A Quickie From Me

I know... I know... I was supposed to update this Little Piece of Heaven ages ago but really... its getting tougher to juggle everything. And what do I mean by everything? Well, here's a little of what is going on in my life {for the benefit of those kind people who still follow me ~ thank you}...

Work ~ I recently got promoted {which is awesome} and we have also won some new clients {which is also awesome} but the icky part is that some of my team members are away which means that work has tripled for me. I enjoy being challenged, don't get me wrong, but its hard to do your portion of work and someone else's portion too and still do a good job for both portions! LOL... but thankful I have a good support system consisting of B, my colleagues, my family and my other friends who understand the daunting nature of life in a PR consultancy.

Hearts & Crafts ~ What started of as a little "let's try something new and see how it goes" has turned into something super awesome. I don't make heaps of money and I hardly join any bazaars these days but I am still getting support and sales which is awesome. I have a lot of ideas {funny how the ideas come when you are uber busy but never when you have nothing much going on} and hope to execute them soon but with work taking precedence these days {until we have all hands on deck again}, this has to take a backseat. However, no mater how big or small my store is, I am happy. This was something I used to daydream about and now here I am, actually doing it *smile smile*

Project Love Nest 2.0 ~ I don't know if I have blogged about this but we are moving. In another 2 months time or thereabouts, I will be nestled in my new home which is just a stones throw away from where I grew up. The house is being renovated and OMG is is a pain to manage contractors and deciding on what needs to be done and how everything is going to look and be transported... GAH! Even thinking about it is giving me the shivers!!! But... the house is gorgeous. I used to wonder how the inside of the house looked like and now we are the proud owners of said house! Will share some before and after pics of the house when things settle down *grin grin*

Holidays & Occasions ~ I missed the Avicci rave about 2 weekends ago and feel a bit bummed about it but I wasn't feeling well and I had the strangest feeling that I should stay at home and so I did. Last weekend was Kelssy's wedding and it was a whole day of merriment and activity. Will be going to celebrate their second wedding celebration up north this weekend ~ can't wait to go for this short road trip. Other then that, my weekends have been filled with shopping for the house stuff, catching up on sleep, tv and shop updates or visiting friends and family. I always feel that there is not enough time in a day!

Swaps, Snailmail & Postcrossing ~ I just started participating in Postcrossing and Swaps via swapbot this year and it has made me realize how much I miss writing, pen on paper and decorating said letter with stickers, pen and stamps. Have been meeting a lot of new friends via Instagram as well which is great. Hoping to do more swaps and snailmail next year. 

Anyways, that's about all the stuff that is happening in my life apart from my usual I-want-to-craft dilemma, watching and catching up on all my neglected TV series, movies and books and oh gosh, I just remembered I need to pack up and move *shudder* this is not going to be pleasant! I really do have a lot of stuff.

On to happy things... I recently made my first Black Friday purchase from Studio Calico and here is the short story of what happened which I shared on Studio Calico's blog post. I hope they don't I am strange!

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I was so surprised when I saw the Studio Calico box this evening as I was not expecting it for at least another month - what with me living in Malaysia and all... but there it was in its unassuming brown box.

Before I opened the box, I turned on my BoneyM Christmas Carols and slowly cut the tape to reveal the treasures inside and to cut the story short, it was as if Christmas morning had come early for me. You see every day I see these pretty sneak peaks, reveals and items online and I very very seldom get the chance to buy them {no thanks to the awful conversion and shipping rate!} but finally... finally I have my own little magnetic kit box and other goodies which I have previously only been able to "oooo" and "ahhhh" at :)

As I opened each brown paper bag, drew open each muslin bag and sneaked a peek at the goodness inside, I just kept smiling {like a little looney} and I about half and hour later, I am still smiling. Still happy.

Sorry for this uber long comment but I to share my joy and say thank you to the team for selecting these pretty grab bags and for sending these goodies so quickly. It is my first time participating in a BlackFriday sale and I am so glad. 

Happy early Christmas to the Studio Calico team :)

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So yes... I am still smiling as I type this.

Truly Christmas has come early for me.

It's a little late and though its a public holiday tomorrow, I need to wind down for the night. Its been a draining two days at work - I a whole month to feel like this though I certainly hope it is not so.

 

Will try my utmost best to write again soon 

*smiles smiles*

pen on paper

Before I left for my year abroad on a student exchange program {you can read about it here}, my aunty Lillian gave me a box of very pretty stationery from Marks & Spencer. I  loved it to bits and I deemed it too precious for me to bring to Australia {that and the fact that my luggage was overweight}. Well, my year in Australia came and went but my love for writing, putting pen to paper, never diminished. Of course these were the days when not everyone had internet connection and there was no such thing as smart phones and wifi. I did get emails, don't get me wrong and I remember fondly the days spent camping out at the high school's computer corner to check my emails everyday but honestly, nothing beats getting and sending out old fashioned handwritten letters ~ true story. 

I remember clearly the days and nights I spent writing letters to my parents, my then boyfriend {who sadly doesn't talk to me any more}, my best friend Catherine and a host of other friends from back home. I remember too the joy of going to the post office {the post offices in Australia rock cos they sell more than just stamps} and queuing up to buy stamps and asking for  stamps that were different from the ones I got before {stamps in Australia rocked - they had a whole variety of different stamps for different seasons and occasions, and one set of stamps was even scented}. I would feel such joy in sending out a handwritten letter complete with a pretty stamp and an airmail sticker on the left hand corner of the envelope ~ yes I get simple thrills like these every so often.

Then there was the anticipation of getting a response. Of going to the post office box and enquiring with the post office folk if I had gotten any mail. They came to know me by name and they would let me know when I got a letter or a parcel. Those were happy days to say the least *smiles* I would go home, shower, have my dinner, chat with my host family and then before bed time, I would snuggle up in my bed, turn on some music and reverently open the envelope or parcel. There were times when I laughed at the contents and there were times when I would cry over it {'cos I missed home and my loved ones} but most times it was just a good feeling to be remembered and to have a piece of home with me *snickers* 

Anyways, I left Australia and I came back to Malaysia and I still wrote to my friends who were overseas but with the evolution and rise of technology, the art of writing faded away. After all, it was easier to just type out the message {like what I am doing now} and clicking send and the person would get it in an instant. Now writing, pen on paper is something that happens so very rarely. Even my journal which I wrote in religiously when I was a teen and young adult is abandoned. I take it out every blue moon or so and just vent my thoughts but mostly I take to blogging or writing obscure poetry that never sees the light of day.

So last week when I received some snail mail from my Swiss friend whom I met in Australia and who now is living in Brazil {talk about globe trotter}, I decided to use the box of stationery and write him and my host family some handwritten letters. It was honestly so good. So good and refreshing to see the words form from the nib of my pen on to the pretty paper. It was good to see  my hands stained black from the smears of the blotted ink. It was good to hold the pen and construct my thoughts. I missed this feeling and never realised it until then.

Putting pen on paper was therapeutic to say the least and along with it I remembered so many things, so many memories, so many little joys. I recall the stacks of letters received over the years, some kept so meticulously, others sadly recycled, lost words now. I know one thing for sure would be that this feeling, this remembrance of putting pen on paper, will not be forgotten but instead would be practised more often... Anyone want to be penpals? Leave me an email at j2kc19@yahoo.com or weheartcrafts@gmail.com
Here's to writing, beautiful letter sets and stationery, post offices, stamps and putting pen on paper.

Seen @ My Instagram Photos on Ink361