Dreamer

This song never fails to cheer me up

Hey fellow dreamers. I adore Breakfast at Tiffany's don't you? Anyways, I just wanted to pop in before I head on out to Sri Pentas for my spot on the Breakfast Show on NTV7 (eep!) & to give you all a head's up just in case you haven't been paying attention to my not-so-subtle hints all week... Mimpi will be at YOUTH'09 happening at PWTC from today till Sunday (9 - 11 Jan) & so this blog shop will be closed but will reopen on Monday (12 Jan). So hold your emails till then or hey, drop by PWTC & come check Mimpi out in person.

Anyways, wish me luck & pray that I don't turn into a blubbering idiot on LIVE national TV today!

Must Remember To

All I want to do right now is dump everything & head to a nice sunny beach somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do for a living but boy, I'll be glad when I finish preparing for YOUTH'09 then hopefully I'll be able to catch up with my sleep sometime soon.

In other news, I'll be on the Breakfast Show on NTV7 tomorrow morning! I honestly can't even begin to tell you how nervous I'm feeling right now. Wish me luck & fortitude!

I Want That

Adorable or what? Being an advocate for all things handmade plus driven by color & design, I went ga ga when I clicked on over to I Want That based in Singapore thanks to a feature on Tongue In Chic. It's official folks, I have a new webshop crush.

Going Indie: Which Bazaar?

As I gear up to get ready for YOUTH'09 this weekend, I thought I'd share with you a few tips on how to choose an event to take part in since there are an overwhelming number of bazaars, markets, fairs, whatever you call them mushrooming all over KL of late. I don't know about you but as someone struggling to make a name for Mimpi I'm left feeling pretty overwhelmed at the choices available & so without fail, I whip out my handy dandy list of questions that I use to vet each bazaar that I'm interested in taking part (and to bug the bazaar operator) so that I can come to a knowledgeable decision. Feel free to use & amend the list below as you see fit or drop me a comment if you'd like to add a question or two (or three!).

1. When & where will the event be held?
   Dates & location are key folks. I suggest stay away from events that are too close to major holidays like Hari Raya as most people will balik kampung 2 - 7 days beforehand & if you've never heard of the event venue, then I bet you lots of other people haven't heard of it too. You can still take the risk & sometimes you'll be happy you did but a risk is still a risk.
2. How much is the rental?
   
3. Is it an indoor or outdoor event? If it's outdoor, what sort of contingency plan is in place in case of rain?
   
4. What items will be provided? What items do I need to bring?
   Eg. table, chairs, tarp to cover the table/racks in case of rain, etc.
5. Will I have access to electrical outlets? If so, will I need to bring an extension cord?
   Bring a really looooong extension cord if you have one. I've been told before that each table would have "acccess" to electrical outlets so I brought along my standard 5m extension. Unfortunately the bazaar operators neglected to mention that the outlet was 20m away from my table!
   
6. Will I have access to wi-fi?
   This is quite important for online business owners I think, as I've actually run my online business concurrently with my offline business... plus it's great that I get to catch up with my emails & online orders during the quiet periods at the bazaar.
   
7. How convenient is parking? Is there a charge for parking?
   Please use proper parking where possible. I'd hate for you to use your profits from the event to pay your saman!
   
8. Do I have to be accepted to join the event, or is it on a first come, first served basis?
9. Do I have to pay rental fees before the event & if so, when is the deadline for payment to secure a spot? Will there be a refund offered just in case I can't attend after making the payment?
   
10. What are the sales & attendance figures for the bazaar?
11. How many traders will be there?
12. Is the location of my space/table based on allocation or first come, first served?
13. If location is allocated, can I choose my location? Who will my neighbors be?
14. What is the event venue layout like? Is a layout of the venue provided?
    Big brownie points if the bazaar operator can provide this. At least you'll know where the toilets are in case of emergencies.
    
15. Will there be an ATM available?
    This is always good to know so that you can warn your customers beforehand in case there isn't one
    
16. Are there any promotional/ publicity effort being done for this event?
17. If so, then how is it being done? Are there fliers/ posters/ radio announcements/ commercials being distributed/on air?
18. Are there any posters/ badges/ buttons/ clips/ info/ link that I can add onto my blog to further promote the event to my blog readers/website visitors?
19. Is there a map to the venue provided?
20. Is the event approved by DBKL/ MPAJ/ MPSJ/etc?
    This is simply good to know just in case some big honcho somewhere decides to do an operasi.
    

Now, bazaar operators SHOULD be able to answer all of these questions. If they don't answer at all or even neglect to explain any of the above questions in a concise manner that you can understand (a simple yes or no would suffice for some of the questions), then I suggest stay away.

So that was my first little nugget of knowledge for Going Indie. Hope you enjoyed it or that it helps you in some small way. Email me at mimpi.murni@gmail.com if there's a particular topic you'd like me to cover or if you have any questions regarding today's topic.

Pauper's Wishlist

There's a new blogshop reviewer in town ladies! Go check out The Pauper's Wishlist for Amanda's personal picks for all things stylish. In Amanda's own words: With opinion and review in the blend, The Pauper's Wishlist includes interesting finds from her daily blogshop browsing, finds she covets but can ill afford. From apparel to accessories, from bags to books, from brand new to handmade, from pre-order to pre-loved. Commentary, musings and, get this, actual reviews! No feel good, free publicity, buy-buy-buy here. All in her humble and honest opinion. Prepare for long-windedness and smileys :P

A big THANK YOU to Amanda for reviewing Mimpi ;)

YOUTH'09

Mimpi is taking part too folks with all new designs! Don't miss out ;)
More info here.

Little Paper Planes

I obviously shop online quite a bit & contrary to what people may think, my major purchase online is printed artwork. One of my favorite places to hunt for new prints online is Little Paper Planes for its eclectic variety. Here are just some of my current faves (& some pieces that I'm thinking of getting soon).

[l - r: Flowerburst Print & Little Sparrows Print] I've been a fan of Aline Yamada's work for ages. I just love her gorgeous illustrations of birds & flowers done with ink, pen, watercolor & digital tweaking. Do click on the images above to fully appreciate the prints.

[l - r: Lovely Jewellery Print & 1 Dollar Store Print] I was immediately drawn to the Lovely Jewellery Print for obvious reasons (I sell jewelry, duh!) & then I saw Janice Jong's other prints & fell hard for the bright colors, detailed pen illustration & digital coloring.

[l - r: Little Gathering Print & Goodnight Sweet Print] These prints by Alena Hennesy are just too adorable to pass up! I love the soothing tones of blue & browns used too.

New This Week!

Top row (l - r): Kumbang, Lalu & Kamera
Middle row (l - r): Melodi, Kian & Sara Eva
Bottom row (l - r): Rama Rama, Rasyida & Comel

Hey ya lovelies! Here are some new designs I've been messing around with. Click on the links above for more info and don't forget to check out Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets & More!

Do note that Mimpi will be taking part in YOUTH'09 under the Youth Designer Festival aka Bijou Bazaar's Creative Mafia! It's going to be the biggest event Mimpi has ever taken part in & it promises to be the best so do drop by & show me some lovin'!

Date: 9 - 11 January 2009 (Fri - Sun)
Venue: PWTC, Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 10:30am - 9:30pm
More info here.

Threadbanger

To kick off the new year I thought I'd share with you a really awesome website I recently discovered (like 3 days ago!) while looking up ways on how to make an applique to spice up a little t-shirt I've had for ages. I naturally turned to Instructables & found an awesome video from Threadbanger. It was love at first click.

Here's the vid that started the whole love affair.



Can you see why an indie crafter such as yours truly in head over heels in love? The creativity, the off beatness... it's addictive I tell you! I've been watching episode after episode on the Threadbanger YouTube channel for almost the whole morning now (it's faster to download but sound quality is a little iffy)! Need to get off my butt soon lest I meld onto my office chair.

Here's some info taken off the Threadbanger site: Threadbanger is a network for people who love to DIY, recreate, refashion and craft. Forget about corporate stores, we’re here to help you create and find your own style! From our episodes, forum and blog to our newsletter and contests, there is something for everyone. Our goal is to bring together people who can share their ideas, tips and advice with others and help make the world more fashionable – Threadbanger style!

I love their motto by the way: DIY or Die! Have a great weekend everyone! Snip snip ;)

Hello 2009

It's official lovelies... Happy New Year! How was your celebration last night? I'm still trying to recover so I can only muster a sentence or two before I need to head back to bed again. Here's hoping you have a great year ahead of you & that you stick to your new year's resolution at least until February. Cheers!

Psst... It's my blog anniversary too!