Maneki-neko 招き猫 (Part V) : Solar-powered Cat --- by Kimura Ohshido (from Siri Paradise)

I bought this solar powered cat on the same day as Le Petit from Jacy of Siri Paradise.  It's another high quality Japanese craft from Kimura Ohshido in Japan.

 

 

 

It's a cute little thing that's great for those of us who had a soft spot for small & kawaii (adorable) stuff such as myself.

 

I did a video clip on this solar powered cat.  However, it seems amateurish as it's the first video I have created.  I'm hopeful that my video editing techniques would be more polished in the near future.

 

Here comes my humble video (^.^) ...

 

Jacy had mentioned to me that the supplier claimed that the solar powered cat is going to last forever.  I'm hoping that it lasts too as it's such an adorable-looking thing to fall in love with & laugh at it each time I set eyes on it!   ( ^ . ^ )  ... And it's also because of the somewhat hefty price tag that came with it too ...

 

The cat's ticking tail derives its energy from a mini solar strip (I think it's known as a solar cell) that's found on solar powered calculators which are commonly found in stationery stores.

We were very surprised that this item has a very sensitive mechanism such that the cat would start wagging its tail in an upward motion swinging from side to side under natural light.  The windows are more than 3 meters away from the solar powered cat's location & yet, the cute kitty cat would start ticking its tail like a metronome for musicians.

I observed that the cat would start wagging its tail gradually after 7 AM in the morning & start picking up its speed within half an hour, maintaining its "wagging speed" all the way past 6 PM in the evening.  That's a good 12 hours of tail swinging every day! ;)

As you could see from the photograph, the product is certified to be made in Japan with a set of serial numbers.

Jacy has other designs of solar powered cats & dogs which are a lot larger in size & in a stand-alone design up for grabs.  Not as dainty as this version that I bought but still worth buying especially for avid fans of  Maneki-neko 招き猫!

Ganbatte! 頑張って !

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Disclaimer:

Kindly note that this blogging article is created strictly for the purpose of sharing my humble & objective views of products sold by the aforesaid company.

 

I am not affiliated to Siri Paradise or Kimura Ohshido mentioned in this blogging entry. 

 

Reader's discretion is therefore sought when viewing this thread and making any purchases with the sellers.

 

Thank you for your kind understanding.

"Origami" for Qing Ming festival - Paper Lotus

The Qing Ming festival is arriving soon.  I was told by elderlies and shops selling joss sticks & prayer stuff that it spans a 21-day period such that it's 10 days before and 10 days after the actual day for Qing Ming, which falls on the 24th day of the 2nd month on the lunar calendar.

While moving around at the Aljunied area, I found this Taiwanese inspired prayer shop known as Fushan Sandalwood (Singapore) Pte Ltd at the following address:

12 Aljunied Road #01-01 KH Plaza
Singapore 389801
Tel : 6-746-7496

I was told that this retail is a joint venture between Yang Yong Ann (located at Loyang) and Taiwan Fushan Sandalwood Co., Ltd. 

I was pretty excited to see that the shop carried those beautiful looking sheets of paper that could be folded into complicated looking stuff such as lotuses, dragon boats, igots, etc for the purpose of offering to deities, Buddhas & the deceased. 

There was an assortment of colourful folding papers that were sold in the shop and they are indeed manufactured & imported from Taiwan.

I bought a packet of medium sized papers in a standard pack of 9 colours with incantations printed on them for offering to our loved ones who had passed on.  My idea was to try folding paper lotuses through watching videos on You-Tube.

折蓮花教學影片 (how to fold paper lotus)

The quality of the colourful paper is exceptionally good with great colour consistencies in the pack I bought. 

Unlike their counterparts that were imported from China & sold here in Singapore at some of the joss sticks shops, the colour didn't bleed onto my palms while folding lotuses.

This photograph features the lotuses folded using prayer papers which are bought from other joss sticks shop.

The gold foil peels off very easily and makes folding a very messy job.

Not recommended for folding of paper lotuses if versions of better quality are available.



My learning curve for folding paper lotuses

The learning process wasn't exactly a breeze.  In fact, I folded the paper such that the wordings failed to appear at the "tip" of both the petals & the leaves at the base.  Further, I folded such that my paper lotuses were slightly smaller & "cuter" looking than what it was supposed to be.

Nevertheless, the retail staff was kind enough to console me, and reminded me that it was the thought that counts.  In the near future, I would have to make a conscientous effort to ensure that the petal of the lotuses would shown on all the petals & leaves.

The series of photographs below illustrates how a blue paper lotus with green leaves was brought to "bloom".  Ideally, I would like to take a video of how the folding is done by myself.  Unfortunately, there's a lacking in logistics.  As such, I haven't had a chance to record my folding of paper lotuses live on video yet.  I would do so & upload in the near future.

First layer of petals

After bringing up the first layer of petals as shown in the above you-tube video clip, I would adjust the positioning of the paper lotus such that the 4 petals are centralised. 

We wouldn't want lopsided looking petals.  As such, it's important to adjust the petals consistently while "blooming" the lotus.

Second layer of petalsUsing the video attached as a reference, you would have noticed that the petals are flipped up in an alternate fashion.

For the first few paper lotuses that I made, I had to concentrate real hard to ensure that I didn't mess up the sequence in "opening" up the petals.

I went shhhhhhh... at Hubby Dearest when he interrpupted my concentration while I was busy with the "blooming".

Third layer of petals

Once again, I must reiterate that I had to constantly shape the lotus as if I were holding on to a cup but pressing the structure very gently such that I am narrowing the centre (or "mouth") of the lotus.

This is to ensure that the lotus flower wouldn't be lopsided in shape.

(A close-up photograph of an unfinished paper lotus)

(A paper lotus in full bloom - complete with blue petals & green leaves)

(The same paper lotus taken from another angle)

A Variation of colourful paper lotuses

If you are interested in viewing more of the paper lotuses that I have folded using the Taiwanese imported prayer papers, please scroll down for more photographs.

Red lotus with green leaves :





Folding of paper shoes for the deceased

While I was surfing through you tube videos, I found this interesting clip where experts use square-shaped prayer papers to make shoes for the deceased.  It's really very cute looking but please make sure that you got the right type of prayer papers (meant for offering to the deceased) and that they are square-shaped (not rectangular in shape).

For instructions on how to fold these paper shoes, please refer to the following You-Tube video:

This is the first pair of shoes that I made.  Meant for my maternal granny who passed away during the wee hours of the first day of Chinese New Year in 2010.

The other variation of the paper shoes that I folded for her as well are shown here:

Post-script :  These paper shoes & paper lotuses are used as offerings to our loved ones who had passed on.  During the Qing Ming festival which is an annual event, we would visit places where they are laid to rest.  After praying to our loved ones, we would bring these paper offerings to designated spots at each respective locations & burn them.

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Dislcaimer:  Please note that I do not own any of the video clips which are attached in this blogging entry.  Full credits would go to the respective video producers on You-Tube.  I am also not affliated to any of the retailers / organisations which are mentioned.  Thank you.

Enshrining Guan Yin "观音" in our home

In preparation for the "re-enshrining" of Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin / 观音) in our home, I was busy shopping for a new statue to replace our 15-year-old weather-beaten statue.

Shopping for a new statue for 观音 (Goddess of Mercy)

It was an arduous process for us as we went around shopping for the new statue.  We took almost 1 year to search for the new statue and ultimately found her at a wholesaler (based at Sims Avenue, near Geylang) for Buddhist products & prayer materials.

We visited all the shops selling such prayer statues at waterloo street and rochor centre.  However, both my hubby and myself felt that we weren't able to relate to the facial appearance of all the statues that were shown to us.  Our gutfeel told us that they weren't the right ones & that our affinity with the new Guan Yin statue had not been established yet.

Apart from prayers at the waterloo street Kwan Yin temple, we had also related our problems in securing the right replacement statue to our existing Guan Yin at home.  I had the idea that she heard our prayers.

About a week after, somebody recommended us this wholesaler who at that juncture, had plenty of porcelain buddhist statues available.  There was a huge variety & most were colourful in the sense that the Guan Yin statues were clothed in coloured garments.  I had the idea that since there's such a vast selection of statues there, we could take our time to select from that lot in their warehouse.

Unfortunately, by the time my hubby accompanied me to the warehouse during the weekends, I was shocked to learn that more than 90% of the statues had already been shipped out of Singapore.  That took place in a matter of just days!  We had no choice but to wait for the next batch of Guan Yin statues to arrive. 

We were very specific in our selection when we related our requirements to the wholesaler -

a) the statue must have a smiling disposition

b) the statue must be holding on to a vase & willow leaves

c) the statue must be 16" in height

d) the statue must be seated down

The wholesaler had given us their name card & advised us on the time frame in which the next shipment was expected to arrive in Singapore.  By the time I called in, I was pretty upset that the entire batch of Guan Yin statues in a gold garment & with a smiling disposition had been shipped out of Singapore when the retailers from Asia had already made their selection ahead of our phone call. *sob*

The wife of the wholesaler sensed our disappointment mixed with desperation in scouting around for the right Guan Yin statue for "re-enshrining" in our new home.  We were quite disheartened as our search for the new statue seemed to be futile and not within reach.  Once again, we left empty handed.

I supposed that she combed through her wares in the warehouse and she told me that we might like a statue that she had set aside for us.

Without further delay, we made our way down to the warehouse and we knew this was the right statue for our home when both hubby dearest & myself were laughing the minute we set eyes on her.

The new statue is made of white porcelain accented with gold and the base is sealed up with a thick, red, felt-like cloth.  We love the expression on her face as she has got very feminine features, smiling eyes that were elongated & kind-looking.

The statue is seated on a huge white lotus (outlined in gold) and holding on to both a gold vase & green willow leaves.  She's got pink cheeks, red lips and her body had been adorned with intricacies, including jewelery (eg necklace) & an elaborated buddhist headress.

Prayer Accessories
Since we bought the statue from the wholesaler, it was preferable that we purchase the other accessories from them as well.  The wholesaler would then be able to match all the accessories on the spot such that the accessories would complement the statue that we bought. 

Should we purchase accessories such as a pair of lamps and urn without the new statue, there is a very high possiblity that we might end up with the wrong sizing (for accessories).  eg lamps are too small/ too big; urn that's too small or too big etc etc.

The first thing we looked out for to go with the new statue was a wooden platform which was traditionally used to raise the height (of the statue when placed onto the altar).  The wholesaler recommended us a really thick-set, heavy, chunky piece of solid wooden base carved out in a round shape.  Walnut in colour.  It was extremely heavy!

We also bought a mini version of this wooden platform for a photograph of our 4-armed Chenrezig (One of the many forms of Guan Yin from Buddhism of Tibetan lineage) which we had been worshipping for the past few years.

The photograph shows a mini version of the solid wooden platform for our 4-armed Chenrezig which Khentrul Rinpoche from Sakya Tenpheling (Pasir Ris) had blessed for us before we enshrined it in our home.

These half crescent bamboo slabs were bought from Sin Chiew whose located a few doors away from the Kwan Yin temple at waterloo street.

Slabs made of bamboo are our favourite as they are relatively light and I love the appearance of these slabs.  Earthy in colour & appearance.  And a worthy reminder of the beauty of mother nature.

We bought a box of large-sized spiral incense (from Sin Chiew) for the purpose of burning the joss continuously without any breaks for a period of 3 days & 3 nights after the "re-enshrining".  This was a practice that was passed down by an elderly uncle who was well-versed in prayers.

As for the gold-tone urn for containing joss sticks & incense on our new altar, the wholesaler was kind enough to import a plain looking version just for us.  It is 6" in diameter at the mouth of the urn.

Other miscellanous accessories that we bought from the wholesaler at Sims Avenue included butter lamps on a crystal stand, a pair of crystal lamps in lotus motif and matching metal plates in similar theme; and porcelain "cups" in lotus motif.  These "cups" could pass off as bowls too.

I would usually use these pretty looking lotus motif bowls for containing flowers such as pom poms, jasmine, champaka or even a lotus flower head with its stalk trimmed off.

As the photographs were taken during the evenings with poor lighting, I had to reverse the cups during the photography so that the intricacies that are printed on the "cups" could be seen clearly.

They are such pretty cups that I was tempted to purchase more of it.  However, I was thankful that I didn't because they are somewhat underutilised except for special ocassions such as Chinese New Year & Vesak Day.

These pretty "cups" that are embossed in gold prints came in a variety of designs and in yellow too.  The yellow version is by far, my favourite design & is supposedly best suited as yellow had always been associated with Buddhism.

Another close-up photograph of the beautiful yellow cup in a lotus motif.

This is one of the 7 (seven) crystal candle holders that I bought from the wholesaler for the purpose of making butter lamp offerings in 7 colours.  This photograph doesn't do the item justice because the actual product is so sparkly looking almost akin to diamonds!

This prayer wheel which operates on either solar energy or a battery had also been acquired at the wholesaler's subsequently when they brought in the stocks.

It is very elegant and "tibetan" looking.  We left it turned on (with battery) at the altar 24 by 7.

It was a real steal for the price we paid at the wholesaler's showroom.  And we are keeping our fingers crossed that it would last us for a long time.







Our New (Rosewood) Altar Table 

We scout around and decided on a rosewood altar table that was found at SAMTAT Shanghai Arts & Crafts Centre.

This retailer had a reputation of being a veteran in the business of rosewood furnitures that are imported from Shanghai.  The price tags could be pretty alarming but in such economies of the modern times, the retailer had ongoing sales throughout the year.

Hence, if you fancy any item in their showroom, please feel free to request for their best price.
http://www.samtat.com.sg/
605 MacPherson Road,
#01-13 Citimac Industrial Complex,
Singapore 368239
Tel : (65) 6382 2374, (65) 6285 6186
Fax : (65) 6285 6203

Altar by day :

This is the true colour of our rosewood altar that was bought from SAMTAT.

It has very pretty looking mother-of-pearl embedded into the rosewood and
the pearly intricacies had a glossy effect.

Altar by night :

A photograph of how our altar looks like during the evenings.

(Photograph is taken on the eve of enshrining)

A close-up photograph of the sides of our altar, showing the mother-of-pearl inlaid on both sides.

As the location where we placed our altar catches the hot afternoon sun, the side of the altar had been showing signs of discoloration as you could see from the photograph.

We have however, decided to leave the altar as it is until further discoloration took place.  Then we could contact SAMTAT to do the necessary to restore it to its original condition.

For now, we are very happy with our purchase at SAMTAT.

Simulated skylight effects created by the pair of lotus motiffed crystal lamps in the dark.

Post-script : Our old Guan Yin statue had been handed over to Loyang Tua Pekong (Pasir Ris) and the new statue had been blessed at the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple at 178 Waterloo Street on a date that had been selected by myself through viewing the almanac.  It was a great challenge to interpret the almanac.  However, it was an eye-opening experience for me as a layman.  I didn't get the interpretation right at all times but it was a good kick-start for a newbie like myself.

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Disclaimer :  Please note that I am not affliated to any of the supplier/ retailer & temple mentioned in this blogging entry.  As such, kindly exercise self-discretion in the course of selecting & purchasing products.  Thank you.

Home Decor

- UNDER CONSTRUCTION -

Home Decor had always been an important element in setting the mood for any home.  And decorative essentials ranging from fanciful lighting fixtures to artistic paintings are all catered to bring out every individual owner's personality.

This blogging entry would hopefully serve as a reference to home decor.  Apart from decors used for my home, I have also included items from retailers that could hopefully imbue creative inspiration among other home owners.



Buddha Portraits

I had always wanted to have some artistic paintings at home and the ZEN-themed artworks had been a rage with home owners for quite a while.

So when I came across portraits of Buddhas, I would cringe at the thought of having to become hundreds of dollars poorer in pockets if I were to acquire just one of these art pieces.

Then my opportunity came when I chanced upon an online seller trading in these art pieces which he would be letting go at a fraction of the retail price sold in shops.

Even though the actual source of these art pieces remain unknown, I realized that I have had a very good bargain from the seller.

Both paintings had a grainy & "sandy" texture.  And maintenance is quite an issue because both paintings were prone to getting moldy.  And there is no recourse to cleaning the paintings once they are blemished with mold spots.

As the saying goes in Buddhism that there is impermanence in all things in life, let us overlook the "blemishes" and appreciate the painting in good humor. :)

When I first acquired this piece of artwork, I was slightly perturbed by the expression of the Buddha's eyes.

Those eyes had a certain aggression to it & instills fear in some people when looked on.  Unfortunately, this could not be mirrored clearly through photography in view of lighting (& photography) limitations.

I was quite worried over my hubby's reaction to it as I bought it without consulting him.

However, I was very relieved when it was love at first sight when he saw the painting!

This is a (HUGE!) second portrait that I had no choice but to make this obligatory purchase since I ordered a golden version in a large size from the online seller & rejected the art works becox of quality issues with the paint strokes.

The obligatory purchase is a grayish version of the Buddha's portrait, seemingly done up by the artist who did the first portrait that I bought from this same ebayer.

It was very difficult to capture the exact shade, which is a sandstone gray.  And the expression too... It doesn't have the fierce expression unlike the first piece I acquired in earthy tones.

According to our Taiwanese geomencer, earthy tones were the best colours for our living room as a couple.  I had my reservations with this sandstone version as the colour theme didn't fall under the earth element. 

My attempts to locate an earthy version (first portrait)  with the same facial orientation as illustrated in this sandstone painting was unfruitful.  As such, we had decided that it was our affinity that we had acquired this art piece of which the Buddha's outlook does have a very serene & calming effect on visitors when looked upon from the main entrance of our flat.

(I left the plastic wrappers on until we are ready to get it mounted on the wall & would be updating more photographs once the paintings are mounted on the walls in our home.)

Lighting Fixtures :  Decorative Lamps
I have never been a fan of decorative light stands or table lamps because I had the idea of maximising on the mileage of ceiling lights.  Moreover, I'm a bag of lazy bones when it comes to cleaning & dusting furnishings.

(photo - pending)
This is one of the artistic pieces which made its way to my home in year 2002.  It was a gift from an Australian expatriate who used to be based in Singapore as a medical professional.  I was amazed at the quality of this decorative table lamp as it's coming to 8 years old & seems to be age-resistant!

The metal spokes are made of aluminium that's beaten & curled at the tips to an artistic perfection and the white "plastic" which had been rolled & held in shape by nails is still as pristine in white as it is since day one!!! :)

I am also showcasing some nice table lamps from SILIC LIGHTING CENTRE @ Balestier Road (Singapore) which I felt would be such nice additions to a home :

According to Jenny of SILIC LIGHTING CENTRE, these table lamps were imported from Japan and are new arrivals as I could see that every lamp shade had been encased in a clear plastic.

These styles of table lamps seemed timeless from my perspective and I supposed they do go with some retro style furnishings too!

Isn't this such a romantic piece?

For a moment, I had the impression that this was an expensive property that was found on acting scenes of Regency / Victorian period dramas.


I was so surprised to find such a design in Singapore because it gave me the impression that it came right out of historical romantic novels written by Barbara Cartland!

This is a smaller variation of its larger counterpart as shown in the photograph displayed above.

A dainty & cute table lamp that exudes romance.  Another feminine collectible for any vintage lovers.










Country Style Decor
I have also noticed that country style decor seems to be a timeless classic which is almost an all-time favourite of many home owners and furniture & home decor, including quilted bags & cushions were frequently a common sight in the retail market.

As such, I figured out that home decor that are inspired by country styles is still pretty popular among home owners.  And a worthy point for us penny pinchers to take note is that, many of these country style or vintage-inspired  items don't come cheap!

While we were shopping for lighting, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that SILIC LIGHTING CENTRE @ Balestier Road is selling these country style decorations which would definitely be of interest to home owners and collectors who love vintage-inspired stuff.

As you could see from the photograph above, these country style decorations are just a fraction of what's found at a corner of a showroom on the 2nd storey of this lighting boutique.

This is a cute little piece that might work well in bedrooms, service yards and even kitchens!

I believe that it's made of solid wood and hand painted to give it a sweet & romantic outlook.  It's definitely another feminine piece of furnishing for young girls & romantic ladies.

(more photographs pending)

Art Decor (Painting)

It's a real pity that this art gallery which is known as 艺美苑 (Yi Mei Yuan) at Lucky ChinaTown had already closed down for good.  Its owner whose a PRC national by the name of 杨峰 had doubled up both as a grandfather to his bundles of joy at home and an entrepreneur.

Unfortunately, he has decided to wind down the business in view of many reasons, one of which being domestic as he had plans to return to his homeland which he misses badly.

While the art gallery is no longer in operation, the photographs that I've taken for sharing on a local forum wouldn't go to waste as I would be publishing them here on my blog for the purposes of art appreciation.  And trust me, it's a feast to the eyes!

Although I'm not trained in the field of fine arts, I've always expressed a keen interest in canvas painting and have acquired my first collection in the form of 2 cheaply priced canvas painting from a pushcart sometime in Year 2002.

One of which featuring a beautiful scenery with hills & waterfall as the sun sets, had been passed on to my brother-in-law.

The second had been retained as that was a meaningful one that we felt emotionally attached to as it was catered for Geomency purposes even though it didn't age well under the hot sun - the oil painting had started showing hairline cracks.  However, we loved the painting so much that we had decided to retain it in our home.  And it'll be mounted happily on a champagne coloured wall at our balcony. :)

So here comes some lovely canvas painting which are already hanging on the walls of home owners!

Peonies painted on "gold foil"

Lotus on Canvas
Done up in the style of "Vincent van Gough" is how I would comment this piece in a layman's language.

Lotus on "gold foil"
This is yet another lotus-motif art work that is painted on gold foil and looks a lot better when seen in person.

It was a pity that I didn't get to buy it or other variations of it as they were all bought by other customers by the time I get to visit the art gallery again.

People :  A duo of Ballerinas
When I first set my eyes on this elegant painting, I am immediately reminded of the ballerinas in the Natalie Portman's movie, The Black Swan.

People :  

Courtesan or Imperial Concubine ?

While I was walking around in the art gallery, I stumbled upon this beautiful canvas painting of artistic nature which in my opinion, would be appropriate for private boudoirs, spas or beauty palors.

I've taken a snapshot of this painting, depicting a courtesan or royal concubine of the Tang dynastic era. It isn't sleazy by nature & would be well-appreciated from the artistic perspective.



Wealth Inviting Decoration - Maneki-neko 招き猫

I have started a recent collection of the all-time favourite fortune cat among many home owners.  If you are interested in looking at my humble collection of fortune cats, please feel free to visit my blogging articles at:

 

Maneki-neko (Part I) : Peony & Koban

 

 

Maneki-neko (Part II) : Sakura
















Chinese New Year Decoration - All Year Round! (from GEMINI BODY SHOP @ Pagoda Street)

During our recent audit by our Taiwanese geomencer, he had recommended that we place a red picture or a red scroll on a certain section of our wall.  At that juncture, Chinese New Year was well over for a couple of months or so.

We were almost going to buy a mega print of red roses when a PRC national friend well into her 40s mentioned to us that it's highly recommended that we kept to the conventional practice of using a red scroll with Chinese auspicious wordings on it.

She mentioned that there is a particular shop in ChinaTown that might have what we were looking for.  And there I was in ChinaTown, but tracking down this shop wasn't easy becox I had to ask many of the neighbouring shops for its exact location.  It was made extra tough by the unpredictable weather.  Sunny one moment but rainy during the next second.

Much to my relief, I finally found it!  It was actually running along the street that leads us to the escalator for Chinatown mrt station.

I was extremely surprised that it had such a huge variety of Chinese New Year (CNY) decorations even after CNY was long over.

The boss, Marcus Choo, said that CNY decorations were available throughout the year in his shop.  Although the demand for such decorations weren't as high as during its festive season, there is still a constant stream of customers from drama theaters and tourists requesting for them.

And his signage GEMINI BODY SHOP reflected the festive mood of CNY in a cheery tone of red, which is one of my favourite colours!

Initially, when I saw a giant version of the Mystic Knot being sold at his shop, I was almost going to purchase it becox I love such knots as it is one of the auspicious symbols in Buddhism.

It is associated with an abundance or endless amount of good energy & luck.  As such, it had also been known as the Endless Knot and had been very popular with high fashion houses & their designers.

However, after much serious contemplation while looking through the CNY wares at GEMINI, I've decided to settle down for the traditional red felt scrolls since our Taiwanese fengshui master had recommended a red "painting" or picture on that section of the wall.

I was extremely happy that GEMINI has a huge variety of such red scrolls.  Although they looked really cliche & typical of an "oldish" CNY decor as there's nothing modernised about it, I had decided to purchase one of these red scrolls since they would serve our fengshui requirements well.

After browsing through a good variety of red scrolls, I selected a version that has the Chinese word "福" (fu) written in a hundred ways as shown partially at the bottom left hand corner in the photograph.

Apart from CNY decorations being sold all year round in GEMINI Body Shop, they also sell traditional wares which are being used during Chinese weddings.

Rental of the Chinese "KUA" which had been used traditionally by the Cantonese during the wedding tea ceremony is also available at the store.

I took a snippet of 2 of such costumes in GEMINI Body Shop and they do look pretty & elaborated with the intriccate embroidery of the dragon & phoenix in silvery & goldish threads.

Perhaps I should jux rent one for myself for a wedding anniversary photo shoot & my hubby could pair off with me in the Chinese skull cap with his pig-tail! :P

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Disclaimer:

Permission has been sought from the following parties for their products & stores to be featured in this blog :
Jenny Ow of SILIC LIGHTING CENTRE PTE LTD
Marcus Choo of GEMINI BODY SHOP
Mr 杨峰 of 艺美苑 (Yi Mei Yuan Art Gallery) - No longer in Operation

Kindly note that this thread is strictly for the purpose of sharing my humble & objective views of products and services provided by the aforesaid company.

I am not affliated to this company and am a customer who bought products from these shops.

Reader's discretion is therefore sought when viewing this thread.

For the ease of viewing and any enquiries related to contact details of these companies, photographs that are ear-marked with such details are uploaded.

Some photographs related to these companies had also been water-marked in view of copyright issues.

Thank you for your kind understanding.