Has work been getting you down? Sigh, us too. Over here in the honey&gazelle Design Studio, we have been so busy hustling that we are falling ill! Whenever this happens, we realise that we are just way too preoccupied with work and have forgotten to take time to unwind and relax mentally. One of the best ways to leisurely spend some alone time is to colour! Min and I were just talking about how we missed colouring and thus, I thought it would be a great time to whip up a colouring sheet for everyone! So, here you go! If you have been feeling stressed or burdened, I strongly urge you to indulge in some colouring therapy. Colouring may seem childish or boring, but we actually find it very relaxing and almost meditative in nature. While you colour this in, remember to take some time to focus on the positive in your life! We hope you would feel better after this activity. The colouring sheet is A6 in size. To download, simply click the images above or go to the Downloads section of this website. Following that, all you need is a printer, paper, and your colouring tools. Start colouring away!
- If you are feeling down, I hope you feel better soon! (: <3 Jia
Comments
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. Phew! It is the end of another busy 7-day work week at the honey&gazelle Design Studio. We just wrapped up and packed up our pop-up booth at the Public Garden Consumer Trade Show with a bundle of mixed feelings. We are super tired with aching body parts - the signs of getting old is real, seriously - but our hearts are filled with gratitude and happiness. Thank you to all our faithful customers who came by to say hi and to all the new friends we have made! Pop-up events are really draining in nature and to be honest, there have been times when we dreaded setting up our booth because of all the logistics and scheduling nightmares paired with uncertain weather conditions. However, we are always rejuvenated mentally and filled with gratefulness whenever we wrap up an event. The amount of love and encouragement shown to us at these pop-up events have been immense and heartening. So, thank you again from the very depths of our hearts for all your support! Min: Zomg, September is coming to an end already! I have been procrastinating far too much and I can't believe I actually have less than 80 days to get my act together! Most brides that I know of have started their beauty, exercise and diet regime about a year before their wedding date. And I have barely started anything. I am constantly dreaming of eating the next packet of fries and chips and putting off any bit of exercise plans whenever I get the chance. This is extremely unbecoming of me! Though most friends shared that I will eventually get all stressed up about the wedding and start losing weight, I highly doubt that it's true. Stress = binge on fries! It's only normal, right? I seriously don't want to end up as a roly-poly bride so please encourage me with a carrot or celery stick when you see me! Jia: Eeps, it is going to be October soon and that means I would have officially entered WEDDING SEASON. I have more than a handful of weddings to help in and attend between October and December, which means that I need to get my shoe shopping on. I have a designated pair of sky-high nude heels that I tend to wear for all weddings but after a good run of four or five years, they are starting to give way. I get overly attached to my belongings so I am feeling the wave of nostalgia and sadness as I prepare to say a final goodbye to that particular pair of heels. I know, it's so dramatic, but there are so many good memories associated with the heels! Sigh, oh well, it is time to hit the shops and find my next pair of heels to tide me through many more weddings!
- How has your September been? Are you ready for the new month ahead? With Love, Min+Jia. Ladies' fingers, also known as okra, is one of my favourite vegetables. Because of its texture, thick mucilage and acquired taste, I know of many people who would rather starve than eat it. Let's face it, you either love okra or hate it with a vengeance. I love eating it and the best way to enjoy raw okra is when it is served with a delicious bowl of gyudon (beef bowl)! When I was in Kyushu, Japan, I ate a lot of raw okra and I also tried my very first mouthful of nattō (fermented soybeans). Though both are equally healthy and gooey in nature, nattō tasted a wee bit funky to me. I don't think I am a fan. Since I was eating so much okra, I decided to research new ways to enjoy it and understand the health benefits that may come with it. Much to my surprise, okra is packed with vitamins and health benefits. Okra helps with digestion, reduces cholesterol, lowers blood sugar. and it is an excellent source of fibre. In addition, raw okra is perfect for a low calorie diet. 100 grams of okra only contains approximately 30 calories! That explains why most Japanese are so healthy and slim. I think I have found the answer to my wedding diet! Raw Okra and Corn Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing Recipe by Min+Jia Serves 2 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking Time: None!
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss away. Lightly toss the salad if you are new to raw okra and if you adore raw okra, mix well to release all that ooey-gooey-goodness! Serve this with a bowl of rice or simply enjoy it as a cold salad. Jia and I had this raw salad for lunch and we paired it with miso soup and brown rice topped with more sesame seeds and crispy seaweed. Everything we love about salads can be found in this salad. It was light, refreshing, crunchy, healthy and absolutely delicious! We especially love the pairing of the sweet pearl corn kernels, raw okra and ginger dressing. Oh, what a delightful explosion of flavours and crunch in our mouths!
- Do you dare to try raw okra? :) x Min 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. That's right, there is a new kid in town and his name is Sushi. He is absolutely good looking - with clear blue eyes which he may soon outgrow, dusty fur, brown ears, nose and paws, and a long straight tail. And part of the honey&gazelle Design Studio's induction programme for new employees, we prepared a small cubicle space for him in the next room, complete with kitten friendly toys. We got to admit that his presence in the office has successfully slowed down all operations this week. He has us all wrapped around his tail, and by all, I mean the resident cats too. Sushi is playful, part-whiney-part-independent, and maybe 300% crazy. As much as he adores his hand-me-down cat toys, courtesy of Trooper and Boba, he clearly loves playing with his long straight tail too. The resident cats are probably very confused with the scent of a new kitty, but we hope that in time to come, the two cats will adore Sushi as much as we adore him. And perhaps grow to enjoy each other's company in the future! Min: The last time I nursed a young animal is approximately 13 years ago. My family rescued Junior, my late black dog, when he was about 3 months old. He was our best friend and the best pet we ever had. After he passed away, my parents decided that they are done with the heartache and refused to keep another pet. I, on the other hand, have been looking for another furry companion to love. It has been a crazy journey since we made the decision to adopt Sushi and we cannot be more blessed to provide a home filled with care and love for this hyperactive kitty. Sushi is growing so well and I'm elated to see the amount of love and attention he is currently getting. I guess that fella is just making up for lost time, yea? So yes, there's a new kid in town, and I'm officially a proud catmom. Welcome to your new home, Sushi-Choy Chia! Jia: It has been close to three long years since I nursed and cared for a little kitten. Trooper was only 3 weeks old when we rescued him from a crazy man who wanted to cook him! He is now a fully grown spoilt crazy cat and one of the loves of my life. I had totally forgotten how tiny a kitten can be until Sushi showed up at our studio this week! And, let's cue all the past memories of baby Trooper. Combining my past memories and photos of baby Trooper and the now current state of baby Sushi, this week is a complete cuteness overload!
I have spent the last week in a super joyous mood because of a new kitty and my boyfriend's birthday. Kittens are just so so adorable and their tininess really entraps all your time and attention. Even my boyfriend is deeply enamoured with Sushi and we spent a whole Sunday afternoon at Min's place, just playing and spoiling the kitty rotten. Aw, Sushi, you are such a heart-stealer! - How has your week been? :) With Love, Min+Jia. A couple of days ago, my dad and I rescued a kitten! We are now proud cat-parents to 3 weeks old Sushi, the tiniest and most adorable kitten ever. We rescued Sushi from a drain on a rainy Monday morning. A wet and scared Sushi was stuck and was almost washed away by the heavy flow of rain water since he weighs only about 250g. He is so tiny! It was a speedy rescue mission and my dad attached a scoop to a bamboo pole and heaved it over the tall fence to where the kitty was. Smart Sushi jumped straight in and we have kept him warm since then.
Now that I am surrounded by Sushi and our resident office cats, Trooper and Boba, I have officially become a cat lady. All I think about every minute of every day are cats, cats and more cats. In this Curate post, Jia and I have put together a wishlist of cat supplies that we would like to have for the feline loves in our lives. Ahhh, what a wonderful world! Meowww~ Min 1 // Giantex Pet Hammock Sushi is currently sleeping in a huge cardboard box. Athough they say that cats love cardboard boxes, I still would like to get a cushy bed for him. I was attracted to this hammock bed the very moment I saw it. The bright and bold pop of colour somehow makes the hammock bed very inviting and appealing. Now, is this hammock for me or for Sushi? 2 // Drinkwell Pagoda Water Fountain I was slightly taken aback when Jia told me that Trooper likes to take a drink from a running tap. Strange, I thought cats hate water. After reading around, I found out that water fountains can hydrate and entertain cats. Cats absolute love it! I can't wait to get one so that Sushi can load up on his water intake. #anxiouscatmom 3 // Cat Washroom-Nightstand Pet House How fancy and chic is this cat litter box! I can imagine adding this cat washroom in a nice cosy corner of my future house. Now that we have a cat, my future house may have to include some cat-friendly features! I love how functional and aesthetically-pleasing this cat washroom is. Besides the fantastic design for storage, I really like how kittycats can feel safe and have their private moments while clearing their bowels. I'm sold! 4 // Cat Haven Large Cat Tree If I can only have one wish granted from this grand wishlist, I would really like for this cat tree dream to come true. I have always wanted a tree house, especially so after reading the many adventures of Famous Five. This cat tree is such a dream for me and my kittycat! Just imagine the adventures the kitty can have in this cat tree! Major love! Jia
5 // Whack A Mouse Cat Toy I can see Trooper, Boba, and Sushi being entertained for hours with this toy. Anything that works up the curiosity of my two kitties is a winner and I am hoping that this would also help to sharpen Boba and Sushi’s hunting skills. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I am excited to use other smaller toys with the box to keep them pumped up and ready to pounce! 6 // NoBowl Feeding System I first came across the NoBowl Feeding System on Kickstarter and after reading up on it, I was completely sold. It is finally produced and ready for shipping, and I am so excited to receive it! Trooper is a gobbler. He scarfs and barfs his kibble lunch at least once a month because he wants to eat all he can in the fastest time possible and then get to playing immediately. Here’s hoping the NoBowl helps him to portion his food intake appropriately! 7 // Catnip Fortune Cookies Trooper always steals toys from Boba. He is sharper and faster in comparison because Boba is a special needs kitty. Thus, I am always looking out for toys that wouldn’t catch the fancy of Trooper but would hold the attention of Boba in the long run. This Catnip Fortune Cookies is super cute and just the toy for Boba as he wholeheartedly loves catnip while Trooper does not respond to catnip at all. I love the little fortunes written on the toys and the Chinese take-out box that comes with them! 8 // LooLoo Wheel Tower Scratch The only real estate I am genuinely interested in is in cat houses and towers. I am always checking them out whenever I pass a pet store or when I am browsing around online for cat toys. This cat tower caught my eye because of its upgraded hamster wheel concept! Everyone has been calling Trooper a fat cat recently, so I think it is time he got more intensive exercise. Love the height and various shelves and activities on this tower too! This is most definitely a worthy investment. - Do you have a cat? What products or tips can you give to a new cat mama? x Min (All images taken from the product sources. Links provided in the description.) |
Min+JiaThe humans behind honey&gazelle Design Studio. When we are not frantically working, we share our mishmash of thoughts on design, life, and love here. Grab a cuppa and stay for a bit! Categories
All
Archives
July 2018
2015 Archives |