A Smokey Room - Eliza Doolittle

Yeah! We know, we've gone a tad bit too musical of late. Meet our Tuesday tune, it's blaring through the laptop the whole morning yo!

Have one awesome Tuesday y'all! :o)

xoxo

Take It Easy, San Francisco - Emily Wells

Our little Sunday tune, while watching the kittens play with the squirrels.

xoxo

You and Your Heart by Jack Johnson

The video for Jack's new single "You and Your Heart" has debuted yesterday on VH1.com. It was directed by Jack, and shot in Hawaii.

Have a good day ahead! :o)

Tank Chair by Pharrell Williams

Booh!

How did your Wednesday go?

We hope it's all sunshine + rainbows at your end. :o)

Last night, we were real busy surfing the net when a piece of furniture sent our imagination wild.

Tadaa!!!

Meet Tank Chair by Pharrell Williams

OK, OK, we get ...

... true, without a person sitting on the chair, they look awkward. Aesthetically, they are vulgar, but they actually represent hip-hop perfectly. Don't you think? We love them anyway for the fact that they have a nice bit of fun about them.

It'd be awesome to have in the office ...

"Get out of my way fellow workers, my chair is secretly a TANKER!"

"OK people, we have to battle to get the job done ... rev up your machine!"

No?

Pharrell Williams doesn't believe that there should be any boundaries to creativity, now the super producer + big time rapper is designing furniture.

You are what you think!

Hmmmm ... Pharrell looks good sitting on them chairs, we'll have another picture of him ... and the chair. ;op

Bonne nuit a tous!

"Never Forget You" by The NOISEttes

We feel like letting you into a secret ... we've been stalking Shingai Shoniwa of The NOISEttes over the net, most part of 2009 because we have a style crush on her. If there’s one girl who fearlessly struts out looking like an absolute fashion powerhouse, we reckon it is she.

No?

Happy Tuesday! :o)

In Memoriam: Ruby Ahmad

I was having a chat with Rizal of Emmet Garage Sales recently, when I realised we have been pretty quiet on the pop up bazaar front. He said he was excitedly waiting for the next Bijou Bazaar installment, when Bijou Bazaar went quiet. I gave him some lame excuse but not the real why.

Rizal's passion + belief in his idea as well as others like him was the reason why Bijou Bazaar came to life. One thing the experience had taught me was to tell the difference between people who have that fire in their stomachs + those who see ideas primarily to get rich, preferring them who ask, 'How can I make this idea a success?' rather than 'How do I make a fortune?' I've always believed that you need to find the convergence between your passion + what people would want first, the money will come. It's always hard work first, there's no short cut to it. And things aren't always as straight forward as when you are drawing salary from a company.

In building Bijou Bazaar, I had made my sacrifices. This had include me missing my brother's wedding, I tried to attend but the event partner called me back to the venue. Bijou peeps who were at the event would remember me wearing a kebaya that weekend. I went missing from my close friends + family radar too. The journey was full of challenges + learning exeriences, at times it got to me.

After having lunch with an old blog friend, Agus, who started building his carwash business about the same time I started Bijou Bazaar, I realised I was not alone; he made similar sacrifices.

Perhaps, people I met pre-Bijou Bazaar played a strong influence on how it was moulded + the decisions I made.

Hence, the similarity?





Recently, my aunt passed away.

Since, I have been revisiting past friendships, embarking on new ones + spending time with my family, neglecting Bijou peeps ...

*whispers "I'm sorry!"*

:o|

The last Facebook wall comment I received from my late aunt Wan Bi, Ruby Ahmad to many, was an urge to "Go for it!" An expression peculiar to her. Even the brief description on her blog simply says: “I’m a ‘go for it!’ kind of person."

The news of her sudden passing took me by surprise, at first it seemed like a bad joke.

During our last few coffee sessions together, she was always imparting wisdoms + I was only happy to listen. To me the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

Her funeral was proof of the person that she was. Friends + family all gathered to bid her farewell with quiet pride. Even in her passing, Wan Bi was busy imparting lessons about what is to be valued, about what matters ... a life of service.

While remembering a person of such stature, I mourn the passing of a generation that is ceasing to exist, taking with them the values they held high. It is my only hope that the strong values + motivations she imparted through her blog writings + friendships would live on through us, you + me, who's life she touched + might now touch, through the blog she left behind.

:o)

"The only thing you take with you when you're gone is what you leave behind" - John Allston

Al-Fatihah.

YouTube Mixer

A wicked new 'invention' on YouTube - a mixable video. (Wait until the video is fully loaded.) There are 11 beats to mix from and the wheeler indicator shows you when it is time to mix.

Do have a go at it! :o)