Thursday, September 25, 2014

The little one in my home

Thursday, September 25, 2014
Hello!

Time flies very quickly...

I know the title of my blog post can seem misleading, but no I am not talking about a human baby, but a feline baby that has been part of my life for the past 2 weeks already. This little one has been an angel (and a biter and kicker), accompanying me everyday and every night.

Her name is Fuzzy.

I haven't really officially introduce her to everyone yet, but in just 2 weeks, she has grown so much. Much bigger than in this picture.

Fuzzy has beautiful eyes, and I've been pretty worried about her lately because she has been having eye infection on her right eye.

It really does make a difference having another soul at home. All these while it has always been only me and Justin. While not tying the knot yet (although 8 years makes it feel as if we are already) and not having children yet, having Fuzzy around changed everything at home. Some days I am at home by myself working on the computer or making art, while Justin goes out for meetings. The silence of the apartment is certainly nice, but does get a little too quiet sometimes.

Ever since Fuzzy is around, she has been my companion, playing around at my feet while I do my work (she likes to stay close to us), playing around at Justin's feet when he does his work, watch TV with us and fall asleep. And I mean, she literally watches the TV. Goes to bed with us sometimes, sleeping peacefully in between our feet all cozy up.

Anyways, I haven't been posting much creative posts or tutorials lately because my evenings has been busy with Fuzzy. Been settling down with her to help her get used to our daily patterns, medication and stuff like that. She's literally a baby and she needs a lot of attention for now.

However, all in all, I assure you that I will come back with good stuff for sure!


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Things are Looking Up

Thursday, September 11, 2014
In Memory of Sticky 
RIP 6th Sept 2014

Sometimes when times are down, we have difficulties looking up.

I am writing this post because lately, I have been experiencing swings, it goes up and down, up and down... just like a seesaw. Okay, so I said swing, but I literally imagined myself up and down on a seesaw.

---

About a couple of days ago, my 1-month old kitten died. His name was Sticky. My friend rescued the little fellow from underneath her car and gave it to me to foster him. Sticky was already sick, but I was determined to nurse it back to its wholesome self again. We even had plans to make sure he was healthy and be ready for adoption.

We had him dewormed, groomed to remove some sticky tar from him (that's how he got his name), and made sure he was well fed. But all Sticky did was poo-ing and sleeping a lot. However, this little fighter was strong enough to miaow for me every morning, as though to tell me he was woken up and would like some attention. After some breakfast and water, he goes back to sleep to let me get ready and rush off to work. Then at night, I would come home after work and feed him again, clean his ears, brush him, etc. and the same routine the next day.

5 days later after spending day after day, night after night, feeding and cleaning (even singing) to Sticky, his situation got worst because we made a mistake feeding Sticky raw chicken liver because another cat owner advised us to do so. At first, he ate, but a tiny little bit, and what shocked us the most was after that, when Sticky started vomitting and losing strength to even stand.

It was approximately 2am in the morning, and we rushed him to the 24-hr animal hospital. Justin was exceptionally upset because over the 5 days when he and I took turns to look after Sticky, Justin grew attached to the little fellow and started to connect with him. That very night Sticky passed on, was the same day Justin decided to keep him and be Sticky's forever family.

Unfortunately, even at the hospital, Sticky got worst; it wasn't just the liver, it was a whole lot of other sickness and virus Sticky had. The little guy was already brain dead and lifeless... not dead, but practically a vegetable. He was not responding at all; the kind doctor said that as much as he hates seeing animals suffer, his advice was to put Sticky out of his misery. And so I did... I had no choice as much as it broke mine and Justin's heart.

I went home that night, looking at his things, the house I made him, his food, his little bear... I was sad... the next day, the house was so much quieter and empty.

It is strange how a pet can affect our lives, and how its absence can bring so much emptiness to my heart. And so to relive the presence of Sticky, we decided to get a pet, one we can raise together.

.... I said to Justin, "We're going to turn into those couples, who don't have real human kids, but call our pets our children, right?" haha!

So, after several searching... I finally came across one that reminded me a lot of Sticky. It's the soul in its eyes that caught my attention. Unfortunately, the rescuer told me that the kitten was already adopted by its own fosterer, that's probably how much love there is. I thought at first, well, if it's not meant to be, then it isn't. But then the rescuer contacted me and said her friend just found another 1 month old kitten, and asked me if I wanted it.

Justin and I was overjoyed; feels as if were were waiting for an adopted child! haha!

Today, a friend asked me, why the sudden want for a feline friend at home?

It didn't occur to me 'why' I want a feline family at home, but I told her "I guess, the studio seem less quieter; like as though having a kid in the household."

I miss Sticky very much. I told the rescuer the whole story, and she said the nicest thing to me, "maybe it's because of your love, that's why Sticky is sending kitties to you."

That's really nice.

As I await for the next kitty to join us... I have DIY plans! Kitty projects!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Review: Rosemary Lavender Hair Treatment Oil by Claire Organics ( + Giveaway -Closed-)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Before I blog any further, as much as this can pass off as a beauty post, I would like to say that I am not a Beauty Blogger. I am just a big fan of hand & home made products, and my recent treasures are natural homemade body, bath & hair products. Love organic, love natural!

Unlike most regular Asian Chinese girls with straight hair, I am a little different. Not only do I have tan, honey skin colour, but I also have natural curls. Since I was a teenage girl, one of my biggest dilemma is struggling with frizziness. As I grew older, I began to appreciate my own natural curls, and aimed to have long mermaid-like curls. People tell me that I am really lucky to be born with natural curls. Well, I have my grandmother and mother to thank then, because it runs in the family. With that in mind, I have been searching hi low for the right hair care to tame my curls. I've tried several hair solution including olive oil beauty remedy, and then I discovered 'Nourishing Rosemary Lavender Hair Treatment Oil' by CLAIRE Organics.

The Rosemary Lavender Hair Oil can be used many ways. It is known as an all-in-1 hair treatment because you can:
- Use it as an intensive treatment for dandruff, especially itchy and flaky scalp
- Use it as a pre-wash hair treatment
- Use it as a post-wash hair oil to tame your hair, detangle and even split ends.

In my case, frizziness and softening my curls...

The natural-made hair product is special because it doesn't have strong chemicals that damages your hair in a long run. With natural ingredients like jojoba oil (which I know is really good for hair), extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, rosemary and lavender, it is no wonder it is eco-friendly and has healing properties.

 So, how to use? It is very easy, nothing complicated, and it isn't oily at all once your hair has absorbed it.
Since I recommend using it as a post-wash, here's how I did it:

1. After washing your hair, dry your hair thoroughly with a towel.

2. Pump 2-3 pumps of oil (or more depending on your hair) on your palm.

3. Apply it on to your hair; you can do it part by part, like me, because of the thickness of my hair. (Yes I have thick hair for an Asian Chinese girl. During humid hot weather, my hair looks like a Lion's mane. But not anymore with Claire Organics Hair Treatment Oil!)

4. Leave it to dry, and let the magic do its work!


I left it overnight and love the results the next day! This photo was taken the next day, to show you how my hair has soften so much. Mermaid-hair yay!


I encourage you to give it a try! You are in luck because CLAIRE Organics is giving away to 2 Lucky Winners, 1 Free Hair Treatment Oil  (Worth RM38) each!

WANT TO GRAB ONE? CLICK on the image below to Participate in the Giveaway Contest. So simple, join now!


Edited: Contest Starts from 4th - 10th Sept; Only 1 Week, 2 Winners, 2 Hair Treatment Oil, made with love! Hurry!

[Giveaway Closed]

Monday, September 1, 2014

Drawing with Lyra Aquarelle Gel Crayons

Monday, September 1, 2014

I am a sucker for art materials, especially stationaries. When I step into a store like Art Friend, my heart literally skips a beat, leaving me breathless. Haha, really, it's true.

When I discovered creative journalling, I learned that it was very much connected to my interest in mixed media. I went all out to find out what sort of drawing materials I can use besides illustration markers or sharpie pens; and that it led me to discovering gel crayons, which is interesting because it reminds me of a lot like a lipstick! Looks edible too, but no I didn't take a bite.

It was really fun to use the Lyra Aquarelle Gel Crayons. When I purchased it from Art Friend, The Gardens MidValley, a high-end shopping mall, it was pretty costly i'd say for a set. Roughly about RM50 and above, but worth it if you love exploring with different drawing materials. It comes with many colours, including additional colours like silver and gold. I think that's quite unique, plus the colours are vibrant and not dull.


You should give it a try if you enjoy doodling or journalling like me. It is convenient to carry along with you, and useful too if you include a waterbrush. The texture on paper is almost the same as a crayon, but because it is gel-like, it is also soft, easier to blend and can even be painted with water, like a watercolour pencil.


I did a comparison between a gel crayon and a regular crayon. The difference is that the regular crayon gives a much more coarser and drier effect, where else with the gel crayon, it's softer and easier to blend. The thing is there's no pros and cons here, I think it really depends what sort of texture or effect suitable for your artwork.

Oh and fyi, it is not the same as a wax crayon.

After testing it, I also used a wet brush to paint on it to see the outcome. Here's how it looks like:

and of course, if used too much water, it will seep through.




All in all, it is still a fun material to use. Lots can be done with the gel crayon, and good for mixed media techniques definitely. Here, let me show you how else I tested the gel crayons:

 Shade different colours with it...

 Sprayed water on it...

Dry brush it...

 Blended it with a toothbrush...

Blend it with my finger...

Happy exploring!