A Night of Many Conversations Part 1

 I blogged about my Mum's 56th birthday before.
I've been reminding myself to remember to celebrate my Grandaunt's birthday this year, as I said I would in the entry.

I did remember, though it was still 1 week late.
People often tell me how they envy me being a blogshop owner, that is, the flexible working hours and I can take leave whenever I want.
Truth is, not quite true.

Flexible working hours often mean working into the wee hours and not able to put a stop to it.
I must make sure the inbox is zero before I sleep
Public holidays and long weekends make no difference, because work still need to be done.
I can't put down my work without feeling queasy about it.
And whenever I'm away from my mails for more than 36 hours, I get self-inflicted panic attacks when I proceed to open TFL's inbox, thinking about screaming (virtually) customers who spam repeated emails, without realising that Gmail will push their mails further up the queue, meaning I will see it later than earlier.


Many a times, I'm only scaring myself.
TFL has mostly polite and patient customers and they understand when I am unable to reply on weekends somtimes. =)
 
Overseas trips will see lugging a laptop with all the necessary notebooks & stationery to work in the hotel room at night.
Not a day pass without me thinking how to better TFL, with my limited resources and capacity.

It is not an easy business.

Don't envy me, babe.

Back to my Grandaunt, we were a week late in celebrating her birthday due to conflicting schedules.
Mum had wanted to bring her to one of the hotels under the Millenium Copthorne Group, as we have the Ala-Carte membership card.
But Grandaunt does not eat much international cusine.
She doesn't take salad (she does not like raw vegs) and not even pasta.
So I suggested Si Chuan Dou Huan Restaurant at UOB Plaza.

They do ala-carte dinner buffet every night.
Can't go wrong when the the entire restaurant serves Chinese food, right? =)

When the Husband and I reached, I was searching the lobby for my Mum and Grandaunt.
Turned out they were outside by the Singapore River snapping pics.

Did I ever mention my mum love taking photos?
She is NEVER without her camera, whenever she goes out.
Before there were digital cameras, Mum already has a few film cameras.
Minolta film camera is really sharp and take beautiful photos by the way.
Mum doesn't think twice about spending money on developing photos from film.
She will even carry spare film rolls in her handbag!
A few years back, she invested in a 10megapixels Casio camera.
I tell you, that make it worse for everybody.

Because my mum doesn't just take photos of herself.
She forces everyone to take photos with her too and likes getting people (me, especially) to pose while eating and walking.
Wah, tak boleh tahan!!
Years back during my convocation, I actually had a squabble with Mum, because of the insane amount of photos (30? 40?) she insisted on taking of me alone, which caused me to miss out taking pictures with other graudating friends.
All over my maternal home, you will find photos of Mum and our family plastered all over in nice photo frames and there's one even in a Ferris wheel style, where you can cut up your photos and insert them into the 'cabins'.
Yes, Mum will actually make time to do that!
Oh my 天！

Mum is the all-time camwhore, even before this word was invented.

 Someone else in front of us when we reached the restaurant at 60th floor.

Pardon the grainy photos. I only have the Husband's Iphone 4 to snap shots. =(

We were there at about 645pm. The sun had yet to set fully.

It was a wonderful feeling to be back here since my wedding 5.5 years ago.

It brought back memories.

Making our way to our table.

There were 6 of us. 

The Husband, me, Mum, my 2 Grandaunts and my Godmother.

Looking at this photo reminds me Grandaunts and Godmother are in their 70s and I've to put in more effort to spend more quality time with them...

It's always a great idea to go for ala-carte buffets with many people!

You can try more dishes from the menu and no worries about leftovers!

But the elderly have smaller appetites and the Husband & I still have to finish most of the food that night.

This elevated area was a renovated part of the reastaurant.

There are only 3 tables at this part of the restaurant.

I like the warm lighting, the hanging lights with oriental tassles, a bit of greenery and the cushioned seats, which make for great dining away from the bustle at the main dining area!

You have to come with 3 other adults to have this buffet.

I guess it's the restaurant's way to prevent food wastage.

One thing I never quite understand is why buffets are always more expensive during weekends & public holidays.

I can accept it if the weekend spread is more extensive or has more expensive dishes e.g seafood or BBQ section compared to weekday menu, but this buffet has the same menu during the weekends too.

We were there on the first Sunday of August.

Imagine if retail shops do the same thing. 

-___-

Knowing how long I need to write such entries, I decided to post them up in parts so that my readers won't keep seeing a blog with no updates. =P

This will be a short Part 1 of this entry.

I will continue Part 2 in the next few days.

Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri to my Muslim readers!

Not sure if there are but anyway!

The Husband is saying how nice it will be if we have Malay neighbours.

I think he just want free food today. Hahaha!

I want to order the Kueh Lapis baked by a former Grand Hyatt Sous Chef I read about here !
You can read more from their Facebook page here.
I used to buy from Jakarta and it's really sedap but I have not been able to find nice ones in Singapore.

 Sampler pack of the different flavours at S$3 if you can't decide what flavour to have.
You can choose from blueberry, durian, cempeda, prune and mixed fruit.

Source: Ume Delights FaceBook page

Chef Ume also does takeaway orders of Nasi Ayam Penyet.

Everything looks so delicious!

Waiting for the Hari Raya festivities to be over before sending in my order!

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

添芬藍 TFL Series 51 - 我終于等到你了！

 One thing I learnt about being a blogshop owner is...

patience, patience, patience.

Not so much about being patient to customers,

(learnt much more of that from previous job)

but on trend-spotting.

You can have the best eye for the latest trend but if you don't have the product to sell, there's nothing much you can do. 

Impatience, frustration and worry will just eat into you and I've got to keep reminding myself that there're many designs out there, just waiting for me to discover!

I had my eyes on this design last Aug when Celine launched its now iconic Luggage totes. 

Yea, back in 2010.

But I couldn't find a suitable manufacturer who can do it for me.

So long-time customers might notice there was a long gap in between TFL's manufactured bags last year and this year.

The wait was excruciating.

All the while, I worry about other blogshops churning out a similar design or the design appearing on the mass market.

Got to keep reminding myself to focus on the present, and that what will happen, will happen. 

And hey, there're other great designs that I should still sell to customers! =D

This is TFL's #9 manufactured bag.

第九個真的讓我等久久了！

 

This was the original sample.

I used it for around a month, to carry my notes & books (usually about 1.5-2kg), to test its durability. 

It serves me well!

I had wanted to do it in colour block version as above. 

But I was unable to find nice colours to match. =(

Matching everything with a cream base sounds boring.

Colour blocking in bags are very different from the current colour blocking trend in clothes. 

E.g. a turquoise top might look fabulous with a pair of mustard high-waist shorts.

Or a hot pink top with a cobalt skirt

But try doing the same colour combi on a bag, it will just look over-the-top.

And that can make matching clothes tougher.

So I adapted the design a few times, threw in 4 basic + gorgeous colours and took away the metal buckle.

It can be tricky to manufacture bags with huge metal surfaces like buckles or locks, because no guarantee that they won't incur scratches. =(

Here's the end result!

Luggage Totes in Black, Almond Nude, Lilac Rose & Misty Teal!

One best thing about this bag is you can throw in your A4 stuff horizontally or vertically!

I never thought about this till a customer emailed me one day, asking about this.

Then I realise that some girls like to put their A4 stuff horizontally, while some prefer to put theirs vertically.

The wonderful things my customers have taught me! =D

For girls who don't bother arranging everything nicely (ahem, like me), this is so suitable~

There's wide sides and base, for you to just anyhow throw your stuff in!
And hey, for all those gals who always ask me if a bag can hold your laptops, this is one bag that has no problem fitting a laptop too!

I like that they come in solid colours. 

If you are looking for a semi-structured bag for school/work, this will be a fabulous choice to consider!

Note that these totes are not able to stand on their own, unless there are sufficient contents in them. 

If I make these totes hard enough to stand on their own, it will add on to their weight. =P

Let's show you some of the details this tote boasts about!

Cream-coloured stitching is used on the frontal pocket flap and the handle U-shaped holders,

so that the bag doesn't look so flat.

Notice the light gold button?

There's one on each side. 

(Sorry if the bag looks a bit crumpled, as it was taken straight out from the packaging for the shoot!)

If only bags can be steam-ironed too...

This bag has wide sides. If you are not having much in the tote, you can button down the sides to have them protruding out, like below.

Source: Celine.com

If you need to stow a lot of stuff in the tote, you can just unbutton the sides!

There's also a holder at the side for you to put the zipper end through!

Apart from the I'm Belted Up Hobo, Luggage Tote has one of the longest handles among TFL's manufactured bags.

This makes it easier to retrieve stuff when you are shoulder-carrying the bag, since this bag is taller in height.

Added the detachable hanging tag to boost the chic factor too! =)

There is a hidden base padding so that the base won't sag and go out of shape, no matter how much contents you stuff in the Luggage. =)

If you have a pretty scarf, you can tie it around one of the handles to dress up the bag!

The frontal pocket has a magnetic closure. =)

And no worries, this bag isn't heavy and definitely of great quality! 

As usual, all TFL-made bags come with a back zipper pocket, 

which in my opinion looks just as good as the bag front!

This is the first time TFL manufacture bags in Dark Teal and Lilac Rose, apart from the basic Black & versatile Almond Nude!

*hint ~ for the next few rounds of manufactured bags, there won't be anymore Black & Nude*

And of course, 添芬藍 embossed logo in each tote! =DDD

Customers often ask me through emails which bag colour they should go for and that they are stuck between certain colours.

Here's a quick guide:

1. Which colour are you lacking in your bag wardrobe?
2. Does this bag colour compliments your usual dressing styles?
3. Is your desired bag colour suitable for the purpose you are buying for e.g. school (some gals prefer darker colours for school), work? 
4. TFL, unique colours are rarely repeated as different colour charts will have different set of unique colours. And till now, no 2 bags are made from the same fabric/colour chart.

There are tens and tens of different kinds of faux leather.

For customers who are curious, this is the colour that Francesca likes.
She likes the shade of teal blue/green. 

Me too! =)

Model holding the bag, with its back facing outwards.

 The supplier kept Luggage Tote in Lilac Rose. =))

Apart from launching the manufactured bags, there are also some necklaces coming up in the same collection!

For the 1st time on Tian Fen Lan! I'm so excited!

I likeeeeee them alot!!
They will definitely add a dash of glamour to your dresses and a great statement piece even to your daily outfits!

Aren't they great for even simple basics like a plain maxi or that pair of killer jeans? =D

There are also some candy-coloured belts and a selection of imported pretty bags & really chic clutches too! =D

Think this is my favourite-est collection to date!

So see you on Sunday!

Mailers will be sent once launch is up!

And please ignore the amateurish raw backdrop decor...it's an epic failure...I strive to do better next time...-___-

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

How do I live without you?

 我朝思暮想的相機終于上市了！

Olympus Pen EP-3!!!

And I like it in black SO MUCH!

Some new features: 

• 3-inch touchscreen OLeD (touchscreen! OMG!);
• faster autofocus - zooms in & locks instantaneously;
• changeable customised side grip;
• TruePic VI Image Processor - for improved color reproduction and faster speeds;
• Fast Shutter Response – No more missing a shot with fast shutter response time of less than 60 milliseconds;
• 12.3 MP Live MOS Sensor - Fine Detail Processing Technology for greater photo detail! The sensor is optimized to maximize the performance of all M. Zuiko digital lenses in all shooting conditions;
• Full HD video at 1080 60i video recording with stereo sound;
• improved art filters (I love them so much!)

(information partially extracted from dpreview.com)

Since this year's Jan, I've been contemplating to get a nice semi-pro.

I also want nice blog pics. =(

But I was saving up for TFL dotcom site and the slew of manufactured stuff coming in then.

Thought it would be wasteful to spend so much on a camera, when I might not even have the time to step out of the house most of the time.

You know, when it comes to doing an ecommerce site or manfacturing bags/shoes, even though it costs thousands of dollars, I don't blink an eye and I made decisions fast. 

I like it, okay, let's do it. 

But when it comes to spending on myself, I ponder and wonder like a big plop of pink candy floss.

Thoughts are all air with no action.

In between, I considered FujiFilm x100, Panasonic GF series, Canon G12 and Samsung too.

All the while lemming for EP1/2.

Now that the reviews are out, I scrutinise the photos taken by different cameras, their functions, their looks.

I still LOVE Pen 3! Olympus yay!

Almost all the international reviews I read are full of praises for this new kid on the block, rating it as their undisputed favourite of the Micro Three Fours.

The most I ever paid for anything for myself (excluding wedding stuff/house reno/my laptop - not counted, it's for work!) is...I dunno, my $600 Burberry Blue Label wallet from Fukoka?

2 weeks ago, I went to Best Denki to see if Pen 3 has been launched.

And the salesman was telling me that definitely the camera would be more than S$900.

I just learnt that It's a whooping S$1200 at Cathay Photo! 

>_<"

The Husband is just asking why I want to spend a bomb on a camera when I'm not even an almost famous blogger and I don't like taking pictures of myself. -___-

Can't I be a weekend photo hobbyist???

So rude!

It's really fun, you know, to see things through the camera's eyes. #lameexcuse

I just want pretty picssss!

Alright, while I go back to contemplate if I should spend the money, a process that will take months because it's just not me to spend money like this on myself...

here's more pics to ogle at!

EP-3 with side grip removed, Source: gizmodo.com

Source: gizmodo.com

好帥好帥的相機!!

Now for some pictures taken by the camera.

There is this new Olympus wide-angle prime lens with fast aperture - M.Zuiko 12mm F2 lens that is highly raved by the reviewers.
It does not come with the kit lenses (a 14-42mm and 40-150mm) but has to be separately purchased.
This 12mm lens is slightly wider and can fit more into a frame.
I wonder how much it costs because it really make street photography looks so good, coupled with the power of the new Olympus 12.3MP sensor!

All the photos taken were subjected to minimal post-processing by the photographers, only crop and contrast.

The photo information are extracted from the bloggers' blogs.

Now, let's gawk at the details and marvel at the colour differentiation of Olympus!

Click on the pics to view them in their full glory! =D

Source: robinwong.blogspot.com

1/800s, F/2, ISO200 

Source: robinwong.blogspot.com

1/250s, F/2, ISO200

Apam balik, a local Malaysian delicacy.

Close up capability of the 12mm lens, and the delicious bokeh of F2.

Source: robinwong.blogspot.com

1/400s, F/2, ISO400

To fit more into a single frame, you do need a wide angle lens.

Source: robinwong.blogspot.com

1/800s, F/2, ISO400

Another example of how fast the autofocus was, I snapped this even before the lady on the right had the chance to react. She moved away after I pointed the camera at her, but sorry, she was too late !!

Gosh, just look at how clearly the camera captures each leaf of the stacked vegetables!

Shots by another photographer in Singapore, this time.
No post-processing done at all! Photos are straight out from the camera.

Sigh...
Excuse me while I go think about throwing out the money for this new love of my life.
You will be one of the first to know if I do...maybe many many months later...

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

I will be back this week

 Hello, ladies!

Well, I'm assuming 99% of my blog readers are ladies since this blog suffers from a dearth of sexy gorgeous pictures , while the other 1% is the Husband who reads when he is forced for opinions.

Thank you so much for checking back this blog now and then!

TFL work is so time-consuming that I can only blog in my dreams. 

So much has been happening to TFL (all exciting changes) that my sleeping time comes up to a skinny 20-30 hours for the past 2 weeks.

And I'm still up now. 

Oh man, I look so ugly now!

I realise that keeping up late nights enlarges the pores on my cheeks. -___-

And most of the time, I will just look zombified, even though my brain might be running through all the fabulous (alright, only some) ideas I have for TFL and the ever-growing workload.

This week, I will be loading up my blog with at least 2 fat entries!

One on the upcoming TFL bag, launching this weekend, if everything goes smoothly, while the other is what have been happening to me for the past 2 weeks.

I admit it's kinda fun to write about marshmallow contents after working my brain to its death - you know, the kind of contents that may/may not leave any impression on the reader but just so fun to read, encouraging oneself that "Hey, maybe I can learn something from all these!"

 And thank you for sending me questions and comments on my Formspring!

Some need a longer time to think through before penning down my reply.

But I will surely get to it by this week. 

It's going to be a homework week, except it's homework that I really like. =D

Btw, have you seen TFL Series 50?

I really really really like the Cabas Shopper featured in this launch!

To think I almost manufacture something like that, lucky I didn't in the end!

It's of great great quality!

Pity, no more backorders for the Blue Grey piece. =(

Oh, the washing machine is done! Going to hang the laundry and grab some sleep before parcel packing!
Posting days make me happy, because customers are going to get the really 美美 bags soon,
and just as importantly, I can go buy my McNuggets Happy Meal!
I really like it a lot. =)
No lah, I don't keep the toy.

The Husband says I'm like a kid.
I like kids food.


The other day, I treated myself to Sakae Sushi Tea-time sushi buffet for the first time, after a very long parcel packing & posting day.
S$18.50+++ for adult. Also comes with a dessert.
I had a choice of brownie or mango ice-cream.
Only S$13.50 for Youth (13-21)!
Unfair. Don't teens in puberty eat more? =(
To make up for this self-perceived injustice, I think I ate about 12 sushi plates.

It's really relaxing to just pick my food off from the conveyor belts, with no hustle and bustle, emails cleared, parcels sent and no bawling kids who treat every public place as their playground.
Apart from the usual sushi, there's also a Muji style (no-frills) Chawamushi, soba, coquettes, fried scallops and salmon sashimi doing the rounds on the belt.
Alright, the last 3 only came out twice in one plate each in the 1.5 hour I was there.
Now I just got to tell myself it's okay to pay about S$22 (it's like my breakfast+lunch+dinner) for a weekday meal. *gasp*

Have a great great great Monday, everyone! ^___^

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

My grumpy air-con

I have been clocking 3 hours of sleep everyday just before this launch.
And also only 3 hours of sleep after the launch on Wednesday.
I've counted...in total, I have clocked 20 hours of sleep for past 7 days.

I look terrible.
Think my mum is going to scream at me when she sees me for dinner later.


But I'm on an all-time adrenalin high from the great results of the launch!
It was even more well-received than the previous series! =D

Okay, side-tracked.

Yesterday, after parcel posting, I walked past Home-Fix and thought of my grumpy aircon at home.
Aircons, to be more precise.
They are slowly breaking down.
Think the pipes are getting choked and I perspire like mad, in an airconditioned room.
The thermostat reads 21 degrees but the rooms feels like 30 degrees.
It started from the aircon in our home office room, then the aircon in our master bedroom began falling sick too.

MM Lee once said that he considered air-conditioning to be one of the greatest inventions in the 20th century.
And I think it's so true in sunny Singapore!

I have to on both the aircon and the fan, so that my PJs don't get drenched with my perspiration.
The Husband, being more impatient, turned down the temperature by several degrees and increased the aircon fan speed.

End up...our electricity bill shot up to almost S$200 from the usual S$100-120.

I was just nagging at him about that.
-___-

I couldn't get anyone in to do air-con servicing.
My home is too full of stock
And honestly, I really have no time to sit around and watch 2 men fiddle with the insides of my aircons.
Heck, I don't even have time to eat this whole week.

My neighbour is very conscientious.
He gets aircon servicing men to his home every 4 months.
How efficient!

I think the last time mine were 'serviced' was the time when the aircons were installed.
That makes it 3 years ago.
 Gasp.

Anyway, I was walking up and down the aisles, feeling very 'housewife' looking at all those amazing stuff they have in there and I found this!

There were 2 brands there, but I went for this as the 'Choke Clear' seems to be the perfect solution to my grumpy aircons!

I recognise 'Mr Mckenic'!
Last time while in SQ, we used its brand of air freshener spray for the cabins and the restrooms.
I guess it should be quite reliable.

I am clueless on how to use it right.
(i.e. I don't think it's my job to climb up the ladder and engage in a 'cleansing & detoxification' ritual with the aircons)
Will leave it to the Man in the House to figure out.
It costs S$28 for this twin pack from Homefix.
I hope it works.
I really don't like having strangers near my stocks. =/

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

Post-launch ramblings

 Time now is 0120am, as I begin.

Started work on the launch on Tues afternoon.

Think my laptop needs defragmentation soon.

It is getting very slow in opening up big picture files. 

I run 3 artwork programmes at the same time, to do up one launch.

Maybe that's why?

Trying to sleep before 1am everyday, but I have been failing for the past...6 months?

So it was work, work , work and even till 3pm on Wed, I was still churning out artwork.

Sounds like I'm whining but I'm not!

The more I work on the pics, the more I love the bags brought in for Series 49!!

美美，美美！！！

I was so excited to launch it quickly that I was literally sitting at the edge of my seat, clicking away.

Had to keep moving back (back hurts), and then in a few minutes, I will find myself at the seat edge again.

Haha!

That said, I can't wait for the website to be up.

Imagine no more format-converting and resizing pics and squashing them into presentable rectangle boxes!

I can save tens of hours!!!

The web designer was cautioning me on potential sales fall when the .com is launched.
He says sometimes customers need time to adjust to a new interface and basically, just inertia.
>_<"
I heard similar stories from the bigger blogshops too.
But well, they are big enough to withstand.
Kudos to them too, for taking the plunge!
Hopefully, the sales fall won't be too bad, now that most blogshoppers are familiar with the shopping cart system.

I counted the number of photos I put up for every launch. 

It's almost 2-3 times that of a normal blogshop, who's not selling bags. 

o_O

There were some bag styles that I wasn't very sure of initially.
Like the Kate's clutch, in faux printed leather.
The handle reminds me of a office drawer opening.
But Jo was telling me to just try. After all, it is boring to always bring in 'safe' styles.
Looking from the orders pouring in, Kate's clutch is going to hit the bestseller list!
And honestly, the clutch really looks stylish in real life! =D

Slept from 5pm-8pm when my brain & body fizz out.
Life of a blogshop owner is really, really not as glamourous as people think.
Sometimes, I feel more like a coolie who happens to be moderately IT-savvy.

Bathed, continued on the artwork and finally sent out thousands of mailers around 11pm.

Response was quite immediate.
Gosh, is everyone 24/7 hooked onto their email a/cs?
I'm probably the last one here who's not using an Iphone or any Android phones.
Can't wait to get Iphone 5!! Should be able to, with my contract expiring in April!!
The Husband is a bit petty when I keep hoarding his phone to snap pics.
*bleah*

The model kept 4904 Calista Hobo in Caramel.
The other time, she was wondering whether to get TFL-made Millie Cross Tote or I'm Belted Up Hobo.
Happy to know that she likes TFL bags!!
That reminds me...I still haven't send her the pics...

I haven't been doing bloggers adverts as aggressively as when TFL first started.
Looking at the orders coming in, I just feel very grateful to the support from my beloved customers.
Sometimes, I feel like, try as I might, I still didn't do a top-notch job in running it well, but customers have been so supportive!
<3 <3 <3
Thank you so much! Really!
*bear hugz*

Okay, it's 2:21am...I think I finally have time to eat...dinner/supper...actually it's lunch/breakfast?

Whatever...the roast meat the Husband has been buying from the coffeeshop at Hougang Ave 4 is quite good!

 And there's a can of Coca-cola and a chocolate cake from Flor...

Aaaah....bliss...

Be back to invoicing aft nom-nom time!

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

A great voice shining through

Youtube videos have been great company when I 'm up late in the night, replying emails or doing up a launch like now.

I didn't think much of covers till I stumbled on one by the JS twins, of Korean origin but living in Aussie.

Boy, can they sing!

Today, through my favourite blogger, Bing, I discover a fellow Singaporean who has a great voice too!

I'm so excited!!

Not everyday that you can find a Singaporean on Youtube with an amazing voice and doesn't sound, erm, Singaporean. =P

I love the microphone her parents gave her for her 16th birthday!

Now, if only I can sing and strum the guitar that well...

This is my favourite out of the 4 covers she has done so far!

One of her covers is Good Life by One Republic, uploaded on 2 Aug.

I 'silly-ly' thought it was a NDP song cover from the Youtube title and the date.

Such an awesome voice and only 16!

Gaaah!

Hoping that she will do a NDP song cover though.

There are some really nice NDP songs out there. 

Do you realise that no one seem to have done any NDP cover before?

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu

This time, this day, we turn 9

 Time flies when you are with your love. 

It never felt like 9 years to me. 

Thank you for giving me so much of your love, even when I don't deserve it.

Happy 9th year anniversary to us, dear.

Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu