Table

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

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?!

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!

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

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!

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

;)

Thanks, Tsen!

By Jove!

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

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

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

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

September 10, 2011

Anniversary No More

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

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

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

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! =)