Journal Scribbling

I found this piece I wrote in 2005 & I wanted to share it with you guys:

Dec 09 2005

" i*ve often struggled with my own sense of identity. who am i in this big world & where do i fit in? My appearence has changed & will continue to. Each day I experience moods, emotions & inner states that sometimes are so contrasting that I seem to be different ppl with each different circumstance that i come across. All these external changes can effect me inwardly just as inner change can alter you externally. But is there something that always remains the same? how do we know who we are?

well...i believe in a soul.I guess its not really who u are as an individual but how we experience IT (or God, to some) in us. We are all connected bcos we all share that essence inside. We CAN define ourselves as individuals but that doesnt explain who we really are esp since so much can change within & outside of us. Ultimately, who i am is who you are, who you are is who i am.

We are really not as seperate as we make ourselves to be bcos when you really touch on that essence inside it activates something we cant define. We start connecting with each other instead of setting ourselves apart...we see the innocence in others that we also recognize in ourselves. Sometimes we are brought to tears when someone has done something out of the kindness of their heart for us bcos their soul literally touched ours.

We always look up when we pray to God...thinking that he is somewhere up there or outside of us but what we dont realize is that God is IN us & when he speaks he speaks thru us from inside ur heart or in the actions & words of another person. If only we stop and take time to listen we would see lil signs that there is more than meets the eye. And if we paid more attention to ourselves inwardly, we can begin to open our eyes and that makes a world of a difference."

The art of Bento Box

When you create, you share yourself with others

When I saw the shape of these loaves of bread, it got my creative juices flowing. I remember seeing some images floating around on the internet before of cute little bento boxes and pulled some inspiration from there.

This is what I came up with up...

This was my first time making it so I still have room for improvement. Its so fun to make esp when you are creating it for someone else. I made this for my sister and her hubby when they were going on a road trip to Fernie. They were delightfully surprised =)

So what is Bento Box art anyways?
In Japan, it is a trend for making cute lunch boxes for children. This form of art is also called "charaben" which means character bento. Instead of the plain paper bag or ziplog container that comes to mind when you think of a packed lunch, ur lunch is packed in bento boxes which contain different compartments for you to place your food. There are different techniques and even kitchen tools you can buy specifically for this. There's even molds to make your eggs heart shaped, star shaped...u name it(you can buy it on . I love japanese pop culture. They always have a way of making everything so cute and pretty.

How can you make your own?

You can start off with whatever containers you have at home. If you wanna dive in right away & invest in some bento boxes, there are so many cute ones you can buy online. Or if you have a DAISO (japanese $2 store. LOVE IT!!!) near you, u can search for one there. They also sell cute toothpicks, chopsticks, napkins....etc.

Some other things you'll need would be cookie cutters so you can cut shapes out of things like bread, cheese, veggies, fruits. Circle or face shaped hole punchers to make the eyes and faces out of Nori seaweed or you can just be like me and use sissors to do it. It takes too much time tho and as u can see in my photo, its not quite even. heh heh

Think of a theme or an idea you want to tie ur box around. "Under the sea", a heart theme, an animal...? Search the internet for examples. There are tons of photos out there. It usually containts 3 parts carbs, 1 part protein & 2 parts fruits, veggies and sometimes a small treat so keep that in mind when building your box.

When its time to pack ur boxes, make sure to fill it completely and tightly so everything will stay where it belongs. You dont want any room for your food to shift around after you close the lid.

So there you have it. I hope someday I can open up my lunch box and be surprised by a cute arrangement staring back at me °(• ᴥ •)° I would gobble it all up in a few seconds....of course after admiring it and take a few photos of it first. You know how asians are. We take pictures of everything - especially of food.

Unicorn love

Everyone that knows me, knows I have a love for unicorns. I am a dreamer, I believe in magic and I believe that every story that begins with Once Upon a Time always ends with Happily Ever After. " The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those that don't believe in magic will never find it. "

Is it possible to be so intune with the Universe?
The more I live in the present moment, the more my sense of awareness is hightened.

What I know for sure....

...that there will always be Mondays, no matter how hard u wish for it not to arrive
...that you fall in love when you least expect it
...that calgary will never have more than 3 months of summer weather
...that i am a free spirit
...that animals and the planet have a lot to teach us
...that angels and unicorns exist
...that ur girlfriends are your best allies
...that everything in ur world is created by ur thoughts
...that you write ur own fairytale. Thought by thought, choice by choice
...that I am enthusiastic at best, unpredictable at worst
...that imagination is a powerful thing
...that i feel better after expressing my thoughts in writing
...that "everything is interesting. Look closer"

Creating a beautiful bedroom & the art of Damask, Cindee style

Hello hello lovelies. Today I am going to talk about creating a beautiful space for yourself. A place where you can daydream, relax and unwind from the day. I love being surrounded by beautiful things...things that inspire me and lift me up so I've always tried to include items, photos and colors into my space that have a positive affect on me. I've gone thru a lot of chapters in my life that have prevented me from fully creating an authentic space...whether it be not enough time or money but i've always managed to express that need regardless.

Like this one time i painted writing and pictures on the walls of my rented bachelor suite. Scrubbing it off when I moved out was such a pain but also a good memory to look back on and laugh at. lol* Right Rosa??

♥Here are a few photos of the rooms I've had ♥

This prob'ly looks like a little girl's room to you. But to tell you the truth I decorated this when I was 18. LOL*
It was the princess in me. I even had sparkles on the ceiling. It was a very magical space to be in especially when I lit up my candles.

This was when I first moved out to Vancouver on Richards St, downtown. I stubbornly insisted that I was to live in the heart of the city and even tho rent was pricey the experience was priceless. What a contrast to my previous room hey? I made myself some new satin sheets to go with the more "grown up" me.

This was the 2nd place I lived in Vancouver. I had to down grade. I was going to fashion school at the time and my place was always a mess bcos of the many projects I had on the go. Even tho this place wasn't my ideal place I made interesting memories. Like when the girls came to visit me in the summer, it felt like we were inside an oven. Couldnt open the balcony bcos there was a beehive sitting right outside.

Here's a post I wrote during this time: READ HERE

3rd apartment was by Joyce station. Pretty good location and a lot more SPACE!! I loved the view. I could watch the fireworks from my balcony.

And this is my room when I lived in Kits. How would I describe the style?
Well I was inspired by Hawaii. Had interesting patterns, exotic colors and brown furniture to ground it all.

And what does my room look like now?? I had more time to put effort into this one. If I could describe it in 3 words it would be: Modern, arabian, eclectic. I used a lot of dark colors esp grey. I damasked one wall to give it texture and interest to the eye and against the grey canvas I decided to add pops of color. It almost looks like a merging of my first two rooms. Sorry for the quality of the next photo. I had taken it on my phone.

♥How to Damask your wall♥

What you'll need:

*stencil paper
*a pad to put underneath to cut the pattern
*felt tip pen
*exacto knife
*paint
*sponges

-I bought some stencil paper from the craft store and searched online for a pattern that I liked.
-I traced it with a felt tip pen and cut it out with an exacto knife. A bit time consuming.
-It's probly a lot easier if you find one instead of making one.

-I had to stencil my wall one pattern at a time. Not the most efficient way to go about it but I couldn't find a damask stencil in calgary and I was too impatient to order one online
-You can create a lot of diff looks with damask....different colors, different textures like gold or silver. Its really up to you what you like. For me I used glossy black paint
-So when you have your paint picked out you can start by taping the stencil to your wall. Then dip your sponge in the paint and dab at the stencil.
-You'll discover your own technique as you go along. But make sure to keep the stencil pressed up against the wall
-The first few that I did looked messy bcos I picked up too much paint on my sponge so add a little bit at a time

-Here's my progress. Dont ask me how I got them all level. I had no strategy. I just eyeballed it. I dont think I'd want to ever do this again unless I was paid a ridiculous high amount of money lol*
-If you were to do this right, I think the best way would be to use a measuring stick and drawn lines to act as guides on where to place your stencil

All done - after a few days. I think it was definitely worth it. Now for the fun part...putting everything together.

♥It's all about the details...♥

This is my prince charming frog where I keep my rings. You can open him up.

My jewlery drawer

And my lantern to go along with the arabian theme

A month has passed by since I've posted anything. I am struggling to stay ontop of my blog these days. Not just my blog but a few other things in general. Has this ever happened to you? You start reading a book, put it down for a few days and when you come back to it you realize that the bookmark has fallen out and you've lost your place. Bcos you havent read it for a few days you cant remember where you left off. You flip thru pages and re-read a few paragraphs, searching for familiarity until FINALLY you find the spot. Well that's how Im feeling right now. I hate losing track of myself. Me being the "book" of course. So now, where was I?

Ah, yes. So the winner of my giveaway is Alice P. from T.O Canada who answered: What I love about myself is my courage to live life fully. Thx for the 5 other ppl who entered. 5 is a very low number *ahem*

I also want to say yay! I won a BBcream from Riya's giveaway. So thank you for that, my dear. i just received it in the mail. Speaking of mail...i got a little surprise on Valentines Day from Mr. Wonderful. I havent been surprised with a sweet gesture like that in a long time. Brings out my romantic side.

♥kkcenterhk♥

I received these eyelashes from http://www.blogger.com/www.kkcenterhk.com. They are based in HK and have a website that you can order from. I didnt have to wait long for my order so it made me happy since Im not very patient when it comes to waiting. Im sure you'll find something you like bcos they have a variety of things to choose from. The eyelashes that I ordered are: ES A021 And ES A720 .

ES A720: I liked the hairs on this one bcos they are very natural but its too sparse and I dont really like the strip. Some strips are so thick and stiff, you feel the weight when you apply them but this one was the opposite. It's more on the flimsy side which made it hard to mold into a perfect curve to fit your eye. Usually it takes me a few seconds to apply eyelashes but this one I struggled with

The other set I ordered is: ES A021 . This one is for ur under eye. I LOVE these ones. They are soo natural you can't even tell that they are fake eyelashes but it gives you extra length(esp if you're asian and have short lashes). I found them very easy to apply and you can trim them just to fit in the corners for a more natural look.

Im still waiting on one other model bcos they ran out of stock. So i will let you guys know about those when I get them.

And thank you Lisa aka CocoBallerina for this award =)

Valentines Giveaway

♥Happy Valentines Day♥

A few more hours before Valentines day! This post is a little early but I can never wait. lol* Valentines is my fave holiday. Surprise, surprise. im sure you guys can tell im the hopeless romantic type =P

First of all I'd like to take this opportunity to send some love to all my readers. It has been very awesome getting to connect with you guys and share opinions and interests with each other. To my new readers I hope we can become better acquainted this year. Its always so interesting to get to know new ppl. I get to gain more insight and learn more about the world around me. So pls dont be shy =)

One thing that Im grateful for is being able to build relationships with these ppl from all around the world. Some of you have been there since day one. And i'd like to mention a special shoutout to a few that have always encouraged me to keep going and always been so generous with their kind words that help keep me inspired and motivated.

♥ Sylvia: I know you've gone thru a lot but you've grown to be such a strong woman these past few yrs. You are one of the sweetest girls I know. thank u for bringing out the good in me & always believing in me
♥ Jo: All the way from singapore...my fellow hokkien lang. i always look forward to ur comments & hearing ur opinions. Our communication has always been pretty consistant and I hope our friendship will continue to florish =)
♥ Ligia: I havent talked to you in a while but I always remember your kind words and the connection we've built in the past few yrs. Just wanted to send some sweetness your way oxo

If you ladies can send me an email with your mailing address I'd love to send a little something your way

Also, a shout out to these lovely ladies: koOty, MizzJ, Miss P., Jimin, bunnie, christine, Betty

And now...from the heart of Valentines day, I want to do a Giveaway. I will be giving away a Lise Watier glitter liner. I am in love with this product. There are a lot of different ways you can use it and its only limited to your creativity. In the following video I show you how I use it. I've tried a few other glitter liners and find that the sparkles dont always stay in one place. When it gets loose it ends up on your cheeks or on ur clothes or even on your hunnie's face. But this one here stays put! Once it dries it's very obedient and remains only where you apply it.

It comes in a variety of colors but I think the gold and the silver work best for the way I used it in my tutorial below. In the video its harder to see. it's more apparent at night under any kind of lighting. esp candle light...oohhh how romantic. hehe

So to enter, pls choose a color: silver or gold and read the instructions below.
Besides the usual, follow me rule I also want to know what makes you fabulous...what is it that makes you so lovable to others? =)
Contest ends March 01 2011

♥ Love Toast ♥
And here's a little idea you can use to make that special someone some breakfast.
Hope you guys enjoy your Valentines Day. Much love oxoxoxoxoxoxox

So here are the basics you'll need. Everything else you can add your own creativity and ingredients.
Egg, Bread and a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Use the cookie cutter and press down on the piece of bread to cut out the shape

If you're like me and eat more on the healthy side skip the butter and use a bit of oil and heat up the pan.
Place the bread on the pan but make sure the heat is on low so that your toast doesnt burn while your egg is cooking.
Crack the egg in the hole but make sure you dont let it leak out from the bottom.
You can see it leaking a bit in this photo.
Now you can add some flavor to the egg but sprinkling on some cheese or spices like oregano.

Cook the egg until its the way you like. Its so yummy when you have it a lil undone. When you bite into it or cut it with your fork the yolk leaks out and absorbs into the bread. You can customize this anyway you like.
Make it into an open faced sandwich or eat it with scrambled eggs and ham. Be creative =)

BB Cream

I've heard so much about BB creams but I havent had the opportunity to try yet so
I was super excited to come across this contest hosted by Riya from pinkstrawberries.
I hope I win one.

So what is BBCream?

It stands for Blemish Balm Cream. It's an all in one cosmetic/skincare product which I read, initially gained popularity in Korea. The difference between BBcream and other make-up applications is that it is a skincare product combined with make-up. I think its great for me bcos Im always on the run and traveling, so having a product that does it all saves me so much time and luggage space.

So BBCreams give you a flawless complexion by acting as a foundation or a make-up base to conceal blemishes & discoloration as well as supply ur skin with nutrients to make it feel smoother and softer. Most of them contain SPF and depending on the brand, may offer anti-wrinkle, scar healing or whitening benefits.

One thing that I noticed after trying the BBCream that I won from this contest is that the product is a little too light for my skintone. I dont have a fair complexion like most asians love back in asia so I had to experiment and mix it with my tinted moisturizer. Most BBCreams are formulated to be lighter. If you're a fellow tanned skin beauty, don't fret. Try this one: MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream NO 31