stress is solved by spending $$$

or is it? me thinks it'll just cause more stress later! when the pockets are emptied
LOL!

i need to have this!!!!! neeedddddddd. yes.

and amy... plssss don't cry! i seriously did not mean to make you cry. i just didn't know how crazy crochet is. haha. you're so hired lady! keep it inexpensive and within budget for me plss (i'm refraining from using the word "cheap". hee, just kiddin') email you as soon as i get things ironed out in me big explosive brain.

see now why me should really get this awesomely green and cool mouse??? yep

us humans and the labels we give...

how would you call yourself professionally, if you were doing what i was doing?
owner? designer? creator? creative director? director? big-shot person? some other silly haughty labels?? what???

any clues?? anyone??

sigh *throbbing enlarged head*

so, supposedly, we're there to "spice things up" because we're the "odd one out" of every label/company there, and so, basically, that means we're there to function as an "accessory", you know, the little pair of cute earrings you hardly notice, what with that huge attention-grabbing big-ass gown...

or, more positively, as lana puts it, we're there to provide "diversity", yeah... :p

singapore is sooo boringly commercialised it needs us super small fry to provide diversity. har har har.

any aspiring talented english graduate with undiscovered marketing copywriting skills willing to work for a couple hundred bucks and some gifts??

oh, if you read the newspapers some weeks back, according to a branding survey, we in this asia region are boring indeedy... we love to buy only established international big power brand names (this is with regards to fashion), as opposed to our western friends who very much prefer supporting independant designers, labels, names, new start-ups etc. we love the super high prices and we love that the person walking next to us could be carrying that same expensive thing too ( having mass support means mass recognition and confirmation, yes?) because we like being a part of the huge herd, and we love even having cheap imitations of these big brands, nevermind the lack of ethics of violating copyrights and all. who cares, really? because we love to "think" that we are in the higher upper-crust of the society. that we "have it". and have "made it". it's either this, or cheap cheap sale of cheap cheap mass-produced factory made stuff. nevermind how it was made, who cares, really? it's just a dress/bag/material thing. we buy, we use, we throw, we buy again. yes? ............

getting touchy feely

you all are waay tooo nice, i'm so grateful and touched... thanksss so much, really

i just hope i don't disappoint you if i don't get to go any further from here, or if i decide to give these all up later on

nay, don't worry, i'm just saying this in jest, things have been a roller coaster ride recently, full of obstacles, and i was getting so burnt out, it's tiring to be doing this alone sometimes, i wish i had a business development partner of some sort, or at least a super reliable secretary/personal assistant person, so that i don't have to deal with all those other stuff. i just want to enjoy what i like to do, and make a good living out of it. i want my long long holiday!!! but yeah, i had a nice weekend at our secret hideaway place, have my irrational fears ironed out (temporarily.. haha!) have to thank my mum and b for it. they're my pillars of support, and you all have been simply too nice and encouraging to me and what i do. *hugs and kisses for all who'll accept!!* hee..

oh yah, did you catch the latest winners of fredflare.com??? i need to have these!!

new designs 05-28-06 (click to enlarge)

new designs 05-23-06 (click on image to enlarge)

we're up!

the second batch of 9 winners of fredflare.com's next big thing includes littleoddforest! yay!

i'm especially grateful to all who notified, encouraged, and pushed me to join.. thanks a gazillion! really ^_^

i had a difficult time thinking of what item to submit for the competition, since it has a number of requirements, like being able to produce a few hundred pieces in 2 weeks, good price point, fredflare-ish... etc.

so i decided to submit my Kitty Luvs Fish brooch pin, it's colorful, cute, and inexpensive, and especially since i make them all myself so i can count on myself on not screwing up on datelines. and then i got an email requesting for samples in multiple colors! yay! So I thought, hey! might as well use this opportunity to put in a few MORE samples, tsk tsk tsk... naughty me. anywaysss... so i also added in Luva Kitty and Mogu brooch pins... and weee! they decided upon our Love Mogu which they have seen before... ^_^

pure luck eh? yep

at least this month isn't so bad for me now, after all the stressful events.... I was super motivated today, and edited 30 photos at one go in an hour! 30! one go! 1 hour! phew~ off to supper now... i've to gain back some weight, i lost yet another kg this month... :(

fred flare's next big thing!

tis finally arrived!! ^_^
super adorable stuff from the first 9 winners! weee!
more crazy updates coming up!

new designs 05-20-06

here are the most recent designs. the following are presently available only at aqua bid, they will later be listed on ebay. yes, i've now begun to promote my designs on an all "aquatic only" auction site called aqua bid. i wanted to make a strong first presentation therefore not listing the new designs on ebay first.

everything's blahhhh...

nothing has changed since i last asked you to slap me

now i need a "wake-me-up" slap as i'm spacing out while typing this...

i've had to change yet another new sewer, who screwed up a whole lot of bags... i just feel like giving up nowadays, my mood really sucks... i just feel like sewing every single gawd damn thing by myself, and make people wait months and years for their orders, and take decades to re-stock and put up new stuff. i'm such a drama queen... it sounds like i should be enjoying an annual turnover of a million bucks (or so my pal sarcastically said to me today) but no! i'm actually kinda broke!?!?! i miscalculated and over-splurged on supplies last month... sob!!!! so now that i've almost no bitchy hate emails to deal with daily, since most of my inventory is updated and not sold-out sooooo easily (bleh) i've new problems to deal with, gawd damn sewers...

did i mention that my tanktop sewer suddenly died of a heart-attack about 2 months ago? i don't remember... anyway, everything's still stuck... stuck stuck stuck stuck. shit. and i've new fabrics in the warehouse, waiting waiting waiting waiting. fuck.

these are all old problems, but i just feel like digging up all the dirt and pouring it onto my face. why? because i'm sick and psychotic like that. yesterday i dreamt of an obnoxious owl sitting on treeling, laughing at me, for gawd knows what reason. so i've decided to make an owl plush. new mogu plushes will be ready soon too! i feel happier dealing with plushes and stuff, than trying to be nice to bag sewers who screwed up my orders....

what else makes my day? nice emails, nice text msgs, and nice packages. i did a swap with yet another portugal flickr fwen, love the package of wonderful handmade surprises!! thanksss vanessa!! everything was nicely packaged and tagged and such, just delightful to open!


and then, a fabulous swap with biggerKrissy!! now i've a biggerCritter, my new fuwwy fwen who's joining with all the other fuwwy and softy fwens in my room... i promise to take a cute group picture soon, when my time and mood permits...

i also did a custom fishy pouch for a regular-customer-fwen person more than a week ago, i made it happily, she was happy, and now i'm happier.

mao mentioned (again) yesterday that my posts are kinda manic-depressive-like. sadness, low morale, complaints, whinings, outbursts of vulgarities, and then official littleoddforest updates and newsletter stuff, and then suddenly a high of excitement, happiness, !!!!, and outbursts of hoorays... so! i will be setting up a proper littleoddforest updates blog thingie soon, so yeah, you can stop naggin me about it. things will be more professional soon..

end-note: if you see me walking on the street, and you think you know me, please for goodness sake, don't follow me and whisper behind my back and then point point point. it's kinda... scary???? yeah... sheessh...

slap me, please

today is wednesday, 10 may. i knew that only at 9.40am this morning.

since monday, my internal dates have been screwed upside down

i thought monday was tuesday

thought tuesday was wednesday

thought today was thursday

very unfortunately for me, i had scheduled meetings and appointments for wednesday, thursday and friday

- wednesday 10 may appointment with buyer at 3pm - i remembered correctly since 2 weeks ago, 10 may 10 may 10 may, set my organiser for this, so i didn't screw this one up

- thursday 11 may taff briefing for singapore fashion week 2006 at 9.30am - i had totally forgotten all about it over the weekend and remembered it only monday night, which was when my dates have already been screwed, and i somehow kept thinking it was on 10 may, 10 may, 10 may. even miraculously thought to myself "oh! how lucky that the later meeting won't clash with this one in the morning" and so, very cleverly, i set my organiser to 10 may for this meeting. and i used the format where there're no days displayed, only the stupid dates shown!!!!!!!!!?!?!?

SO the main point of this story is, i freaking turned up for a thursday meeting on wednesday morning!!!!!!!! wwwaaahhh!!!! at least i provided some laughter and amusement to the otherwise very sedate and quiet office at taff..... how nice. now i'm sure that they remember me. owner and design of littleoddforest, forestprints.... what a terrific method to make people in the industry remember you.

- thursday presentation to prospective buyer at 10am - scheduled on tuesday when my dates have already been screwed, so i errornously fixed it on thursday. now i can't make it for the taff briefing !!!!!! wwwaaahhh!!!!

did all of that make any sense to you, sane people out there? i'm losing it. i'm so overwhelmed with a gazillion things, yet can still make time to do some booze, and not sleep. i should be making a million bucks with such a work schedule. but i'm not. i probably deserve it huh.

new design 05-09-06

am i being crazy?

Hi xxxx,

it's good to receive your newsletter, because i haven't gotten any replies for any of the emails i've sent you the past 3 months regarding my 2 orders.

i'm hoping that this was all a big understanding. but just to let you know that i did not receive both of my orders, and am unable to check with my post office, because you had not given me any shipping information, nor was i able to get any refund because i had waited too long, beyond paypal's stipulated time frame for refunds.

i really hope to hear back from you at the very least.

thanks,

lynda

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

in response to newsletter from her announcing the re-opening of her shoppe....

------------------------------------------
EDIT

i finally got a reply... finally... no good news at all... but a reply nonetheless....

a quickie summer update

Hello Summer Forest!

Hello all ya stylish folks! Just a very quick update on our new and upcoming items, designs and re-stocks!

NEW!
+ Ring-Clutches + Coasters (New Colors!) + Crowned Bird On Cloud (Larger Totes) + Summer Tanks + Unicorn Totes (New Colors!)

RE-STOCKS!
+ Brooch Pins (Assorted) + Huggables (Love-Senders + Treelings!) + Bird Flying In Forest Totes + Owl Ribbon Clutches (Navy + Brown Colors!)

UP-COMING!
+ Corduroy Birdy HandBags + Corduroy Leaf Pouches + Cushion Covers (New Designs!) + Pillowcases Re-stocks!

Yes! We've done our third (and final!) print run for our popular silkscreen pillowcase designs! Weee!! So keep a look out for them, they won't be coming back anymore once they're gone this time!

Just one of our brand new cushion cover design in smart navy blue color. No pictures of our other new products yet, but watch out for them in the coming weeks!

+ We have been rushing to mail our all new VIFF Membership Cards as all of you repeat customers keep rolling in! Thanks for all your awesome patience!

+ And if you're wondering about our super-long-awaited Gift Cards, we apologize for the delay as we've been working extremely hard backscene to make it a fuss-free experience to shop with them, so that'll be a couple more weeks... ack! Our very tired part-time web engineer has a demanding full-time job in the day, so kudos to him for working so hard for us!! You've all been super nice to ask about them and wait for so long.. Thanks a mil! We're trying our very best to get it done asap!

That's about all for now! There'll be a much detailed update in a couple of weeks from now!

Till then,

Take care and happy shopping!

xoxo!

not another one again

yes, another one to go, another wedding to attend, how fun. not. don't get me wrong, i'm always truly happy for these happy couples. i'm never gloomy nor a wet blanket when attending weddings either. it's just that, i've a pretty bad habit of trying to analyse the entire situation inside my head, to question, to be doubtful, to be cynical, to bring up all the past case studies i did in my family psychology class... to be with one person only for your entire life? that's a really huge thing to decide on isn't it? and if you're thinking that getting out of it with a divorce is just as simple, why get "married" in the legal sense, with all the paper documentation nonsense and shiat etc. to deal with in the first place?

i think maybe it's the state of my family that makes the word "marriage" terribly terribly nauseating for me.....

some therapy work in store huh :p

this one stands out...they say

my instinct said to move forward. my idea's rang through loudly...design something different, price it fairly, think about the fish and most importantly, pay close attention to the details...

on april 6, 2006 my first silk aquarium design sold; it was a great moment. since then, i 've been blessed with many more and i can't begin to thank all of you enough. you've embraced my art and given me the green light for more. for an artist, the highest commpliment is having someone else recognise your work. i will do my best to keep you looking and better yet, maybe raising one brow! in appreciation to those who have said yes i like it and i want it for my fish, i'll share just some of the many compliments and recognition i've recieved from many fellow ebay'ers from all over the world...

also, i tip my hat to my life-long friend joeseph. without his help and motivation it could have easily been a longer time till i was able to achieve all that has been so far...

Feedback Received

89 feedback received by rlbeck (0 ratings mutually withdrawn)

Comment From Date / Time Item #

Positive feedback rating Really beautiful plants - Never seen some beautiful plants like that in petshop
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759693699
Positive feedback rating Superb item - Great communication - Recommended
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759261095
Positive feedback rating Superb item - Great communication - A++++ seller
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759261332
Positive feedback rating Perfect transaction - A+++ Recomended
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759261494
Positive feedback rating Perfect transaction - Will do businness again - thanks
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759261655
Positive feedback rating The plants are beautiful - thanks - good work - Recommended
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:50 7759692805
Positive feedback rating Wow, beautiful plant, great transaction, great eSeller, recommended A+++
Buyer geotechi May-08-06 10:46 7759693328
Positive feedback rating Great looking plants, you can't go wrong when you buy from Ron
Buyer curleyk2.0 May-07-06 05:53 7762888718
Positive feedback rating A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Buyer curleyk2.0 May-07-06 05:53 7762887803
Positive feedback rating The Nicest person on ebay I ever did buisness with, great product!!!!!
Buyer curleyk2.0 May-07-06 05:53 7762885500
Positive feedback rating Ron's plants are hands down the best!!! Great person to deal with also!!!
Buyer curleyk2.0 May-07-06 05:50 7762695369
Positive feedback rating +++ will buy again from this seller *avoid vitashower* buy your plants here
Buyer daj1840 May-04-06 19:37 7761838348
Positive feedback rating Great Stuff! I'm very Pleased!! Very Realistic!!!! A+++
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7759692999
Positive feedback rating Quality, Fast Shipping, Looks Like the Real McCoy!! A+++
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7759693537
Positive feedback rating If Ya Left These Outside, I'm Sure All The "Critters" Would Try To Eat 'Em!!!
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7760740321
Positive feedback rating Don't Buy These.......Just Leave 'Um All For Me!!! A+++ Super Sharp!!
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7760740413
Positive feedback rating Quality, Fast Shipping, Looks Like the Real McCoy!! A+++
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7760740522
Positive feedback rating Quality, Fast Shipping, Looks Like the Real McCoy!! A+++
Buyer mill-rick Apr-29-06 12:07 7759692347
Positive feedback rating Cant stop ordering these plants!! They looks so real and life like+FAST SHIPPING
Buyer curleyk2.0 Apr-27-06 19:02 7761835441
Positive feedback rating Cant stop ordering these plants!! They looks so real and life like+FAST SHIPPING
Buyer curleyk2.0 Apr-27-06 19:02 7761835057
Positive feedback rating A++++++++++++++++++ would buy from again
Buyer curleyk2.0 Apr-24-06 18:57 7755546685
Positive feedback rating Plant was awsome A++++++++++++++++++ would buy from again
Buyer curleyk2.0 Apr-24-06 18:56 7756225908
Positive feedback rating realy fast shiping A +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ realy nice stuff thanks
Buyer enzocazzo69 ( 6 ) Apr-22-06 21:16 7758497669
Positive feedback rating Quality,Quality,Quality!!! A+++ Thanks!
Buyer mill-rick Apr-21-06 07:55 7758501294
Positive feedback rating AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:13 7756227295
Positive feedback rating AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:13 7756229180
Positive feedback rating Beautiful hand made plants! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA++++++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:13 7756772146
Positive feedback rating Best Aquarium plants available! Buy from this seller! AAAAAAAAAA++++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:12 7756770724
Positive feedback rating AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:12 7756770441
Positive feedback rating Wonderful plants! Excellent Seller! Great Shipping! AAAAAA+++++++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:11 7756232193
Positive feedback rating Thank You, my fish are happy! Excellent products!
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:10 7756231777
Positive feedback rating Items exactly as described! FAST Shipping! Careful packaging! Thank you!
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:09 7756230275
Positive feedback rating Excellent Seller! FAST Cheap Shipping! Excellent Aquarium Artwork! AAAA+++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:09 7756230001
Positive feedback rating Excellent Ebayer! Great Communication, excellent products! AAAA++++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:08 7756229732
Positive feedback rating Wonderful Plants! Unique Design! Just what I was looking for! AAA+++++++
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:07 7756228655
Positive feedback rating Items exactly as described! FAST Careful Shipping! EXCELLENT EBAYER! A+
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:06 7756228104
Positive feedback rating Items exactly as described! Beautiful Aquarium Plants! Exactly what I needed!A+
Buyer nauticloud9 Apr-20-06 12:06

once again, you've made me so happy. i can't begin to thank you enough...

happy stuff?

i know i've been bitching and preaching somewhat alittle too much here (thanks for bringing my attention to this tc & mao :pppp) well, it is just soooo much easier to type all such thoughts out at the spur of the moment, rather than verbally expressing it in real life, for me at least. i've been esp stressed recently due to lots of sudden screw-ups backscene, and i'm having to deal with the headache, the problem, and my real headache... tc thinks i'm giving people the wrong impression that i'm this gawd awful person who goes around persecuting everyone and everything i see. well. my response - whatever.. i can't help it if anyone thinks so. people who know me personally will know better...

anyways!! some happy stuff. new buys from etsy! impossible to take pics of all of them, so just 2 of my dozens of favs.
they arrived promptly, safely wrapped, with thank you note! i like.

i had to have a lego-something, you know, so here's my very own mondrian-lego necklace thingie... now i'm eyeing that big fat lego ring with a diamond, real diamond... hee.. and a bat-wing corsage, how cool right??? mao & b thinks otherwise though.. whatever you all... :p

and a nice may day spent at the botanical gardens, where the sso performed in the evening

it was a huge crowd, lots of expatriates and tourists, but people there were relatively nice, soft-spoken, and civilised, even the babies were quiet, except for some a.d.d. kids. we had a little sandwich and salad picnic, expensive ice-cream (10 bucks??), and wine. fed the swans, laid on the grass, and talked crap.

the weather couldn't have been better, cool breeze as if it was going to rain, but it didn't, until much later when we were at the carpark about to leave.

well, and how can i not have something to bitch about? hahaha! so here goes. i've learnt my lesson (again) and will steer clear of hiring anyone's acquaintance/friend/family in future (trying) ... i had to sort of fire a "friend-sewer", who has been wasting my fabrics and materials for the past couple of months, because all the purses i let her do came out crooked or asymmetrical or something or the other... and useless me let it dragged on for 2 more projects before i had the guts to face it and had a talk with her... it was a painful affair, with the reasons and sad looks she was feeding me with... and i'm still feeling bad.. gawdddd...