Purse for my aunt & documentaries

Front view of the purse for my aunt

Back view of purse for my aunt

I finally get to finish this purse for my aunt. I am going to make another one for my mother. For this purse, it's big enough to put notes, cards, phone and anything else in. I'm thinking of adding a felt flower brooch to the purse as planned before.

I've managed to mop the kitchen floor and bathroom floor on Friday as I thought I'm going to ask my friend to come here for a sleep over, but I got caught up watching lots of documentaries on animals. I wonder why I used to think documentaries on are boring, probably too absorbed being living my own life. Now I have new found respect for those who worked so hard together to come up with all these magnificent and heart warming documentaries.

I seriously think that watching documentaries are beneficial for people who feel down from time to time. You'll realise that there are lives around you and they are struggling to live on just like anyone else and that they probably cope better with less resources than us. I really recommend watching The March of the Penguins, Artic Tales and BBC's Nature's Most Amazing Events Series with superb soundtrack!

Purse for my aunt & documentaries

47 Questions Tagged by Carly on Facebook

I have been tagged by Carly. I don't know who else to tag so if you see this, feel free to join in & tag along!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No, not really.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
While watching the trailer on earthlings.com It's really gruesome but at the same time heart breaking, I don't know how to describe it, just be warned that it contains brutal & violent footage
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes, I think so.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
mock meat, made from tofu and vegetables (Quorn)
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No, not at the moment.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I'm not sure, maybe.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
yes, sometimes, when I'm fed up.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes, I think so.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes, will definitely want to try it in this life. I was once told that it will build my confidence, I should definitely try it then.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Special K with chocolate & berries
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes, most of the time
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
chocolate & coconut
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Face, hair...
15. RED OR PINK?
Pink (most of the time), I like red too.
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
laziness
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
bf, at the moment.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Yes and no. It's up to them whether they want to complete it or not.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
light blue
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Just now, Nickelback's "If Today Was Your Last Day"
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Pink!
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Lavender & grapefruit
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Sabrina wong
25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Swap-bot
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
gymnastics
27. HAIR COLOR?
black
28. EYE COLOR?
dark brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes
30. FAVORITE FOODS?
Chinese, vegetarian
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy Endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
How To Lose Friends & Alienate People
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Light blue
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
summer without the hayfever, eczema & allergy rash!
35. HUGS OR KISS
both
37. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP.
It used to be a water bottle with Miffy print & straw for kids from £1 shop
38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Paula Cole, Fiona Apple, Jewel, The Carpenters, Michael Jackson...
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Alan Carr's Biography & The Mind Gym:Give Me Time.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
This thing that's been given the name 'mouse'.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC 1.
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
At the moment, 'Human Nature' by MJ.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
44. What is the farthest you have been from home?
England
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Can't think of any at the moment.
46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
Malaysia (truly asia)
47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
anything with Eiffel tower, apple, strawberry...

47 Questions Tagged by Carly on Facebook

One Pretty Thing feature & roasted balsamic tomatoes

This happened last Saturday. My 'Ciao' coin purse was featured on last week's Flickr Friends Roundup on One Pretty Thing. I was over the moon. I always love One Pretty Thing, a really clever website that gathers inspirations and tutorials from other crafty blogs without having us to do the hard work! I'm very grateful that I found this website. I also found out that it was featured on Le Blog Friendstitch under the tutorial section, although I have only shown some photos of work on progress of that purse. I did think about doing a tutorial of this and maybe I will. On other note, Miky, my boy friend told me that his mother loves the coin purse that I've made for her. Again, I felt happy and content!

My (slightly burnt) Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes

This was my lunch today. I got the recipes from Essential magazine (UK June 09 issue). I've never felt that tomatoes can taste this good on their own.

Recipes (my own version):
8 salad tomatoes
balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt to taste
I also add some soy sauce after getting them out of the oven.

They are supposed to be slow-roast for 1 to 2 hours in the oven on gas mark 2 but I thought I didn't have the patient to wait that long so I put them on gas mark 8 instead and forgot to take them out of the oven after almost an hour hence with a few of them slightly burnt...

One Pretty Thing feature & roasted balsamic tomatoes

Wish List: Summer Dresses from Asos

1. Jojo And Malou for Asos Necklace Print Colour Block Dress (£19 on sale)
2. Asos Umbrella Print Dress (£24 on sale)
3. Rainbeaux Cat Print Bow Front Layered Dress (£39 on sale)
4. Dahlia Vintage Floral Belted Dress (£55.00)

One thing that I love about summer is all those lovely flower print dresses in the shops. They all look so much fun, colourful and feminine and I can't help myself feeling happier when I see them. I love the umbrella print dress the most and there are lots of items on sale on Asos website at the moment. I realise that summer is coming to an end soon but I'm hoping to wear them when I get back to Malaysia next year for the Chinese New Year!

Wish List: Summer Dresses from Asos

Food Craving & Shopping Again

Food Craving

For the last few days, I stayed over at Miky's place and I had an enormous craving for food. We went to Tong Palace (a Chinese restaurant in Leeds) for dinner on Sunday & I ordered vegetable hot & sour soup and vegetable platter, then coconut ice cream for dessert. The food was lovely and I still crave for it when I'm typing at the moment! The Chinese style dessert came with the bill which we didn't order. Then on Monday, we went to Wagamama and I ordered Yasai Chahan (I think it meant Vegetable Fried Rice in Japanese) for lunch. Miky paid for all my food consumptions and I'm really grateful for that. I hope to repay him somehow when I'm back into the work force again. I wish I know how to prepare them whenever I want.

(Above) Heart Sunglasses from New Look. Sale price: £1.50 (original price:£6)
(Below) Heart Sunglasses from Primark. Actual price: £1.00 (no kidding!)

I have this thing for heart shaped sunglasses. I think they are really cute, even though the pointy shapes of the hearts make my cheeks look squashed when I smile. Mentioning about Primark, I had watched the documentary about the store using manufacturers in India which exploit child labour... For sometime, I didn't step into a Primark store because of that but for now, it's one of the place that I can afford to buy stuff from since I have been jobless for more than 7 months. It's a long story...I never really want to mention this as I want to make this a happy place for me & others to visit...as it is those lovely blogs out there which inspires and enlightens my spirit.

Sale Goodies from Claire.

(Clockwise from top) Piggy mobile holder, Fabric Flower hair pin / brooch, brown hair clip, pink bunny hair accessories, Pink mobile sock cozy with rainbow print. All five for £5.

You can just tell that pink colour dominates my world, but the pink bunny hair accessories will be for my Blythe dolls or else I'll look pretty silly wearing them and I plan to give the pink mobile sock cozy for my 13 year old niece. I hope she'll like it as I heard from my aunt that she texts all day long.

Books: Alan Carr Biography and The Mind Gym: Give Me Time

I love Alan Carr and I think he has been one of the first British comedians that I can understand their jokes for. It took me sometime to learn the lingo here and understand the British humour and having a TV really helps with the process. At the moment, I'm reading half way through the book...my attention span for books without picture is really short and that is why I prefer reading magazines, less word and more pictures. So I must say, this is a good progress.

The other book that I bought is The Mind Gym series book. Lately I feel so overwhelmed of the things that I want to accomplish. Even the blog list on the right make me feel overwhelmed. So many things to see and do while so little time. I've read a few pages, mainly on the speed reading section but that hasn't work for me yet. I guess I need to trust the process more and that it will work. Hopefully, this book will help.

Essentials magazine (August 09 issue)

This is the second magazine that I've bought this month (Boots' Health & Beauty mag doesn't count as it's free to Boots advantage card holders). I have always like reading magazines since I was a kid and I used to dream that I'll be able to work for magazines company in the future. I think that blogs are quite similar to magazines too.

I should refrain myself from going to town and have unneccessary spendings...until next weekend. :) I felt happy that I've finished writing this post because lately, blogging seems a bit tedious to me but at the moment, I felt quite content.

Food Craving & Shopping Again

Current Project: Coin purse / pouch & a kawaii Scheduler

Work In Progress...

Here's a sneak peak of what I've been up to lately... a pouch / coin purse for my aunt. I have had a lot of ideas on how to design it and hence I still haven't finish crafting it even though I've started weeks ago. I want it to be a multi-purpose pouch with a little sarubobo plush (filled with dried lavender) hugging the pouch, a detachable felt rose brooch and a ribbon as a handle. Perhaps I'm too ambitious or just lazy to try out new things: sewing the sarubobo plush & felt rose.

Front cover of scheduler

I bought this really cute scheduler from Artbox at Topshop in London when I went down there for the Australia Needs Skills Expo weeks ago. It costed £10 which is quite expensive for me but I just wanted to get my hands on it! It's made in Korea and contains lots of cute pages as you can see below:






This will be my third diary/scheduler for this year... I always have a weakness in diaries but I never get to fill in every page of them. I hope this scheduler will inspire me to do my travel journal.

Current Project: Coin purse / pouch & a kawaii Scheduler

paris coin purse, magazines ( Katherine Heigl ), pig in kimono, pink bow

Goods from Accessorize

I went to watch Ice Age 3 with Miky on Wednesday and went shopping yesterday. Accessorize is having a sale and I couldn't help myself buying something. I bought the hair elastic band with a pink bow, a piggy in kimono key chain and a Paris coin purse, all at half price. I had my eyes on the elastic band for a while and even imagined wearing it when I start my new job. I like the Paris coin purse best, with an Eiffel tower chain. I keep their tags on as I'm still not sure whether I will return this impulse purchase.

Front view of Paris coin purse

Back view of Paris coin purse, with lovely heart prints

Piggy in Kimono key chain

I think I might return this sweet piggy...I wouldn't be so interested in buying it if it's other animal. She's really cute!

Boots' Health & Beauty magazine & Marie Claire Magazine

Another of my impulse purchase yesterday, with my Boots advantage card points. I thought I'll be able to get the free Aveda shampoo for buying the Marie Claire magazine but they are all gone when I try to redeem it from Harvey Nichols, Leeds. I prefer reading other magazines such as Prima, Essentials and Red, but Marie Claire always include the best free gift with their magazine.

paris coin purse, magazines ( Katherine Heigl ), pig in kimono, pink bow