Wishing everyone Happy Holidays!

Hope everyone had a good time with family and friends over Christmas. I was so busy tending to last minute gift orders from the online shop that I didn't get the chance to wish everyone a very 'Merry Christmas' earlier this week.

Anyway, I just wanted to take the opportunity this special time of the year to say that it has been such a joy getting to know so many of you through this blog. I am truely thankful for your warm friendship. Even though I have not been able to post as often as I would like to in recent months since the birth of my second child, knowing that you are still visiting keeps me motivated and inspired in more ways than you can imagine. Thank you so much for your support.

I will be signing off to spend more time with family and friends for the rest of the year but will be returning on Jan 5. Meanwhile, here's wishing everyone Happy Holidays and all the very best for 2009! Here is a little festive dance from my family to yours.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And if you are looking for some ideas that will make this New Year's eve party a little prettier and more memorable, here are some lovely ideas to share from Martha Stewart.com.

Above: Place your homemade Oatmeal cookie in these lovely CD sleeves to give to your guests

Above: These Confetti and noisemaker will make a very fun and pretty looking New Year party favour
(Above) Customise store stationary with a rubber stamp and pad

It's easy to miss something you are not looking for

One of the funniest advertisements I have seen in a while that drives the message across. (via Mr Brown)

Mister Rob Ryan

Gorgeous papercuts by paper artist Rob Ryan. Do check out his blogs here and here! (Thanks meefedtothemax for the links!)

Wall Calander

Watch winter turn to spring with this for a wall calendar by architecture duo at StokkeAustad. I imagine the leaf-like tags are like sticky tapes that you remove as the year goes by and the colour of the wall changes to reflect the 4 seasons. (above) The whole year in colour. (Image above from une toche de.)

Level 5

Just in case you miss your floor. (via ffffound!)

Falling words

Amazing project by Letras Caindo found here. (via Swissmiss)

Perforated calendar

This perforated calendar that allows you to tear off each day of the year is such a simple yet brilliant idea! (via delight by design)

Pretty bitter gift tags

Great gift tags with a touch of humour.

Handmade stamps from Nora Jane

Adorable handmade stamps from Nora Jane that you can use to stamp away your own Christmas giftwrap. (via Sweet & Low)

Would love to slouch here by the beach

What a lovely room! I just love how everything is kept low-lying with the small steps and changes in levels defining the separate spaces. (from marie claire masion via delight by design)

Chocolate research facility

These arty chocolate wrappers are apparently from a shop in Singapore called Chocolate research facility. Anyone heard about this? I want to be a part of it!

Enchanted Garden

A beautiful mural found on a door out in the middle of nowhere in Brussels. This image reminds me of some secret doorway to an enchanted garden from the pages of a fairytale. Found here.

Shop in a church

Designed by Merkx+Girod architects, this contemporary bookshop is designed within a former Dominican church. I am sure many of you must have seen this but since I have been buried under a rock for a while, I don't recall seeing these images before.

From a design point of view, I really love how the neat rows of books lined up in a modern black steel structure form a contrast with the ornate interior of this gothic church. The colours of the books also stand out really well against the neutral tone of the stone surfaces.

I am not sure how to respond to the image above. I thought at first it was a reading area...but found out later it is a coffee shop. Beautiful as I think it is, I am not sure if it is quite appropriate to locate a crucifix-shaped coffee table at the location where the altar used to be. I guess in true Dutch fashion, the designers have succeeded in coming up with yet another controversial project... (via)

Mad mad week but I'm back!

It has been a mad mad week juggling the babies, orders from my baby online store, organising a hen's night and overseeing the details of my best friend's wedding. I have always consider myself quite an efficient multi-tasker but I have to admit that this past week has been quite stretching.

I miss blogging and all of you out there! I will share more about my friend's wedding once I get down to uploading the pics. Meanwhile, it's surfing time at 3am in the morning at my favourite design websites. I will be back soon with what I find!