Weekend Fun with Little Cousins and Plastic Toys

Alright, I'm doing this on a Tuesday. But having photos with kids over the weekend is a quick reminder that they will start school soon, so my little cousins headed back to town. The house is a little quiet now. No more running around, screaming, crying, fighting, kite-flying, afternoon naps, spilled watercolor on white monobloc table, no more. But they will be back for the next school break, that's for certain.

We assembled styrofoam buildings and plastic robots on the dining table, we got those from the goodie bags which were distributed in last Friday's party the kids attended...

...And displayed them on one of the potted plants outdoors..

[The robots are taking over the city! The styrofoam buildings are The Empire State Building, two Burj Al Arab, and the structure behind the yellow plastic robot is The Eiffel Tower]

And a giant boy is taking a photo op while the robots siege the city in a pot! 

And here come the plastic soldiers to defend the styrofoam and earth city! Forward march!

"Men, take over the gray evil robot, the rest of you defend the LEANING Eiffel Tower, while we distract the orange robot-creature!"

"Copy, Commander!"

And this time there are two more giant kids checking in on the action

, 

For team effort, we awarded ourselves with kids' temporary tattoos on our hands. 

Gaiman Addresses the University of Arts Class 2012

To all Neil Gaiman fans out there, you have to Listen to this!

I know that the die-hard Gaiman fans will be clicking on that link above. Lend an ear!

Gaiman, master storyteller, inspires University of Arts Class 2012

Peach in Pearls

Peach pearls 

I think I was about nine when I came across a section in my books of how pearls are formed. In some of my story books, there are stories about divers, children helping out in pearl farms, and how it takes years to form pearls.

Pearls are created inside a living creature: oysters, and pearls are the by-product of a process which oysters use to protect themselves. Pearls can both be found in fresh water and saltwater, and some pearls have also been found inside clams and mollusks.

Pearl in oyster 

Pearl formation begins when a foreign substance enters the oyster, and this irritates the oyster. The natural reaction is for the oyster to cover up that object with a substance called nacre. Thus begins the formation of a pearl.

Matching peach pearls with round beads

Some pearls do not come out as perfectly rounded ones, and some "disfigured"  pearls are called baroque pearls, with layers and excess nacre still attached to the foreign substance. There are so many shades of pearls these days, from black (which is quite pricey), to white, gray, pink and peach, and so on.

Cultured pearls are the result of irritants implanted by pearl farmers. The whole process takes at least 3 years. And of course, there is the issue of garbage and pollution, and uncontrolled oil spills which can damage oysters and this amazing natural process.

Wonder how many oysters were "harvested" to produce these necklaces 

Tiny elongated ones are called rice pearls

Peach and gold

Pearls being worn by aristocrats and the royalty have dated back as long as Cleopatra's time. In Stacy Schiff's book about the empress, Cleopatra: A Life, which will soon hit the movie screens, with Angelina Jolie playing Cleopatra, she reflected the wealth of the empress through her choice of hair accessories.

Angelina as Cleopatra based on the book written by Stacy Schiff

In Cleopatra's time, pearls were the diamonds of her days. And it is said that she wore pearls on her hair. This is the book cover depicting Cleopatra.

For interested book worms, Cleopatra: A Life is a biography and the writing style is quite scholarly. Although it has many interesting, exotic stories. Stacy Schiff is a Pulitzer Prize recipient.

Cleopatra: A Life (2010) by Stacy Schiff

Pulitzer Prize Author Stacy Schiff

Lacey Shorts

Who's with me here when I say lacey shorts are just the right element in bringing out the femme factor in a sea of woven cotton, sheer material, and sometimes denim?

This obsession of mine lately has gotten me hooked, even getting me to think of how to add lace on some denim shorts in the closet. My only pair of denim shorts. Good thing I don't have a sewing machine so I won't go crazy all night.

Just sharing some pins from my inspiration board for you to feast your eyes on, so you might be obsessed too!

Black and pink combination

Something neutral

I would really go for the black

And match with wooden bangles

This is a must-have!

Have a good Thursday everyone!

Ziggy and Zooey: Maddy Stone Has Broken In!

I just have to share the good news that Maddy Stone has broken in!

What am I talking about? Ok, here's the story. I got my pair of Maddy Stone in Size (?) [Not telling you the size of my feet, they are really small] and I was happy that they have a pair in my size and of course, no more pre-order, it's all ready to ship. And thanks to Ziggy and Zooey, I am in love!

Ziggy and Zooey announced that Maddy Stone was on sale and this alerted the bargain hunter in me. So I took advantage of the sale period and ordered mine. My everyday wedges for office wear were cracking at the heels, so this was a chance for me to get a good pair of flats.

So what's the fuss all about? It takes a few turns and wears for leather to be flexible and bend. It's usually stiff at the first wear, and this is what added my confidence that Ziggy and Zooey shoes are made of high quality materials. I didn't doubt that I was getting my money's worth with Maddy Stone. I chose the color because it is a neutral shade and can go well with any attire I put on for the day.

This is also my birthday gift to myself, so yup, I reward myself for my hard work! =)

Here's a photo of my package which arrived earlier than expected thanks to Air21 and the timely service. 

This arrived a day after shipping was confirmed and earlier than expected too! 

These are my new flats! And I looooove it to bits!

Yes, I'm happy! Can you tell I'm happy?

I even wore Maddy Stone to a corporate event on Monday morning, no need for heels that pain my feet thank you very much. I'm super comfortable with a smile on my face. 

Look at all those beautiful colors, I might go back for Aqua soon. 

And these glitter flats will find some space in my shoe rack someday. 

Let's not forget this Lacey shoe. Yes to this! 

{Photos and logo from Ziggy and Zooey}

Ziggy and Zooey, you will be hearing from me again soon! Hahaha. Have a good afternoon everyone!