Let’s go to Maldives

A hermit crab get-together on the beach at Landaa Giraavaru

It was my sister’s birthday and she decided to throw a bash in Maldives; with six glorious days of indulgence and activities planned for the family.

Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. The seas are rich with marine life.

I fell in love with Maldives at first sight. As I looked down from the window of the seaplane, the sea – with atolls and their islands – looked like silk embellished with beautiful gems.

There’s something mesmerising about the sea that tugs at my heart. I love the sea. I could spend hours just staring with fascination at the great wide expanse. And at night, I like being lulled to sleep by the sound of waves.


Four Seasons Maldivian welcome drinks with my favourite flower! 

Our villas opened to views of the sea and the horizon. Built on stilts and interconnected by wooden walkways, there was marine life around us. It was not unusual to spot surgeon fish and schools of small fish while strolling along the walkway. I was thrilled to spot an eagle ray and what looked like a tuna on one particular day.

The pool blends seamlessly with the sea

With so much to explore and experience, I revelled losing myself in this idyllic place. Meanwhile, enjoy this movie clip, taken by Karen Lee, while I reminisce my Maldivian indulgence. I shall be back with more in my next post.

It’s great to be back

Hey guys!! I hope that you’re all doing great. I’ve been away for a while, up to my eyeballs with work and I’ve just returned from a great holiday in Maldives. There’s so much that I want to share. I’ve also been featured in the Singapore section at boticca.com. Check it out!!

In the coming weeks, I shall be posting on my adventures in Maldives. See you soon!

I’m listening

Feedback: I'm listeningPage views make me happy. High page views are even better. “Likes” and comments on a post make my day. But more importantly, feedback help me improve.

In a feedback to my recent post, “A great start to 2011”, I was told that when I include an attachment like a pdf file, I should also include a text version. “It’s friendlier”, and I totally agree. So here it is, blackfrangipani’s interview featured in the Fashion Forward section of Adorn magazine.

The article, entitled “The Maker of Edgy Beauties”, is reproduced below:

“Christina loves art, fashion, travel and a good cup of coffee. But what this design consultant from Singapore possibly likes the most is creating jewellery and bags. Her brand, that bears the seductive name blackfrangipani, boasts a sizeable offering of jewellery that mixes traditional crafts and modern forms, which gives her jewellery a quaint yet edgy look.

Tell us a little about yourself – what were you doing before you began making jewellery?
I actually design magazines, corporate brochures, and annual reports. In a way, designing and crafting jewellery is an extension of what I do as a design consultant. As a designer, a large part of my work is to come up with good design concepts that communicate well, while being aesthetically pleasing. Likewise when I design and create a fashion piece, I want it to be attractive and different, but also one that spells individualism and a particular taste and sense of style. Continue reading