Being a Crafty Cat

On making your own blog/website

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:51:00 +0000

I've been blogging on and off since 2003. Started out using services like LiveJournal, as well as other clones of LJ. Anyway, blogging is a rather common activity nowadays. Back then people were asked to give invite codes before they could create their accounts. We have it easy these days, I swear. ;) And these days, web hosting and domain names are relatively cheaper! I used to share webspace with 3 other folks. It was that expensive back in the day. Even just registering the domain name was expensive. I think it used to cost a couple of thousands per year.

Now that I think about it, I have a friend who asked me about this topic a couple of weeks ago. Here it goes:
1. Think of the domain name you really think is appropriate for your blog or website.
2. Check it if it is still available. Most domain registrars have a tool to check if the domain name you like is still available. Commonly used registrars include the following: GoDaddy, Dreamhost, etc. Locally, I use Ploghost.com because I've registered craftyneko.com with them for quite a while now. Also, I could pay them without even having a credit card because they have an option of paying through bank deposits.
3. Once you already have your chosen domain name, you could use it now. But it depends on what you're using. Some webhosting services actually just ask you for the domain name and do everything for you. If not, it depends on the tool you're provided with. The important things to learn are the following: CNAME and ANAME. These are the two things that you will definitely need, whatever tool you have. If you're using Blogger too, check out this guide from GoDaddy.

So, in this day and age, you've got an idea for a website and you're not sure how to go about it? There are many options that even newbies can try and have fun with. Let me write down several options that I think you could use when you want to create a website or a blog.

1. Start out by using a blogging service.
Why do I suggest using a blogging service? Blogging services have really easy to use features. If this is your first time to write a blog or create a website, you don't have to worry a lot about the format. You could focus on the content that you want to put on it. If you want to post content about cats, then feel free to do so and you could select from the many services like Blogger, Tumblr, Posterous, WordPress.com, etc. You could even remove the comments section from such blogs if you mainly want to share information and you don't really feel like managing comments. (But, trust me. Comments can be quite good because you could learn from your readers too!)

Another nice thing about blogging services is that they also sometimes give you the option of registering your custom domain through them. If you have a credit card or PayPal account, it should be easy. Within a few clicks and a form to fill up, you have your own site and a custom domain to go with it. And you just have to pay a certain amount (it varies from one service to another). Everything's quite convenient.

2. Use a website builder.
If you don't want to have a very bloggish format, and you want it to be more customized, you could opt to try a website builder like Weebly. Or if you already have a Google account, why not try Google Sites? Both give you a lot of control without having to learn so much technical details just yet. You could still do drag and drop of stuff to create your website on these two services. Not bad at all, right? And not too geeky yet.

More often than not, website builders already have themes included so you don't have to think about the colors much unless there's a very specific branding you want to achieve and if you have enough time to do some tweaks.

3. For the more technically-inclined, get your own webhost and domain name.
This is something I've also tried. I paid for a webhost and I registered my domain. In this case, you need to learn quite a bit, depending on how customized you want things to be. You might also need to familiarize yourself with things like PHP, WordPress, Joomla, Apache, etc. The good thing though is that there are usually people who are available to help you. If you want to try this one, I suggest that you really ask a friend to guide you through the steps and that you shouldn't rush it. After all, you will seriously be the one to maintain everything including making sure that your data has backups. For a time, Dreamhost was pretty popular among my friends. Some webhosting providers bundle domain registration with the webhosting service. They make it easy for their users to just start submitting their preferred .com or .org (etc.) and for the users to start setting up their website.

Among the three, I am currently more into blogging rather than having my own focused website. For one thing, most of my content is written from a personal perspective and so Blogger was something that I easily gravitated to when I got lazy and stopped my old WordPress setup. As much as I loved WordPress so much, it also took my time to manage it. So what I did was basically keep the domain name I registered before and set it up in Blogger so that it will now be pointing to this blog. It makes sense to me.

What about you? Have you been thinking about having your own blog or website lately? Share with me the options you've looked at. I am definitely curious.

Matsumoto Jun Is With Me All The Time

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 07:59:00 +0000

Yes. He is! Well, his picture to be more precise. Thanks to Charo for helping me out yesterday. Now I can take screen shots on my phone. Now the internet knows that I think Matsumoto Jun is one of the best actors out there.

RANT: On switching from Linux to Windows XP

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:05:00 +0000

The short version: It sucks.

The long version:
I wouldn't really do it if it was just about me. But my aunt will start using this old machine so it's not practical to convince her to use Linux. After all, I will be quite far away from her so tech support will be an issue. Anyway, I am getting really pissed off.

For starters, on Linux we have live CDs which can be installed immediately to the machine. And if the machine (like my netbook) has a faulty external DVD/CD drive, we could still manage to install a Linux distro. Converting the disc image into a bootable USB installer isn't as convoluted nor as tedious nor as long as converting a Windows XP installer.

I suppose people will say it's because it was not meant to be used this way. True that. But still. It's really getting on my nerves now. ~_~ So the next time someone asks me if I could help them convert their old Linux machine to Windows XP, I'd probably not do it unless I have REALLY PLENTY of TIME. And if it's not a case of something similar to my aunt, I will just help them find a good set of tools for their needs.

Komku is the tool I am currently using for this process. I will bookmark the link but I am crossing my fingers that I will NEVER have to do this again. ~_~ details later.

GADC Manila - Still Waiting For Participants

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:56:00 +0000

We've got some participants here at the CodeFlux office and some are still on their way here. If you signed up online do come here and join us!

GADC Manila happening at CodeFlux this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:49:00 +0000

Some folks at CodeFlux are preparing for this weekend's Global Android Developer Camp. It's a 48-hour long hackathon. Android developers who have ideas have a chance to showcase their skills and learn from each other.

These are the IDs to be used later.

The walls of the organizers' area looks like this this morning.

We've got shirts here for the participants too! Haha XD Better come and register. I am not sure if the participants will still be allowed to join tomorrow if they fail to show up this evening. Here's hoping I'd see really cool apps this weekend! :D I will definitely try to keep this blog updated based on what I see happening here at CodeFlux.

New year, new machine?

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:15:00 +0000

It's actually a new machine to me but it is old. Then again, it is in very good condition so it's practically like owning something new. :) As far as laptops go, I've had my old Lenovo C3000 N100 since 2006 and admittedly, my Acer Aspire One can't really catch up with the workload I've got. So yeah, right now, I am typing this post on a second hand Macbook.

Honestly, I find it difficult to use. As everyone says, it's because I am adjusting. And that I should embrace change rather than fight it. It's just that there are things I truly miss. Like having a "cut" instead of copying files then deleting them after. I also don't like the menu bar on top of the screen and it's only for the focused app. It's really weird and it annoys me to no end when I am on a dual screen setup and the app I am using is on the larger screen. I could go on and on and on, I swear. Haha.

But I guess the bottomline here is that at least I now have a work machine and it's something that will make it more convenient for me because everyone's got one in the office so if I forget my charger, I could easily borrow theirs instead of not having the capability to do any task. And in terms of installers, I could always ask them for an app or two. And in the future, maybe Noey and I could have fun using Garageband or something.

Will I still be as antagonistic in a month or two? I dunno. To be honest, sometimes I get so frustrated but I have to learn how to use something different. It doesn't mean I have to love it. It just means I need to figure out a good workflow for me. Right now, what works for me is that I've got Chrome and Emacs. That's why I am still somehow sane. XD

Test

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:55:00 +0000

Blog It post

Testing Blog It

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:54:00 +0000

This is a test post using my phone

JPN is here

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:23:00 +0000

Hooray! I now have my copy of Perfume's JPN with me at the office. Thanks to my friend Karra who brought it to Manila from Japan. I am so happy about it! Wheeeee~! Time to listen to their songs. I wish I had enough money for the limited ed. Ah well. I am still so happy because this is my first CD of the trio. Karra said I should check Mandarake online because prices there are way cheaper. Maybe next time, around September haha. All I know is that I am squeeing! <3

One new recipe a month

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:02:00 +0000

I totally failed at keeping my crafting blog last year. So maybe I
need to try doing something more feasible. I love food and it's
something I like sharing with everyone. So maybe the best thing to try
is one new recipe a month. Whether it's something Filipino or
something else, I have to try making it. There are so many things I
want to learn how to make. And I do cook sometimes. Or bake. It
depends on a lot of things. And cooking is an essential skill so I
know I must go beyond the pasta dishes I've been studying before.

Meat dishes are so difficult for me to cook because I find it
difficult to purchase meat. I am not always sure about their
condition. And more so when I need to wait for them to be tender. I
get really impatient haha. Another reason for me to want to learn a
new recipe per month is that I know I have to lose weight. So
healthier choices would be great. And sometimes I get fascinated with
the substitutions that could be done in a recipe. (Like eggless food.
You could use other stuff instead of eggs, but it depends on what
you're using the egg for.)

Here's a list of stuff I want to make and I am not sure which ones
will go to which month:
Chinese quequiam
Adobong puti
Zongzi/Machang
Peanut butter cups (ala Reese's)
Pad thai
Paella
Shepherd's Pie
Apple Pie
Chicken Roll
Tea flavored cupcakes
Matcha cupcakes
Pinangat
Salpicao
Kung Pao Chicken
Kare-kare
Oyakodonburi
Samosa
Palak Paneer
Omurice

I am still thinking of stuff to list. I see that I still haven't
written down much pork or beef dishes. I am so lazy when it comes to
cooking meat. ~_~ In any case, these should be interesting to try. :)cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Year 2011 - in terms of awesome goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:22:00 +0000

Jan 2011
My sister's birthday was fun even if we were just at home. I baked
some goods and her request was cream cheese brownies. I kinda failed
but she ate them anyway. AD gave us a visit and we were glad for it.
She's so sweet to us. Sometimes I feel spoiled hahaha.

Feb 2011
My birthday was fun XDDD We went to Binondo and ate at Wan Chai. It
was KKB but I brought home-made cupcakes. And Valentine's Day was
pretty special too. JM and I went out for lunch in our favorite place:
Twenty One Plates. We then went to Serenitea where I started
crocheting my birthday gift to a friend, and in the evening we
watched a play where his friends were part of.

March 2011
This was a cake month. Lol. My sister and I made two birthday cakes.
One was for Josh who loved Sponge Bob Squarepants so we made him a
chocolate cake with fondant as decoration. It was pretty cool :) And
mom's birthday was a week after and we made her one too. But something
more feminine so it was a white cake with store bought icing flowers.
I think I met Madz around this time. Madz is a very talented girl and
a great cosplayer. She even has a pretty pretty doll named Alice.
April 2011
Glenn and Shane visited Manila :) We even had a family day of sorts
hahaha. It was a day of bonding with them, Chelle, Josh, JP and his
siblings, Martin and Renee. It was a great day! Too bad JM was out of
town that day but at least Glenn and Shane were around for a week. :)
And Glenn was there when we went to Punta Fuego for our summer outing.
It was me and my 'siblings' who shared the room with JM so all that
time we had so much stuff to talk about. I wish Shane and JP were
there too but they had to do other stuff that weekend.

May 2011
Surprise of the month was Enzo's birthday party. I think we shocked
him so well that his expression was so priceless. Everyone was in on
the scheme! Including their high school barkada and his girlfriend.
It was so much fun! I am not sure how we could top that next year. We
also had bonding nights that time because we went OT on some nights
and on other nights, we would be playing Taboo in the office, whether
it's just us or with Ruth's sisters. XD The interns were such great
people to hang out with.

June 2011
JM's birthday happened and because I didn't really have enough budget
for a really big gift, I treated him to Yakimix because food is
glorious! Hahaha. XDDD Food will always be special, I think. The
banana muffins were fine :3

July 2011
JM and I had a lunch date at Spirals Clair + Food = Happy Time! I dressed up a bit for a change and I was
glad he really appreciated my effort in primping up haha and another
special thing from that day was that he gave me a dip pen set. :3

Aug 2011
August was the time that I visited Manila Zoo once again. I know I
should go back because I really want to see how the animals are doing
and if the handlers are doing fine as well. The visit we did was an
eye-opener for me and it's still at the back of my head, trying to
figure out what's the best way to help them. I need to follow up on
this thing in 2012. :)
I think it was around August that I started frequently replying to
Andhie and Kurn's blog posts XD

Sept 2011
Our company turned 1! We had a photoshoot at Citrus Snap and they
were so nice and accommodating. We filled up their entire studio
because everyone was there for the shoot. We had a party too and
everyone helped out in making the decorations. XD I learned a little
bit about flower arrangement from Liyan, the one who headed the
decoration team. I also recall that September was the time that I
watched a fashion show which involved some of my favorite people from
the internet: Cat, Chai, Luisa, Sese, Leny. After that, I added a new
fave: Yapo. Not everyone of them knows who I am but watching them
progress is just amazing. :)

I also had some fun learning moments during September. After all, FFC
happened then. :)

Oct 2011
Surprise birthday visit to Glenn XD It was my first flight out of the
country and it was really awesome! I wish our other friends were there
too but it's ok. At least we were able to give him a nice surprise.
Not just the visit, but we also had a video for him. XDDD Had some
shopping done in Sg! Cotton On is a great place to shop. And food trip
galore in Sg too :D We also had a company event which involved trick
or treats with kids from two NGOs. :)

The Ongaku gig happened in October. It was a blast! Funny thing was
that my sister, our friend Anna and I all won at the raffle in between
performances hahaha.

And October is special because I witnessed another special couple who
got married that time. Glad to have met Sacha and Wayne again after so
long! All the way from Canada
Nov 2011
I think it was November when we saw the schedule of the L'arc en Ciel
pre-selling of tickets. XDDD I spazzed. Seriously. Hahaha! Oh and the
last Momo Manila event was held in November. We were late but JM won a
Blackberry Playbook hahaha XDDD And it turns out that some friends of
mine from high school and college were there during the event too.

Dec 2011
December was a busy time! So much to do and so little time. Some
notable things include meeting new people online and offline. :) And
get togethers! This year was the most fun get together at my lolo's
house because of the bingo thing and the gimmicks that my uncles and
aunts did. And glorious food! Again. I think I have a one-track mind
XDDD I could just think about food food and food!cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Local talents: Techy Romantics has a gig this December 9

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:58:00 +0000

The trio known as Techy Romantics will have a gig this Friday in Saguijo. Bring your iPod or whatever music player you've got and download their music then and there for PhP150 only! It's not just the digital album, they will have some add-ons too so don't hesitate to be at Saguijo then. ;)

I saw them at gigs before, and we really enjoyed their music. And when they released their first album, we couldn't help but be there and hear them perform their upbeat songs. If you like electropop, then make sure that you check their music.

If you're not yet a fan of the group, check out their website: techyromantics.com. They have a free download of their latest single Escape. You could also follow them on Facebook/techyromantics.

Check out Food Trippings!

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:57:00 +0000

I love food and food blogs are so fun to read. At Food Trippings, you can check out what Karla Redor and Sharlyne Ang have to say about the different places and dishes they've tried. And this week, they even have contests sponsored by Jollibee!

Today is Cars Day so don't forget to post a comment on their blog post if you want a chance to win a car care kit, a demuhimifier kit and Jollibee gift certificates. ;)

Touristy goodness in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:50:00 +0000

The last how many days was an adventure! It was my first flight out of
the country and I learned new things:

1. Double check your baggage's weight.
2. Always check your passport's expiration date. You need to make
sure you've got more than 6 months to go from the date of your flight.
My dear boyfriend had to extend his passport then and there. He ended
up getting to Singapore a day later.
3. Bring a book or a gadget where you could watch videos, etc. The
flight isn't that long but it's not that short either.
4. Bring really comfy footwear.
5. Invest in Aquazorb. I plan to buy one such towel before I go on my
next trip. (Whenever that would be lol.)

Martin was a good companion for the trip. I was really nervous about
the immigration thing because of the DOST thing. We were also mistaken
as siblings by the person manning the entry area towards the different
gates of NAIA Terminal 3.

By the time we got to Singapore, our friend Shane was waiting for us
and we were talking about the plane ride, the immigration stuff, etc.
We stayed up and waited for our friend Glenn -- the reason we went to
Singapore. XDDD He was surprised when he entered the unit so the trip
was really worth it! :D

My first day in Singapore was basically in Universal Studios. Martin
and I went around until our feet got tired. Got to see Shrek 4D!
Hahaha. That was fun. :D I tried some rides too. That includes the
Mummy ride. I survived riding it twice! Lol. Martin and Joan (via
iMessage) effectively goaded me into trying it. Both times I was
nervous. I could hear Martin laughing so much during the ride and so
I was really envious that he was able to truly enjoy it. At least I
am not so chicken about it because I did ride twice. Hahaha. We had
lunch at Loui's. The pizza slices were huge! Another good thing at
Universal Studios was my photo-op with Po! :D

After Universal Studios, we met up with Shane in Tampines and we went
to Ikea. :D :D :D That was really glorious! Such a huge place. And
the food was great! We had so much food: chicken wings, meatballs,
daim cake, pasta, etc. We bought dinner for Glenn and JM from Ikea.
Decided to bring home dark chocolate from Ikea too. That night we
stayed up late waiting for JM.

The third day in Singapore was in Jurong Bird Park. I SAW PENGUINS! :D
:D :D We attended one of the shows in the bird park and one of the
highlights was that the birds were showing off their skills. When the
handler asked if anyone was celebrating a birthday, we all pointed at
Glenn. It was really his birthday that day and the parrot sang for
him and another kid. XD That was cute!

We also dropped by Vivo City and I ended up buying a Charles and Keith
bag. So pretty! And it's brown. I love brown so I couldn't resist.
Plus it's one of those new bags. JM also shopped that day. He found
nice brown shoes. (We like brown hahahaha.) Dinner was in Seoul
Garden. Korean dinner~! Lots of great kimchi ;)

Sunday morning was in Wild Wild Wet, a nearby water theme park. I
don't really know how to swim but I survived! :D The 'tsunami' in one
of the areas got me dizzy so I sat for a bit and Shane kept me company
while the guys were trying out the different slides. We all went to
the big slide with the gigantic boat-like thing were we all fit. We
went down the slide twice XD After that, we went home to change and
we then went to Vivo City where we bought snacks. JM and I proceeded
to watch Songs of the Sea. It was one fun and enchanting show. You
have to experience it to understand what I mean. If you're getting
regular seats, be early so you would be near the main area of the
show. :) Shane, Glenn and Martin went around to window shop and we
just met up after. Dinner was at Makan Sutra! Lots of great food:
cereal prawn, stingray, chili crab. Did I say glorious food? :D

Today we went to the Singapore Zoo. Going around was pretty tiring
but still fun. I liked the fragile forest because the animals were
freely moving around :) I saw lemurs, birds, monkeys, bats and
butterflies! There were also penguins in the Singapore Zoo so I was
really happy. Too bad the polar bear wasn't there. Why? Because
they're going to include it in the River Safari in 2012. There was
also a show in Singapore Zoo that talks about the destruction of the
rain forest. It's informative and I think kids will understand it.

After Singapore Zoo, we went to Marina Bay. We walked around. The
place is beautiful in the evening. The helix bridge even had letters
A, C, G, T all over it. We saw the Singapore flyer from there. At the
Merlion Park were lots of tourists including us~! XDDD There was also
a light and water show there. It was beautiful! Not as lovely as
Songs of the Sea but it has its own great points.

My main luggage is more or less packed. I've got some food stuff to
bring home ^^;;; And I am pretty sure my sister will love what I got
for her from the Singapore Zoo. When I wake up later, I'd be
preparing for our trip to Orchard Road and Funan to do the last leg of
shopping. Hope to get something for my mom there. I'd be dropping by
Sephora so maybe I'd get a thing or two. It depends.

I have other things I wish to write about my trip to Singapore but I
think it's better to post all the touristy goodness in this entry. The
other details will come later when I have pictures to share.cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Note on Making a Branch in Git

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:42:00 +0000

I just need to remember this:

1. Commit all previously made changes.
2. Branch out using git branch
3. Go to branch using git checkoutcross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Win Crumpler bags from abuggedlife.com's contest!

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:05:00 +0000

Want a Crumpler bag? Here's your chance. Write a haiku to win it! There will be three winners and if your haiku is creative enough, it could be you. ;) The first prize is a really nice messenger bag called Pinnacle of Horror. The second prize is Kazoo, which is nifty because you could carry around your travel documents and gadgets close to your body. And third prize is Carrot, a nifty pencil case.

Check out this blog entry, I'm giving away 3 really epic bags from Crumpler... by Jayvee Fernandez for the details.

cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Today is stupid day

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:57:00 +0000

Well, in my case it is. I forgot to bring the proper charger end for
my office laptop. Therefore, i'm going home right after lunch. I can't
do anything at the office because of this. How awesome is this? On one
hand, this is a reminder of how convenient it is for me to switch to a
Mac when I could afford it already. Having a Mac means I could leech
off from people who use the same charger at work. Also, that means
better battery life. My old laptop is as good as a desktop. Bah.
I'm so frustrated and pissed off. Oh well.cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Rainy days and Mondays

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:17:00 +0000

These two things shouldn't come together. If they come together, like
today, i wouldn't want to report for work. Sleeping is way more fun on
this kind of day.
I remember being a kid in the 90s and watching videos of the Beatles
on channel 5 when classes are cancelled because of a typhoon or
something. And we used to eat champorado with dried fish. Ah well. I'm
no longer a kid so I can't do that anymore.
What are you up to on this rainy Monday? :)cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Busy September!

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 02:11:00 +0000

Almost every day I've been busy this September. Projects have been coming and going in the office. Aside from that, there are so many events. I even skipped this month's MoMoManila because I can't possibly be a superwoman that day.

So September... What did we have?

<form> function() & .class - a web designer's conference. It was two days of fun and learning. I went there with JC and Joiz. Renee and Edwin were there too. Saw some really awesome people like Ia, Regnard, Aja and Rico. More on this event later. Check out the lanyrd page of ffcph! Links to some of the materials are there.

Our company anniversary! CodeFlux is now a year old. We had a photoshoot and a party. That week was so busy because we prepared decorations and stuff. The wonderfully talented Liyan spearheaded the party team and I helped out with the decors and some of the games.

Google Dev Fest also happened this month. I attended this whole day event to learn more about HTML 5 and there were also sessions regarding Fusion Tables and Android. Too bad I was late that day so I was mainly in the HTML 5 talks.

Some of my co-workers went to the other events like Software Freedom Day, Y4IT and MoMoManila. I wish I was there! But those sleepless nights of preparing for the anniversary as well as doing some work for a project got me a little too tired on some days.

I'd be writing more about these events in detail later. I have to head out and watch Quark Henares' movie Rakenrol today with JM.

Tiki fun at the office

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:23:00 +0000

That's what I made at the office today. XD We have a lot of black cartolina and a box of colored chalk. It was a busy morning but this afternoon's impromptu art therapy has made it more festive and fun at the office. Just so glad we could go and be crazy sometimes at CodeFlux.

Maybe after today I will end up researching more about how tiki designs are made haha.

And yes, I was the one who drew this.

Story Mapping for UX Practitioners: Tying Agile & UX Together

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:28:00 +0000

http://www.uie.com/events/virtual_seminars/agileux/

A quote from the article:

Story mapping is a way of organizing Agile user stories that communicate user experience. It allows us to build the collection of stories that become the backlog. Agile expert Jeff Patton will show you how story mapping gives you a tool: a tool to both quickly think through and simply describe the user experience. This strong technique helps you put the big picture of UX and the little pictures of Agile in one place, engaging the developers and stakeholders you’re working with.
Users will always have an experience with your product. Story mapping will pull your UX focus into your organization’s process and ensure that experience is a great one.

The important thing is that we really do our best to understand what the users really find useful, etc. We need to understand how the application should work from their point of view too. Not just because we know some features will work well in a certain manner doesn't mean that we've made it in such a way that they will easily use the application.

It is a good question to ask youself: Have you mapped out the stories?

cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

A mug of masala chai on a rainy afternoon

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 10:52:00 +0000

It's a rainy weekend. A great companion during these times is a mug of hot masala chai. Thanks to Catherine Jannelle for the tea leaves! I've been drinking assam tea more but I've been wanting to open the pack of masala just because. Finally~! It took a rainy weekend for me to do this haha. Well, it's better late than never.

Most people would probably want to drink a cup of hot chocolate during these times. I have nothing against hot chocolate. Especially if it's the local tsokolate de batirol. (Well, I don't have tablea nor the tools to make that at home!) But a cup of tea is just lovely. The aroma, the flavor, everything.

What are you drinking during this cold rainy weekend? Do you have a recipe you want to share? :)

cross-posted via posterous.com: http://eclair.posterous.com

Surprised by Hany

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:48:00 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happyeclair/5879158205

So I got this pack of Hany today. Found it on my desk but no one's saying who gave it. Lol. Who do I thank? XD

My very pink motif-based bag

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:06:00 +0000

2011-04-03-224828, a photo by happy.eclair on Flickr.

For this week, I made a new bag. It's so pink, I LOVE IT! For the details, here it goes...

Yarns:
1 ball Katia Calipso (color/dyelot: 14/39960; yardage: 71 yards)
1 ball Katia Calipso (color/dyelot: 2D/39122; yardage: 71 yards)

Tools:
crochet hook, size N
tapestry needle/yarn needle

How I made it:
Basically I used a certain motif which I got from one of the Japanese crochet books I bought recently. I wanted to try making motifs, just because. Anyway, I wanted to make a quick project which would take me less than a night so I used my Katia Calipso yarns which are 60% cotton and 40% acrylic. I thought acrylic yarns would've been fine but in worsted weight, it might take forever. And if I was going to make it using acrylic yarns, I'd most likely have to line it, which is something I am too lazy to do so... yeah. :p I wasn't sure how big the motifs would be considering the size of the yarns and the size of my hook. I ended up making two big squarish motifs. Maybe around 8x8 in. Then I made a rectangular side panel using alternating rows of double crochet and single crochet. I attached the panels together using single crochet. It was fairly easy :) The strap came last because, of course, I had to make sure I had enough yarn for the main body! I practically used up the entire balls of yarn for this bag.
I'd definitely want to make some motif-based bags again soon. It's just that I'd probably need more money for this kind of yarn. It's easy to work with and it's not so heavy when you use it. Really really cute shades of pink too!

Little Cotton Shrug

noreply@blogger.com (Clair Ching) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:38:00 +0000

Little Cotton Shrug, a photo by happy.eclair on Flickr.

Thanks to Mimi Alelis, I now have my first crocheted piece of clothing. I’ve been wondering what to wear this summer because there are insanely hot days especially when commuting. So here it is, my finished shrug. The pattern isn’t so hard to follow, considering I am not an expert at crochet. It primarily uses single crochet and double crochet.

The amusing thing here is that with a 4/0 sized hook, my gauge is double than what’s on the pattern so I tried making the sleeve part already based on the small sized directions and it worked just fine. I had a problem with the shoulders though so I was fitting the shrug as I went along. As for the edging, that’s another tricky part. I am not sure if I will totally redo this part one of these days or make another one from scratch. Why? I find the edging a bit loose but the thing is that I need a stretchy enough edging to wear this. I am also not that familiar with how shrugs should really fit me. Ah well. I am hoping to make a cropped cardigan with this pattern as basis. Unless I find another pattern. It might look like it’s knitted but it’s not ;) It took me a week, more or less because of the edging issue I had.

All in all, I found cotton to be a good kind of material to work with and the resulting shrug is lightweight. Perfect for summer.

Things I learned:
1. If you're bigger, maybe you could adjust the pattern/adapt the pattern using a different gauge. In this project's case, the gauge I had was double. Aside from being able to use the 'small' sized instructions, the shrug looks more lacy which makes it cute and summer-y.
2. Edging is not always easy to make/decide on. Because I used a bigger gauge, I couldn't directly use the recommended edging. Also, I needed a stretchier edging that would let me wear the shrug.
3. Cotton thread is not scary to work with. I actually enjoyed working with cotton thread. Even if it was Monaco that I used, I think that having a bigger gauge also made the resulting garment have a softness to it. :D
4. There are really great patterns out there which might look overwhelming but if you really want to make them, you could if you are very determined. Being used to making hats, I mainly work with sportweight or worsted weight yarn. Everything with thread looks overwhelming. Maybe I just really needed this project to overcome my fears.

I am looking forward to the crochet along by Interweave using the Moth Wings Shrug pattern by Mimi Alelis. Maybe I will have fun the way I did with this one.

By the way, her patterns are available as print outs from VC Trading in Farmers Plaza Cubao and other crafting stores. They're sold for 70-100 pesos each. Or you could buy them online via Ravelry.

Via Flickr:
Posted via email from eclair on posterous