DIY Soda

CRAFT Video: DIY Soda from make magazine on Vimeo.

Who would've thought you can make your own soda with any ingredients you like plus a little brewer's yeast to get it fizzy? Maybe I'll be able to kick my Coke addiction once & for all! Now, where can I get my hands on brewer's yeast locally? Otherwise I might have to buy some over at CraftBrewer.

Via Craft.

Julia

My jaw dropped when I saw this necklace Marc Newson created for Boucheron. Called the Julia Necklace its design was inspired by the Julia sets of fractals discovered by Gaston Julia in the early 1900's. Oh how I wish I had all the money in the world to make this lovely sparkler mine as it is deemed to be one of the most expensive pieces Boucheron has ever produced. Heck, I don't think I can afford anything from the French jewelry house anyways but a gal can dream right?

Dumpster Diving

Now, I'm fairly certain the average person wouldn't see a dumpster & think "swimming pools!" but that's exactly what the folks of Macro-Sea came up with. How's that for repurposing?

Babelgum.com interviewed the creative guys behind this little project for their series of short documentaries titled New Urbanism. Click here to watch the episode featuring the dumpster pools & do check out the other episodes too as I find them truly inspirational.

Anthropologie Swimwear

I fell hard for these one piece swim suits by Anthropologie folks. Being someone who loves being in the water (I swim regularly & scuba dive too), I'm always on the lookout for pretty yet functional swimwear & these really fit the bill.

Via Design Is Mine.

Little Women

This has got to be my favorite book of all time. Ever since I was old enough to appreciate books & my mother picked out Little Women for me, I've always had a copy nearby & handy. I can't tell you how many copies I've worn out or given out to girlfriends & I hope to someday pass down a copy to their little daughters (& mine) as I truly cherish this book that covers love, perseverance & feminism. I believe that all women should read it at some point in their lives & in fact, at every major turning point if possible. Little Women for me will always be the book I turn to when I need to be reminded to do good & be good. Oh, and how Beth makes me cry!

If you want to get a cheap copy of Little Women to keep handy (as I do), you can purchase Penguin Classics edition which is printed on 100% recycled paper for only RM8.50 (look for bright green covers). There are heaps more fantastic classic titles so while you're at it, grab a couple of Jane Austen's & Jules Verne's books amongst others. Chancellor Classics also prints very affordable hardcover editions at only RM14.50 although the titles are quite limited. All these books can be found at either Popular, MPH or Kinokuniya. Happy reading!

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Tanya Aguiniga

I am so in love with Tanya Aguiniga's workshop space. The bright colors & general chaos speaks to me & pretty much echoes my current workspace except mine is waaaaay messier! I'll show it to you someday once I manage to control the chaos somewhat (must not shame my poor mother who really did try to teach me to be neat).




Via Design*Sponge where you can also have a look at the rest of Tanya's fab house.

Dreams

I'm totally digging these dream collages by Eleanor Wood who is newly graduated from the University of Brighton in Graphic Design & Illustration. Good job, Eleanor!

Via Free People.

Gone. Again.

A quick note to let you know that the Mimpi blogshop will be closed starting from today till 5th August as I take another trip. Yeah, I love my life too :)

As usual, I've scheduled daily posts for your regular Mimpi fix so be good everyone & stay safe!

P/S: All pending orders will be shipped on 6th August & new orders will be processed by the 6th as well.

Hello Kitty

Talking about fashion icons, Hello Kitty is turning 35 this November 1st! Although my favorite Sanrio characters growing up were actually My Melody & Little Twin Stars but Hello Kitty has a nice, warm spot in my heart too as she's easily the world's most recognizable feline & continues to inspire girls both young & old to accessorise, accessorise, accessorise! Watch the 35th anniversary colors video & celebrate along with Hello Kitty.

By the way, did you know that Hello Kitty's real name is Kitty White & that she was born in London, England? Did you also know that her blood type is A?? The thing's you learn everyday. Heh.

Via Craft.

The September Issue

Why am I talking about September in July? Well, that's because I just spotted the trailer for The September Issue, the documentary about Vogue editor Anna Wintour that I'm just dying to watch.

As the editor in chief of the American Vogue, a position she has held for 21 years now, Anna Wintour is known for being tough as nails and cold as ice & is famously nicknamed "Nuclear Wintour". She is a fashion icon & "is as much an institution in the fashion world as her magazine" to quote Wikipedia.

Now who wouldn't be fascinated to take a peek into her world?

Via A Cup Of Jo.

Freebie: Creature Comfort Printable Note Flats

I love freebies don't you? Well, Ez of Creature Comforts has come up with another lovely freebie that you can print from home - note card flats! Now you'll never be out of a card to tell someone how special there are or to thank them for just being nice :)

Happy Monday all!

July Updates!

Hey ya lovelies. It seems like it was only yesterday that I updated the blogshop & here we are again, another update! This time I have all sorts of new & exciting goodies that I hope you'll love almost as much as I do. Do check out Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets & More to have a look.

Oh, and a Mimpi update just wouldn't be complete without some sort of surprise right? Well, this month I'm offering a special little something for a special sort of circumstance. Read on below...

Yup, you read right. As long as you place your order & make the payment by Tuesday, 21 July 2009 you will automatically receive a 20% discount on your order*!

Why the sudden rush you ask? Well, the Mimpi blogshop will be closed from 22 July - 5 August for another well-deserved break so I thought I'd offer up a special little something for you before I leave & to make sure that all orders are sent to you by 22 July otherwise you'll have a loooong wait. Have no fear though as I will be checking my emails while I'm away (bless the internet) so if you have any special requests or orders please feel free to email me k?

*Terms & Conditions apply:

• All orders along with payments must be made by 21 July 2009 to qualify for the discount
• The discount only applies to all AVAILABLE items
• The discount does not apply to special request remakes or custom orders
• The discount does not apply to postage & handling

Don't forget that the Mimpi blogshop will be CLOSED from 22 July - 5 August so hurry up & place those orders! Regular blog posts will be scheduled to appear as usual for your reading pleasure so do drop by the blog for your daily Mimpi fix.

That's it for July's updates folks! I hope you like what you see ;)

Blue Tit Bird

An exquisite & almost realistic hand painted & stitched Blue Tit bird by Emily Sutton. It is work like this with such painstaking attention to detail that never fails to inspire me.

Via Creature Comforts.

Sweetheart

MTV International / Sweetheart from Universal Everything on Vimeo.

I love spacey videos & this one from MTV is not only terrifically spacey but filled with candies! Oh MTV, you know me so well.

Via ShareSomeCandy.

One Bow Wow, One Heart

Charlotte from Little Accompaniments just alerted me to a concert by Operafest which is an internationally renown children's choir to help raise funds for Furry Friends Farm & Animal Sanctuary in Kamunting, Taiping.

FFF were directly involved in the rescuing & rehabilitation of the abandoned dogs of Pulau Ketam in case you were wondering & in my opinion has done amazing work. So folks, if you're an animal lover or simply a good hearted person, why not come & support this worthy cause.

The concert was featured on The Star yesterday but in case you missed it, here are the basic details below:

Event:
One Bow-WOW, One Heart
Dates:
Fri 24 & Sun 26 July 2009
Sat 1 & Sun 2 August 2009
Venue:
Lightbox Theatre @ PJ Live Arts, Jaya One
(Map here)
Entry:
Minimum donation of rm30
Ticket reservation:
Mrs Kam: 03.6081.5781; 012.399.0073
Sabrina: 016.631.9018 (only call between 1pm - 3pm)
sabrinayeap@gmail.com

Uniform Project

Have you heard of the Uniform Project? The brainchild of Sheena Matheiken (pictured above), Uniform Project is a really cool idea to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion!

Taken off the website
Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress (shown at it's most basic above) with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for slum children in India.

Oh, I can't tell you how much I love this gal's creativity & heart. My hat off to her! Take a peek below at my fave outfits throughout the month of May - July.

Automata

More wooden toys to love! Crank the handle & the paper swans sway with the waves. And it's handmade. Need I say more? I so totally agree with Etsy tweets, this wooden automata by Cartoonmonster has got to be the most awesome item listed on Etsy!

Watch it in action below:

Goodness by Mia Palencia

I get goosebumps every time I hear Mia Palencia sing. Seriously. I love her voice, her music & I'm so darn proud to say that she's a fellow Malaysian. Not only is she talented but she's warm, gracious & oh so down to earth. In short folks, you'd want your kids to grow up like her. Anyways, here's a video of her latest song from her yet to be released second album (I'm on tenterhooks in anticipation here!). Enjoy.

Einhorn

I'm currently coveting that wooden unicorn as spotted at Holly of Decor8's Flickr photo set of her apartment in Germany. Color me in different shades of envious folks! FYI, the unicorn is an Einhorn by Ostheimer in case someone out there wants to get it for me. Wishful thinking eh? :P

DIY Pillowcase Tote

Here's a great tutorial to sew your own tote bag using an old pillowcase that you can fold up & stash in your handbag by Jordynn Mackenzie. Have fun DIYers!

Via Craft.

Wellington's Dream

Andrew and Melissa Frueh made this animation with handmade environmental elements and a needle-felted elephant. Click here to watch the video called Wellington Dreams. So sweet!

Via Craftzine.

DIY Orange Peel Candle

Here's a great little way to make your own amazingly scented candles. The next time you want to snack on an orange, make sure you save the peel k? Here's the tutorial from Mom In Madison.


Via Craft Gossip.

The Fairly Current Show is One!

Having been featured on the 20 Questions show awhile back, I had the great pleasure of meeting part of the team (& incidentally co-founders) of PopTeeVee, Hardesh Singh & Adam William, who are in my opinion not only really creative but also the nicest guys you would want to meet. So imagine my delight when I heard that the Fairly Current Show which is by far their most popular channel just turned one last month! Woohoo, congrats guys & kudos! I hope to hear bigger & better things from PopTeeVee in the near future & I urge everyone out there to tune in on their weekly updates which offers an inspirational & fresh outlook on so many issues & topics in Malaysia but is also highly entertaining offered in bite sized, easily digestable 7 minutes format. Knock yourselves out folks!

A synopsis of the episode above taken off the website:
Over the past year, we've done 54 interviews on fairly current issues in Malaysia, with community organisers, fortune tellers, eligible bachelors, lawyers, artists, politicians, phantom voters, Santa Claus, and more.

To mark this anniversary, we talk to Hardesh Singh, who started the PopTeeVee ball rolling. As with most good ideas, the question "Eh, can or not?" was followed moments later by the answer "Try only lah - jom!", and here we are one year later. Hardesh talks about the his original vision for PopTeeVee, how "information is like energy", and the concept behind Buletin Popek, the newest channel on our site.

Hardesh Singh is a music producer, composer and technopreneur. In 2007, he co-founded Popfolio Sdn Bhd, a semi-stealth technology startup focusing on developing solutions to help humanity traverse and exploit the limitless possibilities of the new information age.

Jill & Matt

This wedding invitation designed by the groom Matt Dorfman cracked me up.

Via Design*Sponge.

I'm Back!

Had a nice little trip but I'm itching to get back into the swing of things pronto! I'll share a little more about my trip as soon as I've dusted off my lap top & sorted out my emails. Thanks for sticking around my lovelies! You all rock my socks off.

XOXO

Famille Summerbelle

These maps by French company Famille Summerbelle have got to be the loveliest I've ever seen. It's no secret that I love paper cuttings & these really take the cake. Love love love! You can purchase these lovelies here & here over at Bodie & Fou.

Via Decor8.

DIY Recycled Tshirt Necklace

Here's a quick little necklace you can whip up for yourself with just an old tshirt (with no seams on the side preferably) & a pair of scissors. Seriously. That's all you need. Get snapping!

Full tutorial here at Instructables.

So I Think I Love You

I love this hand embroidered love note. Might just make something like this myself for the boyfriend just 'cos.

Via Craft.

DIY Cupcake Toppers & Garland

I have heaps of scrap paper that I collect after each paper project I create & loads of security envelopes (which seem to be all the rage at the moment) so this little project I spotted over at Creature Comforts is just perfect for me. Check it out! DIY Cupcake Toppers & Garland.

Cumulus Light Canopy

More cloud lovin' folks. There is something intriguingly beautiful about the Cumulus Light Canopy by designer Steven Haulenbeek. His series of industrial design lighting uses white photographer's umbrellas arranged in cloud-like (cumulus) formations. Truly stunning.