hey, happy day!

I like to write down my thoughts however random or far-fetched they may be. I keep a pretty little notebook by my bed to write down ideas that keep me awake, and dreams that wake me up. They make not make much sense, but I write them down anyway. At some future time, I know I can flip through the pages, string together seemingly unrelated thoughts, and make something of it.

Or not.

I write down what seems to be the beginning of a song, and when I don’t come up with the melody, lazy me likes to call them poetry. I write down frustrations and dreams, sometimes on the same page. I write down lists. All sorts of them. Things to do, places to go to, a bucket list if you may. And if words don’t cut it, I doodle! I mean, I can’t draw to save my life, but I can doodle for sure. 

I like to think that every idea helps you to bring out the next one. You just have to keep them flowing. And when they flow, they really flow. Until one day, you can’t even catch up with them. So write them down. You may never know when you can come up with the next best one.

Google doodles always entice me to click on the link, more so today than any other day. Today they’re paying homage to Akira Yoshizawa, the grand master of paper folded art. Supposedly, it’s his 101st birthday today!

I googled his masterpieces and it is fitting to say that he has propelled paper folding to a whole new level.

I decided to put my folding skills to the test, and breathe those beauties to life. I’m not talking about the peacock, that’s just a little too advanced for my hands (haha). See those Yoshizawa butterflies adorning the Google logo? Well, I felt a wee bit more confident to give it a try when I found this blueprint from sanriotown.com (yes, that’s where Hello Kitty lives, LOL).

It would’ve been perfect if I was able to find paper with pretty patterns on it. Anyway, I just followed the blueprint to the dot. Found myself scratching my head on numbers 17 and 20, but I managed to figure it out just fine.

I wondered why my butterfly looks a little different from the Google version. But of course, the Google version has the wrong side up!

The traditional butterfly wings have strong pointed edges. But I couldn’t stop folding so I softened the edges a little bit. 

So there. It’s more fun than I thought. You should try it out! There’s nothing more stress-relieving than getting creative and making something with your hands.

[I promise to get a better camera. I’m just using my phone camera here, poor me.]

I have been on a roundup for images with this rad v-shaped pattern. I absolutely think chevron stripes are so dramatic, and when executed properly, makes for strong statement pieces. 

It’s pretty interesting how the pattern plays with your eyes. To me, they give a pop art/comic book art kind of feel. Even more awesome, it works well whatever the color. Just look at all these lovelies I collected to show you what I mean. 

outfit and accessories {1 navy blue chevron stripes dress  2 yellow and white chevron clutch 3 navy blue chevron stripes top  4 turquoise chevron iphone cover  5 black and white chevron clutch}

interiors {1 Urban Outfitters yellow Ziggy chair  2 black and white chevron throw pillow (source unknown) 3 black and white area rug  4 Mikasa light blue platinum zigzag mugs  5 teal chevron sofa (source unknown)}

paper {1 rainbow chevron japanese lantern  2 pink and blue personalized chevron stationery 3 chevron paper-pack scrap booking paper  4 pink and blue chevron invitation}

You can really tell that summer’s too eager to come. Temperature’s starting to get higher by the day. So to keep cool, I find myself tying my hair in a high ponytail and twisting it unto itself so I can get it out of the way. And TADA~

THE TOP KNOT!

It’s so chic and simple really. And I love how it can be classy, sophisticated, edgy, or raw depending on how you style it. You can really get creative with the fun bun. You can glam it up or dress it down - wear it as it is, or with a headband, a jeweled brooch, a tiara even (ala Audrey Hepburn). 

{Source: alittledashofash}

As for me, I always go for the simple, messy-beautiful bun. It’s perfect when you’re having a bad hair day, it covers over a multitude of hair sins. And you don’t really need to care about anything, there’s no need to make it neat. There’s only one thing to remember - it has to look effortless (and that’s easy, because it really is. *wink*). 

It’s the perfect hairstyle for summer’s hottest days!