Buy Handmade

Bonjour! Comment ca va? :)

So this post isn't very French-themed, I just wanted to announce that I added a link to my Etsy shop, on the right. Do have a look in you're interested in unique, handmade fashion accessories. My shop is called Nada Banana (after my daughter, Nada - not banana!), and I ship internationally :)

Yep, these are all by me :)

So if you're reading this, wondering, "What is Etsy?", let me tell you that it is a wonderful online marketplace where you can find unique and artistic handmade goods. Check out some serious competition for me, below ;)

Jewellery by members of the Busy Moms of Etsy Team. L-R: Earrings by EchoEndeavor; Ring by LOwusu; Bracelet by GwendolynsDesign; Necklace by MarynikyDesigns; Bracelet by EsThings.

There’s more than jewellery on Etsy. You can find cute tees and chic calendars, whimsical stationery and breathtaking photographs, classy home deco items and more!

Things to brighten up your home, and life! Top row L-R: Bird soap by Annipoo; Girl's peasant top by BabyBeanbyJACI; Pebble magnets by WhimsyDream; Puppy finger puppet by HuggerMugger; Pocket mirror by LittlePinkPlum; Bottom row L-R: Smile stickers by TheArtOfJoy; Water lilies postcards by CiliciaPhotography; Retro apron by LemonTreeAprons; Birdhouse by GymboHannah; Rock Star Bunny by WhimseyWabbit.

Etsy also has a special category for vintage items, for all of us who love all things retro and old-world.

I wouldn't mind that unicorn for my house, actually! L-R: Vintage Faux Pearl Earrings by FlipChick1369; Vintage Brass Unicorn Figurine by LotsaJunkInTheTrunk; Vintage Tin by FuzzyMama.

Unfortunately, I’m not able to fit in all the Busy Moms here, so if you’d like to see more from these amazing women who somehow manage their business, kids and for some, day jobs (including me!), take a look at the Busy Moms page here and click on the Favorites tab on the right. Happy Shopping! ;)

French phrase of the day:
Je voudrais acheter quelques articles de cru = I would like to buy some vintage items.

Hearts For Haiti On Etsy

An impressive number of Etsy sellers have united and donated some of their items in a special Etsy shop where 100% of sales (minus Etsy and Paypal fees) go to Medecin Sans Frontieres aka Doctors Without Borders, who are actively helping the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Please buy anything you can from this shop, HeartsforHaiti and help contribute to the cause.

Heart pendant by blakeswork, USA.

I'm sure everyone has known by now about the disaster in Haiti and how they desperately need help and contribution in any form from anyone listening. If you actually do not know what I am talking about, it's time for you to step out from under that rock and get a refresher here.

I have also stumbled upon many other articles and blogs describing what is currently happening and what else needs to be done. Here's one that really pulled at my heart strings. This one's from early on after the quake happened.

Now, about two weeks, countless aftershocks and one second major quake later, donations to the relief program has exceeded $355 million and that is just wonderful! However, according to online journal Philanthropy Action, they still need as much as $3 billion for the first wave of the relief efforts over there, and billions more for reconstruction.

George Clooney's Hope For Haiti Now telethon has raised about $57 million. Way to go to all the people who called in and donated (and the artists who contributed their time and energy, of course).

Okay, while I agree with some online comments that $3 billion seems like an extraordinarily excessive amount to get Haiti back to the way it was while people in developed countries are barely scraping by thanks to the worldwide financial downturn, I do think that the Haitians still need a bit more than the $355 mil to get back on their feet. The Haitians haven't gotten all they need to live yet. There is never enough water, food and a place to sleep, and, the part that I most empathise with, so many children have been orphaned, in a country which already has one of the highest numbers of orphans and poor people. And all these orphans with no food, water, shelter and someone to care for them. This is where Haiti differs from other disaster0struck countries.

So if these pictures could help persuade you to buy something from HeartsforHaiti, that would be great, and totally awesome for the Haitians!

Top: Print by SorchaGillett, France. Bottom: Pillow by deelind, USA.

Top: Necklace by JewelrySong, Canada. Bottom: Print by pocketcarnival, Australia.

Here's me practising what I preach heheh. Immediately bought this for $5 from HeartsforHaiti.

Je t'aime greeting card from thepapercrown1, USA.

If you'd rather just donate, the following websites can help you with that:-

http://www.hopeforhaitinow.org/

http://www.unicef.org/

http://www.yele.org/

http://www.wfp.org/

Aide Haïti maintenant! = Help Haiti now!

Merci beaucoup!

France out of France

A quaint view of the French Quarter in New Orleans as seen in the movie The Princess and the Frog.

New Orleans, Lousiana, USA.

Quebec, Canada.

Monaco.

This is my list of "French" places out of France herself that I would like to visit in the future. I've read that Quebec is just the quintessential "French" country but at cheaper rates than the real McCoy, while I've always admired New Orleans for the colonial architecture, the unique Creole culture and the seemingly happy-go-lucky attitude of its citizens (pre-Katrina, of course). And Monaco, that French-speaking playground of the rich and richer, who wouldn’t want to go there?

Now, Pondicherry may top the list as the most accessible one. Yes, Pondicherry in India. I had quite forgotten that it used to be a French colony, and in any case, Goa had always seemed more interesting. But now that they may soon have their own version of the Eiffel Tower, and the municipal will be playing up the French-colony theme more, Pondicherry has become quite a desirable place to visit. The fact that AirAsia flies to India is a BIG plus!

The Yanam Tower will be 333-feet high, and will have a restaurant overlooking the sea that I will totally visit! It is supposed to be ready in November, so perhaps after I visit Paris? Looking at the pics of Pondicherry, I imagine it would be quite a relaxing trip. Something like a trip back in time to a French countryside, non?

This is not the Yanam Tower. It is actually the French Institue at St. Louise Street.

According to an article on CNN.com, Pondicherry boasts "tree-line boulevards, quaint colonnaded buildings, tall statues and a tiny Tamil French community". Tres Francais!

Quaint collonaded buildings? Check!

This is a building called The Mairie, which houses the Pondicherry Municipality.

Oh, I'd almost forgotten that I have visited one French-related travel spot in the past, the shopping haven of Bandung, in Indonesia, also known as Paris Van Java! Although colonised by the Dutch rather than the French, Bandung received this moniker for being the most happening town this side of the world back in the age of imperialism. We're planning to go back to Bandung soon - need to update my wardrobe at the many branded factory outlets there!

Like the French phrase of the day says: Je dois sembler chic! = I must look chic! ;)

Michael Cera is the new Taylor Lautner!

Michael Cera (left) and Adhir Kalyan from Youth In Revolt.

OK, maybe not. But I think he will be awesome in Youth In Revolt. How could he not be, when his character has an alter-ego named François, whom he creates so that he can impress his Francophile-crush Sheeni and, in a clip on David Letterman, Michael’s character takes off his clothes, dumps them into a car and pushes the car into a lake so that the police will think he drowned – only to see the car land in a knee-deep pond, with the police looking up at him running away in his boxers! Must-see, I say! Oh, I hope they won’t cancel the show in Malaysia (like they did Amelia, the gall!). So far it's not listed on GSC's website, but From Paris With Love is! Sigh...

See a review of Youth In Revolt here.

Michael Cera as French-dude François.

Youth In Revolt is based on the novel Youth In Revolt: The Journeys of Nick Twisp by C.D. Payne and stars Michael Cera (from TV’s Arrested Development), Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis and Portia Doubleday, with brief appearances by Justin Long, Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta and Fred Willard. Adapted for screenplay by Gustin Nash, directed by Miguel Arteta.

Hmm, think the following French phrase of the day could be from the movie?

Elle a un regard malicieux. = She has a mischievous look in her eyes.
Thanks to www.francophilia.com for today’s phrase.

1-2-3, en Francais, s'il vous plait

So that's Un - Deux - Trois, if you didn't already know ;)

And here’s how to count all the way up to ten:-

I just bought this from GraceHesterDesigns on Etsy last week after lusting after it for months! I think this will be perfect for my girl, Nada’s room. She’s three and has mastered counting to ten in English and Malay, and should learn how to do it in French (even more so now that she knows Uno Dos Tres Quatro thanks to that Pitbull song).

This purchase also bought me a spot on a Buy ‘N’ Replace (BNR) thread I joined on Etsy to promote my shop and also become more active in the Busy Moms Of Etsy Team.

Meanwhile, here is the French phrase of the day: J'ai besoin de nouvelles chaussures! = I need new shoes!

This came to mind because I came to work today with one heeled sandal missing its strap! Luckily, I had a braided velvet strap in my bag, which I’d worn as a bracelet previously. It was just the right size for the sandal loop and my ankle.

Also, I think I should provide a complete sentence for the previous French phrase of the day. Voila: Ma résolution de nouvelle année est de vivre Français! = My New Year's resolution is to live French!

I don't know if this is correct though - Babelfish can be tricky. Will consult with my French-speaking friends and update soonest!

Something New This Year

Photo: Lukas Patkan/stock.xchange

I’ve never been one for new year resolutions. I always think, “Why wait ‘til next year? Why not just do it now? Or as soon as possible?” So I’m not against resolutions, just the idea of starting new things only in the new year. There’s no need for that, just go ahead and do whatever you have to do as soon as the opportunity arises (and quit making excuses to not start, too! Hehe).

But this year, I will be starting something in the new year – I’ve decided to live a “French” way of life this 2010. I use the term “French” very loosely, though, as I don’t think it would be viable to be totally French in Malaysia, and I don’t like to restrict myself on purpose.

This idea came about a couple of weeks before the new year, on my birthday actually, in December. My husband was asking what I wanted for my birthday, and I asked if I could get a jewellery-designing book (very low-maintenance of me, no? Well, actually, I hadn’t gotten anything for him for his birthday back in August yet. So didn’t want to demand too much hehe). So I was browsing for books, but I wasn’t completely sure of most of the books I saw, until I found one on the last Jewellery/Beading shelf (it's always the last one, isn't it?). And I absolutely fell in love with it! It was quite well-thumbed, though, and the book jacket was a bit torn in the back, but it was the last copy and I absolutely had to have it! It's called French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating With Vintage Beads, Buttons and Baubles by Kaari Meng and it is gorgeous! And we got a 20 percent discount for it.

The beautiful jewellery inside inspired me, for sure, but it also inspired something else. From the book, I found out that the author runs a store that sells French décor and notions called French General in California, and that she also has another book called The French-Inspired Home. And that inspired me to decorate my house in the French style. Along with my husband and darling 3-year-old daughter, we’ve been living in our house for almost a year now, and have yet to properly decorate it despite all the ideas I had for it. Maybe it’s because I had too many ideas (blame apartmenttherapy.com) that I found it hard to figure out exactly what needs to be done. Now, I'm very happy with this idea as this cuts down on a LOT of choices to choose from when embarking on such a project. This will also leave me with more time to work on my career at my day job, make more jewellery at home and strategise my side-business, potty train my daughter, oh, and also plan the lifestyle 'zine I've been planning with one of my best friends. See why I'm so happy to find focus on at least one aspect in life?

Of course, I didn't just decide to do this French thing just because I love the book. I've always been sort of a Francophile (that’s why I was so drawn to Kaari’s jewellery book in the first place). I took French language classes in university, and enrolled for a refresher class after. And, of course, I’ve always wanted to go to Paris (who doesn’t?), and New Orleans. I also prefer Carrefour over Tesco!

So this year (and maybe beyond), the home will slowly take on a French personality (because personality is so important for a home’s ambience, and faux-French is so me!), my jewellery designs may be more vintage-French-inspired, I will be setting aside money every month to take a trip to France at the end of the year (hope Air Asia X will be offering those flights to Orly soon), and I will learn one French word or expression every day until I can read Biba magazine without having to refer to the dictionary at every other word (uhmm.. yeah, my French has gone verrry rusty from lack of use).

So French phrase of the day is: Résolution de nouvelle année = New Year resolution ;)