Oh...What a Wonderfully Mundane Life!

Someone has watched one too many princess movies...

2012-01-22T21:28:00.001-06:00

I'm not so sure of her singing career...perhaps writing song lyrics would be more her forte? Listen to the words. They are all her own.

Isabel's Latest Thing...

2012-01-18T15:20:00.000-06:00

She'll say: "So.....mom......I have a question."

It drives me nuts. And she makes that little noise, kinda like smacking her tongue on the roof of her mouth, during the pause, like she's preparing to ask something impertinent.

How did she become 13 years old?

A Message

2012-01-05T21:41:00.003-06:00

If I'm being honest, I tend to get into bouts of depression at times. And I will question, "Why me?".

On my weaker days, I will feel absolutely miserable and will want to just pull the blankets over my head and not wake up until everything is alright again.

On my stronger days, I will tell myself that it happened to me because God knows that I can handle it.
By hook or by crook.
And that He has a glorious plan for me, only I just have to be patient.

I'm doing my best. Sometimes, my best ain't enough. But that's when I pick myself up (sometimes, immediately. Othertimes, a few days or weeks later) and will push through it again.

Why?

Because I don't have a choice. Because there are others out there who have worse fates than me and have managed to pull through with grace and humility and dignity.

And also, I'll be damned to give them a chance to see me suffer more that I already have.

So, there will be times when I won't be myself. There will be times where I'll seem upset, bitter, resentful, miserable.

Because I am.
But I will bounce back.
Eventually.

And there will be a day when all of this will be completely behind me and I will thank the bastard for running out on me because it brought me to a better place.

So I apologize to my nearest and dearest if there's a time (or many times, more like) where I strike out. Or seem distant. I don't mean to.
I'm just trying to survive right now.

A Wish For You...

2011-12-23T08:52:00.006-06:00

Just Because Of All the Hours That Was Put Into This...

2011-12-19T21:53:00.003-06:00

I don't do parties, not really. Isabel's birthday party is the second one I've ever done. First one being my wedding. There's just this fear in me of going through everything and having no one show up, or no one enjoying themselves. Eek!

But Isabel's at the age where she knows what's happening, I have my mom to help with the mundane stuff that I tend to overlook, and we worked, and worked and worked.

We took basement rooms that were dusty,unfinished and laden with junk to this:

Yes, these are the AFTER pictures. Imagine what it looked like before.

And cleaned it up even more to make them into real rooms with as small of a budget as possible -- handmaking where possible, and using existing furniture, paint and new plants. (It's just freezing cold!):

(this is post clean- up, hence why the carpet is not laid down on the ground -- it's drying)

I don't really have many pictures (kills me -- after all the hours that was put into it, I don't have pictures), but this is the jist of it:

Main table for food:

I wonder if there's a market for custom tablecloths I can get into?

(can you tell I don't like to iron?)

Giftbags from remnants of the 9 yards from the tablecloth - I quickly learn that I will never be able to work in a production line. Sewing the same thing over and over again bored me to tears. So there were different versions going on -- sling bags, totes, etc

Gift tags that I stayed up till 4am to make the night before -- why, I have no idea, but I've never really done much paper crafts like this before and it was fun at the time. (hindsight - should have spent the time doing other more practical things. But that wouldn't be as much fun. At the time.)

A treat that was made, among others - rice krispie pops dipped with chocolate, resurrected especially for a picture

And that's all I have.

Party!

2011-12-18T21:49:00.000-06:00

Isabel had a birthday party about a week ago, with 8 little friends tearing up the house.

I didn't really have much chance to get pictures, as I was running around like a headless chicken most of the time, but it went well, I guess...

They all had entirely too much sugar, and were very enthusiastic.

Isabel was excited to have so many people over, especially her daycare buddies

Happy Birthday, my darling. You're a big kid now.

These Kill Me...

2011-12-14T15:01:00.000-06:00

Her baby voice and her innocence...I would actually be willing to go through all that crap again to get back to that part of her life again.

Birthday

2011-12-12T20:11:00.001-06:00

Yes, you are a big girl.

Happy Birthday, my purple-orange sunshine.

I love the way you say "hoob" for hood.

I love the way you say "tub tub" for bathtub

I love that you still want to cuddle

I love your laugh

I love it when you sing at the top of your lungs while going for a walk

I love your stinky feet

I love when you talk to your dolls

However,

I don't love how sometimes, I feel like you're slipping away from me

I don't love how as you get older, you start to lose your innocence and learn that this world ain't so great as you think, and that people aren't as they seem.

I don't love how much growing up you have to have done in the past year and a half (and you did so good)

I don't love how I have to share you

That's the way life is. Good and bad. One day at a time.

You are my darling, my baby, and I love you. ThiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiS much - to the moon and back.

Party Prep!

2011-12-08T00:44:00.001-06:00

My mom and I are frantically trying to get everything squared away for Isabel's shindig.

Pom-poms are up as of tonight

There's still a bunch of sewing to be done.

Good golly, that's a lot of fabric! And I'm still not convinced it's enough!

All for the sake of this little monster!

Table

2011-11-25T07:40:00.000-06:00

For about a period of a month, I get the painting bug and will start spraying away.

I found this table at a yard sale for $30 I think, but my neighbor who was with me managed to knock it down to $15 (or thereabouts) And to think that I'm the Chinese, not her. I definitely do not have haggling skills (nor do I like to haggle, although I've started trying it out - won't turn down an opportunity to save!)

And this was also my mother's first piece! Yes, when you are here, you will be put to work.

Art from Central Market when I was back in KL last. I don't have many things on the wall as I'm not really the type who knows what to do with wall displays. But I saw these hand-crafted wayang kulit-ish pieces and wanted to bring a bit of Malaysia back with me.

It's ironic how you have to bring a girl out of her country for her to appreciate it. I highly doubt I'd purchase them if I lived in KL.

And of course, another stack of my thrifted antique books.

Meet Olivia

2011-11-23T15:00:00.001-06:00

I have a tendency to hoard things that I like. Particularly books. And sometimes, craft books. One in my collection that I've had for awhile is the Wee Wonderfuls book. I've flipped through it a number of times, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over all the various projects that can be made. And I have dreamt of making every one of them. But you know how that goes.

But, after a particularly bad week at work where I just wanted to tear my hair out, I sat down and began. (Crafting, not tearing my hair out)

Meet Olivia (named after the pig - although the doll is not remotely swine-like)

Typically, I do NOT enjoy handsewing. But this was somehow different.

I used the Tag-along doll pattern, but made slight changes to it so that she can be dressed or undressed as you please. (the original had the dress sewn on)

And of course, because Isabel and her bellybutton is legendary, I had to put a bellybutton on Olivia.

She's made mostly out of felt - I don't think I'll do that again. I used the felt by the yard that you can find at Joanns, but I'm not sold on the quality of it, even though it came recommended by Dana from MADE. Next time, I may just use fleece for the whole doll (which I ended up using for her legs)

The dress was a fun make-up-as-you-go-along piece.

I think I may make a blonde version for one of Isabel's best friends for Christmas.

And because I have it, here's Isabel modelling her pajamas

It's the same Emma Hardy pajamas pattern from her Making Clothes for Children book as this post
Although I have to warn anyone who's going to make it -- there's something wrong with the pattern for the pajamas pants -- so use the Elasticated Pants pattern instead for the bottom.

Tea for Two....or Ten?!

2011-11-23T14:44:00.001-06:00

Isabel is going to have a tea party.

A few hours spent on Pinterest to gather ideas, and another 3 hours spent on making the invitations, there's no backing out now.

The invitations were fun enough to make, but I'm no scrapbooker. I'm sure that real scrapbookers (which one of the moms is) will cringe.

Lets hope I pull through.

(My poor mother. And brother. Who have to help with my hare-brained scheme)

Honest Opinions Needed!

2011-11-11T19:33:00.000-06:00

Is this suitable for a boy toddler?

My mom freaked me out when she thought it was for a girl because of the red. It has TRAINS on it!!!

This is why I'm so glad I have a girl. No worries about something being too "girly" or even too "boyish".

Another question would be - what do you think about receiving homemade goods?

Is it a yay or a nay?

Trick or Treat

2011-11-02T20:06:00.007-05:00

Here's my princess =)

Her "costume" is perfect for twirling. Cause all princesses should be able to twirl properly.

Our loot from the night

Diving into the loot!

Aha! A lollipop!!

Consuming the loot

Trick or treating is tiring work.
Either that, or we were crashing from our sugar high.

Sorry for the blurry pictures -- it was difficult to take a good one of her as she wouldn't stop moving. An effect of all the sugar...consumed by me?!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:49:00.003-05:00

Halloween is here. And I have approximately...hmm...nothing done in terms of decorations and prep work.

There's only 2 (small) bags of candy in the house
There's 1 pumpkin out on the front yard, whose paint has washed off during the snowstorm we got this past weekend
The only "decoration" we have is a spider that we got from a playdate when they were doing crafts (I didn't even make it -- I've left by then, but they made one for Isabel)

BUT...

At least I have a semi-homemade costume for Isabel.

As I've probably mentioned, she's fascinated with princesses now. And she wanted to be a White Princess (switched from a Purple Princess. AFTER I made what I made. Tough kid, you're wearing it)

Using the Poncho pattern from Emma Hardy's "Making Clothes for Children" book as the base, and adding a hood that I altered from this tutorial that I found through Ucreate, I made a velvet princess cloak with fleece lining (because it's COLD out). I hemmed and hawed between the Emma Hardy pattern and the O&S red riding hood cape pattern, but eventually went with this one as the armholes slits on the O&S didn't jive with the mental picture I had in my mind.

To me, the cloak is probably the best part of the princess ensemble, as I love coats and outerwear in general, having grown up in a tropical country where I've had little chance of wearing anything heavier than a cotton cardigan.

It was a huge sigh of relief that it all worked out, as there was a lot of winging-it moments, and the fabric wasn't exactly cheap.

She was on the fence about it -- so I had about a week to convince her that yes, princesses wear cloaks when it's cold out. So, we've been reading Beauty and the Beast on repeat for the past week. Multiple times a night (her request)

We'll be going trick or treating tonight - will update with full costume later.

Just Cause We Are Awesome

2011-10-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

;)

Thanks, Tsen!

By Jove!

2011-10-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

I actually completed her costume.

Well, the main piece that I was envisioning.

The rest I've decided to use what we already have.

Ballet Bag

2011-10-21T16:56:00.002-05:00

It's been sooooooooo long since I've last sewed. And this year, I have lofty aspirations of making her Halloween costume. Yeeeah....maybe.

To ease me back into the game, I started on this little pretty that I wanted ever since I saw it on MADE a year ago. But I didn't have a use for it, so filed it away for future reference.

Now that Isabel's in tap and ballet classes.....it's the perfect excuse!

Of course, it still took me ages to finish the last 2% of it.

And the ribbons look like little elf ears when the bag is fully opened
(I was working with materials that I already have. I'm too lazy to drive to the store for just 1 item)

But, it's done.

Update

2011-10-17T11:29:00.002-05:00

Or also known as "What Has My Poor Mother Been Up To..."

We went apple picking on one of the rare occasions where I plan to do something "special".

And now we are up to our ears in apples and the sight of an apple apparently makes my mother's stomach turn. So much for special.

And I have to admit this: Doing activities where the area is ~~crawling~~ crowded with young parents and their toddlers/babies puts me in a bad Scroogy mood. I want to waggle my finger at them and say in my best 'old woman voice' - "JUST you wait...you think everything is fine and dandy now".

As I mentioned, some days are better than others. But I think it's a good idea for me to avoid those kind of activities for the time being *shrug*

But mostly, we do things that I typically do when I have my weekends kid-free.

That includes trollling around for ~~junk~~ unique items at thrift stores and yard sales. This past weekend, the haul seems to be mostly on books -- we bought about 45 books for a total of $18. Some are antique (I found an antique French version of Winne the Pooh! For 50 cents!), most are those trashy romance paperbacks (yes, I have an affinity towards them. I got to balance between Jane Austen and Penny Jordan)

She's painted furniture that I bought at above mentioned yard sales/ thrift stores

But most of all, she gets bullied by a 30 lb little person, who unfortunately has inherited the stubborn and opinionated streak that I have

Don't be fooled by her chubby, kissable, snuggable looks.

She's a force to be reckon with (and she also needs a haircut)

Sorry for crap pictures -- all are taken through the phone. My big showy camera decided to try diving and the lens broke. Need to drag myself to the shop and see if they can repair it.

Thought of the Day

2011-09-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle, seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth. I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways. I am always doing something new with My beloved ones. Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.

Sometimes it's a struggle to keep that in mind. But I'm trying to.

Izzy's First Ballet Class

2011-09-27T11:21:00.000-05:00

September 10, 2011

Anniversary No More

2011-09-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

This should technically be my SIXTH wedding anniversary.

I'm sitting here, tearing my hair out, making all the necessary changes and applications. Why?

Because as of September 20, 2011, I have joined the ranks of many, many Americans as well as the list of scorned wives such as Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Aniston. I got divorced.

I should get a pin or something to commemorate this. Why, I'm practically a citizen now!

I got a bit slap-happy with photoshop...

Childish? Yes

Entertaining? Absolutely!!

How am I doing? OK. =)

I'm still smiling.

image from here

To anyone who has faced with what I have, a big hug to you, and I promise - things get better.

That's what people kept telling me. And I do find that it's true. So perhaps the next most popular line that people tell me will too: "You're young and pretty...you'll find another easily". So far, I don't hear any knocks on the door, but I haven't given up yet!

It's Good To Paint

2011-09-10T19:30:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I last painted furniture. But I started acquiring furniture again this summer (aka yard sale mecca) and I have to say, it's been nice.

Isabel was also bitten by the painting bug. She's fascinated by it and wants to paint EVERYTHING purple. Her room, her door, my table....

She chose that particular purple herself. "It's my favorite", as she so aptly puts it.

Love how she sticks out her tongue in concentration =)

We take our painting very seriously around here.

Grandmother

2011-09-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

My grandmother is not doing well. She's in the hospital right now. We can't be there with her, since we are half a world away, but I wish we could be.

The strongest memory I have of her was when she took my mom's place when we went to a Leon Lai concert -- I was almost 11, I believe, and my mother was admitted into the hospital. We had the tickets for awhile now and we were not to miss it. So my brother, grandmother and I were there in the front section, with the music blasting. I don't really know if my grandmother enjoyed it, but apparently my brother heard her humming one of his songs the next morning.

I wished that I spent more time learning about her life. I wish I was able to jot down recipes of the things she cooks (she doesn't follow any instructions -- just a pinch of this, a handful of that). i wish that I had more pictures with her. I wish that I were able to spend more time with her. I wish that Isabel was able to spend more time with her.

But as most things in life, the regrets about what we didn't do always seem to be more apparent than the joy for the things that we did do.

We love you, Great-grandma.

We're Back

2011-09-01T23:38:00.000-05:00

We've been missing in action for quite sometime now, and I do apologize for that (especially to anyone who had Izzy withdrawal) It's been....an eventful month. Besides struggling to keep up with a crummy new job, and trying to get one step ahead of those darn weeds, we've been preoccupied with a few other things.

Izzy is all signed up for ballet and tap class and has been "breaking in" her ballet slippers for about a week now. By the time her class rolls around, those shoes will be in tatters

I've attempted simple home improvement projects all.by.myself - I am woman, hear me ROAR! =0)

We've sheared our locks

(I did too, but since it's gotten some unfavorable comments *ahem*, I'm not going to post a picture --- it needs to grow about a 1/4 - 1/2" more anyway.

We braced ourselves for the hurricane

And were extremely fortunate to come out of it unscathed. Some areas around us were not so lucky

I've been attempting to organize. Gosh, I love organizing.

Sometimes it feels like I'm juggling more than I can handle

Other times, it feels like I'm sitting still...everything is prepared, and I am just waiting...Perhaps for the rest of my life to start? For things to start changing? For life to get better? Time is a funny thing

Izzy has also done a lot of growing up.

She's completely potty trained and out of diapers, her drawings have actual shapes in them rather than just scribbles, her thoughts are pretty insightful at times.

She's still a girly girl and her favorite color is still purple though.

We've spent a lot of time together at home for the past week since her daycare was closed due to Hurricane Irene. We try to take a walk in the evenings to go see the duckies that sometimes are found by the river near our house and today, she was saying "The weather is nice - it's not hot. It's good for a walk. We are having fun and having adventures."

She melts my heart.

Hope you've had a great month.

P/S: We love you, Great-Grandma! =)

Twenty Eight

2011-08-02T23:26:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Happy birthday to me!!!!!!

Well then --- it was slightly weird singing "Happy Birthday" to myself as I cut my cake alone in the middle of the night, but I just pretended that all the well-wishers who communicated through emails, Facebook, text messages and phone calls were with me. Truly thank you to each and everyone who remembered and took the time out of their busy lives to send me a wish.

Today was mostly...work, work, work, reading on organic weeding, work, work, weeding, and more work. It's fun being me.

The one thing I looked forward to tackling when I came home was the weeding.

I'm obsessed.

The crab grass is challenging me and I intend to defeat it, bit by bit. There's just something so satisfying and calming about methodically pulling the weeds out one by one, manually. Not even using the weed puller (I actually felt cheated out of the sense of accomplishment when I used it - yes, I'm ~~weird~~ an overachiever like that)

And it was cute to see Isabel put on her gardening gloves and help me.

Although it was not so cute finding out that she was having so much fun working that she peed herself.

I'm ending the day with a glass of wine in hand.

Yum...ice wine, a Christmas present from last year courtesy of my ~~husband, ex-husband~~ soon-to-be-ex husband (it's slightly awkward when referring to him to others)

Although, I made an oops...Wine enthusiasts, you'll probably going to cringe so consider this a warning to look away.....

Yea...I pushed the cork into the bottle itself by mistake. Can you tell that I'm an expert bottle opener? I wonder how long the wine is good for now....

Well then...it's past midnight (and way past my bedtime)

Have a good night.

Izzy Ballerina

2011-07-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

The first thing Isabel said this morning when she woke up was "I want to wear my tutu, momma"

I made her a tutu for a costume parade that she had at her daycare a few weeks ago (the tutu was a spur of the moment thing, cost about $3 and about 5 minutes to make. She helped me put the petals in)

She's about as graceful as an elephant =)

Fulfilled!

2011-07-02T12:07:00.000-05:00

I mentioned here that I wanted to run in a race/marathon.

I've never been athletic. Ever. I can't throw straight. (my arm is weirdly twisted when I hold it out straight) I can't jump. I don't like water.

I think as I grew older (as in like, 7) I became more self-conscious, and thus, began to doubt my abilities.

But I've always been in awe with people who have athletic grace and ability. Actually, I'm pretty much in awe of people who do things better than I do. I suppose it's one way for me to continuously push myself to be better. But I digress. So, I've always been in awe of athletic people. And I've always wanted to be able to be one of those people who run so effortlessly. Plus, I've been hearing the excuse "Oh, I'm going running" far too many times by then, which makes me feel like he thinks I'm the stupidest person alive. So I wanted to do something that says that at least ONE of us were really, truly running.

So I began going to the gym. I couldn't run for more than 2 minutes. It was pretty sad. But I persisted. I began taking classes - kickboxing, Zumba.

And I tried again at the treadmill after a few months. I could run for 15 minutes now, at 5.0 mph. I was thrilled!

To push even further, I coerced a bunch of colleagues and signed up for a 3.5 mile race.

I can't say I "trained". I never ran for more than 2.5 miles at a time, I hurt my neck/shoulder and was out of commission 3 weeks, which left me 2 weeks before the race. But I did my best

The results could have been better, but I'm pretty proud of myself . That I finished, and I ran as much as I could. (I did walk for probably about 1/2 mile. I had to breathe!)

And I'm going to keep going at it.

And I love how I'm one of those now who jogs/runs along the boardwalk at the beach near my house. =)

An Izzy Update

2011-07-01T10:45:00.012-05:00

I haven't done this in awhile, and figured I probably should.

Izzy is now 2 years, 6 months and 19 days old.

I have a 2 1/2 year old. How did that happen?

She's been potty training for awhile now - just some lacksidaisal approach, but now that she's moved into the potty training room at daycare, I've been trying to be more diligent about it.

To help things, she's got new underwear. Dora underwear, no less. Which she loves.

Although she pees in them, which I don't love.

***

She fights bedtime like there's no tomorrow. Why do kids do this? Then she'll wake up (late) all whiny because she's tired.

***

She's talking. Really talking. We hold actual conversations. Her favorite comeback these days?

"You're not the teacher. I'm the teacher"

To which I reply, "No, I'm not the teacher. I'm Momma"

Other conversations:

Momma: I'm tired. I want to cuddle

Izzy: Daddy's not here. Izzy's here. I'm sorry, momma

Momma: Do you want to wear these?

Izzy: NO

Momma: Which one do you want to wear? You pick

Izzy: Ummm.........hmmmmm.........................this one. It has hearts.....and pockets....and it fits just nice.

Something I taught her as we went into alternate weekends with her daddy:

Momma: When you miss Momma and you can't find Momma, where's Momma?

Izzy: In my heart.

***

She loves her babies, and will give them story time, circle time, potty time and take them out for walks.

I bought a stroller from a yard sale so she has an outside stroller that she'll use when we go for walks around the neighbourhood.

***

She's a pouter. Especially when she doesn't get what she wants.

She gets over it pretty quickly. Thank goodness. But there are times where she doesn't. And that's not so fun.

***

She loves music, and she dominates the radio in the car. We listen to stories, or nursery rhymes

***

She loves the playground. As do most kids, I suppose. When in the swings, she'll say "Push me, momma. I want to go up to the sky!"

***

She is the love of my life, my purple sunshine and the biggest pain in my patootie.

And I love her. Very much, indeed

Flowers

2011-06-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

Flowers make me happy.

I think I'm going to buy myself flowers once every month.

It looks like it's smiling. And that makes me smile.

June's Flower of the Month: Pink Gerbera Daisies. (Although honestly, it's part of the sunflower family)

Random useless facts:

It's the 5th most cut flower in the world (I remember them being very popular in high school where the Interact Club of my high school would sell them to raise funds)
It's commonly known as the African Daisy, Transvaal Daisy, and Barberton Daisy
It is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds, but is resistant to deer

From You've Got Mail, one of my favorite sappy movies:

Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan): I love daisies.
Joe Fox (Tom Hanks): You told me.
Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan): They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?

Meet Sophie

2011-06-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Sophie has been the recipient of many cast-offs lately

I've been trying to make baby shoes for awhile now, but they always turn out slightly wonky. So they never get gifted. Sophie gets them instead.

The latest ones do match her outfit pretty well though, don't you think? Who knew babies feet were so small?!

My Dancing Queen

2011-06-26T00:09:00.001-05:00

She cracks me up =)

And apparently Adele's Rolling In the Deep is "Izzy's song". She wouldn't let me turn the radio off when the song played.

A Moment Captured

2011-06-25T15:13:00.000-05:00

I don't get in many pictures with Isabel. Mainly because I'm typically behind the camera. So when I was back home earlier this year, I got my fab friend & photographer to take some pics of us.

And I LOVE them!

I'm planning on blowing them up and having them on a gallery wall.

Thanks so much, Tsen, for being so generous with your time and talent!!!

PINK HOUSE!!!

2011-06-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

image via luxury & opulence

And a purplish/blue one next to it! Isabel would approve!

Kitchen

2011-06-23T14:41:00.001-05:00

On to the next room -- the heart and soul of any home - the kitchen.

There's no dining room in this house, which irks me sometimes as I don't feel comfortable inviting people over for a meal. So I don't. But I suppose an option is to get the island out of the kitchen and replace with an oval one? Painted a pale blue, I think, to match the curtain.

The island can be repurposed by moving it to the study to be used as a craft table. Although don't ask me how it's actually going to be moved, as it's heavy and it can't go through the doorway, unless the top is removed. Which would be a pain in the bum-bum.

And I think the door would look fab if the exterior side was painted the same grey as the chandelier. Hmmmm...I wonder if I still have the paint, and if it's still good....

I like the little corner that we added, although I wished those shelves can handle more weight. I'm not 100% confident that it's strong enough to handle all that it already does now.

I wished we had waited 2 more months prior to installing the cabinets, as the perfect dresser turned up by the side of the street. The best laid plans of mice and men....

Art

2011-06-21T10:05:00.003-05:00

I've been looking for some artwork for Isabel and I came across Doodle Everyday through Twig & Thistle. His artwork is adorable, and how cool is this...he's from Puchong, Malaysia. =)

Some of my favorites:

ENTRANCE TO PARADISE

I'M LIKE A BIRD

I'M LIKE A SWAN

Bugger

2011-06-19T22:13:00.000-05:00

My daughter went away for the weekend. Buddy and I were quite sad about it

However, instead of moping around the whole time (like what the dog did), I decided to tackle something that was challenging my competitiveness.

The garage is sided with wood, and the paint is peeling off.

6 hours later, under the sun, armed with the scraper and palm sander, the paint is definitely chipped off.

Another 2 hours on Sunday...I think I prefer the 6-hour chipped look

I suppose that's why people hire out...All I got out of it is a vicious tan line

Pictures

2011-06-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

To list the house for sale, I had to take pictures of all the rooms. Isabel (and the dog) were my sidekick(s). It was a challenge to get her (and him) out of the shot.

Anyway, I might as well share it the pictures here, since I've never really shared pictures of the house before.

First up is Isabel's room.

I've never been happy with the way this room has looked, ever. Since the time I've had it as my "Closet" to when it was converted to a baby (boy!)'s room. There's something that was always unfinished about it that drove me nuts.

So last week, I finally said enough is enough, and I moved things around.

For now, I'm somewhat pacified. At least, it looks like a bedroom. now.

And I love the dresser. $50 from the thrift store and a coat of paint over it, and ta-da!

One Year Ago...

2011-06-17T12:30:00.003-05:00

My marriage went down the path of no return. Actually, I missed the official date - it was June 5th, I believe.

Even without the realization of the date, it was a long, hard week last week on the personal side. And I'd honestly prefer to focus on the good things.

Things that make me happy and sometimes, makes me jump like a lunatic:

First and foremost is always going to be my baby girl. She is the light of my life, the pain in my neck, my purple sunshine. She's the most intuitive, curious, challenging, loveable, whiny, independent little being and I love her.

I love my sewing. Because it calms me, gives me focus, allows me to put my energy towards something that a lot more beautiful than disappointment and sadness.

Doing "frou-frou" decorating nonsense in the house (quoted directly from my lovely soon-to-be-ex partner in life) because it makes a place home

Reading - always and forever. It allows the space to dream and to imagine and to escape. It gives motivation, knowledge and curiously, hope.

Things that I want to do:

Travel to Paris, and sit at those little cafés, nursing a hot steaming cup of café au lait, and a chocolate croissant (and eyeing those impeccably dressed French ladies and those cute Parisian guys). Oh, and shopping, of course. Girls...??!!!

Go skydiving

Run in a marathon/race

Go on an Alaskan cruise. That was suppose to have been my honeymoon.

Take 2 weeks off and do nothing but lay on a beach in the tropics all day (this is SO going to be my honeymoon goal, if I ever meet someone else)

Have a garden that's full of fresh vegetables and herbs. I'm limited to potted basil for right now, since I don't like trudging out to my crap yard.

Do more charity work - especially those involving children

Be more spontaneous. Explore. Do new things. Strike up conversations with people I don't know.

The funny outcome about this whole drama is that I am somewhat more comfortable talking and opening up to others now. I've never been much of a social extrovert, always much prefering to keep myself to myself. I've always enjoyed/accepted my own company and have the tendency to stick to lone activities. It's lonely most times (but much, much safer). But I'm branching out more. Because life is short. And I've had the great opportunity to be within a great team of colleagues - they have been crucial for my past year's survival, without which I would definitely be less optimistic than I am now.

Although I'm unfortunately leaving them, back to a group of people that's either much much younger, or older than I am. Perhaps God has a plan. And He thinks that I am now ready to move on to the next chapter of my life, by myself. Who knows. That's the sole way of thinking that helps keep me going.

I apologize that this post is all over the place -- it's slightly challenging for me to try and keep it upbeat, but also not to make light of the devastation of what had happened. Because it truly was a horrible chapter in my life. And the way that it happened was, and still is, very disappointing. And I'm still quite disappointed by how few people from the other side who have outright stood up for me (I think the count is perhaps 2? That may even be overestimating the number)

I have somewhat of a strong personality when it comes to certain things. I don't believe in sweeping things under the rug because I'm afraid of rocking the boat. Not because I want to make people uncomfortable, but because to me, there are things that are ultimately, very black and white. And I like to think that I'm a confident enough person to stand up for what I believe is right, and my mistake is that sometimes, I assume that others are the same way. Hence the road to disappointment.

But that's ok. Because it is what it is. And life goes on. That's the beauty of it, I suppose.

Discussion

2011-06-16T21:20:00.000-05:00

We've recently listed the house for sale. On Wednesday, the sign was up in the front yard. It was huge. And it tore up my grass, so I was slightly annoyed with that.

Isabel was curious about it

Isabel: What's that, momma?

Momma: That's a sign, so we can sell the house

Isabel: You want to sell my house, momma?

Momma: Yes

Isabel: My house broken?

Momma: Yes, the house is broken

(talk about a perfect metaphor!)

Isabel: Oh....you buy a new house, momma?

Momma: Yes, we'll buy a new house for Izzy and Momma

Isabel: Oh, ok......................................I want a pink house.

Surrender

2011-05-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

Isabel has been bugging me for awhile to paint her nails. This past weekend, I finally gave in. Probably because I was bored, and she was driving me up the wall.

For awhile, it looked like the pink stood a chance. But she's a predictable little creature when it comes to colors.

Can you guess which color she picked?

Yep. Purple.

(And yes, her eczema flared up again. It's fine now)

She knew exactly what she had to do and put both hands on the table, fingers apart, without me having to tell her. Don't ask me where she picked it up from, cause I don't know

When it was all done, she was excited and said "Go to daycare? I want to show Katie my purple nails"

Vain pot.

And I still stand by my thoughts that I don't like nail polish on toddlers. So she's probably not going to have another manicure for the next 8 years.

When I'm Bored...

2011-05-24T23:32:00.000-05:00

1) I take out the scissors and cut my daughter's hair

2) I rearrange the furniture

3) I make silly faces in the mirror

Good stuff.

P/S: Like my new glasses?

Circus

2011-05-22T23:12:00.000-05:00

The Ringling Brothers Circus came to town during Mother's Day weekend. As a treat (and because I love the circus), I immediately bought tickets.

Honestly though, I think the circus that I remember going to when I was young seemed much better. The tricks were somewhat "eh". Isabel was entertained most of the first half, then it just got too long. And there were too many clown acts.

Here's her take on it:

My favourite were the elephants too. And just for the record, there were 9 elephants - two of which took a BIG dump during the act. It was the best part of whole 2 hour long show, in my opinion - and to hear the "oooooohh..." of the crowd who were facing the elephants' posterior made it even more amusing =)

So Izzy got a stuffed baby elephant and I made an elephant hairclip for her to commemorate

This...

2011-05-19T10:26:00.000-05:00

Is what I feel like right now:

I want to just go to bed and wake up only when things are better and life is starting anew again, in my OWN house, where I can lock the door and say, "You are not welcome here"

I usually shop my blues away (shopping therapy reigns high on my list of "Cheering Up") but funds are locked because I'm single income now. How now, brown cow? =(

What's In My Bag?

2011-05-10T08:30:00.000-05:00

I"m a bag person. Always have been, and probably always will.

I remember being 10 years old and driving my mom crazy trying to find a backpack - I was really looking for one that would be a perfect replica of Prada's nylon backpack. Yes, my obsession for designer goods apparently started way back then. I probably bought like 5 different ones that all never did quite fit the bill. So I really learned early on that it's best to splurge on the bag that you really want, instead of wasting money on lackluster bags that really don't quite fit the bill and will end up unused and eventually thrown away. =)

Anyhoo...so I love bags. And I love what's kept in it. And I love knowing what other people have in their bags. Probably because I'm nosy.

Isabel has a bag that she carries around with her, so I decided to nose into it and find out what's important to her:

Clockwise from left:

1) Bead necklace from the MS walk we did with our neighbour and her family

2) Giraffe notebook for her to jot her thoughts down

3) Heart bracelet from her friend Mandy

4) Lipbalm from her friend Mandy - and she will look for it to put it on too. "Where's my lipbalm, momma?"

5) Fruit snack - always important when I need to behave. Yes, I bribe.

6) Izzy's Butterfly Bag - when we go out shopping, she is allowed to get 1 thing. It was between this, and purple slippers that didn't fit her feet.

7) Wipes

8) Cards from a kid's meal from Wendy's

9) Crayons from Cracker Barrel

10) Bear mittens from Grandma Millard

Important stuff.

And I may want to think about getting curtains for that window in the study...If anyone was passing my house that night, they'll see me in my PJs, standing on the chair, taking a picture

Pulling Things Out Of a Hat

2011-04-30T20:52:00.003-05:00

I remembered the night before Easter that I should probably have an Easter basket for Ryan, Isabel's neighbourhood buddy (he calls her his sister)

I had to rummage through the candy bin (which, thank goodness, is quite well stocked) and then through my craft cupboard for all the other non-edible treats. And something to put it all in.

So, ta-da

Total cost? $0

The Peep Rabbit and basket are two of the many tutorials that have been printed out a while ago - I have 2 huge binders full of these...the heart is willing, but the free time and motivation are lacking!

I liked the basket so much that I pulled out my rusty math skills (pi = 3.142!! I can't believe I used to be good at math) and made a bigger one to contain her clean cloth diapers that always, for some reason or other, seem to settle itself on the chair in my bedroom

Ahhh...much better.

I've always been a freak about organization

As is my daughter:

Ahoy!

2011-04-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

We try and go down to the beach as often as we can - and hopefully, the weather will warm up soon so we won't have to huddle together in our big coats, teeth chattering away

She doesn't quite like sand on her feet. In fact, she refused to move to prevent more sand from going into her slippers

But we enjoyed ourselves -- good thing I brought a blanket to lay on - I just need to make a big blanket now that can be used for picnics out on the grass or by the beach

Also tried to make a sandcastle -- my city roots are showing - I don't make good sandcastles.

I have all summer to perfect my technique, I suppose.

Sentiments

2011-04-18T19:58:00.004-05:00

I'm feeling somewhat sentimental tonight - so pardon me as I spew my thoughts while they are still here, to remind myself that the whole relationship was not a mistake.

There are times where I miss him. The person I fell in love with - that person was kind, thoughtful, sweet, faithful, loving, he definitely did not lie, and most importantly, he made the effort. To show me that I'm a priority. That I'm not the very last on the list. Because isn't that what a relationship is about? To someone, you're important. To someone, you matter. Without that, it's not a relationship. Not a good one, at least. Not an meaningful one.

I mourn the lost of him. Now and then, I'll catch a glimpse of the old him. And little reminders like that are nice - because it lets me know that I didn't make a mistake from the get-go. That there is still a little bit of soul left in him. That I didn't marry a weak cheating coward who doesn't stand up for either woman - and that lessens the disappointment.

Does that make me think that things will be different? As I sit alone night after night after night, for a period of ten months - the answer to that is a big honking NO! I'm a faster learner than that!

However, I'm scared as heck to have to start over. But you know what? It's going to happen, regardless of how I feel. Life goes on. The sun will keep shining. The birds will keep singing (I'm pretty sure there's a song here somewhere) And I will trudge along. It's not easy - but it does get easier. Thank God for that.

My New White Picket Fence Dream

2011-04-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

This is what happened to my current white picket fence, literally and figuratively.

I think it is ironically humorous.But then again, I'm taking conscious effort to see the silver lining in every situation. I'd rather laugh than cry. Plus, crying makes my head hurt. It's partly vanity speaking.

So, my marriage crumbled, my house is falling apart. Got it.

What's a girl to do now, if she's not going to waste any more time crying?

Look for a new dream.

picture from www.elementsofstyleblog.com

I want a small little cottage - perfect for 2 girly girls.

It'll be mostly white, but perhaps I'll paint my kitchen cabinets a pale pale blue?

picture from here

My furniture will be mostly cottagy, shabby-chicy stuff...stuff from thrift stores and such, because it'll fit my single mom budget, and because it'll be different

And I'll definitely, definitely, well...hopefully...have a room for dress up. For both Isabel and I. Because what are girly girl houses for without a good dress-up area?

picture from Domino magazine

There'll be flowers everywhere - hopefully snipped from my garden. That will be hopefully dog-poop free. And I'll hopefully magically cure my black thumb-ness.

picture from www.secretgardenlandscaping.com

Let me know if you see a listing somewhere that fits the bill

Pants!

2011-04-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

Another pattern from the "Making Children's Clothes" by Emma Hardy

My first pair of pants for her, using the unbleached cotton fabric from IKEA (I seem to have a ton of that)The fabric is pretty thin so it shouldn't bog her down too much when the weather finally decides to warm up. I don't know why I haven't made pants before -- they are pretty simple to make (meaning - quick) and it's quite fun to put little pops of color using fabric scraps (which I also seem to have a ton of)

Pardon her appearance - she just woke up from her nap

I think I'm going to wait to see how these hold up first before going crazy on them - I've double stitched the bum area that will hopefully prevent any embarrassing moments - who knows how much roughhousing goes on at daycare!

Class...

2011-04-10T15:00:00.002-05:00

I went upstairs after putting in a load of laundry in...this is what greeted me when I walked into Isabel's room

Apparently I almost missed story time

She even has her "teacher pose" perfected

You know, to prevent any unwanted flashing. Although since she's really not wearing any pants...I'm not sure if that goal was really achieved.

Petal Top

2011-04-05T08:09:00.001-05:00

Something that I made awhile ago from "Making Children's Clothes" by Emma Hardy

The petal top in 3T so that it should fit Isabel perfectly for fall. Because apples = fall.

But that doesn't mean I won't try and put my kid in it during Spring.

I have to say, there's something so satisfying when your kid is excited to wear something that you made. After putting it on this morning, Isabel said "Momma take picture!"

So we did.

I Have A Problem

2011-04-03T06:08:00.000-05:00

I have all these sewing books that I just HAD to have

But I have yet to make a SINGLE things out of them...

At least they are pretty to look at...*shrug*

But with one of my best friends having a baby soon, I have grand plans of sewing a whole bunch of stuff for her baby. So hoping that these books will be well-used.

But first, I promised Izzy that I'll make a dress for her doll.

So today, we sat down and planned for the outfit. Poor dolly was stripped, fabric was compared, and the pattern was chosen.

This is serious business

Izzy Longstockings

2011-04-02T18:05:00.002-05:00

I have an idea for her Halloween costume this year...

Izzy Longstockings!! With some red and white striped socks, she's good to go!

Friday Night Recoup

2011-04-01T21:38:00.002-05:00

My job has been something else these days. Although I love it. Somewhat. Not all the time.

Regardless, it's Friday night.

The kid is in bed. I've finished mopping the house. The laundry is in the wash. The dishes are in the dishwasher. The dog is...somewhere and the house is quiet.

And now is time for me to relax.

And I found some...ingredients...to help me. Good thing I cleaned out the freezer this evening and refilled the ice cube tray. ;p

Add something from my Netflix queue

And this delightful, frilly, completely girly set up

And presto!

It's destress time!

(Classic movie night selection will come back soon enough -- right now, I need something laugh out loud funny)

Dora, Dora

2011-04-01T07:33:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to get Isabel on a better teeth brushing regime -- we got a My Little Pony toothpaste, and a brand new Dora the Explorer toothbrush. She doesn't watch any of those shows. But she seems to like them enough...

She's singing the Dora theme song....well, the song the way she interprets it

1,2,3,4

2011-03-07T08:25:00.000-06:00

Draw Circles!

2011-03-05T13:46:00.003-06:00

***Post written back in January that I never got around to posting***

The weather has been a complete crap ball this winter. There's lots of days and nights where we are cooped at home and Isabel is slowly but surely turning into a glazed-eyed TV zombie.

To spice things up a little, I've been trying to include her in the kitchen, i.e. when I'm baking.

She'll hold the cups and spoons for me as I measure out the ingredients, and most importantly, she has the task of mixing. I tell her to "draw circles" in the batter.

I need to bake more.

A Taste of KL Life

2011-03-05T09:03:00.002-06:00

More food-related stuff -- night markets are AWESOME.

Designated streets will be closed off to traffic and vendors will fill their vans and lorries (trucks) with their wares and set up stalls to sell their goods - ranges from fresh food (fish, vegetables, fruit, etc)...

To prepared food (either precooked or they'll cook it right there and then) to stuff like clothes, shoes, even windshield wipers!

Mmmmm....appam...and appung...and another appam thinge. I really have no idea what their names really are...when I was growing up, they were known to me as the 20 cent thing, 30 cent thing and the 50 cent thing (my fave was the 50 cent one)

Although now, the prices are very much more inflated --- it's more like the 50 cent thing, 90 cent thing and the $1 thing.

Isabel with her goodies.

The Tale of the Potties...

2011-03-04T07:46:00.002-06:00

Looks like Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Except it's Isabel and the 3 Potties.

Who's the third and smallest one for?

Her dolly...

Mmmmm.....

2011-03-03T07:22:00.004-06:00

I'm going to put on my Ms I-Hua hat for awhile and talk about food.

It's been a long draught for me in terms of local Malaysian/SEA fruits. For the durian, it's been 5 years (or more)

A different take on the king of fruits: A Chocolate Durian cake!! Very highly recommended by my friends, so I gotta try it.

Look at all the yummy, gooey durian!!!

The smell that wafted up when we cut into it....yum!!!!

Although someone wasn't quite a fan of it...

Slippers

2011-02-22T12:48:00.000-06:00

I say that she's Malaysian-ized

Kids Say The Darnest Things

2011-02-17T19:28:00.000-06:00

Last night, when Izzy just finished her bath and had her towel wrapped around her

Izzy (patting herself on the chest): "Izzy's dress!!"
Momma: "Yes, Izzy's dress"
Izzy (pointing at me): "Momma's dress!"
Momma: "Yes, momma's dress"
Izzy (jabbing her finger on my chest): "Nock kers"
Momma: "..................excuse me??"
Izzy: "Nock kers"
Momma (furiously thinking of who I'm going to strangle at daycare): ".......................did you say knockers??"
Izzy: "Yeah!!"

A few seconds past....

Momma: "Did you mean necklace?"
Izzy: "Yeah! Momma's nock kers!"
Momma: "Say Neck-lace"
Izzy: "Nock kers"

Soon - Like, 6 Days "Soon"

2011-02-13T10:28:00.003-06:00

Cousins

2011-02-11T09:04:00.000-06:00

Isabel and her cousins - taken over last Christmas, I think.

I love this picture, even though it looks like a "Where's Waldo?" game--- she looks odd in a sea of blondies!!

They are all around the same age, give or take some years. It's a huge pity that they don't live close enough to grow up together.

Thanks for sending, MK.

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

2011-02-06T07:43:00.000-06:00

I'm so far removed that I didn't even realize that it was Chinese New Year.

Anyway, Gong Xi Fatt Chai!!

Isabel will be back soon, so get those ang pows ready!!!

Kaplooey

2011-01-29T18:22:00.000-06:00

Read a somewhat depressing (perhaps depressing is too strong a word...relevant perhaps?) book that represented my thoughts more succinctly:

"I'm embarrassed to say this, but divorce embarrasses me. It's like telling everyone you've failed, each time you announce your marital status. I never thought of myself as someone who was proud, you know, of any kind of status. But I guess being married did mean something to me, being a husband. Well, it felt like something of my own. We were married before anyone else in our circle. Married, in graduate school, everything seemed to be going according to plan. And then...."

"Kaplooey?" she supplied.

"Kaplooey."

- Rebecca Flowers, Nice To Come Home To

MORE?????

2011-01-27T09:06:00.002-06:00

Seriously?

All I heard on the weather forecast last night was snow, snow, snow and more snow. COME ON!!!! I thought hell was suppose to be hot. Or has it really frozen over?

Rabbit and I are enjoying some hot chocolate - not much of a fan of this stuff, but it sounded good...

However, something tells me that Isabel likes it...

And if we even think of venturing outside...well...lets just say "fashion statement" we are not...perhaps a fashion don't. Especially with that face that she's making

The Witchin' Hour...

2011-01-24T22:42:00.001-06:00

Work, work, work...My eyes hurt.

Random bits and bobs to let my mind settle after a whole bunch of copy control data transfer routine mumbo jumbo. Some IT people are just way too technical.

- It's been bitterly cold today. The car registered the outside temp as 0 Fahrenheit.
- I ran for a solid 15 minutes today. Not bad, considering the last time I tried, I had to wave a white flag after 2 1/2 minutes. Props to Zumba and kickboxing! ;)
- My throat hurts and my nose is running
- Yay for homemade cinnamon roll bread and a hot cup of green tea
- I'm lusting after a scarf
- Isabel has been bottle free for about a week now. Props to her!
- I am feeling pretty content.

Back to VBAK, VBKD and VBPA.

Back In The Game

2011-01-22T20:08:00.002-06:00

I received a sewing book called "Making Children's Clothes" by Emma Hardy from my sister-in-law for Christmas. (Actually, I received a lot of goodies from my in-laws via mail during Christmas last year. Thanks to all for thinking of me)

I intend to try every single pattern in the book.

First up is a sleeveless top that'll be perfect for hot summer days.
Or hot KL days (less than a month! Woot!!)

The instructions for that particular pattern were not 100% accurate, and sometimes, veer towards being a little confusing. It's definitely not for someone who has absolutely zero knowledge of sewing -- I made some notes for adjustments in case I make another version of the top.

Sizing is pretty true - Isabel is wearing the 2-3T version.

Izzy Is Rocking It...

2011-01-22T00:52:00.002-06:00

She's such a ham

Working

2011-01-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

We are both hard at work.

It was suppose to be a snow day today, but nothing much came down...feel quite pathetic staying home actually. But ah well...

Resolution

2011-01-19T22:24:00.002-06:00

It's a beautiful night out...The temperature is hovering at the perfect chill and the moon is shining. Brightly.

Very brightly.

I was sitting around, wondering what on earth did I do in my past life to be so friggin "lucky" to deserve such a snivelling twit. But when I stepped outside into the crisp night, and took a deep breath of cold air, I realize that there's absolutely NO way that I'm going to let ONE ahole ruin my life for me. I'm built tougher than that. And I sure as hell deserve better. As does my daughter

Life is full of moments. And one will never get it back. I'm not wasting another moment.

It's Potty Time!

2011-01-19T13:45:00.001-06:00

When the new year started, I got it in my head that Isabel will be potty-trained before she turns 3. Isabel was right on board, thanks to countless screenings of Elmo's Potty Time.

She was so eager, in fact, that she started pulling her pants down the moment the potty was out of the box

So there she sat, in the middle of the living room...

Potty time is always quite a production...A book is necessary

Or she has to have her croonies with her

We've had two success stories so far, where she pee-peed into the potty (complete flukes though) but it's a start.

Another One....

2011-01-12T14:52:00.000-06:00

Yet ANOTHER snowstorm

So I gathered my supplies....

And had chocolate fondue. Yum

Gotta gain back the calories I lost from shoveling somehow!

Well...

2011-01-11T21:32:00.000-06:00

2011 is finally here.

Actually, it's already a good 2 weeks under way. Thank God for that.

2010 has been.....challenging. A true soul- searcher. A real reevaluation of expectations. A real stomp-my-feet and saying "NO! That is NOT right, and I won't stand for it". A reconfirmation of the importance of independence, self-value, self-confidence and a good old dose of "chin up"-ness (best advice I got, actually)

Regardless, however bad it was....guess what? I'm still standing.

I'm still smiling.

I'm still laughing.

And most importantly, I still believe in love. Love for my baby. Love for my family. Love for friends. There IS a future out there. And I will keep working towards it.

And I thank each and every person who has comforted me, prayed for me, thought of me, and kept me going in their own way. Even though it may not have been the method I would have preferred, one comes to realize that expectations cannot be held against someone else. Only towards one's own self. And the offspring, I suppose, since you gave LIFE to that particular being, surely SOME expectations should be allowed? Although that would go against my previous observation...so it cancels itself out again. A moot point...sorry...I digress...(I tend to try and talk philosophically to myself sometimes. The arguements can get quite humorous)

2011 is a year of moving forward. Officially.

Two

2010-12-27T20:10:00.000-06:00

Well...with all the hustle and bustle of Isabel getting sick on her birthday, it never really did hit that my baby is TWO! How did it happen?

I love how she's progressed into a little person of her own, with her own thoughts and her own words. She's absorbing everything like a sponge.

And I love how she's just a silly little ham sometimes

I love that she's slowly mastering words to express herself

I love the way she stops and thinks about how she wants to phrase something so that I'll understand.

I love the way she'll make me repeat what she says to ensure that I really got what she was trying to say.

I love how she loves shoes.

I love how she's getting into role-playing and using her imagination. The imagination is one of the most important quality a person can have - with it, one can dream of bigger and better things, one can escape the wearies and the troubles of an existing life, one can have hope.

I love how she'll try and mimic me and try to do the things I do

I love how she'll say "Momma, hand!" whenever we are out and about

I love the way she says "Momma, hold" when she's in bed, getting ready to fall asleep

I love the way she makes me feel like I'm a good person. A worthy person. And how it makes me all the more determined to be strong, to carry on, to be a good mother who'll be worthy of her love.

I love you, my darling girl. Momma loves Izzy.

This Is What Miserable Looks Like

2010-12-26T15:32:00.000-06:00

Made even more miserable by the fact that I had to go shovel it.

Remind me to move to a place where I'll be able to handle the maintenance of the place single-handedly.

Or at least, where I won't look like a bundled up bag-lady when I go out and tackle it.

The things I do to amuse myself when I am alone. Thank God for Netflix Instant Play. And online shopping. Although I'm not so sure my bank account is too thankful for the latter. Ah well...New Year's isn't here yet.

Back to my Marilyn Monroe marathon.

Sad

2010-12-23T15:49:00.002-06:00

I've taken to singing "My Favourite Things" at the top of my lungs when I start feeling really sorry for myself. My dog thinks I'm crazy.

But that's ok. I brought in reinforcements.

Along with some Christmassy movies - with Christmas in Connecticut thrown in for good measure - Amanda - I took your rec.

And if all things fail, there's always ice-cream, chased down by buckets full of Diet Coke Lime.

I'm off to wallow now.

Post Note: I LOVED "Christmas in Connecticut". Since I already live in the state and have the baby, I just need to find a farm and a sailor to marry!

Bah. Humbug

2010-12-23T07:21:00.000-06:00

Well...my daughter is off for her long trip out to Michigan with her dad. Please keep your fingers crossed, or say a prayer that she'll return home, safe and sound to me.

With that, I'm now allowed to to mope freely.

Although we got a LOVELY package last night, with lovely, LOVELY stuff inside that gives a good dose of cheer

Isabel concurs as the first thing she said was "KITCHEN! Open Momma!"

Then "Rabbit Hat!" and promptly put it on her head

And then "Izzy Color?" And grabbed her crayons and went to town with the card
For some reason, she only likes to color on the writing.

Then she grabbed her mouse and a cup and a spoon and sat on the rocker to feed her mouse

And finished the rest of the imaginery mum-mum herself.

See? I told you I had a fab brother. And he has fab taste. Because I honestly LOVE everything! And that's not particularly common with me (although it would be so if they just really knew me. At least I have one person who does!)

So thank you, m'dear!

Back to moping - if things get lonely, I'll just start dancing to my theme song for the season:

Puppy Tales

2010-12-22T07:55:00.001-06:00

This poor little guy has been neglected for well over a year.

But he's finally done and he got some well-deserved loving from Isabel.

And stickers too, for being such a good dog.

The problem with putting off projects, is that over the course of time, I couldn't remember which tutorial I was using. And I lost some of the fabric. So there was some "winging" involved. Which is probably why he looks like he's about to take off with his ears.

I'm not a fan of hand-sewing, if you must know.

But anyway, he's done and the little guy has been shipped off to his new home.

Hair Rising

2010-12-20T20:43:00.002-06:00

Little handmade gifts for her little friends at school...

For the girls at least. (Boys got Hot Wheels cars)

Isabel was nice enough to model one (or five) for me. All at once.

Buddy too

I'm all about homemade this Christmas

Isabel helped with the making of the cards
(she helped me glue the patterned cards to the cream cardstock)

After she picked up the hairclips she wanted to keep
(The pink snowman stays. As does the small penguin as that one is just ugly)

I was so happy to have them all packaged up...

Only to remember that I didn't get her teachers anything.

Dang it!

Meet My Brother...

2010-12-17T20:27:00.000-06:00

The real one this time.

He's 4 1/2 years older than me.

And he was my yardstick for all things male for a long time

I was that annoying little sister who tagged along with her older brother and tried to do all the things he did...I worshipped him. And lucky for me, he didn't seem to mind it (most times, at least)

One of the best memories from our younger days is sitting by his side when he's playing his video games on the computer - he'll actually let me know when he's going to start playing so I can get situated. Games like Legend of Kirandia, Alone In The Dark, Cluedo and Leisuire Suite Larry are remembered fondly.

Now that we are all grown up, we don't talk much anymore. In fact, I can't even seem to find a picture of just him and I in our old-age glory.

Perhaps we just have that special relationship where regardless of how much time has gone by, we're still able to connect like no time has past. He's always been there for me. Through the rough patches, and eventually the disolution of my marriage, I counted on him. And he was there.

Kor, I don't say this much (or maybe not at all), but you know I love you and I wish that we lived closer (like, in the same town. You still have yet to change ONE dirty diaper).

Happy birthday, old fart.

P/S: Isabel SO looks like me in that last picture!

List

2010-12-15T12:17:00.000-06:00

Since things are kinda depressing around here, I'm going to attempt to cheer myself up with a little wish list that I'm pretending that I'm going to get...

I'll start off with the big bucks first:

Simple black CL Pigalles - because I honestly only have 2 pairs of black pumps. I'm flabbergasted.

***

Balenciaga Money Wallet

***

I've been on a Rebecca Minkoff kick lately. Which is good and bad on my wallet.

Good - because it's waaaay less than what I usually lust after and they can be found on sale frequently.

Bad - because it's "affordable", buying a few here and there adds up to a lot....

Morning After Mini in Black & BBW - Exclusive to Revolve. It's starting to look like I'm building a collection of these

Boyfriend Bag

Dear tote - a good laptop bag!

***

Oh...and a dang purple dress that fits!

Chicken Little and Other Sad Stories...

2010-12-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

We are feeling sad around here these days

Poor baby developed a high fever on her birthday and was looking a little worse for the wear

Turns out that she has a little bronchial virus and was hooked up to a nebulizer (which looks like a chicken) at the doctor's to see if it will help her wheezing.

It didn't. As with everything, we'll just have to rough it out until things get better.

Which means LOTS of Elmo for Izzy and Momma

Movie Of The Week

2010-12-05T13:17:00.001-06:00

Movie of the week: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - recommendation from a colleague at work.

Ms. Tiny Mouse - the brothers are all redheads. On a farm!

Snack of the week: Candy Cane Joe-Joes from Trader Joe's...Like an Oreo cookie, but with peppermint cane filling...chocolatey with a minty tinge...yummy goodness that's far more economical than the Salted Caramel goodies!

Completed with a steaming cup of green tea.

I'm going to resemble a heffalump by the time February rolls along.

Chores...

2010-12-01T21:10:00.002-06:00

Are more fun when one has a little helper...

Especially when it's something like giving the dog a bath

Although after awhile, she was more interested in covering his head than drying him

And reveling in it too!

Tea Time!

2010-11-30T21:05:00.000-06:00

We had an impromtu tea party last weekend

Although somehow, all the cake ended up on Izzy's plate...hmmm

I wonder who was responsible for that!

Saturday Night Life

2010-11-28T14:28:00.001-06:00

Movie of the night: The Shop Around The Corner.

Loved it.

Activity of the night: A little apron for Isabel's little friend who's going to have a birthday

I have to say, it's a tad difficult to concentrate on a movie when one is also trying to sew.

And I did get a late night visitor

Although she wasn't interested in being my fit model, so I had to do it myself

~~Am I the only one who finds it odd that a toddler apron fits me?~~ Actually, never mind - it wasn't meant for a toddler, but a 3 or 4 year old. I guess that's slightly better!

Isabel humored me later on by letting me put it on her

For a grand total of 5 minutes, before demanding "OFF!"

Little miss is a little cranky at 12.30am, I suppose.

Yum...

2010-11-20T20:18:00.003-06:00

My Saturday night summed up in a picture...

- Diet Coke Lime

- Latest book from the Shopaholic series

- A good classic movie (Gene Kelly is YUMMY!)

- And oh my gosh...the latest love of my life...milk chocolate filled with salted caramel on top of a cookie from Trader Joe's...

If this is the only thing I get for Christmas, I would be happy. And fat.

Ok, I'd much rather have this, but I'm being realistic.

Sometimes, single mommahood isn't as rough as it so typically is.

Edit: Actually, I think I much prefer Donald O'Connor over Gene Kelly. And I have the overwhelming need to enroll myself in some tap classes!

I Went A-Hunting...

2010-11-19T15:05:00.000-06:00

And got myself a deer head ;)

A real applique this time, inspired by one from Anthro.

Tutorial from here

Don't worry about the wrinkles, the stitches aren't pulling it - I just didn't bother ironing it. The white fabric used to be Isabel's old bedsheets. She's moved on up to a real full-sized bed about a week ago.

It qualifies as Christmas decor somewhat, doesn't it?!

I Am A Grandmother

2010-11-18T14:37:00.001-06:00

And these are my grandkids - all girls, thank goodness. Meet Dolly (~~Sophie~~ Chloe. Apparently, signs of dementia is starting to show at my ripe old age...I'm forgetting names of my grandkids), Baby and Baby.

There are two more, but since they are of a different....species, I'm ignoring them.

They enjoy going for walks with their momma

And Baby enjoys mum-mum time because she's Isabel's darling (I think it's because it's the ugliest baby, so she's doting on it to make up for that), along with Bear.

Here's our family portrait.

Pocketing Away

2010-11-17T15:17:00.002-06:00

The majority of her clothes are hand-me-downs, which I am grateful for. But to elevate the guilt somewhat of not "providing" for her, I try to do little things...

Isabel loves pockets. And coats/sweaters.

So a plain hand-me-down pullover + some cute fabric...

= custom jazzed up sweater with a kangaroo pocket.

This is what happens when I have 5 minutes to spare...and I like doing pointless things, apparently.

Thank Goodness For 2.5 Hour Naps

2010-11-16T10:17:00.000-06:00

Got the time and motivation to haul the compressor out and paint a whole bunch of furniture.

It was nice to be able to do stuff like this

Gobble Till You Wobble...

2010-11-11T09:41:00.000-06:00

Isabel's daycare is having a Thanksgiving feast today. In honor of that occasion, and because I had to stay home with her yesterday because she had a temperature (she's fine now), I found a simple tutorial here to make her a turkey shirt.

Turkey turned out a little....wobbly...like he's had a little too much to eat. One reason why I don't do applique...Although I'm sure if I used the correct interfacing, it would have turned out straight. Ah well...work with what you got.

Not that Isabel minded anyway.She was just happy to get back to daycare to play with all her friends.

Daydreaming...

2010-11-04T10:46:00.004-05:00

When we were back home, I hopped on another plane for 8 hours...

So that I can touch down here...

To meet up with some friends who I haven't seen in years!

They took me to a place where I felt the strong need to just drop everything and move to a farm

A lavender farm, to be more specific

Where I'll also raise some chickens to get fresh warm eggs

And have some lavender scones

Accompanied with lots and lots of hot cappuccinos

With the occasional cup of tea thrown in

While keeping an eye out for those darn birds...

And perhaps I'll meet a sheep farmer and we can live happily ever after, with an abundant supply of wool to knit comfy sweaters for everyone...

So, who's with me?

Cupcakes & Birthdays

2010-11-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

It was my dad's birthday when we were back in KL in October - although I missed the actual day since I was in Melbourne.

But we had cupcakes as a mini celebration...

Not that they lasted long...

Have I mentioned that she likes cake?

And she knew exactly who to cuddle up to at the right moment...

Little stinker

Happy birthday, Kong Kong. We love you.

Up, Up and Away

2010-10-29T12:58:00.002-05:00

At the end of September, Isabel and I packed our bags and hopped on for a 20 hour plane ride.

With our bags, blankets and respective babies (my baby = Isabel. Isabel's baby = that ~~weird~~ pink 'My Little Pony') , we headed for home.

My home.

Where we did mundane things...

And visited places

Saw chickens...

And zebras.

Had food

Lots of food

Lots and lots of good food

And the obligatory McDonald's thrown in too

But most importantly, we surrounded ourselves with family

And friends

Thank you to each and every one of you who made time available to visit with us. We are truly blessed and extremely grateful for all the love, friendship and support.

And Isabel loved getting spoilt.

And you can see that she was.

She most definitely was.

The Things We Do At 3.30 In The Morning

2010-10-21T13:51:00.001-05:00

My little ah poh (granny)

Shuffling around in my new fuzzy slippers...

Jam Face

2010-09-14T11:38:00.001-05:00

What is this gunk?

Toast with a LOT of butter.

Because Isabel was only interested in the raspberry jam once she tasted that part of it!