Superb Handmade Wallets from Etsy

Hah..... My blog is really starting to die dy.... T-T Ah.... But of course I won't let that happen. :P I've just finished 2 class tests, proabably the 2 easier ones. T-T There are still 3 more papers to go... I don't know how I'm going to survive through these.

Ok... Educational matters aside *bleh*, I'm going to show you a few of my favourite handmade wallets on Etsy. :) Yes, startlingly talented ladies do make functional wallets. And they look absolute professional, much more chic and unique than your store-bought Tropicana Life ka, Elle ka, whatever la. Oops... Not snubbing your possessions ah. I'm just simply proud for these Etsy sellers. :P

{Pictures were originally taken by each seller respectively}

First off, the totally kawaii Red Hedgehog n Espresso Brown Wallet made by cottonpurr. Where else can you find such cute, wholely Japanese wallet? Cottonpurr's wallets all have the standard layout design - 6 card slots, zipper compartment for change and 3 slots for bills and such.

{Super kawaii and totally practical}

Then we have pego from Winniepeg, Canada. Her long wallets have a homely handmade look. :) I love that she screen-printed the fabric used to make her wallets. Take this Aspen Grove wallet for example. Love the earthy brown and gold combination. :)

{Complete with 6 card-slots, a zipper compartment and 4 other slots}

Finally, my favouritest wallet designer and maker, QuietDoing. Her wallets are mostly made with vinyl. This DJ stereo design is probably the funkiest you can hope to find. :P

{Lovely green and brown linings}

QuietDoing also makes cool ipod holders with equally stunning designs. :) I actually intended to buy one of her Power Pocketbooks, but my dad got me a Fossil from his US trip last year. So, no handmade wallets for the time being. But you may be rest assured that I'll get one when the time is right. :P

I've found my dream outfit

Oh... So much for 'hiatus' and 'won't be blogging for the next month or so'. :P As yokie pointed out, I won't be able to resist.

For the past few blogging-free days, free time (break time from studying T-T) was spent blissfully browsing Etsy, eBay, livejournal communities, and Neopets. Yes. Neopets. I'm still trying to acheive 11 million nps to get that damn Adam avatar.

Ok. So the other day, I saw a post advertising handmade corsets on livejournal. It wasn't the first time I've seen the seller posting up her wares, but what suddenly ignited my interest to browse her stuff further was a first-time realisation that corsets do enhance and emphasize a woman's curves.

After the discovery, I did a search on my all-time-favourite-handmade-resource-site Etsy. This was when I stumbled across this absolutely gorgeous 2-piece bodice made by damselinthisdress.

{Rust Pirate Bodice by damselinthisdress}

My first thought when I saw this : I'm going to wear this for my wedding.

Note : Only if I'm destined to get married, of course.

I can almost feel your stunned and incredelous stares. What? This weird piece of fashion for a wedding? You got taste or not? You siau ah? You betul tak?

I admit. The colours may not suit the perception many have that a wedding should all-white. Or cream. Or pink. Anything but rusty brown and pale yellow. And anyone heard of the bride wearing a coat on the outside? :P But to turn things around, there are more and more 'modernised' weddings taking place every day. More colours are starting to decorate bridal gowns, not just the traditional white. And I'm sure you've seen eye-popping bridal gown designs by fashion designers in magazines, if not on TV.

No matter the latest trend, I love this outfit to bits. It's reflects the medieval times, when woman wear simple dresses. I think feminism is much reinforced by such designs. Never have I seen another more beautiful piece than this, except maybe other creations by damselinthisdress. The 2-piece bodice will look equally good with black pants. *drools*

Hokay..... Back to T-cell mediated immune response. T-T

Hiatus?

Ah... I'm so busy that I can't believe only a week had passed since CNY hols. It seemed like a year. T-T

I can't describe how busy the semester 4 BPharmers are currently. I can only keep my head above it all and try to breathe. Tomorrow's our first class test - Gastrointestinal System. I reckon if I don't update now, I'll not have time to do so in the weeks to come. Every week starting now, we'll be having a class test. T-T That's so much better with PBLs, kan? *yeah*

Ok, so just a small post for now. I've recently discovered another super awesome cool Etsy seller, myhools, who makes super awesome cool vintage-themed plate jewelry! I'm so in love with her creations. Take this piece for example.

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Hmm... So, I guess I'll be taking a break from blogging for a while, probably for a month or so. I truly apologise to kawaii-lovers who checked my blog regularly and find lack of updates recently. :( I promise to bring more fun and kitsch and rainbows when I come back. :) Stay tuned. *jeng jeh jeng*

Happy CNY for 2008!

Waseh.... REALLY long time no blog ho... I've been back since 1st of February. Been busy the first few days - baking cookies and making other eats for Chinese New Year. This time around, my mum really made good use of our many recipe/cookery books.

{Steamed Fruit Cake + Moist Chocolate Cake}

Fruit cake was made based on a recipe given by my aunt. My mum steamed it for 8 hours, as was required of the recipe. The result was awfully dry and quite tasteless, a contradictory to what one might expect of a steamed cake. T-T My mum regretted having followed the recipe blindly - from her many experience, she knew steamed cakes would be done in one to 2 hours, or 3 at the most. But she didn't want to take the consequence of not following the given instructions, for fear of a failure. T.T Ah... The muddling world of baking.... The chocolate cake was the only cake I made for this new year. :P I'd made it twice when I was at Vista, changing the amount of ingredients each time, including this. Got the recipe here, from Aunty Yochana. To get the perfect taste and texture, substitute one cup of flour with one cup of Milo powder, and add 5 eggs instead of 4. :)

{Steamed Oat Cake + Ice Cream Cake}

Do not be deceived by the unappetizing name - 'oat'. This cake has also been loaded with the sweetest and most fragrant ingredients one can put into a cake - seri kaya and condensed milk. These two are a must to produce a sweetly dense steamed cake. On the other hand, the ice cream cake does not taste as good as its name. My mum followed a recipe in a book, which asked ice cream powder to be mixed into the cake. I don't quite like the fruity konnyaku-jelly flavour in each bite. Blergh. Not with cakes anyway.

{Sweet & Sour Layer Cake + Cake for All Seasons}

Now, the sweet & sour layer cake is a staple for every CNY. Been making it every year since secondary school. Each cake layer is alternated with a layer of 'san-cha' (Foochow), the sweet and sour Haw-flakes. Steaming somewhat softens the hard candy, and the texture goes very well with the cake. :) As for the other cake, I have no comments. T-T It's supposed to be the ultimately loaded cake, with each layer (there are 4) having a different flavour - cheese, coffee, fruity, and cereal. But, it turned out quite disastrous. It's true that too much is not always good.

{Scottish Shortbread}

This is another staple for CNY. This biscuit never fails. It's just so buttery, sweet and crunchy. :)

{Hoen Kwe Cookies - pronounced as 'Hon- Kueh'}

This is yet another must for every CNY. Don't worry. The black topping is not tar. It's chocolate emulco, a sort of chocolate flavouring for baking. The cookie batter was too soft to be rolled out and cut into shapes, and I didn't want a shortbread look-alike, so I used the chocolate emulco.

{Suji Cookies}

This is a successful first-time bake my mum discovered from one of the books. :) This biscuit is sooo soft yet with a crunch to each bite, so fragrant that one can only hope that Body Shop will introduce a it in its body scents. :D

{The PURfect Pineapple Tarts}

Yes, this it truly the perfect pineapple tart. :D Recipe here.

{Green Tea Cookies with Prune Filling}

This is a new recipe tried out by my mum. It turned out good. :)

{Cornflake Cookies}

If you're an advent baker, you'll definitely know, or have heard people saying that cornflakes make tasty cookies. It's true. Cornflakes are a wonder when it comes to cookies. :) The crunch, the sweet scent, the delightful taste - these are all acheivable with a few tablespoons of ground cornflakes. :)

{Milk Crisp Rolls}

A super easy, super tasty, super addictive tid-bit. :) You get some popiah wraps, roll them up and seal them with homemade glue or some beaten egg, snip them up with a pair of scissors, deep fry them, and toss them in milk powder and sugar. :) Super the easy one. :D And super the nice. And I should say no more and let you try it out. :D

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I hope you've enjoyed the eye candy. :P Chinese New Year in Sibu is the most 're-nau' (meriah). You can hear firecrackers and see fireworks non-stop from 11pm to 1 pm on new year's eve. I'm not kidding. And firecrackers were to be heard throughout the first few days of CNY. :) It really enhances the CNY atmosphere.

Well, hope you've enjoyed your CNY, or holidays. I sure did mine. :)