gar yao!! gar yao!!

gao yao literally translates to 'add oil' and this is what the volunteers were cheering us on today as we hiked up crazy steep slopes and carried saplings over rocky terrain so we could plant them on the side of a hill!

it was a wonderful event with over 700 registered participants, over 200 volunteers and the weather was perfect, slightly overcast and a cool breeze and the sun came out on the way back down. i ended up planting 10 saplings, unfortunately didn't name them but will try visit them next year. a big thank you to mari + kyle for providing moral support and waking up so early to walk with me! despite the bad reception, the phone calls were appreciated :P 

thanks friends of the earth hk for organising it, looking forward to next year :)

here are a few pics from the day... we also made some furry friends along the way!

preparing to plant new life

this is the site where we'll be planting the saplings on sunday :: grassy hill, shing mun country park, tsuen wan, this is a popular place for family hikes. it's fairly rocky and barren as it had been destroyed by hill fires. so we'll be planting trees that have a high water retention, which acts as a fire resistant barrier!

there will be 8-12 different tree species, native and exotic breeds to encourage biodiversity and they have been selected to suit our local environment.

a few of the species include schima superba (gugertree)

and the rhaphiolepis indica.


friends of the earth hk are doing a fantastic job and will be committing to annual aftercare for 3 year to weed and fertilise the plants and make sure they are surviving!

as mentioned in the other post, we have to create
our own carrying gear, here are a few ideas from
previous years...

will keep you posted on how things go :)

bubble couture launch party!!!

my dear friend linnet will be launching her baby apparel company this weekend :: bubble couture

all stock will be available at 10% off on the day + there are lots of prizes to be won. our cards will also be there so come check it out. details below...

introducing :: tombo the tomato plant

repotting was a success and tombo is set up with a lovely view of the tsing ma bridge :)

got green fingers?

In all honesty, I've never had green fingers... though my grandmother loves spending time in the garden, especially with her roses (picture below), and my mum has always had pots of things growing on our balcony, I never was good with plants.

Well that is all going to change!

I was recently given a tomato plant and will document it's growth and progress on here. I need to repot it so it can spread it's roots and grow. A picture will be coming soon (it's too dark outside now to take one).

Another thing that I've always wanted to do is plant a tree. I'd be happy just to plant one, but living in a concrete jungle on the 41/F makes it quite hard to do so. Where there is a will, there is a way!

Friends of the Earth are running a tree planting challenge on April 25th, and I have signed up, yay!! The challenge? Hike 13km and plant a minimum of 10 saplings in 6 hours. Doesn't sound too bad, but after going to a briefing session I realise I need to do some training as a lot of it is uphill and the saplings themselves weigh over 8kg, not including tools, fertiliser, water (for the saplings and myself) a packed lunch and wet weather wear :: bring it on!!!

In addition, we have to create a carrying device for the saplings, so it has to be strong, lightweight and easy to carry uphill... so I need so ideas and help here please!

I've decided to name my little saplings, so free feel to send in your ideas :)

waking up to spring

this picture was taken on a walk through the beautiful uk midlands + you can see a little bit of frost melting away on the grass, which brings us to the month that is full of life + new beginnings :: happy april :)

a green product store :: emoi

i was walking around the polluted streets of causeway bay + came across an incredibly clean, visually fresh looking store with interesting products inside :: emoi

they have some great eco products such as bpa free tumblers, reusable shopping + cloth bags to more unique pieces like funky hanging clocks + my favourite :: blackboard mugs!!

emoi can be found at
19-21 sharp street east, causeway bay, hong kong
emoilife.com

often 2010 :: organic, fair trade, environmental friendly fair + music show

often 2010 :: organic, fair trade, environmental friendly fair + music show
date :: saturday 20th march 2010
location :: podium, cyberport hong kong
time :: 9am-10pm
entry fee :: $40

when we first heard of this fair last year from our friends noughts and exes + immediately knew we had to be a part of it! this is the first event in hk dedicated to creating awareness, educating, combining arts, products + music together to encourage the sustainable development of the environment + community.

apart from product stalls like ours, there will also be workshops + demonstrations on how to make organic cookies, 100% organic soap, natural plant dying to nutritional talks + tips on turning trash into useful household products!

also the music show will be the highlight with a number of local bands supporting the cause + they've even collaborated their talent to write an original song for the event - how awesome is that!

we'll be there from 8am-9pm so hope you guys can make it along + enjoy the day. it actually looks like the weather is going to clear up too. yay :)

for more info on the often event, check out www.chopsticks-co.com/often2010/

heading straight into march

can you believe it's already march?! how has the year gone by so fast?!

march is going to be an exciting month for us with a few fairs coming up (details below) and new outlets stocking our momumen cards!

available in the following hong kong shops now
:: graze cafe - sheung wan www.graze.hk
:: hong kong book centre - central www.hongkongbookcentre.com
:: hong kong book centre - taikoo shing
:: kelly & walsh - pacific place www.kellyandwalsh.com
:: organic baby - lyndhurst tce www.organicbaby.com.hk
:: pippap - db
:: swindon book co - tst www.swindonbooks.com

fairs
:: kgv school - fairy tales night market
friday, march 12, 6-9pm
2 tin kwong road, ho man tin

:: often - organic, fair trade, environmentally friendly fair & music show 2010
saturday, march 20, 10am-11pm
tickets - $40/person
hong kong's first ever event to put the ideas of organic, fair trade, environmentally friendly concepts and the support of the sustainable development of the local community together. come show your support!  www.chopsticks-co.com/often2010/

will see you guys there!

also as it's a new month, let's refresh our desktops :: here's to a great month of march :)

february's looking bright

it's been a while since our last post, but no worries we're still here working on a few things which makes the coming months look rather exciting - with more wedding bells ringing, some new invites, personalised stationery + a new range of cards!

:: also coming soon :: new mulberry moment website, where you can browse through the cards + shop online! we'll let you know more very soon.

in the meantime, here's the desktop calendar for february :: enjoy!

 

new year 2010!

what an exciting new year this is going to be. i can just feel it :)

there are a number of things going on with mulberry moment this year, with new products, new ranges + a new online shopping website coming soon, so keep a look out for that.

to get the year going, here's a desktop calendar for your background. feel free to add details such as important dates, birthdays + so on. this'll (hopefully) help with sending cards out on time!

click on the image to enlarge it + save the file with your background images :: happy jan 2010

yay it's christmas!!

i just received this lovely picture of a christmas fireplace.

check out the momumen festive cards along the mantle!

have a wonderful christmas everyone :)

handmadehongkong :: soho carnival

what a great weekend! thanks for all the support + love :D
visit our facebook page for more images

market day nov 7-8!

the handmadehongkong market day in soho is fast approaching... 2 more weeks! i'm a little nervous as this is the first market day i've done + i'm not sure what the response to mulberry cards will be! i know i know it'll be fine, thought it's easy to let doubts creep in looking at that calibre of vendors that will be there. all i can do is plan + get things ready...

1. the festive cards are at the printers + i'll be checking the colour proofs this wednesday
2. the biodegradable plastic sheets will be arriving soon via a friend coming back from the states
3. finalising display concept [while listening to the 500days of summer soundtrack - awesome]
4. working on a little roster for the day if people are available to come help! if you have an hour or two to spare on nov 7-8, 12noon - 9pm please please do let me know - thanks!!

order your festive range now + get a gingerbread latte!

click here to view the online version

christmas is coming!

i've been working on the christmas range of momumen cards + it has been bringing up lots of memories of christmas + excitement for the season ahead!! i'm actually heading to the uk to celebrate with family so that'll be really good. hopefully will be able to meet up with some card companies + distributors while i'm there. uk is one of the largest markets for greeting cards!

in the meantime here's a sneak peak at one of the cards in the festive range 2009! more to come soon...

offset all the way

I've just completed a few different design + print jobs and it's be fun working on these projects [pictures to be posted later]. The only issue I will have to make sure stands going forward is using offset printing, only. Due to various factors, mainly budget + small quantities, a few clients have opted for digital print. Which is fine if they want to go that way, and are happy with the finished product, but in all honesty it just doesn't look as good. From now on I will only be providing offset printing with soy ink + recycled paper. This is important for my business + keeping true to the mission to be earth friendly while using sustainable materials where possible.

On the topic of printing, I've had an issue with a printer of not providing a colour proof before the final print run! This is really frustrating as the final product on both occasions had problems which could have been easily rectified if a proof was given + checked. What a waste of material + time... note for the future, make sure you get a proof!

momumen cards available

finally our first mulberry moment range of cards featuring momumen - our signature characters expressing emotions + moments are available

:: in hong kong at graze cafe a neighourhood cafe serving wholesome comfort food. check it out :)

:: online at etsy.com/mulberrymoment

if you are interested in stocking our cards in your store, please contact us at thegoods@mulberrymoment.com. display units are as below



enjoy your mulberry moment!

do what your heart desires

In the last couple of days I've finally managed to catch up with some close friends, which has proven a difficult task in the past few months as everyone, myself included is always busy! I really am thankful for the flexible I can have with my time, although I had to catch myself recently, as I felt that I was spending too much time doing that. So when I got home at the end of the day, I worked and worked till the early hours of the morning to make up for time lost. Which there wasn't any of... I was just losing sleep! I know how easy it is to slip into the mindset of working yourself hard and being productive, but I'm learning to shift that focus to other areas, such as investing in relationships and personal growth. So a coffee date here or there, or spending some time reading a book is ok, and is in fact a good thing.

Going back to those long awaited catch ups, it was wonderful to hear my friends' life stories and being able to share our dreams. It's really encouraging to see people going after their passions, whether it be writing, dancing, music, brand management or even perfecting their coffee making. Everyone has a particular desire that stirs their heart, and it is a big thing to step out into it. Despite all your fears and barriers in front of you, if you commit to your desires, the passion that drives you will get you through to see those dreams come true.

If you don't know already, set some time aside to find those desires of your heart. It's worth it.

a little teaser

the first range of mulberry moment momumen* cards have arrived!! the cards will soon be available in select stores as well as online. if you would like to see the full range + place a direct order please feel free to email us at thegoods@mulberrymoment.com

*momumen are our signature little characters who express emotions + moments. the 4.75in squared cards are printed with soy ink on 100% recycled card and come with a matching embossed envelope.

check out our facebook group for the full collection, in the meantime, here's a little sample of the cards