My Heath Ceramics

Thanks to Clara, Janice & Karen!!!

I got these from my recent SF trip with the yummy gift card that they sent me for X'mas. This makes shopping so much more satisfying!

The 2010 Fall/Winter seasonal limited edition tall vase—factory price was about 30% less then retail and it was the only one. I zoomed right in and grabbed it before anyone else could. The baby breath was from the bf's gift of a rose bouquet from Valentine's day and the single dried up pink carnation was from Ashley during Mother's day :D

The yellow glazed bud vase is the new one (the brown and white were from a previous LA trip). From the current 2011 Spring/Summer seasonal limited edition.

Looks like I have a little "Clara" shrine as she also gifted me the adorable birdie cupcake stand on the left that is now used to hold our car keys since this is right by the entry way from our garage.

It's not that bad lah~

Aiyoh.
I got all those concerned questions about the damage I've done during this past Black Friday. It's bad, but considering I haven't bought much for myself lately, it's nothing! You should have seen me last year!

The biggie is this Coach leather bag. I just seen it at the full price retail store for USD498 before tax. I thought: Hell no! No matter how much I loved it and the leather was soft and the color is my favorite. Hell no!

Then of course, for the Thanksgiving sale, it went to the outlet within a few days and was marked way way way lower than the retail price. I HAD TO........... Mom! I could have bought a few and it won't even be more than the retail price.Nice right? Also bought a Diesel underwear for 8 bucks, Ted Baker wide leather belt for 32 and some gifts. It really is the best time to shop.

Back to the real purpose of Thanksgiving.

Apple keep the turket moist, she said.Went to my friend Lissy's house to crash her family dinner and oh boy! Her turkey was the best home-cooked one I ever had!!!! (sorry to whoever but really!) It was moist and totally cooked (which is the problem for a lot of people) and the stuffing and the yummy garlic mashed potato!!!!! Everything was made by her. Dang!

And then I brought my store-bought pies—French Apple and Pecan. At least I made the effort!


Hope she will let her hubby bring the leftovers to work (she used to, but now only her hubby works in the same agency with me).

Then we went to the new casino near her place and I was desperately trying to win some shopping money. However, two lucky things had happened other than that.

1. I dropped my wallet and didn't realise it until 20 minutes later!!!! It was still lying on the floor, under the Pai Gow table, amongst the chairs and legs when I went back for it. I was sitting there watching my friend play earlier on. This is a miracle at a casino you know that.

2. I broke even after playing at the roulette table for almost 3 hours. I was down to my last 5 bucks but I won back my money (60 bucks) slowly and left. I got 2 drinks for free.
There was a white guy who just kept buying 23. Lissy won like 3 times when it hit 5 coz' she buys that number everytime. The dealer was hitting the same number twice in a row for like 6-8 times. There was a black guy who looks like Kanye west who will play and leave then come back for like 3 times.

Roulette is my favorite game, because it's kinda random, but kinda have a pattern too. It's messy, dependent on luck but you can kinda read the trend of each dealer. Just like Life. I don't know what I'm saying anymore.

I'm gonna chill for the rest of the week.

Fa la la la la la la la

I'm making a list
and checking it twice.
I'm going to find out who's naughty and nice.
'Coz Missy here Is Comin' To Town!

That's right y'all! And I'm not kidding. Since my presents will include handmade, as much as possible, I need all the time in the world to design, research, buy the materials and make them!

Unfortunately I can't make everything, and some people will probably never want the things that I make, so some people will not be getting handmade items from me. But hey! It doesn't mean I didn't care. Just maybe you need to reflect upon your high maintenance, materialistic ways and bring yourself back down to Mother Earth.

Speaking of Mother Earth, my agency finally started and kicked-off the recycling committee! For months, my dept and I have been doing it guerilla style— i.e. we collect cardboard boxes that are dumped by the trash and ask people around our area to conscientiously dispose their paper trash in our makeshift collection area right by my desk. Once in a while, the guys will load up their truck and drive all that crap to the local recycling company who will pay you some pennies for the wares.

Do you know the media dept receives almost every other fucking magazine in the world every month? Do you know how much paper is that to be just thrown away with the other trash? Do you know why the temperature is record-high nowadays? Do you know why there is so many hurricanes and earthquakes and tsunamis? Do you know why the trees all look kinda sad when you look at them?

It's ironic that 4 (out of 8) of the people in my dept (web) took part in the committee. It's ironic that the print production dept had no representatives. It's ironic that my dept is the dept that had shown the most support and initiative in recycling. We are, afterall, the dept that creates the least (paper) waste in the whole building.

Don't buy wrapping paper when there's all those wonderfully designed magazines' pages that you're going to get rid of anyways. Do you really have to send another X'mas card via mail that will only be tossed by your receiver on the 26th? E-cards are free and it's the thought that counts. With the economy like this, won't it be better to look around and see what you can improvise for neat solutions that not only reduce pollution but also save $$$?

If you really have to buy paper for any reasons during this festive season, pls at least opt for cards that are printed on recycled materials. Send just one card on behalf of the whole family and group so you can lessen the number of cards you need.

Best yet, give time and love to the people you care about. It's environmentally-friendly, great for your own mental health, recyclable/reuse-able (pass the love vibes on) and FREE!

marc jacobs by me

Okay. I admit that I didn't try very hard, but I really had no clue why so many people admired and worshipped Marc Jacobs as a fashion superman.

I have long heard of his *big* name but it's not only until I saw a photo spread of his Paris apartment on the W magazine (read whole coverage here) that I got fascinated by this peculiar man.

Marc Jacob's chilling in his study (photo via W magazine).

Well, since then I only got impressed by his zany taste in art and home decor ways but I still didn't run out to the nearest MJ boutique and buy his wares. I always though they were overpriced for what they are and the current paycheck I'm receiving doesn't allow me experiment with overpriced anything.

So a few nights ago I was browsing through the free movies section on my on-demand cable tv system. If my memory didn't fail me, I saw amongst a list of movies on the Sundance channel, a documentary named "Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton".

I thought "Sure, why not?" I just needed some eye-candy for the night. 72 mins. Well, I could turn it off if it bores me.

I would guess this exclusive insight to MJ's daily work schedule and environment was filmed about 2 years ago when he was still sporting a head full of long stringy hair and oversized plastic glasses. He was (and still is) heading the house of Louis Vuitton, his self-titled labels—Marc Jacobs + (cheaper)Marc by Marc Jacobs and some other guerilla-style labels. He was/is a busy man.

As a wannabe artist and designer, I watched and is extremely fascinated with the fashion industry on a whole. Just like what I feel when I'm watching the very successful reality show—Project Runway. Basically this documentary reveals a lot of scenes whereby you would think MJ is on Project Runway but with a whole team of sidekicks and smashing seamstresses ready to make his visions come through.

We get to see some censored scenes of brainstorming sessions where he sits with all these people to pick ideas, colors, buttons, fabrics and anything. I see people agreeing to whatever he says and I wonder is that how it really works? But then again, he is afterall the creative director. He is the one who brought LV and himself multi-million dollar success. He is Marc Jacobs.

Marc Jacob in a skirt and his gigantic hermes' birkin (2008) He looks pretty good I would have to say.

My favourite scene would be when he divulge his health secrets by showing us the numerous vitamins and supplements he takes daily, apparently. He drinks mangosteen juice in a shot. Mangosteen? Where do you find it in the USA? I had to smuggle one in my luggage from home just to prove to my colleagues that I ain't making shit up.

So after the documentary ended, I felt like I have to find out more. I need to know first of all: Why? Why is the whole world begging to own something with his name sewn on the back?

For all I know, I would have thought of Micheal Jackson instead of him when I see those initials M.J.

So I asked a poshy friend who is a fan and got to know that the "Stam bag" is one of his signature items. Cute, but I'm still not convinced. Then I thought about Danielle as I know she's covered (almost) head-to-toe in his designs. But I still haven't got to talk to her much as she's super busy.

Then I remembered I was pretty in love with MJ's signature perfume last X'mas but never took the plunge (hint hint).

But guess what I found!

Marc Jacobs Rana (which means frog in Spanish) bag.

Vicki Beckhams in a MJ ad featuring the Rana bag.

The Rana bag in neon PINK.

So I guess I'm a little swayed towards the MJ camp for now. IF ANYONE OF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE PRECIOUS FROG BAG(on sale) PLEASE LET ME KNOW. They're a little hard to find as I'm totally backdated in the fashion trends (and sorry for yelling).

Oh well. I digress.

You all know that it's the economic crisis now. We have to stop, or rather, I have to stop all my impossible, irrational shopping urges. Even if I lock myself at home, online shopping still calls upon me. ARGH.

Have I felt the effects of the crisis? Yes. How? My agency has been laying people off. Today the toll was 8. The total? I think I lost track.

Twelve Tips for Spending Less

I think everyone should read this right now, and I will read it 10 times over, just in case I'll forget.

Taken from Real Simple Online.

Aug 5, 2008 4:00:00 AM
Note To Self

Twelve Tips for Spending Less

These are tough economic times, and lots of people are feeling the stress. If you’re trying to cut down on your spending, try following some of these strategies:

1. Pay cash. Studies show that people find it much easier to spend money when they’re using a cash substitute (they also find it easier to cheat or pilfer!). Keep yourself in touch with cost, by using cold hard cash.

2. Focus on small items first. When you buy an expensive item, it’s easy to toss in unthinkingly a lot of smaller items alongside it – items that you might have otherwise have spent a lot of time considering, and which add up to a lot of $$$. So pick out smaller items first, then the larger item. Buy the software, the mouse, the mousepad, and the other bits and bobs, then choose the computer.

3. Don’t buy too much at one time. If you’re buying too many things, you stop paying attention to what you’re getting. Any one item seems insignificant. I call this “shop shock” or “drive-by shopping.”

4. Don’t buy anything at a bargain store that you haven’t bought before at full price.

5. Before paying, review each of your purchases with a skeptical eye. Don’t buy anything you’re not sure you want and can use – this is particularly important with clothes. I often ask myself, “Do I feel like wearing this tomorrow?” Sometimes, I realize I’ve picked something out because I can “use” it – but really, if I don’t love something, I almost never end up wearing it, no matter how useful it might be.

6. Don’t tell yourself, “I can always return it”; remind yourself, “I can come back if I decide I need it.”

7. Make a list and stick to it.

8. Don’t buy anything that needs to be a specific size unless you KNOW the measurements you need.

9. Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Even for non-food items.

10. Don’t shop as an activity with friends. It’s easy to spend more than you intend, or to buy something you don’t really need or want, when you’re distracted by conversation. Find something else to do with your friends. Have coffee, go for a walk, run errands together (in high school, my friends and I used to do errands together all the time, and it’s a great way to turn a nagging task into something fun).

11. Be very skeptical of anything that’s on sale.

12. If you don’t shop, you don’t buy. Stay out of stores.

The days are long, but the years are short.