It has been a while since our last Pinspiration post. We are slowly getting back into the swing of things on our blog and reviving our regular columns after missing out on a couple of months' worth of posts. Monthly Pinspiration is one of our favourite columns as we tend to live on Pinterest! Pinterest is such a great space to explore and share ideas. Mmm, inspirations everywhere! 

In the last couple of months, we have been very interested in searching for wedding ideas (no surprise), interior design ideas, colour combination schemes, and pictures of food, glorious food. Don't you agree that food pictures on Pinterest always look soooooo good? The food porn worthy pins could most definitely be credited to good camera angles, good lighting, or digitally enhanced images. Whatever the deal is, we see them and we want to eat them ALL. 

Here is a selection of our favourite pins that caught and held our attention this month. 

Min: My obsession with ceramics is real. I am constantly on the lookout for handmade ceramics and honesty, there's only so much space left in my kitchen cabinet. I contemplated taking ceramics courses but things at work got busy and I kinda forgot about it. On hindsight, I really should have just gone for it and I'll probably be in ceramics heaven now!

Min: I didn't use to like figs. But when I tasted my first ever fresh fig, my life changed. Where have you been all my life, figs? These fig bars look so decadent, I want to reach into my screen and grab them. Don't you just love the colours? My kind of tasty treat with a beautiful colour palette.

Min: When I was 18, I created a list of things that made me happy. On the list were important stuff like spending time with my dog and eating crispy folded potato chips. The first item on my happy list is to have access to an endless supply of avocado maki. I love rice and I love my carbs. No doubt about it. This picture stirred up quite a bit of commotion in my stomach after I saw it. I just gotta pin it, then eat it. Yums. 

Jia: I think I just found my dream house, or at least, the ideal whimsical setting for one. Yes, I am talking about the magnificent blooming Magnolia tree. The photographer found this lovely scene in Notting Hill, London and I think I would have swooned on the spot if I were to stumble upon this gorgeousness. 

Jia: I have been working on a pastel collection for the past month and the struggle is real. I don't naturally lean towards a pastel palette so I have been hitting up Pinterest for some pastel colour combination inspiration. The above biscuit styling shot is one of my favourites by far, as I simply love the combination of shades. So mod and stylish!

Jia: Another colour combination that I am loving this month! I also love the real-life application of the colours in the bathroom. The shades of aquamarine, white, and tan are so lovely together and I love the contemporary poppy vibe. It's a little 60s and a whole lot of yay! 

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Are you a Pinterest devotee? Share with us your favourite pins this month!

With Love, Min+Jia. 

(All images were taken from Pinterest and are linked directly to the source.)

Don't you feel that some working hours during the day just feels way longer than the others? Especially after lunch?

We have a daily ongoing struggle with food coma. Without music to keep us awake, the office space is filled with nothing but the sounds of dull air conditioning and the clicking of keyboards. It gets worse when we are cutting stickers because as you already know, we are quiet and professional sticker-cutters.

To help us get through the day (especially lazy afternoons) without falling asleep on the desks, we usually turn to Spotify or our iTunes playlists to get rid of the deafening silence and also for some much-needed energy boost. And just like that, our studio becomes alive with the sound of muuuusic... 

We thought it would be nice to share with you a short list of songs that are high in our daily music rotation because they are currently stuck in our heads. Some are real favourites, while a few are just annoying ear-worms that are so darn catchy. These songs liven up our day because we simply cannot resist belting or butchering them at the top of our lungs.

Give these songs a listen and we hope the songs wake you up from your afternoon post-lunch slumber as well!

DNCE - Cake By The Ocean

Min: What does 'eat cake by the ocean' mean anyway? It definitely is a silly sexual innuendo and yet I still find the tune of this song so annoyingly catchy. Sometimes, I even hear myself saying "ahyayayaya" out of the blue. See. It's so bad, I can't stop. 

Jia: I had a shock when I found out that DNCE is fronted by a Jonas brother. Say whut?! Let's be honest here, the song is irritatingly catchy despite the nonsensical lyrics. I can't help but sing along to the chorus!
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Little Mix - Secret Love Song ft. Jason Derulo 

Min: Woah, vocal powers yo. Whenever I hear this song on the radio, I'll turn up the volume, put on my diva face, squint my eyes and look out the moving car window. The fact that I think I can pull off this song without going off key is completely delusional. And when I sing this in the car, I get immediate car-eject threats from my fiancé. #truelove
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Jia: I was not a big fan of Secret Love Song at first but after Min played it in the studio a zillion times, I was a convert. The Little Mix's live performance of this song was really impressive too. But seriously, who else but them can sing the chorus of the song without going off key or shouting?! 

The Chainsmokers - Roses ft. ROZEZ

Min: When I first heard this song at the gym, I was pissed. I hated that the tempo of the song wrecked my running mojo. I'm highly dependent on intense beats to keep me running like a hamster on a wheel. But when I heard it again in the studio a few days later, I fell in love. Why so catchy? BTW, I still can't run to this song. 

Jia: Love love love this song. However, it was stuck in my head for a few days in a row and that was not a pleasant experience at all. Ahhh uh ahhh uh ahhhh... 
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Sunday Stickies is a column where we reflect on the past week and pen those thoughts down on sticky pads. Expect notes to ourselves and others, advice, reminders for the week ahead, quotes, and anything random actually.

It is the return of the medical case of Scissors Hands, as we desperately cut hundreds of stickers throughout the week in preparation for the NUS market on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Arts Bazaar today at the Esplanade Park.

Here is the thing about stickers, we love designing them as the local crowd really enjoys them. They are not our main area of focus by far, but we are happy when the customers are happy. Oh, but the pain that comes with the cutting of stickers has caused Min to have nightmares... seriously.

We have termed the cramping and swelling of hands caused by prolonged periods of cutting stickers as "Scissors Hands". It is pretty similar to the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is why we only produce stickers when we feel emotionally and physically ready (which is never), or when Jia insists that new stickers are in order because we are campus-visiting. 

Oh, in more exciting news, we have a new temporary stockist! honey&gazelle Design Studio's products can now be purchased physically at The People Avenue's Pop-Up Store at Orchard Gateway #02-01 from 11am to 10pm daily. We have stocked a selection of our A5 art prints, notepads, Playful Pretense notebooks, CIY Greeting Postcards, Wordsearch Postcards, and the Say It With Words Greeting Cards at the store. It will be much easier for you to pick up your items whenever you want now :)

We will also be dropping by the store every now and then to restock our products, explain our products in person, and also hang out with our friends from Operation Overhaul, Concreate, Latch Handmade, OCD, and many more. It is a truly sublime store, so do check it out whenever you are in Orchard Road! 

Min: After feeling sluggish for the longest time, my family and I decided that it's time for some sun and exercise. We went to MacRitchie Reservoir Park and we conquered a really long hike and a tree top walk. Woohoo! The weather was so beautiful and the company was perfect. However, nearing the end of the hike, I fell. Flat. Thankfully, it wasn't a bad fall - some abrasion on the knee and a slight sprain on the wrist. My family loves nature and we are already planning our next nature walk! Except this time, they have decided that I walk around with knee pads and a helmet. 

This week is a real special week for me. I asked my family about our favourite and/or fondest memories of each other. Recounting the different memories brought us so much joy and we had the longest and sweetest dinner ever. It makes my heart swell with so much love when my parents share in great detail about their favourite memory of me. It feels so good to be loved and remembered!  <3

Jia: I really love participating in pop-up bazaars in campuses as they remind me of the time when I was working in a university and also of my uni days. The air of carefree innocence and aspiring dreams helps me to shake off any feelings of jadedness. Being on campus also brings recurring thoughts of pursuing my Masters degree to mind and nostalgic memories of having a Marketing and Corporate Communications career in the corporate sector. And then, I look down at my ensemble of shorts and sneakers/flipflops, and feel an enlightening buzz of contentment at this new career path that we have embarked on. Such diverse feelings! 

On a separate note, I was watching Ellie Goulding's pretty performance of the Sting classic, Fields of Gold, when I noticed myself getting very distracted by the new size of her lips. I am not against aesthetic injections or procedures but when your lips get way too inflated, I think they look very painful instead of alluring. Everything in moderation, you know? 

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Tell us - what are the highlights of your week?

With Love, Min+Jia. 

Woah, it has been some time since our last Hot Hue post! With Min's wedding on the horizon and us pouring over bridal magazines and websites, we have been enamoured once again by the purest of colour, white. 

There is just something so addictive about the colour. With the temperatures rising in our homeland, crisp and fresh white makes us feel less irritated and more serene. Whenever we start feeling sticky and warm due to the impossible humidity, we always get the urge to touch everything and anything that boasts of the clean and cool hue, hoping that its lightness will give us some relief. Colour therapy works in the funniest ways. 

After almost a year(!) since our first ever Hot Hue post was published, we revisit one of our all-time favourite colours again and show you some white-coloured items we have been loving and lusting over. 

Min's Picks

1 // Minna Parikka White Leather Bunny Trainers
Aww! These trainers are way too adorable. Cute bunny ears and pink fluffy tail on a pair of trainers will totally complete my life right now. Everyone needs a pair of cute trainers in their lives to perk up their day, so how can anyone say no to them?

2 // Kaico Japanese Enamel Kettle
I have absolutely no use for this kettle but I think I can come up with a reason why I need it. Its simple yet stylish design will make brewing my morning coffee (or tea) additionally joyous just by looking at it. Yay!

3 // Jellycat Candy Stripe Bunny
My friends know me as a bunny toy hoarder. Each Jellycat bunny is soft and cuddly and I love it to death. I think it is time for me to get a new Jellycat bunny (with candy stripe ears, no less) to join the family. 

4 // Conrad Jon Godly “Hell 24” Painting
When Jia and I decided on white as our Hot Hue colour, a full white painting with white blotches of oil paint/thick acrylic immediately came to mind. I have been looking at interior ideas for quite some time now and I think a full white painting for my future home will be a stunning investment piece. Love it. 

Jia's Picks

5 // Loeffler Randall Perforated Mini Industry Bucket Bag
​White bags are one of my greatest weaknesses, They are just so pretty and even though they are a pain in the arse to maintain, I can't get enough of them. This Loeffler Randall bag is right up my alley with the perforated leather and tassels. 

6 // Everlane The Leather Street Shoe
Omg, this was love at first sight. My heart instantly went pitter-patter pitter-patter when I chanced upon these leather darlings. It really is the epitome of luxurious+comfort+chic and is so perfect for daily wear. I would wear this with everything. 

7 // Anthropologie Handcarved Lotus Bed
Another love at first sight find. I will march straight down to Anthropologie the very minute I need a new bed frame. I love how the carvings are so intricate, yet the bed does not look overly dainty due to the slightly raw finish. It is GORGEOUS!

8 // Anthropologie Ruffled Rim Side Plate
I have a thing for dinnerware. In my wildest dream, I have a storage room filled with one-of-a-kind plates and bowls. In reality, I would really love a kitchen filled with mismatching dinnerware. I love this side plate (and the whole set actually!) because it looks like a very modern and artisan version of traditional fine bone china crockery. It is elegant yet playful; I really love it!

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Have you been drawn to any white-coloured items lately? Share your finds with us! :)

With Love, Min+Jia.

(All images taken from the product sources. Links provided in the description.)

Sunday Stickies is a column where we reflect on the past week and pen those thoughts down on sticky pads. Expect notes to ourselves and others, advice, reminders for the week ahead, quotes, and anything random actually.

March is turning out to be an incredibly busy month and the total opposite of what we expected! We headed into the month thinking that March would be a relatively chill and contemplative time for business planning, After all, we only had two events and a handful of client deadlines scheduled! Instead, we picked up more impromptu events and urgent projects at the start of the month and have been rushing through the days with little time to breathe.

This week flew by so quickly that we are practically panicking! Some of the highlights of the week: we wrapped up a full day event on Wednesday, prepared and displayed our products at our new stockist, completed some exciting new designs, and made a couple of our clients very happy.

​Oh yes, our products will be available at a pop-up store in a mall along Orchard Road very soon! Super psyched and we can't wait to share the details with you in the coming week :)

Min: This week zoomed by just like that and it could be stress or age or the heat wave that is clearly making me very confused. There's so much work to do, and so little time for rest and sleep. Besides work, I'm also up to my neck with wedding plans (even though it is just a simple wedding). How do other brides do it? Also, weddings are so expensive and I nearly had a heart attack after I completed 'The Wedding Budget'. Oh dear me, I better start on Project Eat-Lesser-Save-More next week!

I bought an onigiri crochet pin from Operation Overhaul last weekend and I looooooove it so much that I can't stop wearing it with every outfit. Rice is my secret lover and we have an illicit relationship. I eat so much of it that it makes my gym workout (and membership fees) feel like a complete waste of time and effort. Resisting rice is a real challenge for me and so when I say I'm on a 'no carbs' diet, I'm really dying inside. What's life without rice, chips and fries? Right? #carbsforlife #riceislife #eatrice

Jia: Who else feels a little ill, lethargic, and irritable with the maddening hot weather? It has been so warm and blazing that I have been in a daze all week. Despite daily reminders from Min and the newspapers about hydration, I have been so consumed with work that I keep forgetting to drink more water! And boo, that has resulted in painful ears and terrible skin. I am spending my Sunday having a water parade for one and praying that I will not fall sick as next week is going to be more than crazy! 

On more uplifting news, I am SO excited that I can finally finish playing Pokemon X/Y because Sun/Moon is going to be launched mid-year! I am one of those weirdos who can't bear to finish a really good book or an addictive game because I will be so sad when the entertainment of choice is over. So... I have more than a couple of books and games left uncompleted until the next installment is in clear sight. I am bubbling with excitement at the thought of being glued to my Nintendo again. I foresee little sleep in the near future. 

Oh, and to gamer snobs who turn their noses up at Nintendo and Pokemon: I don't care what you think (: life is too short to be a snob.

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How was your week? Tell us all about it by leaving a comment here or on our social media! 

With Love, Min+Jia.