Katheyl

We’re back on the blogsphere once again!

I’m glad that I’ve been taken out from someone’s friends’ list on Facebook. I don’t think I would have bothered to do that, as much as I dislike the person.

Fact is, Facebook is just a small part of my life. I would rather focus my attention and energy towards the people in real life.

I don’t need a friend who manipulates and bosses her friends around. I don’t need a friend who sweeps me aside so that she can get her own way, nor do I need one who only comes to me when she needs to get something done.

Friendship needs to be cultivated over time. You don’t come bearing gifts and being all nice and friendly all of a sudden after you’ve treated someone shabbily or ignored them for the longest time. Most people I know don’t take such hypocrisy very well.

It’s true that friends should take you as who you are, but you can’t expect them to do that when you are consistently making use of them. Your friends are not your tools.

I’m just glad that the friendship’s finally over and we’re in different continents. I don’t have to pretend to be nice to you. Hypocrisy is just not for me.

If you wondered why more than one friend has decided to keep a distance from you, perhaps it’s time to reflect on your actions. Just please stop using religion/God as an excuse to justify things that have happened, or your own behaviour.

The vintage SPRING SALE is now on! Enjoy free shipping or 50% off shipping rates on selected items :)

I’ve always liked elbow patches on sweaters ‘cos of the preppy vibes they give.

So when I came across a tutorial on sewing your own elbow patches, I decided to give it a try.

It’s amazingly simple and wouldn’t take you long to complete (one hour max). Just grab one of your plain sweaters, a wool needle and some yarn.

Make an outline of the shape that you want and fill up the area within the perimeter you have set.

Though it was a really easy project, it took me 2 weeks to finally get everything done (as usual, I was distracted by other stuff). I was ‘forced’ to finish up when I realised the temperatures are rising too quickly for sweaters :P

So here’s my 5 Euro sweater which has been given a new look :)

French Mirror Necklace

via Katheyl

British Mailbox Necklace

via Katheyl

Time passes so quickly when you are having fun.

We’ve been back home for 3 weeks and it’s just another week before we head back to icy cold (in every aspect) Germany.

I’m so reluctant to leave home this time round. It wasn’t this bad during my last 2 home trips. Somehow this trip makes me wanna be here for good. Badly.

For the last 1.5 years that I’d been away, so many things have changed. The world is progressing but I seem to be stuck in a black hole - neither moving forward nor backwards. I wouldn’t have given much thought if I’m close to retirement age. But right now, this is not the way I want to live.

And of course the other reason (and perhaps the biggest reason) for me to be back for good is my family. I want to spend more time with my parents. I want to be there for my 2 sisters who are in the midst of preparing for the biggest day of their lives.

On the other hand, there would be many things I have to give up to be back here but I guess those are insignificant. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the plans that we have made would turn out to be something good, and that they would eventually bring us back home with our families once again.

Reading Landscape by Kyle Kirkpatrick

(Source: pulmonaire, via booklover)

(via puupuu)

Just a little extra something to make your Valentine’s Day shopping even sweeter - free shipping on more than 40 items in our shop!

Love these elf-ears inspired earrings! How whimsical!

medicatedmaniac:

I’d wear this all the time.

(via puupuu)

Some really cool and simple household tips that you can put to use immediately!

via thedailybuzz.com

How did you start your new year?

We are starting ours by offering you free shipping on more than 40 items in our shop!

Happy Shopping!

We did eventually make it for the Christmas markets in Nürnberg and Salzburg!

I’ve been unwell since late November and things got worse after my last market. I got so ill that I could hardly get out of bed for 2 days. It was really scary ‘cos the symptoms were nothing that I’ve ever had in my life!

Fortunately I got better after a second visit to the doc, who prescribed me a cocktail of antibiotics and other meds.

Despite feeling better after all the medication, the husband was adamant that we stayed in town ‘cos I was still very fragile. He couldn’t risk me getting infected again while I was still trying to recover. I was, of course, very disappointed since it would be the 3rd year missing the market at Nürnberg, and the 2nd time for Salzburg (I’ve always been sick during winter).

Thankfully I got better along the way. And after watching me like a hawk for the next 2 weeks, the husband finally decided that I was well enough to make the trips. Can’t tell you how relieved I was!

And I’m so glad that we managed to visit the 2 markets in the end! Nürnberg Christmas market is most famous one within Germany while friends have been raving about the one in Salzburg.

I very much prefer the market in Salzburg. It’s within the old town which is already very charming on its own. I remember how much I love the cobblestone streets, tight alleys and quaint buildings when we visited last year. The market itself sells really pretty stuff that were unlike the ones I’ve seen in Munich and Nürnberg. I certainly wouldn’t mind visiting it again next year if we’re still in Europe.

With these 2 wishes fulfilled, the next item on my list would be to visit the Scandinavian countries. I don’t think it’s gonna happen that soon, given the weather now, but it’s definitely high up on my list for the coming year. Meanwhile, I shall look forward to my home trip!

As I grow older, I’d start a new year thinking about how fast the year would past and how we’d be welcoming the following year in a blink of an eye.

I still feel the same this year.

2011 marks the second year that I’ve been away from home. I can’t say that I’ve really adjusted to the life here, especially the weather which is practically killing me during the cold seasons. But I guess I’ve slowly learned to deal with the differences and inconveniences.

My cravings for all Singaporean food fare start to sink in this year, which I guess it’s quite an achievement (to be able to last this long). I found myself plowing through websites to get the right recipes and I had also spent more time experimenting new dishes. Of course the husband has the honor of being the guinea pig of all my experiments.

Speaking of the husband, he’s been nothing but awesome. It hasn’t been easy for him at work (the cultural differences and practices at work and lots more) but he’s always around when I need him and doesn’t mind putting up with my nonsense. I’ve always looked at him and marveled at the amount of patience, strength and resilience that he has, and even more so since we moved here. He is definitely the key person in making my life here a much more pleasant one.

This year also marks the start of our new venture. The husband had always wanted us to do something together here (like how we used to do archery together in Singapore) and so we did! It’s been a fun and interesting journey so far, learning stuff that I have never imagined myself picking up.

As for my own humble business, I’ve met some of the goals that I’ve set for the year, though I could have done better. But given the limitations which are beyond my control, I guess the result is not that bad afterall. The highlights of the year include getting featured on the websites of one of the popular local magazines, participating in the first Hello Etsy (where I got to put faces to names that I’ve known online) and also the opportunity to participate in the second Hello Handmade market.

It’s also through this little handmade business of mine that I got to know more people in this part of the world. This year, I’ve forged closer friendships on one hand and also discovered the true and disappointing side of some people on the other.

Leisure wise, we had managed to cover a couple of places which I’ve always wanted to go - Paris (which is now my least favorite European city after the trip), Rome (to fulfill my dream of seeing the Colosseum) and Hamburg. We had also revisited Berlin and Salzburg (I’m absolutely in love with their Christmas market there!) and also covered several Bavarian towns. We have yet to visit the Scandinavian countries so we’ll definitely try to do it next year.

Family wise, there’s plenty to cheer and be happy about! There’s a wedding brewing right now, and engagement news of one of my sisters. We also received good news from my BIL just before the year ends. My family means the world to me, so if there’s only one wish that I’m allowed, it’s definitely for them - to stay happy and healthy always.

So we are just a few hours short of moving into the new year. I’ve yet to think about what I wanna do in 2012, partly because I’ve been so busy and then becoming so sick for the whole month, and also because of some uncertainties that we hope to resolve in the coming months.

Meanwhile husband and I are just gonna be having a quiet evening together since I’m still trying to recover from this nagging bug attack. 2012 is going be an interesting year for us and I’m curious to see how it unfolds :)