Indian Spiced Pumpkin Soup

Once again, I'm pleasantly surprised to find my Organizer Wristlet (Monaluna Birds Yellow) in this lovely treasury with a "pumpkin yellow" thematic colour.

To visit the page directly, CLICK HERE.

Thank you so much Carley of VanillaPixie! It's an honour to be included in this beautiful treasury :) Do you think we can make it to the front page (of Etsy) together?  :D

Old World Charm Jewelries

I've been wanting to work with brass & copper materials for quite sometime now, and finally managed to get some supplies to work on. Amongst the first few pieces that I worked on was this piece of Memory Heart Necklace.
The reason why I like brass & copper materials are because of the "vintage style" look it lends to any pieces made with them! In the above picture, again I used the same method of taking picture of my necklace against the mirror. I simply love my "new-found" photography method! lol.... 

However, I wished I had worn a different outfit though...this camisole looks too big on me! hehe...
A matching earring is made for the necklace.. but, I cant quite find a "matching" name to it, since there's no "heart" on it. The name Pink Sugar comes easily enough, as the crystals are milky pink, and really resembles yummy sugar treats! However, the name is a tad too "sweet" for my personal preference, as I'm not quite the sweety-pie type of gal. *grin* But, I'm sure this sweet thing will be "delighting you always" (copying Canon here) EVERYDAY! Don't you agree this simple & lighthearted earring is great for everyday wear?

Anyways, I hope you'll love these matching Necklace/Earring set (20% discount applies when purchased as a set), and do check back at Winniel's for more copper plated brass jewelries (to come) for your fix of "old world charm" jewelries!

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Etsy Buy Handmade remadeshop A little something about the seller: ---------------------------------------------------

I studied Textiles and then Fine Art at Art College and then went on to lecture in Textiles for ten years alongside my own Fine Art practice. I lectured in Dundee, Aberdeen, Belfast and, for a short time, in Botswana before stopping to have my son. I recently decided to start making the work you see in my shop in order to satisfy my desire to work from home (and therefore be around for my little boy) and my passion for making. I've been having a lot of fun and hope to continue developing my pieces with a particular emphasis on recycled and sustainable materials. At the moment, all the items in my shop are made by me, although I may feature other makers in the future.

* Check out Remade today, for your fix of contemporary handmade goodies & being kind to the earth at the same time! :D

Tourmaline Rose

Tourmaline Rose, as the name suggests, was made with (watermelon) tourmalines, and a fine silver rose charm, on a sterling silver 18.5" chain.
I love the actual colour of these gemstones, with fuchsia centre, a clearer outline, followed by green outer lines. Resembles the colour of watermelon indeed! It's amazing how nature can come together like that :D

These pear shaped tourmalines are faceted & not in perfect shapes... but it adds to their charm :) 
For a long time now, I've always wished I have someone to model my necklaces for me while I took a snapshot so that my customers can have a better idea how it'll look when worn. Somehow I never really tried any other methods, until last week when I decide to experiment on taking the pictures on myself using a mirror.

I suppose many of you jewelry sellers are already doing this, hehe.... but I was thrilled when I found that it can be done easily, with good results too! So, you can expect to see a "live model" on my necklace pictures from now onwards, hehe...

Tourmaline Rose is a precious piece indeed, and now on sale @ Winniel's.

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Etsy Buy Handmade PJMDesigns

A little something about the seller:

----------------------------------------------------
I am ADDICTED to scrapbooking and would LOVE to help others fill up their albums!! Scrapbooks are such a UNIQUE and BEAUTIFUL way to preserve precious memories for our families and future generations!

I create premade scrapbook pages ~ either purchased in my shop or customized upon request.

I also would be HAPPY to create a complete scrapbook album filled with gorgeous pages just for YOU upon request!!

~ I LOVEloveLOVE requests! ~

Check it out soon! :)

Crystal Rose

It's been a while since I made new pieces, and frankly speaking it's hard to get started once you stopped, and get busy with other stuff! There's always something more urgent or important to do...lol

Despite that, I didn't really stop buying new beads & supplies, hehe...so, I'm just overloaded with new beads, charms, stones...you name it!

But, I better buck up soon....else WINNIEL is just getting too "lonely" & neglected ;)

So, I started taking out my tool box again last night, and worked on new pieces. I'm proud to present CRYSTAL ROSE (the 1st that I made) which is a simple & feminine piece that's simply charming. Made with fire polished crystal & fine silver (99.9%) rose charm that's oxidized for an antiquated look. This earring can be worn on special occasion, or with casual wear as well!

I'll list the other 3 pieces soon too, featuring a pinwheel flower paired with AB pear shaped bead (comes in an earring/necklace set). The last piece I worked on last night was a precious one with watermelon tourmaline... it's really lovely :D Gotta see it for yourself!

*Crystal Rose is now on sale at Winniel's.

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Etsy Buy Handmade WhataDogBakeryDesign I've seen some "cookie shops" on Etsy, but this is the 1st time I come across a "dog bakery" hehe... it's just fun & interesting to look thru the various treats available. Too bad I don't have a dog... but if you do, you may wanna give your pooch a treat soon! ;)

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Etsy Buy Handmade GoldenHillDesign Are you getting married soon, or planning about it? If you're nowhere near to preparing the invitation cards etc, then check out Golden Hill Design, which features modern/classic & elegant designs, that's simply BEAUTIFUL!

Other items, including, save the date cards, thank you cards, seating cards, etc., can be developed to coordinate upon request. Check it out soon ;)

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Etsy Buy Handmade WishingTreeCreations

A little something about the seller:

--------------------------------------------------------

I have always as long as I can remember loved to create things. When I was a small child my mother taught me to knit, and so began a love affair with wool. When my daughter started Kindergarden at our Waldorf school 6 yrs ago I discovered needlefelting, and wetfelting. I was amazed! Now I'm addicted...lol

I'm a single mom to a wonderful 9 yr old girl and a fabulous 5 yr old boy. They keep me on my toes, but I love every minute of it.

Wishing Tree Creations helps support us and allows me to let my creativity flow. I sell my creations at local craft fairs, and in our Waldorf school shop. I'm very excited to be a part of Etsy.

*PS: This shop is running a Spring Deal 16-30 April. Check it out soon! ;)

LAST 2 DAYS of SALE!!!

Time flies...really. It seems like yesterday when I was preparing to hold a sale, and it's now the last 2 days of the sale already!

This time round, I've had 4 sales so far from "the SALE" at The Laughing House... which is an improvement compared to previous "Sales". However, Winniel's Jewelry is still pretty left out of any action, hm... what can I do to improve the stats?

At the moment, I have no answer, nor much energy or time to think more about this matter. As, we've finally begun house hunting starting today. So, we'll be channeling some extra time/energy on this matter for the nx few months. Perhaps when the dust settles (house hunting, moving etc) then I'll put in more time & effort to "revive" the dismal showing atWinniel's.

Anyways, back to where I started....it's the LAST 2 DAYS of the SALE! So, check out Winniel's for Pearls, Bridal & Contemporary Jewelries...or hop on to The Laughing House for modern, functional Organizer Purses & Bible Covers in trendy designer fabrics. Sale is 20-40% storewide, and prices are before discounts. (Read the shop announcement)

So, grab what you want or need from there, cus the SALE will be over before you knew it! ;)

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Etsy Buy Handmade outoftheblues Anyone who enters this shop will fall in love with it! Well, if you're anything like me, hehe.... I just love how cute & whimsical are the items & designs in this shop.  I used to think how I'd love to be really creative, dabbling in this & that. Unfortunately, there's always a time constraint, opportunity constraint, tools, supplies & money constraints! haha... Anyways, those are just excuses! *grin* Whenever I came across something that touches my heart, I'm just impressed by the creativity & effort that the person has put in. Can you imagine, these are actually hand-drawn & hand-carved by the seller herself? It must be so fun....I hope it's not painful! lol... Check out this shop soon...*WARNING* don't drool! :D

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Etsy Buy Handmade haannh

A little something about the seller:

---------------------------------------------------------
I love painting on silk.My passion is producing hand painted batik(a wax resist dyeing process) for home decor,fashion,soft furnishing purpose,multipurpose,sewing, etc.Due to demand request for my hand painted works 3 years ago,I became a supplier for hand painted products of batik.And I started to accept orders on sewing projects such as cushion cover,curtains,skirts,etc.Also offering handmade paper goods with batik painting and batik fabric to suit your needs.

All the way from KL, Malaysia...check it out soon! :D

Buying a HDB Resale Flat

We've put off buying a flat cus the prices were still so high last year. Thankfully, it's starting to show signs of a dip lately. However, will we have enough time to catch it at its lowest "best"? 

I need to register for a Primary School for my son in July, so...paperwork has to be settled b4 then, in order for us to apply for a school that's conveniently located near our new flat. Unless, we don't mind the hassle of moving him from one school to another within his first 1-2 years of primary school education. It may (or may not?) affect him much since he's still young, but then again, I'd rather avoid that if possible.

Last October's Walk-in Selection Exercise featured 683 units for sale...and more than 10000 applicants. Including us. Our balloting queue number was 4000+ (we were considered 1st timers, with "priority" lol...)

This April, there are about 480 units up for sale, and up to date, (4 days into the exercise) about 7000 people applied. There are 2 units in Pasir Ris, that seems attractive (on the map). So, for the sake of these 2 units, we decided today, that we'll apply again.

The balloting number will be out in a month's time...but, we'll also start to actively be on the lookout for resale flat from now onwards.

Despite the early showing of a downward trend in the resale market, prices are still pretty steep for us, especially if want to get a more spacious flat in central location like Bishan. It's my ideal area for many reasons (new MRT circle line coming up soon, good schools nearby etc).

However, going all out to get a flat in Bishan may be stretching it a bit for us...so, we've decided (again, hehe....we've been thru this back & forth several times now!) to go for Pasir Ris  ;)

My husband & I were not quite able to come to an agreement about our budget. It seems pretty straightforward, yet not quite so. Am I too much of a "risk-taker"...or was he being too overly-cautious? It could be both, or either one. Anyways, it dampened the mood a bit, and I don't have peace about this matter for the past 2 days.

We prayed about this again, and asked God for wisdom & unity...so that we can come to an agreement, and see things from the same point of view. Else, how are we ever going to proceed?

The next day, while I was hanging the laundry, God suddenly impressed upon me, to submit to my husband regarding this matter. I was like "huh???" Then, I was reminded of my pastor's message on Sunday, about walking according to God's principles, and blessings & protection will automatically follow. It's a cause & effect thing.

I knew then, that I'll have to obey. It was quite a struggle for me, but I understood & knew the importance of this principle ("Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord," Ephesians 5:22).

Immediately, I sent a text message to my husband, that I'll submit to him & go according to what he thinks is best for us, given our current financial condition. I did that cus I wanted to let him know immediately (before I change my mind), but the inward battle within me was still raging that afternoon & I felt pretty much like a sore loser.

However, amazingly by today, somehow I was able to "re-align" my thoughts & perspective accordingly. And, I can feel the peace returning to my heart, the excitement of searching for a new flat coming back again. On top of this, I can see the "burden" (if it was ever that, hehe..) being lifted up from my husband's countenance as well!

We may not have gotten or found the flat yet. But this simple "exercise" in obedience to God's leading & prompting gives me new courage, & confidence in the goodness & faithfulness of God in our lives. I knew for sure, without a shadow of a doubt that He'll provide, the best unit for us, according to what our family needs. And, it'll be such a blessing to us & our family that'll bring glory back to Him!

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

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Etsy Buy Handmade PrankePaintings

A little something about the artist:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am a 3rd generation artist, born in Duvernay, Laval, Quebec in 1958.
My grandfather, Richard Wenzel Pranke was an art professor in Slovakia, and my father,a well known Quebec artist Walter W. Pranke, were my first motivators that inspired me at a very early age.

My art education began at the age of 10 when I created a 32 sq ft mural for a school project.
Because of my family's heritage in the love of
arts, I studied numerous art literatures, volumes of artists work and other forms of media to develop my skills.
Thanks to my father and my devotion to painting I continue to grow as an artist.

Custom Order with YOUR Fabric?

Pink Panther

The rest of the materials are our own.

Happy Cat

I've always let customers custom order any of our Organizer Purses & Bible Covers with their choice of fabric ... of course, limited to the stock I have available (which is not that little either!) However, I've had 2 (perhaps more...can't quite remember) customers who chose to go one step further. Their own choice of fabric, sent to me!

To be fair, I'll lower the selling price a little, since they're providing me with their own (cover) fabric. But I can't lower it too much either, as the rest of the materials, and inner lining fabric are still supplied by us. 

The above pictures shows 2 purses, with fabrics sent to me by my customers. Aren't they lovely? The one with the panther on it, had so many other requests ... too bad, I don't know where it's supplied from, hehe...

If you're interested in getting a custom order, but with YOUR fabric, please feel free to contact me for a price quote ;)

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Etsy Buy Handmade vaisto A little something about the seller: -----------------------------------------------------

We're a half-Finnish, half-Russian team of professional textile madness, operating from Helsinki, Finland. We've worked together since -06.

Inspired by happy dancing people, impulsive flashes of beauty, midsummer-night forest magic, travelling without destination, spots of a leopard & LoveLoveLove of course...
We create clothes and accessories for the inner spirits wandering in the fields of fluorescent fantasy, right across river from the psychonaut-launchpad to outer mindscapes.

We are dead serious. About quality.

************************************************************************************

All the way from FINLAND. You don't come across these often...gotta check them out!

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Etsy Buy Handmade pearlsquiltedcrafts A little something about the seller: -------------------------------------------------------- Patchwork quilting is a new passion for me. I didn’t attend any courses to learn it. Midori-san was my first teacher. She kindly taught me the basic steps about patchwork. Right now, my knowledge about quilting comes from mostly the books and magazines in Japanese language which I can read easily. I like the self-teaching approach in learning things. And my husband thinks that I am quite good at teaching myself stuff. I am hoping to make further progress in quilting in the future.

I like hand piecing, hand appliqué and hand quilting. I don’t know how to machine sew and I don’t have a sewing machine, but I am not sorry for that. I don't like the machine stitched on the quilts. I like the rustic feel of hand quilted quilts and I find the time spent in hand quilting to be soothing. The motion of stitching is very calming to me and during these quiet moments I can get in touch with my thoughts easily.

All the items in my shop are 100% hand-stitched. I don’t use a sewing machine. And all the fabrics I use are pre-washed cotton. Please feel free to contact me about any of my items.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And guess what? She's having a storewide 15% off SALE going on now till Mother's day (10th May) So, what better time to get a great FULLY HANDMADE quilted craft piece at a great bargain too? Check out her store soon!

BIG SALE NOW ON!!!

BIG SALE NOW ON from 14-19 APRIL. Check out the discount section tab on the right hand bar (of the shops) to make your shopping easier :) 

Please Note: 
------------------------
1. Prices are before discount. I'll either send you a refund thru PAYPAL, or you can choose to purchase first, and wait for me to send you a revised invoice, before making payment.
2. Discounts DO NOT apply to new custom orders, but only for "ready stock" items which are "ready to ship"
3. Local (Singaporean) customers, please note that prices are in USD. Ask me for current exchange rate.
4. I'm holding the SALE for both shops (Winniel & The Laughing House). Please let me know if you're getting something from both shops, and I'll happily combine ship for you ;)

Thank you for the support & please feel free to ask me anything if you have any queries. HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

Winniel & The Laughing House

BIG SALE COMING UP SOON!!!

I've held 2 sales before, but strangely... I never got a single sale during my "sale" period! lol...

Well, I've not given up on the idea of having a "SALE" yet :)  and with stocks piling up, I decide that the best way to get it "moving" is by having a SALE :D

So, as part of my SPRING CLEANING effort, I'll be holding a BIG SALE at both shops (Winniel & The Laughing House) with some items going for as low as 40%.

Now, for all my loyal customers, friends & contacts alike, I hope you'll be reading this, and give me your support during this BIG SALE period :D

So, check back soon.... it'll be up b4 you know it!

Thank you & God Bless You!

Winniel & The Laughing House

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Etsy Buy Handmade nooshka A little something about the seller:

MY DESIGN PROCESS
I love drawing and this is where my designs come from,I always try to have a pen and paper handy just in case I have a new idea.The nooshka owl was actually created while watching my daughter play at the park.I constantly have my eyes on the look out for ideas,it could be someone who is wearing an odd color combo that "just works" or I might like a characters expression or cute clothes in one of my daughters books.I usually have one small quirky idea that I want to put into a piece and it just grows from there.

MY SECRETS OUT
I was still receiving dolls as Christmas presents until I was 14, though I wished it where longer.It was a little secret of mine, so making dolls is like revisiting my childhood.
I love the whole process of making my dolls, from choosing their names and creating their characters.In some way I feel attached to everyone but knowing that they are going out to good homes where someone will love and enjoy them makes me happy and want to continue to make more.

*Happy Browsing* ;)

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Etsy Buy Handmade fromlucywithlove

I'm always impressed with people who knew how to do some graphic design (of any form at all) simply because, I do not know how to do it...so, it made me appreciate such "skills" even more!

In today's feature, we have Lucy's 'print-yourself' prints and stationery sets. All the graphics featured in this store are made from scratch by her using imagination, pencil and Adobe Illustrator (in this order) ;)

With this ready-to-print PDF you can make your own note cards gift-tags and envelopes. Print as many as you want, whenever you want to. They're economic, convenient and, most important, they are LOVELY.

IDEA:
Print five to ten sets, wrap with a beautiful ribbon and you will have a very sweet present for mother's day!

My Experience with Online Hotel Booking

For our recent trip to Taiwan, we had initially booked a free & easy package through a travel agency here (airfare + hotel). However, our agent told us that he can't guarantee that we may get the hotel of our choice, as it was peak season.

Few days before our departure, our agent called me & said he's unable to get any hotel booking for us, and asked if I'd like to do the booking myself, with a refund. I was fine with that, and started to look for online bookings.

I enjoyed looking through AsiaRooms.Com for its nicely put table on hotel fares, description & reviews by previous guests. The only thing was, I can't find out if there's room availability or not, unless I make a booking first... then wait for a confirmation from them, before they reveal if the hotel room is available or not.

When it was just 1 or 2 days left before our trip, time is a crucial factor, and I had to keep checking everynow & then if there's room available or not. (You see, I can't do "multiple-hotel" booking....just in case all are available, then I may be penalized for any cancellation)

My husband suggested I look at Agoda.Com as this site shows whether there's room availability for our selected dates. Now, I like this one! Simply enter our intended stay (dates) and voila! All the various hotels available for us are out in a split second :D

I managed to look through the (available) hotels that are within our budget, yet in central/convenient locations, and with good pictures (of rooms/facilities) & great reviews by guests as well. I happily made my booking for 2 business hotels (Fullerton 41, & Beauty Hsuanmei).

Fullerton 41, conveniently located within 3 mins walking distance to Da'an MRT Station. The room is very small, but they made use of the small space to make it a compact but comfortable hotel room. The breakfast there has a nice spread of western & chinese cuisine. Staff there are very friendly & helpful...and I love having the business centre opened for 24 hours. That way, I can easily pop in anytime I wish, to check my mails etc.

Our experience with Fullerton 41, was perfect in every aspect. The hotel lived up to its rave reviews, and is everything that they said they are (on the site)...so it was a great experience for our 1st 3 nights in Taipei, staying with them.

This is the "bath tub" at STAR BEAUTY...supposedly their BEST room, hehe... but we didnt' like it there. Feels like a cheap "love hotel" to me. Well, but our family had fun soaking there & playing with water that night! ;)

Now, our last 2 nights in Taipei, was booked with Beauty Hsuanmei. However, upon our arrival there (from Nantou County: to Cingjing Farm & Sun Moon Lake), the hotel said that they didnt manage to reserve any room for us, and it was fully booked. They apologized profusely, and a manager said he'll arrange to put us at another of their Beauty Group Hotel elsewhere, and upgrade us to their BEST room.

I wasn't quite happy with that, as this other hotel (Star Beauty) is way out of the main central area in Taipei (although it's really near to Shih Lin Night Market...which was one of the place I'd wanted to check out). He said, we'll stay there for 1 night, and the next morning, he'll arrange for us to be fetched back to Beauty Hsuanmei.

With 2 kids in tow, and not sure if we can get rooms easily elsewhere, I finally agreed to this arrangement. To cut the long story short, Star Beauty's BEST room, is spacious, and has a LARGE pool-like bath tub with jacuzzi & sauna features. Our kids love this, but we don't quite like the room, nor the hotel...as it gives the impression of a "love hotel", not suitable for family with kids! :( And, imagine the hassle of packing/unpacking twice just because of the hotel's blunder, when it was already our last 2 night's stay in an otherwise perfect 9 days trip to Taiwan.

Beauty Hsuanmei, another business hotel in the central area. It's not that near to any MRT station though...located between Zhong Xiao Fu Xing & Zhong Xiao Xin Sheng stations. I love the small alleys nearby...where you can find nice boutique cafes, and noodle house! It also has Jacuzzi features bath-tub, albeit much smaller compared to the one at Star Beauty.

The next day, we moved back to Beauty Hsuanmei, and enjoyed our stay there much better. As, it's after all a business hotel, in a good location. The room is smaller, but really clean & done up well too. The bathroom (I guess this is probably one of their "main draw") again has jacuzzi-like features (both in the tub & shower area).

Their manager asked us to please give a good review to Agoda.Com as he has tried his best to salvage the situation. I smiled & said nothing, but in my heart I knew that I'll give a review as according to what happened (not in a spiteful complaining manner, but simply highlighting the blunder, describing the inconveniences, and also their effort to salvage the whole situation).

Few days after I submitted the review, I was surprised to hear from Agoda.Com saying that they'll investigate this matter. I told them I'm fine with it, since it's over already...and that I do not expect any reply or response from them at all... but that I was merely leaving a feedback & highlighting a failure somewhere in the (booking) system.

I knew that I'll definitely try online hotel booking with them (Agoda.Com) again in the future, should the need arise. Yes, despite the blunder :) cus, we had a great experience with our first booking after all (Fullerton 41), and I'm willing to give them a 2nd try.

Can you guess what happened next? Agoda.Com wrote back few days later, that they had negotiated with the hotel, to give us a 1 night's refund for the blunder & inconveniences we experienced! Wow...this totally came out of the blue, and my husband simply commented that, this shows that Agoda.Com is serious about customer satisfaction & is willing to go to great length to secure that.

This being said & done, we'll definitely return to Agoda.Com again for future bookings ;) since I can be assured that they'll handle things professionally. 

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Etsy Buy Handmade ememem Aww...aren't these the cutest little bears that you've ever seen?? And, do you have any ideas what they are actually? I had no clue initially...well, they are actually little brooches! Hm...from the look of it, they seems to be another needle felted project (correct me if I'm wrong) And, they are such "intelligent" little creatures too! *hint: read the descriptions :D They actually hold "serious" conversations with its maker ...lol....Now, that's what I call 'having fun' doing what you love! All the way from Latvia....you gotta love 'em!

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Etsy Buy Handmade thedryingrack

Aren't these the cutest little needle felted items?? The first time I ever heard/seen or know anything about needle felted items was on ETSY. I simply can't imagine how this can be worked on... using felt, and needle...to create any shape, any color, and any expression? 

Well, since many people are doing this, I suppose it may not be too difficult after all. However since I never had the chance to learn or explore the "art" of needle-felting, it just appeared as too amazing for me! Perhaps in the future? Or,... perhaps I may just get one instead, and enjoy seeing it brighten up my window sill, or work station at home? Hm... perhaps, hehe... ;)

Etsy Featured Shop 3

I'm on a roll now....with about 10 more Etsy shops to be featured! Hopefully I can keep up with this on a daily basis, hehe... but it's been fun "window-shopping" so far, and going thru the great shops which I've selected for the feature. So, dear readers, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do :) Have fun...& here's presenting the 3rd featured shop: Meredith Fenwick :D

Etsy Buy Handmade meredithfenwick

A little about the seller: 

I'm a stay at home Mom to two fantastic boys and a graphic designer, specializing in scrapbooking products. I design digital scrapbook supplies that are sold at twopeasinabucket.com :)

I am also making my way in the jewelry marketplace here on Etsy. I love Czech Glass beads and am building up quite a healthy collection! I work with sterling silver, antique brass and gunmetal.

Etsy Featured Shop 2

Etsy Buy Handmade halfacupoftea

About the Seller: HalfACupOfTea (Miniature One Piece Paper Sculpture)

I've been interested in pop-up cards and sculptures since I was a teenager. How a flat object springs into a 3D model never stops fascinating me. From time to time, I would try to make one, but whenever it became a bit difficult, I would give up easily.

When I decided to make some for sale, I started to seriously acquire the skills. I read book after book to learn all the pop-up and paper engineering tricks.

A TINY ACCIDENT

I needed a lot of scrap paper for practicing. To skimp on paper, I made the cuts smaller, and smaller, and smaller, and suddenly realized how cute smaller cuts were. I then decided that it was going to be my signature style.

AN ILLUMINATED ACCIDENT

One day, I made an experiemental cliff cut, and casually put it on my scanner. When it was time for bed, I switched off the light. Lo and behold! My cliff was lit up amazingly blue by the scanner's power button from under! The idea of adding LEDs was thus born.

MY MOTTO

Never underestimate small accidents. They can leave tremendous legacies.

Etsy Featured Shop!

Etsy Buy Handmade zomb

Check out these cute "Monster Pouches" measuring ~4.5 by 3 inches (11.5 by 8 cm). It's a great size to fit all sorts of items like bills, coins, tissues, receipts, cards, mp3 players, etc.

Please note, teeth have to be on the inside for the pouch to zipper close. :)

All monster pouches are one of a kind and each have their own personality!

Getting the "Groove" back!

It's really tough to get into the "groove" of things again after a holiday! It's been 2 weeks since I came back, and I can't seem to be able to get my momentum back...lol

First few days, I justified it...as there were a whole load of laundry, ironing & household chores to catch up on. 

Once the house & everything else is in order, I get busy with preparing & sending out orders. Now, all those are cleared and out of the way, I think to myself... "it's time to relax" haha...

And, it's a week of (not relaxing) but simply getting busy/preoccupied doing other not-really important stuff. *sigh* Proverbs 24:33-34 has this very good advice/warning: "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come on you like a bandit & scarcity like an armed man."

Sales at both shops (Winniel & The Laughing House) are starting to slide again due to some neglect this week...so, I better get my "groove" back if I don't want the above scripture to become reality in my life! :D

Pictures & "Summary" of our Taiwan Trip

It's been 2 weeks since we returned from Taiwan, and finally managed to edit & upload almost all of the pictures we took there. Here, I'll simply share some of the highlights of our trip :D

We visited Taipei 101, the world's tallest building on our 2nd day there. It was pretty cold at that time, as there was "cold wind" blowing in from the mainland China. We did went up to the observatory, but found the ticket to be pretty costly for our family of 4, which includes a 5 & 2 yr old... (at about S$80 overall) so, we decided to give that a miss. I guess, we're not the typical tourist after all, hehe....

Our visit to Yangmingshan the following day, also allowed us to have a glimpse of the city from a very high altitude. But, I didnt take as much pictures there, as the sun was shining so brightly, it appeared as though I have "flashbacks" on my camera most of the time.

I just regretted not taking more pics of the Taipei 101 from different angles. :)

This was taken from one of the MRT station, around 9am in the morning. The roads were still pretty "quiet"
We also visited a night market which was about 15mins walking distance from our hotel. Night market visits are a must for visits to Taiwan! Lots of things to see, and eat :D The atmosphere was really fun as there were simply so much buzz everywhere you turn. But, I cant imagine how it'll be like visiting such places in the heat of summer! hehe...
This is my favourite fruit snack! I only ate the strawberries...not sure what the others are...looks like cherry tomatoes to me. They are dipped in melted sugar, but it was already "frozen". So, biting into them, is kinda like biting into cold frozen sugar layer, into juicy sweet strawberries! Really *yummy* in the cold weather!
On our 4th day there, we took a bus from Taipei city, down into Puli (a small town in the Nantou County, central Taiwan). The bus ride took about 3 hours...and the above picture was taken from the bus. We passed by a lot of beautiful sceneries of "sleeping giants" (mountains) and valleys, rivers as well.
From Puli, we took another bus, up into the mountain, that brought us to Cingjing Farm area. At the bus drop off point, our homestay host, waited for us at the side of the road, and drove us to the homestay. 
Really loved our homestay here (Star river, or Xing Guang Liu Yu) for the awesome & breathtaking scenery here. It sits about 2400m above sea level...so you can imagine, the cool fresh air! 

This was the view from our door! And that's the balcony that we shared with other guests. All the homestays there have European styled designs...so, it does appeared a bit "fairy-tale" like ;)

This is Cingjing Farm...really one of the most beautiful regions I've ever seen. It was dubbed the "little Switzerland" of Taiwan. I can imagine why! :D
We stayed 1 night at Cingjing, and the next day, a van arranged for us by our homestay host, took us down to our next destination, Sun Moon Lake. It was about 1 and 1/2 hour drive away from Cingjing...and is around 600m above sea level. 

This was taken at the wharf, very scenic & peaceful place...truly a great place to R&R.

The next morning, we had a leisurely morning stroll along the lakeside trail, which took us about 45-60 mins.
This was at a local school, which our homestay host's son attends. We asked if we could take a look at the school.
They kindly drove us there the following day, and we were really impressed! I've no idea how big is the school in all, but it was really BIG! lol...and the area that we covered (again another slow & leisurely 1 hour walk) was just 10% of the whole compound! Trees & mountains, and large grass areas covered the entire place, and it looked like we were taking a walk in a botanical garden, or some mountain resort! hehe...
This was one of the admin office that we saw. Amazingly, we didn't see a single student or teacher the whole time we were there. The only people we saw were some workers working in the garden, the security guard, and a few others that were doing some fixing/maintenance work.
Finally, this was taken with our homestay host at Laurel Villa (Gui Yue Chun) in Sun Moon Lake. From left: Wayne, his mom, Rick (their younger son), Kasumi, Hans, myself, Natalie & Layminto.

Our 2 nights stay there was a pleasant & memorable one, as the homestay was run professionally by this family, yet we also had the feeling that we're staying at "their house" :) And the fact that Hans & Natalie had time to play together with them, added to the feeling of "closeness" we had with them.

This was our 1st ever trip to Taiwan, but the whole 9 days we were there was simply enjoyable & memorable. The main reason being the fact that we've met kind souls there, and the beautiful sceneries we've seen plus, the cooperation of the weather! hehe...

We felt so blessed & thankful to God, for his protection, blessings & provision throughout this trip, such that we can truly relax, rest, play, and bond at the same time.

To see more pictures & sceneries of the places we visited, please visit my FLICKR account ;)...and please note, that the pictures were in reverse order.