Busy bee, I am

The pre-CNY week had been one mad rush.

Everyday, I operated on auto-pilot mode.

1. Wake up between 9-945am, most often in semi-fright, hoping that I didn't oversleep.

2. Call courier company to make booking.

If I'm late, I'm dead.
 

3. Reply emails/invoicing, while waiting for the courier guy to arrive

They have been coming later than usual, probably due to the peak period & rainy weather.

4. Pack parcels that stacked up to be taller than me, so that they can be rushed to the PO before 5pm. 

If the courier guy doesn't arrive by the specified timing, panic calls are made.
 

5. Call cab & rush to PO, sacks & all.
Why isn't there a sheltered porch area beneath my block???
The rain is making things so challenging recently. 

6. After posting, get KFC Cheese Fries, with no mayo.

I'm an addict, like it even more than Mac's fries.

7. Eat the fries (my late lunch) as I walk. Love that it comes with a fork.

Not enough time! Not enough time!

8. Buy dinner & other groceries.
This is the only time of the day I can relax.

9. Hop onto a cab home
Always being a street directory on the cab, because so many cab drivers do not know the way to my home.

10. Bathe

11. Read a Buddhist book/newspaper, as I eat my dinner.
My moment of learning in tranquility.

12. Brush my teeth & back to battling the mails, till late.

13. Conk out. Probably around 330-430am.

Going to bed would be a more graceful description.

But after such a laborious day, with aching arms & legs, & mentally exhausted, conk out just sound so apt.

Well, at least I have been lucky not to be seeing the sunrises nowadays.

It's sometimes scary how big a part Tian Fen Lan plays in my life.
So much it seems to be the only thing I blog about. I actually do have A LOT of inspirations for other blog topics, you know. =(

One look at my daily schedule will tell you that I do not have the time for anything else.

And I really mean ANYTHING.

No time to meet friends, do more housework (spring-cleaning!), tidy up the stocks, think more about what designs to manufacture, blog more, read my books, do more spiritual cultivation.

NO TIME!!

When I do get to go out, emails will be at the back of my mind. 

Everywhere I look, my eyes would be zooming in onto the bags that other ladies are carrying, or the bags on display at the shops. 

Occupational hazard, sigh.

You might have known that I am trying to get TFL's dotcom up for the longest time ever.

But I don't even have the time to really look through the web drafts. Their last email to me was 24 Jan. 

I want to really scrutinise it and not just give a slip shod reply, to save time on the to-and-fro.

 After all, it cost S$xxxx, you know.

Thank goodness the designers have been real patient with me all this while.

If only the drafts are love at first sight. =/

I wonder if my requirements have been too strange/bizzare/weird/out-of-the-world for the guys, hence the less-than-ideal drafts.

I do not like to be so busy that other parts of my life are severely neglected.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm hating my TFL work.
I'm very happy when customers love their purchases & come back for more, trusting that TFL has what they need at affordable prices.
When I'm out and see a lady with a TFL bag or spot it in the pictures of a blog I stumbled upon, every single cell of mine would be grinning.

I just wish that the website is up & it's ravishing, there is a place for me to store my stocks, with 1 or 2 reliable assistants to help me out with admin work & packing, wonderful & hot-selling bag designs stream in without defects or mishaps, TFL to be a bigger name than now,
and that every part of my life is more balanced than now.
And these wishes cost $$$$, which I do not have so much of. Yet.

6-7 years ago, I was at a Johannesburg bookstore and stumbled onto this paperback.

I stood for hours at the store, shifting my weight from one leg to another, leaning here & there, just to read this insightful book. 

The store doesn't allow sitting.

Now I wonder why I didn't just spend the money to buy it, so I can read in the comfort of my room.

Stingy me. =/

In this book, John Gray, the same author who wrote "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" says that there are 10 fuel tanks that we need to constantly refill, to stay happy & fulfilled in life.

He also teaches the 4 methods to personal success:  

• Set Your Intention 

• Get What You Need 

• Get What You Want 

• Remove the Blocks to Personal Success.

I have never thought about my life compartmentalised into fuel tanks, and how to fill them up & how vital it is to keep these tanks filled, till I read his book.

Eureka! How true it was!

Although the book is infused with Christianity concepts, I find it just as relevant if I apply the Dharma into it too.
Look past the religious aspect and it is all about loving yourself & the people around you & cherishing what you have, at the end of the day.

So often, I would be whining about this & ranting about that, never asking myself why am I behaving like this.

After the bookstore closed, I remembered going back to my hotel room and calling Jo, excitedly sharing with him what I have learnt.
We love reading self-help books!
The concepts enrich our lives and never fail to put things into perspective.

I think I should get down to grabbing a copy of it soon.

I hope Popular sells it. Jo has the Pop card. 

Got 10% discount, you know. Hahaha!

Taking my A-Levels was so tough that I was so over the moon when I scraped through & not having to retake it.

I thought that would be the hardest thing in my whole life.

Now, that pales in comparison when compared with building up Tian Fen Lan.

It's a never-ending battle. Not something that is over in 2 years, like the 'A's.

No, I'm not deterred or demoralised. I live by the mantra "Never say die". Hahaha! =D

Because everyone needs to be reminded, I'm putting these here to motivate myself.

 

This was, is and will be the reason why I will never say die. =P

Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu

添芬藍 Series 41 - Manufactured bags, finally!

After the recent launches of shoes & a dress, I have queries coming in to my Formspring & TFL's inbox,
asking if Tian Fen Lan will be launching bags before Chinese New year. 

Yes, of course!

That's what Tian Fen Lan is synonymous with. =)

The shipment took longer to reach, hence the later launch.

Here's what's coming up on Monday night!

Bags with mutiple pockets are such love!
This is like a more quaint version of TFL's bestseller, M07 Sammi Satchel 
 I have added in a shoulder pad, as I dislike thin straps cutting into my shoulders or my clothing.
If you prefer it without, you can just cut it off. =)

I am one of those gals who spent a lot of time frantically hunting for that lipgloss, tissue paper, mobile phone or keys in the deep abysses of my handbag. 

And as I dig in my bag with both hands, I will be like, "Gosh, where is it? Arrrrgh, quick come out! Did I leave it at home? No, I remember seeing it just now. Aaah, I see the tip of it! Urrrgh! At last!"

There was a time when I overturned this gigantic tote of mine, just to find my mobile phone. 

With the bits & pieces that tumbled out, it was not a pretty sight. =D

This pretty satchel has a little pocket at the back and a key chain strap internally. 

No more worries about being unable to find your keys!

The straps can be adjusted to be shoulder straps & crossbody straps.

All the frontal pockets has magnetic closure for easy opening!

On a side note, I love how the model pairs the red satchel with the red Mary Janes. 

So charming & adorable when the bag matches the shoes, in a striking & unusual shade of colour. 

In case you do not know, here's how the Mary Janes came about. =D

Photo credits: Ninewest.com

 When I first saw this bag, I was going all gaga over it.
Hobos are a great choice for a casual outing.
But what won me over was the use of a triple layer functional pockets + 3 internal compartments!
It is of a very ideal size, not too big nor too small.
This bag is so totally functional, without sacrifcing on the 'oomph' factor.
You will also have a choice of using the straps as a shoulder bag or with longer straps.

I love bronze metalware, as I don't have to worry about the shipment arriving with it being tarnished or horribly scratched. =D

The colours of the bags look duller in the studio photos.

Here's real life pictures of them!

You might not be able to see it from the photos, but the quality of both bags are superb!

It is like buying from a high street retail store! =D

I am very pleased with how the goods turn out and I can't wait for you girls to get your hands on the bags & see for yourself how great the bags look in real life!

Just for this pre-CNY period, Tian Fen Lan will be doing daily parcel posting from 24 Jan till 02 Feb.

If you need next day courier delivery, just email Tian Fen Lan for the quote.

It is available at an extra S$4-S$6, depending on how many items are in the parcel. 

Silly as it might sounds, it somehow feels good to be selling bags again after a short hiatus since the last bag launch in Dec.

The last time I manufactured bags was in June 2010.

Just for memory's sake, here's what have been made by TFL so far.

From left to right: R12 Herms Vintage, 2819 Alexa & 2901 Leah

 3 different models, 3 different styles.

I'm talking about the bags.

One thing in common: hundreds have been sold and they are all on TFL's bestsellers' list.
No single non-manufacured item on TFL matches the rate & quantity of these bags sold.
This is, honestly, a great consolation, given that there were so many obstacles faced in getting these bags out.

I stopped manufacturing for a long while because I could not cope with the workload then and there were no reliable suppliers.
But it was something I wished I did not. Keeping up with the momentum would have been wiser.
If there's one thing I can redo, it would be to start off having an e-commerce website earlier.
It is less prone to human error and frees up more time for other backend & conceptualising work.
Plus, it would look so much better than my un-flattering artwork.

It used to be such an uphill task to find a nice bag at a nice price. 

But blogshops have made it so much easier for everyone. I LOVE online shopping! =D
It is so Uniquely Singapore! Hahaha!

The government should be real happy with the omnipresence of blogshops, I hope.

We sprouted like nobody's business, not heeding to any government-led intitiative (which means no funding/subsidies) and have spawned a micro economy for all those involved.

Just imagine, all those who benefitted from this unplanned growth,
studios, camera companies, envelopes suppliers, wholesalers/suppliers, oppt tape manufacturers, logistics companies & our dear SingPost. =P

It is now really possible to work from home!

Okay, I sidetracked.

A customer once wrote to me saying it must have been a big gamble to hold so many bags instock & venture into manufacturing. 

Yes, it is indeed.
Sometimes when I look back, I wonder how I get myself here too and gosh, what have I done? Hahaha!

It was real fun to sell Taiwan bags, as they come in all sorts of candy colours & materials.

But it is more fulfilling to manufacture designs of even better quality that
I would really love to share with my customers, some of whom have been buying from me since 2008.

Selling something that really speaks of my personal style and hoping to have like-minded customers is such an amazing enrichment to this little business of mine. 

If my style does not appeal, then of course, it's still back to numbers in the end. 

But surely, with 3 previous designs hitting the bestsellers' list & the customer base much smaller then,
I hope that means my sense of style will not fail me 'numerically'.
Ever.

Hmm...think I sounded a tad incoherent in this post. Must be because I have been up since 430am to rush everything out in time.

See you, gals, on Monday night for the launch!
Timing will be announced when I get the photos from the photographer on Monday!

添芬藍 Series 40 + Polka Dot Pigs = Cupid Sugar Frock

I knew one day Tian Fen Lan will sell its own manufactured shoes, apart from bags.

But it never crossed my mind that I will be selling manufactured clothes too.

Because my siblings are selling them.

One night, we were having this conversation, while looking at this picture. 

photo credits: thesartorialist.com

I have no idea which designer came up with this vintage-style frock. But boy, I was in love when I saw this.

I am never a fan of dainty, feminine dresses.

I like being edgy, different, vintage or just a mish-mash of everything. Just not girly & sweet.

While looking at this dress, my mind was already formulating a list of "10 ways to wear this dress".

When I was talking to the piggies half a year ago, they were not quite keen to manufacture this piece initially.

They were not 100% confident of the response from customers.

Actually, neither am I, even if TFL is to sell it alone.

So in order to get this frock out, we settled on co-manufacturing. 

The sample piece took almost 4 months to reach our hands. 

At one point in time, we thought it would be a goner.

The sample is, I would say, a toned-down version of the dress in the photo. 

We thought the original piece might be too 'different' for the tastes of the local shoppers.

It's our first try at this, & we're kinda nervous about the result.

And the piggies were telling me how my 'unusual' sense of dressing might not go down well with local gals. 

Hmm.. they are making me sound like a weirdo. =/

So here's presenting Tian Fen Lan + Polka Dot Pigs 1st co-manufactured dress:

Cupid Sugar Frock 
Of matte satin

 In 4 lovely colour palettes, great for CNY, Valentine's Day & even work or dinner date!

Dress is fully lined.

 I thought the cream version will make a really pretty bridesmaid dress, don't you think so?
Our model is 1.72m tall and the dress looks like a mini on her, but in actual, it is 33 inches in length.
To celebrate our 1st collaboration, mailing listees are going to enjoy S$1 off the list price!
If you are not on our mailing lists, hurry join now & confirm your subscription!
 tianfenlan.blogspot.com or www.polkadotpigs.com!


Did you spot the peep-toe booties on the model too?
Yes! It's TFL #2 manufactured pair of shoes!
When I was asking Jo for his opinion prior to design submission, he was his usual nonchalant self.
But when he saw the sample and me trying it on, he exclaimed that it was a very chic pair of booties!
It is very rare of him to like anything of mine. =P
 
Having it in Black was a no-brainer. But it took me 3 hours to decide whether to have it in Khaki or Chocolate. Even after that, I was still pondering whether I made the right choice for weeks!
Well, my mind only came to rest when I saw the stocks. Khaki Nude is such a great choice for light-coloured dresses!
I like looks with a bit of edge in them, and peep-toe oxford booties are a trendy alternative to the usual high heels!




One last thing, the quilted flap bag on the model was supposed to be launched in this series.
Both colours are so charming and the bag has a double flap interior, not the usual single compartment.
When I saw it in real life, I can't help but go ooooh and aaaah.
But sadly, the entire shipment arrived with scratches on the light gold metal plates.
I have no idea why the factories allow such defects to be shipped all the way to Singapore, only to have us go into a frenzy. =(
The cargo is now back at the supplier, awaiting a resolution when she's back.
Did I mentioned I waited almost 4 months for the sample to arrive, and another 2 months for it to be manufactured?
Because on the day of supposed shipment arrival, the factory decided not to do the bag and threw the sample back to my supplier.
Such work ethics! *gasp*

And to end off this preview, I must/want/shall/will put up the photos of how I played around with the dresses at home.
Remember my list of "10 ways to wear this dress"?
Okay, there isn't 10 ways here, but it was loads of fun matching my own accessories & jackets to the dress, and fulfil my secret fantasy of being a Topshop stylist.

Because I do not go to photo shoots, I shall allow myself to indulge, despite Jo insisting my photos are so raw, in comparison to the studio shots.

There! My own DIY photo shoot, in the comfort of my home, at 3am. Haha! =D
Reminder to self: to use smaller sized shoes for such shoot, least they look like Ronald McDonald's boots from an unflattering angle.

I thought you gals might like to see how the dresses look under non-studio lighting. =)
I was frantically ironing the nude pink blazer before that, as it was so crumpled. The things that go behind the scene, if only you gals know. 
All bags featured can be found at Tian Fen Lan, under Bestsellers section.

Do look out for the launch of Cupid Sugar Frock + Peep-toe Booties at Tian Fen Lan & Polka Dot Pigs on Tuesday, 18 Jan!
Timing will be announced on Tuesday.
I hope you like what we have to offer. ^___^

Metta,
欣雨Xinyu

Ironies of life

10 reasons why my life is a joke sometimes:

1. In Pri 3, I wanted to be a lawyer, but decided that being a fashion merchandiser will make me happier

2. I ended up being a stewardess, so that I can pay off my school loans faster.

I hated the feeling of being in debt.

3. Halfway through my contract, I wanted to switch to Japan Airlines, so that my 1.5 year of learning Japanese will not be wasted.

4. But I decided to stay on, so that I can get the gratuity after 5 years of service. 

A decision I wish I had reversed.

5. I spent a month to do up what I thought was the most perfect CV, and scoured the classifieds for "management trainee" positions.

I never once submitted my CV, though a girl friend found mine "inspirational" and got her research job with a MNC, by that.

I'm happy for her, really. For a stewardess to quit and get a great office job, it's like 終于上岸了！

6. Somewhere in between, I started a dim sum venture that flopped in 3 months and almost got into a legal tussle.

7. I ended up quitting so that I can study.

8. A year later, much to my reluctance, Tian Fen Lan was born. 

I think I'm probably the most unwilling blogshop owner around.

9. Now, my whole life (+ house space) is centred around Tian Fen Lan.

So much that I don't have time for ANYTHING else. Not even my personal life.

10.  My studies (+ my skin+my home) is a mess. And I'm so far away from my dream. 

Working 12 hours a day for TFL is taking a toil on me.

Working on it alone is even more draining. 

I envy other owners who are in it with their best friends or close sisters.

If only I do. But my husband said a perfectionist like me would never be able to work with anyone. 

That's why he refused to help me more e.g. quitting his day job, despite me pestering him. 

He said our working styles were too different, although I wonder if all I wanted is the best, what is so wrong about it? =/

I had received emails or Facebook messages from people who are keen to be TFL's shareholders or part-time staff. 

Yes, I would love to hire help, but I do not have a office to hold everyone.

I did have 2 packers before who worked with me for a year. 

They are efficient workers in general, but being in a teenage stage, angst is a bit too common.

Maybe next time if I do hire, I should get aunties. 

I find them more reliable, having hired them before during my short-lived dim sum venture.

 

The random thoughts that fleet past before I sleep everyday:

1. How many more emails need more following up?

2. Enough funds for more manufactured stocks?

3. Enough time to pack the parcels tomorrow?

4. Is it time to submit more designs?

5. What time must I wake up to finish everything in time?

6. When's the next launch going to be? Will the stocks arrive by then?

7. I think it's time to clean the house/toilet/kitchen/service yard.

8. It's weekend, should I cook? I won't have enough time for the mails, if I do.

But it's not fair to Joseph, if I don't.

9. Jeez, lessons tomorrow, and I'm not prepared. 

10. Gasp! It's 6:30am!! Must sleeeeeep!

Sometimes, I get emails from other girls who shared with me how they feel inspired by me leaving my comfort zone and Tian Fen Lan as a whole.

I think, apart from being a model/singer/actress/stewardess/popular blogger, being a blogshop owner has also make it to the list of dream jobs for many girls out there.

It's flattering, honestly. Because when compared to the big blogshops, Tian Fen Lan is like a nursery kid. 

My previous occupation was often a conversation starter.
There were many people, be it guys or gals, regardless of age, who are always keen to learn more about my job. 

Given its association with 5-star hotels, free globetrotting, tailor-made kebayas, impeccable grooming, seemingly easy job with high pay, I can understand people's curiosity. 

But no, it's not glamorous in any way. 

When you are with a airline, that prides itself being No. 1 in service, all the money we raked in are hard-earned money, I can assure you.

A day flight to London is about 13 hours and there's this saying: "We 'walked' all the way to London."

Taking a breather can be that rare.

My monthly off days come up to only 11 days, which means for two third of the month, I would be flying around.

I did not like being away that much, honestly.

And you know what?

Now, it feels the same way with being a blogshop owner. 

I'm often 'away', burrowed in my mails/parcels/stocks.

The irony of my life.

Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu

黑色幽默 II

I love Chinese New Year goodies, especially rolled-up pineapple tarts (not those open-faced cousins that look like hot cross buns) & kueh bulu.

My mum-in-law knows what my favourites are. Being a sweetheart, she will give me 1-2 tubs of her home-made CNY goodies 2-3 weeks before CNY. Her confections beat all those available outside hands down, anytime. The crumbly pastry, the delicious fillings, the soft-to-bite tarts, ooooh! I've never bought any CNY goodies since she started making them for me.

The goodies usually never make it to the actual day of Chinese New Year.

The other day, Jo brought home a small tub of Mum's kueh bulu. Excited, I opened up and after saying my prayer of thanks, I shoved one into my mouth, all ready to gobble it.

Then I looked at Jo, with a surprised expression, but unable to speak at first, as I was still chewing the kueh bulu.

Me: How come the kueh bulu is so soft?
Jo: Oh, Mum made it soft intentionally. I forgot to tell you.
Me: Aaaaah, I was all set to bite it, then I end up banging my rows of teeth together.

On another occassion, Mum gave us 4 big tubs of pineapple tarts. These were meant for our neighbour & some of the people that had helped TFL.

Jo & I were sitting at the dinner table, debating whether I can take 1 tub for my own consumption. Finally, I succumbed.

Over 2 days, the tub went from brimming full to one third full. The pure joy of biting into the freshly baked rolled up tarts with the pineapple filling brimming out is just so yummy! I was just telling Jo how much I enjoy the pineapple tarts.

Jo: Aaaah, no wonder you look tarty.
Me: Me? Tarty? What?
Jo: Yeah, because you stuff yourself silly with Mum's pineapple tarts. They are tarts. You have eaten so much, so you must be 'tarty'

He then continued to laugh at me, and at his own silly joke. -___-

I'm not sharing the tarts with him.

The kueh bulu? Oh, they arrived at my home in the evening. But erm, they never saw the sunrise.


Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

談條件

有位長者前天說了一些讓我很訝異的話。

“爸，地神的神龕有些破損，要找人來修補了。得請師父先把地神請出來，才能動工，以免工人碰撞到神位。”

“還得請師父？我不要供奉地神了。”

全場鴉雀無聲。

“為什麽？”

“因爲祂沒有讓我中馬票。”

長者的兒子說：“爸，你不能這麽想。這是個人福份和業障的問題。可能是你並未積極地持祂的心咒，或你的福份還修不好。”

“我有啊！我沿路走去投注站，還有從那裏回來時，我都會持地神的心咒啊！”

近 3年了，長者卻從未認認真真，誠心誠意地在檀城前持咒念佛。他會上香，會幫忙買供品，可是抹神台﹑清洗佛具﹑換茶﹑擺放供品﹑焚化金紙等都是由他的賢妻一手包辦。

檀城上的兩對蓮花燈應有的光芒，早就被厚厚的灰塵給遮蓋了。

他有求時，也不忘在地神那兒，放一張有四個“真字”的便条，意恐地神不知他的心意。

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有些人求神拜佛，去教堂都是為了求財。若佛菩薩，神明不在他們設的期限内賜財給他們，一轉身，他們就翻臉不認“神”。
不只辱駡神明，他們也不顧家人的意見，非得把家中的神龕或十字架給拆了，方才甘心。過後，和別人談起時，他們還一臉的忿忿不平，好像很委屈似的。

只怪神明不靈驗，對於自己的過失，卻只字不提。

長者不但少打理供奉神明的點點滴滴，還設下諸多限制給賢妻 - 
一瓶S$3的米酒， 不能供整瓶，每逢初一十五，只倒一些，可用上好幾個月, 算到來，一次就是幾毛錢。
一曡S$3金紙，分五份，每逢初一十五，只能焚化那一小份，一小份是大約6毛錢。
不買品質較好的香，而只買超便宜的香，便宜香出的煙特別多，特別嗆，結果受不了時，就問兒子能否上少一點香。

省下來的錢，寧可每個星期定時“捐”給新加坡多多博彩万字票，或四方桌上的“好親戚們”。

把地神當搖錢樹，還認定得有好幾百巴仙的回報率，才滿足。
從然地神果真有保佑全家安康﹑孩子事業順利﹑生意日進斗金，
他埋怨的，仍然是那張沒中獎的投注票。

無論是他的語氣或他的眼神，都沒有對神明該有的尊敬和感恩。

他對福的定義，狹窄的可憐。

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如此的心量，怎能感召地神的賜福呢？

好端端的薄板片，爲何會突然脫了一大片呢？

捨得，捨得，要捨才能夠得。你懂嗎？

Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu

My Charlotte Russe Flats

Just before I quited flying, my last flight was to Los Angeles and I stayed at this authentic Amercian hotel in the vicinity of DisneyLand, Anaheim. There was this big, plush high bed with tons of bedding linen and I could literally bounced off the bed, if I hopped on it with my butt down, hard enough.

The best thing of all, was that I was on the same flight with my ex-team gal, Ei Leen. We did not plan it, but were rostered together. Gosh, the percentage of us being rostered on the same flight is like one in a few thousands (that's how many stewardesses there were at that time)! I was exceptionally thrilled when I saw her name on the crew list. 

Well, to cut the long story short, we went shopping at those big LA malls, and popped into Charlotte Russe, a specialty retail chain store. I always make it a point to get something from there on every LA trip. They were having this Buy-1-get-1-free shoes promotion. It took me at least 1-2 hours pondering which 2 shoes I should get. Ei Leen, the fashionista, had long decided and was helping me with sub-lengthy explanations why I should get a pair of canvas loafers with printed stars/hearts on it. 

We have very different sense of dressing & as I said, she's a fashionista.
Anything looks damn good on her. Even printed semi-neon stars.

After many rounds of squashing my broad feet into the flats/loafers/heels/sneakers & parading in front of the mirrors, I left Charlotte Russe with a pair of patent red Mary Janes & a pair of matte silver flats. If you wonder why the two of us can enjoy so much freedom in the store,  well, the best thing about USA stores is that their sale attendants will leave you on your own, till you are ready to pay. 

The Mary Janes never saw the daylight, since they 'migrated' to Singapore.

But guess what? They were given to the manufacturer to do the flats sample, as I wanted the exact cut & round-toed front. Talk about a reason for everything.

But the silver flats, whoa, I discovered a whole new fashion dimension to them. They go with almost anything! The pair I had has these little elastic scrunches at the back, so they bit me badly for the first 1-2 months. I worn them for almost 1.5 year and was totally smitten by the 'flat' comfort and its versatility. It even matches my semi-formal pants.

I was in love, till one day when I sat down in a cafe, crossed my legs & realised that my darlings were breaking into tatters. So it was time to say bye-bye, and till now, I could not find any pair that remotely resembles them.  

It took me a long time to find a shoe manufacturer. When I finally did, this was one of the first few designs I submitted for manufacturing. 

This is such a vogue colour to match with everything! I love love love the pale shade of gold!

 It is chocolate base & champagne interior for the gold flats. 

The silver flats have black base and dark titanium interior.

Cushioned insoles for all!

When I saw this light champagne textured inner material for the gold flats, I was bowled over. There is such a myriad selection of material & the manufacturer picked that for the sample's interior. How lucky that I did not have to crack my head over this. =)

Honestly, these really looks just like my Charlotte Russe flats, except that they do not bite my feet. =D

Sorry if the photos are a little bit blurry, as I have this innate disability to stabilize cameras well. 

I think I did the silver flats a major injustice, as they look far better in real life.

Do look out for the studio pics during the launch! My photographer will do a much better job than me!

It does not appear clearly here, but the base has good grip. So no worries about slipping!

I really like how the wood-like rubber base adds a dash of class to the flats. 

The sample initially came with yellow rubber base,

but I wanted something different and don't you think this kind of base will enhance the versatility of the flats? 

They look less casual & you can even wear it for semi-formal events!

Writing with an ink pen & a marker

Limited editions! Till my web designer comes up with a TFL logo! Haha!

I did not scan in the writings, as my all-in-one Brother scanner duly refused to operate unless I load him up with new ink cartridges.
How ridiculous when scanning does not consume printer ink!
So I snapped shots of the paper and used Gimp to churn out a image file for the manufacturer.
It was a desperate attempt
and I was just as amazed when the manufacturer has no problem printing the image on the shoes!
The brilliance of technology! Note, Brother is excluded from this exclamation.

A creative person, I am not.

It is sickening when there is no other girl in the house that I can randomly/spontaneously (any time of the day!) ask a second opinion from.

Many times, I would be sitting on the floor, with the samples & fabric swatches sprawled across, 

mumbling to myself, running numerous colour scenarios in the wee hours and trying to pen down my weak-hearted inspirations. 

Partly because I find looking at the colour swatches at night, under fluorescent lighting, 

gives a more accurate depiction of how the shoes/bags will look.

 

It is a very tiring, nerve-wrecking & draining process, I can assure you. Especially when so much $$$ is involved/sunk/dumped/poured in.
 One can never be too sure what will/will not sell.
I have made expensive mistakes, that thou shalt not mention, because of over-confidence.

TFL's customers can certainly look forward to more manufactured goodies this year.
I do enjoy the pre-manufacturing creative process, actually & really wish to bring you gals higher quality goods too!
That is, if these pre-CNY goodies receive your love. =)

Thank you to all those dear customers who sent in your encouragement & voiced out what you think TFL can boost up over Tweeter/Facebook/email/Gmail chats!
Times when I feel that I cannot make it past one more email/thought process/parcel-packing, you kept me going.

Lastly, I hope you like the flats, as much as I do!  <3 <3 <3
I know my supplier & the staff do. They keep one of each colour & say the flats are comfy. =D

p.s. I just gave a gold pair to my mum-in-law for CNY too. =P

 

Metta
欣雨 Xinyu