Back from the ruins ... and happy new year!!

Ok so I've been back from Cambodia a week now, and I know I owe tonnes of pictures from my amazing trip there, so here's a little bit of what's been going on lately in the Challenger home :p
Came back just in time for Christmas which was followed by much eating and partying!! Popped by Chris' place on Christmas Eve for some excellent food - the baking goddess texted me a tonne of strange directions but conveniently left out her actual address so we spent a good hour walking in the rain and was contemplating giving up when we suddenly chanced upon her car!! Talk abt divine leading! Made up for the exercise by polishing off most of her yummy sushi and prawn veggies heh.

Christmas morning was spent in bed opening pressies fr each other before it was time to head out for Christmas service. Guess what I got?? A koala plushie Matt commissioned fr makisquarepatch!! With his name on it heh! Which was quite funny cos I got him a flat dolly fr them too! Got him a monkey makiki cos he kept fighting with me for my teddy dolly so I got him his own as a pressie ~ now we're both happy!!

The hubster wanted to do things the way he did back home so I pretty much had to go along with everything he asked. Except when the turkey took longer than usual to prepare, I became a teeny weeny bit grouchy cos I was starving and just whined abt why we decided to cook our own meat in the first place. Not my most wifely moment. Naturally the hubster got upset cos he'd taken all this time to prepare the home for Christmas and I didn't seem the least bit appreciative so blah blah... several sour moments later we made up and had a most wonderful homey dinner of turkey and roast! :)
The 26th saw another Chris' Pantry gathering at Chel's place ~ Chris and Chel whipped up a fabulous feast of Shark's fin Melon Pork rib soup, Watercress Wasabi mayonnaise beef salad, Braised duck with caramelized Onion jam, Garlic mash & blanched Asparagus with Aoli and Basil Panna cotta with Black sesame lace cookies & sauteed apples. Not to mention lotsa lotsa wine!!! (that explains the hangover)

The Cambodian gang dropped by on the 27th where we pigged out on black pepper crabs!! Yummy!! We'd been hallucinating this crustacean delight since Phnom Penh and just had to satisfy this urge ~ Although poor Eddie did suffer some nagging for getting the crabs fr the wrong place haha... and you wonder how Jeremy survived 2 weeks with 3 obnoxious girls :p More angkor wat stories and pictures later!! We had the most fantastic time even though I didn't know Jeremy and Lorraine very well till this trip - our team dynamics was surprisingly great! Looking forward to our next trip already!

Matt's cousin Ann is visiting en route to Sydney so we've been busy showing her the sights around this Little Red Dot ~ unfortunately some Thai food and many beers later (Reading was playing Man U last night), both of them are now feeling not too good in the tummy. Tsk tsk! Need to go play nanny now and plan the tapas menu for 2 more dinner parties at our place over the new year so yup, busy busy still! Had my first bridal fitting on Sat, and I'm so impressed with Margaret! My white and evening gowns look absolutely divine! And totally glammed out! Feels so red carpet haha. Managed to get Val's bridesmaid dress made too so yay, more things ticked off the list! Hmm...maybe it's time to finish those guest lists... :p I'm driving Val nuts with my procrastination heh ~ Work-wise, I've been working on a few pieces wherever I can and I'm just so excited about Oriental Rose' 2007 plans! Ooh can't wait for 2007 already!!

Delicate Rose - Sold

Rosy Desire was well-received at Tea so here's another ethereal baby up for grabs ~ A delicate rose, lace flower and heart filigree speak affection, adoration and loveliness to the blossoming maiden. (non-tarnish silver chain and sterling findings)

Black Gold - Sold

One sweetie wanted sth in black and gold for her slinky red dress so voila! A simple charmed piece to show off her new outfit :) Black strawberry, gold locket, black tassels and blings for the uber-babe ~

Francesca - Sold

A special order this Christmas by a lovely gal for her lovely friend :)

Strawberry Love - Sold

Strawberry Love's a happy retro piece with a charming red strawberry, clear heart bling and brass Je t'aime charm ~ In the mood for love, anyone?

Vintage Story - Sold

Made specially for Tea as well, this baby didn't make it to Tea after all :) Vintage rose-print tenshas looks so baubly next to frosted red pearls & opalite acrylic drops. A cluster of white pearls up the playful factor in this dainty yet funky piece ~

Silent Night - Gift for Jane!

I loved Trove of Gold so much that I decided to do a slightly goth version of it in black and silver. Little beads in white, frost, metallic, opalite, white howlite and white stone drops add quiet touches of tranquility to an otherwise punkish piece. Trails of matt black & silver chains complete this pair of silent night ~

Drop is abt 7.5cm.

Charity - Now SGD 25 / USD 16

As an ex-convent girl (albeit only in primary school), we used to have classes with names like Faith, Hope, Love, Peace etc. and Charity was my class' name! Just thought it'd be nice to name a piece after my ex-class in the spirit of Christmas! :)

Gold, green and red make such a colourful combi and looks even more funky feminine with cream pearls and orange cameos ! Be a lady this Christmas with this joyous pair ~

Tartlets - SGD 20 - Sold

Specially made for Tea ~ this is a christmas-fruitcakey concoction of lovely blooms that have varying sades of green, orange, pink etc... gummy yummy! A rose quartz round, matt-green faceted drop & cluster of swarovskis complete this scene of fruitey delight ~

Drop is abt 6 cm.

TEA on TV! (and other snatched goodies)

Yay! For those who were able to catch the festive bites segment on CNA last night, didn't Chris look perfectly at ease in front of the camera? (Chris darling, you don't look fat on TV) And oh, ALL our guests appeared on TV after all!! Haha even though they tried to hide most of the time (I know Val only took bites when the camera wasn't nearby!), somehow a sweeping shot captured everyone! Yay! One second of fame hahaha....

Thanks to everyone for all the lovely emails that've been streaming in... this is the last week before I leave for Cambodia so it's another crazy period for me. Just a friendly reminder, all orders must be shipped by this Friday, Dec 8th. I still have a bunch of custom orders on hand which I will finish before the week is over so I will NOT be accepting any more new custom orders. I will be posting up the new pieces from Tea today so that's still sth new for you babes who were unable to make it to Tea. I've got just a week left to sort out the Christmas decor, menu, pressies and preparations for Cambodia so yes, I am a little short of time :( Thank you for your understanding!! (my panda eyes are awful!!)

Here are more goodies that went home to lovely owners at Tea:

Blue Autumn

The Little Prince

Leaves of Endearment

Rosy Desire

Reflective Beauty


Raspberry Swirl

Vanity Fair

Soar

Oh, My Deer!

I'm so proud that Xin took a fancy to Oh, My Deer! and she wore it to Maad the next day! (I know cos being the maki-holic that I am, I just had to go down to check out their new Tweety collection haaa) Artists truly have a distinct taste of their own cos this was a one-off funky piece using a vintage enamel necklace that I got from a lady who had loads of vintage jewellery from her mom and her old aunts. Remember to check their goodies out at the Takashimaya forum on Dec 9,10,15 and 16! I was so bummed that this lady got the kimono bag before I did at Maad so I'm not gonna take too long to consider next time! :p

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Post-TEA chatter!

Chris and I really want to thank all our guests for making Tea such a smashing event! It was fabulous to put a face to so many names, and we hope you've enjoyed yourselves as much as we've had fun bringing it to you. The place was cool to chill, Chris' chicken pie tasted peppery-yummy, just the way I like it! :) Thanks to the lovely team of ladies - Chelsea, Weilin, Kristin and our male compatriots, the event was able to turn out the way it did. Thank you guys, Tea wouldn't be the same without you!!

Yesterday's Tea was extra special cos Channelnewsasia was covering our event as part of a Christmas feature!! If you're able to read this before the screening, remember to check out CNA at 10pm tonight, sunday!! Chris will be on TV!!(maybe you'll see me pop up accidentally on your screen in some corner haa). And oh special thanks to Xin and Enqi for making a cameo! It was really funny watching them try to look relaxed in front of the camera haha! Thanks babes! :)

Really wanna say another big THANK YOU to all you wonderful gals who came down to support Tea, hope you babes had a blast checking out all the new stuff I rushed out for Tea. Sorry I had to dash around loads and wasn't able to chat with everyone as much as I'd hoped to, and thank God for Weilin my friendly sales promoter who was a great help with handling purchases! I've not slept much in the last few days, or done anything else apart from create, create, create! So much so that the home looks like a hurricane just struck it :P (or so Weilin says). I will try to post the new stuff that did not get snatched at Tea in the next few days but for now, it's time to get some much-needed shuteye. 1 week of hard work, a day of anxious anticipation and a celebratory beer and oh-to-die-for pork knuckle later, I'm definitely in the mong-ing state of mind.

Photos later peeps! And now off to a night of lovely carols by Celebration Chorus (the gorgeous Lorraine aka cambodia teammate is in it ) .... I might drift off to zzzz.... meanwhile you can check out some new stuff that were quickly grabbed up at Tea!

TEA sneak!

Amidst the crazy flu-ridden busyness, I'm quite pleased that these new pieces manage to make it in time for TEA this Saturday! Lotsa gold & bold colours, and anything that reminds me of baubles on a tree!! A little vintage touch, a little sweet & such ~

I'm hoping to do more, but that flu bug totally killed my creative spirit for now. See ya Saturday peeps!! (places are going fast, yay!) Can't wait for Chris' yummy chicken pie and her oh-so-fab log cake!!

Come to TEA!

Have been really bogged down by the most annoying flu bug ever!! It makes you think you're getting better and then wham-bam! It comes back with a vengeance! :( I'm really sorry that I haven't been on top of things and I promise to reply all the emails as soon as I don't have to hold a tissue to blow my nose in one hand and type with the other!! I will be sending some stuff out in the post tmr so do check your mail if you've placed orders recently~!

Please pardon me as I go cough my lungs out, the invite for TEA this coming Saturday is out!! (it was done for a while but we just wanted to be sure) and I'm over-my-head trying to come out with more Christmas pieces specially for TEA, yes you heard me, new pieces! I'm offering a special discount exclusively for guests at TEA so that's a double bonus for you babes to sample great food and shop at the same time!
Ok have to go nurse my sinuses now before I drop dead in front of the PC, see ya Saturday! :)

A Lunch Affair

Today is a day I will remember forever (melodramatic music in the background) cos Chris the baking goddess graced my humble home and illuminated the kitchen with her superchef aura!!!! Haha...bet she must be shrieking my name now. Doesn't her gon loh mee look absolutely divine??No kidding! This was really prepared in front of me in my little kitchen!! And it tastes as good as it looks!! We spent a lazy rainy afternoon lounging on the couch, throwing ideas around for more tea parties and well.... look out for....

LUNCH by Chris' Pantry guest-starring Oriental Rose!!

Date: 2nd December 2006 Saturday

Invites will be sent out later this week so drop Kristin (our lovely PR) a line if you're interested to be on this exclusive invitation list!! :)

Kristin: KristinSaw@gmail.com
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Oh, oh I just did the same dish for Matt and he was so touched that his wife can finally cook! Haaa....I just cut and paste what Chris taught me hee. YAY!!!! I can whip up something presentable at last!! :p

You can make a difference!

Received a mail from Kristin today and I just have to spread the word here! It's not everyday that I can have a platform to make a difference and I'm just glad that Oriental Rose has a small but steady group of "readers" who are not only kind but big-hearted as well :)
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I’m happy to share with you news of our big event in aid of Moving Images – The Substation’s year-round film programme dedicated to nurturing the film medium as an art form and filmmakers as creators.

As you may know, many people like you have faithfully supported Moving Images since it started in 1997 - almost 10 years ago. You have seen how we helped to foster the growth of the Singapore film scene, promoting local and alternative film, nurturing young filmmakers like Wee Li Lin, Royston Tan, Tania Sng, Sherman Ong, Tan Pin Pin, Sun Koh, and more. Moving Images grew to make an impact on the region – today, programmes like the Asian Film Symposium attract entries and visiting filmmakers and curators from around Asia. Moving Images is a platform where filmmakers from around Asia and Singapore connect. It is also where you, our audience, can see exciting new works by local filmmakers – every month, and for free!

I am appealing to you to help us keep Moving Images going strong (and hold more free screenings), by supporting the Charity Film Screening of the award-winning Spanish film “Take My Eyes” on 24 November 2006 at GV Vivocity. This charity event is co-organised by The Substation and the National Committee for UNIFEM Singapore.

Each year, Moving Images needs to raise $40,000 in sponsorship, donations and ticket revenues, on top of our annual funding from the Singapore Film Commission. You can help us by making a donation of $100 or $200, for a ticket to the Charity Film Gala. Each ticket purchased enables you to enjoy a double tax exemption as well.

By doing so, you will also help women in need. Proceeds from the Charity Film Gala will be shared with UNIFEM Singapore (United Nations Development Fund for Women Singapore), who will use it to organize workshops on self-worth and financial literacy for women in shelters, and for an education project in the Mekong region on the sad and serious problem of trafficking of women and children.

Should you be unable to come, your ticket can be given to women from the shelters to benefit from the event too!

At The Substation, we believe that each individual has the potential to change the world for the better.

All it requires is for each of us to take action. It doesn’t take much. Pick up the phone and call us at 6337 7535 to reserve tickets, or request for a ticket order form by email: admin@substation.org.

For more details, contact Audrey, Julie or Kristin at 6337 7535.

Thank you and we hope to see you on 24th November 2006 at GV Vivocity.
-
The Moving Images team
http://www.substation.org/takemyeyes

Christmas by Chris' Pantry!

Oh don't the cookies look divine?! My dear friend Chris has specially prepared a Christmas catalogue of her popular goodies to celebrate the birth of Christ and spread love to people you care about! I am so getting more of her Earl Grey cookies!! Simply irresistable!! Have had to hide them when guests come over for fear of them devouring my litle supply haaa :p

For more ordering info, check out her blog here. Meanwhile I'm off to clean up the apartment cos this great chef is coming to visit me and whip up her mean gon lou mee aka dry tossed noodles!! (P.S. Liah, sorry I get to taste it first! :p)

Sweet November

Man, it's been a rough weekend cos Matt has been down with the flu so I've had to cook for him during this time (and we all know what a terrible klutz I am in the kitchen!!) . Nevertheless I have to thank God that I did not burn down our kitchen and on the contrary, some really good comfort food like macaronic soup and japanese curry came out of this culinary experiment!! (or so Matt says ... I think the bug screwed his taste buds). Anyway I caught the flu bug myself on Sunday and have been in this self-pitying-oh-i'm-dying mood since haaaa.

I'm feeling slightly better today so ta-dah! All the pieces I've yet to post up are now here! Still in my gold & bling phase cos all that tinsel and lights along Orchard just make you see drama glamour wherever you go!! Was also well enough to pick up this gorgeous pair of Antoinette earrings by designer Lynn from Antidote yesterday and had the most wonderful chat with Steph, the stunning owner of this funky cart and boy, do we have loads in common!! I really love Antidote's accessories and mosaic candle holders and I'm eyeing a mosaic mirror by Nanette Zehnder for our new home! Love the homeliness of her pieces! :) Steph's got a great eye for funky stuff and if you've seen her bright and cheery cart at Raffles City, you'll agree with me too!

And oh, just to give you a head's up - Maki Squarepatch (and Maad) will be at the Dhoby Ghaut atrium JUST this weekend (25-26 Nov) and at the Takashimaya forum on 9-10, 16-17 Dec. Be sure to check them out if you're in the area!

Last thing I wanna say here is... check out the pictures taken at Chris' tea party!! I feel hungry just looking her goodies again heh ~ Her Christmas menu will be up real soon and I'd be sure to let all you hungry folks abt it too!
Enjoy the luxury of guilt-free pigging out this festive season (if not now, then when?!!) and I'll catch ya later soon!! :)

Trove of Gold - Sold

More gold goodies!!! Set against a pair of peaceful doves are trails of gold and bling delight ~ I really enjoyed making this glamorous pair which is just perfect for this Christmas season! If you look closely, you can see a gold bloom amidst the clusters of crystal blings and pearls. Cream and white and gold and topaz... oh divine!!

Drop is 9.5 cm ~

Charmed - Sold

Gold and white look totally sublime together! Trails of lovely pearls, bronze-capped glass beads & creamy beige ovals set the stage for the charming strawberry and heart charms. I'm loving this funky feminine piece!

Prussian Princess - Sold

I love the gold swirls in these glass ovals of midnight and prussian blue! Dangling from these beads are gold hoops, rhinestone balls & other bling bits ~ Drop is abt 6.5 cm.