Wallpaper Wednesdays: Double Peachiness

Welcome to the first post of Wallpaper Wednesdays of 2014! The end of this week brings us a special double event: Valentine's day of the western world and the eastern Valentine's, also known as Chap Goh Mei. Both lovely events fall on February 14th this year.

In conjunction with the double Valentine's, I came up with two lovey-dovey wallpapers to grace your devices! No, it doesn't come with hearts and cupids with shiny buttcheeks. I drew my inspiration from peaches as they are the perfect epitome of Valentine's day: soft, fuzzy, and oh-so-sweet! Also, peaches symbolize longevity and immortality in Chinese culture. So here's to a celebration of long lasting love and friendship all around! *throws confetti*. 

imac template by Jozef Mak

widescreen | 1920x1200

1600x1200

iPad | 2048x1536

iPhone 5 | 1136x640

Lumia | 480x800

imac template by Jozef Mak

widescreen | 1920x1200

1600x1200

iPad | 2048x1536

iPhone 5 | 1136x640

Lumia | 480x800

There hasn't been a conditions for use in the previous wallpapers, but just for the record, you may use the wallpapers on this 'ere blog, past and future, for personal use only. If you like them enough to want to share them with your friends and family, thank you! But please only send them links to pages on my blog, do not repost onto your own sites. Please don't claim them as your own work, alrighty? And if you've any special wish to use the wallpapers for other purposes, don't hesitate to comment back or email me (of course, let me know before you actually do the deed and not after). Thanks for taking the time to read all the boring stuff!

Stay tuned to the next Wallpaper Wednesday, and hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's day :).

Chinese New Year Memories: Nga Ku

When preparations for Chinese New Year comes around, there are always recurring things on the to-do list: cookies and tidbits for the onslaught of guests, spring-cleaning, and decorating to name a few. But one of the tasks demands planning ahead; that is, in order for it to step up onto the stage when the big day comes, it has to be dressed and rehearsed a good while before.

This task, which my parents are excellent directors of, is the planting and cultivating of the arrowhead plants. To green-thumbed aficionados and botanists, this plant is called the sagittaria latifolia, to most laymen over here on this side of the world it is called 'nga ku'. In order to plant them, one has to place bulbs into shallow water. According to my parents, the bulbs have to be placed in sunny areas until they began to sprout shoots, which is a sign that they need to be taken away from direct sunlight or the leaves burn.

What my sister and I are assigned to is 'dressing' the 'nga ku', which obviously occurs after the 'nga ku' has reached its optimum beauty (glossy, bright leaves and strong stems that insist on reaching for the stars). We pinch off itty-bitty bits of red paper, wind them around the stems of the 'nga ku' and glue them to place. The result is a gorgeous contrast of bright green and red, perfect for jazzing up a living room corner or as a centre piece on the dining table.

I think the sight of a pot of 'nga ku' all decked in its red finery is one of the nicest sights of Chinese New Year. And like how the pointed leaves represent growth and continuous improvement, I hope this year will be better than the last for everyone! :) Have a happy Monday.

2014

Happy 2014 everybody! The merry month of January has already passed us by, and I hope that it was a wonderful month for everyone! For my part, the first month of the year brought me more experience as an intern in an ad agency. There were fun times and there were hard times, so I guess I hit 2014 off well ;) .

The Lunar New Year of the Horse is in full swing and ye gods, has it been busy! I had a time of it; yearly visits from family friends and relatives, constant house cleaning, and snacking on yummy homemade cookies! Will upload photos soon, so do look out for them. I'm also in the midst of preparing some double happiness for the much missed Wallpaper Wednesdays. It's going to be absolutely peachy!

See you in the next post, friends! Have a groovy Saturday night.

Internship Hiatus

I've been on a great deal of hiatuses this year, but I suppose that's a good thing, yes? Because that means real life has been eventful. Not working out the way I expected, maybe, but eventful nonetheless.
It may interest on or the other that I am interning at TBWA for 3 months (that's December to end of February next year). I've been here for two weeks now, and so far it's been a very learning experience, a sneak peak into the working world that was previously clandestine to me. I've met a lot of nice people, though I think my social awkwardness from years of being a recluse is now showing to be my Achille's heel. That being said, training from living frugally on campus has helped me to survive (lol).

Anyway, to all my other classmates who are now interning, good luck and stay healthy! Don't forget to drink lots of water and suck lots of mints, because the dry air in the office is akin to sandpaper to your poor throats. To everyone else, have a happy happy holiday season and see you soon!

Home Love

clockwise from top left: peacock bedhead peach, double carved timber bedhead, love chair mint

Have you ever experienced that heart-wrenching ache in your chest when you find something that is just so, so pretty? I know I have! And the rattan furniture from Family Love Tree gives me that one such feeling. Family Love Tree is an Aussie company that works with skilled craftsmen from Java, Indonesia to create wonderful pieces of furniture in the most gorgeous colours. They look just right for lounging in this tropical weather. Rattan furniture is fairly common in this part of the world, but I don't think I've quite seen anything this beautiful! Take a few minutes from your lunch break (or more, it's worth it!) to gasp and fall in love with all the pieces on their website. Have a happy Friday!

Sunny Smiles

It's been a long, long extended weekend. Being cooped up with nothing but a laptop and a mind like mine is depressingly suicidal. But, hey. At least I had chocolate! I bought this tin of chocolate from +M&S - it was part of their Best of British Summer. With was a wonderful wonderful surprise to prise open the lid and discover individual chocolate medallions wrapped in summer-themed foils: smiley suns, sandcastles and ice lollies! After the past few gloomy grey days, this little bit of sunshine certainly brightened up my day. And it's another happy thought that once I've finished all the yummy chocolate, I have a colourful tin to store things inside; I'm thinking of using it as a name card holder!

Hope the holiday has been put everyone else in a better mood! My consolation is that I have chocolate to keep me company, lol!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know it's probably a twee bit too early to send in Christmas wishes; after all it's still the beginning of November and you're probably busy as anything overseeing your elves and whatnot. But I just thought I'd get a headstart :P.

I think I maybe don't qualify to send in a wish (I have a vague feeling I'm on your 'NO GOLD, NO COALS, NO NOTHING FOR THIS CHILDREN!!' list), and also I may just be past my expiration date. But I still believe in you! I really do! . A.

I'd like to make a humble request for a real, live, happy furry Corgi please. With a bow on it's head between it's furry ears, like this:

Christmas Corgi by Chase Hoffman

You may be busy as anything come Christmas, but I'm sure with your magical awesomeness you will be able to conjure up a furry live ball of love and fling it my way (okay, don't fling it- it might get impaled in the the Christmas tree. Just place it gently down amongst the presents and address it to me). And make sure it arrives on Christmas! None of that Boxing Day nonsense, please (though earlier is not too bad too). It has to be Christmas so just in case it rains the way it did the past two Christmases, the Corgi's wonderful water-resistant coat will keep the raindrops at bay.

P.S: I'll make you milk and cookies. And peanut butter for the furry one. Please and thank you!