tender is the night

Skona hem

ally — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:28:42 +0000

Yes, I am a big fan of Scandinavian design. I have a tiny but growing list of Scandinavian sites that I look at on a fairly regular basis. I navigate most of these sites somewhat blindly though, cos everything’s in a foreign language, but I’ve also come to learn that “hem” means “home” in Swedish, and no one does them more beautifully than the Swedes.

Skona hem is a Swedish interior design magazine that is regularly updated with breathtaking pictures of homes from all around the world (not just in Sweden). The gallery is beautifully curated and nothing short of inspirational.

Needless to say, Google Translate has become my new best friend.

. . . . .

Song of the Day

Concrete Wall, by Zee Avi

Saturday Selections

ally — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:25:37 +0000

Watch
Presented by Manikako, a Filipino organisation that teaches disadvantaged children how to make their own dolls from old clothes and recycled materials, this video is sweet, touching and might even induce a tear or two?

Listen
I spotted this over at Flavorwire (new favourite time-wasting site!) a few days ago and was hooked as soon as I heard the first couple of beats. Tennis (a husband and wife duo from Denver) has this cool retro-pop sound that is both refreshing and comforting. Needless to say, it’s now firmly on repeat.

Buy
Isn’t this adorable?

You’ll want to keep inviting your friends over for tea just so you can show this off to them. It’ll draw plenty of awws, for sure. ;) Available at ModCloth, this conversation starter comes complete with a silver tray. You may also want to get a clear glass tea cup after this.

My Friday Night Playlist #3

ally — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:16:08 +0000

I admit, I get a real kick out of creating playlists. In fact, I’ve been doing this since mix tapes were still actual (cassette) tapes. Of course, back then, they were incredibly difficult to create. There’d always be a blank tape in the player, all ready for me to hit the “record” button as soon as the radio plays the song. Then the dubbing process comes next and that would take forever because I’d have to rewrite the cassette several times over until all the songs flow seamlessly. You can imagine how glad I was when digital music and CD-Rs came along.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about building this musical journey from scratch, imagining it to be the perfect soundtrack for a movie that I’ve dreamed up in my head. Often, I don’t quite pay attention to the lyrics of the song and just try to fit them all together based on the music. To me, it’s all about evoking emotions and creating the right mood.

Hope you’ll enjoy this. :)

Inside These Lines, by Trent Dabbs
Windows Are Rolled Down, by Amos Lee
How Come You Never Go There, by Feist
Feeding Line, by Boy & Bear
Be Yourself, by Graham Nash
Maybe, by Ingrid Michaelson
Bloom, by The Paper Kites
Love Love Love, by Avalanche City
Travelling, by Paper Lions
You Already Know, by Bombay Bicycle Club

(My other Friday Night playlists can be found here and here.)

Toting Leather

ally — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:53:19 +0000

Who doesn’t love a good tote? They’re versatile, roomy, and usually don’t have the weight of other leather bags of the same size. If I were extravagant, I would buy all of these in a heartbeat.

Prisma Leather Tote, by Alexander Wang (source)

Nevis Tote, by Anya Hindmarch (source)

Leather Cabas Tote, by Celine (source)

Papier A3 Tote, by Balenciaga (source)

Antigona Tote, by Givenchy (source)

. . . . .

Song of the Day, because Sesame Street is cool like that.

Three Primary Colours, by OK Go

Goodbye, January

ally — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:26:22 +0000

Perhaps I’m still adjusting back to a drudging routine after having too much fun in New York, or perhaps age really is catching up with me; whatever it is, this month felt like an eternity.

A quick tally shows I only worked 17 full days this month, meaning, I had 14 possible days of rest. Possible. I say this because with the Lunar New Year and first-day-of-school shenanigans, having proper rest during all those 14 days was almost unthinkable. Now, there were a few occasions where whole days were spent lazing in my pyjamas but what I need to feel recharged is to be so relaxed as if I’m on some resort island sitting by the beach, reading a good book, sipping a cool drink.

Oh, right. That’s coming up in three and a half weeks when we celebrate Dia’s 30th. At Sentosa, yes. At least, it’s a fancy enough resort. ;)

I think I need some sort of regular happy place. Or at least have something to look forward to each week. Too many weekends have been spent either catching up on work, or doing something so inconsequential that I don’t feel like I have been making proper use of the free time I’m given. Perhaps I need to spend more quality time with family and friends. It’s never dull when you’re in the company of loved ones. :) Hanging out at a picturesque locale is simply a bonus.

All that said, will someone please take me here this weekend…?

. . . . .

Song of the Day

Down By The Water, by The Drums

Playful Lamps

ally — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:52:19 +0000

Lighting fixtures don’t always have to be practical and boring. According to these designers, they can be whimsical too. And goodness knows how much I want all of them right now.

Maria S.C. Lamp, by Pani Jurek (source)

Light Spill, by Rebecca Wilson (source)

Balloon Lamps, by Estiluz (source)

Le Nuage, by Wout Wessemius (source)

It’s like what the cousin Bjorn remarked yesterday over breakfast, I’m gonna spend a fortune decorating my future home. Yikes!

. . . . .

Song of the Day is crazy catchy. Sing along with us! Oh oh oh oh eh eh…

What’ll I Do, by Lisa Hannigan

Etsy Finds #3

ally — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:56:03 +0000

Is it age-appropriate for a soon-to-be-30-year-old to wear geek earrings such as these?

Clockwise from top left:
- Bunsen & Beaker Earrings, by Charlie Carter
- Brass Pac-Man Earring Set, by Pica Pica Press
- R2D2 Droid Star Wars Earrings, by CouldBeeYours
- Red & Light Blue Star Wars Lightsaber Earrings, by Hippopotamus Pie

Okay, I admit they’re kinda kitschy, but that only adds to their appeal!

This one is really pretty though. Doesn’t help that I am personally very fond of Ampersands. No kidding.

- You And Me Ampersand Silver Stud Earrings, by Melanie Favreau

Enjoy whatever’s left of your Sunday!

. . . . .

Song of the Day, because it somehow immediately came to mind right after choir practice today.

Journey To The Past, by Aaliyah

Conversations with an 8-year-old

ally — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

Me: What’s your favourite subject?
Her: Recess
Me: That’s not a subject!
Her: It is! If not, why is it on the timetable?

- – -

(just after Liverpool scored)

Me: Woo!!
Her: What happened?
Me: My team just scored!
Her: Then why do they have to hold each other’s heads?
Me: Cos they’re celebrating!
Her: They should just kick each other.

- – -

(while playing Pictionary)

Me: What are you drawing?
Her: Do you give up?
Me: No!
Her: Okay, I’ll draw it easier for you. If you still can’t guess, I’ll press the give up button for you.

(There was no “Give Up” button. She just drew it.)

- – -

Her: I like your floor.
Me: Why?
Her: The floor is like Ikea!

- – -

Kids really do say the cutest things, don’t they? :p

. . . . .

Song of the Day

The Dope (Wonderful You), by The Dandy Warhols

Saturday Selections

ally — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:13:28 +0000

Watch
Giving you a double this week because I couldn’t stop laughing while watching both these videos. COULDN’T STOP. Then again, I am very easily amused.

Listen
I was introduced to this band because Dianna Agron (yes, Quinn from Glee) once posted a video of one of their songs on her Tumblr. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Surf

Who doesn’t like free, legal music? I only recently discovered NoiseTrade and I’ve been happily checking out artists I’m not familiar with. You can leave the artist a tip if you like the album enough (which I highly encourage). We need them to keep making good music. :)

Things I think about during meetings

ally — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:59:04 +0000

Ten actual thoughts that always run through my mind at each meeting. I don’t believe I’m the only one with a wandering mind…?

1. Why is time moving sooooo slowly?

2. I wonder what font that is.

3. Aw man, not another acronym!

4. Why can’t this be a musical?

5. Why isn’t anyone texting me?

6. Geez, my nails are dirty.

7. I wonder if this is an appropriate time to go to the toilet.

8. Why don’t we have more chocolate?

9. Please keep it short… please keep it short…

10. *sings to self* *forgets lyrics* *spends next 5 minutes thinking about forgotten lyrics*

Now allow me to leave you with this.

. . . . .

Song of the Day

Rise and Fall, by Craig David (feat. Sting)