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!!

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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! ^.^

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"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

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