A new start.

Well!

This will take some getting used to! But, I was tired of the background, it was too much, and most of all, it wasn't necessary.

So here it is, my clean blog. There are still a few tweaks left to do. Hmm. :-)

a cluster of links

+ How beautiful is this cake?!

+ If I was ever to go online shopping, these would be the first thing I'd buy.

+ I loved reading about the evolution of this website. I'm absolutely interested in, and inspired by all things botanical right now! :-)

+ That's it, I'm following her blog! Such beautifulness.

+ Buttered popcorn ice-cream, anyone? I've tried buttered popcorn jelly beans, but, is this a step too far?! Or will I love it?

+ Check out this sweet Valentines' wall heart!

+ Two words: Fictional. Food.

What's on my mind?

Sweet confectionery!

First up is this delicious peppermint bark that Michelle kindly sent me (along with a box of American chocolates!).

I never had peppermint bark before, and I absolutely loved it! I found a recipe here that helped me make my own (which also turned out pretty good if I say so myself!). It's seriously easy+fun to make. Melt dark chocolate, cool it, melt white chocolate, pour on top, sprinkle with crushed up candy canes, cool that, DONE. :D And, oh yeah, post-Christmas sale means cheap as candy canes. Cha-ching! ;)

Now I also want to try making macarons! These guys make it sound so easy! 

Challenge accepted?

Edit: Instant. Chocolate. Mousse.

Pinterest

Psst! I'm Pinteresting! If anyone who's reading this is on it, let me know! :-)

My Pepper Heart

This is one of those moments where I go, why didn't I think of this?!

currently reading...

+ A pile of really good typography books (I'll post the list up here in the new year so I can refer back to it whenever I like, and also for anyone who's reading this!).

+ Pilot Magazine. This issue concentrates on our galaxy, planets, constellations and signs of outer life!

+ The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.

Image © Pilot Magazine 

Test

Juuust testing out this typeface. After years of using Trebuchet, I think I'm now leaning towards using Courier for this blog. I don't know. You really don't have to read this, because I'm just writing to fill up some text space.

Gosh golly, isn't it a nice day? This here is a photo of Muir Woods, from the U S of A. Why is this photo here? Well, just because.

And, as I've never actually been to Muir Woods, there is no way that that photo is mine. I took it. From here.

p.s.: Did I really post this post at exactly 11:11AM? Well, no. No, I didn't. Did I schedule this post? Why yes. I sure did.

Constellation bedroom

I want this room.

Drying Flowers

Drying flowers for the first time... let's see how this goes!

The first bouquet has roses, gerberas, and some purply pink flowers that I cannot identify. Edit: They are Statice flowers.

I love how this one looks as if they're levitating(!):

The other day, while wandering, I saw a bunch of these gorgeous antique pink roses at a dairy. 

They came home with me, and are now hanging in my closet:

I've hung the pink roses for two days now, and the outer petals are starting to go brown. I had hoped the pink would stay. :-(

AUT Grad Exhibition

We're almost there. The AUT final year exhibition is in a week! We're all busy with preparing the rooms, sending invitations, and creating our work, of course! I'd been to the AUT graduation exhibitions since before I started my degree, and I'd taken it all in with awe. And now, it's my turn to be part of it! It's almost unreal.

The student exhibition is open from the 10th of November till the 12th of November, from 10am—7pm. It's an exhibition of not just Graphic Design work, but Digital, Fashion, Product, Spatial, Textiles and Visual Arts also.

If you are in Auckland, do come. It will be amazing. :-)

A whole new world

My favourite song from my favourite Disney movie:

Watched this with a big smile on my face! :D

Famous Five!

I've been a Famous Five fan since I first started reading them in primary school. I always wanted to be George! Sometimes, when I'm designing late at night (especially as due dates loom near), I keep playing some episodes of the Famous Five in the background. I suppose it's my guilty pleasure. But the voices make me feel less lonely. Haha. And I can brush up on my English accent ;)

p.s.: Just this week I happened to come across a short clip (can't embed here, sorry!) from a version that was recorded in 1957! Wow!

post #

Kinda, sorta, unbelievable. :D

p.s.: Thanks for following, Marie!

"500 posts" visual designed by The Graphic Bee, please do not copy.

Gilded Glass

Okay so I have a slight obsession with shiny metallic gold things, and when I saw these, I wanted them very much (but had absolutely no need for them):

And guess what. Today I came across a Martha Stewart tutorial to get the same gilded glass effect. Yay! It's not as shiny looking as the one in the photo, but I'm not complaining. Bookmarking it as a holiday project. I need time to work on my assignment for now. :-)

Design Sandbox

Hey there, please check out Design Sandbox, it's a blog I co-author as part of my work experience and partly for our university.

I've also linked to it on the right-hand side (under "Creative Bees"), lest you lose it ;)

Primulas

I think I'll have to get some Primula's for my bedroom... I had them when we first moved here, and I found having plants in my bedroom tremendously calming and just very nice. I felt less lonely while cooped up in my room doing assignments, and watering them was so therapeutic!

Here's a photo of my Primula's:

Hot pink washi tape,

you are mine :D

p.s.: It does make for a rather peculiar pen stand!! Hehehe!

Internship :D

Hello, friends!

I started my internship at a very cool company last Monday, and what can I say except for it's going really really well! There is only so much that design schools teach us, and having a "real world" work experience is crucial. I'm learning as much as I can! :)

Only one semester left till I finish my course! Eeeeek! :O :O

Off to Transylvania!

Hehehe, I'm not talking about the country, but rather a black-light mini-golf! 

Should be fun, fun, fun (after all, it is a Friday!)!

chocolate withdrawals

Ohhh yeah. Sometimes, I just eat way too much chocolate. Chocolate that comes in blocks, buttons, Tim Tams, Starbucks, ice creams, even my pearl milk teas have to be chocolate flavoured.

(and what do I do when I'm having chocolate withdrawals? I design what I'm feeling. Which is terrible, really, seeing that the colour sort of intensifies my cravings... hmmm)

And just as I decide that I won't consume any more chocolate, I get an email newsletter telling me how there's a massive sale in one of the coolest little chocolate shops. Sigh...

"I want chocolate like right now" design © Gandhali B. kthx.