I spoke to my mother yesterday and she told me that the unusually long rainy season is finally over so it has been very hot in the past few days. Hot weather makes me think of things like ice cream, swimming, shorts and something quite extinct called handkerchiefs.

I used to carry cutesy handkerchiefs with me from kindergarten through high school. Being an extra sweaty person, it was an essential for spending hours in stuffy classrooms and being outdoor in the hot and humid weather of Malaysia. Unfortunately, disposable facial tissue had somehow out-cooled the traditional handkerchief and only grandpas and grandmas use hankies these days.

If you or someone in your family still have vintage hankies, don’t toss them! Since old is new nowadays, here are some simple things you can do to make handkerchiefs cool again:

Vintage Hankie Bunting by Vintage Resolution.

Tissue Holder by Beach Vintage.

Hankie Pillow Covers by Noodlehead.

When selling at craft markets, it a helps to have an eye catching display and your shop’s name prominently displayed.  I usually lug a pair of 7ft tall poles with 2 heavy tin cans to hang my shop banner up, and I used this set-up for a year before seeing a much easier to transport version at *bisou* bonbon’s stall!  Shelby had a pair of spring clamps with a nifty holder to hold thin poles, which simply clamped onto the table – why didn’t I think of that before?  After a couple of unsuccessful hunts at Ace Hardware, I decided to DIY.

What you’ll need:

• A pair of G-clamps.  Easily available at any hardware store.  I had a mini pair lying around, with a maximum jaw opening of 1 inch.  Small is neat, though larger G-clamps would mean not worrying about whether the clamps can fit the table provided. 
• A pair of poles/sticks 3 to 4ft tall.  They should be thick and sturdy enough to hold up your banner or bunting.  I like the look of unfinished wooden poles, and found 3ft tall, 3/8 inch diameter rods at Art Friend.
• Cable ties
• Your banner or bunting

Directions:

• Take the cable ties and tie the sticks to the clamps. Snip off the ends of the ties.  
• Attach clamps to table and hang up your bunting! It’s that easy

Hello Etsians! It’s that time of the year for those who celebrate Chinese New Year – spring cleaning time!

I know many don’t like to use commercial detergents so here are some cheap, effective and natural kitchen essentials that you can use to clean the house:

1. Lemon juice: This is an amazing soap scum dissolver, perfect for cleaning the shower closet, bathtub and wash basin. If you have clogged shower heads, mix lemon juice with some water and baking soda in a plastic bag, tie the bag of solution firmly to the spray head making sure that the tiny holes are fully immersed and let it soak overnight, your shower head will be good as new the next day!

2. Baking soda is a natural and harmless deodoriser and degreaser. Generously sprinkle some soda on carpets before vacuuming will remove grease and odour. Make a thick soda paste with some water and use it as a powerful degreaser for tough grease stains on microwave, oven and stove top. You can also pour a cup of baking soda into the sink drainage and chase it with plenty of boiling water to unclog and remove grease and dirt, just remember NOT to breathe the corrosive fume!

3. Distilled vinegar is almost an all purpose stain and grease remover. Use it straight or dissolve with equal part of water in a squirt bottle as an all-round household detergent. Just be careful NOT to use it on marble or surfaces that are prone to discolouration.

The three common kitchen ingredients above cost less than commercial detergents and are safe for your family, especially those who have babies and young pets that would put almost anything in their mouths

I hope these simple tips will help you clean better and safer this year.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year and be safe on the road if you’re driving somewhere for the celebration!