me.u (design blog)

Making something old new again...

2012-01-27T13:57:00.000+11:00

During the Australia Day holiday, I decided to finish up my mannequin restoration project. I started this project last year, but never got around to finishing it. I actually acquired this mannequin around 2004. It was already old by then... but the mannequin continued to deteriorate over the time. Mainly the problem was caused by the disintegrating foam within. The foam had turned so chalky that the fabric covering the mannequin had brownish powder all over it. Of course, this also made the mannequin impossible to use.

Upon disassembling it, I had to clean all the parts as the powdery foam was just so awful. Loads of brushing, and Dettol wipes did the trick. Loads of Glen 20 too...;;^^

Instead of foam, I've decided to use wadding instead to pad the mannequin parts. I think I've got foam phobia after seeing all the powdery brown foam...:P

I also used knitted jersey fabric with smaller patterns. The logic behind it is to give it stretch for easy pinning when the mannequin is in use. Smaller fabric pattern repeat is fantastic to make things easier when all the mannequin parts are back together. I don't have to match the fabric patterns! ^^

Anyway, this is one of my most major before and after project I've undertaken and I must say I'm rather pleased with the outcome. ^^

Have you done any similar projects? Do you have any tips that you can share with me? After the success of this, I can see myself doing more before and after projects. ^^

Love,
from me to u.

The year of the Water Dragon - 2012

2012-01-23T14:02:00.000+11:00

Wishing all who celebrate the Lunar New Year, Gong Xi Fat Choi. May the year of the Dragon brings you more joy and prosperity.

Love always,
from me to u.

A late start to 2012...

2012-01-20T14:25:00.000+11:00

... while most people have started writing about the new year at the start of 2012, it took me a while to get around to doing this. With a new year, a reflective post of 2011 is in order. I thought the best way was to do this via the "tag" game. I was "tagged" by Greta from Something by Virtue of Nothing.

To play along:

1. The instructions may be posted if one wishes - or you can make your own, or post the original ones.
2. If you like, post a dozen or less things about yourself. Whatever you're inspired to do.
3. Answer the questions the blogger poses you, or insert your own, and create your own questions for those you will tag to answer.
4. This is not a chain letter, but for the fun of community, choose a dozen or so bloggers to tag and link on this post.
5. Go to their page and tell them they've been tagged, hooray that you know someone you'd like to contact in this way: Legitimately tag individuals - there's a chance you'll make the person tagged feel special.

1. I really miss reading. Since the start of my PhD I have not read as much books as I wished. I mean novels. I really miss reading novels. I feel like as if since my PhD started all I've read was technical books... >.< 2. As much as I love traveling, I found the process of getting to the new place stressful. LOL The plane ride, the airports etc... BUT I absolutely love learning about the different places, cultures etc. 3. I can speak, read and write in Japanese. I learned for 3 years officially and on and off for the next couple of years. I really need to take my proficiency tests... but I really hate Kanji. 4. Having said that, I can read a bit of Chinese and I actually understand Mandarin. The only issue is replying back in Mandarin. Apparently my hanyu pinyin is awful. ;;^^ 5. When I was growing up in Singapore, the 2nd language I learned was Malay. I had issues speaking in Malay though because I am Indonesian. It's the "a" pronounced as "e" that kind of made it difficult for me. 6. I value friendships very much. However, even in friendships sometimes disappointment do occur too. I always think that friendship is a two-way street. I thank all those people who have been kind to me and lovely in our friendships. :) 7. I can't crochet. I tried many times and failed. LOL 8. I'm supposed to be doing my PhD progress report, instead I'm blogging... I guess I'm a procrastinator. :P

Answers to Greta's questions:

1. What is the last thing you ate? Bread with melted Mozzarella's Cheese. 2. If you can be anywhere you want right now, where would it be? At home. :) 3. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your wardrobe right now? I can't pick, but I love my dresses. 4. What is the last thing you do before you go to bed? Pray. 5. Most important lesson learnt in 2011? Sometimes we are blessed with things, but sometimes it may not work out in the end. But still it is all part of God's plan. 6. What is your favourite thought (the one to get you going)? You just got to do it. Nothing happens unless we do something to do it. 7. What is your favourite "craft tool" (pen, hole punch, etc) and why? I love my knitting needles the most. I guess with all the craft I do, knitting is still my favourite. 8. What is an example of what you do to relax? Karaoke. I like to sing my heart out out when I'm stressed. Karaoke places is different in Asia. Karaoke rooms are private and in Indonesia, karaoke places are in fact family friendly places. :) 9. When you think of "the perfect morning," what does it involve? Breakfast. I really love a good breakfast. 10. How do you define "love"? I'm really passionate about love... but this passage from the bible (1 Corinthians 13) has personal significance for me and is simply how I see love:

'If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'

11. Which movie have you watched a few times? The Cave of the Golden Rose (AKA Fantaghiro). I only like the first movie. The best "fairytale" type of movie. :) 12. What is your favourite thing to say to people? You can't change others. We can only change ourselves. 13. If you could give something to your co-workers/fellow students free of charge, what would it be? Prayers for blessings. 14. What is one of your favourite words? Hmmm... this is actually hard!! LOL 15. What is a favourite activity when you have a bit of extra time? Listening to music. 16. How do you define success? Success is when you feel you have everything that you feel needed or want. I guess this is one of those difficult things for me to explain. For me, I don't think I'm successful, but I'm happy... so hmm... I don't see myself as failing. Does that make sense?

Phew... ;;^^

So who am I tagging?
Melita (Yarn at Heart), Shanwen (Pretty Peonies), Anna (Much Love Anna) and Paulina (Hanka goes for a Walk)

I've decided to stick with Greta's questions. Here are the list of questions again:

1. What is the last thing you ate?
2. If you can be anywhere you want right now, where would it be?
3. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your wardrobe right now?
4. What is the last thing you do before you go to bed?
5. Most important lesson learnt in 2011?
6. What is your favourite thought (the one to get you going)?
7. What is your favourite "craft tool" (pen, hole punch, etc) and why?
8. What is an example of what you do to relax?
9. When you think of "the perfect morning," what does it involve?
10. How do you define "love"?
11. Which movie have you watched a few times?
12. What is your favourite thing to say to people?
13. If you could give something to your co-workers/fellow students free of charge, what would it be?
14. What is one of your favourite words?
15. What is a favourite activity when you have a bit of extra time?
16. How do you define success?

Thank you to Greta for tagging me...what a great way to reflect on 2011... ^^

Love,
from me to u.

A Christmas Wish 2011

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000+11:00

Saturday Tune

2011-12-10T13:12:00.001+11:00

Christina Perri - A Thousand Years

I'm a fan on the original Twilight books... the movies are kind of so-so for me. However, they always have the best soundtracks. :)

I love how the lyrics is intergrated into the video and how elements from the books were used. Very clever. ^^

Enjoy the weekend!

Love,
from me to u.

Listening to...

2011-12-08T15:22:00.001+11:00

Florence + the Machine
Ceremonials

This is Knit

2011-12-02T16:45:00.001+11:00

This is a little yarn shop guide when holidaying in Ireland. This is definitely a literally little guide as I believe I have yet to discover all the yarn shops located in Ireland. But here are some places that I visited during my short trip. :)

When I was in Ireland, I went to a delightful yarn shop called This is Knit. This lovely yarn shop is located within the Powerscourt Centre, in central Dublin. My mission for the visit was to get Irish yarns. When I told my friend, Melita that I had to go to Ireland for work-related visit, she excitedly told me that I should buy some Irish yarns back. So I did just that. :)

Other yarns shops in Ireland that I visited:

Cork Wools - accessible via the English Market, Cork.

The yarn offering at Blarney Woolen Mills is actually pretty limited. However, if you want Aran jumpers and Irish gifts, this is the place to go to. They also have fantastic range of fashion from Irish brands. Definitely, worth a visit. :)

This is my yarn loot from the trip. I know it is pretty small to even be called a "loot" but keep in mind, I was traveling with my husband. So I had to be pretty reserved...;;^^

In keeping with the yarn and knit theme, I'll leave you with this humorous sign, spotted in This is Knit. I used to work in a wool shop and know that little hands can cause havoc in a yarn shop... but I love how polite and funny this sign is. ^^

Love,

from me to u.

Cupcakes make everything better...

2011-11-28T13:28:00.001+11:00

... don't you think? :)

What else am I loving this Monday? I've finally started working on reducing my wardrobe. But what I love most is the fuzzy feelings I get when I think they will go to good homes and for a good cause. :)

What are you loving?

Love,
from me to u.

This post is part of Anna's Much Love Monday.

Back to knitting....

2011-11-27T21:11:00.001+11:00

My travel to Ireland was intended for my PhD work. However, the travel to Ireland, Dubai and Abu Dhabi actually re-ignited my love and passion for textiles. I love the rich culture and history that permeated in these places I visited. The architecture and vivid colours of these places are simply inspiring. It also helps that along the way I encountered amazing textile places like Avoca Handweavers in Ireland and the souks (markets) of Dubai. Anyway, I've gone back to my knitting and it feels good. :)

This is my current knitting project. Knitted with Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, purchased in Ireland. I'm knitting it together with Adorn Silky Yarn 8ply which I purchased from Wool Baa on Saturday to compliment the lovely Irish yarn. :)

I will be featuring some of the knitting shops I found when I was in Ireland and more on Avoca Handweavers in my next few posts. So stay tuned! ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Sprocket Rocket

2011-11-26T00:22:00.000+11:00

Ireland

2011-11-24T11:50:00.001+11:00

Wicklow Mountains, Ireland
Taken with a Sprocket Rocket

Earlier this month, I went for a conference in Dublin, Ireland. Due to changes within my school where travel funds are non-existent for PhD students, I had to pay for my own trip. So I turned it into a holiday trip instead. :)

Ireland is a really beautiful country blessed with plenty of rain and gentle sun. The sun is perfect for photography. We were lucky to be able to visit other places outside Dublin and I will be blogging about some of these places. And, I also managed to find some good places to buy textile/craft products and yarns! :)

Love,
from me to u.

Onsen-ing

2011-11-18T11:06:00.001+11:00

One of the most fun thing to do when in Japan is going for onsen. What is onsen?

Onsen is basically taking a bath at hot springs and Japan is blessed with many natural hot springs. The benefit of onsen in manifold such as healing, and most of all relaxing. From what I gathered, bathing together is also something that a family or friends do in Japan.

Yes, onsen requires one to disrobe completely in front of whoever you are bathing together with and also random strangers. But one of the things to keep in mind, at public baths women and men sections are strictly kept separated.

My first onsen experience was around 2005 when I visited one of my Japanese sensei in Japan. She took me to an onsen. Although, I was initially shy, I realised nobody else was. So why should I? That began my love affair with onsen.... :) Read more about onsen here.

Anyway, on my honeymoon I did go back to Japan again as you probably have known. I made sure some of the places we visited are famous for their onsen. Other than Yudanaka Onsen, we also went to Gero Onsen on the 14th April 2011. Gero Onsen is accessible via Nagoya where we had opted to stay for 3 nights. We took the Limited Express Wide View Hida train and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery.

We decided to save time by buying bento in the train for brekkie.
It was so yummy!

View from the Wide View Hida train.

Gero Onsen

It's obvious what Gero is famous for...

While in Gero, we also visited Gassho Mura. Read more about Gassho Mura and Gero Onsen here.

After Gero, where were we off to? Takayama!

This entry is part of my honeymoon journey.

Love,
from me to u.

Mo-effort

2011-11-17T15:52:00.001+11:00

As promised, I wanted to cover how Movember can be a fun effort for the ladies too. What is Movember really?

'During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Australia and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.... On Movember 1st, guys register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face and then for the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery.'
Source: http://au.movember.com/

Just because we ladies don't grow mo (thank goodness), it doesn't mean we can't support Movember. There is the obvious choice of donating but let's go beyond by celebrating the mo's of Movember! ^^

How about a gift to support mo-growing men in your life to make sure they can grow the perfect mo?

Source: Modcloth

There are also other ways to get into the fun of Movember.

I love this entry at Matin Lapin on how to get involved with the Movember fun. :)

And, nail art with mo's seemed to be very popular too. Here's some tutorials over at Beauty High.

I'm very intrigued with these....

How are you getting involved with Movember?

Love,

from me to u.

Mo-ving along....

2011-11-14T11:00:00.000+11:00

It's already November. I've been wanting to blog about Movember, but I have been away for a conference and just got back. Anyway, if you are participating, how is your mo growing effort?

In my next post, I'll cover ways the ladies too can get involved with Movember. ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Melbourne Cup

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000+11:00

Catching up at 1000£ Bend

2011-10-27T11:41:00.000+11:00

About 2 weeks ago, my friends and I caught up at the lovely 1000£ Bend for brunch. I must admit, it was the first time I was there and it was such a delightful place to catch up with friends. Brunch was lovely with a pretty extensive menu. I had the salmon ontop of mash potato on salad accompanied by Earl Grey tea (my favourite!).

Lovely Paulina was also wearing one of my necklaces! She's wearing Beetlebug!

Beetlebug

Overall, it was a fantastic catch-up and I might have found a new favourite place for brunch. And who doesn't love the great idea of using old records as table numbers?

Love,
from me to u.

Cardigans with hearts

2011-10-24T22:32:00.001+11:00

Cardigans with hearts on them should be a wardrobe staple. At least in my wardrobe. :) This cardi is from Alannah Hill. I love that it can be worn during the cooler as well as warmer months because of the colours.

I also love my scarf which I knitted using the Zpagetti yarn. I picked this yarn up during the craft show that I went to a couple of months back. I finished knitting this scarf within a few hours. Of course putting it up on my blog took months.... *guilty look*

What are you loving?

Love,
from me to u.

This post is part of Anna's Much Love Monday

Ranunculus

2011-10-23T23:05:00.000+11:00

Taken with Nikon D60.

What I'm loving....

2011-10-17T23:29:00.001+11:00

... my wedding anniversary. I'm told the first year is special. I'm also loving that we were able to create little traditions during the celebration. We took inspiration from this cake from Style Me Pretty. Thanks to countless hours of being addicted to Pinterest. ^_-

What else do I love this Monday?
Catching up with lovely friends over the weekend with good food. :) Here's Saturday... :)
Being able to introduce friends and having them get along well. (One of them said I should be a matchmaker, haha)
Meeting my PhD deadlines for publications.
Chocolates from Chokolait.

What are you loving this Monday?

Love,
from me to u.

This post is part of Anna's Much Love Monday.

It's a hat...

2011-10-14T23:43:00.000+11:00

... but it makes me happy.

Do you have a piece of item in your wardrobe that makes you happy? :)

Love,

from me to u.

frock envy

2011-10-12T12:22:00.001+11:00

frock envy by nyaan featuring cotton dresses

Collette Dinnigan cotton dress

Anna has featured her blogger friends' in their favourite frocks (here) for Frocktober. She kindly featured my polka dot blue dress, but I have frock envy looking at the other bloggers' frocks. These ladies in their favourite frocks are just so pretty!

Source: Much Love Anna

What is Frocktober all about?

'According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), “one woman dies every ten hours from ovarian cancer in Australia.”
For many women with ovarian cancer, the disease is already well advanced when they are first diagnosed. Unfortunately, there is currently no screening test for ovarian cancer. Frocktober aims to help improve the outlook for women with ovarian cancer by supporting the quest for a suitable early detection test through fundraising for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.' - The Cause (from http://frocktober.org)

How can you support this cause? You can get involved by supporting Anna in her Frocktober cause by donating at her page or even passing the info along. ^^

Love,
from me to u.

A birthday...

2011-10-10T23:28:00.000+11:00

I love birthdays and occasions because I get to make hand-made cards. I made this for a friend's daughter who turned 4. She loves pink and anything girly. I realised though little kids are hard to please. LOL she wasn't impressed with the card. But she's still cute nonetheless and I still love her to bits. ^^

What else am I loving this Monday?

Staying warm at home during a rainy day, earl grey tea, chocolate and loads of it. :)

Love,
from me to u.

This is part of Anna's Much Love Monday. What are you loving this Monday?

Reading is a privilege...

2011-10-06T08:30:00.000+11:00

Source: bookshelfporn.com via Jen on Pinterest

... when one is doing a PhD. It's something I can actually look forward to when I finish.... :P

Love,
from me to u.

It's Frocktastic!

2011-10-04T12:26:00.000+11:00

It's Frocktober time, where girls can be girls and don their loveliest frocks for the whole month. At the same time, they are raising funds for ovarian cancer research.

'According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), “one woman dies every ten hours from ovarian cancer in Australia.”
For many women with ovarian cancer, the disease is already well advanced when they are first diagnosed. Unfortunately, there is currently no screening test for ovarian cancer. Frocktober aims to help improve the outlook for women with ovarian cancer by supporting the quest for a suitable early detection test through fundraising for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.' - The Cause (from http://frocktober.org)

So what is the Frocktober challenge all about?

We engage in activities that involve the frocks! Like dressing in different frocks and blogging about it for the whole month. While I cannot participate fully in this endeavor (busy with papers and study to blog everyday), please support my friend, Anna who is already starting her Frocktober cause. You can read more about Anna's pledge here or support her here!

Frock on!

Love,

from me to u.

365 days later....

2011-10-02T08:30:00.000+11:00

We made it to our first year.

Ok, some of the recent updates have been pretty personal (and most likely don't make sense to a whole lot of people but me), but I finally hit my first wedding anniversary. The first year has been interesting. Ups and downs, time for adjustments but I always had fun anyway.

Looking forward to two! ^_-

Love,

from me to u.

Flowers

2011-10-01T17:36:00.001+10:00

Photography by Jave Lee.

Yellow ranunculi with dusty pink roses.

Love,

from me to u.

Taking steps...

2011-09-28T17:42:00.002+10:00

Photography by Jave Lee.

It's almost a year.... :)

Love,

from me to u.

Music Painting - Happy Friday!

2011-09-16T11:18:00.001+10:00

I love this video, the concept and the message.

Happy Friday!

Love,
from me to u.

A little something from me to u.

2011-09-10T11:48:00.001+10:00

This is one of my latest pieces that was done for a specific client's request featuring a handknitted piece with original laser cut bike motif, finished off with a mini spanner.

I haven't done many me.u pieces this year due to my studies. As much as I would like to churn out pieces at a more efficient rate, the best pieces are usually the ones where I take my time to think about how every elements come together. So until my PhD commitment is done, chances are you'll see less and less of me.u pieces. I will only take commission work for now. But don't worry. There are still plenty of creativity from me.u. During this time, I'll concentrate instead on me.u textile which are available for purchase via Spoonflower. It's wonderful to be able to go back to my design roots as a textile designer during this time.

And, I'll keep blogging. ^^

Love,
From me to u.

PS. If you would like to know more about the "other" side of my life, you can read a little about my PhD origin account here at From Tweet to Thesis.

Thursday Tune - Something about Love (David Archuleta)

2011-09-08T10:36:00.001+10:00

Love,
from me to u.

Abstract

2011-09-07T13:47:00.001+10:00

Branches at night with lens movement.

Taken with Nikon D60

Love,
from me to u.

Just a photo a day

2011-09-07T00:14:00.000+10:00

Taken at Gero Onsen, Japan - 14th April 2011

Camera: Nikon D60

Unfortunately, study and real life takes precedence for now. I think I may have to resort to blogging with a single photo for a while (borrowing ideas from the August Daybreak that Anna and Blisschic took part in ^^)

I think I may have over-committed myself... but normal blogging will resume when things have settled down.

Love,

from me to u.

Before and After Project - A touch of vintage knobs

2011-08-20T01:03:00.000+10:00

This is my first foray into the area of DIY before and after projects but I thought I'd start small. I've been watching a lot of renovation shows (very addicted to Divine Design by Candice Olson), and the one take-away I've got is that you can give drawers/cupboards a new look just by changing their knobs. What luck, when I was walking around at Provincial Living, I found the most amazing range of vintage style knobs!

I choose the simple glass knobs because I wanted something that would stand out against the black of the Ikea drawers beside my bed. My husband helped with this one as we had to cut away the excess screw length of each knob. Then he also helped to remove the old knobs, drilling and installing the new knobs. Ok, mostly I supervised, but hey, I came up with the idea! And I took pictures. So it counts! ^^

Anyway, I'm very happy with how this turned out! I think this is an easy way to get into doing restoration DIY. My next DIY before and after project is restoring my vintage mannequin. When I finish that project, I'll put up pictures too, so stay tuned! :)

Love,
from me to u.

When a song plays over and over in your head...

2011-08-19T09:22:00.000+10:00

Elle Me Dit - Mika

I don't know French but it is amazing what Google Translate can do... :)
But I guess anything sounds better in French.... and Mika sounds amazing anyway! And the wallpapers!

Happy Friday!

Love,
from me to u.

PS. The free swatch offer from Spoonflower is still available, as in Australia we are a day ahead. The promotion ends at noon on 19th August (EST). Read more about it here and if you are after some of me.u's original textile design, check them out here. :)

Spoonflower's free swatch day - 18th August 2011 (EST)

2011-08-18T10:47:00.014+10:00

It's Spoonflower's free swatch day for 24 hours between noon EST on Thursday, August 18, and noon EST on Friday, August 19.

This will be a good opportunity to get a free swatch from Textile by me.u. Read more about the fantastic offer from Spoonflower here.

Love,
from me to u.

Here's something I've prepared earlier....

2011-08-16T23:23:00.000+10:00

About two weeks ago, I managed to complete a major deadline. To reward myself I did a bit of crafting. I made myself an apron from a piece of fabric that I bought two years ago and ribbons that I got a year ago. Since the study started, I've let the crafty side of things slide....

But I'm happy that I've been able to complete a project... never-mind that it was one year ago that I planned it. ;;^^

Do you have a craft check-list? I certainly do, and unfortunately it will be a while before I can tick things off.... >.<

Love,
from me to u.

Making heart-shaped eggs

2011-08-08T22:31:00.005+10:00

I've been trying to make this based on these instructions. This is my second attempt and finally a bit of success! I broke the first one because I pressed too hard. On top of cooking, I also love being able to catch up with my crafty activities.

What do you love on Mondays?

Love,
from me to u.

Part of Anna's Much Love Monday

Selfishness

2011-08-06T00:40:00.000+10:00

So of course as I had mentioned, I'm addicted to Pinterest. One of the joys of pining is finding and pining delightful quotes. I'm not sure if anyone else has done this, but this is actually one of my favourite quotes from Oscar Wilde. I've decided to create my own version of a print of this quote so I can pin it onto my Inspirational Quotes pinboard.

What are some of your favourite quotes?

Love,
from me to u.

Randomness and pining away...

2011-08-04T23:37:00.001+10:00

I've been crafting away these past few days as finally after starting my postgraduate studies, I actually had me-time. I wanted to share what I've been doing but unfortunately there was no sun today, so I could not take nice photos of what I have done.

Instead, I'll share some of the photos that I took over the weekend with my Holga lenses on Nikon D60.

Also, I have been pining away with Pinterest, if you so wish, would you like to follow me there?

Love,
from me to u.

Blue

2011-08-03T10:33:00.001+10:00

I got my Holga lenses for my Nikon D60 and I took it for test shots around the city over the weekend. Overall, I'm happy with it as it combines the Holga-goodness and the Nikon-goodness, and post-processing options. My favourite photo for the day was the splatter shot (2nd photo).

I'm loving the blue with the greens and white... maybe this can be a design inspiration? Hmmm...

Love,
from me to u.

Colours in the sky

2011-08-02T18:06:00.000+10:00

Melbourne had a beautiful weekend, with these gorgeous colours in the sky during the sunset on the Sunday evening. It seems like spring is coming... yet, I'm not ready for winter to be over.

Love,
from me to u.

At the end of the rain, there is always a rainbow...

2011-08-01T10:32:00.000+10:00

.... or two. This photo was taken over the weekend. Though the second rainbow is quite faint in the photo, it is still quite visible.

Over the weekend, I went for the Craft and Quilt Show which was very fun. I'll show photos of my loot next time. ^^

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend too, and Happy Monday!

Though I am not playing along this time, play along with Anna with Much Love Monday. What do you love on Monday? ^^

Love,
from me to u.

I do make stuff, really!

2011-07-26T00:16:00.003+10:00

Tea Time - 2 in 1 Brooch
2011 Copyright - jmh / me.u design

After much hiatus from creating designs (wedding preparation, marriage and PhD), I've finally finished some pieces. Yay! I'll be uploading them on my website soon. Meanwhile, here's a preview of one of the pieces I've finished. ^^ Now, back to PhD work again....>.<

Love,

from me to u.

Sakura tabi socks

2011-07-25T23:35:00.000+10:00

When I was in Japan, one of the things that I kept buying as I go through each city were socks. So apt for the winter season... nothing beats huddling at home wearing a pair of tabi socks, with tiny sakuras.

Love,
from me to u.

Part of Anna's Much Love Monday

Textile by me.u

2011-07-21T09:42:00.000+10:00

Branching out in Blue printed on linen-cotton canvas.

Branching out available in blue, coral and black.

Dashing away!, available in red and yellow. Printed on quilting weight.

All these dots! available in red and green, printed on quilting weight.

Branching out in coral printed on organic cotton knit, and Dashing away! in yellow.

I am really excited about my own range of textiles that can purchased via Spoonflower. A little bit of history as to why this is very exciting for me. I actually graduated with BA in Textile Designs (before I digressed to business, now science hah!), and I used to freelance while working at an ice-cream store then a yarn shop after I graduated. As much joy as I got from freelancing a couple of years back, I was more interested in producing my own stuff (which led me to my business degree) so I'm really excited that a platform such as Spoonflower is enabling my dream of having my own textile range. So here it is!

Textile by me.u is available via Spoonflower here.

Love,
from me to u.

A knitter should have....

2011-07-20T10:30:00.000+10:00

... a lint-shaver for the little balls of pilling fibres, especially after your knits are laundered. Knitting after-care tool are just as important as the knitting tools used for making your knits. After all, you would want the things you knit to look as good as when you did the last cast-off stitch.

What is a must in your knitting after-care? How do you keep your knitting looking as good as when you first finished?

Love,
from me to u.

A cool ride

2011-07-18T11:12:00.000+10:00

I spotted this Vespa in the city over the weekend. I just think it is cool to have a pink Vespa. How girlie chic is this?

Happy Monday!

Love,
from me to u.

Indulgence

2011-07-15T10:15:00.010+10:00

I was at La Belle Miette yesterday and couldn't decide which flavour I wanted. So I got one of each flavour. My indulgence for the approaching weekend.

Happy Friday! ^^/

Love,
from me to u.

Starting anew....

2011-07-13T10:34:00.000+10:00

I've started a new knitting project.

The pattern for this is 13 stitches on 4mm needles, using Filatura di Crosa Zara yarns (8 ply), knitted in moss stitch. Though it is an experimentation, I thought it is a good idea to document on my blog so I can find the pattern later. ^^

Have you started any new knitting project recently? How do you document your knitting experimentation?

Love,
from me to u.

Splash of colour - Green Obsession

2011-07-12T17:47:00.002+10:00

Yes, I still have that green obsession. I'm adding splashes of colours in my winter wardrobe by wearing my summer clothes and layering them.

How do you add a splash of colour to the winter season?

Love,
from me to u.

Inspired

2011-07-11T15:08:00.001+10:00

Paper Cutting Book: Contemporary Artists, Timeless Craft

I haven't been buying any design books (due to overwhelming collection of books), but I knew I had to have this when I saw the beautiful content. I love the delicacy of paper cutting and the amazing things that the designers featured in this book managed to make with paper. It is quite amazing how a medium can be transformed through creativity and I want to do just that with the materials I work with. Since this book is so inspiring, I'm feeling the urge to create....

What have been inspiring you?

Love,
from me to u.

Part of Anna's Much Love Monday

Weekend Tune: Heart Skips A Beat

2011-07-09T15:22:00.000+10:00

I absolutely love Lenka's music videos. Such a pick-me-upper for the weekend!

Hope you are having a wonderful (and crafty) weekend!

Love,
from me to u.

Morning tea and knitting

2011-07-08T10:52:00.001+10:00

I've finally managed to put up all these photos from the knitting morning tea session when my friend, Ms. Melita was in Melbourne. It's a tradition now that when Melita comes for a visit we (including Ms. Anna, Ms. Penelope, Ms. Shanwen & Ms. Breanna) have a knitting morning tea. :)

The food was a spread as everyone brought a little something for the morning. And my new teapot made its debut... ^_-

I continued knitting my Puff-sleeved Feminine Cardigan by Stefanie Japel. Unfortunately, after the hours of knitting, I realised I made a mistake. Not much concentrating (chatting away) and trying to pick up where I left of a year ago was easier said than done. In the end, I had to undo the rows I've done. >.< Regretfully, I made even more mistakes.... I guess at the end of the day I need to simplify this pattern for myself. So...more unravelling to do. :(

On a happier note, I've started a new knitting project. As a knitter, it is normal to have many projects at one go....yes, it is...

So what's on your knitting needles? ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Katuki in Summer, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka

2011-07-03T22:36:00.001+10:00

More photos from Katuki. Courtesy of Katsuki-san. ^^
Katuki in Summer.

Don't you love the kimono display? I told you it's a treasure trove! ^^

Visit Katuki's website here!

Love,
from me to u.

Spotlight on - Katuki, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 3)

2011-06-29T10:07:00.002+10:00

If you are ever in the Nakazaki-cho area in Osaka, you absolutely have to find Katuki. This amazing and precious shop belongs to Katsuki-san. Inside this little shop, you'll find a treasure trove of antiques and hand-made items. What I absolutely adore about this place is that there are just so many things to see. The antiqued kimonos are just beautiful. It is a textile and antique collector's dream shop! Katsuki-san is also very nice! ^^ When I left, she gave me a little rabbit toy with her best wishes which I will treasure always. :)

Unfortunately, the time I spent there was simply not enough to really explore the shop due to other plans for the day. (I was going back to Australia the next day). I would love to be back there again the next time I'm in Japan. ^^

Katsuki-san also has a map of all the shops in the Nakazaki-cho area. The places that I managed to find when I was there was just the tip of the iceberg... Nakazaki-cho is definitely a place to visit when in Osaka! ^^

Visit Katuki's website here!

Love,
from me to u.

Tuesday Tune: I do

2011-06-28T12:15:00.000+10:00

I've been hearing this song by Colbie Caillat on the radio and I absolutely love it.

What is your Tuesday Tune? :)

Love,
from me to u.

On competing priorities....

2011-06-25T00:02:00.002+10:00

Sigh~!

Silence for now....

Love,

from me to u.

Tea, tea cups and tea pots.

2011-06-20T14:47:00.000+10:00

I just added a new tea cup and tea pot to my collection. It is also fairly obvious, I love tea. My favourite tea is Earl Grey.

What's yours?

Love,
from me to u.

Part of Anna's Much Love Monday

Spotlight on - Nook Tour, Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 2)

2011-06-16T20:22:00.001+10:00

One of the shops that I visited while in Nakazaki-cho was Nook Tour. They sell lovely jewellery and cute small items. Some of the earrings in this store is sold as a piece. I love the concept that you can buy just one instead of a pair. After all, the fun bit is mixing and matching. Each key earring has a different number and you can pick which number you like. Totally love the packaging too! ^^

Visit Nook Tour online here.

Stay tune for more spotlight on Nakazaki-cho. ^^

Love,
from me to u.

Trend Spotting: mush-haves

2011-06-15T00:19:00.001+10:00

I couldn't help but notice mushrooms are sprouting everywhere.... here are some picks from my favourite shops!

Peter Alexander: magic mushroom pants & tee
Typo: woodland mushrooms notebook & get mugged woodland wonderland

Love,
from me to u.

Travel Photography - Nakazaki-cho, Osaka (Part 1)

2011-06-06T15:03:00.001+10:00

One of the places that I visited while in Japan was Osaka. In Osaka, there is an area of old houses and some of these old houses have been converted into cute shops. These cute shops are located in Nakazaki-cho. Some of the shops sell 2nd hand/vintage items, while some sells hand-made items. Nakazaki-cho is the Osaka version of Melbourne's Brunswick Street or Singapore's Haji Lane. It definitely worth a visit if you are in Osaka area. ^^

In my next post I'll talk about some of the shops I visited while I was there. ^^

Love,
From me to u.

Shopping Finds - Cute stationery & coffee (or rather for tea) cup

2011-06-03T00:31:00.002+10:00

I was in Melbourne Central the other day and noticed in front of soon-to-be closed down Borders, there were a couple of mini stalls. One of them was selling these really cute mugs, ceramic cups and stationery. I picked up these cute pouches and how cute is it that the packaging is an envelope?

I also picked up a ceramic coffee (in my case for tea) cup. I was told by the person at the shop that the cup depicting the Eiffel Tower was the most popular. I was not surprised though given how Paris or images of Paris seemed to be the trend nowadays....

But to be different, I got a cup depicting Saint Basil's Cathedral of Moscow. I also picked it because it is more colourful. As you know I like colours. :) Not that I've been there...but since my postgraduate research touches upon TRIZ (a problem solving tool) which is from Russia, I thought it was pretty apt!

Love,

From me to u.

Travel Photography - Lights & Trees

2011-06-01T14:52:00.003+10:00

Taken at the climb towards Jigokudani Monkey Park, Yamanouchi, Nagano-ken, Japan

Love,

From me to u.

Winter Styling

2011-05-31T19:01:00.001+10:00

winter blues by nyaan featuring suede peep toe pumps

Who said that winter styling should be boring? Colours can add a touch of joy (yes, joy) to an otherwise depressing season. Don't get me wrong, I do love winter because it is time for lovely coats and wonderful boots. With less daylight, it is easy though to get depressed... so I love wearing colours in winter. And dresses too. With layering, your summer look can turn into a winter look.

And another reason to love winter? Knitting!!! ^^

Love,

From me to u.

Just because...

2011-05-23T23:29:00.001+10:00

... I love this taxi signage/logo. Taken at Kyoto, 21st April 2011.

Love,

From me to u.

A lovely surprise.....

2011-05-03T14:21:00.001+10:00

The postman came this morning a delivered a package. Since not expecting any, I was confused... but what a delight to discover it was from Melita from Yarn at Heart and the package contained a new lovely green (yes, green! yay!) hairband!!!

Thank you so much Melita!!! I can't wait to wear it!!! \^^/

Love,

From me to u.

Places visited

2011-05-02T12:10:00.002+10:00

Sunset view from Yokote Yama at Shiga Kogen, Yamanouchi-machi, Nagano-ken

For our Japan honeymoon trip we went to the following places over 15 days:

- Tokyo (Ueno only)

Yamanouchi-machi, Nagano-ken

- Shiga Kogen

- Yudanaka Onsen

Nagoya

- Gero Onsen

- Takayama

Hiroshima

- Miyajima

Hakata/Fukuoka

Kyoto

-Nara

- Yoshino

Osaka

(Places marked - indicates day trip. We did not stay overnight there.)

My pick for favourite place had to be Yamanouchi-machi. The place is quiet, but full of characters...well it is where the snow monkeys of Jigokudani Park. I do love the monkeys, the onsen (We stayed at the lovely Biyu no Yado which had onsen facilities).... the snow mountains in this area is also amazing! T and I had really great fun going up Yokote Yama with Craig from Snow Monkey Japan who took us snow shoeing. What an experience! ^^ T also took to the idea of onsen like a duck to water.... lol

T on the other hand fell in love with Hakata. All because of Tonkotsu Ramen. Enough said.

Nagoya turned out to be a very good surprise. It is actually packed with great places to visit. Noritake no Mori satisfied my china obsession.... and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology satisfied T's technology obsession. The Meguru Bus was handy too!

But we agreed that the best places in Japan are the quiet ones... they really are truly hidden gems.

These places are places we hoped to visit again! ^^

Love,

From me to u.

Amazing Japan

2011-04-29T23:00:00.004+10:00

Map from Japan Information Network

In February 2011, T and I decided to go to Japan for our long-awaited honeymoon. There were a couple of reasons why we decided to go to Japan. But ok...mainly it was because I love love love Japan. I've been to Japan twice then, once when I was very young and once when I graduated from my Bachelor's degree. When I was very young, my family and I went with a tour. When I took my graduation trip, I went with a friend sans tour as by then both of us knew sufficient Japanese to travel on our own. My friend and I met in a Japanese language school BTW.

Anyway, I always found Japan to be a very fascinating place. Furthermore, T wanted a relaxing place for honeymoon, while I wanted to shop. I also knew that Japan has one thing that would piqued T's interest....robots. LOL

After booking our tickets and hotels, on March 11th, the Japan Tohoku Region disaster struck. Since we were going in April, we thought it would be prudent to wait and see the development of the situation instead of rushing off to cancel our tickets etc. By the 2 weeks before we left, the issue with the nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture did not improve, aftershocks were still felt in Tokyo and surrounding areas. After discussion and deliberation, we decided to go ahead, but taking Tokyo out of our itinerary.

I will blog more about the trip, but what I wanted to share this time is if you look at the map above, you would see that actually Japan is divided into different regions. It is important to note, while the situation impacts Japan (emotionally) as a whole, the places that are greatly affected is the Tohoku Region. Being close to Tohoku, hence Kanto (where Tokyo is) and Shinetsu (Though we did go here on our trip) are also impacted by the aftershocks. In other areas of Japan, no aftershocks are felt nor is the nuclear situation an issue.

Why I wanted to clarify this is because due to foreign media reporting, there are misconceptions that the whole Japan is impacted by the aftershocks and nuclear threat. Places that are not experiencing these issues are impacted as a result of tourists cancelling their flights.... in fact, talking with the locals whose livelihood depends on tourists, it is another sad blow to their economy.

Japan is an amazing country, with diverse things to see and experience within the different regions. I would say, if you are planning a trip to Japan and you are not going to the affected areas to begin with, you should just go. We did and we had a blast.... it is also one good way to support Japan's recovery. :)

Anyway more posting on our trip details soon! ^^

For more info from people who went to Japan after the disaster: http://www.japan-guide.com/

Love,

From me to u.

View from the top

2011-04-07T23:58:00.002+10:00

This photo was taken at The Convent Gallery @ Daylesford using Nikon D60.

The quaint little window that they had at the top-most floor framed the Daylesford landscape view and I thought it was beautiful! ^^

Flower arrangement

2011-04-06T18:05:00.002+10:00

Beautiful shadows

2011-03-19T11:57:00.000+11:00

.... all from a teacup and light.

Back to knitting

2011-03-13T16:44:00.000+11:00

Finally got back to knitting after the summer season. Although, it wasn't much of a summer, it did take me a while to get back to knitting. Having friends who want to get back into it is certainly encouraging to finish old projects and start new ones. I had a blast inviting the girls over for a knitting morning tea. Above are images of my new green scarf (remember my green obsession?) knitted in diagonal checks. Will share the pattern when the scarf is complete.

Meanwhile, if you want to see more lovely images of the knitting session through Miss Anna's lenses, head over to Much Love. ^^

Double exposure effect

2011-03-07T17:36:00.001+11:00

The beauty of taking photos with a manual camera is the ability to take photos using double exposure. This picture, on the other hand is captured using my blackberry camera. I love how this accidental capture turned out!

Addicted to ....

2011-02-26T11:33:00.000+11:00

... cream cheese and chocolate rice on digestive biscuits.

A Wedding Journey: 3. It's a Sign!

2011-02-23T22:15:00.001+11:00

As you know, signage are very important in any function. In a wedding, it can be the very thing that ties the whole wedding theme together. As I mentioned before, I did not have a specific theme for my wedding but rather I was using colours to tie the whole wedding together. Using signage, I used not only the colours, but fonts and motifs to create a feel for my wedding.

I opted for a different, albeit a well-used idea in weddings by using words for each of my table instead of numbers. I designed and created the signs with a variety of words linked to "love". Some of my friends who were guests in the wedding helped me to come up with some of the words such as "adore, "devotion", "faith" and so on.

The fonts, motifs and colours were carried across onto other signage in the room.

I did not want to settle for a normal excel sheets for my guestlist and sitting chart. So I created these. Again, I had hoped that by doing so, the continuity of the theme of my wedding would be preserved.

Using cupcake wraps with stickers that I had designed to match the other signage around the wedding, I've saved time in making sure that my bomboniere were ready by the wedding reception with minimal hassle. I'm a big fan of doing things simple, easy and effective. Here, I opted for a typewriter font instead of the flowy font I had used in my other signage. Why? The size of these particular signage were tiny. It is important when creating signage that the guests can actually read them. That being said, the same font was also used in the invites. So again, it carried the theme of the wedding through.

Details, details details! It is the little details that can make a wedding unforgettable. I created a signage for my cake table to tell the guests what cake they would be getting. I created this by op-shopping my frame and painting it white.

Perhaps I was being overly obsessive about my wedding signage... but I absolutely think it is crucial to have signage that reflects your personality. The fun thing about these signage is, it could be the creative (and DIY) aspect of your wedding as you can actually do them way before the wedding, hence less stress. It is a fantastic way to get the bridesmaids and even guests involved!

We took a small trip...

2011-02-20T22:47:00.001+11:00

... and left our normal daily lives behind for a day.

A few weeks ago we took a small break and left for a mini-honeymoon in lovely Daylesford.

I will blog more about that trip soon. :)

White by Vera Wang

2011-02-19T09:45:00.000+11:00

Image via David's Bridal

White by Vera Wang makes every (if not, -most-) brides' dream come true.

In Japanese

2011-02-18T09:23:00.001+11:00

I had to dust my Japanese dictionary because I have to start doing my Japanese diary again.

Learning languages is so fun... what new language are you learning now?

Wedding submission published at Polka Dot Bride! ^^

2011-02-17T14:09:00.001+11:00

My wedding submission has been published at Polka Dot Bride! Yay~!

Thank you to all the lovely vendors that I've worked with for the most fantastic days of my (and hubby's) life! ^^

Read all about it here.

Photography above is my absolute favourite wedding photo taken by the talented Jave Lee from Jave Photography.

Valentine's Ideas - Love Coupons

2011-02-11T00:31:00.000+11:00

What I love about love coupons is that you can actually personalise it for the recipient. ^^

I made these for Christmas as a present to my husband, but I think it is still a pretty neat and relevant idea for Valentine's Day too.

What are you giving this Valentine's Day to show your love for someone? ^^

My colour pick for the season....

2011-01-21T10:42:00.000+11:00

Green with envy by nyaan featuring green jewelry

Pantone suggested that Honeysuckle would be the colour of 2011. On the other hand, I do get obessive about certain colours too every year... Remember mustard yellow last year? Green is THE colour for me this year. I'm not sure how long this fascination would last, but at the moment, I just love anything green!

It's 2011!

2011-01-01T13:05:00.000+11:00

It's time for new beginnings, new resolutions. Happy New Year to everyone, may 2011 brings you more joy, happiness and success!

Photography above by Ivanho Harlim

It's new year's eve!

2010-12-31T12:30:00.001+11:00

And it is definitely time to do a recap of what has been happening this year!

More Hana brooch produced this year, one of me.u's bestsellers. Available as a custom-made piece, a variety of Hana was created in 2010. It still remained one of my favourite collection to make, where extreme creativity can be used to achieve a match between the design of each piece and the new owner.

My favourite piece for the year was Little Frog. The best pieces are created when I do take a longer time to finish. Why? There are some ideas that I needed to sit on or even source materials for. This piece was only completed when I acquired the vintage button seen in this piece. Oh, and did I mention this piece is modular? That's why I have to sit on my ideas for a while to work out how things can be pushed further.

me.u had a debut at the Fitzroy Market this year. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disaster with the Melbourne weather. The other session to make it up didn't turn out well either. For these reasons, markets for me.u plans will be shelved until further consideration.

The colour of the year for me was definitely mustard yellow. I fell in love with anything mustard yellow. Two major scarves were knitted. My yellow mustard scarf and my pink scarf.

2010 was the beginning of freebies from me.u. The first ever me.u give-away started for Christmas. Two sets of necklace from Animals of the Forest were given away with a special me.u original Christmas bauble. Also me.u original free gift tags template was made available this Christmas. Look out for more freebies in 2011!

This year was certainly an interesting year for me as there were definite highs and lows. 2010 started with a major personal low when I had to go through a trying time. However, due to that personal experience, I became more philosophical about life in general. Life indeed do go on...:)

Photography by Jave Lee

This was also a year of weddings! I attended many weddings this year. First and foremost, the wedding of one of my best friends early in the year. Then followed by another two weddings and finally it was my own wedding! We had a weekend wedding on the 2nd and 3rd of October. It was a wedding 1 year in the planning from engagement shots, colours to the invites. Next year, read more about how I put my wedding together. Although, when the whole thing was done it was kind of bittersweet...ah well...there is always honeymoon planning next year. :)

All in all 2010 was an interesting year for me.u and for me personally. I do hope 2011 will bring more exciting things. Happy New Year everyone and all the best for 2011!!! ^^

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-24T15:01:00.001+11:00

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful new year ahead!!!

me.u online store while still accessible, will be closed until the end of January.

Thank you for all the support and the patience as I get my personal life into order this year...please continue to support me.u as hopefully 2011 will bring even more exciting things from me.u! ^^

Have you got all your Christmas gifts ready?

2010-12-18T13:10:00.001+11:00

Christmas is about 7 days away, have done all the Christmas shopping that you needed to do?

Complete your gift-giving with these free me.u gift tags!

What do you need?

Scissors

Hole puncher

Just download the template here and cut around the dotted line.

This template is only for personal use only. Should you wish to re-distribute the template, please link to this blog entry instead of linking directly to the pdf file. Thank you and enjoy!

Have a lovely Christmas from me to u! ^^

Construction

2010-12-17T12:55:00.000+11:00

After 2 years of living with uneven flooring and patches of rugs.... we finally replaced our floor. The experience of going through a construction was not pleasant, I must say. However, the end outcome made everything worth it. We finally have clean floors and surprisingly, the living room looks bigger. We also took the time to de-clutter.

The only back-draw about the clean floors is that I'm too afraid to dirty it! Not to mention the number of times I vacuumed and swept it over the two days... Eeeeks....

diAlessi I Valentini

2010-12-12T16:30:00.000+11:00

I got this cute figurine when I was in Sydney last week.

Find out more from the diAlessi website.

Engagement Shots

2010-12-11T00:31:00.000+11:00

I just wanted to share some of my engagement photo shots taken by the talented Jave Lee. He also took our lovely wedding photos which I will be sharing at a later point. ^^

That long awaited me.u giveaway! [CLOSED]

2010-12-04T14:38:00.001+11:00

Thank you all for your patience! Now that a new me.u collection has been launched, 100 likes on the me.u facebook page was achieved and of course Christmas is upon us, it's time to celebrate with a give-away!

I'm giving away 2 sets of pendants from my new collection, Animals of the Forest.

The first pack includes Love Birds in Blue (pendant with chain) and for the festive season a Christmas bauble featuring an original me.u fabric collection that will be launched next year!

The 2nd pack includes A Bunny Rabbit (pendant and chain) and likewise comes with a special Christmas bauble featuring an original me.u fabric.

How to participate?

Just hit comment in this blog and indicate that you want to participate or head over to the me.u facebook page and like it. People on the page will be automatically included in the give-away. People who comment on the blog and are in the page will have two chances.

Two random winners will be drawn on Saturday, 11th Dec 2010.

The giveaway will close on Friday 10th Dec 2010, 12 midnight, Melbourne Australia Time.

This giveaway is open to people outside of Australia too. ^^

Once again, thank you for all your support for me.u and good luck! ^^

PhD doesn't have to be boring...

2010-12-03T21:45:00.000+11:00

I spiced up my PhD study by sprucing up my notebook using my stamps.

2 more years to go...

Neglected

2010-11-29T22:29:00.001+11:00

I know that poor me.u has been neglected since my wedding although I have many exciting plans for me.u. Please continue to be patient as I'm organising an exciting give-away to commemorate the 100 likes on the me.u facebook page and of course coinciding with Christmas!

Meanwhile, I've finally finalised the new design for the me.u design blog. I think this design is less of an eye-sore and will be here to stay for quite some time. I've used the blogger background but hmm...I know the repeat is not perfect. But I think the polka dots adds the sense of fun of the me.u brand.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

All scattered about...

2010-11-25T12:35:00.000+11:00

... would be how I described my path in my career. I started off being a textile designer but with serendipity at play, I'm now doing my post-grad in a completely different field. Obviously though the passion for pretty designs is still in my life, hence the inception of me.u (and all that other shopping obsessions).

Going back to my roots as a textile designer (that 4 year degree should be worth something!), I'm happy to announce that I will be launching my own textile collection...yay~!

Once everything comes into place, I'll update you again. Meanwhile do stay tune! ^^

PS. The me.u facebook page has reached 100 likes... a give-away is coming soon to commemorate this exciting event. Again, keep a look out for it! ^^

The sun

2010-11-24T21:40:00.000+11:00

As much as I love the sun....the rain is a welcome reprieve.

Getting to know you

2010-11-22T09:49:00.000+11:00

I'm still taking the time to get to know my Digital Harinezumi. This gadget is nifty as it fits inside my handbag. I've sort of shelved the idea of taking photos via the manual view finder, at least until I've worked out how it works with the lenses etc. I'm loving the ease of transferring the photos into my computer.I love the video feature though I've yet to fully explore that function. I love that it's pink!

The question that bugs me is what makes a good Digital Harinezumi subject?

I guess the only way to find out is to continue playing with it.

So tune in for random photos over the next few entries!

A wedding journey: 2. An invite speaks a thousand words...

2010-11-20T10:30:00.008+11:00

... or rather it sets the tone to the wedding. It sets up the mood, the feel and the overall presentation for the guests of what they might expect from the wedding even before they attended the wedding.

Remember my dress that inspired the whole colour and themes? I used the lace motifs which was reflected in the doilies and printed lace, colours and ribbons to tie the whole theme back to the dress.

Wedding tip #2: Keep things simple. What I mean here is that when designing a DIY for your wedding, think simple in terms of construction. There is nothing worse than a beautifully designed invite that is made up of many components that you needed 2 hours per invite! Execution is the key. If you design something that is beautiful and easy to construct, you are more likely to end up with something that wows your guests because it is well-made. Imagine trying to construct a 50-100 invites when one invite alone is complicated!

Making a list....

2010-11-19T10:52:00.003+11:00

... of my original/modified knitting patterns.

Amelie - My Yellow Mustard Scarf

Chloe - Not just another Pink Scarf

Kitty Kat - A Story of a Cupwarmer

Scrunchy - The Stylish Muffler

Digital Herinezuming....

2010-10-23T13:04:00.001+11:00

My pink digital harinexumi. Tiny but powerful...IMHO anyway...

I finally got all the necessary things I needed to get my new Digital Harinezumi to work. :) I took it to work yesterday and started snapping away. I'm still finding it difficult to work with the manual view-finder. Hmm....I guess I just need more practice.

Overall, I'm happy and excited and cannot wait to continue to snap away! ^^

A wedding journey : 1. Colours (and the best laid plan)

2010-10-22T11:58:00.008+11:00

Inspired by wonderful items from Etsy. Apologies I'm not able to give individual credits to the sellers as I did not save the name of the sellers...apologies! ;;^^ But if you contact me, happy to credit and add the details. :)


Beautiful dress custom-designed and made by Wilson. Photography by: Jave Lee (http://www.apixel.com.au)

Colour scheme and shoe clips for the bridesmaids, sourced from Etsy.com, Chloe & Maddie.

More details of the gown. Photography by: Jave Lee (http://www.apixel.com.au)

When I was planning my wedding, I realised that the sky is the limit. Perhaps budget would be the limiting factor, but when it comes to colours, styling, details etc... literally, there is no limit. It is the one day where you can have things that you like, to represent you and your fiance, anyway you like. And of course, my wedding would be one creative outlet that I relish...:)

Everyone said your wedding should have a theme, a theme that ties everything together. Being the person that I am, I had no idea what theme I would like simply because I love colours...ideas etc. All I know was that I wanted a wedding that represented both of us. So I thought, let's start with a colour scheme. Being a trained and practising textile designer (albeit briefly), I set out to do a mood board. And the place where I got much of my inspiration was of course, Etsy! ^^

I looked for dresses, flowers, accessories idea and I came up with a colour scheme of pinks and greens. Thinking it would be a spring wedding anyway, it would be quite apt.

Having a year to plan the wedding did not help...with the colour scheme. ;;^^ As much as I loved my initial scheme, I felt it wasn't right. I changed my mind so many times until, I got my custom-designed and made luncheon dress by Wilson Tjuatja Widjaja. The idea of the dress was a bridal dress that is not in white. I already had a white gown when I approached Wilson, but I needed a second gown that I could wear on Wedding Day 2 (when the reception was held). He came up with this fantastic idea of marrying salmon pink with mushroom grey. My Matron of Honor, E. picked a darker watermelon pink for the bridesmaids' dresses.
And we finally have our colour scheme. ^^

Salmon pink, watermelon pink, mushroom grey. The french lace that Wilson used on the bodice introduced the idea of the lace throughout the wedding. The pearls added accents of vintage. More details next time on how the colours and ideas from the dress were used throughout the wedding stationery etc...:)

Wedding tip #1: As much as you plan for colours, schemes etc. sometimes be prepared to shift ideas. It is amazing how things fall into place.

Arrival!

2010-10-20T11:57:00.000+11:00

This morning, my Digital Harinezumi arrived. I cannot wait to try this out. Unfortunately, at this moment I do not have a CR2 battery or a microSD card on me. I cannot wait to try this out too. It's so tiny. Even smaller than my palm!

The reason for the month's hiatus...

2010-10-17T10:44:00.000+11:00

... I got married.

me.u will resume soon as life needs to settle down. ^^ Over the coming weeks I'll posting some bits and pieces about my wedding...the planning etc. ^^