preparing for our friday dark movie night

thank you, bust, for reminding me how wonderful carol channing was. da bomb! she's da bomb!


she must have scared the shit out of natalie gregory (the 'alice' child actress) here.... i would have been.. talk about childhood trauma... dang.



which brings me to another good shit. return to oz (1985), which i very much preferred to the innocently happy good-sy wizard of oz (1939). this was one of my favorite scenes.... heads!!! back in the days, i would go running around the house and scaring the shit out of my domestic helper (i'm being so politically correct...) shouting my lungs out "heads!!!! heads!!!!!" after watching this...



we weren't allowed to embed this good one, so click on to view...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XVuXuIw-UU


and the one we have decided upon for our friday night party is the scary czech alice version - Neco z Alenky (1988)....





i bought some super duper awesome retro popcorn bags from this very cool etsy shop, am using them for some other purposes, but i guess i can spare 5 for tomorrow night :D

brit invasion.

i will finally finally finally be relieved off my duties to help my girl friends in america get their seasonal dose of topshop!!!!
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/around_town/fashion/Topshop-opening-date--leaked.html
for now, like later this afternoon, i still have to continue searching the racks for the clothes in the topshop catalogue photos they spam mail me with and ship to them.... but not for long!!!! yyeeharrr!! cheers to my freedom!!!! haha

just random...

the usual fashionista quote -
"...... in these harsh economic times, buying clothes that go the distance is actually a smarter way to shop. Good designer frocks typically last longer (meaning you can wear the bejeezus out of them without them looking it -- and lower your cost-per-wear), are often more impactful and versatile (re: you can impress your future boss in that interview as well as that cute guy who just asked you out) and retain resale value (when something no longer works for you, you can take it to your local consignment shop or Ebay it and actually get some green, as opposed to having your frayed Forever 21 finds rejected by the girls at Buffalo Exchange ...... and having to toss it in the bin and say goodbye to your money forever ...... "

well, except for the fact that my gal pals and i recently splurged on 3 supposedly "good designer frocks" at "good designer frocks" prices (eye-rolls) - not on the sale rack, mind you - the first to give way was from this "highly-acclaimed singapore designer" - the buttons at the side details fell off while i was walking on the streets (!!) after 1 gentle hand-wash, and my friend's zipper couldn't zip up smoothly after 2 wears. how embarrassing it is, that i was strongly recommending my friends who haven't been back in singapore for a while, to support singapore designers who have made it big abroad and come with international-designer-price-tags. then, that fabulous dress with that "fabulous" price to match from this internationally renowned designer, was obviously not designed properly for wear after our 1 night out dancing in them. the design was made in such a way that the heavy intricate piece on the chest part kept on pulling down the dress in front, and we had to keep pulling it back like every other 10 minutes. imagine how long that night was. we should force that designer to wear it on himself. the third, another badly engineered top that was only meant to look pretty when you try it on in the changing room and swing around in it for that 5 minutes or so. but then it just couldn't be worn for more than 15 minutes without needing some adjustments and fidgeting. mind you, we are all size 0s and 2s. and do not have bendy weird body shapes. if it doesn't work for us, then it won't work for anyone, right?? -____-

maybe the so-called designer frocks have to cost at least 4 digits and above to be that good.

out of nowhere...

people with crude bad taste should be arrested and not allowed to publish any print material at all. did you see the 2nd last page of the life section of today's straits times newspaper???! *gag*

too many sweet distractions to work...

yep. there are simply too many sweet distractions for me to concentrate on work! even if it's like the crazy year-end holidays, which doesn't help at all. so anyhoo... i've been leaving many of the work responsibilities to my dependable (most times... haha) fairies and elves. been way too busy to be online either, other than to get work done. sorry cute folks! meeting up with and socialising with some of littleoddforest's most regular clients here in singapore has been pretty awesome, thank you cute peeps for such great times! :) and i've just restocked our shelves over at isetan scotts this morning. so go check it out before we check out from there! 24th dec! ;)

i simply can't can't can't wait!!! for the year-end getawaysssss. you got that right, plural! ;D and for 2009 to be here soooonnnnn!!! can't wait can't wait!!! *jump jump hop hop skip skip* weeee!!! i'm super excited and happy!! although some people (you know who, mao!) are just very stressed. well. everyone copes with new endeavors differently. ha.

but yes. how can i possibly force myself to have the time to be here to put up a post, if there's nothing to bitch about! lol!
http://www.eightyonedesign.co.uk/blog/2008/09/why-does-everyone-think-they-are-a-graphic-designer/
yes.
why on fucking earth does everyone think they are a graphic designer. or "designer" even.
good article. and read the comments too. thanks for sending me this article, meredith! i can't tell you how good it feels to know that there are plenty of people out there reading my heart and mind... i miss those days when we (me and my proper graphic designer friends) have bitching sessions about bad taste and people who think they are such godly designers.i think i am entitled to some ego since my art design degree didn't come cheap. hahahaha go ahead and slap me for my cockiness.

i totally agree that a design education does not mean you are some godly designer either. but like the article states, you have to at least have a certain amount of technical and theoretical knowledge to back up your creative ability (if you had any to begin with). otherwise, it's just going to be good ideas & bad execution, or great execution and stinky poo design!!

i hate it when the exact same people who can't tell a good font from a bad font, a print font from a web font, take on graphic design jobs, perpetuate the bad taste with their bad taste clients, and charge dirt cheap rates. i guess not everyone understands that when you pay peanuts you get monkeys. because they can't tell which is monkey and which is not. urgh. my dad used to be in the timepieces business (watches and clocks), and as a kid, i used to question him on some of his purchases (yes, i might have been opinionated bitch since a kid.), those gawddamn ugly watches! eewww! and his very comical reply was
"dada, there will always be people with bad taste in this world. and we want to earn their money too."
wahahahahhahah!!!

just because you have the moolah to buy photoshop and a macbook pro, does not mean you a graphic designer and are allowed to create atrocities with fonts and images. photoshop is a pixel-based program meant for photos, not vector-based for proper illustrations. don't you just love it how everyone is so photoshoppy nowadays. yes yes yes, we know you have photoshop. but do you know how to use it? dang it.

last week, someone approached yet another friend again this time, who does freelance illustrations, to do some serious graphic design work. and again, i'm so proud that mh is a friend of mine. because he actually rejected the good-paying job offer, telling the client that he is able to do all the illustrations needed for the project, but not the main graphic design and font work as he is not qualified to do it, and recommended another of our friend, a properly trained designer to do the job. even with the client's insistence that he trusts my illustrator's friend good tastes. a gazillion kudos to you, mh! or your principles and integrity :) although i have to agree that you are most probably able to do a good job if you had taken it on ;)

so, the question is, are you a software executer, a graphic/web design prostitute, or a graphic/web designer?

gotta go catch some sun at the pool now! it's been so rainy!! i think i might be growing mould.
*muacks!*


add-on~
oh oh oh! i forgot to give thanks!!!! big big big thanks to all of you super duper awesome peeps who made your way down to fashbash @ cathay and sweated it out there shopping!! well. i know i was sweating. i apologise for the spectacle of me serving your needs while holding on to my hand-held piggy fan. hahahahah
you all made the sweating so worth it though :)))) xoxoxoxo!!

a good lame one to add on!

okie! this is a quickie! in the middle of updating inventory but i can't help but share this with you
(hwee yee! yours is hilarious! a few pieces of cloth sewn together!!!!! hahahaha!!!! *faints*)

was yakking on the phone this morning with my sculpture artist friend, and he wants to chip in his story too!
he did a series of wooden sculptures for a collective art exhibition, all pieces were for sale

seemingly serious buyer comments
"why would anyone in their right mind pay so much for only a block of wood?"
friend replies earnestly
"well, how about i add on a few more pieces of ply wood for you?"
seemingly serious buyer looks shocked and couldn't move for a few seconds.

HAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!

more later! busy busy now!! xoxoxo

why cook when you can buy

Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:36:35 PM)
wah
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:36:43 PM)
u need to eat pig gua now
littleoddforest™ says: (6:39:23 PM)
u cooking?
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:39:49 PM)
pig gua v easy to cook
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:39:56 PM)
i go huo guo always cook
littleoddforest™ says: (6:40:15 PM)
but u need huo guo soup, so you cooking that?
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:40:37 PM)
er no.
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:40:41 PM)
i Request
littleoddforest™ says: (6:40:59 PM)
request from who. heaven and the gods ah
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:41:04 PM)
can request ma la or yao chai from that stall
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:42:17 PM)
famous and delicious
Brandon.... is Bacterius says: (6:43:21 PM)
juz ask and pay $ and prob solve


***pig gua = pig's liver
***huo guo = steamboat
***ma la / yao chai = 2 steamboat soup flavors to choose from, spicy or ginseng tonic soup

from our chat 2 weeks ago, when i had the monthly cramps.
don't you just love him? hahahha

an 80s cartoon a day....

keeps the stress away!!! wooow!

he-man, you look so ridiculous now, your hair-do is soooo... she-man!!! hahaha!! i can't believe i used to make you and g.i.joe do such unspeakable things to my poor barbie dolls.... my cousin lina, who used to be my playmate every sunday, liked she-ra more (i couldn't stand she-ra for some reason, maybe i thought the whole twin sister thing was bullshit and they were banging each other), and we would fight every sunday morning because of this.

and you wonder how america brainwashed my childhood? ha!

gnomes are the dope

you know that world in my head? i know for sure that this has been subconsciously influencing me and my life choices and molded me to some extent. i love gnomes. i love animals. i don't like humans. i love the outdoors, the woods, and nature. my label is littleoddforest.

as j puts it "kids do stupid things nowadays because they don't have such cartoons anymore"

but.... wassup with all the nose rubbing!!!?? dude!!! i'm so going to have nightmares tonight. and the troll? looks exactly like that stupid obnoxious supplier i met last week. that long big red disgusting nose. lol!!!

off for short getaway with our homecoming pals this weekend!! have been only getting about 4 hours of sleep each night for this entire week... (x ____ x)
and it didn't help that mao was in town and in a strange 1am supper mode... i'm going to force rub noses with you later. hahahahahh! happy weekend, folks! muacks!

p.s. i have so many surprises up my sleeves i'm almost gagging on all of them! expect new item range! new designs! new purses! new collaborations! and more! soon! i'll be spewing them out slowly, one at a time... give my eyes, my fingers, and my head a lil' break yeah! xoxoxo!

the name that escapes me no longer...

have been exchanging emails with j about the cartoons we grew up with and utterly love. and then he sent me this link, and i went crazy. like crazy happy. because i have been trying to remember the name of this series for the past 3 years (can you believe it!!!!!!????) ever since pat and mao started the topic one fine night, about smurfs and all. and no one. not a single soul. for the love of gawd. knew what i was describing, needless to say, know the name. fraggle rock. ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! *goes crazy again*

i love it. i had a most awesome childhood, and grew up with the best stories, best cartoons, and best shows. jim henson was one of my many heroes. so many of the cartoons now are so terribly dull and uncreative. you know, just like how retro is always in. haha! can't believe that actually came out from me.

i don't have time for youtube, but j is sending me more. heeeeee!
i'm drowning in work, and this for sure helps with the stress relieving... *muacks! thanksss!!
soon! you'll see what i'm busying myself with! weeeeee!

solve it yourself

as a child, this has always been drilled into me by my parents, "learn to solve it yourself. don't depend on others to solve your own problems. you have to learn to be independent so that you'll think for yourself and be a useful person when you grow up." my mum stopped short of teaching me how not to not be a society-leech i think. i love my mum, but i sometimes have a love and hate relationship with the way i was brought up.

when i first came back to singapore, i hated it so very much. i only had a culture shock coming home, it's crazy. you might think it's exaggerating, but it took me almost an entire year to get over it. to get over all that i missed, and to get over all that i had to face day in day out. to get over the fact that i no longer have my own cool pad but have to move back in with my dad. to get over the fact that i had to work, pay my own bills, give my parents money, and so on.

later on, after having it enough, prostituting at local design firms, i started forestprints design with my remaining 10k savings, i dumped it all into the business and started it with zero in my bank account. for almost the entire first year, i couldn't live the usual lifestyle i was so used to, hitting the clubs every weekend, being generous with treats (or basically, being a "carrot" if you may) with my "friends", shopping as and whenever on expensive stuff at least once a week, restaurants, starbucks every single day, yes, even simple things like that that we take for granted when money isn't so hard to come by. for the very first 3 months, i had to survive on weekend meals paid for by b, scrimp on weekday meals, and "shamefully" accept the occasional handout from my mum. sometimes my strong pride took over and i stupidly refused her handout, saying that i was coping just fine.

then when business picked up and things started to look better, i still didn't want to spend, i wasn't used to my bank account looking so sad, so i started to save, something i have never done before in my entire life. incredible. not that i wasn't taught to save, i just didn't, and pretended to. because in the end, i will dig them all out to get yet another new gaultier wallet, when i was still in high school, and yes, i managed to only hang out with friends that were just like me or even worse, or leeching on me. my parents thought giving me alot of pocket money will help me save even more. they couldn't be more wrong for once.

forestprints design has since grown, and i'm really grateful for that. but although i'm doing much better than if i had stayed on working for someone, the business hasn't grown like super exponentially, or enough for me to have put aside a large comfortable sum to still grow it much further. i've also pumped in a substantial amount into setting up and maintaining of the fair-wage workshop in philippines. well, okay, admittedly, i have changed from my spendthrift days, but am still only halfway there i suppose. when you earn more, you tend to spend more, true.

when i thought i had enough money to buy a home studio, the property prices went sky-high. so i had to temporarily shelf that big idea, although we're still keeping an eye out there. i've been drilled not to live with any debts if possible. and i was not about to take out a loan for the 20% downpayment, on top of the monthly mortagage. so b and i then decide to get a new car, a car we can finally call our own. enough of sharing it with very petty and picky people i say! (another long story). and because he shares the same "do not leech on your parents" mantra, we paid the downpayment by ourselves. we were eventually surprised to slowly find out that none of our friends around our age who owned a car did that. so anyways, there goes a portion of our available cash. just so everyone knows, it costs a foot and a leg to own a car in singapore, compared to the US and europe... so yes, we're left with 1 foot and 1 leg.

that was also about the same time, i thought i should move on and execute option B in my business plan - rent a showroom studio space - since i can't own one yet. but an estimated minimum 30k investment is needed in order for me to have it at my ideal location, amongst many other considerations and factors involved. any one interested in investing in littleoddforest??? ha. i'm not business network savvy at all. i'm not a very pr person. not even close. i just like to make silly friends. yeah. so then, the big question is, should i just start over like i did almost 4 years ago, and take a big financial risk in order to execute option B? i do not have parents' money as a backup option. i'm sounding abit bitter here now, aren't i... hahaha... nah. i'm thankful for how my mum has taught me. and yes! she's back in town!!! wooow! :D

so okay, anyways. fine. i'm moving on to option C. b was very sad and affected when he heard of this. silly b. i'm off to work on it now! and unfortunately, also hoping and trying to solve just one of many production issues i have been plagued with this year. humans are disgusting. ciao~

poo poo

the best ideas come to you when you are doing your poo poo, and then you just wished you had brought in your pen and notebook with you, but then the ideas just keep flowing and before you can curse out loud about the seemingly moronic oversight, the poo poo just seems to have come and gone so quickly and easily and unknowingly... and you manage to get it all on paper after all, and everyone's happy for now, including assy.

are you narcissistic

what would you do if you have to deal with someone like that? kill yourself or kill that fella first?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What Is Narcissistic PD?

The DSM-IV-TR, a manual that psychologists use to diagnose NPD and other mental disorders, defines NPD is a type of psychological personality disorder primarily characterized by:
* grandiosity
* need for admiration
* lack of empathy

Additional characteristics the DSM associates with the pathologically narcissistic include:
* extreme self-absorption
* intolerance of others’ perspectives
* insensitivity to others’ needs
* indifference to the effect of their own egocentric behavior"

"Behaviour or a fantasy of grandiosity, a lack of empathy and a need to be admired by others. As indicated by at least five of the following:

1. Grandiose sense of self-importance.
2. Fantasies of and preoccupied with beauty, brilliance, ideal love, power, or unlimited success.
3. A belief of being special and unique and can only be understood or a need to associate with people of high status.
4. A need for excessive admiration.
5. An unreasonable expectation of being treated with favour or excepting an automatic compliance to her / his wishes.
6. Will use others to achieve her / his goals.
7. Lacks empathy.
8. Believes others are envious of her / him or is envious of others.
9. Contemptuous or haughty attitudes / behaviours."

"Narcissism is unhealthy when a person's entire behaviour, be it fair or foul, is geared towards ensuring others meet their needs and justify their belief in their inflated self image. This self image is a "false self" and it can be extremely pleasant, charming and intoxicating covering a multitude of insecurities and bad traits.

Most people like to feel that they are liked by others, that people care about them or see them as special and worthwhile but it's not normally an everyday way of life. Most people do not purposefully seek out special attention or consistently take action to extract people's emotions from them just to make themselves feel good but this is what narcissistic people do.

People who consistently behave in this way, interacting with others for the sole purpose of bolstering their inflated self image may suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

lana gave me this link, maybe i should print it out and give someone as a present huh -
http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2008/01/8-ways-to-avoid-conversational.html

we love YOU! you! and you!

LITTLEODDFOREST'S WEBBY WILL BE OFFICIALLY
3
TOMORROW!
(sunday 28 october 2007)
sweeet!
so whats in store for you, our dearest awesome customers, fans and friends?

all our VIFF members will get to enjoy 20% DISCOUNT instead of their usual 10%!
p.s. for those of you who have an 'expiry date' stated on your cards, please note that the expiration dates are no longer valid, your membership is lifetime! unless otherwise stated later of course *wink*

all our email newsletter subscribers will be getting a 10% DISCOUNT CODE!
check your junk/spam mail folder, or email us if you do not receive any after this monday 29 october

these celebratory specials will commence tomorrow,
sunday 28 october,
and end next saturday 3 november
if you're a repeat customer at our web shoppe, or have spent above US$200 in either a single or accumulated receipt(s), in the past 6 months, please email us for your VIFF code! we're currently experiencing some delays in sending out your VIFF cards in the most timely manner due to lack of administrative assistance

oh, and please give me a little extra time to set this discount thingie up, it WILL NOT commence exactly at 12 midnight singapore time - i've a halloween party to go to!!!
but i will be sure to update stocks every now and then within this 1 week of webby birthday celebrations!

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

~irrelevant updates~
dammit. after 3 hrs straight of giving phone conversation therapy to kae, i'm finding it difficult to stop it with my american accent. and now that it's slowly "recovering" back to my singaporean accent, it's like a fucking split accent.... argh. crap.

ohohohh...and i got my new macbook pro g5!!! :DDD (here's b being silly) and a free ipod nano!!!! (but my 2nd generation ipod still rawks. period. it's huge, not only in size,but also capacity, and i've had so much fond memories with it...) b thinks i should open a mini apple museum. whatever. you're just green with jealousy because you're stuck with a silly pc lappy for your work needs. gawd i'm so mature. ohoh! and leopard will be mailed to me next week!!! :DDDDD weeee!!!! *muacks muacks muacks!!!!*

4 grown adults...

what were you thinking??? ha!

having fun at amusement park @ navy pier, chicago, on a weekday afternoon. tsk.
they were all very happy kiddos that day.
b's legs are far too wide open for my liking... spot him in the green tee. haha!



we had bought the 7-day chicago go passes so were entitled to unlimited rides @ navy pier, b went up twice on this just so i could catch him on video... LOL

erm... seriously... i'm going sick...

the whole point of it all is to go green.... save the earth.... consume lesser.... don't use plastic bags.....

so the fairly recent few "bag phenomenons" and "green events" that "marketed" themselves off as promoting and spreading the message on the above mentioned to "everyday-people-consumers" is seriously such a big mother-effing joke, i don't know to laugh or cry...




















why don't you... erm.... "self-proclaimed-fashionistas" get yourself this instead? or maybe maaaaaa-ing like a sheep is what you like to do....then, yeah. okay.

another equally trendy looker would be this, and it guarantees you actually doing something right, while looking it as well.....

i still haven't been able to fathom the whole idea of getting something everyone else already has.... maybe life's easier for the sheep and not for the shephard.... bahhh.....

more than meets the eye!

transformers! ahhh!! mr. michael bay removed the ultra-cheesy tune i soooo love... well, thank gawd they did remove it for this ultra super duper smashing cool movie though. ha! and yes. girly girls aside, this IS the summer blockbuster to see! a must-watch! like.... 5 times over!!!!!! replaying all the scenes that the autobots transform in mid-air and then loudly crash land beautifully to whack the other robot who also then leaps up high into the air and transforms and then.... KEWL! is all we could exclaim. we, being 5 dudes and me, the 1 dudey girl ;p

this is not the same billion-dollar production shiat that has been churned out more often then desired. i could just imagine watching transformers part 11.... it could go on and i wouldn't care. i think.

low-brow good stuff man.... you seriously don't know what you're missing in life if you don't like this.

smurfs, the mask, he-man, g.i. joe, tom & jerry.... yes yes, can you blame me for having such an awesome childhood?? ha! i know, i'm such a contradiction, my love for fairytales, monsters, fairies, robots, gnomes, witches, talking animals, mutated creatures, horror stories, lego, fantasy novels, smurfs.... such a diverse group eh...lol... i still remember playing "house" or "masak-masak" as we call it here in singapore, and i'd add in all these wacko storylines in the midst of "happy family bliss"... how we were suppose to have a "serial-killer neighbor", how suddenly there was an "earthquake" that was caused by the "angry little gnomes" while my cousin was "cooking" halfway, how "our sister" is "dying" in the "hospital", how she has to turn into a "werewolf" because the "operation" had gone awry and then a "dwarf" came along and made things worse by putting a curse on her.... blah blah blah..... (i think i must have really disliked that poor little girl who was play-acting as our sister... haha) nothing was ever peaceful playing house with moi. tsk

p.s. to the few emails i got abt my love for doll-mutilation... i ADORE softies, fluffies and stuffies, i just don't like life-like looking girly dolls. like say... how i'm not terribly crazy about blythes. i don't get them. you dress them up prettily.... and so? why not dress youreslf up prettily? or help that poor friend of yours with not-so-very-nice dress sense? i'd rather play scientist or surgeon and operate on them or something along these lines... much more fun and interesting, me thinks. muahahaha. callie, don't hate me just because i don't play dolly dolls the way you do, okie? cos i still love you. hee...

okay, enough of this childhood-nostalgia nonsense.

we're just sheep...

i've no problems with their huge pay hike and see most of the logic

but this is a developed country still without a minimum wage

so before that happens, everything else is plain bull crap

kill bill's browser

taken from amy | re:makeables ---

that preeetty much sums it up.
you can say i'm biased because i've been a mac addict-user for the past 8 years... i don't really care. ha!
we're one big happy cult. ppfffttt.....

happy golden piggy lunar new year!!!

helllooo year of the golden piggy!!
oink oink snort snort
i know this is 3 days late... but hey! lunar new year is 15 days! heh
don't stuff yourselves with too much chinese new year goodies!
i know i'm not gonna try to :p