno, seonna hong, saelee oh, ron english, rober williams, etc., etc… i spotted roman and had to chitchat abit with this great photographer. :) roman is very nice, down to earth, and a very talented photographer who specializes in portraiture. you gotta check out his website and all the beautiful work he does. i really love his style and how he got his subject to engage into powerful moments of drama and attitude…i just love it! :) roman was so nice and kind enough to entertain an amateur like myself to take a photo of the master standing between some of his beautiful work using my little coolpix p&s. :) (thanks, roman! ^^)

if you couldn’t make it to this art fair last weekend, i made a little photo collage below of some of the many amazing pieces from “beyond eden” that i took with my p&s and iphone. (sorry for some of the poorer quality pics) enjoy! :) oh, and i also wanted to thank gary from copranason gallery for giving me this copra/nason fine art – a catalogue raisonne book. :) it is filled with 267 pages of photos and illustrations documenting the journey of copranason through the exhibitions they’ve had throughout the years. a really beautiful collection (makes a great conversation piece/coffee book, too!) if you’re interested to pick one up for yourself or for any art lover. :) (thanks again gary!) xoxo ^^

Posted in art + crafts i love, artshows + exhibitions, galleries, photography, wonderful artists + designers | Tagged amy sol, beyond eden art fair, billy shire fine arts, black maria gallery, carmichael gallery, copranason gallery, crewest, gallery 1988, gallery nucleus, hollywood, la luz de jesus, lebasse projects, los angeles, los angeles municipal art gallery, photographer, photography, portraits, roman cho, seonna hong, subliminal projects, synchoronicity space, thinkspace, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 3 Comments »

13 inches of “locks of love”

October 10, 2009

trips to the hair salon used to be considered as an important routine in our household ever since i was a little kid. i remember playing with my fabric dolls, or doodling on my little sketch/coloring books while waiting for my mom to get her hair done at the salon. growing up, my sisters and i used to have our hair appointments with the hair stylists once every 4-5weeks (max), excluding days of any big events/parties. all changed since i moved to LA… i could never find a hair stylist who could handle my hair the same way, except laurent at jose eber (but they became abit too costly for me right now:p) 6 years ago, after my dad lost his battle from cancer, i came across an article on “locks of love” (a non profit organization that collects donated hair to make wigs for terminally ill kids to wear during/after their chemotherapy) and decided i should donate my hair to them for a good cause. i started growing it longer than usual and it turned out it would take me almost two years to grow it long enough such that when the hairdresser chopped 13 inches off, it would still leave me at least a shoulder length hair to ‘frame my cheeky face’ :p

so, yesterday it happened again… i was planning to get an 11inch off this time, but ended getting chopped another 13inches off. :p though this wasn’t my first time anymore, but each time, i still find myself getting abit emotional when the scissors started making their way across my three ponytailed locks. somehow the hairdresser always ended up saying nice comforting words to me, but the fact is, i wasn’t feeling sad at all parting with my long hair (which had always been a ‘signature’ of mine…) it was actually more of thinking about my dad, and all those people i knew affected by cancer. this year is especially hard, as alot of people i know are going through cancers… :( once the donated ponytail ‘cutting ceremony’ was over (there were literally at least three people surrounded me to ‘watch’ when the scissors were out! it was kinda embarrassing :p), and when the hairdresser started ‘shaping’ my hair, endless thoughts would be running through my head while i sat quietly like a little girl waiting in the doctor’s office. but who/whatever those thoughts and feelings were, at the end of the day, i’m happy and very comforted knowing that my hair is going to make someone feel a little better during a difficult time in his/her life. i’m also very happy that yesterday at the salon, i had convinced a lady (who was thinking of getting a really short hair cut) to grow her hair a little longer and donate to locks of love when she’s ready for that new hairstyle. :) so, if you’ve had long hair and wouldn’t mind a shorter hairstyle, please consider growing it long enough (the minimum length requires for donation is at least 10inches long) to donate it to locks of love (or similar organizations) ^^ thank you! xoxo!

Posted in for a good cause, random little glimpse into my life | Tagged donation, hair cut, locks of love, woolloomooloo, woolloomooloosky | 4 Comments »