Tis' The Season

To Be Jolly!


Have yourselves a merry little Christmas :)

Some people si beh eng.

But it's entertaining. Value of art and creativity.

Advent 2 - Gift Wrapping

Because we have our first Christmas tree this year, I thought we should have wrapped presents under the tree too! In the name of good traditional fun!

And these days, I hyperventilate when it comes to gorgeous gift-wrapping! It's like whole new realm of creativity, fun and inspiration! The shape, the texture, the tie-arounds, the gift tags, the typography, the COLOURS! It's endless! *gasp gasp gasp*

OK, my BP back to normal. Here are some of my favorite:
Washi Tape Gift Wrap Ideas from The Sweetest Occasion

From Shimtokk


From hellosandwich


With gift-wraps like these, I don't care what the content is!

Nail Polish Put To Good Use

Do you buy those cute little bottles of nail polish (especially from Sasa) and only use them once?

*high five* !

Recently a colleague shared an ingenious idea on how to put it to good use. If you have home appliances or furniture that has metal screw fixtures etc, like the common aluminium clothes hanger, those foldable ones? The metal screws WILL get rusty over time, and then what happens? You accidentally brush your precious WHITE clothes over the rusty parts and they get stained. @#$%^&!!

What can you do? Paint a coating or two of the nail polish on them to prevent rusting. This is most effective if the metallic surfaces are still in good condition (after buying ).

This is another way to create colorful thumb tacks. Remember the mass collection of rusty thumb tacks on our school notice board? I wished I'd knew this 20 years ago. Hee hee.


Paint away!

My Christmas Wish List

Everyone has one. Mine is:

1. My own bicycle. White. Retro-looking. With a comfy seat that won't cause my ahem to be sore after riding.


2. Indian hand-carved wooden print blocks



3. A letterpress machine! But this is too far-fetched. Oh well, a girl can dream can't she?

A letterpress card. Look at the gorgeous indentation.

That's it!

Advent 1

This year, Christmas feels a little more special.


They say Christmas is the time you miss those who are not around anymore, the most. This year, I have someone to miss. I would envision him mesmerized by the blinking colorful lights on the tree, and kicking and waving his arms, wide-eyed, alert and very smiley. His brothers will be jumping around him.

It's like a shadow that will never go away.


Whoops, didn't mean this to be depressing... Christmas is time to be JOLLY! And to be surrounded with love!

Random

Now we know how babies feel...

Recycling Project: Toilet Rolls

You didn't know toilet rolls can be THIS pretty and useful leh....

Colour pencils holder. Group your reds, blues, yellows, greens and browns!

This Weekend...

I'm going to get us a christmas tree. For the first time!

Because I've already bought christmas tree ornaments, and streamers. All we need is a tree and the lights.

I've also been thinking of throwing a Christmas party, in our little garden, under a lightbulb tent. It would be SO magical! Imagine eating, drinking and jollying under a night sky full of stars. Or something like this, in a vineyard.


Happy weekend!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Not like we celebrate it here, but I think we should give thanks EVERYDAY.

And EVERYDAY, I am thankful for:

1. Being alive. And my loved ones being alive. Sounds dramatic, but we don't realize how many bullets we dodge everyday.

2. Having a job.

3. Being able to make cards and other neat stuff with my hands and imagination.

4. Having an awesome domestic helper. She is literally my life-saver.

5. Not least, my boys, including the big one, who makes me laugh.

Teacher's Appreciation Gift Set

It is always the apple theme. But it's ok, I love apples. The set consist:


1. A handmade card
Apple is handstamped on a thick card stock, printed on it is-
I chose this special present because I wanted you to know,
That I’m grateful for your hard work in helping me to grow,
For your constant understanding and for always being there,
To tell me I can do it and to show me that you care!

Daniel wrote a personal thank you note to each teachers and signed off, in color pencil. There were 2 casualties. Wasted.

2. A Kikkerland Apple memo pad.

3. A foldable shopping bag. Daiso has them. Go green y'all!

4. An eco natural cotton muslin drawstring pouch which I bought in bulk. Comes in 100. From the U,S of A. Comes in handy for occasions like this.

5. Handstamped teacher's name on a Shinzi Katoh's Alice in Wonderland theme Apple memo pad sheet.

Hari Raya Haji

I live in Malay-predominated suburban estate, so every year during Hara Raya Haji, a sacrifice ritual takes place at the field very near my house. It's so near, I just took 10 steps to snap this. This is the lorry that ferried 13 cows to this field very near my house. Or 14.


The boys were fascinated. It's not everyday we see real LIVING cows that moo. Darren can moo very well now.


So come Sunday afternoon, they were all gone. Although they were very near my house, I did not hear ANYthing. No loud traumatizing moos in distress. It was that peaceful. I'm thinking, we should all start eating halal meat from now. The animals are peaceful when slaughtered. Maybe some of that peaceful energy is transferred to the consumer. Interesting thought?

Most awesome Bathtub EVER

Dear Daniel

I saw you in your graduation gown, up on the stage with all your friends, singing and dancing to a song which says "I Am Ready".
I held Siri above my head, trying to record this priceless moment of you, my flesh and blood, the one who changed my life in one second, the one whom I never knew I could love so instantly and intensely at first sight. Yep, that's you. As the song went on.. " I Am Ready..."... "I Am Ready"... memories of your six years flashed in mind. HOW DID YOU GROW UP SO LIGHTING FAST! And now you are ready to face the world and the future ahead, while I am standing by behind you, forever in support and love.

And then tears filled my eyes. And I recorded a few seconds of the plants below the stage instead.

I'm glad you still have a bit of the baby cheeks and fingers so I'm going to smooch you until you don't want me to.

What I'm Up To...

Redecorating my home. Bit by bit. I think the fun is in the process itself, and constantly evolving. 5 years ago, it was the dark teak wood furniture trend, like the Balinese and Thai styles. Rustic, organic and resort-like. Now, I love white wooden furnitures which also gives the rustic and organic feel to it.

If only I could replicate these in my home!




And this dining table rocks!


I used to be a little too serious in decorating. Certain pieces MUST be together, colours MUST match. There MUST be a theme. Now I trash all that rigidness away and indulge in concerted randomness! I go by the 'feel' of it. If it feels right and relaxing, it stays there. And decorations can ALWAYS change anytime you want, so basically it's Just-Do-It action and less pondering/hesitating/deciding. This kind of decoration attitude is so much fun!

Now if only the handyman husband will say YES LET'S DO IT when I ask him if we can paint our dining table white...

Elephants

Once upon a time, I walked into a Feng Shui shop and saw this lovely pair of white clay elephants.

I was told that they are a symbol of conception. Ah perfect!! We were trying for a second child anyway, for what seemed like an eternity. These cuties were placed in the bedroom. That month I conceived. Coincidence? Who knows. I still keep them now, but NOT in the bedroom. They make lovely decor pieces.

I have been enchanted with elephants since! And when I'm enchanted, I create!




And these are some of my favorite picks from etsy.

Cute elephant applique baby suits from tadpolecreations.


Hortence J Pacadorf Photographic Art Print by GrandOleBestiary.


Eco Friendly Canvas Tote Bag by PaisleyMagic


Even silver rings! This is by CuteAbility.


This One Of A Kind Elephant was sculpted entirely from wool using the needle felting technique! By FarmGirlArts.


Carnival Circus Birthday Invitation cards by Peppertowne.


Made from socks! By TashiBear. I'm going to make one!


And who can resist these cute baby shoes! Huh?Huh?! By BusterBooKids.


Last but not least, me bought this cool little wallet from DearSukie.


Elephant overload! Heehee.

Tsunami Footage

Yu Muroga was doing his job making deliveries when the 11 March 2011 earthquake hit in Japan. Unaware, like many people in the area, of how far inland the Tsunami would travel, he continued to drive and do his job. The HD camera mounted on his dashboard captured not only the earthquake, but also the moment he and several other drivers were suddenly engulfed in the Tsunami. He escaped from the vehicle seconds before it was crushed by other debris and sunk underwater. His car and the camera have only recently been recovered by the police. The camera was heavily damaged but a video expert was able to retrieve this footage.

See footage here.

I imagined that I would be scared BIG-TIME if I were in a car with my two boys, drifting away in that situation. I would hold them tight and say a prayer. My life would flash before my eyes. "This is it"...

It's amazing to be alive. And safe.

Notes from a Dragon Mom

This article broke my heart :(

What Sons Learn from Their Mothers

When I read Michael Mitchell's 50 Rules for Dads of Daughters, it brought tears in my eyes. It was funny, sweet and true, especially that now as a grown daughter, I realized just how special is the bond between fathers and daughters.


But I don't have daughters. I have two monkeys. One alpha, another alpha wannabe. And I'll be writing them love notes like this.



Why do I do these silly lovey dovey things? Because little boys deserve every bit of the mushy stuff too. Here's why:

Boys learn their earliest lessons about love and trust from their mothers. The love of a mother can and does actually make boys stronger, emotionally and psychologically. Far from making boys dependent, the base of safety a loving mother can create—a connection that her son can rely on all his life—provides a boy with the courage to explore the outside world. But most important, far from making a boy act in 'girl-like' ways, a loving mother actually plays an integral role in helping a boy develop his masculinity."

The Importance of Loving Refuge

In the early years of a little boy's life, he is torn between two choices: He longs to explore, climb, jump, and run, and he needs to stay close to the adults who allow him to feel secure. In fact, when boys begin to walk and exercise some autonomy, their activity mirrors this dual need. They wander away from Mom (into the backyard, across the playground, or to the neighbor's house) and then return for a quick conversation or a hug, just to be sure she's there.

Your son will learn self-respect and confidence when you provide a loving and secure home base for him. When you can create a sense of belonging and significance for your boy, teach him life and character skills, and practice kind, firm discipline, he learns to trust, to face challenges, and to move freely into his world. When you take time to listen to him and to focus on solutions to the problems he faces, you teach him emotional awareness and good judgment. A strong and loving relationship with a good mother can help a boy learn the skills of intimacy, support him in developing respect for other women, and prepare him for a satisfying relationship someday.

Knowing When to Let Go

Even the wisest mother can find it hard to let go in appropriate ways when her son begins to exercise his independence. Your son's desire to do things for himself, from dressing himself to reading his own bedtime story to dating, can feel like a personal rejection. One of the paradoxes of parenting is that if you do your job as a mother well, your son will eventually leave you.

As your son grows, you will learn to find the balance between offering support and stepping back to let him learn from his own experiences-and his own mistakes. Clinging too tightly can create unnecessary power struggles, especially during adolescence (a rather bumpy period for even the closest mothers and sons). Teach skills and listen well and often; then have faith in your son and let go.

Original article here.

Have sons, will cuddle.

How To Peel Garlic Faster Faster

Is this a cooking blog? Hell no. But I found an interesting video tutorial on How to Peel Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds.

Try la!