taiwan earthquake

NO ORDERS WERE PROCESSED OR SHIPPED OUT
yesterday 26 DEC and today 27 DEC

due to:

(1)-- heavy rainfall in singapore, my assistant and i were unable to get all order packages piled up over the long holiday weekend to the post office in a dry and safe condition yesterday
thus orders made yesterday (already packed) are not shipped out yet

(2)-- the internet is dead over here in this part of asia
(singapore, taiwan, hong kong, philippines, japan etc.)
especially to all websites based in the USA (yahoo, etsy, paypal etc.)
due to an earthquake in taiwan last night (singapore time) that has destroyed all undersea data cable lines.
thus no orders made today were processed at all as we are still unable to have access to all your order details

apologies for the inconvenience caused, and all our thoughts for the earthquake victims

we will be able to process and ship out all outstanding orders once (1) and (2) are resolved!!!
thanks for your understanding!!

some pressies!

just have to mention some sweet gifts i got this year, that are not the regular commercial items (like my new watch.. but which I still adore of course!! hugs hugs pat!!)

here's a big white box all the way from hungary! what a surprise! eeppp! thanks so much sweet betti & szili!! i got to know this cute couple when szili first bought a hyena pouch from me, as part of a x'mas pressie for betti (that was last year! wow!), and before we know it, we're friends via flickr and they're definitely one of my most awesome regular customer couple!!

there was so much love and handmade goodness in their package, it's just too much to describe, and the hungarian folklore dvd they sent me was super inspiring! 2007 here we come!! :DD

and a surprise from adorable lyn, another lof fan! this girl is just super cute, she can't stop telling me how much she loves lof, and also took cute photos of her little stumpie!really appreciate it as these are things which i think of whenever i meet obstacles at work and feel down. she is creative girl as well, i had no idea before i received this, she is florspace, and sells her wares at her own website and at etsy too!

and last but not least!!! a huge fabric stash!! from my 3 crazy girl buds mao, lana, and joanne!! mao is a jet-setter who i get to see very little of, lana is a corporate climber in the world of f&b, and joanne is a new friend i got to know last year, a physiotherapist who is schooled in the thought of moral ethics and filial piety

i almost teared when i got the big heavy box... they planned this when my workshop was flooded as they thought i was going to throw in the towel... tsk tsk, you think little of my big stubborn determination.. haha! i love you guys!! love is my fuel! haha! and if you don't already know, b and i are agnostic but are easy-going enough to go with the flow of x'mas celebrating and gift-exchanging (esp. since my dad is a christian). but this year, we've decided that we shall stop giving each other x'mas gifts, but instead the biggest gift we can give each other would be saving up for the bigger and better things in life and not just small materialistic needs (^__^) i'm super stoked and anticipating the arrival of 2007!! smuacks smuacks!

hope you guys had a wonderful long weekend filled with joy!!! thank you all for your sweet greetings and lovely cards!! here's a big loud cheers to the new year this coming weekend!!! xoxo!!

====================================================================
ADD-ON:

puhhlease... to those people who have taken on task upon themselves to teach me a thing or two about CHRISTmas.... thanks for your super bloody long emails and comments, which i am not obliged to publish. don't lecture me on wat CHRISTmas is or isn't about. i bloody know what CHRISTmas is. i have read the bible gazillion times since a child and have attended church for the most part of my life. was even in a methodist girls' school for 4 freaking years. so spare me. X'mas is an abbreviation to me and doesn't mean i am not acknowledging the true meaning behind CHRISTmas. actually, i do not even need to acknowledge anything at all, because X'mas is a national holiday here in singapore as with most parts of the world. and because it is a holiday, many people don't work, and because many people don't work, we party!!!! that just makes logical sense!!! you see why the world is in chaos now with all the wars of race and religion? it's precisely because of the existence of sensitive pricks like you. i'm not a christian (maybe you were blind and couldn't read that i said i was agnostic) so there's really absolutely no need for me to worship the day like you do. heck, my dad even wanted to go to church but his church has no service on the eve and x'mas day, because his pastor told them they should celebrate christ's birth at home, with family, with good food, and sweet presents!! so wat do you say to that??! the x'mas tree and exchange of gifts are an actual custom practiced in parts of europe. so i like the tree. so i like giving people gifts (and not just on 25 dec!!) and i bloody love receiving them! so wat??? the world is so big. stop living in your small shallow space.

happy happy holidays!!

from all of us at littleoddforest! (^__^)

gallery hanahou presents a piece of fulvimari

another public poster announcement! ^.^

==============================================================

"Jeffrey Fulvimari is "serving up" his latest works on one-of-a-kind, hand-illustrated paper plates. You'll be tempted to eat them with a fork, but use a spoon to get every drop; also available for take-out."

January 11 - 31
Opening reception January 11, 6 - 9 pm
611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC
[NW corner of Broadway and Houston]
www.galleryhanahou.com
RSVP info at galleryhanahou dot com

"With his signature illustrations of winsome fashionistas, Jeffrey Fulvimari (www.jeffreyfulvimari.com) has been influencing the art and fashion worlds for over 10 years. Though he is most well known in the United States for illustrating Madonna's first children's book, The English Roses, his client list is extensive, including special projects with Louis Vuitton and up-and-coming Belgian designer Verlaine.

In addition to his notable commissions, Jeffrey has published two books of his work in Japan, and his licensed projects enjoy much popularity in Asia and Europe. His light-hearted illustrations, which often comment on the delightful frivolity of celebrity culture, have also won Jeffrey many fans in the United States - including a number of celebrities!

Known as a prolific artist who always goes over and beyond a project's basic requirements, Jeffrey has done the same for his latest personal project, composing over one hundred beautiful, intricate illustrations
on "disposable" paper plates. For "a piece of fulvimari," Jeffrey's first solo show in New York, gallery hanahou will be covered with these culinary canvasses."

==============================================================

i like his illustration style. go see if you're there!

feeling maternal??

definitely not me!!! :pp hahaha i like to LOOK at babies, fullstop. don't ask me to carry them, stay near them for more than a couple of hours (unless they are quietly sleeping) or feed them, or needless to say, change nappies!!??! horror of horrors. so anyways, if you don't like babies, don't bother with this post.. LOL!

so here's a super duper cutie pie to share with you!! baby kay is 1 month old! already! gosh.. i still remembered when b and i went to gleneagles hospital to visit mummy steph and daddy john to visit bebe kay and of course poor mummy steph (wat's with all the bebe talk??) who endured torturous labour pains and surgery and what nots... gawd... anyways, i got bebe kay (i shall call her bebe kay till she is no longer a bebe..haha! work must have driven me across the border..) a pair of little cutie booties, so fitting for a little cutie babe she is! booties were from etsy, not sure if i've mentioned it previously but here's the place to get some handspun yarn baby booties - kristiehaynes.etsy.com

she has so much hair!!!! from her daddy john of course, let's just hope she don't be so big size like daddy john...hee, because her mummy steph will be quite upset, she has already mentioned it more than a few times LOL. anyways, mummy steph is busy tending to bebe kay's super minimal needs (sleep, drink milk, stare, sleep, drink milk, and cleaning in between the mentioned activities), so naturally, she was free enough to take photo of bebe kay bathing!! and like mummy steph, bebe kay is no water-bebe, so will have to wait for daddy john to train her! hahaha i can loudly proclaim that bebe kay IS the cutest bebe (chinese bebe at least) i've seen in long two-seven years of life, or maybe i haven't seen enough babies, watever. she is the cutest, looking healthy and strong and chubby and rosy with a headful of hair *kiss kiss* may you grow up wise and good, gorgeous and witty. what's a person without humor??? a dull one.

back to work on a rainy rainy night... sigh

gloomy rainy days

because mr and mrs cloud and their children have decided to pay mr. sunny a visit these couple of weeks, there will be slight delays in listing of new items, since i've been unable to take any decent product photos..... but do expect truckloads of them in january 2007! there will be new accessories in addition to more bag re-stocks and etc. just in time for post-holiday shopping, and pre-chinese new year shopping! we're working hard on tweaking the web shoppe as well, you'll see in time to come (^__~)

so..

i've been receiving emails from a few online peeps who were worried that the copycats whom me and my friends have been lambasting were referring to them... well... no! it's not you guys, so don't worry. for real. it's puzzling why you all would feel so.... but i know how things can get pretty sensitive on the web, i've received many emails since littleoddforest started, from nice and perhaps occasionally over-zealous lof-customers or online friends, about who and who they thought were copying us or had designs that were too similar to ours.. they definitely have good intentions, but sometimes could get overboard we have experienced a few who have actually taken upon themselves to contact the alleged copier and things were unnecessarily dramatic and went slightly out-of-hand without our knowledge or permission.... online copyright evangelists?? haha

anyways we were not referring to any one person in particular, it was a sharing of common experiences, an entire situation we all had to deal with in the creative line... we're not proclaiming to be super original geniuses, definitely far from it, no one is nowadays, all ideas now are recycled ones anyways... unless of course you copy an entire concept + idea + design + product... then yeah, i can't help you :p

but if you have shared with or submitted a design idea with/to someone or company, they do not get back to you or have paid you, and yet you see it surfacing somewhere after a couple of months... hell yeah.. that's outright robbery, that's being a copycat, that's being unoriginal, and that's being cheap. cheap. cheap. cheap. especially if they are a "friend" or when this company jolly well know that they have an advantage over you in terms of size and $$$

cheap peeps. pui. don't cry bucket loads over it dear, you live on with good karma and my support *hugss*

and here's to share with you a cute photo an equally cute lof-customer sent to me... hahaha! little stumpie in quiet meditation....

so much going on!!?

yeah... so much going on that i've had no time to even send out newsletters or update my customers or this blog... though i've been around in flickr because uploading photos are always soooo mcuh easier ;p this is my 2nd year-end busy-ness... and it still takes some getting used to!!!

so far, my part-time packing assistant has succesfully packed 5 wrong orders, sent 2 right orders to 2 wrong persons, and doesn't really care because he's 16 years old and waiting for his o-level results and just wants the money to splurge on his girlfriend and sneaking into mos (ministry of sound)... thank gawd i'm not his mum... (x_x)

i just came back from a business trip to meet a new stockist (and had to drag someone along with me because she chose to come back to singapore just when i was about to leave! haha but you had fun shopping right???) i also ordered more supplies for 2007, and will be leaving again after the new year, because we have found a new place to rent as our workshop in the philiipines and i'm excited!! if you don't know... the previous one set up this year was flooded by typhoon xangsane, one of the many typhoons to have ravaged through the philippines this 2006 year of disaster... http://mylittleoddforest.blogspot.com/2006/10/typhoon-xangsane-in-philippines.html
my truck has been repaired (kinda) and i've bought new inventory, including new sewing machines, fans, furniture, and a fucking expensive power generator (sobs...) that's a super huge hole burnt in my profit takings... let's hope for a happy peaceful mother-nature in 2007....

and yes gerry dear, i got your email!! don't worry!!! if you don't already know, i don't reply to emails immediately.. :p and yes yes, down with the style-imitators! down with "designers" and supposedly "creative" people who only emulate others' ideas and style!! we know who she/they are! you're one agitated gal gerry. i thought i had enough "!!! "and "???" in my style of typing, but yours... it was at a much much higher level.. hahaha! just in case you're confused as to who we're talking about, it will remain a mystery, because i'm non-confrontational and she/they read this blog of mine... oopps! hah

i've also been busy with some custom orders, including wedding door gifts which i can't share photos with as requested by the bride, and saving 3 stray kittens in 2 weeks (gawd)

custom pins for anthropology homeware

one of the poor things

and b's birthday last weekend!!! *hugss* we had a gorgeous weekend at scarlet hotel again, had food and drinks at michelangelo's ... this year was a quiet celebration just the both of us, i thought it was because he's getting old... muahaha! but it was actually because he wanted to make up for the huge scene he made while drunk at last year's party! hah! :p

how's your coding coming along, amy? i need you for new write-ups!! will email you.. soon! hee

catching up...

now that we have a new world-class shell, it's time to work on having world-class exhibits as well...
our grand old dame, the national history museum of singapore, was lited up in blue on its opening night 2 dec, there is an on-going preview special that lasts until wednesday night (which is today), so go catch it if you haven't
my dad was happy because i chose to celebrate his birthday on the museum's opening night last saturday (not deliberately on my part) and his actual birthday is the last day of the opening special. he's weird like that. imagine a 57 year old do that.b was quite shocked and amused to see him practically call out in pure delight and almost skipping his way to the museum. well, that's my eccentric dad

-- people were more interested in eating free food and chattering, than enjoying the museum
-- i caught my dad's shiny spot in many photos, unintentionallly

-- b and my dad discussing the infamous pontianak horror film of those days

i have been so crazy busy that i chose to ignore most unknown phone calls yesterday and today... so if you or you or you called, to ask about this or that, i'm genuinely sorry... i was so tired that i feel asleep while cutting out templates for a custom project for one of our retailers....

speaking of which, it's really old news... but i was commissioned to do a custom plush for a dear customer-friend, mandy.
original photo by me, she was too excited and wanted an immediate mms, edited photo above pirated from her blog. it's an icon which everyone in her design firm, where she works at, has. courtesy of her genuis creative director. who made such a gawd damn difficult icon to make into a plush. so many layers, i had to think of so many short-cuts to make it feasible and easier to sew. am glad you like it (or so you say.... hahahha) your droppy boobies, your little pet piggy-head, and having wings behind your head... all of which were not part of the original icon... but it was truly fun doing it, i'm sorry it couldn't be made any better or with better materials, as those were the only ones whose colors were closest to the icon... again.. kudos to your genius creative director...

i'm tired, which is why my post has zero exclamation marks.... i got into a minor accident today when i reversed into a customer's house gate, thinking that it was wide open..... luckily the dent is minor, luckily it was b's car and not my dad's, only because b is the most forgiving person i know on earth.... i think i've taken enough time off from replying a gazillion emails... back to worky.... 1.15am.... *yawnsss*

fredflare's carnival of cute!

ATTN: NYC peeps!

fredflare.com is thrilled to announce a ONE-DAY-ONLY SHOPPING SPECTACULAR called the CARNIVAL OF CUTE!
featuring
- AMY SEDARIS signing autographs and selling her baked goods!
- GINA GARAN featuring LIMITED-EDITION BLYTHES FROM JAPAN!
- PATCH NYC unloads amazing JEWELRY and SURPRISES in their first New
York sale in two years!
- KLEIN REID, purveyors of perfect pottery, have steals and deals!
- CHRIS UPHUES unveils a special installation of happy-faced hearts!
- LIVE DJ and surprises!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a special event NOT TO BE MISSED!

WHAT:
fredflare.com's CARNIVAL OF CUTE
WHEN:
Saturday, December 9th, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
WHERE:
175 North 10th Street, in Williamsburg
Between Bedford Avenue and Driggs Avenue
Only 3 blocks north of the Bedford stop on the L train

For more info, please phone 718-599-9221

fredflare.com’s WINTER WEEKEND WONDERLAND STORE
NOW OPEN every Saturday & Sunday, November 25 - December 24, 11AM-5PM
(also open XMAS EVE, December 24th, 11AM-5PM)
175 North 10th St, Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY (btwn Bedford Ave & Driggs Ave)
Only 3 blocks north of the Bedford stop on the L train
For more info, please phone 718-599-9221

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i wish i was there... so if you are nearby, don't miss this opportunity!!

x'mas shipping dates

important holiday shipping dates!

christmas shipping dates
• international shipping - order placed by 4 DEC (MONDAY)
• local shipping (singapore) - order placed by 18 DEC (MONDAY)

no shipping from 23 DEC - 26 DEC and 30 DEC - 2 JAN 07

crafty synergy interview

the sweet patricia zapata, talented crafter and cards designer of a little hut (go check out her web shoppe!) has set up a blog of interviews she does with various artists and designers all over the world at crafty synergy! in her own words -

"Crafty Synergy is a blog about creative women and their businesses. It is a place about understanding what these artists do and why they do it. As a graphic designer, and owner of two small businesses myself, I find that I want to know more about others carving a niche for themselves. My hope is that these interviews are inspiring and help some of you move forward with your dreams as well"

so many of our favorites have already been interviewed, and i too was graciously invited to do an interview with her sooooo long ago (thanks!!) but you know me... i lose track of emails.... until the peeved sender emails me a reminder (x__x) ... oopps! so sorry for the long long delay, patricia! haha but i'm sure she wasn't peeved at all... i hope!

anywaysss... my interview can be found here
http://craftysynergy.blogspot.com/2006/11/littleoddforest.html

thanks so much! and here's cheers to the holiday season to all of us busy bees!!

back to worky work...

finally reconnected!

hello everyone!
I am pleased to say that I am finally reconnected!

As most of you already know, I recently moved from the south end of the city to the north end. The move was a huge task but I did have help from many of my friends which made it better than it could have ever been. To them...know that I appreciated all your time and help very much! My M.S. also proved to be an unwelcome guest through the process as well. The downside of the move was the Verizon DSL issues. My last login was November 10, 2006. Yes, its taken that long for all the switches to be reset and the signals rerouted! Needless to say I wasn't real happy with their delays in transferring my DSL service; that's all in the past now. Verizon did issue me a credit for a months worth of service for the delays!

In that small window of being "unconnected from the world" I managed to get 531 new messages in my email! Understandably, it will take a few days to go through them. Certain to say I lost quite a bit of potential business from the aquarium plant design project and a complete loss of communication from any potential and or existing customers. I'm amazed at how dependent we have all become on the internet, in some respects it troubles me a great deal.

Looking forward to reconnecting with all of you very soon...Cheers! Ron

forest seedlings totes

weeeee....!!!
the super-long-awaited forest seedlings tote restock
starts today all the way till next week!
so don't say i didn't tell you!

only 6 - 12 pcs of each combination is available!
after this batch, there will be no more restocks of the forest seedlings tote till mid-jan 2007

ENJOY! xoxoxo!!

lof updates!

don't you just love the smell of december?? i do!! i feel energised and happyyyy just waking up everyday! (^__^) SO! anyways....

=================================================================

• all sizes of our new tanktops have been fully re-stocked

• very limited quantities of our sale tanktops have been re-stocked as well

• our new bags collection are being listed slowly but surely, they are all in limited quantities, so once gone, are gone forever, don't miss it!

=================================================================

expect last minute shoppe updates in december! i know many of you get money for x'mas and can shop only after x'mas, so don't worry, we will be stocking up the shoppe all the way til january 07. that way, everyone will be happy, yes???

my sewers will be on their 2-week x'mas holiday break by mid-december, so all outstanding special orders will only resume in january 07

so pretty please... don't harrass me with tons of emails (hahaha, you know who you are!)... there's only so much i can do.. i want a holiday too, you know??

okay, i owe you (janice), and you (steph), and you (amy), and you (lucia), and you (customers) emails... i know... will get back to it as soon as i can cute peeps!! xoxoxo!!

i love the internet

because we get tons of sweet reviews online, there are wonderful people out there in the world wide web who like and appreciate what we do! yayy!

Fashionista Diaries
Written by Melvin Ryan Tan
A review article on the recently ended Singapore Fashion Week 06
(our review on page.3)
http://www.youth.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1535&Itemid=29

Oh Great Avalanche!
(a cute customer of ours who bought herself a snotty bird bag)
http://ohgreatavalanche.blogspot.com/2006/11/snotty-bird.html

BussBuss
(our littlemogu pouch in red was featured in BussBuss's holiday gift guide!)
http://www.bussbuss.com/bussbuss_articles/articles/001060.shtml

Fashion Fotog
(a fashion blog by a girl named Alexis)
http://fashionfotog.blogspot.com/2006/11/bag-lady.html

grateful thanks to all of you!

shoppe alert! shoppe alert!

You have been warned! Lots of RE-STOCKS and NEW ITEMS will be trickling in from today! Wooppee! (^__^)

All re-stocks are of course LIMITED so don't miss it! So pretty please, no hate emails regarding a sold-out item you had wanted... We really appreciate your understanding that we are not some huge factory churning out gazillion wrist clutches everyday.. (x__x) L.O.V.E. has to be injected into all LOF creations, and injection takes time...really!

p.s. to those of you who have been taking time to drop us super sweet emails, thanks so much! I'm thankful beyond words for all your encouraging words and heartfelt comments. As we say it in Mandarin... jia you! jia you! jia you! (go! go! go!...??) hmmm.... xoxo!!

and more LOF lovers

i'm really thankful to all of you, this is fuel for me to kick start my crazy day, everyday...

"Ms. Spinach is a fashion writer, photoblogger and rampant overspender currently living in Asia. Fashion is Spinach dot com is her blog focusing on interesting design, quirky finds and personal style—just like its namesake book. Sort of."
fashion is spinach dot com
http://www.fashionisspinach.com/2006/11/holiday-gift-guide-little-odd-forest.html

"We are crawling the web for the best and most amazing products and inventions - so you don't have to. From funny to geeky stuff and extraordinary design to amazing technology - we just pick everything what's cool!"
cool picking
http://www.coolpicking.com/50226711/huggables_from_little_odd_forest.php

" A budget shopping blog as one girl attempts to find essential, cool and stylish things in"
afexion.com
http://www.afexion.com/20dollars/home_decor/little_odd_fore.php

snort me

hmmmm...

Your Personality Is Like Heroin

You're capable of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Addicted to feeling good, you'll do almost anything to avoid pain. People seek you out, even though you can be quite moody. They're hooked on you!

What Drug Is Your Personality Like?

Mankiller....

I have yet to do a post about vintage clothing ( one of my greatest passions) so today I have decided to share with you one of my favorite vintage dresses from my own collection. It's certainly not the oldest or most valuable dress but one I love all the same. This is by British designer John Bates and from the mid 70's. It is a very slinky poly crepe, lots of fabulous drape. Beleive it or not, I fit into this dress not that many years ago!

The detail is wonderful. It has an open back, the front ties around the neck like a halter dress and has that daring plunge down the center of the "bodice". There are small covered buttons on the side front of the waist panel, beautiful grecian drape where the skirt meets the waist panel and of course, that very sexy and glamorous split in the skirt.







Isnt it simply gorgeous?!

why fuck with me?

a lesson learnt.

recently we had to deal with a horrible wholesale buyer / stockist, the only one i had to deal with thus far, out of the total of 35 stockists in my 2-year history of business, and hopefully the only one EVER in my entire life

she curtly demands for stock on the spot and purposefully asks me for a solution after saying that my long turnaround time is costing her her business and blah blah blah. so, the ever-accomodating and obliging stupid moi even removes stock from my web shoppe just to pacify her pushy requests, had to push back other wholesale orders in the long queue just to squeeze in her order, and even offered her free partial earlier shipment for the first batch of ready-now stocks. the b.i.t.c.h. seemed happy. whatever.

because just ONE week after she paid for this particular order (she's a 3-time repeat buyer) she sends us this email

"Well, I have some unfortunate news. We have recently decided to close the store due to a new business direction we have decided to take. So, because of this we wont be taking any new merchandise, so I am going to have to refuse the order you already sent so you can get it back as soon as possible. When it comes I am going to refuse it and it should come straight back to you. IF you have any questions or concerns please let me know, also please let me know when you can refund my money for the purses."

wtf???????!

when i first dealt with her, i had yet to draft out our wholesale contract in detail, and thus had missed out on sending her a copy. shit. now this shit is falling on me. because when i replied -

"I'm so sorry to hear about this. We have a no-refund policy unless fault on our part. You confirmed your order on 21 Oct and made payment just less than a week ago. I'm sorry about this situation but am unable to do any refunds, so please do not return us the merchandise."

i got bit in my ass.

"I have copied and pasted the only thing you sent me about your policies....at no time did you mention a no refund policy. Also, the order was refused already before I got your email. I checked all of the emails and information you ever sent me, because I save all of my emails from vendors. At no time did you state your policy."

i'm really paying for business tuition fees while doing this. not the money, but the bad experience. and this was all i could say before caving in :(

"I guess I had missed out on sending you our wholesale policy when we first liased. My website has its policy stated clearly here - http://www.forestprints.com/ReturnPolicy.html. This has never happended to us before and it's really bad. It is most unfortunate that you have already rejected the package as we had to lose a couple of businesses and rush for your order, which you had initially so hurriedly and insistently requested for, and we had kindly obliged. It is really bizarre that you could change your mind in just a week about the orders you had rushed to place. Your refund will be processed only after the package has safely arrived here, minus the exact extra shipping and handling charges we have incurred on our side."

so for those of you in the same line of business or thinking of starting one yourself, please draft out allllll your contracts first and make sure the other party agrees to every detail before proceeding. if you've only done so now, make sure you send it to all your previous buyers as well, you will never know when they might want to screw you up too.

thanks for loving LOF

grateful thanks to these nice cute peeps for loving what we do here in the littleoddforest!

by Cuteable: a Mon-Fri dose of cute stuff for you and your home!~
http://cuteable.com/an-odd-little-forest/18

feature by Anissa Mook, Editor In Chief for indieshopping.com~
http://indieshopping.com/blog/?p=167

by the rather mad jac ~
http://jac.liquidblade.com/?p=462

back but will be gone again..

.. because it's the year-end busiest period and i'm running a race over here... got huge orders to complete, and you know, most buyers aren't usually the most cooperative bunch of people, they will order last minute and will want quick deliveries regardless of what i've repeatedly mentioned and even put down on paper black and white... uurrgghh..

the trade event this year wasn't as good as last year's, it was okay for me nevertheless, but yeah, no more local fashion trade events for me! the market here is still too young and inexperienced, and the event organisers really do not know how to do up a good successful fashion trade event. it wasn't done in a very fashionable fashion... it was pretty boring sad to say... not just visually boring, it was boring in almost every sense... in singapore, the only trade shows that sells are either the I.T. fair, food fair, john little/robinsons sale, or cheap stationary fair. sigh. tsk tsk. all thanks to our beloved unfashionable government :p bleurgh

for those of you who aren't my flickr pals, here are some pics to share with you!




















































i'm aiming for trade shows overseas next year, maybe the usa or australia or somewhere. i think it should be fun. holiday cum trade fair. hhmmm... if any of you know of some good ones in your own country, drop me an email! i'm open to sharing booth space as well >.<

anyhow, grateful thanks to all you sweet peeps who turned up all the way at the expo to say hihi! lana, pat, joel, adeline, mandy, casey.. and all my other regular customers who turned up to show support and some even with gifts!! uh! i'm really touched and happy ^.^

i apologise if i wasn't entertaining or attentive enough as i only had 3-4 hours of sleep everyday for the past week... brain processing speed was super slow... hugs and kisses to you all!

be prepared to be bombarded with lots of new goodies making their appearance in our web boutique!

p.s. biggest biggest hugest kudos to my beloved b who specially took 3 long days leave to help me out with this, even though he suddenly had a whole ton of shitty stuff to clear at work at the very last minute, and he too, had only 3-4 hours of sleep and still couldn't finish up his project at hand for work today... :( hugs

new designs 10-25-06

A ‘teenage’ night out in Benidorm

I don’t understand why so many people turn their noses up at the mention of Benidorm. Although known for having its fair share of lager louts, Benidorm has something for everyone – from theme parks, to beautiful beaches, nightlife and even the odd tea dance here and there.

My teenage kids have been going to Benidorm most Saturday nights for the best part of a year. All the local English kids do, meeting up on the train and heading off for an all night party.

Although I have had nights out in Benidorm myself, I hadn’t actually toured the bars of the British quarter where all the teenage bars and discos are located. As I had a friend over recently from the UK with her two teenage boys, we decided to book a hotel for the night and see what it’s all about.

Starting out at 11pm, we head for the ‘strip’ where we hear it all happens. By 11.10 we’ve picked up a good few free ‘shots’ walking down, as all the bars have people outside offering them to entice you in. A bar offering ‘two for the price of one’ encourages us to drink yet another free shot and buy a Vodka tonic each to get another two free. In the UK shorts are precisely measured, but not here – each glass contains more than half vodka with barely room for the tonic on top. We also get treated to live entertainment by ‘Sticky Vicky’, who although I have seen before, sat through once again for the benefit of my friend who really shouldn’t miss this ‘treat’. For the few who haven’t heard of Sticky Vicky, she’s the crutch queen of Benidorm, appearing totally naked (in her 70’s) and pulling all manner of things from her nether regions.

More bars, more shots, more shorts and by 4am we have drunkenly danced ourselves to exhaustion. I didn’t know I still had it in me! Weaving back down through the British quarter, we see people passed out on the floor, puddles of vomit, fights and our kids (trying to hurry away before we catch up with them but not succeeding). At this point I am told, I went alone into a rave club, from where the kids had to rescue me from the dance floor where I thought I was ‘raving’ along with the other occupants. Of course it was more from embarrassment in case any of their mates were in there, than the need to save me from myself. At this point I had lost my friend, which is easily done in the crowds down there, and decided to make my way back to the hotel. Jumping on the back of a strange boys moped, apparently I demanded a lift back as my feet hurt. My daughter was trying to get me off and the poor Spanish boy was apologising for not being able to take me because his mate was waiting for a lift. I dread to think what he must he have thought – this ‘old bird’ jumping on his bike. Disembarking ungracefully, I left him in peace and went off to find my friend with whom I staggered back to the hotel, via a food van selling cardboard chips.

All in all, we had an excellent night out, but I now have reservations about my kids going there. The British square in Benidorm is a teenagers paradise but a parents worst nightmare. No one appeared to be looking out for those kids passed out in the street, making sure they don’t choke on their vomit. Where were their mates, who should have been helping them? I am told, although wasn’t around to see it, that every morning at 8pm they have to steam clean that strip to remove the blood, sick and broken glass.

As ‘sensible’ adults, we were enticed by free drinks, ‘two for the price of one’ offers on shorts, and the overall party atmosphere – so can fully understand how these kids get in the state they do. Our kids were fine that night, but whose to say it won’t be one of them next time?

Melting Swiss Glacier in Today's News

The lead photo on the New York Times website was of a Swiss glacier. John Tagliabue's article Frozen In Memories, but Melting Before Their Eyes reminded me of my October 3 post, Glaciers: See Them Before They're Gone. It's an interesting story about how the melting Gletsch glacier is affecting its namesake town.

Art Happened Here: Pissarro & the Hôtel du Louvre, Paris

One of Pissarro's paintings of the Avenue de l'Opera completed in 1898.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Camille Pissarro spent the first few months of 1898 at the Hôtel du Louvre in Paris. During that time, he produced a number of canvases sitting at the window of his room. Today, that room is the Pissarro Suite and goes for €1800 a night (a little less than $2300). It has a living area, a bedroom and two bathrooms -- all with large windows that overlook the scene that Pissarro painted. You can even enjoy the view from a deep marble tub.

The view from the Pissarro Suite at The Hôtel du Louvre.
Photo Credit: Concorde Hotels

The Hôtel du Louvre has one of the best locations in Paris for seeing all of the big tourist sites as it's sandwiched between the Louvre and the Palais Royale. Views from the upper floors take in virtually every monument in Paris and it is located right next to the Palais Royale - Musée du Louvre Métro Station. It's not the neighborhood for anything quaint or quirky, though. This is Baron Haussmann's Paris of the grands boulevards.

The hotel is a distinguished Second Empire building that's managed by the French Concorde group. The decor is indisputably traditional French, but with a contemporary twist, especially with fabric choices. Check out some of the pictures on their website and see what I mean. I have confidently recommended the Hôtel du Louvre for my clients who want a grand Parisian hotel at a level of luxury (and price) just below the true palace hotels like the Ritz, Meurice and Crillon.

The facade of The Hôtel du Louvre facing the Place André Malraux.
Photo Credit: Concorde Hotels

If you're a art lover, it's hard to put a price on the special experience you can have in a place where an artist found their inspiration -- to see the light change through the day and night -- and have the place all to yourself. It's inspirational to me. I will write more in the coming weeks about more places where art happened.

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My Top Ten Free & Cheap Things in London

A modern double-decker bus cruises up Whitehall.
Photo Credit: (c) Transport for London 2005

1. Take the Tube and Bus around London. The superb public transportation in London is a bargain, especially with an Off-Peak Day Travel card. It offers unlimited travel after 9:30AM for just £4.90 in central London. The Underground system (The Tube) is the quickest way around this often traffic choked city. Buses offer scenic travel. I particularly recommend two routes (Heritage route 9 and Heritage route 15) that operate in the heart of tourist London on historic double-decker buses. Transport for London

2. See London from the Thames on a hop-on hop-off cruise. Probably the cheapest way to see the river, this cruise stops at a number of convenient places between Westminster and St. Katharine’s Wharf. With the circular ticket priced at £7, you can get off and rejoin any boat later in the day. Crown River Cruises

3. Changing the Guard may be a tourist cliché, but it's truly is worth seeing, especially for the price (free). Get there early to get a good spot by the fence in front of Buckingham Palace. At 11:30AM Monday - Saturday from April until July and every other day except Sunday the rest of the year. May be cancelled due to rain. Buckingham Palace

4. A Church Service or Concert at Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral. Visiting London’s sacred spaces can be a bit expensive for the tourist. Most of them have daily worship which is, of course, free. See Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s as they were intended – as places of worship. Most churches also offer concerts and recitals as well, the Church of St. Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square is a popular one.

The Lamb & Flag pub.
Photo Credit: Christopher Gould

5. Have a Pint of ale at a traditional pub. There are literally hundreds to choose from. I like ones in very old buildings with taps that require pumping to draw their precious liquid to your glass. One of my favorites is the Lamb & Flag near Covent Garden at 33 Rose Street. It’s one of the oldest in London, at the head of a crooked street.

6. See debate in Parliament. When Parliament is in session foreign visitors may not take the tour, but they can attend a session of either the House of Commons or House of Lords. Get in line at the St. Stephen’s entrance across from the rear of Westminster Abbey on St. Margaret’s Street. On busy days, the wait can be more than an hour. It is possible to arrange a Card of Introduction through the U.S. Embassy in London that will get you preferred entrance to the session, but they are extremely limited. Admission to the House of Lords is usually easier and their chamber is far more splendid than the Commons. If you appreciate history – remember that the Commons met in the chamber of the House of Lords for most of World War II because of bomb damage to their own chamber. UK Parliament

7. Eat Pie and Mash to experience London's traditional working-class food. There are pie shops all over, with some of the best in the East End. My favorite is Manze’s at 87 Tower Bridge Road. It dates from the reign of Victoria and it's not very different from the day it opened by the looks of it. This is as real as it gets -- traditional meat pie with mashed potatoes and parsley liquor. Expect to pay less than £5 for an entire meal. Truly London in a dish. Manze's

8. Go to the (Puppet) Theatre – An incredible jewel-like theater in tony Islington, The Little Angel Theatre, has presented puppets exclusively since 1961. While their normal ticket prices aren’t bad at all, usually about £9 for an adult, they offer a limited number of PWYC (pay what you can) performances where they request a minimum donation of £1 instead of a ticket. Their elaborate productions dazzle young and old alike.

9. Visit an art museum like The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square which houses treasures like Sunflowers by Van Gogh, Samson and Delilah by Peter Paul Rubens and works by Da Vinci, Vermeer and Michelangelo. The Tate Britain at Millbank on the Thames near Vauxhall Bridge showcases works of British artists, including the world’s largest collection of J.M.W. Turner. If your tastes are more contemporary, check out masterpieces by Picasso, Pollack, Monet, Matisse at The Tate Modern located in the former Bankside Power Station on the Thames opposite St. Paul’s. Admission to all three museums is free.

The big guns outside the Imperial War Museum.
Photo Credit: Becky Gould

10. Relive the Blitz and D-Day at the Imperial War Museum. Perhaps the greatest military museum in the world has impressive collections focusing on the First and Second World Wars. The Blitz Experience is unique “a carefully researched reconstruction of an air raid shelter and a blitzed street in 1940. Appropriate sights, sounds and smells evoke for visitors a sensation of being caught in the bombing of London during the Second World War.” The Imperial War Museum is located on Lambeth Road in the landmark buildings that housed the Bethlem Royal (Mental) Hospital, better known as Bedlam in the Nineteenth Century.

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birdtalk magazine feature

the magazine finally arrived! not 1 but 2 copies! thanks so much to connie, the features editor! i was happy that littleoddforest was in the same page as irregular choice, my all-time favorite shoe label! besides camper of course, heee... love love love irregular choice...