Chloé Inga

Life is Made of Little Moments

2011-07-25T23:36:00.000+12:00

found here Life is more about the little moments than the big events. We focus so much on the big events though - I know I do. I spent so much time essentially waiting for my life to start; thinking that when I graduated, when I launched my designs, when I was settled down in a 'proper' house then that would be it. When those things happened then my life would really start, I would really be on

"The Paradox of Our Age"

2011-07-08T18:31:00.000+12:00

I came across this article (written by Dr. Bob Moorehead) and found it inspiring. It made me think a lot. I thought I'd share it here. found here The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller

Nazeem Hussain - A Muslim Comedian

2011-07-04T22:11:00.000+12:00

You always seem to find the best youtube videos right in the middle of assessment and exam time. I found this one a few days before my major assessment, and I've watched it about 20 times since then. No, it's not getting the least bit old! Nazeem Hussain is an Australian Muslim comedian and honestly, I crack up every single time I watch this!

Soul Sparkle: Alhamdulilah

2011-06-29T08:53:00.000+12:00

from Christian Dorian Alhamdulilah. We all know what it means, right? All thanks and praises to God. I was listening to a lecture not too long ago and the speaker said a Muslim should be optimistic. We shouldn't be pessimistic, worrying about this and that, complaining about how things aren't working out. That's why it's the Sunnah to reply with Alhamdulilah, when someone asks us how we

The Muslim Moments

2011-06-15T08:12:00.000+12:00

I came across this tumblr a little while ago called The Muslim Moments. It's filled with these sweet moments that, if you're a Muslim, you've probably come across plenty! Read through these few, and have a look at the tumblr as well. Say Alhamdulilah for each one that makes you smile, and makes you happy to be Muslim. Alhamdulilah :)

A Life Uncommon

2011-06-05T19:49:00.000+12:00

found here And lend your voices only to sounds of freedomNo longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from Fill your lives with love and bravery and you shall leadA life uncommon Just a few lyrics that always inspire me. From Life Uncommon by Jewel

An Update & A Photoshoot

2011-05-31T12:50:00.000+12:00

This past month has been insane! I've been super busy with study, art, traveling and Sunnipath. And because I've been so busy and stressed, it made me sick. It was a vicious cycle - I had to stay calm so I would get better, but I was vividly aware of all the work that I had to do. Alhamdulilah things are clearing up now so I thought it was time to blog again! I'm in Dunedin at the moment for my

What I Wore & Made - Blouse & Leopard Print

2011-05-03T08:09:00.000+12:00

Wow this has been a long week. As mentioned here, I've spent most of my time sewing. Well I finally finished and here it is! The blouse below took just over 37 hours (!!) to make. Obviously if I was a more advanced sewer I could have done it a lot quicker, but I'm still learning. This was my first time making a collar, adding cuffs and sleeve vents, and doing buttonholes. It was a lot of work,

Sew Inspired

2011-04-27T09:18:00.000+12:00

via weheartit I've literally had my head buried in fabric and the sewing machine for these past few days. I'm working on a new project at the moment, and it's definitely the most advanced thing I've ever made. It has lots of tricky new features that I haven't done before, and the pattern uses a lot of terms I've never heard of. I kept exclaiming, 'This is so complicated!', and my husband

Soul Sparkle - Turn Off Auto-Pilot in Prayer

2011-04-26T09:05:00.000+12:00

via weheartit I've talked a little bit about the importance of having a strong relationship with yourself, but essentially the most important relationship we will ever have is our one with God. He is the only one that we can truly rely on to be with us throughout everything, no matter what. It makes sense then that this relationship is one that we should nurture to ensure it stays strong and

Blessings & Loves

2011-04-19T20:55:00.000+12:00

via weheartit Y Spending time with my parents again. It had been a while since I had seen them so it was really awesome to be able to spend some quality time with them! Y Getting spoilt with lots of Body Shop goodies! I don't have much make-up and I'm always clueless as to what to do with it, so my parents spoilt me and got me some goodies! Foundation, bronzer, and brushes; I'm a lucky girl!

Pancakes To Start The Day

2011-04-15T08:38:00.000+12:00

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day! Today we decided to make something a little bit more special for breakfast and we made these yummy pancakes (recipe from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food). For The ToppingsCut the skin off an orange and slice into bite-sized pieces. Put into a bowl for later. In another bowl, mash up one banana, add some natural yoghurt and a handful of desiccated

I Need Your Advice!

2011-04-14T09:00:00.001+12:00

Irrelevant to this post - but still nice :) via weheartit Today I wanted to get some feedback from you all about this blog. I really enjoy writing and I want to make this blog as beneficial to you as I can The questions I've listed below are just a general guide - you don't have to answer all of them if you don't want to, any feedback that you can give will be helpful. You are welcome to

Soul Sparkle - The Significance of Bismillah

2011-04-13T09:22:00.012+12:00

via weheartit I've been thinking a lot recently about my own faith and spirituality - about what they mean to me and what I can do to nurture them - and I've decided to start the column Soul Sparkle. You've probably picked up by now my love for all things sparkly, both material (sparkly accessories) and active (doing those little things that make you happy). And while those sparkles are

What I Made: Tasseled Scarf

2011-04-12T12:00:00.001+12:00

I came across this scarf from Antik Batik that was priced at US$85 on net-a-porter and thought that it would be easy enough to make myself - and so I did! I spent NZ$15.30 on materials and I even made my own little tassels! I love the colours of the tassels - it makes the scarf just that little bit different. Who says black has to be boring? I finally learnt how to do a baby/rolled hem. For

Blessings & Loves: Hugs from Strangers, Arabic, and Creating.

2011-04-11T11:00:00.001+12:00

found here Y Watching Inception - such a good movie! Y Coffee and Walnut muffins Y Sewing! Lots and lots of sewing, and making, and designing. It's been so much fun Y I'm really looking forward to my holidays starting on Saturday, and my parents arriving on Sunday for a few days Y Hearing my nephew giggle for the first time Y Finding my collection of foreign money - I feel so well-traveled

What I Wore (And Made): Fur Vest

2011-04-10T18:15:00.000+12:00

I made this fur vest the other week and I'm in love with it! It's faux fur and its so lovely and soft. It took me quite a while to make as I was working without a pattern and there was a lot of fiddling around - whenever I would attach the lining the fur would warp so I redid the lining about 3 times to get it just right. {If I look red in the face, it's because I had just woken up!} At the back

How To Sparkle Through Winter

2011-04-07T23:12:00.000+12:00

found here It's only Autumn here at the moment, but I'm already using the heater to warm up my clothes before I put them on so I can tell Winter is fast approaching. Usually I like Winter when its not happening. You know, in the middle of Summer you reminisce about the cold weather, frost on the ground and rugging up in lots of layers. But when I get to Winter I find myself in lots of layers,

Blessings & Loves

2011-04-06T12:28:00.001+12:00

found here I love these lists too much to let a week go by without writing one! Here's my blessings and loves this week... Y Making my very own very cute and very cosy fur vest Y Turkish Delight chocolate Y Bubble baths in the middle of the day Y Watching the rain pour down outside Y Eating spinach - you know, it's not as bad as I thought it was! Y Turning scarves into pretty cushions

Dazzle & Dare - The Finish Line

2011-04-05T19:27:00.001+12:00

weheartit The Dazzle and Dare Challenge officially finished on Sunday; I know, I know, its quite late to be posting this on Tuesday, but I didn't have access to the internet until now. Let's review, shall we? How did you find the challenge? Did you do well in achieving your goals? I'm unofficially continuing my personal Dazzle and Dare goals - I think they're really important for my general

I'm Not Joking

2011-04-01T08:26:00.001+13:00

via weheartit On the phone to Mum last night... Mum: I've got some clothes here that you might like. Oh, but you've de-cluttered your closet haven't you? You probably won't want more things. Me: Yes, well, I don't like anything that's in my wardrobe anymore! Mum: Hmm Me: And plus, my style's changing and I need new clothes now Husband in the background: Are you joking?!? Mum and Me: Ha!

Dazzle & Dare - Keeping the Momentum Going

2011-03-31T21:50:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Its last last week of the Dazzle & Dare Challenge and I wanted to ask you guys something. How have you kept momentum? Some days are certainly harder than others, how do you manage to stay focused and to keep working at your goals? Although I haven't had 100% success in achieving my set goals so far, I do feel as though I'm changing somewhat for the better. As a result of my no

Blessings & Loves - Hula Hooping, $1 Diamond Rings & Lots of Fur

2011-03-28T22:58:00.000+13:00

Passion: Matches. An artwork by Pei-San Ng using 2500 matches Y Hula-hooping in the middle of Rebel Sports. At first I was really shy, but I had to make sure it was the right size, and before I knew it I was hooping away without a care in the world while my husband stood there cracking up! It was so much fun, we couldn't stop laughing Y Reading Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. It honestly

I've Fallen In Love With A Skirt

2011-03-27T09:11:00.001+13:00

I found this skirt last night and I've fallen in love with it! It's absolutely stunning. It's a peacock feather-trimmed sequined skirt from Matthew Williamson, and it's selling for $6,295 on net-a-porter. I couldn't even imagine spending that much on a mini-skirt, but it is gorgeous. found on net-a-porter The skirt is navy and teal quilted chiffon with bronze sequin embellishment and a peacock

Dazzle and Dare Challenge - Day 17

2011-03-23T21:51:00.000+13:00

image found here We are well over the halfway mark now! I ate chocolate today and I bit my nails. In my defense, I did deserve/need that chocolate. The nail-biting I have no excuse for though. It happens sometimes. Tomorrow is a new day! A few people have listed their prayers as one of their goals for this challenge. They want to be able to pray all their prayers on time, as well improving the

Blessings & Loves

2011-03-21T21:57:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Sewing pretty pillowcases and cushions for my bed Y Fresh fruit and vegies on Sunday Y Catching up with friends (even if it is just via email and facebook) Y Cooking new meals every night! I'm actually a good cook :D Y Watching feel good movies like The Holiday and Arranged Y Starting Monday off on a high note - morning yoga and eating carrot sticks for snacks! (My

E-Inspiration: Darth Vader, Harry Potter and Life Lists

2011-03-18T09:11:00.000+13:00

Photo by LotusMonger Y People share the things they love, which ties in quite nicely with sparkles and dating yourself Y My sister sent me this video of Harry Potter Puppets and I can't get over it. It find it hilarious! I also can't get that catchy tune out of my head Y I love this idea of a Life Laundry Day - taking time out every so often to get your life in order Y This is a long

Challenge Progress - Day 11

2011-03-17T21:00:00.000+13:00

I thought it would be mean to have a photo of chocolate! We are now halfway through Week 2 of the Dazzle and Dare Challenge - how is everybody doing? Some things I'm finding easy, and others I'm not. I'll be honest, going without chocolate is proving to be quite difficult! I know some of you are find that goal hard as well so I thought I'd open up this post as a place to share tips with each

What I Wore: 1 Purple Shirt, 5 Different Ways

2011-03-15T22:35:00.000+13:00

I mentioned here a little while ago that I had started de-cluttering my wardrobe. I've kept track of all that I've gotten rid of (sold, donated, etc) and I ended up getting rid of about 90 items of clothing, leaving me with 59 items. Keep in mind though, that this is 59 items of the main things like pants, tops, dresses, jackets, and it excludes scarves (I have 40 of those), shoes, pyjamas, socks

Blessings & Loves

2011-03-14T12:17:00.013+13:00

via weheartit Y Homemade pizza for lunch, with prawns, spinach, avocado, cheese, and olives. Yum! Y Doing yoga with Tara Stiles Y Random walks early in the morning, listening to the birds and watching the sun spread over the hills Y Fresh fruit and vegies from the markets Y "Snape, Snape, Severus Snape. Dumbledore!!!" I still find this hilariously funny! Y Fruit and green tea for

1 Week Down, 3 Weeks to Go

2011-03-14T08:16:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Wow, one week is over already! Time goes fast. How did you do on the first week of your Dazzle and Dare Challenge? It's 8am on Monday morning here, so Week 2 has already started for me. If it's still Sunday for you, then now is a perfect time to look back over the past week and reflect; What did you do well? What do you want to do better? What helped you? What stopped you? How

E-Inspiration

2011-03-12T18:42:00.001+13:00

via weheartit Y A beginner's guide to Paris - It makes me really want to travel right now Y How to make the little things count: From Habit to Worship Y I really like this idea of walking mediation Y Beautiful video and poem on Jannah (Heaven) via Fida Islaih Y How to be a Morning Person. Yes please! Y Red Kale and Blueberry Smoothie from The Chocolate Fig. Now I just need to buy

How to... Date Yourself

2011-03-10T16:57:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Dating yourself is really important. Yes it does sound a bit strange, but it's such a good opportunity to shower yourself with as much affection and attention as you deserve. I don't think we do this enough. Think of it this way: if you were married, would you ignore your spouse and their needs, and then expect the relationship to be awesome? No. So why ignore yourself and your

Dazzle and Dare Challenge - Day 1

2011-03-07T22:10:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Here in New Zealand it's 9.50pm, so Day 1 of the Dazzle and Dare Challenge is almost over. How did you go for your first day? Was it easy? Was it harder than you thought? Is there anything you want to tweak? If your first day didn't go well, then don't worry! Tomorrow is a new day, and it's a new chance to start again. Don't get disheartened if you don't do as well in your goals

Getting Ready for the Dazzle and Dare Challenge

2011-03-05T12:32:00.000+13:00

via weheartit The Dazzle and Dare Challenge starts on Monday! I've been spending this week preparing by getting rid of the chocolate in my house (by eating it all), and I've started compiling some fun exercises that I can do. I've also got this very cool Weekly Habits Pad from Kikki-K which means that I can tick things off each day I do them (the Virgo in me loves this). You could always make

50 Ways to Have an Awesome Day

2011-03-04T10:15:00.001+13:00

via weheartit Y Pull faces in the mirror - smile, bare your teeth, pose like you're on a photoshoot. Just have some fun and make yourself laugh!Y Jump on your bed - it was fun when you were 5, and it's still fun now!Y Make yourself a hot chocolate drink and put little marshmallows in itY If it's raining, go jump in the puddlesY Curl up in bed with a really good book, or a really

Something Lovely

2011-03-02T18:03:00.000+13:00

via Gypsy Girls Guide Lots of little inspirations to live your life by! The typography and layout is so pretty and the whole thing just makes me smile! Do what you love, money will follow Quiet your mind You can have it all Inspiration is everywhere Those are my picks! :) What are your favourite little quotes on it?

Blessings & Loves

2011-03-02T12:00:00.000+13:00

via Just Lyrics I know I usually do this on Mondays (even though its been a while) but it is always a good time to make a list of all the awesome things in your life! So here's what's making me happy at the moment Y Y Getting back into the rhythm of study and life Y Seeing photos of my beautiful little nephew Y Making chocolate brownies late at night Y Sewing again! Y Getting better

Introducing the Dazzle and Dare Challenge!

2011-02-28T21:55:00.002+13:00

via weheartit I decided the other day that I should do things more often that scare me. Not things that scare me in a bad way (like watching horror movies), but things that I feel uneasy about, things that might actually help me grow as a person if I let them. Sometimes you've just got to shake things up a bit - give your life a kick-start and revive and refresh yourself! Because it sounds

How to Get Your Rhythm Back

2011-02-23T23:43:00.002+13:00

via weheartit Every so often we lose our balance in life. Things happen and change and as a consequence we can feel out of kilter and maybe even a bit uncomfortable in our own skin. This happened to me recently - the past 4 months have been just go-go-go for me (assessment, traveling around, a cyclone, moving house) and when I finally started getting settled it was as though my body was

Home is where the heart is

2011-02-14T12:30:00.001+13:00

via weheartit Facebook keeps asking me to list my hometown in my profile information, and to be honest I don’t have a clue what to put! I could put Canterbury, the area I grew up in until I was 8. Canterbury gives me such strong imagery of my childhood: images of our swing-set in the yard, mum’s rose bushes, and trips to the mountain. Or I could put Cairns, the place I spent as a teenager

Time To Sparkle!

2011-02-09T07:15:00.000+13:00

via weheartit I love those little things that always put a bounce in your step; those little things that make you smile from the inside out; the things that simply make you happy. I call these things Sparkles, for obvious reasonsY Everyone one has different Sparkles. For some it’s a good cup of tea drunk in peace in the morning, for others it’s squishing their toes in the sand. Whatever your

Don't undervalue yourself!

2011-02-07T21:35:00.000+13:00

via weheartit Many people that we consider to be very successful felt undervalued at times in their life. Quite often it doesn’t matter how rich, beautiful, or popular someone is, it is still easy to feel undervalued and powerless. Look at Bruce Lee: he was desperate to teach Westerners the beauty of his Chinese culture and the art form of his martial arts but he felt rejected by America.

A little update

2011-01-13T20:13:00.000+13:00

As much as I love blogging, I think I'm going to take a break for a bit. There are some things happening at the moment, that just need my full attention, things that I need to be helping with. I don't expect to be gone for more than a week and inshaAllah everything will be sorted soon. I just thought I leave this message to let you all know that I'm not being lazy and I haven't forgotten you!

Blessings and Loves

2011-01-10T15:55:00.000+13:00

Today is my last day in Melbourne – I’m flying to Cairns tonight and I can’t wait. I grew up in Cairns and it’s kind of my home. I’ve moved 20 something times, so I don’t really have one place that I call “home”, just lots of places that hold memories. I lived in Cairns for 6 years, which I think is the longest I ever spent in one place, and it’s been 4 years since I’ve been back. My sister is

How to have the perfect lazy day

2011-01-07T15:08:00.001+13:00

Today is one of those days. I don’t really feel like doing much and that’s ok because this weekend is going to be very busy for me. We all have days like this, and just in case you’re having a lazy day as well I thought I’d share with you my tips for the perfect lazy day. Electronics... This tends to be high on the list of lazy day activities – whether it be movies or games. My choice for today

What I Wore: Wedding Anniversary

2011-01-05T16:36:00.000+13:00

Yesterday was our 2nd wedding anniversary and we decided to see a movie together and go out for lunch (to a Chocolate Cafe :D). It was a lovely sunny day and I just wore something easy and casual. The dress I'm wearing is actually a skirt, but it works well both ways :) The belt belongs to my sister (who is demanding it back when I get to Cairns - which I think is silly because she is 9 months

A year of blessings and new loves

2011-01-03T19:16:00.000+13:00

Happy New Year! I love how the coming of a new year can inspire so much change in people. Really, we can make these changes anytime, but the new year is always a big motivation. I’ve written a list of my goals for this year, and this time I’ve done them differently. Usually one of my new year goals would always be to ‘stop biting my nails’, but I never succeeded. To remedy this I made my goals

Looking Back on 2010

2010-12-31T12:04:00.000+13:00

This time of year for me always means reflection on the year that’s passed, and dreaming the year to come. I started out 2010 in unfamiliar environments and found myself in some stressful and scary situations. January was spent in Cambodia, travelling around the country and living as Cambodians do. It was definitely an experience, and it made me really realise how truly blessed I am to have

What I Wore: Summertime Colour

2010-12-29T21:30:00.000+13:00

I think this is my first ever fashion post, so I’m kind of nervous! I recently got some new pieces though and I’m just excited to share them.We went to Chadstone the other day, which is apparently the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere, and it was pretty impressive. It was such a beautiful day, and I knew the mall was going to be really packed so I just went with something simple

Monday Moments

2010-12-27T23:00:00.000+13:00

via weheartit A brand new week is here! I’m on summer holidays at the moment so it’s harder to tell where the week ends and where it starts, but I still want to start of this week in a happy way! So here are the things I’m happy about at the moment: © Boxing day sales! © Finally finding a pair of cute shoes, after three whole days of searching © Huge croissants drizzled with melted Belgian

Why the opposite gender isn't complicated

2010-12-22T18:03:00.000+13:00

I came across this youtube video the other day and thought it was quite funny! It’s quite interesting though, that men will label women as complicated and confusing, and then on the other hand women will label men as complicated and confusing! My dad told me once that ‘men find women confusing, because men think that women think as they do and vice versa.’ I think that is absolutely true! I read

Blessings & Loves

2010-12-20T21:00:00.000+13:00

[via weheartit] Monday always seem to be such a gloomy day - maybe because it’s the start of a new working week, or because it means the end of the weekend. Either way, I think we should start thinking of Monday in a different way.Monday signifies the start of a brand new week; it’s another chance to make things happen, to experience new things and to embrace new opportunities. So as a way of

25 Things To Do Before I'm 25

2010-12-17T16:43:00.001+13:00

As I was doing some blogwalking the other day, I got inspired by my lovely friend Shahirah over at Colours of My Life (who was inspired by Powered by Tofu) to create a little bit of a life list. I decide to make a list of 25 things that I wanted to do before I reached 25 years of age (I’m 21 now). My 25 Before 25 list is a combination of so many different things that I love – Islam, art,

Summer Holidays

2010-12-15T19:32:00.000+13:00

So my holidays have finally started – I arrived in Melbourne on Saturday and will be here for one month, and then we’re off to Cairns for another 3 weeks! I’m looking forward to 2 months of catching up with friends and family, sunshine and relaxing, and most of all meeting my little nephew! Melbourne City [via google] Cairns Esplanade [via google] My

World of Wearable Arts

2010-12-08T20:26:00.000+13:00

World of Wearable Art (WOW) was 2 months ago and I'm only just getting around to this now! I entered a garment in the South Pacific Section of this year's show and was one of 195 finalists (out of around 400 entrants). My garment was called 'From Landfill to Landscape' and was inspired by the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps of New Zealand. This is the garment on stage: It took me 376

How to self-love and self-criticise

2010-12-06T15:07:00.000+13:00

from weheartit Self Love means to love yourself for who you are - to not try to be anybody else, to not change yourself to suit anyone else, to not try and morph yourself into the current trendy 'ideal'. Self-Criticism means to self-evaluate - to look at flaws and shortcomings and to pass judgement on your self, and generally it implies disapproval. Generally when people talk about

Living with Colour and Sparkle

2010-12-03T20:16:00.004+13:00

You know what I don't like? When a day passes, and I feel I haven't made proper use of it. When I feel like I haven't valued the moments that it held, moments that I let just slip by unnoticed. This happens when I get too caught up in things, when I live my life by to-do-lists without stopping to sit in the sunshine, or smell the flowers. So I decided a little while ago that I was going to

Gender Roles

2010-11-30T13:42:00.001+13:00

One thing that has been on my mind lately is gender roles. Its something that I've always found interesting - the variation between gender roles in different cultures. In some cultures, gender has a huge influence on the role that you will play later in life. Men generally do the whole bread-winner/provider/hunter and gatherer thing, while women generally do the whole have babies/raise babies/

Life Lessons that I have learned

2010-11-07T21:41:00.001+13:00

from weheartit People deserve second chances At some point you just have to stop caring what other people think and do what you want No matter how wonderful your husband is, you need good girlfriends :) If you really want something in life, sometimes you have to fight for it Never judge something if you don't know or understand it Everyone is entitled to their own way of living; if it

Fashion is a Religion

2010-10-31T12:53:00.000+13:00

It's been so long since I blogged! I was starting to miss it. Things have been so busy, I finish my studies in less than 2 weeks and I have so much work to do. I've got an exhibition next Tuesday night, and still have a lot of work to do to finish my art. But it'll all be over soon! :) In the meantime, I thought I would post a paragraph of my Art Theory essay that I just finished (last night at

Cross-Cultural Marriages

2010-10-06T17:46:00.000+13:00

There's been a little bit of drama recently in NZ politics (actually, when isn't there drama in politics?) about a comment made by Maori Party MP Hone Harawira. Harawira told a newspaper a little while ago that he would not be comfortable if his (maori) children brought home a pakeha (european/caucasian) partner and it really got me thinking about cross-cultural relationships and marriages in

Oh, the Dramas of Owning Scarves

2010-09-20T17:04:00.001+12:00

The other night my friends and I were talking about scarves and why its kinda necessary (and really easy) to own a lot more than just one, so I thought I'd share our logic with you. There are the main colours of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, black. So if you own a scarf in each colour thats already 9 scarves. Throw in a few more colours like cream, brown, gold, silver,

Fashion and her Victims

2010-09-16T14:52:00.002+12:00

For sculpture this semester, my artworks are based quite a lot on fashion and the ideals of women in society so as a part of my research, I'm reading a book called Fashion Victim: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Dressing, Shopping, and the Cost of Style by Michelle Lee. "'Fashion is a constant search for the perfect look,' says Marilyn Kirschner, editor-in-chief of The Look On-Line and former

Cambodian Experiences

2010-09-14T19:05:00.007+12:00

At the moment I am reading a book called Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert, which I suppose you could say is the sequel to Eat Pray Love. Towards the end of the book she writes about her experiences in Cambodia, which I was quite excited to read about having just spend 5 weeks in Cambodia over the summer myself. Here's an excerpt from her book: "Cambodia is not a day at the beach. Cambodia is not

The Value of Our Time

2010-09-06T16:18:00.000+12:00

The internet can be so addictive! We spend so much time online, doing what is essentially pointless stuff. {from weheartit.com} I worked it out the other day... I think I waste between 1 - 2 hours online a day. Popping on quickly, every so often, to check emails, facebook, do a bit of browsing... it all adds up. 2 hours... over the course of a lifetime... (I ignored my first 15 years

Love Is In The Air

2010-09-05T12:41:00.000+12:00

Some more Sweet Stitches Jewellery! These are 'Love Is In The Air' Necklaces - I had a lot of fun working with colour combinations, and the little hearts are so cute to crochet :) What do you think? What's your favourite one?

A Different Kind of Birthday...

2010-08-31T22:47:00.001+12:00

This Thursday (2nd September) is my 21st birthday. In New Zealand (and in the West in general I think) your 21st birthday is a huge deal. You have a big party, send out invitations, get a new dress, have lots of guests, speeches are made in your honour, and baby photos and embarrassing stories are shared. And then there's the 21 shots you're supposed to do... I'd never thought much about my 21st,

Sweet Hearts and Pretty Petals

2010-08-25T21:58:00.000+12:00

Just a quick post with more jewellery for you to look at! These are my Sweet Heart earrings - cute little crocheted hearts in all different colours. These ones are $5 (more cheap jewellery!) and I just love them to bits. These ones are Pretty Petal Earrings - I've only got 2 made up but I might make some more soon. These are $6 each I've got more

Ramadhan - On a personal note.

2010-08-23T21:34:00.000+12:00

I want to talk about something a bit more personal today - I think I need to make this blog a more personal because blogging solely about jewellery can get a bit hard as its quite restricting. So the topic for today is Ramadhan: the month of fasting for Muslims. I'm 12 days into Ramadhan now and to be completely honest, its my favourite time of year. A lot of people when they find out that I'm

Finally!

2010-08-21T22:37:00.000+12:00

Finally I'm posting! That was a long break, life got so busy all of a sudden (actually, when isn't life busy??) Anyway, I have been making jewellery, and I have lots of pieces to share with you! I'm going to break it up into different posts, because its just way too much to put in one. So first I'll start with the Not Just For Little Girls Headbands and Necklaces. These pieces double as both

Ring Pull Earrings

2010-06-23T16:10:00.001+12:00

I made these earrings last week from those ringpulls off aluminium drink cans!I love working with ringpulls, they're a lot of fun. I've used them heaps in other projects as well, like my Mrs Tin-Man wearable arts dress (they decorated the shoulders of the garment), and my spiderweb sculpture project. For these earrings, I painted them up in bright and pretty colours and decorated them with

Newspaper Necklace

2010-06-18T09:09:00.000+12:00

I made this necklace yesterday while sitting at my exhibition. Well, I actually made it over 2 days and it took about 7 and a half hours! It's time-consuming, but easy I used the Property Press Real Estate Newspaper to do this, which had about 40 or so pages in it. The necklace is actually quite heavy (although not too heavy!) for paper. I think it looks kind of tribal, the way the beads are

Eco Jewels

2010-06-13T20:13:00.000+12:00

It's been so long since I posted! But I have been very busy with art school and wearable arts! I have started another blog though (I know, I can hardly keep this blog updated, how will I be able to handle 2 blogs?!) but this 2nd blog is a part of my Fine Arts degree. So posting will be, like, my homework. (I love art!). So head on over to Eco Jewels and become a follower! This blog is all about

Make-up for Art!

2010-05-06T17:49:00.000+12:00

This is a project I did for my Project Drawing class. Its basically a class where we draw conceptually. As vague as that description is, its the best I can do! For this project I used make-up as my medium. I would apply my make-up as normal, experimenting with colours and just generally mucking around with it. Then, using tissue, I would wipe the make-up off. The tissues from my favourite make

Sweet Silver Brooch

2010-05-01T17:29:00.000+12:00

This was a request piece I made a while ago.Its a beautiful brooch about 7cm across, made up of 6 larger outer petals and 6 smaller inner petals, complete with anthers in the middle It was a lovely piece to make and I was so happy that my customer liked it! "I contacted Chloe by email with a request to make a silver beaded flower brooch for a gift. She gave me excellent guidance as to what

Plastic Bag Bracelet

2010-04-16T18:16:00.000+12:00

A plastic bag bracelet! The specks of green you can see are from the coloured print on the bag, I think it looks quite cool! This is quite a "bunchy" bracelet, theres so many plastic chains on it! I think its kinda funky though, what do you think?

Spiral Earrings

2010-04-13T18:09:00.000+12:00

These earrings match the Spiral Necklace in the last post, although if you wear them at the same time it might be an overkill...what do you think? These were so much fun to make though! And they look cute too :D

Spiral Style Necklace

2010-04-10T18:05:00.000+12:00

More plastic bag jewellery! This one I made from many, many spirals of plastic and attached them all to the chain; it was very fiddly work! I actually had swollen thumbs afterwards! But I love the look of this necklace!What do you guys think? Let me know, I love getting different opinions!

Plastic Brooch

2010-04-07T19:08:00.000+12:00

Layers of black and white plastic bags + jewelled center = an adorable brooch!

Waste Not, Want Not - Headband

2010-04-04T18:57:00.001+12:00

Materials: Diamante elastic, black plastic bags, beaded anthers. Hope you like!

On a side note...

2010-04-04T18:22:00.002+12:00

I'm changing the layout of my blog, so if it happens to look terrible when you stop by then thats why! Its a work in progress :)Oh and if anyones got any cool ideas for the layout then let me know! :)

Black Cha Cha Earrings

2010-04-01T18:52:00.002+13:00

These are my Cha Cha earrings again, I love this style! The flowers are made from black plastic bags, and I used silver filigree beads, and silver seed beads to decorate the stems. Would you wear these?

Plastic Handbag

2010-03-29T18:46:00.003+13:00

This Handbag is made out of black plastic bag primarily, and is decorated with silver sequins, beads and laceThe flower in the center of the bag is also made from plastic and its so cute :) This is the inside of the bag... I used the "Low Cost" slogan of the trash bag, because the materials for this handbag are low cost :PThis handbag took the longest to make, but its my favourite piece from

Waste Not. Want Not

2010-03-26T18:35:00.003+13:00

This is the reason I have blogged in so long! I've started a new collection as a part of my sculpture project - it's called "Waste Not, Want Not" I'm using recycled objects and its a chance for me to experiment with techniques and materials! This necklace is made out of black and white rubbish bags, with plastic jewels as the flower centers. What do you think of the new necklace? Would you wear

Dhikr in Green

2010-02-28T14:52:00.000+13:00

Another bracelet...(I went on quite a little making-spree when I made all these!)This one is using the same white acrylic pearls as the last two, but with gorgeous olive green glass beads as the dividers I also added on a little stem of green glass beads either side of the central bead, to give it a bit more pizzazz :D What do you think?

Dhikr Dhikr Dhikr

2010-02-26T14:44:00.000+13:00

"Verily, in the Remembrance (Dhikr) of God will your heart find peace".13:28 This one is my favourite so far! I love the combination of beads, its very elegant :)I used white acrylic pearls for the dhikr beads, light gray/olive green glass beads for the dividers, and a large white acrylic pearl for the beginning!I have one more pearl set to post, and then inshaAllah I will source some nice

More Dhikr Bracelets

2010-02-24T14:39:00.002+13:00

More Dhikr! This bracelet is made up off 99 Dhikr beads, seperated into groups of 33 by plastic crystals.I used white acrylic pearls as the dhikr beads on this bracelet. What do you think of the bracelets so far?Any good ideas for individual bracelet names?

Introducing... Dhikr Bracelets!

2010-02-22T14:28:00.002+13:00

I was brainstorming while I was over in S.E.Asia and I thought it would be so much easier if dhikr beads had elastic string in them so I could wear them as a bracelet (therefore I would remember to make dhikr more). I know this idea has probably been done before, but its the first time I've thought of it so its exciting to me! The first dhikr bracelet:This one is not made on elastic as the beads

Bella Bellina Earrings - Blossoming Beauty Collection

2010-02-15T16:45:00.001+13:00

These earrings are very cute and sweet :)I used soft pink bridal tulle and organza for the little "tutus" at the bottom, and along the stem of the earrings I used a large glass round pink bead on either side of the tutus, 3 cream acrylic pearl beads up the stem, and several light pink glass seed beads to finish it off.The view from the bottom....They totally remind me of little ballerinas :)What

Sweet Surprise Necklace - Blossoming Beauty Collection

2010-02-13T16:13:00.000+13:00

New Necklace for a New Collection!This Collection is inspired by my Hat and Hair Wearable Arts entry.The 3 flowers are made up of alternating layers of soft pink bridal tulle and organza and finished off in the center with a glass pink bead.Between the flowers I attached another glass pink bead either side of the center flower, just as a extra sneaky little sweet detail :)Would you wear this?

I'm Back!

2010-02-11T15:55:00.003+13:00

I'm back from my holiday in South East Asia! I was in KL, Malaysia for a week and then I traveled around Cambodia for 5 weeks with my husband and his family. Such fun times! :)When I was over there I got totally inspired by my sister-in-law's wedding; everything was so colourful and extravagant! So when I realised how cheap some supplies were, I stocked up... a lot!I bought 1.7kg of good quality

Pretty Petals Necklace

2010-01-20T12:00:00.000+13:00

This is my favourite necklace at the moment, I love the colours and the lace is so delicate and pretty!I made this bib necklace using a gorgeous piece of olive green lave embellished with ribbon.The lace is a gorgeous combination of shades of olive green and dusty pinks, with the ribbon forming swirly flower shapes. I altered the shape of it to a slight curve so it would sit nicely as a necklace.

Glisten and Gloss Necklace

2010-01-13T12:00:00.000+13:00

This necklace took quite a long time to make!Its a part of the Angelical Collection, and the pendant is the same as the Gold Angel EarringsThe necklace is approx 27" in length including the pendant.The chain is hand woven using gold wire and gold glass seed beads (this technique always looks good, but always hurts my fingers!)The Pendant is made up of 4 little wings using the seed beads again,

Custom Made Headband

2010-01-06T12:07:00.000+13:00

This was the other piece of matching jewellery I custom made for a customer's graduation.This is a close up of the flowers in daylight, before they were assembled on the headband.I made them in the exact same style as the flowers on the scarf.I covered the headband in the soft gold fabric, and finished off the inside with purple sequins.I hand stitched those sequins on, and my hand kept going

Custom Made Earrings

2009-12-30T12:00:00.005+13:00

These are the earrings I made to match the custom made scarf. I used the same fabric, and they are a bit similar to the Cha Cha Earrings.On either side of the fabric flower is one purple sequin and several purple glass seed beads.I made the earrings quite small - they're 3.5cm long - as they were for her daughter.They're so sweet and tiny! They were very fiddly to make, but it was worth it :)Do

SeaBreeze Earrings

2009-12-21T12:00:00.000+13:00

This is another pair from the Nuts and Bolts Collection!I'm a bit unsure about the name though... Can you think of anything?I used flat washers painted in a pretty greeny-blue colour, and hexagonal nuts which I kept in their original metallic hue.Would you wear these?

Custom made and styled Scarf

2009-12-18T12:00:00.001+13:00

A customer who had seen my jewellery designs asked me to design and make her a scarf for her graduation, as well as matching jewellery for her daughter.I had a lot of fun doing it! We went shopping together and chose out a beautiful magenta dress, and then based the scarf fabric around that.I used 2 fabrics, one was a lovely pale gold, and the other was a transparent olive green with gold specks

Pink Links Earrings

2009-12-16T14:49:00.002+13:00

These Pink Links are cute and small!I used two types of hexagonal nuts in varying sizes and painted them up in shades of pink!What do you think? Would you wear these?

Peek-A-Boo Necklace - Nuts and Bolts Collection

2009-12-14T10:12:00.000+13:00

A matching necklace to the Peek-A-Boo earrings!I used the same materials in the same bright, and funky colours.This necklace is made up of one large and two small bright yellow flat washers, as well as two hot pink hexagonal nuts attached to a silver-plated chain.A total of 18.5" long - the nuts and washers collection in the centre making up 5 of those inches.Here's a close up of the centre