Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Life Is Sweet



This limited edition print by Slide Sideways is just perfect for a person with a sweet tooth like me. And it’s totally customizable too! Just choose your favorite flavor along with a friend or lover’s & you can share in on the tasty goodness. After all, sharing is caring right?


Monday, May 30, 2011

Custom Bunting Banners


If you’ve been visiting me at the markets, you’d notice that I started making & selling Japanese cotton bunting banners. It’s a new little obsession of mine because I love how a little bunting instantly adds fun & color to any occasion, room or area (& since they’re made with fabric, they’re resuable too. Bonus green points!). Here are some custom bunting banners I made for a lovely repeat customer, Sherly, over the weekend. I still have quite a few more custom ones to make for some other customers & will be making a few more extras for online sale so if you’re keen on getting one (or several) for yourself or loved ones, stay tuned ;)

 

Here are the buntings all packed up, ready to be posted.
I used a scrap fabric ribbon, doilly paper & a little washi tape to trim it all.


 
This is a picture Sherly took of the first bunting I made for her.
Don’t you just love that little setup she created? She’s a talented wedding planner so if you’re getting married anytime soon, why not give her a buzz at
Tie The Knot
.

Rue Issue 5



Gooood Monday my lovelies! How was your weekend? Thought I'd kick start this week with some eye candy above. I can't even begin to express how much I love this new issue of Rue & the summer styling video above is so up my alley! Rue is a free online magazine that focuses on lifestyle & decor, & is packed chock-full of eye candy. It’s definitely worth a peek so go check it out!

Via Creature Comforts.




Friday, May 27, 2011

Fancy Breakfast Club




How can you not love a blog titled Fancy Breakfast Club? With a deep-seated love for taking long, chilled out breakfasts (especially the kind that doesn’t require yours truly to prepare), the thought of a fancy breakfast just thrills me. And oh my gosh, will you get a load of the pictures? I want to be friends with the person responsible for all of this! Luckily she’s based here in KL too. Hehe.

The gal behind Fancy Breakfast Club also runs a lovely little floral design studio called Vanilla Floral & does graphic design too (Weekend I’m In Love) which are all worth checking out. All I can say is this gal is mighty talented. Big ups!



Thursday, May 26, 2011

Lego Style Apartment







This clever little 258 square foot apartment designed by Barbara Appolloni is just that; clever. Everything has its own place & is tucked away so clutter is practically non-existent. Have a look at the video above & marvel at the ingenuity of it all.

My favorite part of the whole apartment is the balcony & that rooftop (to die for!). Although the the whole thing is a little too masculine for my taste, I think this layout would work well for a small holiday retreat. Now, if I only I could convince my husband…

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

DIY: Popup Birthday Cupcake Card

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, last Sunday yours truly hit the big 3-0. Yup, I’ve said goodbye to my twenties & have embarked into my thirties & you know what? It’s not scary at all! In fact, I feel pretty darn fabulous! I’m comfortable with my body, my relationships with my loved ones are solid as a rock & I don’t stress over the little things. I do what I like when I want I to & I have a great support system. What more could a gal ask for, really?

I’m not gonna bore you with the details of my birthday celebration (which was small & intimate, just the way I like it) so here’s a little DIY treat I found while scouring the world wide web. Marie Claire Idées is a resource for crafty chic ideas based in France (yup, it’s all in French but fret not, instructions are easy to follow or suss out) & this DIY Popup Birthday Cupcake Card is trop mignon wouldn’t you say so? Just print on cardstock & assemble away. If you have any trouble figuring out how to do it, here’s a handy little video to follow along to. While you’re at it, why don’t you make me one too? Hehehe ;)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Back To Reality

Pasir Panjang, Redang
What a week we had! Sorry for taking off on you guys all of the sudden but the hubby decided at the very last minute that we MUST dive in Bidong & Redang before he started his new job this week so off we went! I thank God that this wonderful job of mine allows me these little vacations on a whim.

View from the veranda of Mantaray
First up, we traveled up to Merang, Terengganu & stayed at Sea Monkey’s new Mantaray Diver’s Lodge with some friends in order to dive in Bidong (you can’t actually stay in Bidong as it’s a research center for University Malaysia Terengganu). Mantaray operates more like a dormitory but it’s very comfortable as it’s a large kampung house with comfy beds for at least 12 people, a large sprawling veranda, large field & it’s own patch of beach. As we had the Lodge to ourselves along with the Sea Monkey crew, lodge manager Lisa & lodge owner Amin, who are all very nice & accommodating, we felt right at home. Diving in Bidong I was told by the hubby is actually really fascinating but unfortunately we experienced bad visibility underwater due to the overwhelming presence of plankton & currents. What little I did manage to see however was really intriguing, like the promise of seahorses at Macha’s Rock, soft coral formations at the Midway Reef & the Vietnamese ship wrecks, plus the submerged bus & lorry so I can’t wait to try Bidong again in the near future.

After 2 days in Bidong, the hubby & I left our friends & went off on our own to Pasir Panjang, Redang for 3 days for more diving & relaxation. After hearing all sorts of rather off-putting stories of the island (like how noisy it can get at night with the various resorts blasting bad techno music all night long), we were pleasantly surprised to find that the side of Pasir Panjang we chose was quiet, charming & clean. If you’re ever planning a nice retreat at Redang, check out Coral Redang Resort folks. It’s worth the little extra moolah, trust me. Right now, they’re under renovation (which we hardly noticed while we were there) so there are not too many rooms available but the good news is that they’re offering a really good rate for divers & non-divers alike so it’s worth checking out.

A peaceful moonrise over Redang Island
We had better luck with visibility underwater at Redang but current was pretty strong at most of the sites but nothing to worry about for most divers. I was particularly taken with a dive site named Terumbu Kili, so much so that we went back there twice. It has very pretty hard & soft coral formations & a resident Black Tip Shark, plus large Titan Triggerfish (who is friendly at the moment). While we were in Redang as well, a group of snorkelers spotted a whale shark & fled the area not knowing that whale sharks are actually very gentle creatures that only feed on plankton. Hearing of the presence of a whale shark, we went out diving everyday in hopes of spotting one ourselves but had no such luck. Oh well, better luck next time!

Right after coming home from Redang, we were on the road again to Johor. This time, for 2 weddings; one in Johor Bahru in the afternoon & another in Muar at night. Spending a night over in Muar, we were brought to a little cafe, literally called The Little Cafe. Originally a government quarter, this little wooden house has been converted to a cafe while still retaining much of its original fixtures. Complete with vintage & kitsch Malaysian decor, I couldn’t help but be charmed with the place. I took quite a number of pictures of the place & perhaps one day I’ll do a blog post about it but here’s a little peek in the meantime…

Nice, right? Little Cafe, Muar
The very next day was my thirtieth birthday (yup, I hit the big 3-0!) which was spent stuffing our face silly with the local delicacies of Glutton Street in Muar for brunch, then a couple of hours on the road back to KL followed by a gastronomic feast at La Risata in our own neighborhood of Ampang. The hubby surprised me by inviting our very nearest & dearest to dinner which is just the way I would’ve planned it. I was so overwhelmed with love & gratitude for those who mattered most in my life were there to help me celebrate a large milestone & an end to a fantastic trip/honeymoon.

All in all, I had a pretty spectacular week if I do say so myself but I’m really glad to be finally back home, working on my jewelry & various crafts with a nice cat named Hassan sprawled belly-up on my desk, gently nudging my hand with his paw as I type this as a reminder that he needs a tickle under his chin every now & then. How was your week my lovelies?

Monday, May 16, 2011

Dive Dive Dive

Believe or not, but I'm on another impromptu honeymoon trip. This time we're on the West Coast of Malaysia, diving at Bidong & soon, Redang. We've already done 3 dives at Bidong & looking forward to more.

Anyways, I'll be back soon I promise. In the meantime, follow me on twitter (check out the sidebar) for some snippets of our trip ;)

Have a great week everyone!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Mr. Humperdink’s Birthday Party



Mr. Humperdink is one lucky cat. The Blow Up Girls, a team of two designers love him so much that they threw him & his furry friends a little soiree to celebrate his birthday, complete with little hand embroidered cat nip toys, milk mustaches, kitty party masks and Birthday invite, all custom designed just for Mr. Humperdink. Hmmmm, I wonder if I can get my cat Hassan to wear a bow tie…

Via Poppytalk.







Thursday, May 12, 2011

Freebie: Book Themed Invitations



What’s not to love about the designs Rifle Paper Co. comes up with? They’re whimsical & downright pretty down to the smallest detail. Well, if you love them already or the images above have piqued your interest, then this month’s Martha Stewart Living is a MUST for you because it includes a feature on a suite of book-themed baby shower invitation, bookmark & bookplate designed by Rifle. You can download right here but I seriously suggest you pick up the magazine & pour over the images + additional project ideas because they’re just so darn pretty!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

DIY: Tiny Polaroid Magnets



Looks like I'm on a DIY roll this week huh? With the mountain of pictures that we have from our wedding & honeymoon, I think this tiny polaroid magnet tutorial by Ambrosia Girl is definitely something I need to do. It’ll give me an excuse to dress up the fridge too which I’m sure the hubby won’t object to.

Via Creature Comforts.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

DIY: You’re My Little Teapot Paper Cut Art

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Yesterday, as the sun was setting & I was enjoying a pot of herbal tea, I was inspired to create my own paper cut art of a teapot with a cute lil’ saying. If you’ve been following this blog for some time now, you’d know that I have a soft spot for paper cut art. I’ve made a few pieces in the past for loved ones so this time I thought I’d create a little something just for my darling blog readers. Please excuse the pictures though, as I started working on this piece when it got dark but I was so excited over the outcome that I just went ahead anyways. Here’s how it goes…

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You will need:
an A4 printout of the teapot template below that I created
an xacto knife or sharp blade will do
a self-healing cutting mat or a smooth surface to cut on
some patience & a steady pair of hands

little teapot
1. Right-click the image above & save it. Print it out on an A4 sized paper. I’ve already prepared the image in reverse as you can see above & it should measure about 19.5cm across & 15cm high but you can scale it to make it whatever size you want.

Tip: Medium-weight paper like your normal printer paper is fine but if you want it to be a little sturdier, try cardstock paper (not too heavy though otherwise your hands will really hurt by the time you’re done!). While you’re at it, try some pretty patterned paper for added interest.

2. Start cutting out the words on the printed side of the paper on a self-healing cutting mat.

Tip: Try cutting down towards you & moving the paper in small motions at the curves. That way you’ll have better control of your xacto knife/blade.

3. Once you’re done with the words, cut out the teapot outline.

Tadaa, you’re done! It will take you about 20 – 30 minutes tops once you’re done printing. Just for fun, I also drew some teardrop shapes free-hand on a scrap piece of metallic copper paper I had laying around to illustrate tea pouring out of the teapot so why not give that a go as well?

Let me know if you’re going to attempt this & if you do, please send me some pictures of your completed work as I’d love to see it! Hope you enjoy my (very first) craft tutorial & please do not hesitate to email me or leave a comment below if you have any questions & I’ll try to help as much as I can. Thanks for having a looksee!

Please note that this tutorial is for non-commercial use only. Alteration of the image or words does not void the copyright. Also, please link to this post for the download & tutorial. A little shout-out for my blog is always very much appreciated too!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Post-Honeymoon

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Hello hello darlings! The hubby & I had a wonderful time on our impromptu honeymoon. As avid divers, the hubby planned a dive trip for us & thanks to a tip from a friend, we managed to get a room at The Reef Dive Resort at Mataking Island even though it’s the peak season.

Let me start off by saying how much we LOVE the resort! The staff, from the front desk to the waiters to the dive masters were exceptionally helpful & friendly. Our room was comfortable & spacious, the dive center very well-equipped & the buffet spread was generous. We never had to worry about a single thing because everything was taken care of or thought of for us well in advance. Every morning we woke up to breakfast prepared for us just the way we liked it, changed into our dive gear, hopped on the boat to a beautiful new dive site & dived to our heart’s content followed by lunch, more diving then dinner & spent some time in the jacuzzi or trekked around the tiny island. Seriously, what more could a pair of dive-crazy honeymooners ask for?

Needless to say, diving at the Celebes Sea off Mataking Island was phenomenal. We were blessed with great visibility underwater & spotted lots of turtles (even one as large as a 6-seat dining table!), colorful & weird fishes & corals along with plenty of macrolife of which the Celebes Sea is famous for. Unfortunately, as our reservation was made so late, we couldn’t get the permit to dive at Sipadan which was a bummer but the diving around Mataking was already so wonderful that we weren’t bummed out for long.

All in all, I had the best time ever with my hubby! We’re already planning our next trip back to Mataking ;)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Honeymooners

Good (early) morning lovelies. As I type this, the hubby & I are on the way for our impromptu honeymoon. Yay! We planned everything at the last minute & have been scrambling to get things ready since Monday so I apologize for leaving you without any posts while I'm gone. It's a short trip though so I'll be back real soon with (hopefully) a nice tan & pictures to share. Have a great week ahead!

xoxo,
Murni & Bobby

Monday, May 2, 2011

Thingamajigs




I shared these snap shots over at Twitter last week & I thought I’d share them here with you lovelies while I recover from the Crafty Art Market. These shots are just a small part of my craft room that is constantly evolving, depending on the current project or state of mind I’m in & whether it’s messy or not! Hehe. Hope you enjoyed the little peek into my world ;)