Here is my confession: I am my dad's biggest fan. In my eyes, my dad is flawless and faultless.

My mum returned to work shortly after giving birth to me and since there was no one to care for me, my dad chose to work the nightshift just so he could be my primary caregiver during the day. Although I do not remember much, I will always remember his smell. Is this how babies know who their parents are? I was very attached to my dad when I was growing up and I loved every minute of it. 

Though he appears to be stern, he is extremely gentle with me. I know for sure, that he has my back all the time. When my car breaks down, I have no fear because my dad has taught me well. I can change a car tyre and I know what to do when my car overheats. He taught me how to cycle, how to bathe a dog, and he stood up for me when I got bullied in school. He carries my very first passport photo in his wallet and he looks at it whenever his day gets rough. 

Below are some awesome Father’s Day gifts that I rounded up for the different kinds of dads out there. Personally, I can’t wait to fire up a grill with my old man and well, just enjoy each other's company. 

1 // For the dad who loves the outdoors and want to look and feel good at the same time:
Nike Dri-FIT Golf Polo T-shirt - A Dri-FIT T-shirt is perfect for hot and sunny Singapore, as it is lightweight and sweat-absorbent. Keep daddy feeling cool and smart-looking with this white Nike Men's Modern Fit Golf Polo tee. 

2 // For the daddy with innate musical talents:
Handstamped Guitar Pick Keyring with Leather Case - Remind daddy of your love for him with this aluminium guitar pick encased in a leather case holder. He can easily attach his keys to the keyring and carry this wherever he goes. This way, dad will never be without a guitar pick and best of all, he will be constantly reminded of you!

3 // For the fun-loving father who loves word-building games:
Bananagrams - This is a portable word-building game with a twist. Instead of waiting for your turn, each player gets the same number of tiles at the start to build a crossword style arrangement. The fun begins when a player runs out of words to build! If your family enjoys games like Scrabble and Boggle, you may enjoy Bananagrams as well! Don't you just love how fun the packaging is too?

4 // For the minimalist and stylish dad:
Kisetsu Natsu Minimalist Card Holder Wallet in Crazy Horse Leather - This compact card holder is a good choice for the dad who values style and functionality. The Natsu can hold 4 - 6 cards comfortably and comes with RFID protection that prevents your dad's card information from being stolen. I'm pretty sure most dads will like a sleek wallet!

5 // For the daddy who loves to start a fire in the backyard:
Ember-grilled Steak with Bay Leaf Browned Butter Recipe - My family loves the grill. We used to own a charcoal grill and it served us very well for many years. When it finally broke, we never got around to replace it. Instead, we got an electric grill and the family grill tradition is still in place. This Father's Day, fire up the grill and have a cookout with dad. Family bonding over food and beer is the best, in my opinion!

6 // For the father with a good sense of humour:
Favourite Child Ceramic Mug - I adore this mug! If I had siblings, I am pretty sure I will buy this for my dad. Imagine the smile on your father's face when he sees this mug! Let's make it easier for dad because we all know how hard it is for daddy to declare who his favourite child is, right?

7 // For the father who works way too hard:
honey&gazelle Backache Throw Pillow - Remind daddy with this pillow cushion that "All Work and No Play Makes You A Bad Daddy". Backache is very real. Especially for the dad who works way too hard and way too long hours. Besides this cushion, I recommend throwing in a good shoulder and back massage for daddy! 

8 // For the dad who needs a getaway:
Staycation at Amara Sanctuary Sentosa - Sometimes, all our parents need is some quiet time together. After many years of marriage, it would be nice for our parents to indulge in a getaway to enjoy each other's company without the kids. Plan a staycation for dad and mum at a local hotel, and let them have a day off or two from being parents. 

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How's your Father's Day preparations coming along? Hope you have a good one with daddy dearest!

​x Min

We have reached mid-year and it is time for a reality check, as well as a period of relaxing if you have been working way too hard since the start of 2016. 

The webstore has been stocked with new releases and we are madly in love with this month's new arrivals! First up, are the freshly launched art prints.

Backache started as a mock-up art print for our studio's Readymade Collection of art prints with a quote that eludes to an inside joke between Min and I about ageing and our never-ending body aches. However, the response to the art print was surprisingly enthusiastic and thus, we finally decided to release it as a proper product for sale! 

The intricate border, along with the inky black and soft parchment details of Live Your Life was hugely inspired by vintage gorgeous fairytale book covers. Think of first editions with a tinge of gothic influence. These new art prints serve as timely reminders that life is more than just about work and that we should all cherish and enjoy every moment. 

Please click on the art print images below to go straight to the product pages to find out more about them. 

Vacation season is here! If you are avid travellers like us, you will be way too familiar with the  fidgety boredom of long journeys. No matter how scenic the route is, there will always be a lull where you find yourself drowsy and/or bored. This is why we are so thrilled to finally and formally launch the Travel Activity Kit! 

Chockfull of interactive puzzles and activities in the form of our signature postcards and unconventional ideas, the Travel Activity Kit promises hours of entertainment while you make your way to your happy destination. 

We designed special travel editions of our bestsellers: the Wordsearch postcard, Sudoku postcard, I Spy postcard, CIY (Colour-It-Yourself) postcard, and Jiffy Jots notepad. Additionally, we have created new activity-based postcards that we are soft-launching along with the Travel Activity Kit.

Doodle Best You Can postcards are designed to guide you in expanding your creativity through any form of doodling, sketching, or drawing, while the Crossword Puzzle postcard has been highly requested from our awesome customers and a natural progression in our range of puzzle postcards. 

Also included in the kit are pre and post vacation evaluation forms that serves as an emotional and mental aid to help you prepare for the trip ahead and also reflect on the vacation once it is over.

​The abundance of goodies in the Travel Activity Kit may be overwhelming at first glance, which is why there is an instruction manual to guide you through the various activities within the handy and convenient pouch. Plus, we remembered to bundle in stationery, so all you really need to do is grab the kit and get going! Happy holidays!

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What do you think of our new releases, and where are you going for your next vacation? Tell us all about it in the comments below! 

<3 Jia

We have always been passionate about social responsibility and decided right from the start that honey&gazelle Design Studio will strive to do its part to give back to society in whatever way possible. Therefore, we are super excited to announce an initiative between honey&gazelle Design Studio and VSA Singapore called The Christmas Cheer Campaign!

Let's get into some Q&A fun!

What is VSA Singapore?

First and foremost, if you have not heard of VSA before, here is a quick introduction to the non-profit organisation. Very Special Arts (VSA) was founded in 1974 in Washington DC, USA to provide art and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all. VSA Singapore Limited was launched on 27 September 1993 by Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large. 

VSA envisions a world where people with disabilities are empowered through the arts, and can contribute to and integrate with the community. As such, the organisation aims to create and provide access and opportunities for people with disabilities through the arts. VSA Singapore works with children, youth, and adults with sensorial, physical, intellectual, learning and social disabilities from special education schools, day activity centres, and homes. 

The artwork in our blog header image is a combined effort by a few of the beneficiaries of VSA Singapore. Like VSA, we also believe that art can touch the lives of many in various ways, thus we are so happy to be embarking on this special project with them. In fact, we would like to invite you to be a part of The Christmas Cheer Campaign as well! 

What is The Christmas Cheer Campaign?

From now till the end of November, our studio will be compiling hand-written notes on the Happy cards from the Say It With Words Greeting Cards collection for the beneficiaries of VSA Singapore. We will bring the cards with us whenever we have a pop-up event to raise awareness of VSA Singapore and gather well-wishes from the public.

How can I be involved in The Christmas Cheer Campaign?

All you need to do is look for us at our events and we will pass you a Happy card for you to write your warm wishes. In exchange of your message on the Happy card, we will give you a Thank You card from VSA Singapore that features the artwork above.

What happens to my card after I have given it back to you?

At the end of November, we will give the collated hand-written cards to VSA Singapore who will then disseminate them randomly to their beneficiaries, just in time for Christmas! The cards will be mailed out by VSA Singapore directly to their beneficiaries' letterboxes as a pleasant and encouraging surprise from anonymous strangers. 

Do I need to pay to write on the Happy card?

honey&gazelle Design Studio is sponsoring both the Happy cards and the Thank You cards, thus you would not need to pay a single cent. All that is required is your heartfelt words!

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This is a very simple campaign to share some love and happiness with the beneficiaries who are very often deemed as 'less-fortunate' and judged unkindly by society, just because they have special needs. Together with VSA Singapore, we hope that the heartfelt notes will encourage and motivate the beneficiaries, as well as warm and cheer their hearts during the most wonderful time of the year. Let's make their Christmas just that bit more lovely this year, shall we? (: 

For more information on our whereabouts (i.e. pop-up events), check out the Calendar of Events page. If you would like to participate in The Christmas Cheer Campaign but would not be able to join us at our events, please drop us an email and we will arrange something with you! 

If you wish to find out more about VSA Singapore, check out their website here. To donate or volunteer with them, please email them at [email protected].

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Tell us - will you be sharing some love and happiness with the beneficiaries of VSA Singapore this year?

With Love, Min+Jia.

Art and craft was arguably my favourite subject in school. My art pouch had the craziest amount of things in it - glue sticks, liquid glue, fancy rulers, random markers, pencils, regular scissors, zigzag scissors, glitter tubes, coloured pens, stickers and the occasional pack of origami papers. I was the true-blue art and craft geek. I would go to school with only one textbook and a whole lot of art supplies. 

By 15, I had to choose a subject path - Arts or Science. I had zero interest in mathematics, science or whatever, and excelled only in art and design subjects. I was a terrible student. Needless to say, I chose Art as my major and I loved it! My art pouch was updated and upgraded because it was definitely cool to lug around an art toolbox. Goodbye zigzag scissors and hello fancy pen knives, fabric and acrylic paints.  

Art has been a huge part of my life and it has given me the confidence to express myself in the only way I know how. I hate to admit this but as I got older and busier with my previous jobs, art gradually lost its importance. Well, all that negativity is now water under the bridge because of honey&gazelle Design Studio! Yes, I am glad to have rediscovered my greatest love in life and I'm gonna hold onto art and design for dear life. 

Fun Ideas is the newest column to our blog where we will share creative how-tos, tips and tricks, as well as DIY projects, Without further ado, here are seven super simple and creative ways to spruce up any room and personalise items that you use in your daily life with honey&gazelle's Pretty Papers Pack: Mellow Motifs and Flashy Florals. Don't worry, you can also try out these projects with any kind of paper you have on hand!

1 // Frame Up Your Favourite Pretty Paper
This is definitely the easiest craft tutorial ever. All you need to do is to measure the size of your photo frame, cut the paper to size and frame. Easy peasy! Our Pretty Papers are double-sided, so if you are feeling lazy to cut another piece, simply turn it over and voila, a brand new art piece! Prep more in advance so you have more choices to match your mood!

2 // Frame Your Favourite Pretty Paper AND Use It As A Whiteboard
Besides using Pretty Paper as an art print, you can easily turn the frame into a handy whiteboard. Frame up your desired Pretty Paper, grab a whiteboard marker and start scribbling! Use the whiteboard as a To-Do list or write your favourite quote on it. Your whiteboard has never looked prettier! I personally find that it is easier to clean a glass fronted frame than a frame with a plastic fronted protector. 

The newest releases by the honey&gazelle Design Studio are new concepts that we have been working on for a long time, so you can just imagine our excitement (and anxiety) about launching them! 

Do you remember playing the hide and seek game, I Spy, with your family members or friends when you were young? It usually starts with a sentence like this, "I spy with my little eye..." and then depending on where you were, you may have asked your friends to spot a red truck or a cute little sparrow. 

We are sentimental fools and small kids at heart, thus we decided that our newest range of puzzle-themed postcards would be focused on the I Spy game! 

The I Spy Postcard Set contains four different puzzles in fresh pastel hues and adorable illustrations. At the back of each postcard, the speech bubble reveals the hidden motif that you have to find. It is a really simple game that can keep you entertained for a short while! 

Pretty Paper Pack: Flashy Florals 

The other new arrival we are super thrilled with is the Pretty Paper Pack! We have always been huge lovers of paper, especially papers with gorgeous colours and textures. One of our favourite activity is to go into a paper store or a stationery store and just get lost in all the pretty. This obsession with paper led to the creation of Pretty Papers!

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I hope you are as excited about our new products as we are! Tell us what you would like to see next and we may just get started on it (: 

<3 Jia