Betsy Dunlap calligraphy

Gorgeous calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap. I have always envied people with lovely handwriting such as this. I was lamenting just the other day how my own handwriting is getting from bad to worse given that I type on the computer all the time.

The Global Shortlist

I was recently delighted to receive a copy of the 5th edition of 'The Global Shortlist' from Mr and Mrs Smith.

'The Global Shortlist' is a travel guide listing 30 most stylish boutique hotels around the world handpicked, reviewed and compiled in a lovely coffee table book by travel experts at Mr and Mrs Smith. In case you are wondering if this has anything to do with the infamous movie with Angelina and Brad, the answer is 'no'.

Conceived long before Brangelina, Mr and Mrs Smith is a boutique hotel specialists representing the coolest, sexiest and most intimate places to stay around the globe. I have always been a fan of boutique hotels and was naturally excited to find out about so many stylish and unique places introduced by Mr and Mrs Smith through 'The Global Shortlist' . The information is presented in a relaxed and interesting way with tons of alluring photographs that is bound to set you packing for your next holiday. Each page directs you to the best shops, best day trips and other things worth getting out of bed for like the secret advice you would get out of a trusted and well-travelled friend.

One place that I got to know of through this book and would love to visit one day is Castello di Vicarello , Tuscany.

Comprising of six suites, this 900 year old mediaval stone castle is set on a Tuscan hilltop among olive groves. I long to sit in one of their two infinity pools which offers unforgettable panoramic views of the valleys of Tuscany.

According to Mr & Mrs Smith, one should prepare to put on weight in this place as Aurora (the owner) cooks up a daily-changing menu of authentic homegrown, home-made Tuscan cuisine, served in the candlelit flower-filled courtyard in summer and by the fireside in winter.

Cooking classes and wine tasting can also be arranged at the hotel's kitchen if you are up for such domestic activities, besides hunting, fishing and horse back riding offered in nearby places.

And if you are looking for somewhere else unique to stay in Italy, La Mienervetta situated off a cliff in the Amalfi coast of Italy promises a stay (or view) you will not forget.

I love the clean visual lines with splashes of colour shown in these pictures. As evident, the view from your bed in this place is to die for. There are lots more recommended boutique hotels such as these in The Global Shortlist so if you are looking for a unique place to stay, you know where to turn to next time!

'The Global Shortlist 'is available here and here. Each copy of the book comes with a year's free membership with Mr & Mrs Smith that allows you to enjoy special privileges at every Smith hotel you book through them. Simply flash your Smith card at check-in to claim the offer featured on every hotel page.

My Best Friend's Wedding (part II)

I had blogged about helping to do the wedding invites for my best friend Elaine's wedding here. These are some pictures from the wedding to share. (above) Elaine and her then fiance (Chee) dashing around Singapore to run errands the day before the wedding.

(above) These were some corsages I made from lace and ribbons for the wedding party. As you can see, the colour theme of the wedding was black and cream which we carried through all the decor.

(above) Reception table which I helped decorate. The birdcage with message written on tags was an idea I came up with just the day before when the bride realised she didn't have a wedding book for her guest to write their well wishes on. Representing a new home for the newly weds, the birdcage also doubled up as a centre-piece on the reception table. Each guest could write their messages on as many tags as they liked to attach onto the cage which was painted a goth black.

(above) Wedding programs. The wedding program was 16 pages long and we compiled everything into a mini booklet held together by a black grosgrain ribbon and handmade paper embossed with the couple's initials on the front cover.

(above) wedding confetti

(Above) Wedding favours. And for wedding favours, we had jars filled to the brim with candy that guests could dig their hands into. Sadly, my 2 year old had to be bribed with one of these before she agreed to walk down the aisle as the flower girl. Here is a pic of her leading the wedding entourage with a chuppa chup sticking out of her mouth. The sugar rush put her on high the entire wedding service.

(Above) My 2 year old daughter, Vera, acting as the flower girl with a chuppa chup sticking out of her mouth as we led the wedding entourage down the aisle.

Stunning Hairpiece

Don't you think this hairpiece is simply stunning and romantic? I really think it will be gorgeous on a wedding entourage. You can also request to have these made smaller. (via laceandtea)

My Best Friend's Wedding (invitations)

I spent the last few days working on the church wedding invites for my best friend, Elaine. A talented designer herself, I felt really honoured to be entrusted to design Elaine's wedding invitations for her.

Elaine and I have known each other since we were 12, and I can say that I don't know of anyone more similar in interests and taste than her. For the design of her invites, I decided that a simple and classic handcrafted wedding invite would reflect Elaine's timeless sense of style.

We decided to keep the cards simple and focus on subtle elements such as the selection of the font and texture of the paper. While scounting the web for a wedding calligrapher, I chanced upon the work of Laura Hooper. As soon as I set my eyes on Laura's work, I knew at once that we had to engage her to do the calligraphy for my best friend.

Laura is well known for her intricate, unique and delicate style of calligraphy. She offers a variety of services including 29 different calligraphy styles for envelope addressing, placecards, etc., and even draws the most gorgeous maps.

I finally settled on a beautiful Allegro Script , which I paired with a San Serif block-like font, for the invite to achieve a simple classic look. Not long after contacting Laura (who is super prompt in her responses), I received the gorgeous artwork and was on my way to gocco-ing 125 invitations by hand. I also got Laura to handwrite the address of the lunch reception which I screen-printed on tags (above) to accompany the invites.

(above) Screen-printing the cards by hand using my beloved gocco! I simply love the imperfections, blotches and everything behind this labour intensive process!

I finally completed the invites at 4am this morning and sent it out. The bride-to-be loves it and I am one happy friend and bride's maid.

Gorgeous favours from Beau-coup

I was so excited and literally over the moon when a package of gorgeous favours from Beau-coup arrived in the mail today.

(Here is what I found beautifully packaged in a box. #1and #6 mini candy dispensers with scoop, #2 cupcake tea lights place-cards holder, #3 packaged box that came in the mail, #4 Baby Bottle Votive Candles, #5 heart shaped measuring spoons )

Really love the cupcake tea lights place-cards holder and mini candy dispensers with scoop. Think they will be perfect for a baby shower favour.

If you are looking for unique wedding favors, and wedding decorations, do check out their website and wedding blog where they offer fresh wedding ideas to help you personalize your event.

There is a 15% sale going on now so hurry! Thanks Silvia!

Vera Wang's wedding stationary

Did you know that the wedding fashion diva Vera Wang has a stationary collection? And do I have to say how gorgeous it is? I just love these wonderful vintage and handmade-looking lasercut pattern notes. I can just see these details taken off one of her exquisite gowns.

Silkscreened wedding invitations

I just helped a beautiful couple design and make their church wedding invitations using my new print gocco set. It was quite a time consuming process but I had lots of fun doing it. The design of the card is based on an oriental woodcut. The 2 birds are silkscreened in gold onto a piece of tracing paper which is placed over the card. I really like the fact that each card is individually handmade and unique.

Paper flowers

I used to make tons of paper flowers when I was growing up. Our school principal had this grand utopic vision of transforming the whole school into a garden of sorts. To achieve this, the entire school (including parents and teachers) was mobilised to make tons of paper bouquets. We had to surrender our paper flowers to our arts and crafts teacher each week for grading and decorating purposes. I somehow forgot all about this, until I saw these beautiful handmade tissue flowers at Martha Stewart Crafts! I really think they are gorgeous and my hands are itching again to make some for my dressing table and a friend who is getting married soon.

If you are interested in learning how to make these, you can actually purchase the starter kits. One is for smaller, delicate tissue flowers, while the other is for larger hanging versions.

Wedding Photographers Series

Here is a summary of my top3 favourite wedding photographers in Singapore.

1. Hurricadia
2. Eye-Deas
3. The Pond

(in no particular order of preference)

Wedding Photographers Series - The Pond

I will end my favourite wedding photographers series for now by bringing you the work of Tan Ngiap Heng. Heng started taking photographs as a tourist. Calling himself "a people photographer", he loves shooting people's faces and their bodies. I love the raw textured quality of his simple black and white pictures and the fact that he manages to capture the mood of the wedding day though people. Trained as a dancer himself, Heng is currently the resident photographer of the Singapore Dance Theatre.

Below: Heng's work for the Singapore Dance Theatre. Do check out more of his current work on his website, flickr page and photoblog.

Wedding Photography Series: Eye-Deas Photography

I first got to know about Ron's work through an entertaining blog I read regularly by blinkymummy. I fell in love with Ron's strikingly simple and story telling pictures almost immediately. This guy has an amazing eye for detail. Do check out more of his work at his website.

{Images from Eye-Deas Photography}

Wedding Photography Series - Hurricadia

I will begin my favourite wedding photographers series with Hurricadia. Pronounced "Hurry-Kay-Dee-Ah", the company has been in existence since 2000. It prides itself on being a freelance studio specialising in simplistic, minimalist design. I had engaged the principal photographer Terence Heng to do our candid photography during my own wedding in 2005 and really loved the pictures he took for us.

Passion for the visual has long been part of Terence's philosophy. Deciding that a single career was never going to be interesting enough, he hung up his desires for the not-so glamourous world of finance to join the even less glamourous world of academia, art and advertising. He holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Management Research from the Said Business School, University of Oxford.

Terence believes that not all wedding photography is about making people stand in a straight line and smile with their chins down. He loves the spontaniety of shooting the day's events, and feels that getting fed at the wedding dinner is the best perk of the job. Terence shuttles in between Singapore and the UK and limits the wedding clients he takes each year to ensure that he maintains a fresh perspective on his work.

{text partly extracted from Terance's website}