Eco-Resin Jewellery Workshop

If you like Alfie De Meow’s resin brooches and are keen to find out they are made, now’s your chance!  There’ll be a jewellery making workshop spread over two days (7 & 14 June) where you can learn how to make your very own eco-friendly bio-resin jewellery from scratch!

The workshop will cover the basics of wax carving, mould making, and resin casting.  You will be free to create any design, and it will not be confined to brooches.  You can create a ring, pendant, or any other type of jewellery.  It just depends on how adventurous you feel :)

All tools and materials are provided and no prior knowledge is necessary.

There are only 2 spaces left, so hurry to register if you are keen.  You can register by sending an email to AlfieDeMeow@gmail.com.

Just think how nice it would be to bring home a one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery that you can call your very own.

Workshop details (details also found here)
Date: 7 June 2014 + 14 June 2014
Time: 1300-1800 hrs on 7 June, 1300-1600 on 14 June
Duration: 5 hrs + 3 hrs
Location: Transitional by Shophouse & Co (115A King George’s Avenue Singapore 208561)
Nearest MRT: Lavender MRT
Price: *$200

*Alfie De Meow will be donating 10% of the course fees to their adopted cat charity, The Love Kuching Project, a local cat rescue group that promotes cat adoption, rescues cats in need and conducts sterilisation of the community cats in Singapore.

Read Full Post »

Alfie De Meow

Calling all cat lovers and feline fanatics!

If you’ve ever wanted to wear your love for cats, you’ll be excited to know about the cat-inspired jewellery label Alfie De Meow.  In their recently launched Etsy store you’ll find a wide range of rings, necklaces, earrings and brooches in various styles – from the colourful and whimsical, to understated chic, vintage inspired, and even adorably kitsch like the range of cat character acrylic brooches.

Stretching Cat studs

Blue Lover Cat House necklace

Pastel Mosaic Kookie Cat range of brooches

Midnight Spell 3D printed broomstick cat ring

Cat character acrylic brooch – zap you doggie!

I first came across Alfie De Meow at Josh & Elaine’s wedding where she gave out her creations as door gifts.  I got the Cat Hugger adjustable ring that is really cute especially when worn.  It looks like it’s hugging onto your finger for dear life.  It’s also drawn to coffee, I think, because by coincidence I took a photo of the cat hanging from a coffee cup too, just like it’s shown in the store picture!

 

The best part about Alfie De Meow is that it has the social aim of helping cats in need by donating 10% of sales to cat welfare groups based in Singapore.  For this year, Alfie De Meow has pledged their support to the Love Kuching Project, a cat rescue group that promotes cat adoption, rescues cats in need, and conducts sterilisation of the community cats in Singapore.

There’s also an interesting story behind this store.  Alfie De Meow was inspired by a calico named Alfie who survived a week’s ordeal of being trapped in a dark, wet drain underneath the store owner’s home when the little kitty was barely two weeks old!  You can read the full story here.

 — DISCOUNT CODE — 

Go check out Alfie’s Etsy store and see what CATches your fancy.  From now until the 30 June, you can purchase Alfie De Meow products from Etsy at a 20% discount using the code “LADYOFLEISURE“.

Besides Etsy, Alfie De Meow’s products can be found at Dulcetfig, Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa, and Cat Socrates.

Go get catty!

Read Full Post »

Bagging the Essentials on Holiday

So one of things about carrying baby in a sling or baby carrier is that my valuables are usually in the diaper bag rather than on me.  I can sometimes be a bit careless about where I put the diaper bag, assuming that people won’t steal stuff from it since it’s mainly filled with diapers and such.  Or sometimes the hubby carries the diaper bag and it’s so troublesome to have to chase after him when I want to check my phone.  It’s especially troublesome when on holiday and I want the essentials right by my side.  My usual bigger sling bags would be impractical because then I’d have two big bags to handle.  So I decided to get the Urban Safari Crossbody Bag from Conversation Pieces.

Urban Safari Crossbody Bag (Picture taken from Conversation Pieces website)

It’s a smallish sling bag that I can use to put my phone, calender (yes I’m old school that way), tissue/wet wipes, and some change.  With the zippered compartments it would safely stow away your passport as well if you’re travelling.  The gold chain was a little heavier than I expected, but it it’s sturdy and looks more polished than if it was a string.  With it’s removable chain, it also makes a versatile travel accessory.  You could use it as a sling bag in the day, or remove the chain as use it as a clutch in the evening.

For a more toned down summer look, I wore the bag with a simple black and white outfit.  I like how the aztec print livens up the look.  I generally also like to accessorize simple outfits with little touches, so for the pictures below I paired the bag with the Sandy Beaches Coral Bracelet just for a pop of summer cheerfulness!  It’s all about the details!

What’s more convenient than a sling bag?

Easy to get stuff from

Urban Safari Crossbody Bag with the Sandy Beaches Coral Bracelet

Baby was napping when we came down to take these pics, but when she woke up she was more than happy to lay claim to some new treasures.

“Hello!  It’s all mine, Mummy!”

Girls and their accessories

I like how cheery these bracelets are.  Easy to pack along for a holiday and match with your outfits.  Pull out the Sandy Beaches Coral Bracelet for a more subtle hint of colour, while the Island Bracelet adds a boho vibe.

Check out Conversation Pieces and sign up for their newsletter to keep updated about the new arrivals.  This is the best time to get stuff if you’re from Singapore since the summer pieces will suit our weather.   Some things sell out quite quickly, so don’t hesitate if you like it!

—————————————————————————————

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  I received store credit to purchase items for review. All opinions are my own.  

Read Full Post »

A Summer Vacation Top

I had blogged about Conversation Pieces a little while back, and since then Audrey’s added a whole bunch of fun summer pieces!  Being heavily preggers I could only drool over the pictures, but then I spotted the Flowers of Paradise Tunic and completely fell in love with it.  I don’t usually wear prints because I feel many prints don’t suit me.  But this was something I really liked.  With a bright floral print casually tossed across the fabric, I felt it was a lovely summer piece to add to my wardrobe, not least since Singapore is in almost perpetual summer.  Plus, the empire cut would flatter a postpartum physique :)

Flowers of Paradise Tunic (Picture taken from Conversation Pieces website)

I received the package two weeks after I delivered Alyssa, and was very happy to find the top fit just right.  The material is a light chiffon that flutters in the breeze, making it perfect for our hot and humid weather.  And it certainly helped to hide the remnant bulge from the pregnancy.  I paired the top with the Island Bracelet for an added splash of colour.

Great top for going to the park

Island Bracelet paired with the Flowers of Paradise Tunic

Having a good laugh at something funny the hubby said – probably something to do with my forcing him to take pictures for me instead of letting him take a nap :)

As it’s a light piece that folds small, it’s a good top to pack along for holidays.  Whether you’re at the beach or in the park, on a cruise, or even strolling down the shopping strip, you’ll be in a summery holiday mood the whole time when you’re wearing this :)  We’re planning a road trip to Malaysia with the extended family, and I’m definitely bringing this along!

———————————————————————————-

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  I received store credit to purchase items for review. All opinions are my own. 

Read Full Post »

Conversation Pieces – Free Shipping

I don’t quite remember how I stumbled upon this online shop when I was in university.  But I’m glad I did.  It’s been more than 10 years since I started the habit of browsing through this online store every week or other week, just to see what’s new.

Conversation Pieces is run by Audrey, a USA-based Singaporean.  Every week she sends out an email with the latest additions to the store, and it’s one of those ‘advertisement’ emails that I always make sure to read.  Why?  Because it’s never just about the clothes, or the accessories, or whatever other product is headlining the week.  Audrey imbues her weekly newsletters with so much heart.

Her newsletters are always bright, cheerful, and full of happiness.  Reading the stories she shares in her newsletters also frequently reminds me to think beyond myself, and to remember that I have it really good.  To do more for others.  It’s not uncommon to read about how she decided on a whim to go to the store and buy up a whole lot of food, pack it nicely, and distribute it to the homeless.  Or how she just felt like baking up a batch of cookies, wrapping them up nicely (yes, this is a trend – everything she does is always nicely dressed up :) ), and giving them away to friends.

More recently she shared about the difficult time she had in the last ten years or so.  Yet she still gave beyond herself, and tried to bring a smile to everyone else’s day.

That’s the heart behind the store.

And store itself is wonderful!  I’m not a fancy dresser.  I’m quite pragmatic, like to be comfortable, and generally keep to basics.  What I like about Conversation Pieces is that there are lots of basics to choose from, and a lot of them have that extra something special – the super soft material, the nice colour, the quirky detailing.

One of my favourite acquisitions is the Perfect Shirt.  It is soooo comfortable.  I bought one for my Mum in coral colour too, and she also loves the soft material and how flattering the fit is.  She and I agree that it’s really one of those tops that you grab to wear again soon after it’s been washed.

The Perfect Shirt in Navy Stripes

There’s more than just the basics though.  And I always take the time to look at the pieces in the store, just in case I decide to venture out and trying something different.  I think I spend much too much time browsing this store sometimes ;)

My absolute favourite part of the store is the accessories section though.  The bracelets!  The bags!  The oh-so-soft scarfs!  I’ve bought quite a few little trinkets over the years.  Partly because it’s ‘safer’ since I don’t need to try it on, but mainly because they are so attractive and make really nice gifts.  I often find myself adding a lot of stuff to the shopping cart, then stopping myself from going overboard.  The store’s catch phrase is quite dangerous though, “Regret not what you buy, but what you don’t buy” :)

But hey, there is free shipping until Friday (USA time) in celebration of Conversation Pieces garnering 5000 likes on Facebook.  If you do miss out on the free shipping, the great thing about the store is that there is flat rate international shipping.  I don’t like having to calculate and think about the shipping cost.  That turns me off, really.  Flat rate is great!

Go browse the store and see what catches your fancy!  Things can run out quite quickly, so grab it if you like it (for clothes, medium sizes tend to go the fastest I think).

At the very least, sign up to receive Audrey’s newsletters.  It’s always a little ray of sunshine in your mailbox.

Read Full Post »