I took this photo a few years ago when visiting an orchid nursery in Half Moon Bay. I’m not good with growing orchids. That is why I like succulents (cactus) type of plants because they are so carefree! And they also have beautiful blooms too. But I do admire any type of orchids, even from a distant.

“An orchid in a deep forest sends out its fragrance even if no one is around to appreciate it. Likewise, men of noble character hold firm to their high principles, undeterred by poverty.”
– Confucius (551–479 BC)

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.”
- Gertrude S. Wister

Another favorite gift I’ve received recently is from Nye Noona. It’s a tote bag made by her talented sister Bee.  The material used is recycled Brazilian truck tarp.

This is the first time I’ve heard about this material.  And it’s always great to see things being recycled and reused!

It feels like a really sturdy material that would hold up well with books or heavy groceries. But I’m trying to keep it clean for now and using it indoors. Plus it’s perfect for my knitting supplies.

I was told that the tarp fabric is washed and cleaned and then embroidered with beautiful floral designs.

There are also patches and frays in the fabric which work well as it gives it a unique touch. As the frays tell of prior history of having traveled all around Brazil.

I really like that the fabric holds up well without needing any interfacing. Special thanks to Bee for making such a pretty bag. It’s a truly one of a kind tote bag.

The only retailer that makes items from truck tarp is The Real Deal. They make rugged hats and bags.  This is their laptop bag and hat combo. For more info visit them here.

Photo from The Real Deal Brazil.

When I think of art, I usually think of museums with art you can’t touch. Or art that is otherwise hidden in someone’s private collection.

But not this artwork, it’s functional art that serves as a journal too. This journal is also neat that it has a magnetic clasp that keeps it close.

It’s made with beautiful Japanese kimono print. I love the color and the gold accents.  This pattern would also make for a nice blouse.

Here’s more info from Paper Blanks, the makers of these notebooks:

Block Print Reproductions Of Kimono Patterns.

Ukiyo-e (pronounced uu-kee-yo-eh) or “pictures of the floating world” is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings.

The kimono prints for this series were originally woodblock prints created by art publishers who meticulously reproduced enlargements of small details taken from the artwork of the greatest artists of the Edo period (c. 1600-1867), inspiring contemporary garment design trends.”

Note: Thank you R.E. for the gift!

Thanks to B for offering me tips on knitting my first hat. B also suggested changing colors and adding a pom-pom to the top too. I didn’t get to that and just wanted to see how this hat would turn out first.

According to B, all you do is start off with a rectangular knit piece until you get the desired length and height. So no circular needles necessary! And when you get to the last row, just take the yarn and pull (cinch) it together. Then connect (sew or crochet) the back ends together to form a hat.

There’s really no pattern to my first hat. Just an attempt at experimenting with different knit stitches. I started the brim with a garter stitch, followed by lace knit, then double knitted. These are just knitting terms and still really new to me.

It’s more of a late winter/spring beanie knit hat that also looks like it had been crocheted. The lattice were formed by making large lace knit stitches to the hat. To cheer up the gray hat, I also added pink crocheted flower too. Overall I think it came out really cute.

It does stretch out and would fit small to medium head. Or maybe it would be a perfect fit for kids.

This year is kicking off with natural disasters happening around the world.  From the massive flood in parts of Australia to the landslide in Brazil.

And now we’ve got warning that a major catastrophic storm could hit California this spring of 2011. Scientist have gathered around and is calling it the ARkstorm.

Central Valley Business Times reports the following predicaments:

• Serious flooding also occurs in Orange County, Los Angeles County, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area, and other coastal communities.

• Windspeeds in some places reach 125 miles per hour, hurricane-force winds while wider areas are whipped by winds reaching 60 miles per hour.

• Hundreds of landslides damage roads, highways, and homes.

• Power, water, sewer, and other lifelines experience damage that takes weeks or months to restore.

• Flooding evacuation could involve 1.5 million residents in the inland region and delta counties.

• Business interruption costs reach $325 billion in addition to the $400 property repair costs, meaning that a storm of this magnitude could cost on the order of $725 billion, which is nearly 3 times the loss deemed to be realistic by authors for a severe southern California earthquake, “an event with roughly the same annual occurrence probability.”

If anyone is tuning into what is to come in 2012, then 2011 doesn’t give us a good start. Let’s hope this prediction doesn’t come true. But of course it’s better to prepare then to be stranded.

So I better start packing the food, water, emergency kit, and everything else!

I love bamboo and I love all things made of bamboo.  The knitting needles I use are by Takumi and made in Japan, size 9.  Takumi means “craftsmanship” in Japanese.

I like that bamboo knitting needles are lightweight and have nice warm natural touch.  It’s not as slippery as working with aluminum needles.

I was also happy to find part bamboo yarns at Michael’s.  Yarn made in Turkey.  It’s made of 55% viscose from bamboo, 45% wool.

Cleaning instructions for future note:  hand wash gently in cold water; lay flat to dry.

I hope to use this yarn to knit a hat.  Maybe if I get really good I can knit more warm winter hats for my little nieces too.

I found an old scarf I had knitted about five years ago. It was surprisingly very warm and so I thought it would be great to knit another one again this winter.

Years ago, I was lucky to have B teach me the basic steps. But now I really can’t remember much of it. Thank goodness for I was able to refresh my memory. Even learned a great deal and am on my way to knitting more scarfs.

This stitch took me forever to figure out.  This pattern is called the stockenette and it’s a combination of knit and purl stitch.

These are the basic knitting methods:

- Cast on

- Bind off

- Knit Stitch

- Purl Stitch

I made my first ear warmers/headband using just the knit stitch.  It’s also called the garter stitch. I like that it’s chunky and feels very warm.  The yarn used is 100% acrylic for easy care and softness.

Growing up I didn’t have anyone in the family to teach me how to knit. Since my family is from tropical Asia, the idea of knitting warm clothing was really not necessary. But I still think it’s a craft that’s worth learning.

Knitting has become a way to relax for me.  It’s also neat to see that a ball of yarn has become something nice and practical.

The next thing I would love to learn how to knit is a cute cozy hat.

I wanted to start off the new year with a new skincare regiment. As my handmade soaps can only do so much.

After I finished using SIBU lotion, I am switching to Korres. It’s an all natural skincare line from Athens, Greece and is known world wide. They’ve been around for a while and thought I would give it a try.

This is the kit I got from Sephora.  Korres Brightening & Anti-Aging Rose Collection which includes:

- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Moisturizer
- 1.01 oz Wild Rose Serum
- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Mask
- 1.69 oz Rose Showergel
- 1.69 oz Rose Body Butter
- 0.21 oz Wild Rose Lip Butter

This kit is formulated with wild rose oil, which is a really luxurious and expensive skincare oil. I’ve only used this kit for about one week and so far my skin really likes it.

The best thing about Korres that it’s gentle and good for those with sensitive skin. And it’s also formulated without Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan.

My product review:

Wild rose moisturizer has a nice rose scent. It’s a very heavy cream great for winter. It has spf 6, which is not enough for me. But I also use bronze mineral powder for additional sun protection.

Read the rest of this entry »

Blessings in any language or culture is a nice thing. Enjoy!

“May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and health
Today, tomorrow and beyond.”

-Irish Blessing

“May the sun bring you new energy by day,
may the moon softly restore you by night,
may the rain wash away your worries,
may the breeze blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life. “

- Apache Indian Blessing

Note: I also love this artwork of a lady with a box of full of colorful butterflies.  Source nameberry.

As far as firework celebration goes, any big city celebration in the U.S. can’t even compare to the one in Sydney, Australia. Since Sydney is amongst the first to ring in the new year, they really wanted to make it a spectacular occasion.  

Here’s a couple of cool photos taken from The Daily Telegraph: New Year’s Eve 2010 Fireworks

New Years Fireworks 2010, Sydney Harbour, from Potts Point.

“The event takes place at two separate times on New Years Eve on Sydney Harbour. The first event starts at 9 p.m. with the early start geared toward families. The main event obviously kicks off at the stroke of midnight, which is when absolute wonderful chaos in the sky ensues.” -Destinations 360.

The fireworks remind me colorful flowers in the night sky. This the 9pm fireworks over the Sydney Harbour from six barges three hours before midnight on December 31, 2009. AFP. Pictures: James Elsby

Cheers to the new year!