May Photo-A-Day Challenge

Happy Labour Day (to some parts of the world)!

It's MAY!

And i'm back. Whenever i'm away on a long hiatus, there's always lots of fun stuff to report. I don't know how I managed to stay away that long, but I have a suspicion it's because of my faulty battery that makes using my laptop for long periods of time daunting.






Anyhoos,

It's May and my friend and I are taking on this photo a day challenge. (It's the ONE New Year's Resolution I've been keeping up with!) I've been enjoying my time offline waaaaayyy too much. But I think I've found a way to get back into the groove of blogging.

I'll post one photo a day, plus a short write up of the photo. Crossing my fingers that will help me blog more regularly.

So this is May 1st! If you're on Instagram, use the hashtag #fmsphotoaday to join in the fun!



So for my May 1st entry I got some wine to ring in the new month! I'm not too much of a wino, but I sure love some champagne if I can get my hands on any. Otherwise, good ol' merlot and rieslings usually do the trick!

On the bookshelf : Join in the Fun!

Are you ready? I've already started on my book for the year. I'm now reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I never got past Book 1 when the first book came out because I got so spooked out at the end of the book(!), I stopped reading. And then the movies came out so I took the easy way out and watched them all. Last year, I decided I should read the books and I got through the first five. Two more books till the end of the series! Lots of books on the to-read list this year!

Hit me up on Goodreads

It's the beginning of celebrations....

Beginning with J's birthday!



Happy birthday baby, I love you more than I love sambal belacan!!!

(And that's saying a lot. Singaporeans never joke about their food.)



Yes blogging world. I'm back! Can't wait to catch up on all your blogs!

Spreading Good Cheer Giveaway: 4th of July

Today, I would like to introduce one amazing lady and crafty fellow blogger friend. Meet Oksana, from Oksana Plus Hobbies.

Oksana wrote to me one day and we decided to do a craft exchange. She would make me a pretty turquoise necklace, in return for one of my little embroidered pouches. Well, the exchange was settled, but I decided to turn it into a giveaway + interview post because this little lady is just about amazing. When the blog title says Oksana PLUS HOBBIES, she absolutely is not kidding.

1. First of all, please tell us a little about yourself!

Hello my dear bloggers! I’d like to thank Chui for the opportunity to tell you
about myself. My name is Oksana. I’m a girl from Siberia. You would think that
I’m tough and used to cold and snowy weather, but I’m not. I hate cold, maybe
this is why I now live in California :).

2. Living in an exciting city like LA, can you introduce one of your favorite spots?

I’m also a city girl (yes, there are big cities in Siberia). Maybe this is why I
immediately fell in love with Los Angeles. The Old Town in Pasadena is my
favorite place to hang out. And of course, Santa Monica which is near perfect—
has a beautiful beach + the Promenade, the street with all my favorite stores and a
shopping mall.

3. Tell us more about your passion for creating jewelry. Why jewelry, how you got started, who/ what was your inspiration, how long you've been doing this.

After I graduated from a medical school “100 years ago”, I landed my first job as
a psychiatrist at a hospital for mentally ill. Wait, what psychiatry has to do with
jewelry? It’s funny, but one of my first recollections about that time is looking
at stunning jewelry pieces my colleague used to wear. Later, she told me that her
husband made them for her. I couldn’t imagine even in my wildest dreams that
one day I would be making my own cabochon earrings. But here I am, taking
jewelry classes at a community college.

4. Do you have any new exciting craft projects in the works?

I’m always working on something, a necklace, earrings, etc. I also like to cross-
stitch, sew, take pictures and blog in my spare time.

5. Do you have any words of advice/ encouragement for fellow crafters out there?

A word of advice/encouragement for fellow crafters: Be open to constantly
learning new things/skills. Get out of a rut/comfort zone, and take risks:
experiment with a new craft/technique/project. It will be exciting, maybe
frustrating at times, but you will advance at the end. And most of all: your
everyday life won’t be boring. I’m taking an applique class this month :).


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Check out Oksana's blog for crafty DIY tutorials, especially on jewelry making, as well as to read about her latest hobbies. She also has a gallery of photos of her past projects. You can email her with custom orders!

We're doing a giveaway on Oksana's turquoise necklace!

This giveaway is open to international readers, but you'll have to be either a follower of ElephantisLove or Oksana Plus Hobbies or BOTH!

Leave a comment below to enter, and don't forget to include your email address so I can contact the winner!

The giveaway is open till 11:59PM EST on July 13, Friday the 13th! *gasp* and the winner will be picked via Random.org. Have a great 4th of July and good luck!

A short break...

Hullo friends,

I apologise for a lull in the activity on the blog. I'm back in my hometown doing a little bit of visiting, a flurry of catching up and TONS of shopping.

I've been trying to catch up on blogs when i wake up (like now) but my days are packed!

And i forgot my camera's USB which means no uploading photos for the 2 weeks i'm here!

So. I promise there'll tons of yummy visuals when i get back.
and lots more about the lovely country that is ...


Via

that'll probably make you want to visit!

Meanwhile, I'm soaking up lots of sunshine (and humidity, urk!) and will be missing the blogosphere for awhile!

I've been awarded...

   Source

with a "Tell Me About Yourself Award" by Melissa of Simply, Melissa Ashley

Thank you my dear that was very kind of you!


Here are the rules of the award:

1. Say "thank you" with a linking post
2. Write 7 things about yourself
3. Give the award to 15 other blogs
4. Inform them about it!

And as I've just done a A-Z meme of myself not too long ago, i shall attempt to try and think of 7 other things. *gasp* could i really be that interesting?

So here goes:


1. i have a phobia of swimming underwater so i do not snorkel or want to ever learn how to dive. i'd rather just take many trips to the aquariums!
2. i was a SINGLE major in college. and did a major in Theatre Studies. *slacker*
3. i am an old fashioned book nerd. Real books over Kindle.
4. i failed my driver's test twice in Singapore (it's a conspiracy, don't ask) and only got my driver's license in the States about 6 months ago!
5. i secretly shop in the kids section all. the. time.
6. i'm great interacting with kids, but become a blundering dork when i have to talk to the adults.
7. i used to collect barbie dolls

And the 15 blogs this award goes out to these special friends!

1. zhing of little projects in style
2. Katie of Hazel and Mare
3. Kyla of Kyla is Inspired
4. Danielle of Tongue Tied in Awe
5. Mo of Pink Argyle
6. Liz of Unreliable Narrators
7. Jordan of Trailer Gypsy
8. Erica Leigh of Sweets and Hearts
9. Sarah of Sunlight After Rain
10. Jamie of Love in Everything
11. Catherine of Life Collection
12. KJ of Let's Go Fly a Kite
13. Jane of Projects by Jane
14. Karen of Conceptual Reception
15. Erika of A Tiny Rocket

There were a few more people i was going to include, but i know some of you in the list above will definitely get around to awarding them!

Happy week ahead my lovely friends!!!!

I MADE THIS!

and i don't even cook! So you can totally master it. It's perfect for the oncoming coldness! BRRRR!


I guest posted this recipe on Tongue Tied in Awe and did a tie-in giveaway, so head on over and give me a shout-out! xoxo


But also, DO NOT forget about the September giveaway -- the pretty awesome Rainbow Winged Pegasus Brooch that ends September 30th!



Woot woot!

A, You're Adorable, B, You're So Beautiful

Following Erika of a tiny rocket, here is my A-Z (just like the memes of old days). I did edit some of the questions, so feel free to change it as you like! Who wants to do this next? Drop me a note so i can come read it too!!

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A. Age: 29 (GASP the big 3-0 next year!)

B. Birthplace: Singapore, but also lived in China, and now North Carolina

C. Chore you hate: Vacuuming the carpets.. now if the vacuum cleaner was less chunky and lighter...it'd be a different story.

D. Dogs: A 12 yr old half deaf and almost blind boston terrier named Betty Boops. Most of the days, we call her Boopses. We also have a little 2yr old Foxton named Daisy, who thinks she's a gazelle most of the time. And a non-doggie pet bearded dragon named Don Vito, who scares the living shits out of the dogs. He rules.



E. Essential start to your day: Coffee and Checking emails BAD BAD BAD

F. Favorite Color: I LOVE THEM ALL! but i tend to steer towards bright yellows, pinks and purples, or dark browns and blues and greens (wait, that's almost ALL the colors! *tsk tsk*)

G. Gorges on: hershey's cookies and cream chocolate bar

H. Hoards: Fabric and books!

I. Instruments you play: Piano and guitar

J. Job Title: Children's museum Education Presenter

K. Kicks: my New Balances for work, and my boots and espadrilles for other occasions.

L. Last read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

M. Music all-time fave: the Beatles



N. Nicknames: chewy, chews, chew-chew (yikes, really???)

O. Ostentatious buys: when i was a poor student, an Anna Sui bracelet! and the last one that i can remember, a Chloe Dao dress.

P. Phobias: the zipper (yes it's back!), heights, claustrophobia!

Q. Quote of the day: “Laughter is the best medicine" (actually that's one motto i live by)

R. Random fact: i am VERY stubborn. je suis têtu ( i just learnt that!)

S. Siblings: 3 younger sisters... who happen to be a set of triplets!

T. Things that tick me off: parents who don't teach their children manners

U. Underwear: I like boy shorts.

V. Vegetables you hate: Potatoes (with the exception of fries and chips. everything else is too starchy) I love everything else, even okra.

W. Word of the day: CURMUDGEON (now it's your job to go check it up!)

X. X-rays you have: general checkups i took yearly in china. so that makes 4?

Y. Yummy food that you make: I just tried out the J-man's grandma's cauliflower soup recipe!! it was AWESOME! post to follow!

Z. Zoo animals: I love the elephants and giraffes, penguins, baby animals and birds like owls and flamingoes


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And to tie in with the museum's theme in September "ABCs and 123s", here's one of my favorite Perry Como songs done by Sesame Street. Can it ever get better than this???

The Idiot's Guide to Creating Blog Buttons

Before i forget: This is August's Good Cheer giveaway, and it ends this Friday, Sept 2nd, so go ahead and enter it!



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Lovely Danielle of Tongue Tied in Awe did a lovely birthday giveaway of a chance for readers to sponsor her page for free! (so much giveaway love in the blogosphere, i likey!)

She has kindly given me a spot on her page to advertise my page, but first i had to make a button she could put on her page. I was stumped and had no idea where to start. Making my Etsy banner was one major roadblock. My images always came out blurry. Now i had to resize things to make an even smaller button?

So after a day or five of fiddling around on my Powerpoint and on Flickr, I came up with a simple and foolproof method to making blog buttons. And now i'd like to share it with you. However, if i'm doing this in a tedious manner and you have 101 other shortcuts, please share some tips! I could use some help and become a little more blog savvy! :)



I like my blog buttons simple. So if you're not into anything fancy, here goes nothing...


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#1
I google the internet for an image of a plain background. That will act as the base color of my buttons. Or you could simply open up Powerpoint (PP) and create a shape and add a color to your liking.

For the sake of visual continuity, i have chosen the same linen background as my blog. I save this image on my desktop.


#2
I figure out the size requirements of the button I will be making.

This is what I think is going on. Most people will ask for a size in pixels. When I opened up PP to create my button size, I found out that it measures images in height and width instead of pixels. So i went to this website Image Size Calculator/ Convertor to convert my pixels into height and width (in inches).

My button has to be 184 x 70 pixels. When i plug in the numbers into the calculator, it gives me


2.45" (width) x 0.93" (height)


#3
I open up PP and insert picture (my linen background) on a new document. Then i double click the image to format it. On the left column, you will see the option 'Size'. Click on that.




Then plug in the numbers you have obtained from the calculator/convertor, in this case 0.93" (height) and 2.45" (width). Click OK and your image would have be resized to the required measurements. Right click and save this image on your desktop.


#4
Now for the fun bit : Designing your button.

I uploaded my button image onto Flickr. Then I click on 'Actions' and scroll down to the option 'Edit photo in Picnik' (third one from bottom)




You will be taken to this page with tabs at the top of the page. Play around with them! To add text, I click on 'Text' tab. For images, I choose 'Stickers'. There are so many options to play around with you can make a million different buttons.

And guess what? These are the simplest buttons you can make. If you are a premium Flickr member and any more tech-savvy than i am, you could probably churn out tons of beautiful buttons in a flash.

P.S. I use a Mac, so the instructions above may differ for non-Mac users. but I don't really think so.


In my excitement, I made a few: which one do you like?

Birthday Bonanza in my Etsy shop!

Hello friends!!


Because my birthday falls in August, I'm making it a month long celebration in my ETSY shop elephantislove.


I'm offering FREE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING on all items in my shop. Just enter the code

BDAY2011

to get your free shipping!

Also DANIELLE, winner of the Amy Perrotti giveaway, I have no way of contacting you to send you your prize. I'm hoping you read this, because you need to claim it! I emailed the wrong Danielle to claim her prize, and she was so sweet to reply and told me that I've made a boo-boo. But in case the first Danielle doesn't reply, I'll have to pick another winner. So Danielle, please reply by the end of this week, 7th August, 11:59pm EDT. I hope you see this!!!


So a few lessons learnt doing giveaways:

1) Closing comments after the giveaway is over

2) Asking readers to leave their email addresses in their entries

Do you have any advice to add? If you do giveaways too, what are some rules that you include to make sure the giveaway is a smooth one?

How to be A More Productive Stitcher

Just came across this article with some awesome tips on how to increase your productivity when it comes to crafting.

I am completely guilty when it comes to zero productivity, using my day job as a major excuse. But there are moments, or should i say, spurts of productivity, especially when i get excited over a project that I've been waiting to work on. This is my version of sewing productivity:

1. Deciding on the project.

I know my schedule and I know when my days off are. So i plan two or three projects that I'm interested in working on. My usual output per day off is ONE completed project, so i don't get all ambitious and plan for six or seven different things. But planning for 2 or 3 projects gives me a choice on the day itself, to see which project takes my whim and fancy.

2. Plan ahead of time, and gather materials needed

With the 2 or 3 projects in mind, i also prepare the materials I would need. I list the things I don't have and try to get them at the craft store by my workplace. That way, I don't have to spend precious minutes on my day off running to the store, when i can just get down to crafting.

3. NO distractions!

I like to check my mail first thing in the mornings, but I know if i whip out my computer, I get sucked into checking my twitter, reading other blogs, browsing through etsy and a gazillion things i do online. So on days off, i have to fight the urge to take out the computer. When i whip out my sewing machine instead of my computer, half the battle is won.

I don't have a designated sewing space. My MIL likes the house tidy so i have to take out all my sewing equipment and put them back again when I'm done. Sometimes, the thought of that is enough to put me off crafting. On other days, my to-do list overwhelms me, crafting just seems impossible. Sleeping in is also very enticing, but I'm proud to say, that is ONE obstacle I have conquered. I wake up at the same time every day, regardless of the day of the week. With an erratic work schedule, it's easy. I just imagine i have to wake up for work everyday, instead of thinking, "aww man, it's a sunday, i SHOULD be allowed to sleep in for once!"

Here's the original Sewing Productivity Project. I think it's over, but it's a good exercise to reflect upon my crafting habits, and be more aware of how I can increase my output.



If you're an avid crafter, check the site out for yourself too! Do you have any good tips to share or bad habits to quit?

For all you fabric hoarders out there...

Sharing a fun giveaway I found while blogsurfing.

Fat Quarter Shop is doing a weekly giveaway this month, click on the button below to find out how to enter!



This week's giveaway ends May 17th midnight EST. Am loving the fabrics I find in the Fat Quarter Shop!!! I found some cool Dr. Seuss ones and take a look at this fat quarter collection! Too CUTE!

Cute little Margo!

This little girl is amazing! I am in love with her drawings! They are simple yet detailed, innocent and fun! And the blog name My Strawberry Unicorns! How fun is that???

I hope she continues to update her blog. She inspires me to doodle!!!