Janvier in 10 frames.

Bonsoir! 

During CNY, my extended family from my mother's side sat down post dinner and poured over vintage photograph albums that my grandmother stashed away. Above all the laughter over horrible fashion choices, big hair and my uncle's hilarious portrait shots, I thought about how in 20 years to come printed photographs would lose their shine, figuratively and literally. With the abundant visual data we have stored away in the memory of our smart phones, I truly acknowledge that photographs are gradually losing their value. Take a decade off your age and go back to the time of disposable cameras and bulky black kodaks. Our parents counted the number of shots left on the roll of film while documenting the family's day on the beach. Then, after having the snaps developed we would all huddle and glance through the paper back album. We would point out that huge branch in front of our sandcastle, laugh about how dad tripped and fell flat on the sand (soft landing!) and launch into recollections with our hazy memories. So what I mean to say (ask) is.... When was the last time you had a paper back photo album made?

With that, I decided to have a post at the every end of each month with 10 pictures taken from that month itself. Why? Simply because I want to look back and recall all the little details that I lived through too quickly. All the little details that truly matter. 

My inspiration came a bit too late. By the time I came to realization, I was already riding through the middle of February. So I apologize. Will pay more attention to the right conditions and moments in the future to come. Allez!

1) Flower motifs over naked nails. Keeping it naked was all the rage. Hopped on the bandwagon and really liked this design I thought of!

2) Spent a lovely dinner and supper with my similarly lovely high school classmates. Life would not be as colourful without them in it.

3) I baked my first red velvet cake, with my brother's assistance. It is a milestone for me okay...... graduating past my Indon Mee, fried egg/bacon days.

4) A day well spent with my belles! Here's a picture post dinner at Alessio Publika. 

5) Earlier that day we had a mini photoshoot, something to laugh at. Will post pictures soon!

6) And...... here is a sneak peek. Thank you Carmen!

7) I spent most of my time attempting to read with my cousin's dog under my arm back in my father's hometown. Brings back serenity of the slow, no-rush kampung life.

8) Annual food fest, also in my father's hometown. Good food, good price, good eat.

9) What is CNY without cookies? My mother's pineapple cookies are heaven on Earth.

10) My CNY manicure. Experimented with negative spaces once again.

That is all for now. Live through the mid-week boohoos and have a lovely weekend!

Simple Sundays.

Quick update!

Sorry for being on a hiatus, I was busy eating. Now, after the official end of CNY I have to pull the reins of that crazy train ride. Back to yoga and cardio routines. Nothing beats the sweaty aftermath of a healthy workout. May you bask in all its glory.

I look forward to the days to come. Life is like having one big mystery gift with hundreds of layers of crepe paper, with a surprise hidden beneath each layer. As each day passes, the outermost layer peels of just a bit. Eventually the entire layer comes off and you get to hold on to that gift, good or bad. But over time, you will gain a collection, a collection of memories and experiences. Boom.

Obviously, my brain is still fuzzy. Work tomorrow. See you in a few!

Top: Topshop

Bandage skirt: Pull n Bear

Necklace: Bazaar find

6 CNY nail art designs you could rock.

Bonjour/Bonsoir!

I took a really long break between revising French grammar *shudders* and made this post below. You should know that my brain is fried from the countless hours in contact with the digital world. Oh the confounding things on french.about.com and oh my camera.

As the festive season approaches, I thought it would be fun to combine my hype for the celebration and my current interest in nail painting. As an amateur, I am pretty proud of myself (ha!). Feedback is very welcome.  So here are 6 easy CNY nail art designs! Enjoy.

The ang-ang nail aka ombre nail.

1) Start off with a red base.
2) Sponge (do not use a makeup sponge, use the one for household chores.) on a darker shade of red on the tip gently.
3) Add on a slight touch of golden glitter.
4) Apply a generous amount of fast drying top coat. Remember to seal the tips of your nails to prevent chipping.

There you have it, super auspicious nails. Your grandmother will be very proud of you.

The most uploaded design on YouTube aka The cherry blossom nail.

1) Start of with a pastel/light base. Too dark of the colour will not give a nice contrast.
2) With a nail art brush (Daiso sells them in packs!), paint on 2-3 branches with a dark brown colour. Use a gentle stippling motion.
3) Add thinner branches, fanning out in random directions. Don't go overboard as they do give you a real sense of accomplishment. Exercise self-control and remember.....you still have to leave some space for the blossoms.
4) With a dotting tool (easily sub-ed by a toothpick), place dots of a coral colour at the tips of the branch. Make small clusters of the dots. 
5) If you like, paint on a hint of yellow in the middle of the clusters. Seal with a top coat. 

You can avoid smearing your design by gently patting down a dollop of top coat over the design. Then, go back for a second helping and paint over the other areas.

The gingham nail.

1) Paint your nail in a dark colour. I like navy, but I don't have navy.
2&3) Use a nail art brush or a real tiny dotting tool, draw on vertical lines. Again, stipple your way through.
4) Paint two horizontal lines. Try to have the same spacing between lines as the ones painted in the steps before. Keep that in mind and you will have emulated the print pretty perfectly. Top coat!

You have plaid flannel shirts, flared plaid minis, plaid midis, plaid flannel scarf varieties, plaid pants...... So why not plaid nails. 

1) As I like keeping to the traditional print, I started with a red base.
2) Use the nail polish brush of your dark colour, wipe off two faces of it. With your polish laden side facing down, gently press, drag and lift the brush on one side of your nail (Pick A Side Quick!). Go over another time to fill in the line.
3) With your small nail art brush, draw 2 lines across. They do not have to be evenly spaced.
4) Add another vertical line on the other side where they may serve you cookies. 
5) Paint in 2-3 thin white lines. This really accentuates the plaid effect.
6) My Christmas ornaments have gold accents, so glam it up! Finish with a fast drying top coat.

I would recommend that you save a picture of your wanted print as reference.

The 福 nail. Did you know that according to tradition, we place the 福 sign upside down as a sign that 福 (good fortune) has reached your house. But my mum begs to differ. 

1) Paint red nail polish onto a small length of scotch tape. Allow it to dry!
2) Use a permanent black marker (fine point sharpie would do great) and write the word in. Let it dry. Be mindful of the width and height of your nail. 
3) Cut it out, diamond shape. Or diagonal square. I mean, whatever way you to interpret it as. Place it on your nail. 
4) Flatten the ends down gently using a dotting tool. Paint on your topcoat. My word ran a bit..... the 田is now a black square. Boohoo.

So best to paint your word in with black polish. If I had the time, I would have painted the words 馬 and 春 as well.

The main muse of Gangnam Style is _____. Yes you got it right. The horse nail (wtf?)

1) Start with a white base. 
2) I know it looks like an acorn, but no, you do not draw an acorn. Use your nail polish brush, draw in an inverted triangle, or at least attempt to. Just keep the top broader and you are set!
3) Use a small nail brush, fill in the sides to even out the horse's face and give the poor thing a snout. Also extend a neck out for him/her/it. 
4) Don't know about you, but ear-less horses would freak the hell out of me.
5) Give it a white diamond patch in between the eyes using a nail art brush. Give it eyes using a larger dotting tool (or ball point pen in my case) and black polish. Give definition to its snout and mane using black polish.
5) Dot white polish on its eyes and snout to make it come alive, kawaii no?

This is what I intended my horse to look like but...... 
Oh and that was the pen I used.

There you have it. I hope you have fun recreating them! Remember to clean up the mess around your nails which I forgot about! If all else fails, go for the classic red nail.

Till the next post.