happy chinese new year

I was so touched to receive a beautiful card from the ever wonderful @dearchy. I want to thank my dear friend for thinking of me at this wonderful time of the year - to celebrate the year of the horse. 

Thank you for the lovely red envelopes (or ang baos!).  I will most definitely treasure them. 

I would like to take a moment to wish you and your dear ones a Happy Chinese New Year.  May the year be prosperous and lucky for you all!

Gong xi fa cai!

Gong hey fat choy! 

 

i heart kikki. K

It's no surprise that kikki. K is one of my favourite stationery stores in Australia.  This business is based in Australia, founded by Kristina Karlsson.  Kristina identified a gap in the stationery market of Australia and attempts to fill it with beautiful and stylish stationery.  With the many collections that have been brought out, everyone have to agree that she has been successful time and time again.

kikki. K presents beautiful and contemporary stationery that many people love to enjoy.  The simplicity of the stationery continues to keep it functional.  The Swedish elements are evident in the stationery designs and I love to share kikki. K with many others.

I was lucky enough to meet the beautiful Kristina Karlsson, which you can read about here.

 These are just a few of the purchases I have made from kikki. K over the past few collections.  I am looking forward to so many more purchases from them, including ones from the neon hearts collection.  I'm completely lusting over it at the moment!

recording life:: jan 20 - jan 26 2014

This week has been pretty exciting with lots of shopping while the family is over.  I surprised myself with a sneaky purchase or two that I tried to rationalise over and over again.  I think I was ssuccessful in it, because I'm excited about it and it makes me happy, right? One of them, you will see appear on the blog very soon.  The other, I uhmmed and ahhed a lot and asked for input before signing up. 

On the 24th of Jan, I signed up for Maybelle Imasa's Beginner's Calligraphy class, hosted by Megan Morton's The School.  To be honest, I heard whispers of Maybelle Imasa returning to Australia and I quickly sent an email to Megan Morton to enquire about it earlier this week! At $275, it is an extravagant price for a student but I am excited for it and I am sure I will have a good time.

Additional to all that, this week heralded the arrival of my calligraphy kit from damitaprilurcool, which you can read about here and the realisation of how unfit I am as I went up the 1000 steps of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk.

A good friend's 21st Birthday and Australia Day brought an amazing end to the week.  Sure I didn't go out into the city to celebrate Australia Day, but can you really beat Triple J's hottest 100 countdown and a few beers and ciders {{mostly by the boyfriend}}? It was all still pretty Australian~

To all you Australians out there, I hope you had a better than good Australia Day.  It's been about 8 years since I have moved here and I am proud to say that I'm from Australia.  Hope you had a good week, and do share what you did to celebrate Australia Day.

instagram it:: week 4

//1// work or play? | work hard, play hard • loving all the fitness classes scheduled in my diary.

//2// say, cheese | i love my Diana mini

//3// this is something amazing from @damitaprilurcool

//4// warm & cozy | even in the summer, I adore wearing my ugg boots. But y'know, with shorts!

//5// tomorrow | trying I figure out what to wear to a good friend's 21st

//6// stripes | in love with my new beach towel from adairs. ps, i love my stripes!

//7// you are here | absolutely in love with peter alexander's shop front display

//8// yummy, yummy | golden gay time gelato at the lab. Lovin' the Australian themed gelato menu

damitaprilurcool:: basics to modern calligraphy kit

Modern calligraphy is a beautiful art form that I have been admiring a lot the past few months or so.  Instagram and Pinterest has led me to many beautiful pictures, letters and invitations.  Additional to that, the beautiful April Joy Hill of damitaprilurcool, has made modern calligraphy almost irresistible to me.  I adore the way the words flow, the thick swells and thin hairlines make everything look elegant, yet quirky and fun as it is not a strict replication of letters.

Interested in taking up a new hobby, an email to April was quickly sent and I was so happy to hear that she will be selling a "Basics to Modern Calligraphy Kit" on her Etsy page.  I immediately jumped at the chance {{maybe a bit too rash? oh, who cares, it's beautiful!}}.

This week led to its arrival and I was too excited to open the package that came from the United States from the lovely April. 

Is it not just one of the most beautiful packages you have ever seen?
Everything included was just so beautiful and well packaged.  I couldn't help but hold my breath the whole entire time and exhale at the touch of each item.  

April Joy Hill's Basics to Modern Calligraphy Kit includes:

• One straight pen holder
• 2oz (59 ml) bottle of black sumi ink
• Two nibs
• Various sheets of practice paper
• A starter guide
• Alphabet guides in April's calligraphy

Along with the calligraphy kit, April recommended me the book, "Modern Calligraphy" by Molly Suber Thorpe.

I purchased this copy from Book Depository.  I only have a flipped through and {{not that I know much, but...}} it looks very good! It is very informative and has lots of recommendations as to how to get started in modern calligraphy.  I can't wait to use this book as a reference and thank you so very much to April for the recommendation. 

Please note that since mailing out my kits, April has fallen in love with a new nib that she will be including in future kits.  In addition to that, a 5x7 card that has the above quote will also be included instead. 

April's calligraphy kit has blown me away and if she were to ever release an "advanced" one, well, show me where to line up so I can get one! You know, when I'm actually at the stage to uh... be considered "advanced" and not a hopeless beginner.

April also sells some pretty cool stamps and notecards in her super adorable Etsy shop.  Trust me, I've been pondering over a name stamp myself - but hey, to be fair, it's very hard to find my name on items, they must always be customised!

The many ways you can get to April Joy Hill:

• Instagram
• Etsy shop & her calligraphy kit
• Blog

My photos do not do this justice.  Please visit her and show her some love!

recording life:: jan 13 - jan 19 2014

This week has been nothing short of eventful! Melbourne was hit with a heat wave over a period of four days.  Stick me in a sauna and I'll be a tad grumpy.  Stick me in a sauna for over four consecutive days, and I start feeling murderous! That's exactly how I felt in the 40 Degree Celsius heat and it was just so dry!  I couldn't stop thinking about ice cream and ice cold drinks.

Additional to that, my dear family flew over to Melbourne for three weeks.  I was pretty excited about this except for the fact that they arrived smack dab in the middle of our heat wave.  Coming from a place that hardly reaches 30-35 Degrees Celsius in the summer, I knew the heat would be so very uncomfortable for them {{especially in a house that does not have any air conditioning}}.  I managed to solve this by asking them to go shopping!

Also, I made a giant long awaited purchase that I am happily tapping away on right now...
My beautiful new 13 inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display.
Everything on this laptop look so beautiful, I just cannot look away!

Thank you for reading my ramble, I hope your week went well! Let me know.

instagram it:: week 3

//1// today | is a mail art and watercolours kind of day.
//2// animal | you're gonna hear me roar.
//3// somewhere | la belle miette has the dreamiest pastel macarons.
//4// creative | the creativity from my penpals always wow and inspire me.
//5// @ifelicityclaire asked me to list ten things I love.
//6// TGIF | thank god it's the last day of the dreadful over 40 degree Celsius heat wave.
//7// where to? | chadstone, for shopping, of course.
//8// weather | after the crazy heat wave, the weather is cool enough for a grey cardigan and a cuppa • chai tea latte, my favourite.

mint ombre side tabs

Ever since I laid eyes on Kelly's {{littleredmoose}} beautiful pink ombre tabs for her pink finsbury, I have been wanting to make a set of my own dividers with ombre tabs.  After purchasing Dear Lizzy's scrapbook paper, I thought it would be perfect to make a new set of dividers for 2014.  With the ombre tabs.

I just think the mint ombre tabs look so beautiful with these Dear Lizzy scrapbook paper.  Absolutely love it and I can tell it will remain in my Filofax for a long period of time.   

The labels were made by my motex embossing label maker and a various paint samples in different shades of green and mint.  Making these dividers were pretty easy with the exception of finding the right gradient for the mint ombre.  I used the transparent tape to label my dividers.

I absolutely adore the way it looks in my Filofax.  Do you?
The gorgeous 2014 overview is from little miss anna. {{Do show her some love!}}

 

recording life:: jan 6 - jan 12 2014

Completely in love with the stripe washi and summer-ful colours.
Are you?