Yummy Things

A couple of days ago, Greg left for work at around 6:30am. At 6:45am I went to my computer to look around Etsy only to find the most marvellous featured seller ever! Ok, maybe that statement is a bit of an overkill, but seriously, I come out of it feeling really inspired and the drive to improve my own work!

The featured seller was sparkleskitchen(.etsy.com)- the shop owner, Karen specializes in baking macaroons which is a type of French biscuit dessert. I have to admit, I’ve never tasted a macaroon that I liked, but Karen’s photos of these biscuits are just so amazing it made me justified all the other macaroons I’ve ever tasted.

www.sparkleskitchen.etsy.com

I was really inspired the way Karen really researched the recipes, and then modify/created new flavour the way she wanted it. Her photos are SO perfect! I think I would do anything to be able to take photos of jewellery as appealing as food (if it’s possible at all). There is nothing more tempting than a great photography of food that can pinch your brain on the right spot and make you drool over a picture.

In Karen’s interview, she mentioned that she is inspired a lot by Tartelette, an artist specializing in food photography. Tartellette’s work is also very inspiring. The photos are so simple, but they’ve all got soul.

http://www.tarteletteblog.com/

All this thought of food is making me dream about baking hundreds of melting moments in different flavour, just like Karen with her macaroons. I also got inspired on taking photos of food that I took photo of my lunch that day... obviously it doesn't compare with the previous photos... hehe. 

My lunch- home made pesto, cheese and tomato on toast. 

Other than that, I was still trying to get over my cold this week, so things are going pretty sloooow. All I remembered doing was sleeping, coiling, watched Dragon Ball Kai, and played the piano. Today is the first day that I finally woke up from it all and felt that I can do stuff. I'm definitely looking forward to a better week next week! =)

Oh, and here's a link to Karen's interview! Happy reading! =)

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/featured-seller-sparkleskitchen-12480/

The break

I’ve been sick all week this week. It would’ve been nice if I could still do stuff, but I wasn’t fit enough to do even the simplest things even if I try. My throat and my head had suffered, and my body was feeling cold while Greg thinks that it’s boiling hot and I can only be up 5 hours at a time. 

In effect, the progress of my store had been pretty slow this week. I managed to expand my herringbone collection a little. Herringbone is a little technique that I learnt just last week, and decided that I want to take my shop into a detour from the usual to explore other possibilities. It was the perfect project for my current situation as it allows me to make simple but elegant jewelry that takes less concentration to make than my normal wire jewelry. I also get to use one of my favorite material: freshwater pearls!  

Click this link for more details:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/letterstoamuseme?section_id=7919471

I’m also particularly grateful for the Etsy community this week! My items had been featured in so many treasuries! They’re like small doses of happiness and it excites me everytime! These are some of my favorite treasuries that I got featured in:

 "Wire Art" by BristolTreasuresUK featuring my "Windows" necklace

"Quotes About Music and Dreams" by gbbox featuring my "Perception" earrings

I was overwhelmed by joy to be featured in this many treasuries that by Thursday afternoon, I was determined that if I can’t do anything else then I might as well try making as many treasuries as I can to support other sellers. That day, I woke up at midday, and while choosing items on Etsy I fell asleep on the lounge room carpet at about 4pm. Greg came home at 7:30pm to wake me up and escort me back to the bedroom. I couldn't talk much because of my throat, so communication to Greg was done by pointing, grunting, a bit of nodding... it was like playing Pictionary but with miming. It was pretty effective :p

I only finished my first treasury the next afternoon, and 2 days later, it has only received 12 views. Oh man... so much of trying to pay things forward! Maybe there’s no point in doing anything when you’re sick....

So here is my treasury, please click this link if you think this treasury is worth more than 12 clicks: 

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d82c13317986d91332e628a/oriental-tree?ref=pr_treasury

Oriental Tree by LetterstoAmuseme

By Friday I was feeling better enough to sit on my desk for a few hours and to have friends over for games. And on Saturday, it was Canberra’s Skyfire...!!! I know Canberra has a lot of fireworks, but Skyfire is the biggest! Greg and I were there with our church group, and pretty much the whole Canberra was there, I think. The highlight for me was watching Jessica Mauboy for about an hour before the firework starts, and the firework itself of course. I love Canberra and its free concerts. On Monday while we were going for a run around the lake, Greg and I bumped into a free concert where Jimmi Barnes (Australias rock legend) was playing. So instead of running our second lap we squeezed in through to the front of the stageand jump around  to Jimmi Barnes.

Skyfire was amazing, they really didn't hold back with the amount of fireworks they were blowing up. The colours, and the variations of the fireworks were breath taking. They were dancing in sync with music on the radio so the choreography was very interesting. On the finale, the whole sky was practically filled with light and colors, it was so spectacular and overwhelming, it left half of the population in Canberra going home in awe.

Greg took this photo using a tripod and our SLR camera, pretty amazing huh?

 Skyfire 2011

Windows

My friend Paul lives in Sydney, and I haven't seen him in years! We used to live a couple of doors away in college, he was like the older brother I never had. He helped me with uni, we sang Ella Fitzgerald and Alicia Keys together, and one night when I cut my hand so bad that blood was dripping all over the floor, he did all the panicking instead of me.

Now we only chat every now and then. He's a busy lawyer, but I know deep down that is not where his heart is. His room in collage was was covered with posters and postcards- at least 2 of them are of Audrey Hepburn, some of them are of famous paintings. He always mention how much he loved yoga, and one night said he would LOVE to be able to design shoes. When we haven't chatted for months he would randomly start a conversation with a link of a painting and started praising it like a passionate critic.

One night we were discussing about the designs of the jewelry in my shop. Before he went away, he mentioned the movie "Amelie" ( A french movie by Jean-Pierre Jeunet starring Audrey Tautou)- The main character, Amelie uses the simple pleasures of life to run away from loneliness in her childhood. In effect those little things look imaginative, colourful and beautiful in her life. "...I hope this idea can help you in your future designs" - and he left.

So I came up with this pendant design, directly inspired by my windowsill at home. I really love the result...!
 http://www.etsy.com/listing/69875492/windows-wire-pendant-necklace

Good ol Paul. When I remember this conversation, the things in my house come up to life a little, and they made me smile....

=)

Early Balloon Rise

This morning, Greg and I woke up super early (5:50am) to watch the rise of the sleeping giants by 6:30am. 

Still sleeping... 

... getting up, real slowly...

Inside of the balloon

Early morning atmosphere....People are just starting to come now. There were also lot of food and coffee stalls, chairs and tables, also a live country band! We were there with our church group and Greg's parents for breakfast. The balloons were right next to us and aren't fenced off so we can walk as close to them as we want. 

More rising, and there's so many of them! :D 

How cute is this?!

The balloon was flying pretty fast once it's up. To take this photo I was running around with my head up dodging people and all chairs and tables. I'm glad I did! =)

Balloon without a basket, just a seat for two! 

Isn't this surreal? Just as the green balloon was lit too! 

They were all gone about an hour later to catch the view of Canberra in sunrise.The Canberra balloon festival this year is on from 12th-20th March. Lots more balloons to see if we're able to wake up early again. 

A New Beginning

Dinner at home

New husband, new surname, new house, new church, new pets, new email address and new Etsy shop...  I have decided that it’s about time for my blog to do the same! =) 

I’ve disappeared from facebook and blogging for a month now. I have to admit, I had been feeling pretty depressed half the month in February, so much so that I couldn’t express myself online without wanting to swear all the time or publicly humiliating myself.

So, why the grey clouds?

Birthday cake

I thought being rejected on a job trial twice was pretty bad, but then a week later, I turned 25...

I’ve heard people say that when you turn 25, something clicked in your brain. You stop learning as easily, your talent stops there. That’s it, your chances are all gone. Dunno if that statement is true or not, but I got depressed, so I guess it DID clicked! When I was 18, I couldn’t even picture myself being this old. I thought by 25 I’d be a super woman, influential, a high achiever, yadayada... everything else besides being unemployed, and married (not that being married is a bad thing of course) I was very disappointed at what I've made of myself in this age to a point where I felt that I don’t deserve being alive.

But you know what? Being sad doesn’t have to be all grey and gross. It can be graceful and made me do the things that I wouldn’t otherwise. Like listening to Sinatra out loud whilst curling under my table and cry. Or slouch on a beanbag watching an episode of Glee- got too sad to move so I just end up watching the whole DVD... and then cry again.

Hm... now that I think about it, it’s still pretty depressing.... You know, graceful sadness??? Ok, just to prove my point I’m going to create a sad themed treasury on Etsy...

"Beautiful Sadness" 

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d78eb4b1b2f8eef2604cac7/beautiful-sadness?ref=pr_treasury

What do you reckon...? 

To get out of this mess I tried changing my mindset this way:
Jesus died for me. I’m saved. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that I can do in this world to make Him love me more. This feeling of ‘not being good enough’ is my worldly human nature taking over me.

The day that I started feeling better was when my band and I pulled off a 4 hour gig at a tea house called “Adore Tea”.  It was our band’s second gig and already we have to cover 4 set list- and we pulled it off without repeating any of our songs!!! I still can’t believe it.  It is also the same tea house which offered me a job trial but rejected me in the end. It feels good to be sipping free tea during intervals and play music while they were running around serving me- made me feel glad I don’t work there. Straight after the gig, I went to church for our first music rehearsal ever. They thought I’m amazing just because I can read music. Their appreciation is making me feel alive. That day I really felt like I belong behind the piano more than just washing dishes at "Adore Tea"... even though I love tea to death.  

The gig 

So God, Greg and I have decided... we’re going to be poor for awhile while I work on my handmade business full time. It’s pretty scary since I’ve never been financially tight before in my life. I also kindda feel like I’m dragging Greg down with me. But at the same time, this is SO super exciting! I get the chance to contantly look for me, and be me. I’ve conversed this idea with dad in Heaven, and the signs had been positive. The only time when it hasn’t been positive is when I doubt myself.

So with all that positive thoughts, here’s a note to the worldly part of me- and I wish I would print this off a thousand time and eat it so it is embedded permanently in my brain: 

“I am saved, I am loved, I am special and I am unique. The world can think of me however they want because there is nothing that I can do to make Him love me more.  I'm going to launch my business because I've prayed, and the signs have been positive, and He is going to walk with me through this! So bring it on world!”

AMEN!