Bella vita through design ♥

International Contemporary Furniture Fair

2010-05-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

This semester is finally over!!! YAY!!! What's more exciting is that I have already started my internship in NYC! :D

Life is busy busy, really want to go on a vacation, like to the Bahamas or Hawaii... hmmmm... maybe next year, for my graduation trip! (Gees, can't believe I am gonna be a senior! :S)
But, I get to hang out with my friends and explore this new city! I am starting to love the Big Apple already!

On the first day of work, we went to the ICFF, there were a lot of cool stuff!
Here are some of the pieces (I took so many pics, please click to enlarge the images):

Aren't they all fasinating?

Until next time,

Hilz ♥

I heart Spring

2010-04-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

This past winter was beautiful, AND bitter; it was definitely a bittersweet season. I had never seen that much of snow in my life before.

Same place, yet another scenario, spring's brought life and colors back. How I miss you, the world outside.

The pink Sakura (cheery blossom) is one of the reasons why spring has been my favorite season. I am lucky enough that there are a bunch of cherry trees standing on my street, right outside of my apartment. When wind blows, the pink petals look like pink snowflakes falling onto the ground. :) Despite the nasty smell of the rotten cherries, cherry blossom is the most beautiful thing, though her beauty would only last for a week or two in a year.

Last week, my class had a field trip to the Japanese House & Garden in Fairmount Park, the weather was perfect to visit this gorgeous site.

The house was first built in Japan in 1954 and gifted to the MoMA; and then relocated to Philadelphia. It is a great evidence showing the Japanese influence on American architecture and modernism.

Huge koi fish

So peaceful

More cherry blossom, so up close

Like a painting

Look at this lil guy, isn't he cute?

Beautiful, beautiful hand-printed wallpaper

Inside the tiny tea house

A bigger tea house

The house's drainage system

Hope you are enjoying spring as well!!!

Until next time,

Hilz ♥

Barbie x Lady Gaga

2010-03-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

More Barbie dolls???!!!

Well, I wasn't intended to do so but I needed to blog about this (see how excited I am?) because I was surfing on Flickr and saw these Barbie dolls!!! They are no typical Barbie dolls; their owners make clothes, accessories to dress them up as the popular singer/ fashionista - Lady Gaga!

I was wowed by this look of Gaga's at the Grammy Awards when I first read the news, she totally is an artist and a piece of art herself.

j.auston has done such a great job on the details, even her makeup! It looks just like Lady Gaga! I want this!!! :(

Another Gaga doll he made! Love it!!!

Some more awesome dolls made by veik11

Gaga's remarkable bow hairstyle! Cute!

Doesn't Hello Kitty make everything better? Hehee :)

Don't cha wanna own one?

Until next time,

Hilz ♥

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!

2010-02-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

新年快樂!!!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!! It's the year of tiger, hope you all have a prosperous year and good health!!!

(Yup, happened to find a Barbie doll that dressed in the Chinese Qipao! Haha..)

Ohhh, happy Valentine's Day, too!!! Wishing all the lovebirds out there stay sweet & all the single ladies and gentlemen will find your other half asap!!!

Much love,

Hilz ♥

I'm a Barbie girl, in a REAL Barbie world!

2010-02-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

So, we had two snow days in a row in Philly! It was lovely to see the snow falling down like glitters from the sky, but at the same time I hate to see it all slushy and dirty the next day. So many cars got stuck on my street, I felt so bad for them, how annoying, don't you hate that? Hope all is well with everyone!
At this point, I wish I were in Thailand or somewhere, enjoying the sunshine on a beach with very, very fine sand... B)

Anyways, a continuation of my last post, I also found out that they had opened the Barbie Flagship Store in Shanghai, China last year!

I personally adore the spiral staircase with all the Barbie dolls displaying in the cubes.

A play area/library corner for the kids. So cute!

I am surprised that the store is not only for young girls, but grownups too!!! There are both casual and dressy clothes.

Cute dressing rooms and restrooms

Makeup section

Of course there has to be a spa/beauty salon to maintain that all-time good look. Love that wall paper of Barbie with face mask!

and a cafe/bar too! I wonder what does Barbie eat and drink... it has to be classy food isn't it? lol

Oh, and apparently you can also design your own Barbie doll and their accessories to match your outfits, so now girls, we can truly live in the Barbie world! Hahaa...

Chinese New Year is going to be here in 2 days, so excited!!! Yea, it is overlapping Valentine's Day this year, I heard that this only happens in every 50 years!!???

Until next time,

Hilz ♥

I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world.

2010-02-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

I guess each girl must had or have at least one Barbie doll in her life. I loved collecting all these cute clothes and accessories for my Barbies! I am still kinda sad that my mom gave them away when I got older and assumed that I didn't want them anymore. The fact is that, I love to collect miniature things, they look so cute that you just want to keep them in your pocket. Speaking of pocket, my mom used to buy me Polly Pockets which are boxes that each contains a scenario and a figure that you can play around with, I guess this is how I started to gain interest in interior design. I miss all of them :( I miss bringing my Barbies out for a meal or to a friend's home. Childish? How about showing off some parts of your Barbie by wearing them? Yes, her lips, eyes, limbs? Your choice!

I came across this young lady called Margaux Lange in a magazine while doing research for my design class(I was working on a children retail space project). She is a jeweler and has a collection called the Plastic Body Series, which she utilizes salvaged Barbie doll parts in combination with sterling silver and pigmented resins.

I thought it was kinda creepy when I first looked at her pieces, but in no more than 2 seconds, I was like, "no way, this is so much fun!"

I like how she combines the body parts with colors and shapes, she even cuts the parts out in different angles.

This has to be my favorite one. How cute?

On another note, it's snowing again!!! Major snowstorm is gonna hit us on Wednesday... be safe everyone!

Until next time,

Hilz ♥

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

2009-12-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!!!

I just got back to Hong Kong in time for Chritmas. It was snowing crazy in Philly, we got 23 inches of snow!!!

This is my new blog, I will try to keep posting regularly.

Until next time,

Hilz ♥