12 December 2008

Today's post is still on homemade christmas tree ornaments.
Today, I feature Ash's work.

It was kind of hard work for her as she does not have the patience to do any sewing.

Hence, she did not manage to do many.

Still, whatever that she had done, were nice enough.

(She cut out the felt pieces and sewn on the beads while I do the rest.)

How about you? Do you do your own christmas ornaments?

11 December 2008

Own made christmas tree ornaments...
Today, I will show Aver's handiwork.

How's your preparation for the Christmas?

Lucia Buns

If you have been to Ikea (Singapore) recently, you will have seen the staff setting up baking counters in the showroom.

Aver tasted the Lucia Buns and fell in love with it. Why we know she likes it? After finishing a little portion of it, she kept asking for more. On top of that, when we return two days later for an item refund, she pointed into the showroom and demanded for bread.

There were also recipe sheets given out to customers and Superpig got one for me.

I tried the Ikea's recipe and totally failed ... that was last night ... and I went to bed feeling angry with myself.

This morning, I did a search online and found a simple enough recipe and tried it... it worked!!!

Yippeeee yeh yeh yeh...

(But I still need to twit the temperature of my oven so the buns doesn't look burnt.)

I did not use saffron, which is actually the main item in this bun, as cheapo Superpig refused to spend S$9 for a small bush of saffron. (Actually, I will not spend that money too... it is incredibly expensive!) He bought mixed spices for me instead and so I used that ... and it still taste as NICE!

Yippeee yipeee yeh yeh!!!

The dough separated into balls waiting for to be shaped.

The shaped doughs waiting to rise... (I need to add a little more yeast to let it rise more so that it will be fluffier.)

In the oven....

The end result.... a little too burnt looking.

The inside of the bun... Yummy...

Aver have not tasted this batch yet so I do not know whether she will like it. However, Ash tasted and she said she likes it.

10 December 2008

The days are coming closer to Christmas and I have not finalised Christmas gifts for my friends and their children... ha... so much for planning early. (Next year then!)

Now, let's look into my photograph folders and find something related to the festival...

Finally, our christmas tree...

It is the same tree since 5 years ago and I still like it very much.

To make is special, I had the girls made their own ornaments.

9 December 2008

First and foremost...
Thanks Ah-Fat for your birthday blessing.

We are still in the mood of snowman...
Here we have Superpig giving this fellow a kiss.
Have you kissed a snowman? Will your lips be stuck to him as he is very cold?

6, 7 and 8 December 2008

I missed a few days...

Anyway, it was my birthday yesterday.

I had planned to do a give-away but due to dipping mood decided not to.

Maybe, I will have a belated one ...

As for birthday celebration... nothing much.

Since last year, I suddenly do not like to celebrate my birthday anymore. I do not want to look forward to it and simply hope that it will skip past theis very day on the calendar.

If only I can sleep through from the 6th and wake up on the 8th...

My wish is to one day I will be able to set up a small stall to sell my handmade stuffs. Eversince a little girl, with little or no money, I make my own gifts for my friends or teachers and I treasure this feeling of handmade stuffs...but before that is able to be fulfilled, I must brush up my handmade skills.

Don't worry... I am feeling quite okay actually.

And thank you, friends, for the comments on the previous post. It was a sudden dip in the mood with regard to my crafting skills.

I am in no mood to say anything...

Except ...

these may be my last craft or sewing project...I see no point to forcing people to "like" the things I made.

Trying to up the Christmas spirit is also not doing any good ...

And I am not trying to get any sympathy here... simply not in the mood.

5 December 2008

Gingerbread man cookies seems to also be a traditional item when it comes to Christmas. However, I do not know why this is so.

Seeing this figurine reminds me that it is time to get my cookie cutters, flour, mixer out and also to get my oven heated up.

Christmas baking... soon!

4 December 2008

Christmas decorations around town also helps to heighten the Christmas spirit.

However, with economic slowdown the decorations in town is kind of toned down. Well, toned down is better than none.

Here is one of the Precious Moment Chirstmas figurines we saw last weekend. Still on one of my favourite item ... snowman.

3 December 2008

We have no snow in this little island and I have yet to see snow real life. I always love the autumn and winter seasons and would really love to go experience it when I can.

And during the period of Christmas, snowmen will also be seen constantly. Hence, I will associate snowmen with Christmas.

So go enjoy sculpting your own snowman, or like me, draw one.

2 December 2008

So we are now on the second day of December and we have another 23 days to Christmas.

I will present you with my Christmas tree.

When I was a little girl, we never ever celebrate Christmas. As my father passed away when I was three, my mother had to single-handedly took care of three of us. Hence, there is usually no festival celebrations around the house.

In order to have a little feel of the Christmas spirit, I would always draw some Christmas trees. And I love to see the beautifully decorated Christmas trees on those American Christmas shows which aired during that period of time. I always tell myself that once I have my own house and my own family, I will get my own Christmas tree and celebrate the time together as a family.

I am blessed by Heavenly Father for a wonderful husband and two little princesses... as for our own Christmas tree... I am still patiently waiting for Ash to finish working on the ornaments.

December

It is finally the month of December... the last month of 2008... a super hectic month in our household too.

There are three birthdays to celebrate and a Christmas to enjoy too.

With the economic downtown and the gloominess of an oncoming recession, we have to really tie our pockets up. I have and is rather determined to stop buying fabric for the moment till all, if not most, of my fabric stash is used up. I will try to craft around whatever resources I have before I hit the craft stores again.

Also with such unstable economy at the moment, Christmas spirit in this little country seems kind of low. We were at the mall on Saturday and it was kind of quiet with little christms atmosphere. So I decided to do a post a day in the theme of Christmas till the end of the month.

Today's post...

Hanging Christmas Trees

When you ran out of space on the ground, simply hang them up. You can also be sure that tiny hands will not try to reach out for the lights and the ornaments. However, you may have to find another innovative way to place your presents.

Hmmm...

I cannot think of a title for this post.

Basically, life is back to normal as Aver is cleared by the Doc. She is fine to return to school and in time for the school concert today.

I packed my EOS and my video camera, both my daughters into the car and we ventured out to find the concert venue in the midst of the concrete forest. I must say that I did not get to see the forest out there but we waddled through the tunnels below. For someone who has a problem with directions, I was totally in a state of lost after I parked the car and boarded the MRT (the carpark fees at the concert venue are exorbidant!)

Today, I also realised that I miss my EOS very much, I miss trying to explore the world through the lens. I realised that it has become a stranger to me.

As for the concert, I believed both the teachers and the children had put in a lot of hardwork. Watching the children (of special needs) up on stage, I realised that God have provided me with a lot and have blessed us with a lot too and why should I even feel upset. Hence, the biggest outcome of this concert is ... I have learnt that I am blessed and I should go bless others.

As for Aver's performance onstage... well, she is only 23 months and I am impressed that she is not afraid at all. She gave it her best.

I will now "bore" you with 6 minutes of her cuteness. (Please forgive the shakiness, the lady infront with her face in the camera, the sudden loss of Aver... no videography was allowed as there was professional videographer ... I sneakily took the video for Superpig. He had to work.)




(edited to add: Aver's childcare has both the mainstream children and also curriculum for special needs children. Aver is in the mainstream ... I realised that after reading this post, there may be an misunderstanding.)

Handphone Dangle

I am selling this little fellow that I have made.

It is a crochet red heart (sweet little thing) with a Doaremon bell attached at the bottom.

Now, you can find your handphone amongst all the stuffs in your bag.

There is only one of this.

Selling price: SD$5

Postage : Free normal postage

If you are interested please drop me an email or leave comment here and I will get back to you.

If you are not interested in buying it, also drop me a comment and let me know why.

I like to know how to improve.

Thanks

Edited to add: This dangle has been bought by a longtime friend. Thank you very much.

We are stuck at home...

at least its Aver and myself.

Aver is now down with the dreadful Hand Foot Mouth Disease, so she will have to be kept at home for a week until the doctor declares her clear of it. She has sores in her mouth, high fever and small red spots on her hands and feet.

As this virus is contagious (which one is not?), we have to keep the two girls apart. As it is the school holiday, Ash is home all the time. so our dear Ash is limited to her bedroom and the study room (not counting the bathroom) while Aver is restricted from entering those areas.

However, it is very difficult to keep the small one away from her sister. She loves her sister to bits and eventhough she bullies Ash, Aver still adores her sister very much. So when she was stopped from entering the rooms or going to her sister, she cried her heart out. Ash had to convince her from a distance that she still loves her and she reassured the little one that once everything is ok, they can play together again.

As I am the one taking care of Aver, I also have to have limited contact with Ash and it breaks my heart. She is such a big girl and so understanding... she read her books in her room quietly and will make appearances when she need to change a new book or when she need to go to the bathroom. She also attempted to sew but I think that tired her out more than reading. (she does not inherit my craftiness but my love for reading.)

Aver, on the other hand, is doing quite ok. Except that her sores in the mouth is getting bigger and she is getting a little more grouchy. Plus, she is like asking for milk all the time and I cannot do anything at all.

Please pray for her to get well within this week and also pray that Ash will be able to withstand the virus. (If only there is someone I trust who can take care of her during this time.)

Before Aver fell sick, they were involved in making christmas ornaments for our christmas tree. Aver loved the project and did tons of them and they are waiting for me to put the ribbons on.

Ash, on the other hand, is very enthusiatic about the project but just gets easily tired with the sewing of the beads. Hence, her output is very little.

I hope she will complete as many as possible so that we can have a christmas tree filled with their handiwork for this year.

Oh... it is our wedding anniversary this sunday and it has to be at home with a sick baby.

Sob...

My Melody

Remember this?

I started it about a month ago and I was not very sure if I was able to complete this project. I am still a novice in the area of crocheting (actually, I am a novice in almost every skill... no I am not being humble here nor trying to sound like a hyprocrite but after all the blog hopping, I realised that my crafts are so inadequate as compared to them.)

Anyway, I finally managed to complete the crocheting part about two weeks ago and only managed to assemble it yesterday night.

Here is the end product...

I must admit that it is far from the orignal cute My Melody and far from what I expect it to be. But it still has a little bit of its cuteness... As I was about to dispose it this morning, Aver asked for it and held on to it all the way to school. So I guess it was not as bad as I thought.

What do you think?

Finally... I sew

I finally managed to break out of my non craftiness and made a few stuffs over these two days.
Just to list them down...
1) Tissue Cozies (Superpig's Christmas order ... recipents are his colleagues)
2) Fabric Covered Buttons (more of them since the last time)
3) Ash's skirt
4) Tote bags (4 of them to be exact)

Well, if you want to see them simply jumped over the Wencrafting.

The craftiness came back, I guess, is due to the fact that the wait for Ash's result is over.
She got her report card yesterday and I must say I am quite happy especially am impressed with her Chinese results...

Her magic numbers : 92, 99 and 94.

I don't know but to some extent it is also my report card as I had been coaching her since she was in nursery. Although, she was not in the top three positions, we are still happy considereing that the last two terms in school was full of unhappiness with regard to Ash's work and attitude.

And also the sense of relief that I finally found out (though the hard way ... will explain another time) that Ash suffers from some degree of attention deficit and hence her problems in school. It had been gone unnoticed as I am not sure what are the symptoms are and also the common misconception that ADD sufferers are low achievers.

However, ADD may be a dirty word to most parents but for me I learnt to face the problem and am doing my utmost to tap on her potential over and on top of this disorder.

If you know someone who is ADD or have children who have ADD, please let me know so that I can learn more from them.

And we will continue to pray that with God's healing hands, Ash will be freed from it too.

What had been happening...

Have not been in the mood for blogging or crafting for almost two weeks or more. I cannot put my finger into it and explain why. I know that it is not due to bad mood as my mood has been quite okay. It could be due to just plain physical tiredness.

So I take this opportunity to do an update while the baby is sleeping due to her flu... (I am dow with it too.)

First up... a visit to a nursing home with the pupils a few weeks back.
After the examinations, the level coordinated a visit to a nursing home and SPCA, for the pupils. My adopted class was assigned to go to a nursing home and I was scared stiff. Scared not due to what I will see (sometimes, I feel that it can be a bit depressing) but more of how the pupils will behave. I must say that this particular group of pupils are rather challenging...

However, despite their foul mouths and nasty comments made by them while the lady in charge was explaining the workings of the nursing home, when the children saw the residents, there was a 180 degree change in their attitude. I saw some of the boys transformed and became mild tempered and going all sweet with the residents. But when the residents returned back to their rooms, the boys are back to their usual nonsense.

Next, there was a desperate need to get our car washed as it was so dirty that Ash also complained about it. So, I decided to that the whole family can get involved in the washing.

To reward the princesses for their hard work, they had bubble time!

And there was some interesting dinner on one very bored evening.

There... that should be all for now... and I am already tired.

Just because I am bored...

So I did a few quizzes...

There Are 2 Gaps in Your Knowledge

Where you have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy Science Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Religion Economics Literature History Art

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

Ha... I studied Economics and History for 'A' Levels and majored in English and History in the University, studied ten years in an Anglican girls school, taught and still teaching in a Methodist school and am a Christian... so that explains my the result above. I love biology but hated physics and grit ny teeth through chemistry. As for philosophy... what's that?

You Should Be a Cat for Halloween

According to our quiz, you'd make an ideal cat. Your runner up costume: Death

The Halloween Costume Generator

If we do celebrate Halloween... cute outfit. I am a cat lover so this is nice but...I need to get into shape first. But I do not agree with the runner up costume!

What Your Love of M&M's Says About You

You are energetic and full of inspiration. You never slow down, and you're constantly leaving people and ideas behind. You are a true visionary. You are constantly thinking about the future. You love living, and you stay flexible. You're open to going wherever life takes you.

What Does Your Favorite Candy Say About You?

Interesting... never looked at myself in this manner. Time to take a second look at myself.

What Your Cute Monster Says About You

You are a simply happy person. You still view the world with a childlike innocence. You have an easy going attitude, and you value harmony. You love freely and inspire others to love. You inner demon is frailty. You are easily beaten down by life. People think you're cute because you are optimistic. Your outlook on life is charming.

The Cute Monster Test

Innocent.. I agree. Easily beaten by life... I agree. Optimistic... ha... this is the first time I am hearing that. Usually I hear people telling me I am pessimistic.

What Your Jack-o-Lantern Says

You tend to be a very dramatic, flamboyant person. For you, Halloween is another chance to perform. This Halloween be something completely unusual... and shock everyone. The candy you should give out: mini chocolate bars

The Jack-o-Lantern Quiz

Maybe... just maybe... if we do celebrate Halloween, I may do something crazy or I will make my children do something crazy.

You Are 55% Hyper

You have a high amount of energy, but you're not manic about it. You live a busy, full, and productive life. You enjoy all sorts of activities, and you approach most tasks with enthusiasm. You are also naturally social. You have plenty of time and resources to devote to friends. While you are quite hyper, you do understand the importance of rest. It's difficult to get yourself to slow down, but when you do, you enjoy it.

How Hyper Are You?

Now, that explains why I have difficulty sleeping in the nights...

You Are a Lion

You have the potential to be very powerful and wealthy. You were born to rule. You are able to contribute to a community and balance everyone's interests. You are incredibly brave and totally fearless. You are usually passive... until it's time to jump into action. You are a very passionate person. You tend to be jealous, and it's easy to provoke you into a fight.

What Animal Are You?

A lion is part of the cat family, right? I know I will be a cat... MEOW! However, I am not too sure I totally agree with the born to rule, brave and feearles idea up there... oh... I am more like the lion in Wizard of Oz... a timid one. Meow...

You Should Stay in Shape With Running

Chances are that you're already in fairly good shape Why not challenge yourself with a run from time to time? Running will give you that lean, toned body you desire

How Should You Get Your Curves In Shape?

Fairly good shape? Yup... please make sure you do not look down past my boobs... Running? Are you nuts? I cannot run to save my life... I suffer from asthma in less than five minutes of slow jog and if I do manage to finish a round on the track, you will see me lying on the ground, white faced! But it did mention to give myself a challenge... maybe I should. Now, find me some time! (and the ventolin puff too)

Not a Jealous Bone in Your Body

You're secure, trusting, and giving with friends and lovers And while you may have been hurt before, you've bounced back You're generally happy with your life - and no one's grass is greener than yours One word of caution: some may see your lack of jealousy as indifference!

Are You A Jealous Woman?

This is so not true! I am a JEALOUS woman... sorry... I am a VERY VERY JEALOUS woman. Maybe, I was a very very jealous woman and now I am growing more mature...

NAH!!!! I am a VERY VERY JEALOUS woman!

What Your Name Says About You

Your name says that you are mostly: Determined but flaky Your name also says you are: Passionate but flighty Unconventional but unstable Shrewd but overbearing

What Does Your Name Say About You?

Erm... what is the above suppose to mean?

You Should Spend Your Summer in the Mountains

You're quiet, introspective, and a great thinker. You need a summer vacation that gets you away from the crowds and the heat. So retreat to the mountains, where you can clear your head.

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

Superpig... are you reading this? Mountains... I need to go to the mountains... Not surprised with this result at all. Sometimes I tell Superpig that I want to go find a secluded place and be a hermit there.

You Live in the Past

You spend most of your time thinking about what has happened - not what's happening. Your mind is consumed with memories and nostalgia. And while living in the past may feel therapeutic or comfortable, it's not helping you. Whatever has happened to you (good or bad), you're going to have to get over it. Once you stop living in the past, you'll wake up to the world around you. The present is a pretty great place to be.

Do You Live in the Past, Present, or Future?

Yup.. I am a past person and I know it does not do much good for me... plus my past had been kind of messed up. So, it is time to look at now and look forward!

You Are Destined to Struggle With Your Weight

Like most people, you find it a little difficult to stay at at weight you're comfortable with. If you change a few habits and make food less important, you may find the struggle hardly exists anymore.

Are You Destined To Be Overweight?

Time to change a few habits and I will be on my way to a little more mascular, lean and curvy body.

What Your Hands Say About You

You are logical, analytical, and rational. You have good verbal skills. Idealistic and dreamy, you tend toward the impractical. You have a knack for getting yourself in sticky situations. Brainy and intelligent, you are intellectual to the point of being incomprehensible. Your emotions tend to be relaxed and uncomplicated. You don't read too much into things.

What Do Your Hands Say About You?

Idealistic and Dreamy... Spot on!

You Aren't In the Best Of Moods

While you aren't full on depressed, things aren't going your way. You may be hurt, angry, frustrated... or all three. Not to worry - you'll be feeling fine in no time.

What Mood Are You In?

Spot on ... again. It has to do with the examination results, work and the pupils I have to deal with... I don't know... maybe I just need to go out for a run (run... in the rain... that will be good.)

You Are 56% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman. Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

56%.. okay... not that bad.

You Are a Winter Person

You are calm, serious, and focused. You're the type of person who appreciates the quiet and calm. Winter is the perfect time for you to get cozy and work on a hobby. Summer is a bit too hectic for you. You like the dead of winter... preferably with a roaring fire inside.

Are You a Winter Person or a Summer Person?

Winter... winter... winter... i love it.

If you are wondering why am I doing all these tests, it is because I am bored and tired... but not tired enough to go and sleep. But tired enough not to do any crafts.

Halloween costume and fabric button

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