20 Things.

I realized that I constantly change the list of my favorite things. Hence I've decided to type out this one list of items that are of of my long term favorites, just out of fun.

1. Skittles.
2. Green hair
3. Pets, for now cats and sloths
4. Rainbows
5. My morning English breakfast tea
6. Fireworks and confettis
7. Vintage photos
8. Tiny DIY crafts
9. Working out
10. Blood red lips
11. Beanies
12. Sundresses and maxi dresses
13. My plushie bulldog
14. My ticket collection
15. Vaseline
16. My iPod
17. Violins
18. Literature
19. Bold colored bags
20. Oversized tops

Do It Yourself.

There's always a solution to everything. In this case, if you're bored at home and want you some arts and crafts or you'd rather spend that extra cash on something worthy and/ or useful than on a piece of fashion item that may not seem worth the price, it's time to DIY!

I clearly don't know about you guys, but my closet has tons of clothes and materials that has either got to go, or those that, when pair properly with the correct items, actually manage to bypass the fashion police.

So to feed y'all off with some tasty treats on how to get started, here are some of my fave DIY videos, mostly for beginners or lazy people like me who don't bother to get into sewing.

Get creative! If you manage to squeeze your creative brain juice out, you'll definitely be able to do something with that old oversized T-shirt that you thought you'd never be caught dead wearing to the mall. 

To awe you further, check this out for more fashion DIY ideas and inspirations. Also, you might like to check out the popular top 15 DIY bloggers and their crafty collection.

Ps: If you're wondering, yes, I've tried them all out too, so you're not alone!

x

Keep Calm & Zen Out.

It's difficult to get a breather with everything popping in your face; especially when Chinese New Year is here and Valentine's Day is coming up, the preparations can be hectic! Plus we can't forget the load of assignments waiting to be done. 

Coincidentally, I stumbled upon this article that might help you find your inner peace. Hope it works!

11 Refreshing Ways to Bring Out the Awesomeness in Life

1. Return to simplicity. Simplification is about de-cluttering your life. It’s not just de-cluttering our homes and spaces though, it’s simplifying our mental and emotional realms. It’s shedding the baggage of self-limiting beliefs and constant mental chatter. It’s finding some quietude in your life.

2. Stop labeling. It’s amazing how much we think we’re experiencing life, but we’re really just thinking about it. I want you to try a little exercise with me. Take a look at something around you. Maybe it’s a photo, a plant, or your keyboard. Our normal state of mind is to think about the object we’re looking at, to conceptualize it in our mind and place labels on it. Now look at the same object and don’t think about it. If this is difficult for you, that’s okay. Relax and just look. Let go. Notice a difference? That’s because when you’re not thinking about what you’re things, you’re actually experiencing life directly. The labels in our mind are simply abstractions, they’re not reality itself. Try doing this more often: when you’re in line at the grocery store, walking your dog, listening to music, etc. You’ll start to enjoy your experience much more.

3. Enjoy the simple things in life. This goes along with quieting our minds as well. The next time you eat a piece of fruit or enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, simply enjoy it. Sounds like a pretty obvious suggestion right? Well it is, but most of the time we do exactly the opposite. We’re not just eating or drinking, we’re thinking about all sorts of things. We’re thinking about the next item of action; taking out the dog to use the bathroom, the mail we need to take to the post office, etc. The next time you eat or drink, just do that. You will experience the flavors and tastes at if it were the first time.

4. Change things up. Try something new. Do something you’ve always wanted to do, but have never gotten around to. If you’ve always wanted to learn to play tennis, go out and buy a tennis racket and a ball. If you don’t have a partner, you can always play the wall. =)

5. Make time for what you love. We often get burnt out because we’re busy working and attending to obligations. If we are not doing anything we’re excited about, we’ll likely start resenting our lives. It’s important to make time every day doing things you really enjoy.

6. Drop unwanted commitments. Just as we need to make time for doing things we love, we also need to prune the things we aren’t passionate about. Some things aren’t really negotiable. If you don’t pay your electricity bill, you will be eating by candlelight. But other so-called obligations aren’t really necessary. A good test is to ask yourself if your commitment is something that’s really adding to your life. Is it enhancing your life, or is it just adding more stress? Sometimes quitting is the best answer when simplifying your life.

7. Focus on what matters. I have a tendency to want everything to be perfect. I want to edit every article I write until I can’t tell whether or not it’s good anymore. Then I edit it some more. I later realize that even when I don’t get as good of a response as I hoped for, no one really care. Except me. You have the option to not care about things being less than perfect too. Realize that your return on investment decreases rapidly. Studying for 8 hours a week might get you a 3.8 GPA, while studying for 20 hours might earn you a 4.0. Is that extra .2 really worth it? Focus on what matters and stop stressing so much that you’re no longer enjoying life.

8. Let go. Relaxation is possible. I know, it scares me too. The thought of not obsessing over all the things I didn’t get done today is often terrifying. But it’s okay. There will always be tomorrow. On your deathbed do you really think you’re going to be thinking about the to-do list you didn’t complete? I don’t think so. You’ll probably be thinking about how you wished you would have had more fun, spent more time with your family and enjoyed life more.

9. Embrace your inner geek. We’re all geeky about certain things. I admit that I’m a design geek. I can sit for hours obsessing over typefaces, color palates and white space. I seriously live for this stuff though, so it’s okay to obsess a little. The point is, when I design, draw, and write, I lose track of time. I embrace my inner geek and all I’m thinking about is what I’m doing. I’m not worrying about how it will turn out, I’m not thinking about the phone bill I need to pay. I’m just there. Think about what really makes you geek out. A good indicator is that it’s something you get super excited about that makes other people give you strange looks.

10. Be grateful. I’m certainly not the first one to say this. But it bears repeating. Every time I am in a rut or feeling sorry for myself, I try to remember to be grateful. Just being grateful to be alive is a powerful thing. You never know when you’re going to leave this world. You never know if you’ll have another chance to write that novel you have been meaning to, run that marathon or tell your lover how you feel about her.

11. Reassess your priorities. Are you living for today, or solely for the achievement of your next project? Do you stress out about what’s on your to-do list more than living in the moment? If you’re at all like me, you occasionally fall into this rut as well. We have to find a balance in achievement and contentment. Sometimes it’s not about getting what you want, but wanting what you have. It’s not about achieving the completion of a project, but enjoying the process of creativity.

Stellar Collision.

As the Mayans predicted, the day the world ends came and went, not like I believe it or anything. Giving that,  I would like to dedicate this post to futuristic fashion. When it comes to this term, we think Lady Gaga, bizzare necklines or shoulder pads and other extremities. But for now, the focus will be on this craze-- galaxie prints.

Showing up in any occasion with this latest hype can never go wrong. From:

Formal Events

to

Street Wear

The colorful prints are a plus as they can be paired with almost every other color to wear with.

Black usually gives the most contrast as it matches the background color of the theme and emphasize the majestic explosion of stars in your outfit.

Nonetheless, don't forget to give other colors a go as well. Be bold!

By mixing and matching with the right style and combination, these won't go wrong at any season at all.

All in all, another reason why these prints are the ultimate bomb is that it never fails to look bad. It is extremely versatile that it suits us girls and women of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Have you had your experience in appearing with a lil' (or head-to-toe!) of those futuristic prints in public?

:: Style tip ::

To give them some edge, pair them with bold-coloured accessories or bags (especially them giant clutches).

Ps: Watch out for Emerald Green, it's the next big thing!

x

Sprinkles, hello.

Name: Tan Zhi Chen (Alison)

Sign: Virgo

From: Kuala Lumpur

Style Icon: the Olsen twins, Audrey Kitching, Irina Lazareanu

Can't live a day without: morning tea,Vaseline, iPod, sloths and hedgehogs

My spirit animal is: turtle

Current favorite on my iPod: The XX, Emilie Autumn, The Naked + Famous, Ellie Goulding

If you looked in my closet you'd find: lots of strappy tops, headbands, more stashes of tangled up accessories.

What I hope you'd get out of my blog: Entertainment. Otherwise...
                                                    

Here's to you a hypnocat!

xx Ali