gong xi fa cai!

Or, "Here's wishing you a super prosperous lunar new year!" Something like that. Anyway, a nice long public holiday with lots of good food and get-togethers -- yay!

after dinner that night

1. Pin-tuck ballerina silk dress by Prizy Sebastian
2. Pink sapphire bar ring by Metalicious
3. Vintage mother of pearl button necklace by Cloven
4. Vintage gold clutch with chickadees by Junkyard Glitter
5. A-line linen tunic/dress by Nervous Wardrobe
6. Vintage 40s revived dress by Moon Euphoria
7. Gourmet strawberry marshmallows by Ruby's Bakeshop
8. Red flower shoe clips by Eclu

Several of a series of custom children's friendship rings. They're fun and colourful, soft and kid-friendly -- I'm thinking of making more for the shop :)

B somehow managed to dig these up from somewhere. I'd quite forgotten about them; I think they're about a year old. Not sure what I was thinking of when I drew them; the one girl is actually holding a bowl of coral in her lap.

They're quite large actually; about 16" tall. What should I do with them? Suggestions?

she never stayed in one place long

1. Angel Wings ruffled tulle cape by Karolinfelix Dream
2. The Sightseeing Case by Sketchbook
3. Vintage mother of pearl pin by Red Truck Designs
4. Key to Your Journey print by Pretty Petal Studio
5. Nuno felted fingerless gloves by JaneBo Felt
6. Crossed arrow friendship ring by The Stray Arrow
7. Lavender Fields necklace by Sky Koltun
8. Forces Of Enchantment print by Persisting Stars

Ran out of sunlight today, so Ghostie will have to wait to be stuffed tomorrow. He'll probably be in the shop later in the evening :)

an autumn excursion at sunrise

1. Tea length wedding dress by Bridal Bliss Designs
2. Design your own Whimsy Gnome slouchy hat by Raimbowtree
3. Early 1900's wooden penny doll from A Needle In The Hay
4. Jordan oversized handwarmers by Hey Freddie
5. 1950s RCA Victrola portable record player from Busy Bree Vintage
6. Knit slouchy hat with pom pom by Cammobear
7. Gray tweed coat with orange lining by Louisa Bonheur
8. Velvet bow headband by Lacey's House

raaagh

Behemoth is back in the shop! This happy fellow loves lounging about on things and saying "Raaagh" -- a perfect companion to snuggle up with over a scary bedtime story :)

The super-talented Erin of Rag and Stone was so sweet as to bestow upon me the Liebster Blog Award -- yay! thank you Erin!

The Liebster Blog award is given to bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.
The rules:
1. You are to thank the giver, the person who awarded you the gift.
2. Reveal your 5 blogger picks, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and Paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you sent the award to, will forward it to their 5 favorite bloggers.

So here are my five picks
(and with all that talent out there, this wasn't easy, let me tell you):

* A Simple Thing of Beauty -- chockfull of lush, lovely inspiration
* Sho and Tell -- the clever, delightful musings of a very chic young lady
* Recessionista thru a Lens -- one hip teenager's ultracool personal style
* Handmade Artisan Jewellery -- simply gorgeous, exquisite metalwork
* Girl in a Skirt -- one of the cutest, charming-est clothing lines ever

Quick quick, go see now!

green and grey make sage

1. Gemstone cluster cocktail ring by xVELVETx
2. Water For Luna block print crop top by The Royal
3. Upcycled cardigan sweatshirt by Pierogi Picnic
4. Blue gray flower tunic by Spoon & Tamago
5. Yellow sapphire ring by Andrea Bonelli Jewelry
6. Tranquil rock collection by Cori Kindred
7. Listen 4x6 photograph by Elle Moss
8. Falling Leaves earrings by Pangea Handmade

sheep says

a little belated...

... but still adorable nevertheless.

19 double-takes a day. at least.

1. Vintage Kenzo blouse from Whhttt
2. White Peter Pan shirt by Janey Clothing
3. 1960s day dress from La Belle Vie Vintage
4. Cupcake kitten hat pattern by Tiny Owl's Magic Attic
5. Nude dress by Handmade my love
6. Crochet lacelike shirt collar by TWOKNIT
7. Double cable cowl by Woolbridge
8. The Tuxedo Glove by tobywonkenobi

happy new year!

... and new goodies in the shop! Decorative animal figurines in yummy colours to brighten any room in your home. Who doesn't want a lilac sheep! These handpainted sweeties -- and others! -- will be in the shop tomorrow (or the day after :).

glimmer. shimmer. shine.

1. Vintage gold sequin mini gown from Peacock Feet
2. Vintage Longchamp purse from Tova's Vintage Shop
3. Gunmetal Armour necklace by PETTRA
4. Vintage beaded oversize silk top from renvintage
5. Sequined gold party shirt by wythe
6. Gold sunburst headpiece by The Sai-Sai Shoppe
7. 1970s beaded collar from Lucky Vintage Seattle
8. Chestnut necklace by bobbin & bow

merry twistmas!

A joyous, blessed Christmas to you and yours!
and if you really don't know what a Moshi Monster is, find out here

loving today: book 7

The seventh literary Loving Today inspired by this post.
* * *

The smile that flitted across Arthur's face was a faint one, and instead of following Mr Irwine's playful lead, he said, quite seriously – "Yes, that's the worst of it. It's a desperately vexatious thing, that after all one's reflections and quiet determinations, we should be ruled by moods that one can't calculate on beforehand. I don't think a man ought to be blamed so much if he is betrayed into doing things in that way, in spite of his resolutions".

extract from Adam Bede, by George Eliot

1. Maria's Austrian floral dress by Taylor's Scarlet Thread
2. Where Pink Roses Kiss the Sky by See Life Shine
3. Garnet earrings by White Birches
4. Curtain Lace Ghost by Miss Quite Contrary
5. Animal card and photo package by Kaprys Photography
6. Victorian ceramic butter dish from Fi's Finds
7. Winter Fun capelet by YesterEra
8. The Veiled Woman by Kalstek Photography

a weekend in the prairies

1. Edwardian silk lace from Misty Albion
2. Embrace - nature photograph by Eye Poetry Photography
3. White Lies - fine art photograph by Sarah Moldovan
4. Geometric lace shirt by MinxShop
5. Mother of pearl button ring by Quench Metalworks
6. Papercuts "I Heart" black necklace by indigo fawn
7. Deer heart bunting necklace by Rachel Pfeffer Designs
8. Bracelet with pearly flower by Sybeads

on trains, and thanking God

This past Thursday, the railway system here suffered a massive breakdown during rush hour, affecting over a hundred thousand passengers, and trapping some one thousand passengers in the four trains that had stalled. The trapped commuters were stuck in the carriages for hours, with neither sufficient light nor ventilation; some even broke the train windows with a fire extinguisher to let air in. Passengers reported the heat, stuffiness and chaos, the crying of uncomfortable babies -- all of which one can easily imagine with dismay.

The wondrous part for me is that the kids and I were actually heading home on the train that day, exactly during that time. I remember standing with B, pressed in by the crowd, thinking, "O fine, it's rush hour" (thankfully, a kind man had given up his seat to Ro, who had fallen asleep).

But miraculously, our train ran fine, and, except for one hard, sudden lurch, we got home safely. It wasn't till the next morning that I learnt of what had happened and how narrowly we had escaped it.

Naturally, the breakdown has been a hot topic in the news, and this morning it was a topic of discussion at our family breakfast too. As my mother left the table, still marvelling at how we'd avoided that situation, she repeated what she had said to me the day before: "Thank God He took care of you. We really have a lot to be thankful for".

Of course I agreed, and was about to leave the table too, when my cousin -- who isn't a Christian, or might perhaps best be described as agnostic -- said, "Why do you all say things like that? So, 'too bad' for those other people? You thank God for taking care of you; the 'flip side' of that would be that God did not take care of them".

"That's not what it's about," I started to say.

"No of course it's not," he snorted. "It always comes to that. But you know me, I think logically first" (the obvious inference being that we God-followers don't).

I was so perturbed by what he said, or the very fact that he was saying it, that I couldn't seem to decently organise my thoughts and words. "God uses different situations to teach us different things," was sort of what I feebly came up with. "His care for us doesn't always show in the obvious ways we immediately think of".

I realise I don't have the eloquence even now, away from the source of perturbation, to properly explain God's hand in our lives. And I realise that delving into this could lead to profound, unanswerable questions about evil and suffering and so forth, which I won't, and can't, get into.

But to thoughtlessly, contemptuously, say that God is uncaring -- based on superficial evidence, and without any in-depth knowledge or experience of God -- is simply too much for a Christian to ignore. "Why thank God for some random, meaningless circumstance?" he was in essence saying. "Why thank God for anything really?"

What my cousin said reflects the views of many secular people I think; the belief that God doesn't really exist, and if He did, He's distant and indifferent; that it all really boils down to luck or fortune or whatever it is you want to call it.

Well, I think that there is some degree of randomness in life -- stuff happens -- but God's character, His goodness and love, are certain and unchanging.

I don't know that God actually caused the breakdown (in this case I'd be more inclined to blame human error), but I believe He used it, as He does all trials and tribulations, to some good purpose.

How can our small, finite minds ever fully comprehend God's purposes and plans? We can't, but we can trust to His goodness and His love. Romans 8:28 says, "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labour] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose" (italics mine).

Perhaps there were people that day who got a lesson in patience, or fortitude, or kindness, or facing their fears. Perhaps there were people whose faith needed to be strengthened, or whose pride needed to be humbled. Perhaps human flaws like carelessness, irresponsibility or greed had to be exposed. Perhaps it was all for the good of just a hundred people out of the thousands, or perhaps it was just a handful, or perhaps just one.

I'm not talking only about the people who were actually there that day, taking, or working on, the trains -- I'm talking about anyone at all connected to the situation, however remote; anyone who has any sort of knowledge at all about what happened, like people who watch it on the news in another country for instance, even if it's a week from now, or a decade. Who can grasp how far God's reach is?

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa 55:8-9).

Many of us are familiar with the story of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. One day the sisters sent to Jesus, telling Him that their brother was sick. But although the Bible says Jesus loved the three siblings, He did not go to their aid immediately. In fact, he stayed away until Lazarus finally died.

"When Jesus received the message, He said, This sickness is not to end in death; but [on the contrary] it is to honor God and to promote His glory, that the Son of God may be glorified through (by) it...

"Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same place where He was...

"Jesus told [the disciples] plainly, Lazarus is dead,

"And for your sake I am glad that I was not there; it will help you to believe (to trust and rely on Me). However, let us go to him" (John 11:4-15).

Jesus let Lazarus and his sisters go through their suffering. He did so for a purpose. I suppose He could have rushed to them as soon as he got word of Lazarus' sickness and spared them all a great deal of pain and grief, but He didn't. Instead He actually said "I am glad that I was not there; it will help you to believe (to trust and rely on Me)".

The way Jesus showed His love and caring was not in the overt way we would have immediately expected. But just because He did not answer their prayers in the patently obvious way they wanted Him to, does not mean He did not hear or answer them, or care.

We all go through different things at different times -- sometimes we're home free, but yes, sometimes we're stuck in a stuffy, miserable train. I think how we respond to those times, how we learn from them, how we use our faith, determines the quality and outcome of our lives, our levels of peace and joy.

Sometimes we have to go through the trials, like Mary and Martha, to see God’s glory, His power and goodness at work in our lives.

I don't think it's the natural "flip side" that God wasn't caring for the people who were caught in the breakdown. Besides the obvious care -- along the "thank God it was no worse" line, or "thank God we even have a transport system to complain about" -- there are often things which God delivers us from, which are never apparent at the time, of which we never know till later (or perhaps never at all in this lifetime). How often have we heard people say things like, "Thank goodness such and such happened, or I would have so on and so forth. I hated it at the time, but I'm so grateful for it now".

I think His providence is also manifest in the grace and strength He gives us to endure, to press on and press through. We live in a sinful, imperfect world; if our faith and hope are in Him, we can go through our trials peacefully, and with confidence.

His lovingkindness toward each of us is personal, and we are called to "thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]" (1 Thess 5:18, italics mine).

Becky came in soon after my cousin had left, and saw me sitting alone, looking troubled. She asked what the matter was, so I told her. And she said, "Never mind, he doesn't understand. Even if we had been the ones who had gotten stuck on the train, we would still have thanked God, and God would still have taken care of us".

wintering at the cottage

1. Felted wool hat by Katarina Couture
2. Lace cropped sweater by pEbbyforEvEE
3. Anouschka velvet capelet by Para Noire
4. Vintage British deer pin from Portuguese Vintage
5. Over The Moon card by Deadweight
6. Oversized wool sweater from Hottmilk
7. Silver lace stacking rings by Vdeux
8. Victorian velvet tailcoat jacket from Vera Vague

wheee it's a

Just enter code JOYFUL11 to get 15% off shopwide! Happy shopping :)

holiday fun!

Shopping fun!

Outside Shanghai Tang. But we prefer the bookstore next door.

Hotel fun!

Lavender, tea and jasmine-scented pillows. Bubble baths. Room service. Gigantic mirror. Which I forgot to clean first.

Food fun!

Endless sausages, bacon and other greasy things we don't have at home.

Fountain fun!

<

Who doesn't wanna get completely drenched in a fountain.

Bonding fun!

The best part of being out in the big wide world with the people who love you.

yo

Ro comes running up from downstairs. B's in her room, writing.

B: What's lunch?
Ro: Something.
B: Yes, but what is it?
Ro: Food.

On another note, we're off on a little holiday!
Have a super lovely week, see you soon!

ooh

From Milli Millu. They're gorgeous, but at 295 to 425 pounds a pop, I think I'm filing them under my hm.. ok.. category.

pale. ivory. bisque.

1. Hana bracelet – ivory by kikosattic
2. Ecru crochet flower earrings by Freena
3. Beadwoven necklace by balanced
4. Sailing My Ship necklace by The Blue Balloon
5. Lace and chain collar necklace by This Ilk
6. Beige cashmere cardigan by Avi & Xuan
7. White petticoat with ruffles by The Measure
8. French grain sack clutch purse by Bag Noir

just a dog

Am I the only who loves this scene from Finding Neverland (from the start till about 03:20)? "That's not a diamond; it's just a rock"... wonderful... And that dog...

loving today: crystals

1. Black ice necklace by Andromedii
2. Bullets to Binary necklace by While Odin Sleeps
3. Crystal shard necklace by Frilled And Feathered
4. Rain Drops lariat necklace by Kosmika
5. Carbon earrings by Shop Clementine
6. Amulet No.17 necklace by Fort
7. Herkimer diamond ring by Lumafina
8. Diamond In The Rough necklace by Dollybird Design

Sailor Ghost says

A new Sailor Ghost is in the shop!
Sailor Ghost is very much loved for his gentle nature and infectious smile :)

stream of consciousness (narrative mode)

I find this email from B to my husband, who was away on a business trip (the whole thing was underlined, italicised, and in bold, by the way).

To: Daddy
Subject: Dear Dad

Dear Daddy, how is your trip? Oh, he-he.
Nothing! You sure... just look weird in those old Army pants that Mom shortened.
(Ha-ha!) Boy, do you look weird!
I have changed my name from Rebecca to THE Rebecca or THE Rock.
Ooh... waffle coming up! (Gobble gobble)
I was wondering what's going on in that... place.
What's the place called?
I have decided to not use Skype and start using the Internet to E-Mail u more!
Dear Daddy, I am going to find out... oh, never mind!
Hope you have a great time!
Signed, THE Rock.

flush. blush. powder pink.

1. Glass cluster ring by UrbanRevisions
2. Victoria bouquet lollipops by Zukr Boutique
3. Pink floral crown by Rouge Pony
4. Vintage gray Towncraft train case from Thee Letter Q
5. Oversized teacup and saucer set by Vessels And Wares
6. Vintage cotton summer dress from Aiseirigh Vintage
7. Fresh strawberry marshmallows by Have It Sweet
8. Dirty pink and flowers cape for Blythe by Miss Milupka