Thursday, August 29, 2013

Being Authentic

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Lately I have been thinking a lot about being authentic. My love and I was having a conversation about people around us; he was telling me about his chat with his guy-friends about people who are nice and not nice. I shared with him too that I was having a chat with my one of my colleagues on the idea of ‘being alone’. The topic was led to a question that I asked something for my colleagues to ponder about. I asked “We often wear different masks to adapt different situations and scenarios in our daily lives, how often do we take the time to get to know ourselves, to know the mask-less us?”

This is a very interesting question because ever since then, I cannot stop thinking about it. It made me asked myself; it has been 3 years or more now on my self-discovery journey, each day I remind myself to love myself. I do it through doing things for myself, to do what I love to show myself that I love myself. It can be through blogging, crafting, painting; and when I do all that, do I get carried away and come back to forgetting to be authentic?

I am glad to say that yes, I do forget to be authentic sometimes. It is not difficult to be authentic, just sometimes we tend to get carried away. And at this moment, as I am watching my mind, I am aware that I choose to say what I am saying right now. Even at this moment, I am aware that I am blogging about this, and I am aware that I am wondering what will my readers think or feel when they are reading this post.

When you are in this mode, being in a state of awareness, as aware as you are aware of breathing; you are walking along the line of being authentic.

While I sometimes do forget to and my mind gets carried away, I am still in love with the idea of being authentic. Being authentic has set my heart free; not free as what you perceive mentally, free in a form that no words can describe it.

So you might ask, what is being authentic about?

Being Authentic means:
  • Believing that you are considered as a Person just like everybody else
  • Believing that you deserve LOVE just like everybody else
  • Believing that you are LOVE, you can love and you are a lovable person
  • Believing that you have done all your best, even if you make mistakes, you believe that you learn through those mistakes instead
  • Believing that your “dark” past is part of an experience that you are meant to embark on; both light and dark are beautiful
  • Believing that you are not hopeless, but you are a miracle of life just like everybody else
  • Believing that your needs are considered as a priority too, and your well-being is as important as everybody else
  • Believing that it is okay to be you, even with all that flaws, you are still LOVE
  • Believing that you are on your own journey for yourself and no one else
  • Believing that the decisions you make are for yourself and no one else
  • Believing that you are as beautiful as all beings in this world, and believe that you have a gift and talent especially for you
  • Believing that it is okay to follow your needs without assuming that you are being judged by others
  • Believing that you and your actions are your own responsibility


Most importantly, believing that it is okay to be you, in your vulnerable state, mask-less… and believing that they won’t judge you for being that way, including understanding that if they do, it has NOTHING to do with you.


"Believe it is okay to be you, mask-less 
and believe that you won’t be judged for being you. 
If they do, it has nothing to do with you."

Some of you might confuse Being Authentic with being careless or selfish. Your egoistic mind (not you) might not fully see the point as I have mentioned above if you:

  • Always compare yourself with others
  • Do not believe that your needs and well-being are important because then it makes you think that you are selfish
  • Overcompensate yourself because it matters to you what others think of you
  • Constantly self-destruct yourself with not very nice thoughts about yourself
  • Constantly putting yourself down and believing that you are not good enough for others
  • Constantly not appreciating good things happening to you, even in the smallest form
  • Only doing something for the sake of what others will think of you
  • Only doing things to please others, again for the sake of what others think of you
  • Wanting to be LIKE others, not be YOU
  • Make decisions based on others or for others, not for yourself
  • Do things only because everyone is doing it, even if it doesn't agree with you
  • Don't check with your intentions first before doing something
  • Constantly trying to live up to others expectations not yours
  • Constantly seeking approval of others not your own


I could go on... 

During my journey, I learned how to get to know myself better as friend to myself. It was a mixed emotion of both good and weird because growing up, it was more common for us to get to know others.

How often do we take the time to get to know ourselves?

It was this question that I asked myself; I begin to realize that Being Authentic somehow links to your inner-creative self. Being Authentic allows us to rise to creativity. We unmask, and go inward to be ONE with our truest form, our soul, which is where our creativity has been sleeping, waiting to be awakened by us.

Where you think the saying “We are naturally creative” comes from? I used to believe that one has to learn and trained and mold like a sculpture into becoming creative. How can we become creative when we are already creative?

I was deep rooted in believing that I wasn’t creative for many years, and when I finally learned to get in touch with my creative self, there was a sense of freedom; like a heavy boulder lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t know what it was called, but I soon learned that actually I was learning to be authentic.

The deeply rooted social system that we were raised to believe has only taught us to become followers and leaders of others, instead of teaching us to lead our own lives. Slowly we forget about ourselves, our lives, our well-being and what it means to live a really great life!

  • We were told to follow the words of others, instead of following our gut feeling OR trusting ourselves when we are naturally intuitive.
  • We were also told that it is not okay when something displeases us, and was told be practical instead
  • We become Yes-men rather than be original, and we hardly ever ask ourselves “What is it I truly want?”
  • We were also told that crying is a sign of weakness and that means, it is not okay to not be okay

I am always in the self-inquiry mode, querying about being authentic; I always struggle to say Yes and No when my heart actually meant otherwise. While I am aware of the works of an ego-mind that stops us from being authentic, I learned to see that many of us are leading the life of Fear. Fear of being rejected and judged. Fear, which is part of the ego-mind, prevents us from being authentic.

Yes, there might be various ideas for us to improve ourselves, but what I have learned is that it always starts from within us. Whether it is rising to creativity, or becoming a lovable person, we can travel inwards by:

  • Knowing that your on-goings is only about you and yourself
  • Knowing that your mistakes means more room for growth
  • Knowing that dark means light, is beautiful, light is dark and is as beautiful too
  • Knowing that no matter how others perceive you of your past and mistakes, you have already forgiven yourself, and move forward
  • Knowing that you cannot undo the past but you can create future
  • Knowing that the more positivity and love you bring, the more it breeds
  • Knowing that your own voice matters, your heart matters, your being matters and your soul matters
  • Knowing your intentions and responsibilities of your actions
  • Knowing that what you want to do is what you want and not what others want
Coming back once again on how being authentic helps us rise to creativity; well, as the wise Vincent Van Gogh once said, “When you hear a voice that says you cannot paint, then by all means PAINT! And that voice will be silenced,”



Stay true to your Self, with light and love.


Monday, August 26, 2013

6 Creative Styles to Wear an Infinity Dress

Monday, August 26, 2013

There comes a time when us girls would want to make sure that we have something practical to wear in our wardrobe, yet making sure that it isn't out of style. When we have an event to attend or something casual for out of the blue occasions, we would swing our cupboard doors open, and say "I have nothing to wear!" Sound familiar? And some of us wish we can immediately dash out the door and shop for something immediately; some of us can afford to do so, some of us can't unfortunately. 

There's one thing I learned from my fashion-loving mother and sister is: 
No.1- Always spot for practical outfits with colours that never run out of style. 
No.2- Be smart when you shop, and don't buy clothes that you can only wear once.

That is why I love the Infinity Dress, also known as the famous convertible dress. 

Thanks to D'LoRis Boutique for making this style post happen, I finally found the perfect Black Infinity Dress to add on to my wardrobe. I have been using the infinity dress for almost all occasions- weddings, formal functions, dinners and even to the beach.

Practicality: Wear it, convert it and play with approximately, MORE THAN 15 different styles to wear with ONE DRESS
Simplicity: Very easy to use, plus you can get tutorials on the internet
Size: Free size with expandable waistband
Fabric: Soft, light and flowey polyester
Colour: Infinity dresses usually comes in various colours- take your pick
Creative use: Got a wardrobe emergency? Be practical with an infinity dress

In keeping with being a practical and stylish shopper, I am going to show you 6 Creative Ways to Wear an Infinity Dress for different occasion.








If you know why you love the infinity dress too, share your thoughts! and don't forget to visit D'LoRis Boutique for practical and stylish fashionable outfits!

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Style with Perfect Summer Flats

Thursday, August 22, 2013






All Flats: ZALORA Malaysia
Lace & Grey Stockings: own

Announcement: Jewelry Making Class by Styles of Sonia


I blog about Sonia not because she's my good friend, but because Sonia has always been an inspiration to me. When I first got to know Sonia 2 years back, our friendship grew from client to kindred spirits. We became friends more than just helping each other, more than hanging out friends, more than online friends; we became creative empowering souls to one another.

Sonia is a stunning businesswoman who also runs a jewelry design company with her husband called Styles of Sonia. Sonia dedicates herself as a crafter and fashionista to her exquisite handmade jewelries under the label Twinkle, Sparkle and Tinsel Me Now.

With the fashion industry constantly elevated, more and more individuals are interested to be part of it. Being part of the fashion industry doesn't mean you need to be enrolled in an expensive fashion design college to learn pattern drafting or sewing. And if you feel it is too late for you to live that dream of becoming a fashion creator/jewelry creator, FRET NOT! Join Sonia at her Jewelry Making Class, and learn from her on how you can create your own line of jewelry collection. You are learning from the best; not because of skill, but an inspiring woman who can empower your soul as you are creating with creativity.

Enquire with Sonia today! Email: stylesofsonia@hotmail.com or visit her Facebook page

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Style with Wednesday Addams

Wednesday, August 21, 2013
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When I posted this style on instagram, I wrote "If I have daughter, I'd dress her up in these Brogues shoes." I love the whole dark morbid look, I love the colour black. I paired it with a black skater dress and a cardigan. I love it so much even though my love said I look like a strict Catholic Nun. I laughed so hard!

I am a sucker for this style since I was a teen, and I still don't know why. If any of you know who the character Daria from MTV / Beavis & Butthead, well I was a sucker for the black combat boots.

When I watched Addams Family, I was a sucker for Wednesday Addams dark morbid outlook. I love her jet black hair, pigtails, black dress and black shoes.

Black isn't a bad colour (although the Asians think so). It really depends how you perceive the colour Black. There is so much more to the colour Black, as it depicts independence, bold, anarchy.

Black Brogues shoes: H&M Malaysia
Black stockings: H&M Malaysia
Black skater dress: Forever 21


Monday, August 19, 2013

10 things to do when you don't know what to do

Monday, August 19, 2013



Don't know what to do?

Feeling unproductive?

Feeling uninspired?

Don't feel like doing anything like house chores or work?

It's okay. Because you are your own permission. Perhaps a couple of suggestions to do when you are feeling this way. There are days that I don't feel like doing anything at all, even blogging, making art or writing; and at the same time I don't know what to do. Before I used to take blogging seriously and decided that I wanted to write for a living (and earn on the side at the same time), I spent my weekends waking up feeling unproductive. Always feeling anxious about wasting my weekends and complained that time passes by so quickly. I would wail about feeling bored, and before I know it, time passed by so quickly and the sun was setting and I sunk deep in anxiety.

It wasn't until one day I realized, hey! I don't need to feel this way, because there are actually plenty of things to do. And on the days I had work to do (of course this can only be considered if you are not rushing for a deadline), but I didn't feel like doing it, I decided to motivate myself by doing something that would take my mind off things. It can be anything random or unconventional.

You see, I don't see a point to force myself to sit my ass down and force myself to write on the computer when clearly I am facing a writer's block. I would probably end up writing a meaningless article. The same goes to any of you; if you were to force yourself to do something you don't feel like doing, the result would not be satisfying. Of course you will get things done, but it wouldn't be a good job and you might have to a double-work / redo it. The key to accomplishing a task is to find freedom in doing it; and by freedom I do not mean doing freely whenever you feel like it, but the inner joy of doing something much more than willingness- it is a feeling of joy in doing something that you don't even like doing. But in order to do that, it is best that you nurture your inner-self first, because your well-being is just as important as a task or a chore.

So to get you going, here are some suggestions that you can do (only if you don't have an idea on what to do, haha!) Don't worry, my suggestions are frugal-centered and it isn't ridiculous.

1. Make your treat (non-fat) with Yogurt, fruits, cereal, raisins, nuts. Be creative with it. It's not even costly.

2. Watch a movie-comedy, cartoon, stand-up comedy- recommended! And laugh your ass off! It's okay, no one's judging.

3. Visit the nearest park or recreational centre. Take PLENTY of random pictures with your phone/camera. Then when you come home, look at it all over again. Or you can just go out to the mall and observe your surroundings. Sometimes all you need is a little me-time.

4. Lay in bed/couch and have a TV series marathon (I recommend FRIENDS, How I Met Your Mother, Grimm, Two and a Half Men, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, stuff like that, it's up to you.) Trust me, this is is NOT the same as suggestion No.2. Its addictive and you will feel good after that. Don't have DVD's? Then stream online on sites like Couchtuner.ma

5. Go through your wardrobe and play dress up. While you are at it, maybe you can sort which clothes you want to rid off.

6. DE-CLUTTER! I like No.6- a lot! Don't see it as part of a house chore, because its not. You don't need to wipe or clean when you de-clutter. When you de-clutter,you are self-cleansing and clearing your mind off things. Sometimes it helps you reminisce good memories and discover some of your belongings that you probably forgotten. De-cluttering is truly recommended for those feeling uninspired. You'd be surprised at how you can feel motivated again after de-cluttering.

7. Take a long bath/shower and wash your hair. Turn on your most favourite song or soothing music while you are in the bathroom. You will usually come out of the shower knowing what to do next. Physical cleaning helps you think.

8. Surf the web, watch videos or go to Pinterest and look at inspiring and colour photographs. I reckon the travel photos.

9. Draw something. Anything. Doodle, scribble, scratch the paper.

10. Sort your CD collection. Or better yet, sort your files of photos, music, movies, etc. in your computer or hard disk. You'd be surprise how much sorting it requires.

There you go, 10 very-simple-things-to-do when you don't know what to do. You don't have to follow it entirely, but I hope with this few suggestions, you will be able to find yours. Have fun!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Style with Demi Lovato

Thursday, August 15, 2013
Play dress up- Demi Lovato


On ZALORA Malaysia:
Pixel Bandage Skirt | Crop/Midriff Print Long Sleeve Top | Denim Jacket | Black Ankle Boots

Over the weekend- how to enjoy what we already have

When I visited Port Dickson 3 years ago.

Over the weekend, my love and I had some visitors over who came all the way from England-Ipoh. I called it England-Ipoh because they are my love’s dad’s friend who hails from Ipoh but got a citizenship in England instead. I feel like calling it Eng-poh...

*Shakes head* Okay, I am being lame! Haha!

Anyways, during the weekend we were busy entertaining our guests. We had quite a long holiday because of the Hari Raya celebration. I was quite burnt out actually, with the busy week and all juggling with running my blog and working during the day, including my freelance. Sometimes people ask me, “How the hell do you handle all this?” Most times I just don’t know how to answer. So, as burnt out as I was, I still had to help out.

I had a good chat with Uncle Mano (that’s his dad’s friend), who is quite skillful in DIY. He likes to upcycle unwanted things and turn them into something useful, like Mercedes Benz’s car seats into sofas, trees into poolside decorations and mixing bowls into ceiling lamps! So crafty!

Uncle Mano looks wise. He doesn’t have a deep English accent which is good cos I was able to understand him. He has quite a lot of insights about life and being unconventional which is interesting because you don’t get a lot of adults having the same mindset. =) Uncle Mano describes his DIY interest as “I spent my time mostly coming up with all kinds of craft ideas and making them. People probably think I am weird!” I don’t think you are weird, Uncle Mano, I said to him.

Uncle Mano and I exchanged notes, and we chatted more about what can be done with antique sewing machines with brands like Singer. Apparently he turned those into a sink. He even shared with us his idea on how pianos can be turned into a mini bar at home, where you can make a space inside the piano to keep liquor bottles and wine glasses. Amazing isn’t it?

Uncle Mano practically decorated his whole house in Ipoh (his holiday home) with upcycled things. I am looking forward to visiting his home once it is ready and plan to share it on the blog. He travels here to Malaysia to work on his house for a few months, and then goes back to England.

As we were exchanging notes on crafty ideas (him on bigger scales stuff, mine on smaller ones), my love and I changed the topics about holiday locations. We told him that we were dying to visit the beach and trying to make plans to go to Penang. I am eager to get my hands on seashells! We also told him that sometimes we wish we can have the money to travel to other overseas. With all that, Uncle Mano said “why not start here? There are plenty of interesting places in Malaysia that is worth visiting!” He has a point. He reminded me that sometimes, we don’t need to go far in search for leisure and inspirations, because we can always start with what we already have here.  There are probably a lot of places in Malaysia that we don’t know about, especially islands!

Which got me thinking, why do we tend to assume the grass is always greener on the other side? And not see what we already have in front of us?

So I told him, that the nearest beach would probably good old Port Dickson. It’s a really small town, but you get to visit the beach for sure. Unfortunately, Port Dickson is known for its murky water, garbage everywhere and almost like a ghost town. This is sad because I am sure that Port Dickson was once a beautiful holiday spot! Uncle Mano made another point, he said to me “Lynn, perhaps that’s what makes this place unique. There are plenty of people out there trying to survive the 9-5 job every day, but hoping to get away to somewhere like Port Dickson, a simple settlement with nothing much to expect from.” He included that perhaps it is the simplicity of the place that we need, that includes the trash and everything, all over town. He made another point too, he said “We always try to look for a vacation spot that is popular, filled with lots of people and expensive accommodations, and then what’s the difference when we try to get away from a busy city life?”

I really needed a holiday real bad; I’ve been dying to get away from work and just take a big break. I look at my love and said “He’s right-lah!”

I don’t know where this mindset came from or how we as humans grow up thinking that we need to look elsewhere when it is here for us. And most of the time, whenever we try so hard to look elsewhere, we end up demotivating ourselves by thinking that we don’t have it at all. It is because we choose to believe that way. We are not our thoughts.

There are some individuals out there who don’t have it all; the less fortunate ones. And yet, some of them seem happy and contented with the resources or entertainment that they have, and easily fascinated with the little things in life. There are also some people who might think that these individuals don’t aim for more, and claimed that they are their own suffering.

I beg to differ because I know we can easily alter our own perception and create our own abundance and happiness.

So, why not start here and now?

After my chat with Uncle Mano, I am inspired once again. I thank the universe silently for this reminder. Sometimes we need it because we tend to forget. Sometimes we rely on our friends and loved ones for reminders like these because we are all roles of teachers and students to one another.


Do you have any suggestions on nearby places to travel to or activities to do? I’d love to hear from you. 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Easy to use Water Colour Pen

Wednesday, August 14, 2013



This set of water colour pen comes in a small bucket. I got mine at a local bookstore- Popular. it comes in 24 colours, at an affordable price about RM9.90. I don't think it has a brand on it, and I think it is the wear and tear kind of supply. Still, I find it easy and cute to carry around with you, especially those of you who enjoy journalling during your travels. It is small and can fit into your bag right away. 

In the last picture, you can see the result of the water colour pen. I used the pen to colour on a sketchbook with water colour paper. It has quite a nice blend, of course it won't be the same as using a wet paint brush to blend colours. With this water colour pen, the paint doesn't really seep through the paper; perhaps it would on a thin piece of paper. The only set back is that if you paint with it too hard, or overlap the colours too much, you will get little pieces of paper coming off from the page. Other than that, it is an affordable art material to try out and play around with it. 

Sunday, August 11, 2013

How to Upcycle a Tin Box. Featuring Heartshape Embellishment

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Hey creatives! Sorry I took awhile to blog about my upcycle tin box project. I have uploaded a short video on The Artsy Craftsy TV so that you don't miss out on my latest project. In my previous post, I blogged about making a quick and easy key chain as wedding favors. I used Crafty Cabin's affordable supplies of craft materials to make it. I had one embellishment left from Crafty Cabin's supply- a heartshape embellishment with white dots; I decided to use it in my upcycle tin box project.

I found an unwanted tin box lying around, probably an old souvenir, and decided to turn it into a keepsake box. I hope this post will give you an idea on how you can upcycle your unwanted gift boxes too.

I gathered some simple materials and here's my take on it:

Sponge brush (for paint to spread evenly)
Tin box
Acrylic paint
Clear gesso (for the base)
Gilding wax in Gold (for enhancement)
Self-made clay mosaic tiles (you can make this using polymer clay/paper clay)
Strong-adhesive glue
Heartshape embellishment (courtesy of Crafty Cabin)

This project is almost easy, but it does require at least a day or two to complete; especially for the drying part. Otherwise, you can also use a hairdryer for a quick dry. Beware of the box heated up though. Please note that I only worked on the cover of the box; it is up to you to how you want it to be decorated.

Here's a quick video on how I did it:


Share with me your upcycled tin box, i'd love to see it! Have fun!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Six Ways on How to deal with negative people and environment

Thursday, August 8, 2013

I am writing this post based on a request, but I think that this is something that I have been inquiring about too. This post is very meaningful to me, and I find it a great post to share with you.

I don't know about you, but I have been dealing with negativity my whole life. I have dealt with negativity from others, environment and even myself- yes, from my own share of negative experiences too. I got my first negative remark about me being negative from a loved one when I was a little girl. I was 8 years old, and my loved one made a comment that I have a negative mentality. So young and so exposed to such remarks! But looking back now, I am thankful because, it was at that age that I started to question from within. I asked myself "What is it that makes me negative? Was it my upbringing? My surroundings? influence?" I can name anything and everything, but as I got older, I realized that the negative behavior was from me, and when I find people or my environment negative, it is usually a projection of me. Hence the saying, "we mirror one another".

I get this question a lot: What if someone behaves negatively or gives a negative vibe out of the blue? 

I have to admit, I don't have a specific answer for this. All I can say is, we can change that can't change that or the other person. But we can try to control it on our own. The only reason why situation like this arises is because everything works in a cycle. Whatever negative vibe this person brings, is a vicious cycle of another or from another person. So, if we contribute to it, by reacting to the cycle, it will never stop, and the world would continue to behave so. Perhaps you might say, "But my parents raised me with a negative mentality, it isn't my fault!"

I would say, Yes and No; because no matter what happens, you have the power to change it or control it, especially the moment you are aware of this. (Otherwise you wouldn't be saying it at all, right?)

2 years ago, I didn't realize that I was contributing negativity to a lot situations, especially in my relationship. I used to blame my love that it was his fault when things go wrong. Or I would blame my father who deserted us, for the misfortunes in my life and being born with a financial burden over me. I didn't realize that I was feeding my negative thoughts when I continue to believe my life was that horrible! The result: My negative thoughts affected others to be negative around me. As for my environment, whenever I walked into a room feeling negative, thinking negatively of others and myself (lack of self-value), it actually altered my surroundings into a negative environment, which led back to me being negative or feel negative everywhere and anywhere. Scary isn't it?

But, can you see the cycle now? 

Our mind is a powerful tool that it can creepily alter your perceptions and atmosphere, especially in how we perceive others, which reflects back on us. Those are energy, a light that hits back on us, like how light hits on a mirror and back. It can make us into an unloving and unproductive person.

It took me years to unlearn and most importantly understand my own negative pattern. When I first discovered my own negative pattern and how it works, I was shocked, and also had a tough time acknowledging it. I thought I was a troubled person, depressive and I went so low that I even hated myself altogether. I didn't have guidance or How-to manuals to teach me How to Deal with Negative People and Environment.

So I thought it would be good if I put together a little guide here, on how you can start your positive journey. I may not have all the answers, but I can share with you on what has helped me in my journey. 

Here is a guide on How to Deal with Negative People and Environment

Out of Negativity, Back on the Road.

1. The most important one of all: You are your own individual. Learn to recognize that you are your own person and that means you have the power to change your thoughts, emotions, and how you feel.

2. If you come across a person that is behaving negatively, ie. hot temper person, someone angry, lashing out mean words or taking out his or her anger on you, the best thing to do is walk away gently, and calmly say to the person "I can see you are upset now, I understand that you might need some space to cool down. Let's talk about this when things have settled down"

3. Imagine your own inner-circle. This circle should be your own space for protection. There is no hocus-pocus here, just plain visualization; you can even include your own favourite colour to it. A colour that perhaps you find soothing or has a calming effect. There is no magic here; the idea behind this is to assure you of your own space that you can calm down, clear your thoughts and think rationally before reacting to the other person's negativity OR react to your environment. You are your own positive energy because you have control over your thoughts and body- no one else.

4. Practicing speaking up is an option, and sometimes this comes in handy when someone is attacking you verbally. Although the key thing is to speak up clearly about how it is making you feel. Use "I feel" instead of "You are...". You don't even have to be harsh about it. 

5. It's okay not to be okay (I am so quoting Jessis.J's song). As a teenager, I was often put down by others. I had a lot of negative friends, and some of them don't even notice that they were being harsh to me. One of them used to pick on me, or make snotty comments about something I like, do, wear, etc. I always felt drained out whenever I spent time with them. 

Of course, at that age, I didn't know what was negative energy all about or how to understand myself. I would react to it, at the same time I felt terrible about myself for reacting to it. Little did I know, it was okay not to feel okay. Eventually, I learned how to manage it and here's how you can do it too: 

A. Learn to say no
B. If you don't feel good with someone, don't cut off, but stay away for awhile until you regain energy or be ready to be around these people
C. Judge less, and try to understand
D. Give your self permission; it is okay not to be okay

6. The final tip: Letting Go. Click on the link to read more about it on Tiny Buddha, one of my favorite websites for self-discovery.


With light and love~

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Up close with: Amnesty Ding of Pretty Cool DIY Denims

Tuesday, August 6, 2013


In one of my previous inspiration Picks, I shared dyed diy denims, made by Amnesty Ding of Pretty Cool DIY Denims. Seeing how inspired she is in fashion and crafts, I decided to seek her out and ask her if she can share her thoughts with The Artsy Craftsy readers. Here's what Amnesty has to say:


Tell me about yourself and where you are from?
Just a simple Business graduate from a small town called Sitiawan, Perak, Malaysia. I moved to Kuala Lumpur when I was 18 years old; it has been 7 years now.

What’s your type of craft?
I revamped all sorts of denim, mostly jeans and shorts including jackets and vest From time to time, I would do different types of craft like keychains, bracelet and canvas shoes.

When did you start and why? 
It started on June 2012 during my semester break and I was looking for something to fill up my spare time JOmbre was trending then from TOPSHOP but the price was way too expensive for a pair of shorts! There and then came the idea where I thought, "Why don’t I just do it myself?" I got advise from friends which then led me to start my Facebook page

How did you promote yourself as a Crafter?
I wanted the support to be organic, therefore I did not do much advertising or asking random people to like my page; I wanted for those who liked my page to truly appreciate my work J I promote myself as a crafter through my designs and quality of work.

Any meaning behind your unique biz name?
It started of as Pretty Cool DIY Denim- derived from my thoughts, pretty spontaneous though, like DIY denim is pretty cool, hence the name. But I decided to change it to just my initial of my name. Now it is known as AMN'D.S; The DIY is taking a different approach now and I guess shorter name would be better for a branding J

What’s your favourite style, colour or pattern?
I love red and black! When I first started out, a lot of my designs consist different tones of red, but I start exploring different colours and designs to suit others. JAs for patterns, tribal is definitely my favorite and my best sellers too. It’s like my signature for DIY.

What do you love about yourself?
I guess what I love about myself is I am able to turn something plain into something different but I love my supporters more because they are the reason that keeps my passion going.

What/Who are your inspirations?
I don’t have a particular person, but I enjoy visitng sites like Pinterest or sometimes just Google to see how other crafters create their work. Just amazing!

What are your other interests/hobbies you balance with your biz
My other interests is definitely fashion, and it gels well with my business because I love DIY shorts myself and my style evolves around that. It is now a big part of me now.

Where do you see yourself next in biz in 2 years time?
I don’t know where would it bring me to in the next two years, perhaps more people would know my work; perhaps that is my real purpose from the time I started until now. I want to be able to share my work with more and more people. Amn’d.s have a business partner now, and we are planning to expand!

What are your significant memories so far from this experience?
There are many significant memories from my DIY projects, but I guess the most memorable ones are having a female fans leaving me a message on Facebook to tell me that they recognize my work from another blogshop, and the owner of the blog claimed my work as their own. The amazing thing is, these nice people recognized my designs in one glance!

Have you participated in any events/competitions?
I have participated in two events before so far, due to busy schedule; one is a culture run when I first started out and the other is an event called Art of Speed Malaysia 2013. As for competitions, I joined Kendall & Kylie’s DIY contest on Instagram and came out first and the most recent one would be the denim contest for Selfridges & Co London where my work was chosen to be one of the main image to appear on their window J

Got an inspiring advice or tip to share?
I never thought I would come this far with my work. When I first started out, there was a lot of trials and errors along the way, but I never give up in doing what I love most! Enjoy what you do, and do what you love. DIY doesn’t require real talent, DIY requires a true heart and passion to produce amazing results.

Thank you Amnesty for being an inspiration to all crafty-ladies out there!
*Photos courtesy of Amnesty Ding
*Photos have been edited to meet blog post requirements

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Style with a spikey necklace

Sunday, August 4, 2013






Wild Metallic Spikey Necklace: The.Wild.Things
Black Sweater: c/o SEED
Black Velvet dress: own
Pinstripe Shirt: c/o SEED
Smena 8M Lomograph Camera: c/o Analoguekaki

The.Wild.Things carries a range of edgy yet stylish with sophistication line of accessories. It never goes out of the style. I remember as a freshmen in college, I was engrossed with the whole nu-metal-grunge-goth-punk look. I wore spike earrings and bracelets, had my hair dyed purple and burgundy and wore everything black right down to black converse. Now that I am in my late 20's, even though I have dropped some of those style, I am still a big fan of black + spikes (rocker at heart! haha)

The necklaces and earrings available at The.Wild.Things can be matched with any attire. Thanks to The.Wild.Things for making this happen, I matched the Wild Metallic Spikey Necklace with a large black t-shirt (courtesy of my boyfriend), it vamps up the plain jane look. A simple, grungy yet stylish necklace like this brings out the sophistication in almost everywhere attire.

About The.Wild.Things
Releasing its accessory collections chapter by chapter like a story book, The.Wild.Things. gets your imagination wild as you await for its next collection-chapter to be released and find out what's in store. Each chapter carries a unique theme, ranging from classic vintage, ethnic, bohemian, punk rock, elegant and sophistication.

You will be surprised by its collection-chapter of trendy fashionable accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, rings and hair accessories. The.Wild.Things unique range are carefully selected, and will soon be adding designer handmade ones to its collection.


The.Wild.Things is giving away 10% discount exclusively to The Artsy Craftsy readers. 
Enjoy Discount code: "ARTZY" upon checkout. Hurry! Promo ends 6th August 2013. Promo extended to 31st August 2013