Variations on a Theme

Hi there,

For those of us who have tinkled the ivories at some time or other and have attended formal piano lessons, a theme by violinist Paganini written in 1820 so captivated audiences and composers that today, 'Variations on a Theme by Paganini' is probably one of the most well-known pieces, with composers such as Brahms, Liszt and several others having their own versions. (If you've never heard it, here's a video of the version for solo violinist. Enjoy!)

Well, these few weeks my 'ideas stream' has run dry (for the moment I hope!). I took a look at what I'd done and decided to do a Variations on a Theme' of the deck shoes for boys.

First variation which you've been seeing is in the COLOUR.
Here's the latest in the shop:

 

Looking back, here is what some of them look like put togther -- my own 'Variations on a Theme'.

 

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Serena

 



On the Road snapshots

Hello everyone!
Today I would like to share with you some photo highlights of my 10 day work trip cum mini-break in Macau and HongKong. It was really a rejuvenating time because I had opportunities to learn from professionals in my field, bond with like-minded colleagues and to soak in the way of life at the places I visited. I'm currently working on my scrapbook - trying to incoprorate the bits and pieces I collected during the journey - you'll get to see pictures of that in a later post.

The first part of my trip was spent in Macau, visiting institutions, learning from their best practices and understanding local culture. My i-phone conveniently doubled up as the lenses for capturing views or images that spoke to me most...

 

When the work trip concluded, I was able to meet up with hubby in Hongkong for a few days of couple time! Because we've been here so many times, we decided to go off the beaten track again - we did that last year too when we visited Lamma Island. 
This trip, we explored the quaint island of Cheung Chau, just 45min by ferry from mainland HongKong. With only 20,000 residents and devoid of cars (only bicycles, mini versions of the ambulance and fire-truck are allowed on the narrow streets!), it is really an oasis of laid-back charm.

Wanting to try something a little more vigorous, we also hiked for some 3 hours up the popular Dragon's Back, voted the 'Best Urban Hiking Trail in Asia' by Time in 2004. Reaching the peak at 284 metres, we were rewarded by breathtaking views and awesome winds! Whew!

All in all a wonderful journey, walking alongside (sometimes straggling behind... but he never left me alone for too long :) my life's companion.

I'll be back soon with pictures of my scrapbook-on-the-road. Meantime, leaving you with this beautiful find in Lady's Market - wish I could make one of these someday!

Sheon

Flew right Out!

Hi there,

The urge to make the deck shoes strikes again...this time in blue tones...

The pair in bright blue and white 'flew' out of the shop the same day it was listed! It's a great encouragement and suggests that you like this design.

 

For those who are not familiar with deck shoes (otherwise known as boat shoes), here is nice photo (from a blog) of the source of insipiration for these shoes:


If you have any suggestions for new designs, I would love to hear from you!

Have a great weekend!

Serena

On The Road

Hello there

March is a month of busy activity for me! Even as you're reading this, I'm travelling for work in a nearby Asian country - guess where? (p.s this is a scheduled post - I've been away a couple of days now). While I was excited by the opportunity to go on this study trip with a group of like-minded (and fun-loving!) colleagues, it was also difficult leaving my family, especially the littlest one, behind. The upside though, is that my dear hubby will be joining me for a few days of R&R after my work is done :)

I really want to make the most of this journey, given that I'm rarely away from home without my children for so long. Not only in terms of what I'll learn professionally, but also by taking in fully the sights, sounds and people that I'll come into contact with. As the inspiring Ali Edwards says in her online class, travelling is really about sensitising oneself to the experience and perhaps, learning some things about myself along the way... 

So I made this in a bit of a dash (hence the hasty photos) - a scrapbook-to-go, a little receptacle for journalling and collecting bits of memorabilia as I go through each day. 

 

Hope to share with you the completed version sometime soon! 

If you're heading off for a little break yourself, why not put together a book and see where it takes you?

Sheon