Friend or Foe?

No one can deny that Facebook is a phenomenal success. I guess the original purpose is finding long lost friends and networking. However, it has evolved so much that sometimes I wonder if it is friend or foe.

A male friend always calls me up to test his privacy settings. He doesn't want certain friends to see pictures or information of him that would "sabotage" his friendship with another group of friends.

I have tempered with the privacy button as well. Not that I have any secrets on facebook, of all places, but I certainly just want "my friends" to see my status and stuff that goes on in my life. So, my privacy setting is always "only friends".

On a particular day, I found 3 girlfriends changing their status from "in a relationship" or "it's complicated" to "single". Then came the bombardment of comments and questions from other friends about their new found status.

On another occasion, a friend has repeatedly stated that she was feeling sad/blue/disappointed in her status. Her boss's boss is so concerned about her, that he has called her boss to see if she is okay.

Well, I think that the last example is a bit like Big Brother watching. Has facebook become our foe?

B Chan's Birthday

This month is B Chan's birthday. I don't know the exact day, but when I brought him home 6 years ago on X'mas eve, he was 2 months old . So, I deduced that his birthday must be some time in October. We celebrated with his and our favorite, blueberry cheese cake from Jam's Bakery down the block.

This year, we are missing Kobe, the cheese cake is also his favorite. Kobe is very picky with his food, but this one is definitely a winner! Here are some pictures taken today, with B chan trying to stay still and not gobble the cake in fromt of him. Happy 6th!!


It's my Birthday, I just turned 6...


Huh, mommy, still can't eat yet?


I hope it's birthday every day, yummy, yummy.....

Cheese cake from Jam Bakery

New Cushion Collection

Pastel b. has expanded into wedding accessories. This is our first Collection of Ring Bearer Cushions. The cushions will come with detachable satin ribbons for tying the rings. The idea behind is that after using it as a Ring Bearer Cushion, the couple could detach the ribbons and accessorize their home, serving as a momento of their special day.

Satin Ring Bearer Cushions from

Pastel b.

Pearl White Satin Cushion with

Interweaving Pale Pink & Pearl

White Ribbons

Pearl White Satin Cushion with

Interweaving Pale Grey & Pearl

White Ribbons

The Gift of Blindness

This is the title of October 12's entry from the book " A Year of Living Consciously". The entry is about a man driving under the influence and in the aftermath of a car accident, blinded. He says it's the best thing that happened to him. The incident "awakened the compassion and consciouness in him".

The man says he has been a really selfish person before, and didn't really know what love is, coz he has "never felt it as a child or grownup". But the man says the love he has for his guide dog is "the purest form of love" coz the man and his dog are linked together in a continous circle of service and gratitude".

The quote for the day is by Helen Keller:
"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found my work, and my God."

I think that "the gift of experience" of my most painful moments, have taught me to be more humble and most importantly, not to take anything or any person for granted.

Nice Diaries

My previous job requires the usage of Palms, the only model supported by the company, to synchronize datas. Many colleagues use their Palms as appointment books and more so, as game consoles during the endless and boring meetings.

I never felt secure about battery gadgets. What if I lose all the data when the power is dead? I have a few nightmares with the 4 Palms I have gone through with 6 years on the job. For me, using pen and paper is the safest.

Every year, around this time, there will be diaries for the upcoming year beckoning you. I got my previous 2 diaries from Franc Franc and I really love them. With all diaries, they come with yearly, monthly, weekly and daily planners, but what I love best are the many nice blank pages and tear away notes which satisfy my list making habit nicely. Yes, I am addicted to writing lists.

I came across this article in Newsweek about some really nice diaries. You could find them at the "upmarket British stationer Smythson of Bond Street". This year, 4 contemporary artists have created limited editions appointment books. Since it's an artsy diary, it also includes extensive listings of upcoming exhibitions and the best art hotels and cafes. They don't come cheap though. The price tag is US$700 each, but the nice thing is that all of it will go to charity of the artists' choice.

Check out http://www.smythson.com/, you will find many other nice stuff. Great for browsing!!

(photo : http://www.smythson.com/)

New Cabinet

New Cabinet

I bought a new 7 feet tall cabinet in anticipation of the new and expanded collections of Pastel b. and Petit enjel. The cabinet has 5 shelves and 2 drawers.

The top drawer is very shallow, but it's perfect for storing Pastel b. cards, ribbons, threads and beads.

The bottom drawer is much deeper and I am using it to store Petit enjel boxes and bags for packaging the angel suits.

Now we have 2 cabinets for bigger collections of our brands. Yay!!

Bottega Veneta Desk

I came across this little article titled "Maximalist" on Newsweek. Quoting here "Meeting deadlines is just a little bit easier when you work from home on the sleek and stylish Bottega Veneta desk in leather...". Well, the price tag is US$15,070.

It is a nice desk, but I don't think that even working on this desk will make meeting deadlines any more pleasant, and just imagine the number of projects I have to take to buy this desk? As far as I am concerned the best thing is no deadlines, period.

(photo : http://www.bottegaveneta.com/)