Memory Trove

It's 2012

2012-01-19T08:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, 2 weeks and more along and am already breathless.
The routines have and will continue to be punishing but will no doubt have to keep the spirits up and have a blast.

It's been a big year - 2011. Thanks for the memories. Mostly glad for this guy who's changed all our lives...

2012, hopefully is one of a slower pace to consolidate, reinforce and reinvigorate.

On the scrappy front, I've started Project Life 2012. SO HAPPY as it'll be back to doing what I love most - capturing the stories and memories first, and the aesthetics second.

While the artistic creative bit is fun, there is at times too much pressure to make it more complicated than necessary to show that a piece is worth its salt. This year, I hope to take it easier, with projects that pare it down, and let the pictures and journaling speak for themselves.

Will be back soon with an update on how Project Life is going thus far.
Til then, here's wishing all of you who celebrate - a prosperous Lunar New Year !!

Scraplicious DT projects

2011-12-17T21:38:00.003-07:00

Hey there !

It's certainly been a while but am sure all the busy moms know the drill.
With exams, a new house to settle into and a sticky baby in tow, life was overwhelming.
But am happy.

Girls did us really proud with their excellent grades and awards.
Tiny is growing well and rotund ;)
These projects created with Prima's pixie glen and printery papers
are lovely with kiddie shots for that whimsical.

Loads of 3d pop up effects here. Get a closer look at Scraplicious- u can't miss it !
This little tyke is growing way too quickly !

14 weeks on...

2011-09-23T12:00:00.006-07:00

It's been such a great 14 weeks since this little tyke came into our lives.

Despite the sleepless nights (mine mostly) and the howls and whines from time to time, he's brought just so much joy and sunshine -

that winning ready smile that melts your heart;

a look that says 'carry me please';

those rolls of fat on the tummy and thighs

perfect responses to words like 'splash', 'kick', 'tongue'

thunderous passing of gas be it from the upper or rear end which sends girls into peals of laughter

We love you so soo much and couldn't imagine our lives without you.

Something i created to celebrate our wonderful boy...

thanks for dropping by !

Colour challenge

2011-09-23T06:58:00.026-07:00

It's Scraplicious' first colour challenge !

Lovely colour palate isn't it ?
Simply use these colours, upload it to the Scraplicious gallery by Oct 17, and you stand to win these yummy prizes :) Details HERE

AND here's my take !

Used mostly Websters Pages here

- and what fun doing cut-outs and layering them

Some close-ups :

Tiny's three months already ! Just too quick - boo hoo ;)

Scrappy happy

2011-09-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

I had a rare reprieve over the last couple of days and created these using shots taken by my nieces.

Cousins @ Play

a treat for the girls as they got to

catch up with their cousins at a recent family get-together.

a lovely lovely day that certainly had to be captured for posterity.

(supplies: Crate Paper "Random"; American Craft "Garden Cafe"; 7G word stickers; Prima blooms)

Crate Paper's 'Random' line is just awesome and the chips are too fun to play with.

Mixed and layered the 'random' chips here with 7G word stickers.

Love the 'pop' of pink and yellow here against the more muted greys

i love love love this pic.

(supplies: Crate Paper "Random"; American Craft "Garden Cafe"; Maya Road trim; Zva bling; Martha Stewart punch)

Ahhh.... need more time to scrap ! Soo good for the soul :)

Personalised notebooks + Scraplicious Sketch Challenge#2

2011-08-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

The girls and I produced these ... And we added tags to act as bookmarks for these personalised notebooks.

hee ! nothing too fancy but fun to put together..

The girls included the stamped hedgehogs. They very gladly used my Copic markers to colour..
Happy.
Hope their teachers like them too !

And all those who want to get scrappy, what better way than play with a Sketch !

I love sketches.

Takes the pain out of thinking how to structure a layout and just lets me get right into the fun bits of playing with pretty stuff !

This was my take

And you stand to win these goodies worth $50 :)

Just upload your entry by 12 Sep 2011 onto the Scraplicious website gallery.

Thanks for dropping by !
Here's wishing all my Muslim friends a wonderful Selamat Hari Raya Adilfitri!

Scraplicious August Design Team dues...

2011-08-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while out of the blogging world.

No apologies. Just an overwhelmed chronically tired mum, who still finds the strength to be incredibly happy :P

No less because I got to create these !

R doesn't look like this anymore.

Her permanent teeth have all grown.

She's a little more rotund,

And has an all-important air around her that says i'm a tween !

This is the new man in my life.

He's also the cause of my sleepless nights.

But I wouldn't have life any other way.

We are totally spell-bound.

This tray encapsulates my favourite photos of the moment.

I still can't believe I have a son.

Amazing.

All materials used are available at Scraplicious (Parkway Parade), and they are displayed in the shop if you'd like to take a closer look.

Scraplicious Sketch Challenge #1

2011-07-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

I love sketches ! It takes all the pain out of the thinking and i can just play with the pretty stuff ! And what's better - you get to play and stand a chance to win more pretty stuff !

HERE's the SKETCH

HERE's the GOODIES that could be yours worth $45 retail price for the lucky winner!!

Here's my TAKE of the sketch

Here's what you've got to do !

1. Create a layout based on the sketch provided above

2. Layout MUST be uploaded onto Scraplicious website gallery under “Layouts” category HERE (you need to be registered to upload your layout)

3. You need to upload your layout under the title “Sketch Challenge #1_ Your Name”

e.g. Sketch Challenge #1 _Lily Ho

4. Closing date of submission: 15 August, Monday by 6pm

5. Winner will be announced on 18 August, Thursday

6. Winner needs to bring along the layout to Scraplicious store when redeeming prize and layout will be displayed in the store for 1 month. We truly appreciate your beautiful work and we want to share it with the rest of the world!

7. Winner will be announced on our Facebook fan page & blog on date mentioned and he/she will need to contact Scraplicious via email and visit the store to claim their prize within 1 week of announcement.

And here’s glimpse of the prize worth $45 retail price for the lucky winner!!

EASY PEASY !!! I can't wait to see what you gals produce !!

Scraplicious 8 Days Scrapbooking Workshop

2011-06-23T04:08:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard ... this is SMASHING !! THis is the MOST exciting thing that's taking place !
And it's where i'm going to be after my 1-month jail term (otherwise known as confinement !!)

What better way to spend a girlie Saturday afternoon ?? And in total comfort at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. AND a chance to win a trip to Adelaide tooo!!!

So come on ladies, grab those BFFs and spend an afternoon with us, hob nob with Mediacorp personalities, and scrap with us !!!
Register with Scraplicious (tel:63458600) or fill up the form in 8DAYs NOW before all places go !

On this day...

2011-06-23T03:52:00.001-07:00

15 years ago, I married this man.

It was the best decision I've ever made.

Now we've grown from 4 to 5...

Nothing could be better.

This is bliss. This is my life. I'm so blessed.

Surprise baby Sprinkle..

2011-06-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a tiring past few weeks as the load keeps getting heavier nearing D-day. Baby feels like he's going to jump out from belly any second cos' he keeps moving non-stop !

But THIS. THIS totally prepped me up so wonderfully.
My dear sisters planned and executed a surprise Baby Sprinkle for me to top-notch perfection.

We played games, chatted, laughed and had a fantastic time ! Thank you ladies for sacrificing your Sunday afternoon away from family to be with ME ! Am blessed to have you gals in my life.

And to my dear sisters... no words needed or suffice for the love and companionship we share. For that, I'm just so grateful.

Some thank you cards i made as a token to my BFFs....

I'm sincerely thankful for all i have.

New Layouts

2011-05-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

I never knew how to create something about myself.
But as the countdown begins, I'm feeling the increasing need to remind myself to be patient,
and to savour what's left of my freedom !

I really liked how this turned out...

WAITING

Supplies: Crate Paper (patterned paper), Dusty Attic (leaf swirls), Ranger distress inks and perfect pearls, AC thickers (alphas), lace (own)

Another Layout here of the girls. They've been my source of so much happiness and comfort.
Went wild here with the chipboards and stickers. Aren't those birdies and bugs just too adorable :)

COMFORT. JOY. SUNSHINE

Supplies: Crate Paper and 3 Bugs in a Rug

Thanks for dropping by !! Have a great week ahead !!

NSD Blog Giveaways & a new Project

2011-05-06T07:02:00.002-07:00

Like what you are seeing ???
AND getting it for free is a HUGE bonus, right ???
Go on ! Hop on over to the Scraplicious Blog and play along !

Here's another something I created to assure my small one that she's still as precious as ever to me.

It's OUR STORY.
No big sister.
No daddy.
Just SMALL & ME.
The way she insisted.
Colourful as ever.
It's HER book she says....

So here we go... a riot of colour in this one...

And a WONDERFUL Happy Mothers' Day to all you mommies and mommies-to-be out there !

You sure deserve it !

Hope your journey into motherhood has been as enriching as mine has been :)

National Scrapbooking Day celebrations

2011-05-04T07:52:00.001-07:00

A shout to all of you out there who want some freebies, fun and great deals !

Scraplicious is celebrating their very first National Scrapbooking Day on 7 May 2011 (Sat) in a HUGE way, with day long goodies in store !

Do drop by Parkway Parade for some scrappy party fun ! Wanna know all the juicy details ??? Well, you gotta check back HERE or the Scraplicious Blog tomorrow for the grand REVEAL :)

close 2 you..

2011-04-16T01:38:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's a layout I did based on what I learnt from Irene last week...
Misted the doilies and layered and layered them, creating multi-dimensional flowers. Didn't realise they were so easy too ! And scraps - folded, stapled and voila - another bloom !

the outcome......

i like...
that's my sista... she took a day off to go spend some time with the girls ... it was great !

Here's a simple card i did too ... embossed the background.. double stamped the bee and cut out the second stamped image and layered it on top of the first for a 3D effect, and painted it with distress inks...

Off to lie down - my back is killing me.. have a great weekend everyone !

ahhhh... i love being a student

2011-04-13T16:43:00.003-07:00

I treated meself to a scrap class last weekend and so happy with this little escape from mundane mummy life !

Under the guiding hands of the gorgeous Irene-Gwen, I created these...

U must so attend this lady's classes. She's not just the perfect eye candy - think i spend more time looking at her than at what I'm supposed to do ! - she is also AMAZINGLY talented and can turn ANYTHING into something beautiful including zips and remnant scraps that I conveniently throw into the bin ! Check out these lovely easter wreaths she made ! too cool...

More pix from that lovely afternoon..

I'm still running on high from all the wonderful tips and ideas she shared, and hopefully I'll be back soon to show off some!

AND Scraplicious now has a BLOG !! Woohoo ! Go check it out cos' it will boast all the new stuff coming in and there's A LOT ! I saw cartons and cartons of new waiting to be tagged and displayed items over the past weekend!

Meanwhile I was distracted by the Borders Clearance sale yesterday - check out the loot ! There must be some 20 notebooks in there ??? And no item is more than 5 bucks! Happy. Retail therapy is soooo good.

Yeah.. the weekend is near - time to chill with the girls - not sure why, but i miss them so...

Dance

2011-04-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

A quick post ..
sharing a recent layout for Scraplicious capturing the girls' recent dance concert.
It features the new Sassafras Indie Girl line. MUST get !! It has muted pastel hues to die for with bursts of brights.

Misted the background and used roller stamps for interest and used loads of Tim Holtz alteration dies on this one. LURVE the vintage flower and leaves and swirls and heart and wings ... hee ! Can u tell, i'm a nut when it comes to Tim Holtz products. Used distress inks and perfect medium and glitter to create the metallic look of the swirls.

Have a great week ahead everyone !!

Project Life

2011-04-05T18:50:00.002-07:00

I have always wanted to capture the everyday moments and document the happenings of our lives, but i've never succeeded cos' it was just sooooo tedious.

I mean really, who has time to remember to capture pictures daily or store memorabilia from our lives no matter how meaningful they may be ? Well i for one just chucks or junks them in a drawer and forgets about them.

Consequently, the precious little things that happen - the people that come and go in our lives, what C has said; or the nuggets of achievements R attains - all get forgotten as well. And for me, I wanted to return to the roots of why I started scrapbooking in the first place - to journal and tell the stories to keep for yonks to come.

Finally, i chanced upon a system that might actually work !!

I was recently inspired by Becky Higgins and Ali Edwards system titled "Project Life" where premade cards, ready slip-in page dividers, date stamp and stickers, and an album are all pre-packed in a kit so you are essentially all set to go ! It's even sold on Amazon.

But I couldn't wait. I wanted something easy to get HERE, so that if i ran out, I didn't have to do any ordering internationally. Besides, I had tonnages of stuff - why not use it all ??

So off i ran to local stationery chain store Popular, and got myself a file and plastic name card holders that come in different sizes, spent a night trimming up numerous papers to size and VOILA ! Here's the spine and cover page.

I started in March. Decided a start whenever is better than never. So be it i missed Jan and Feb. Here's a sneak at how the pages look. With page dividers to denote the months. And you could also slip in programmes, school notes, tickets etc. I wanted to keep it simple - just the stories, without the frills of 'beautifying' it too much.

I've started a basket to keep all my Project Life stuff together so it is clearly in view and within easy reach. All the cards are trimmed and ready (u can see them in the brown basket) to just slot into the page dividers. And i can just grab and journal as I go along. I encourage the kids to do it too so they can document their feelings/ life from their perspective.

Hee !! happy with what i've put together... So far I've completed March. Let's see how April goes...
Wish me luck !

In celebration of Mummies

2011-03-28T16:30:00.003-07:00

I did this.

For ME.

Because I needed some creative therapy
Because I needed to celebrate and give myself a pat on the back for surviving a decade of

sacrifices
tears
heartaches
anger
frustration (the pulling hair out type)

Because I needed to tell the world what a PRECIOUS gift motherhood is, and worth every second of any insurmountable pain one may feel.

For YOU.

So you too can celebrate YOU and the MUMMIES in your life.
AND tell them how much you appreciate their presence.

I'm running this class only on 30th April (Sat), as I'm totally hard pressed for time this month.
Hope to see you there !

Dance a little... scrap a little.. that's the story of love ..

2011-03-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind past 2 weeks with dance concert rehearsals, tears, needy kids, single motherhood, and scrappy yummies ! Inevitably caught the bug and was down for a couple of days, but nothing some retail therapy couldn't solve.. ha !

First some crafty goodies to share....

love these birdies from the American Craft 'Hello Sunshine' line...

Got those love notes down pat. Unfortunately Small didn't fancy this layout.

"Why Jie Jie's so bright - mine not nice - no owl ??!" (see below) followed by 'manja' whines and tears

Anyone has some magic potion i can feed her ? She's slowly driving me nuts !!

Here's the bright layout Small was jealous about. I've been soooo grateful for R lately. She's really been my ROCK, this 9 year old. What will i do without her ?...

And the stars at the recent concert @ Jubilee Hall in their dance regalia... they enjoyed themselves sooo much and so did I... gosh, the logistics involved in putting together something like that. Millions of kudos to their dance teacher who single handedly rocked this. Sure, there could be things that could have been done better, smoother, nicer... but to the KIDs, it was just PERFECT.
Check out some of the action...

thanks for dropping by !!

Love notes

2011-03-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

Small has been feeing insecure as the tummy enlarges and the kicking is felt.

Has been needing lots of reassurance and LURVE lately...

Check out her labours of love to me ....

She also has been dragging her feet to school the past week and has been whining "i want to stay with mummy ..."

So i made this little notebook for her to write to me when she feels like she needs to..

the little dear spending some mommy time at Udders :)

Thanks for dropping by !!

In the Nook !

2011-03-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

I've been having meself some quality time in my nook, and this is what I've come up with :)

this now graces the wall where my little me space is :)

So happy to play with Imaginisce chipboard stickers, glitter, pearls, trinkets and blooms. Aren't those birdies just adorable ?

And I did this too...

Nice ???? The new American Crafts 'Hello Sunshine' and Pebbles 'Ever After' collections - totally yummy i tell u ! Just arrived at Scraplicious .. better go grab before they fly off the shelves !

Played with chalk inks to create that soft pastel background using white cardstock, and finally broke my new Tim Holtz rosette die used here with the American Craft paper and stickers.

Happy !

Kids' Classes

2011-02-27T21:27:00.001-07:00

Hi hi !!
Yeah, the March hols are coming up and the girls are so looking forward to having a break !

I'll also be running 2 kids' classes at Scraplicious, and will certainly be looking forward to seeing u and your kids there.

Here are the details. Just click on the preferred date to sign up online ! You can even choose to do both as they are run back to back with a half hr break in between :)

Class 1: I made this !!

Dates: Monday, 14th Mar 2-3pm OR Saturday, 19th Mar 4-5pm
Venue: Scraplicious (Parkway Parade #B53-54) tel: 6345 8600

Class 2: Family and Frens !

Dates: Monday, 14th Mar 3.30-5pm OR Saturday, 19th Mar 2-3.30pm

Venue: Scraplicious (Parkway Parade #B53-54) tel: 6345 8600

Hope to see you there ! Feel free to email me if u have any queries :)

Accordion Album Class

2011-01-04T04:12:00.001-07:00

Happy 2011 to everyone !
Our 2010 was so fantastic we hardly wanted it to be over.
Lapping it up in the USA, we are now back and ready for the stresses and humidity of Singapore life :)

AND I'm teaching at Scraplicious, a brand new scrap shop at the basement of Parkway Parade ... Finally, a scrap shop for us easties !

Here's a sneak peak of the Accordion Album class I'm teaching on Sun, 23rd Jan ...

Yummy RIGHT ??? ANd i tell ya, this class is really such value for money as your pack is going to be brimming with premium goodies from Websters Pages and Prima. What better way to capture your memories of 2010 before they fade away ?? :) Sign up HERE !

Sneak peek into the Man's den..

2010-08-31T17:04:00.001-07:00

Ooooo.... my MAN's quite sentimental.

Of course I had to share the table with mints and chewing gums, but oh well, it could be worse!

At least the projects to commemerate our 14th Anniversary, plus the girls' Fathers' Day gifts, all laid proudly on the table :)

I made this flip around frame to show the BeFORE and After ...

This is where we are NOW....

(a contemporary classic feel to accompany it)

AND this was us YONKS ago !!! gosh... how i've aged !!!

(thus a dye-stained, distressed look !!)

Used Tim Holtz's alpha masks here to set the background look, then inked all around them...

Loads of rub-ons to complete the effect...
Sorry didn't manage to quite get the bronze medallion which has 'Cherish' etched on it...

haha... i'm on a roll posting... gotta keep it up from my 2x a month posts... yea, i'm working on it...

Welcome home Papi !!

2010-08-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

Papa was away for a week and we had to keep ourselves really busy ! Gosh, it is so tough being a SINGLE mum !!! Yet, the kids enjoyed the novelty of keeping the house as 'untidy' as they liked cos' Papa's not home. But he was sorely missed certainly... as seen from these handmade cards they made with my stamps and which they coloured using their own LePlume markers....

Here's my contribution... and a short tutorial if you gals wanna scraplift this...

Love this cutey racoon that i coloured in using a brush dipped in my tea dye, antique linen and walnut stain distress inks, mixed up with some Ranger's glimmer pearls for shine, stamped on a white tag. Inked the sides, tied some twine (doubled), added cocoa pearls and he's complete !

As you can tell, I have not gotten over using my embossed texture dies :)

So here's a sky blue notecard that i ran through the Big Shot using one of Tim Holtz's texture dies, sanded the embossed portion like crazy, and added distressed ink over the top for visibility and a worn feel. Added strips of Scenic Route paper from long long ago and a sentiment and DONE !

Oh yes, those lovely hearts !! Used my new EK success double heart punch (not sure why i didn't discover it earlier), stomped distress inks all over them in Tumbled Glass and Marigold, then spritzed them with pearlized water for shine. (Nb to Self: must check out if Michaels has more of these double punches !). You can notice some of the shine in the picture, but in real life - it is really lovely.

Lastly, i attached foam dots behind the small hearts so they 'POP' and a layer of Glossy Accents for an almost 'acrylic' feel to the center hearts. Love this - you will certainly see more of these hearts in upcoming projects !!

AND a 'POP UP' sentiment inside....

thanks for dropping by !

Cards

2010-08-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

Haven't really been much of a card maker, but this is certainly an addiction coming along ! It's quick, fun to do, and wonderful for trying new techniques and stamps

The first one here has a more vintage-gy old feel, and love how the Perfect Pearls accentuate the stamped image. Stamped first with distress ink then pulsed it with the shimmer of the pearls. Misted at the end to seal the pearls so it bonds with the paper...

Love this 'silly' over the top peacock from Hero Arts. Coloured with Copics and adhered to background that i had run through my Big Shot using one of Tim Holtz's embossed folders.

Of course, couldn't spare the bling at the end with Ranger's stickles...

Crafty goodies...

2010-08-02T09:53:00.001-07:00

Hey ALL !
Sorry for the silence as we've been on a ROAD trip all around CA !! It's amazing - the Big Sur coast, Monterey Bay, cutting across the High Sierras via Tioga Pass to Mammoth Lakes, and down past the Mojave Desert. Spellbinding stuff....

But here's some crafty goodness I managed to squeeze time for !!

Played with lots of inks and white paint here. Stamped image all over the frame with white paint and then wiped off excess with some pearlized spritz using Ranger's mini mister and distress inks !

Love the softness that resulted and the meld of colours, and the sparkle under the light ! Totally pretty. Used copic colours for the flowers and of course can't resist those butterflies and ladybug for some textured effect.

Another quick layout that allowed me to experiment with different ways of using Perfect Pearls, Tim Holtz's masks and distress inks.

Celebrating 14 years.... time flies...

Welcome frame for doorway...

2010-07-11T05:07:00.004-07:00

Totally altered this plain pine wood frame with inks and had soo much fun !!
Used a ton of Ranger products here too :)

And it's perfectly easy to do ! Here are some tips :

Frame:

Ink up sides of frame with distress inks like crazy :) I did this in a variety of colours - fired brick, dried marigold, broken china, tea dye - all using Ranger's distress inks
Spritz with pealised water mist ( i used Ranger's mini mister, filled with water, and added some white perfect pearls powder for the 'blingy' spritz.. ). Allow to dry.
Stamp your favourite images around the frame. I used a Hampton Art rubber stamp, and some random ones from 'Recollections' and Ranger's distressed ink in "Black Soot". I also masked on a Tim Holtz compass in 'Broken China'

Interior:

Using a blue cardstock, I stamped the background with my polka dot stamp using Ranger's perfect medium and then brushed on some metallic gold perfect pearls powder. Should have spritzed on some water to 'seal' the powder but forgot - oh well, have to live and learn :) !!
Took a maya road tag chipboard and inked it in walnut stain, then spritzed it with some pearlised water using the walnut stain reinker, mixed with gold perfect pearls, for a 'metalized' look
Attached prima flowers - gave it a brush of tea dye distressed ink first; added the bird charm; a chipboard heart; a tag on which I hand-wrote the word 'welcome' for a more personalised touch.
Hung on wall. HAPPY :)

thanks for dropping by !!

Yosemite Mini Album

2010-07-07T17:43:00.006-07:00

Ah..... Yosemite....
All i had were my impressions from Geography textbooks which hardly prepared me for what nature had created over millions of years.

Using Tattered Angels gatefold album, i played with distress inks, rub-ons, masking, cut-outs and stickers to create this...

close ups of the cover page...

the embossed tree as a subtle backdrop was just perfect for this album

of cos' I had to add the bling... :)

I wanted the album to also capture the "why(s) and how(s)" of Yosemite's formation ...

sneeks of some vistas

Kiddos at play...

But beyond the beauty, it was sharing it with family that counted :)

thanks for dropping by !

Kids Craft Idea

2010-07-01T15:32:00.002-07:00

We've been BUSY !!

I got the girls new markers (Le Plume - Marvy Uchida), new stamps and they just can't stop crafting ! So we declared ourselves a holiday from school, and had fun colouring these and getting all our fingers dirty ...

TA-DA !!
all the individual coloured images,

which i then assembled into a frame.
HERE's the FINISHED PRODUCT ... that is now hanging atop the girls' craft table.

Super easy to do !
So if you have a long afternoon ahead and need to keep the kids occupied, here are some tips if you'd like to give this a go:

I used white cardstock. Kids chose what they wanted, stamped them using Versafine black ink, and got busy. If you do not have stamps, just print whatever the kids like from the computer or tear pages off colouring books and let them get going.
I then cut them out, inked the sides using distress inks, assembled them on black cardstock and put them in an Ikea black frame.
I couldn't resist and had to 'contribute' 1 image - can u guess which ?
I did the focal title tag, stuck the 'happy' sticker and 3D flowers, girls added the pearls to their animals and flower centers and DONE !!!

HAPPY :)

June Butterfly Crafts Visual challenge

2010-06-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love the colours on this ? The roses, the butterflies, the soft whimsical hues of blue (or is it green?) and pink - perfect for a girlie page ! Just upload your entry onto the Butterfly Crafts gallery and you could win 3 digi-stamps from Wink Wink Ink ! Easy Peasy :)

Here's my take! Started with a plain white cardstock and had loads of fun using glimmer mists and inks to create the soft hues i wanted. MAMBI's papers went perfectly here layered atop lace and trims, and detailed with stickles :) Oh yes, those butterflies from Websters Pages are still the best ...

Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's work HERE.

thanks for dropping by !

Cards and such

2010-05-17T15:58:00.001-07:00

The girls totally outdid themselves in the Mother's Day concert they put up for me ! Filled with sassy moves from MJ's 'Thriller', Madonna's 'Like a Prayer', Hannah Montana and even the musical Les Miserables.
I was too touched and made this little token for them - enclosed with a Build-a-bear gift card :)

Some close-ups...

And a little personalisation of a maya road tin, as a gift box for a wonderful lady we met last weekend...

thanks for dropping by !

Butterfly Crafts' May Visual Challenge

2010-05-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Isn't this such a wonderful sketch ? AND you stand to win goodies from Nikki Sivils !!!! ALL you've got to do is to upload your entry into the Butterfly Crafts Gallery HERE

Check out the fantastic work by the DT on the Butterfly Crafts BLOG

and here's my TAKE. I loved these recent pictures of C and couldn't wait to scrap them :)

She's really such a light of mine :)

Thanks for dropping by !!

Butterfly Crafts' April Visual Challenge

2010-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

This challenge was too fun !!! Lifting from an Avril Lavigne ad....

Here's my take of my very own superstar...
She has been hooked on the musical Les Miserables for the past months and has been practicing to rival Susan Boyle's 'I Dreamed a Dream' ! darn cute...

Journaling reads:

"All the dreams I prayed you'd be,

are ALL the things you ARE.

You were once my little girl,

and now my SHINING STAR."

Butterfly Crafts' March Visual Challenge

2010-03-01T13:39:00.002-07:00

Awesome sketch ...

... and an awesome giveaway by Scrapagogo - UK's no. 1 kit club !

So go grab some glue and paper and get going gals !! Here's my take... a little bright, a little muted. A little wintry yet beckoning the onset of spring. A layout of whimsy contrasts - a result of ecclectic me, mostly !

and you've got to check out the Butterfly Crafts' blog for the amazing job the DT did !

of Mangroves, Moon Halo, ButterflyCrafts and more...

2010-02-28T07:58:00.001-07:00

The last stop in our bid to cover as many of the natural parks here was Biscayne National Park.

It was a COLD windy day. We weren't thrilled at thought of getting our feet wet. So not canoeing. Not even pedal boat.

Just tourist fare of walking the boardwalk gawking at these sights and missing 90% of the Park that was underwater ...

The stillness of the environment..

Interrupted by antics of silly gals...

2 nights ago... we saw this at midnight.. out on our front lawn

AMAZING.

and so bright in the night sky

totally clear

Moon Halo

attributed to refraction (bending of light rays) in high altitude ice crystals. When there is considerable high altitude moisture, ice crystals are formed and the moon's light rays are refracted, forming the halo effect.

We played SOCCER. Rather, Hubby tried, Girls tried but decided flying a kite was more fun. I just took pictures :)

Then we took a walk and saw this ! An entire troop of moorhens !!! Clucking at the top of their lungs !

moorhens up close

AND here's a SNEAK of my layout for ButterflyCrafts. Check back on 1st March for the full reveal !

Leaving you with a

delightful shot my Lens caught

she melts me :)

Have a great week everyone !

Butterfly Crafts

2010-02-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Woohooo.... am in the Design Team for Butterfly Crafts !
Loads of challenges coming up. Stay peeled !

Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve

2010-02-21T19:59:00.002-07:00

A wasteland.
Dead wood.
Still murky waters.
Totally commercialized by airboat operators and gator junkies.
A waste of time.

That's what we thought.

So for the past months, we've allowed ourselves to be allured by glitzy theme parks and outlet malls.

Otherwise, pragmatic thinking (also known as lethargy) would prevail, preferring to just chill in the comforts of home. Now, i'm kicking myself for not making use of all that time to lap up the natural beauty at our doorstep. In the past week, we took the 2.5hr drive (twice) down to the Everglades National Park, and the Big Cypress Nature Preserve

Really, what can get better than this ????

This guy totally cracked us up !! And he held this pose for several minutes too !

While the Gators were undoubtedly the stars, what else would one give to witness :

Anhingas opening their beaks to let out those deep throated calls, and listening to another Anhinga, way in the bushes, actually responding to it ?

An Egret or Heron, happily trotting into our pathway to gaze at us, then go about his business, sticking his head in the waters, and in the next second, catching a fish for lunch ?

Just the sheer rugged beauty and expanse of the wilderness

A lengthy reptile curled up for a nap

Baby gators, and their Mommy looking on from the other side ?

And being just this close to wildlife of any kind ?

Hence I realise, appreciating the beauty of nature requires an openness of mind, a stillness of the heart, patience, humility and a sense of wonder that will come, if we just allow ourselves the chance.

We are hooked, and hopefully life would continue to afford us the opportunities to be this close to it all.

More importantly, as a parent, I hope I have achieved in seeding this appreciation in the girls, forever.

More pix here

Projects

2010-02-02T14:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, i'm still here.
The past month drifted by in a blur.
Life took over.
Lots of boxes.
Packing, unpacking.
Some tears.
Some smiles.
Lots of wine :)

AND some pretty stuff to share...
These feature lots of glimmer mists, bling, flowers and butterflies :) ... totally in time to welcome spring !!

Cold Shock !!

2010-01-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Florida's been experiencing a cold front since last Thursday, and temperatures dropped to below freezing yesterday night ! We were totally happy in our warm jackets and loving the cold, but some others are not so lucky.

With just their shells for warmth, these sea turtles have been "cold shock-ed" - as hundreds made their way to more inland waters for warmth. Akin to symptoms of pneumonia and hypothermia that we humans could encounter, the volunteers at the Loggerhead MarineLife Center have been totally overwhelmed, rescuing and nursing these animals back to health.

Check out this cutie ...

his name is Dasher and was picked up on Christmas Eve. He had lascerations (possibly by a shark) on its lower shell and needed surgery

Some 500 sea turtles have been stranded by the cold spell and the Florida authorities are coping as best they can. 31 sea turtles now occupy the tanks of Loggerhead MarineLife Center, when previously they have on average 7-8 patients. We visited them today and were just inspired at the civic consciousness and social responsibility of these wonderful volunteers. My hope is that the girls will take this spirit with them as they grow and be active agents, bettering their environment around them.

Welcome 2010 !!

2009-12-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone !!

We've been on the road travelling all the way from sunny Florida up to snowy Niagara Falls over the past 2 weeks ! It's been great ! Miss my comp time and all my virtual friends :) Promise will share pix soon.

But first, our warmest wishes to everyone for a fulfilling year ahead, where you go after all your hearts' desires !! And along that line, here's a layout on about lil' Faye who's simply blossomed the past year, who a tenacity and spunk that's totally refreshing :)

Ahhhh... what fun !

2009-12-17T21:47:00.001-07:00

Put together a load of beautiful pix from our recent trip, fresh bling from the recent scrapbook expo in Tampa, and gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous kits from Blue Moon Scrapbooking - what do you get ? PLAYTIME with beautiful outputs to boot !

My first try at a 6x12inch LO - and i think i am hooked :)

some close ups ...

Then i copped out (heh!!) cos it opens into a more conventional 12X12 layout

of my 2 fav shots of the girls from Colorado ..

used some tissue paper here... and lots of Websters pages :)

Think i went overboard with the bling and sparkles and the insects
but oh well, think i'm allowed !

thanks for dropping by !

Apron Strings Dec 09

2009-12-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yeah !! It's the holiday season :)

My first Christmas other than sweltering 30 degree Celcius heat, so I've been lapping up the holiday deals and stocking up on the gorgeous sweaters for the kids and me !

And it's sooo great to be scrapping again after the break down in Colorado. Here are some LOs done for Apron Strings Designs. Sadly, this will be my last month with them after a fabulous year. Thanks LORI, for everything *muack !!*

More scrappy goodness coming up !

Rocky Mountain High

2009-11-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Solitude and serenity can be exhilarating. This past week we stomped through snow; counted stars in the sky - so numerous that i've never seen before and simply marveled and gave thanks for this beautiful world we live in.

For now, THIS is home - a 2-storey cabin with the smell of pine trees and meadows and the sounds of squirrels and birds that envelop us. Our hosts are just wonderful in attending to every small detail and making sure we are comfortable :)

So what have we been up to ??

(1) We hiked - up Indian Mountain amid threats ...

and crisp thin air which left the girls breathless and hardly smiling....

yet with still enough in them to make snow angels...

and pose for me :)

In single digit temperatures (celcius), i must say the girls did pretty well and we managed till here... not quite the summit before

they expired on us.... check out the small one - she could barely move !

Oh yes, and their spanking newly acquired boots ...

(2) We sled. Thanks to Gary and David - they really made the girls' holiday :)

and played with snow ...

(3) We explored.

The girls are on a quest to collect as many Junior Ranger badges as they can. Here at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Park, the girls took a pledge to protect what they've seen - some 60,000 species of plant and animal life that lived some 35 million years ago have been collected by Paleontologists for museums and universities around the world. These fossils reveal, in remarkable detail, what life 35 million years ago was like, as they became trapped, after a nearby volcano erupted, and buried in the sedimentary rock and shale that subsequently formed.

The Royal Gorge - the doing of the Arkansas River as it dug this vertical hole more than 1,000 ft deep. And there we were, bravely (or foolishly) taking the air-tramway across the Gorge.

Scenic Drives like this one on the Continental Divide

The meadows and forests at the backyard of our vacation home...

and the vistas coming home. We take this same route to and from our sojourns almost every day. Yet this same view still captures my breath each time with a renewed sense of wonder.

(4) Most of all, we laughed. We connected. We marveled.

Here's leaving you with some random shots of the girls that tug my heart :) Thanks for dropping by !

All systems are GO...... blast off !

2009-11-17T21:28:00.003-07:00

Fancy being that minute percentage to have caught a Space SHUTTLE launch "LIVE" !!

Certainly a privilege and humbling experience as we continued our space learning mission from a week before when we visited NASA - to witnessing this momentous event :)

We watched the launch of space shuttle Atlantis in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, 2.28pm across at Titusville from Launch Pad 39A. Atlantis and its six-member crew are on a 11-day mission to the International Space Station, transporting spare hardware to the outpost and returning with a station crew member who spent more than two months in space. There will only be 6 more space shuttle launches, and this is the first of which to deliver critical spare equipment parts to the International Space Station. As such, the Atlantis crew is carrying the largest and the most critical on this mission.

Even at such a distance across the lagoon at Titusville from the launch pad, we could hear the thunderous roar and the smell of burning fuel, which followed what our eyes saw as the rockets blasted off just split seconds before. The girls stood transfixed and spell-bound. The park, peppered with cameras on tripods, deck chairs and seniors peering through binocs, ruptured with applause

Being at NASA the week before touring the exhibits and watching the various shows provided us with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the multitude of factors that needed to go right, for a successful launch. This was how close we got to the launch pad on our " Up-Close" tour. And seeing the preparations for launch just drove home how real (and dangerous) space exploration was, and made the launch all the more poignant for us.

Blue Moon Scrapbooking's 7Gypsies week !

2009-10-25T17:46:00.003-07:00

You gals have just got to join in the fun at Blue Moon Scrapbooking ! Not only do they make the most yummy kits - (i want like ALL of them..... )
they are having a 7gypsies Week NOW ON and check out the kit (DROOOOL ....) !!
No more waiting !!! Click HERE NOW to find out how this can be yours!!

Apron Strings Sep 09 scrappy yummies

2009-09-15T19:15:00.005-07:00

I got the chance to play with Apron Strings larger than a Breadbox kit this round, and my am I pampered !!! Thanks Lori !!

Here are the layouts i got to put together with the yummy stuff from Bo Bunny Delilah and Crate Sprout :

Tans
a wonderful feature in my new home now :)

and a closer peek at the details

SOAR
A reminder to R that she just has to put her mind to whatever she wanted to do and she could achieve it.... just loved the little animals that came with the Crate Paper... the owls, squirrels and beavers... too cute !! cut them up in pairs to show too that i'm always just a few steps behind her... every step of the way...

Melancholic You

C is always soooo cheerful and cheeky that I really loved these shots of her... in her 'off' moments.... priceless...

Exception

I was never one to buy those snaps taken at theme parks where u have to pay exorbitant prices. But THIS one. THIS ONE is different. We were just coming down the coaster ride of our lives -Project X- when i caught this picture being taken !!! I HAD to get it.

Can you see why ... here's the close up... it's gold :P (LOL !!!)

SWIM DATE

Catching up with friends while back in Singapore .... sooo miss them..

BEST PALS

Some layouts of our trip out to Monument Valley and Grand Canyon a few months back..

Sunset @ Monument Valley

JUNIOR RANGERS

thanks for dropping by....

Up close with ...

2009-09-10T13:38:00.003-07:00

Gators !!!!

This was a baby, and it was all I and C could handle. C made sure she stood as far away as possible from the little fella who was all of 1 year old.

R did a little better :)

petting the little one ...

then posing behind this 4yr old... Hubby of cos' had to show off how 'fearless' he was

Then it was time to hop on the Airboat, and take a trip down the Everglades (which means river of grass), - the largest fresh water river in the world.

It was a fascinating experience, with the wind whirling up our hair, and a tingling excitement at the thought that we might fall into the river where alligators and poisonous snakes abound !

Then we spotted him...

The Great Blue Heron

He cockedhis head, then decided to take off...

As we made our way out further, to the deeper waters... what the native Indians call "Hammocks" or 'island of trees' ..

we spotted something in the distance....

then he got closer.....

and closer... in fact right next to our boat !

that's my head in the left and him in the water !...

then turned and made his way into his den ...

C was sooooo cute... she sat next to me and gripped my hand sooo tightly, terrified that i would fall into the water, screaming "mummy don't lean sooo far" !!!! :P

On the homefront, we created a history timeline file. Something where we can record all the dates and famous events and people we come across in our history reading...

I forgot to take pix of the internal pages where the girls handwrote the timelines on the top of the page, and have pasted stickers in the years where they were born. But here's the cover :)

Some other pix of the girls...... at Old Town Fun Park (Orlando)

my little reader before bedtime...

with their new bikes and scooters...at Masters Park (PGA National)

Let me know what's been up with your lives - all you dutiful silent readers !!!

what a catch...

2009-09-06T18:54:00.003-07:00

It was a trying week, school wise, and the girls have been challenging to put it mildly. Maybe it's my teaching style, maybe they're still adjusting, but whatever the reason, I felt drained and discouraged. I packed off the books and declared we should take a walk after lunch.

So at 1pm (we didn't bother about the sun, i needed some air,) we explored our neighbourhood and wandered through some houses and found this creek meandering its way around the golf course. And guess who we caught having lunch ??!!

It was really quite fascinating to see it up close, frame by frame, and the girls stood, transfixed.

A close-up shot of the Heron at work ....

And in one huge gulp, that was the end of the fish !!

And then, promptly gets up arrogantly on the back of this duck figurine in the water to sun himself !

In R's words, it was " SOOOO COOOL !!" ... so that was our highlight of the day, as these faces attest.

But their glee was shortlived, as i decided i had to tell "the other parent" (aka Father) the going-ons of the past few weeks, as it was time for some intervention. Waaaaa.... i so love J's lectures.... it's the kind you want to dig a hole and bury yourself from shame type. So loads of drama that Friday, but thankfully, we still had a pretty decent weekend, so it's all good in the house again.... til' the next drama (haha !)

On other updates, Faye's on the road to independent reading (hopefully !),
and R has lost another tooth just today while we were at the supermarket !! She refused to let me hold it or keep it for her, then of course she had to drop it on the road, while we were crossing to get to our car ! We searched but couldn't find it as it looked exactly like any of the million stone grains of the tarmac ! So guess it'll be fossilized there forever, and someday some archeologist might find it, and conclude that it belonged to a little girl yonks ago !

up in the florida sky..

2009-08-31T19:48:00.007-07:00

The bags are unpacked and i'm settled.

Finally.

The last 2 weeks have just been a whirl of setting up home, housekeeping, stocking up groceries, and settling into a routine that all of us can function happily.

And to our dismay, the hot hot hot Florida weather is no better than Singapore's with daily afternoon downpours nearly every day this week.

Nonetheless, key highlights that have kept our spirits up have been god-sent. Literally...

What greeted us after one of those thunderstorms in just perfect splendid colours
... My camera really didn't do justice to what we saw...

And a typical sunset here ...

But my personal favourite this weekend... catching the launch of the space shuttle Discovery on friday night at 2359hrs.

It was exciting as we watched the live launch on our laptops of the Discovery at Kennedy Space Centre some 3hrs drive from here. The minute the rocket launched, we rushed out of the house to gaze into the dark night sky. A minute or so later, we spied this wonderful bright spark in the sky.... AMAZING... and followed its trajectory till we could see no more, than silently made our way back to the house, with me adament that we shall see the next launch live at Kennedy :)

We've HIT the books this week, and as usual, the start is always tough going. Lots of bargaining, negotiating, and setting of ground rules as the girls try their luck sussing out my limits :P Nonetheless, I have big hopes of achieving GREAT THings with the girls, and enjoying every step of the way. To date, i've not come even remotely close to this ideal. But one can still hope :)

And we made this !! to cement in our brains the different levels of the atmosphere :)

Scrap-wise, something i did of my friend's totally adorable boys, to share....

And this just AMAZING layout my friend Sash did of Faye ..... thanks a million dearie.. it's such a treasure and is displayed now on my mantle :)

Am busy putting together the DT layouts for Apron Strings so check back soon to see the full reveal !!

August PageMaps and giveaway by Apron Strings

2009-08-02T00:42:00.004-07:00

If you gals haven't already seen it, the August PageMaps are out and they are just tooo fun to play with and I was sooo privileged to be asked to contribute a Layout !!!!!

Here's what i did with this sketch ...

Nature's Captive

Some close ups using Sassafras Lass and Websters' goodies :)

AND what's more .... Apron Strings Design is sponsoring a WHOLE breadbox kit for the sketch contest ongoing on the PageMaps blog !!! There's still time and contest ends 16th Aug 09 so get your act together ladies !! :)

Incredulous

2009-07-28T07:03:00.007-07:00

Exactly ! this slip from blog world - tsk tsk tsk ..... inexcusable !!!

So no excuses. Simply a perfect reasoning of the ol' fashioned whirlwind of life mangled by long road trips, lots and lots of travelling, packing, unpacking and tons of stress. Luckily this was balanced by mesmerizing views , delighted kids, and (mostly) happy ME.

How not to be when its the Grand Canyon/ Monument Valley and Las Vegas we are talking about !

A childhood dream come true, it's wonderful seeing the girls lap it up too as they took in this view and 'sweated' in their bid to become Junior Rangers of the Grand Canyon National Park.

(Girls taking their ranger pledge)

Then there's Monument Valley - intensely spiritual, with its many mesas and buttes carved solely by nature's forces. The mammoth rock structures are deeply captivating particularly at sunset, especially when one is privileged to witness the peeking of the moon behind the crimson plateau across the desert

And some scrappy goodness to share too ! Just love how this wonderful hobby enables that release from the craziness of life. And better yet, a meaningful way to make someone else extremely happy too !

Here's a mini-album i did for my friend's mom's birthday ...

And one of C who is just soooooo grown up already - i want my baby back *wail * !!!

Almost Five

LIFE IS ....

2009-06-22T20:59:00.005-07:00

It is.

With zoo visits, some scrappy time, retail therapy (thanks to sales at Banana Republic & Children's Place) and happy kids... how to ask for more ??? Plus, C is reading!! Yeah ! Finally !!!

AND i finished this humongous ABC album for fathers' day !!

Nearly killed me, but am sooo happy with the result ! Can you imagine - 26 pages !! I used mostly SFTIO 's Jan 09 kit (Patience) which blended blues, browns, beiges and oranges perfectly !

(cover)

gosh ... don't think i'll undetake something of this scale for a long long time...

here are some highlights..

*M*

*T*

*V*

AND completed this LO of C too - surely one of my faves..

AND we are celebrating our 13th anniversary tomorrow too ! My am i getting old ! LOL !!!

Have a great week ahead everyone !

Apron Strings Jun DT reveal

2009-06-14T22:47:00.006-07:00

The Apron Strings Jun kit was such fun to play with !

The Small breadbox kit conveniently themes 3 different mini-kits together with matching cutie bellies to play with. It was just tooo easy to put together ! Featured papers are Doodlebug, Jenni Bowlin and Fancy Pants this month. Plus, Lori puts together a wonderful newsletter to go with the kits each month that lays out just what you need to do and gives so many inspirational ideas to put those pages together.

AND I achieved some 7 layouts and 2 cards with the kit and also had fun mixing the different lines around !! ah, the Jenni Bowlin line with its blues, blacks and reds ... my favourite...

"Grow Baby Grow"

- a tribute to my pint-sized Faye who is still all of 14 kg... Sigh... what does it take to fatten this girl ??!!! AND to add to my woes, i can't seem to find full cream milk in the supermarkets in the US, cos' parents here seem to have the opposite problem to mine !

I just love this close-up.... Faye just gets sooo broody at times. I suspect she might have a split personality !! LOL !! What a complex 4 year old !!

"The many sides of you"

"Free 2 Play"

Away from the stresses of a school-going kid in Singapore, this girl just PLAYs and PLAYs all afternoon ! I love that R now has the time for a more carefree childhood, and we're not rushing from class to class all the time. So glad we made the decision to just pack up and move..

"Reach for the Stars"
A reminder to R that she can have fun, and reach for the Stars at the same time !
Some other fun LOs capturing the day to days of what we get up to !

"SO close"

"Enroute"

"Yum"

Simple quick cards i made with leftovers...

This is now hanging on my kitchen cabinet above my stove..

Thanks for dropping by !!

Bad...

2009-06-10T15:09:00.007-07:00

i know...

ME that is, for being so slack in updating my blog :)
Sorry, friends ... guess you can call it a blog rut i was in, and events accumulated to such an extent that it was too tough to put it all down !

So here's the greatly condensed version to explain my lapse.....

San Francisco - here we come !!

While everyone back home was busy preparing for the mid-year exams, the girls here were living it up - on a road trip - driving many miles to San Francisco and San Jose and visiting R's Godma in Sacramento.

Finally some of their own kind (kids) that is to play with !! The girls have been soo deprived - socially that is - and missing all their friends back home. They've hardly any playmates here except each other. And me, YIPPPEE !! Some decent ADULT female company, as i caught up with my 2 friends living here. Plus really great homecooked Chinese food too ! BLISS !!

En-route the scenary up the California coast was breathtaking as we travelled up the Pacific Highway, hugging the vertical cliffs amid foggy clouds like these snaps show ...

R is now quite a dare-devil and will climb over boulders and rocks just to get to the top of a mount to gaze into the Pacific blues...

C was quite happy with other means of entertaining herself....

But their favourite - yea ... shell picking ... STILL

On the way, we said hello to some squirrels, deer and sea lions...

Back to the grind

Now back home, they're hitting the books while their peers are on holiday !! R's lao shi sent her a sample of a Chinese composition that is expected at P2 and i flipped !!! GOSH !! how AM I EVER going to help her to write to such a standard, when i can't even put a decent sentence in Mandarin together any more ! Panic....

Well guess i just gotta focus on what i CAN do... I try to do a core academic subject a day (be it Eng, Math or Mandarin) and a more general knowledge based one - be it geography, history, or literature. Yesterday, we covered the topic of pyramids and MUMMIES - one of my all time favourite subjects ... haahhaha...

here's a glimpse of our homeschool session ...
(that was C's spelling for the day on the top left side of board)

This was R's version of what she got out of it...

And this is C's (very proud of herself) version ...

AND I've been busy with lots of scrapping too for Apron Strings ! Check back for the DT reveal this 15th !!

Apron Strings Blog Hop Winner

2009-05-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

And the WINNER is .....

Do email me your address, Linda, and keep a lookout for that RAK coming in your mail soon !!! Thanks for playing along gals ! Please come by again soon !

Museums and a tea party !

2009-05-16T23:47:00.004-07:00

Took the girls down memory lane this week, and they visited this air-craft carrier - the USS Midway which had previously served as a flagship in the fleet in Desert Storm stationed at Kuwait.

Now decommissioned and used as a museum, the girls got to see how sailors actually lived aboard the air-craft carriers, and got to climb into the cockpits of several aircrafts on the flight deck. At full capacity, this air-craft carrier could carry up to 60 aircraft on its deck !

We also did the Museum of Man this week - more like an anthropology museum so now the girls have an inkling what their ancestors looked like (ie. apes) and how ancient civilisations lived.

Here C stands in front of a stone shaft, what is called a Stela, in which the ancient Mayans carved their beliefs on.

The girls were fascinated by what they saw and were busy scribbling in their note books. C had me spelling out all the exhibits for her so she could jot them down. She might not remember what they are already, but the process was good nonetheless....
R's favourite - the ancient Egyptians and mummy exhibits.

Here she is - sitting on a pharoah's throne :)

And the kids went to Tea today !!!

A fanciful one at that, organised by our local library. It's called the Mother and Daughter tea, so i got to go too. Many mothers and daughters actually dressed up in similar outfits and matching hats as well, so it was a real sight to see. We of cos' just went in our usual.

But it was such fun ! The girls got to use pretty glassware and walk up to get their tea poured out of elegant silverware, and snack on colourful cookies and muffins. So wonderful that the library stuff and the volunteers put so much effort into it, and all for free too ! It's really heartening the spirit of volunteerism here.

Then off to watch Hannah Montana - the Movie. It was great. As usual, i cried buckets. Not that it was all THAT soppy - it was just me. We really enjoyed it, better than High School Musical, in our opinion.

So all in all, another fantastic week. Hope you all had a great one too especially if the exam season is over :)

Hurray ! the new Apron Strings Blog and a blog HOP !!

2009-05-15T06:00:00.003-07:00

If you are here from Amy's blog, WELCOME !!
If not, you gotta start right with the juiciest at the Apron Strings Blog and follow your way here on this fabulous Blog Hop !!!

I'm just over the moon with the AS Blog, cos' it's promising to be a place with loads of inspiration, fun and goodies to droool over :) And what a way to kick-start the celebrations !

Hope you gals got your pen and paper ready for the continuation of our word hunt, cos' here's my piece of the phrase you're collecting "happy wallets". Collect all the phrases from the DT blogs you visit and you stand a chance to win a scrappy Treat ! Easy !! Want more chances for candy ? Just leave a comment on this post and you'll also stand to win a gorgeous RAK from me!!

But seriously, the AS kits are really such a value-laden kit which doesn't stinge on the bellies and which gives you so much variety in the kind of pages you'd like to create as well. I loved the flexibility it gave, like in these from the Mar kit ....

So come on now, get on the bandwagon and hop on over to Vicky Kelly's for more scrappy goodness - she's one talented lady, i tell ya !! Oh yes, and don't forget to check up the AS blog through the weekend for lots of chances to win some more blog candy with all the challenges in store. I've one on for Saturday morning so be sure to drop by !!

Lotsa Fun ..

2009-05-12T23:01:00.005-07:00

Managed to squeeze in just a teeny bit of me-time today for some scrappin !
Here it is - using Let's Scrap (sketch#106) ...

(All goodies from GCD studios + 7G stickers)

Thanks for dropping by !!

A noisy weekend ...

2009-05-12T11:45:00.007-07:00

It was the Red Bull Air Race - a tantalizing display of aerial aerobatics in nifty colourful planes - happening right above us (literally) and out at the bay. It was 4 days (2 days of training and 2 of competition) of non-stop zooming above us, a couple of hours a day.

The men were of course all excited, and i togged my trusty lens down to the promenade to catch some shots... heh, won't bore you with them- just a few here. This plane in orange eventually won the race...

People literally camped out on the promenade fully prepared with beach umbrellas and even mobile BBQ pits ,

but these were my girls' reactions ....

But this wasn't the reaction during their performance first thing sunday morning -

their Mother's Day concert for just ME (they even co-opted papa to star in it) had been in rehearsals for weeks, with flashcards reading 'i love mommy' and self-composed songs ... i was very touched... ahhh... my girls :) AND the papa actually made pancakes for me that morning (er.. using pancake mix just add water kind - but still....). Can't ask for more :)

a sojourn to Hollywood ...

2009-05-09T10:43:00.007-07:00

.... well almost ...
all i managed to catch was this from the confines of my car on the freeway ...

and nope... did not get to drool at any celebrities, just these that we met at Universal studios....

C was sooooo excited to see Dora, she couldn't take her eyes off her ! Even after this photo op, she kept lurking around, and didn't want to leave ! Well, who can blame her when this adoring fan has got Dora shoes, dora underwear, and now a Dora backpack (yea - the purple one which Dora carries) that the doting Papa had to get her while we were there...

A terribly scorching day with cool winds, i am now 'blessed' with a throbing headache and a stuffy nose... sigh...

but check out what's happening (click the vid) literally at our doorstep today !! The man is already getting excited and planning a camp-out this afternoon ... Will post pix if i actually manage to catch some shots of those death defying stunts !!

got to go get lunch ready now.... some shots of C playing hand games in the car with jie jie during our long drive out to Hollywood yesterday ....

and to all you fabulous mums ....HAVE A WONDERFUL MOTHERS' DAY !!

National Scrapbooking Day

2009-05-03T21:38:00.005-07:00

It was national Scrapbooking Day just over the weekend, and my did i celebrate it in style !!

What better way than just being surrounded by pretty things, cutting and pasting :)

It was great spending a whole day at the Scrapbook Expo attending classes and shopping ! Not to mention the hole in my pocket left by the end of the day !!

I did a Basic Grey class using the Marrakech line and they were just so generous with their kit.

Sorry about the pix here... used my 'mickey mouse' camera which could fit into my handbag, given ALL the scrap stuff + shopping i was already lugging ... so yea....

Here were my instructors Kelly Goree and Becky Fleck .... ahhhh... my moment of scrap celebrity encounter :P

And then went on to do one hosted by GCD studios and an acrylic album class by SEI . This was the only product that i finished enough to be able to show u a picture off ...

AND i actually was all prepared to go home empty handed when during the LAST class, and the LAST prize to be given away - my NAME was called !!! AND i got THIS !!!!!

thank you thank you SEI !!!! muack !!!

It would have been SOO SOOO SOO much more fun if my scrap "kakis" were here with me .. sigh... i miss you gals dearly :( hope you are keeping well ...

Be true ...

2009-05-03T18:40:00.004-07:00

Was just itching to play with the new Websters Pages that i had acquired and the 'out of this world' bellies that came with Apr's Bad Girls kit... so did this...

Everyday i discover a little more about my girls and their world and i'm so thankful for this privilege. In this layout, i wanted to capture Rachel as she is today - with all her insecurities, drive in her belly, generosity of spirit, and such tremendous love for her family, that i am truly touched and humbled. This layout is a reminder that in all she pushes herself to do and achieve i just want her to be true to herself...

thanks for stopping by !

Happy May Day !

2009-04-30T17:33:00.005-07:00

It's just too quick how almost half of the year has flown by ...

We had a relatively quiet week except for these new friends we met :)

(dolphins - R now wants to be a dolphin trainer..)

(feeding the seals -
we learnt the difference between seals and sea lions .. the latter has ears)

(Shamu - a killer whale - the star of 'Free Willy' )

(the beluga whale who lives in the arctic)

(these guys are just tooo adorable...)

And some candy shopping at the Scrapbook Expo !!! happy :)

Taking some classes too tomorrow - terribly excited - and one with Becky Fleck too from Basic Grey !! hahha... hope my 'produce' would be decent enough to post.....

Some shots of girls to close off... have to include them for the benefit of doting family members who come by just to see how these two are getting by ...

see ya soon !! Enjoy what's left of the nice long break !

swine flu..

2009-04-27T20:30:00.002-07:00

hey everyone,
thanks for all the concern expressed and messages sent. It is really quite scary listening to the reports given that we are only 20min from the border of Mexico. We are taking care and avoiding all crowded areas, and we have also stopped cooking and consuming pork - just to be on safe side. Thank goodness too the girls don't go to school, and all we do nowadays is hit the fresh open areas like nature parks ... so we are keeping safe. Don't worry ya...

love
L

Lots to tell !!

2009-04-25T22:54:00.007-07:00

It was a wonderful past few days !

BBQ
We have been watching the residents here head down to the grill every single night, so we thought we would do the same. Hubby invited his two other friends and wife to BBQ too so it was a lovely cheery affair and we had chicken wings, lamb chops, salmon on the grill and home cooked chicken rice, and settled ourselves on a picnic table overlooking the San Diego Bay.

Really, what could be better ?! Gosh we were eating from 6 - 8 pm, and enjoying the sunset !! And thank goodness too !! Cos' guess what we saw next ???!!!

Dolphins !!!! Right within eyesight ! Not in an aquarium or Sea World but in their natural habitats ! The girls and I leapt from our seats right to the banks of the promenade for a closer view and it must have been just God's grace that i managed to catch this shot of one of the dolphins (there were 2 of them) leaping from the waters ! Ahhhh... breathtaking... a close-up ...

On the home front, we made exciting progress too ! The books i ordered from Amazon finally arrived - Hillyer's "A child's history of the World" and Voskamp's "A child's Geography" are simply amazing, and i'm the one totally fascinated. We lost no time in checking them out and i loved Voskamp's style and wonderful lesson ideas. Here's what the kids did in trying to understand how big Earth was, in relation to where they lived, and concepts of states, countries, and continents ....

R's version
(think she attempted to draw in Disneyland in California too)

C's version
(guess in C's mind, Pooh, Piglet and company all live tog with us !)

Cool huh... i'm pleased... and they are already asking when can they do 'that Earth Book' (that's C speaking) again, and start on the history one... :)

Junior Rangers

We headed to Point Loma today with the intention of a hike. It is a rock face that we peer at daily from our side of the Bay, and the spot where the first European landed in 1564, on the west coast of America, and where Lighthouses were built to guide the ships into San Diego harbour then, still stand. This was the view that greeted us...

And what do you know - it's Junior Ranger Day, and the museum and visitor center was abuzz with activities. The girls had free muffins and then got to get Junior Ranger Badges, a Certificate and their names announced over the loud hailer too !

But all this, only when they completed the activity books with little quizzes about the exhibits.
C had to complete 3 of the activities and R, 5 of them, and they set about their tasks with much enthusiasm....

(R trying to figure out where we stayed through the binocs. The patch of light brown in the background is in fact the airbase where J works...)

(... R trying to get those answers down ...)

C here getting help from Papa.
These two have been really bonding very well.
On weekends they are really like Uhu glue ;P

The girls even had to take a pledge that as Junior Rangers, they would do their best to protect and preserve the park !! It's really been great exposure for them, as before this i don't think they had a clue what Rangers did...

here's R taking her pledge...and C getting her badge !
But of cos' the girls still found time to horse around ... love these shots taken by hubby today..

(C with lighthouse in the background)

Thanks for dropping by ! Have a great week ahead ya, and keep safe ! We are missing you all !

Hugs,
L

New Layouts !

2009-04-22T22:15:00.005-07:00

I've been feeling moody the past few days .... guess the initial thrills have passed and the homesickness has taken its toll ... i miss my sisters, my friends and all the girly chats, giggles and sighs that used to surround me .. ;P

oh well, so i declared yesterday a school holiday !!! And just brooded and scrapped !! I had stocked up on some stash over the weekend and had tons of pix just calling to be glued to paper !! What's a gal to do :) !

My new K&Co album that i picked up at Michaels (a huge craft chain store in the US) as it was on SALE !

"Hello San Diego"
Had to document that very first day of our chilly walk
down the promenade, immediately upon our arrival
and the girls totally elated to be with Papa ..

"O sweet Nature - La Jolla"
must be my favourite of the set.
loved how all the elements
(from Scarlet Lime's Apr kit) played out !

"Torrey Pines"
Played along with Inspired Blueprints Sketch #15

"Grow ! Beautiful..."
Wanted to capture Little C's growing independence
and precociousness since arriving here and having to do much on her own.
This gal certainly has some personality - her sweet looks fool us all !!

"Love Blooms in Happy Hearts"
Certainly, when all we've been doing is PLAY !!!

R is sooooo thankful she's not home preparing for exams !! I fear what would happen when we get back :p oh well .... guess there's no price on memories and experience, so i gotta loosen up and not get too uptight on the academics ... remind me ya, if i forget again ...

But we hit the books today and R covered "Length" - they both had "ting xie" (yup little C too), and C was introduced to addition ... so we hopefully made up for yesterday.

They took their blades out for a christening today too after making me lug it all the way from SGP in one entire suitcase.

All in all... a happier day ...
thanks for dropping by y'all !!

First taste of snow !

2009-04-20T17:19:00.003-07:00

Already mid-April, but we took a chance on the last weekend of the ski season and managed to catch the last vestiges of snow this past weekend.

Big bear mountain - a 3hr drive away from where we are

Can anything else match these gleeful faces ?!!

Oh yes, maybe the fact that they realised snow isn't really as white and powdery as it looks from afar, and can in fact be so icy it's painful !

We did the alpine slide where you sit on a rubber tyre and slid down the slope. It was soo soooo fun although our bums got all wet and our hats got blown off in the wind ! Well, guess it was the only thing we non-skiers could do in a ski resort. We couldn't even take the ski lift as it was only open to skiers :(

So what else could we do - we went on the pony, and visited the zoo - touristy stuff nothing much to shout about (at least for me...)

(the paw of the grizzly - a resident of the zoo)

(the American Bald Eagle)

(the North American Bison - known commonly as the 'buffalo' - now endangered)

But the highlight is surely the cozy log cabin we booked.

Very tiny but comfortable enough with a pine tree in our backyard that shed pine cones the size of durians, and a braying donkey in our neighbour's house across the road that kept me awake all night !!!

Leaving u with my fav shot of R. Hope your weekend was good !! Thanks for dropping by friends... Now back to the grind and school we go....

the majesty of nature ...

2009-04-15T21:33:00.006-07:00

Simply INCREDIBLE !

We took a hike up the Torrey Pines State Reserve this afternoon. It is a rugged shrub and pine landscape that hugs the coast and boasts amazing sheer cliffs, collapsed bluffs and panoramic Pacific Ocean views.

Here's us at the beginning of our hike
then we saw this .....
"sooo cute" the girls exclaimed being the perfect urbanites they are...

then we saw this ...
they went "waaaaa..."

and as if God is up-ing the ante with every step we took...
he showed us this....

and this ....

and then this .....

sigh... my pictures don't do enough justice...

R and C hence caught a glimpse of what geography is all about today as i tried to bring my lessons outdoors :) Not sure how much of it they absorbed... but oh well, an appreciation is all i'm after ...

Can you imagine - all these cliffs were once under the sea millions of years ago...

and here's the proof.
We were probably about 100m up on the cliff when i took this shot of the sea shells on the banks of the trail i was on ...

and here's another.

The girls in a boulder cave which had been carved on a cliff-face...

and rounded bluffs from water action...

R reading a board explaining how the bluffs get eroded
And then we saw THIS !
yes, rattlesnakes !!! So throughout the rest of the hike, the girls were too preoccupied looking out for rattlesnakes than looking at anything else ! LOL !!

here's leaving you with some of my favourites of the girls from the day...

girls couldn't open their eyes cos' of those gusty winds !
(at a pit stop - C all tired out after an hour of walking..)

thanks for dropping by ! have a good weekend ahead !

I scrapped !!

2009-04-13T22:29:00.002-07:00

Finally, i managed to squeeze some time to scrap ! Couldn't resist the yummy stuff that came with this month's Scarlet Lime kit, so just HAD to put this together pronto.

Used an IKEA A4 sized frame and altered it, without the persplex sheet so the layers and textures could show through !

Yeah ! Now i have something bright to adorn the top of my fireplace !!
Thanks for dropping by !

Getting homey

2009-04-13T22:03:00.001-07:00

See what came in the post for me !!! Dear P sent these to brighten up my spartan home, and boy have they made a difference to my morning ! Really love those cheery orange and blue coffee mugs, and the quotes on these .... sooooooo cute !!! I alternate between the orange and blue mugs each morning (hubby does not get privilege of using them ;P ) and plates are safe in their boxes til an occasion calls for it. Shall sooo hand carry these back and pray they will survive air turbulence ;P .... Thanks so much, dearie !

Am somewhat enjoying the daily preparation of meals and can whip up simple udon meals for lunch, and stews for dinner. Want to see ??? k, i must remember to take fotos the next time.

R has been enjoying helping in the kitchen too (when she's up to it, and mei-mei is sensibly occupied)

and just today she said to me when i asked if she preferred the time when we had a helper, or now - without one, she said "No need what, mommy cos' we are a family. With a help, we must get used to them, and you must teach them. Just need to get Papa to buy a dishwasher !!" hahaha - how sensible is that ??!!! And yes, the dishwasher is simply heaven ! I just figured out how to use it a week ago and got all the specific detergents - and now can't imagine doing without ! It saves at least half an hour after dinner, time which i have now used to giving the kids longer slots for bedtime reading. Just excellent.

And this little one, is just growing up so quickly.

She seems to somehow have grown up overnight, here. She has now discovered the joys of Banana and Grapes (she used to just take papaya and apples) and has tried strawberries tho' not quite a fan yet. And will now eat whatever i put in front of her without fuss - a huge achievement. A precocious little fella, she's just such a joy to have around - and it's wonderful to see the girls playing so well and getting really close.

Hope everyone had a great Easter !

A little hike...

2009-04-08T23:01:00.007-07:00

Pa was off today. So we decided to check out the outdoors for a little nature walk...
We drove about 20mins to this seaside town called La Jolla and my, look at what we got ourselves acquainted with !

Breathtaking views. Rock outcrops to navigate. And a brief sense of the beauty of nature...

(a crop of mussels - the girls had only seen them in the supermarket before this)

The girls had fun walking the beach trail amid squeals of "ah... sand in my shoe", and some tears - cos' one slipped on algae on the rocks and skidded her knee ;P ...

Guess nature in Singapore is very much taken for granted and unexplored, largely because the weather is so unforgiving. Here, it's so easy to take to the outdoors even in the afternoons (we were there from 2-4pm) and see who we hob-nobbed with ! Rachel in particular is now very excited about our nature walks and since i bought a little brochure listing some of the common marine animals and plant life we see here around California, she would try to name the species we come across.

These are some close ups we managed to catch today ...

And this is certainly the highlight !

Yup that's a harbour seal ! And whole army of them were sunbathing and asleep on the beach !! Amazing, isn't it ?
Don't believe me ??? check this facial close-up !!
Apparently this cove is home to the harbour seals who come up to the beach to rest during the day and fish at night. The girls couldn't get enough, and we stayed there just observing the seals for quite a while
To cap this fantastic day out off.... R had a little exchange with a new tiny friend....
Hope your day was great too ! And have a fantastic week ahead !

Disneyland !

2009-04-06T23:03:00.006-07:00

Pardon my absence over the last few days ... this was the reason why !!

- hanging out with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Tinkerbell, Peter Pan, Eeyore - need i say more ?? ;P

(the Welcome gang - yea, we were THAT close :)

On the streets of Main Street, USA (Disneyland)

(Sleeping Beauty's Castle - with Walt Disney & Mickey sculpture in foreground)

(the wonderfully illustrated Sleeping Beauty storybook in the Castle)

Girls were of cos' elated (an understatement) and so pumped up. The queues were just unbelievable. And everywhere. Even for ice-cream. And horrible exorbitant fast-food. But who cares when you might have Alice in Wonderland just in the next cafe, Chip and Dale as your servers, and a glimpse of the all famous Mouse ??!

Some of the rides like Flying Dumbo, or the Tea Cups are no different from the imitation sorts that you get at your neighbourhood Funfair and Gentings - BUT this is the REAL thing ! So of course you have to queue an HOUR for it !!

And we were so terribly lucky, when we got to our turn (we had to be the first in the line of the next batch after waiting an hour) Dumbo decided it couldn't take off !!! AND this was the very first ride we chose to sit ! But then Disneyland being Disneyland - it was perfectly explained with a smile and apologised profusely, and in another 20mins - we got to take the ride :) Same thing happened to us again when we decided to fall down the rabbit hole (another ride) with Alice in Wonderland !! The caterpillar wagon we were on just decided not to move any further when we moved simply 2 steps from the start point !!!

We must be jinxed !

But then of course we were still happy. Girls got to snack to hearts' content ! What else to do while waiting in line ??? So out came the cereal boxes, the snack bars, chocolates, gummies and biscuits.

Husband decided that he would not even look at the map or partake in any decision making at the Resort, and so by default i was the walking GPS through Disneyland's maze of attractions and had to negotiate the girls' fights of which to go for and what to queue !! Husband simply took easy option of just following blandly and nonchalently !! ggrrrrrrrr.....

What totally made the difference for me was simply the Disney touch - the perfect blend of music, lyric, animation, characterisation, and attention to detail. These were the rides that could totally not be replicated and you've just got to get to Disneyland to experience. For instance, for the Pooh ride, Hundred Acre Wood really came to life as we navigated the cardboard hills and met all of Pooh's friends - and this is set within a constructed shophouse no different from those shophouses we have in Singapore but what lay within was perfect Fantasy. And for the briefest moments the girls doubted their own sense of reality. Seeing Mickey and Minnie's house - all life-sized - with 'perfect' functioning appliances (dishwasher, ovens and all) they did believe they lived there. Guess that's the magic of Disney.

(we queued more than an hour for this shot. Crazy huh.

We gave up for Disney princesses - so no shot of those girlies ;P )

And here's the HIGHLIGHT. We took our first FAMILY roller coaster ride !!! Even little FAYE ! And my gosh, she's a little chilli-padi !! Squealing and screaming in delight !! Um... as for R, i'll leave u to guess.... :) C kept wanting to go back to re-queue .. but err.. another hour (???). We gave in and queued for a second round but that was IT !

(nah .. the pic really can't do justice)

And here's another ... the night show and FIREWORKS ... Simply MAGICAL. No other words. The sort of extravaganza that left one teary with goose-bumps on the arm because it just all made perfect sense in that moment - and you believed that DREAMS do and CAN come true. Tinkerbell flew through the sky, sprinkled her magic dust, over the crowds. And with the glistening Castle as backdrop, pyrotechnics and fireworks to add effect - all to the tune of 'When you wish upon a Star' - how to not be moved ?? R watched wide-eyed, C was half in dreamland (erm... no nap, and this was already 10pm), and then there's the some ... (u would know who) ... who answers ..."er, ok only what, like National DAY ????!!!!!!" gggrrrrrrrr....

(a scene from the Street Dance Party !
This was sooo fabulous and the characters appeared atop the floats
But the music and dancing was really q excellent)

Oh yes ! R and I were actually pulled down by the dancers to join in the Conga during the street parade !!! Isn't that memorable ! But of cos' - someone, did not manage to get a SNAPSHOT !!! ggrrrrrrrr...

Here are some of the other moments that were just perfect :)

You still there ??? Haha .. thanks for getting through this post with me !!

Settling in...

2009-03-31T23:16:00.004-07:00

It's been 10 days since we're here yet hardly a routine has settled in. Too much going on :) !! Nonetheless, girls are getting more comfortable in our 'home' and i'm easing into the cooking - caring - schooling - cooking - cleaning routine. R even helped do some of the chopping for dinner :)

It's only been a few days of cooking and i'm already out of ideas of what to cook ! Bad eh. So all of you out there with easy to cook - throw in a slow cooker, or put straight in oven - type of recipes - please send over ! Desperately NEEDED. Seriously. Thanks Lil - got your link.

I still haven't picked up the guts to drive. Louisa Academy has also yet to fully function ;P (effectively). The wheels are being oiled though so hopefully we'll get there.

These few days have been very much resource gathering - stocking up supplies at the local stationery and crafts store, and building up our reading lists for our curriculum ahead. I think we've accomplished all of 2hrs of sit down work per day (only mon and wed) in the mornings, and that was it !! That's school. Very chiat lat, i know. But, it's a start.

Being totally in the thick of it where the kids' education is concerned is very reassuring yet scary, and altogether a humbling experience. It is a huge responsibility and those who home-school their kids are really such an inspiration to me. I'm flabbergasted by the amount of knowledge, research and work that really has to be done on the parent's part to be able to nurture curious young minds in the most optimal manner.

To ready myself for the role ahead, i spent some time going through some home schooling websites (largely angie's ) and checking out the curriculums used. Ideally, this should have been done prior to my being here - but aiyo - my life was chaotic enough back home.

So back to home-schooling. Gosh, i must say after reading Angie's blog, i'm so hugely embarressed. The amount of thought and effort that goes into nurturing the kids - i fall so far behind, it's not even funny. And everything that we take for granted - such as sending the kids to primary school - is a considered decision, and one that is opted out of in the end. One where many of us would swing the other extreme - joining associations, volunteering and scheming the buying and renting of homes just so as to get our kids into the 'best' schools we think we know to be. Yes, am guilty as charged.

But while i certainly can appreciate the many benefits of home-schooling, the jury is still out for me - largely because i'm not confident i could do a good job. These coming months though, i am committed to be able to handle my brood and nurture them as best i can. (like i say, for sanity, premium outlets are just 20mins away - heh !)

So i took the kids to the Library (again) on Tuesday, by BUS, and hoarded up as i furiously copied down the many recommendations from home-school sites on reading lists the night before. I must have some 50 library books at this moment in my home ! I just kept going back through the shelves for more. By the 3rd time i queued to check out (so 'pai seh' - embarressed - already) i sent my trusty proxy (Rachel) to borrow the books instead :p (heh!)

So right now, the girls are being exposed to poetry (i never did read to them poetry previously), and we're reading Peterkin Papers (about the Peterkin family who complicate even the simplest tasks - written in 1926 tho' so language takes some getting used to - for C at least), Shirley Hughes' Alfie series, and Little House in the Big Woods (which i intend to read aloud to the girls). I myself am trying to set aside some reading time for me and am getting through Howard Pyle's "The Wonder Clock", which a P1 home-schooled child had already completed ;P. Haiz, not sure how far my ambitious plans would get accomplished, especially since we don't even have a timetable as yet, and the girls already want to do craft tomorrow !

Oh well, guess we need some artwork to 'liven' up our little abode anyways and i might even get to do some scrapping (one can hope, ya... hee !) on the side !

sigh... i miss my 'me' time - now realising how spoilt i was previously ;P

Wish me luck as i continue on my sojourn !

ps: do u know i actually hold a military id now.... eeeks !

Legoland

2009-03-28T22:59:00.005-07:00

Our first weekend together so Papa had to make up for all the time he spent away from girls and spent it on a High ! Took the girls to Legoland - and amazingly - every single exhibit is made from Lego blocks - some equipped with sounds and water fountains to boot ! From Bob the builder to Dar Vadar (erm correct spelling - Star Wars fans ?? But queue too long didn't manage pix :() to Fairy Tale characters like Hansel and Gretel, Snow WhiTe and fearless Knights

A specially taken shot of dino (for the boys out there and of cos' Ash.) This was the first exhibit right at the entrance and C had commanded that i take a pix of it :). Really these two - he's never far from her mind, and everything she does, she would say "ash, sure likes this !" or in her usual teasing tone "heh heh, ash can't see this :P ". But ya, she misses her best friend so ...

Finally, a family pic - courtesy of one of the staff there. The standards of service at these theme parks are really excellent beyond compare - but i guess, it's already all inputed in the price of the ticket !

There was so much to do, we hardly finished seeing them all. And the queues of cos were forever. Each ride took approx 45mins to get to - so lots of waiting and snacking in between.

And here's the highlight - VOLVO driving school !
So cool ! The girls were thrilled and after the passed through, they were actually given a drivers' license with their very own name and photo on it ! Here's C on her test drive ...

They refused to take their license off the rest of the trip, and wore their license everywhere ! Yup, that's it around their necks - in this next shot of miniUSA. This was a replica one of the casino precincts in Las Vegas (MGM i believe) ...

On to the other rides - Here's them on the "Beetle Bounce" - totally tickled and enjoying themselves.

They actually re-queued this ride 3 times, after which, R - being the 7 year old she is - had to declare - "hai.. it's so boring mommy" after the 3rd ride ... with arms akimbo - but nevertheless, that grin still on her face !
A whirring rescue copter - the fake one for us ... the real pilot was hiding under a tree somewhere taking this shot :P

And this one which C made me quere an hour for ! She went on this horse around the moat of a castle all on her own, with little monkeys (made of Lego blocks) and knights popping out here and there for interest along the way...

I still for the life of me don't understand why.. but Papa decided to splurge to have caricatures done of the girls !!! check this out....

In progress - C nods off, and nearly falls off her chair .... R just being R.... shifts and sulks on her seat ....)

At last -- TA -DA !!!
LURVE how he did R's "bo-geh" (missing front teeth!) !! umm which do you think looks more like them ???

Haha .. sorry about this pix laden post ! So here's leaving you a last one of C in front of a sea of flowers which we passed by and stopped to pose :) (R was... erm... tired... ;P ) Now how in the world am i going to get them to settle from such a HIGH for school this coming week ????!!!! umm... maybe another week off ??? think the teacher's getting cold-feet too :P !!!

Home-sick for Chicken Rice !

2009-03-26T23:11:00.003-07:00

Woo hoo !! Check out my home cooked version of Chicken Rice !!! Not bad eh.....

But of course, couldn't do it without the help of this pre-mix ! But oh well, beggars can't be choosers :)

Nothing much on today. Girls had a largely quiet day indoors playing their pretend games. Seemingly, their pretend play sessions do get quite elaborate - carnival stores, play school, acrobats class, dance lessons, mandarin classes and all sorts ! Of cos' these are always interspersed with lots of squabbles in between, while i just eavesdrop and grin. It's nice to be young and carefree :)

While i... need to sort out my culinary skills so i can function more effectively as homemaker and teacher ! Picked up a cooking mag specialising in Slow-Cooker, casseroles and soup recipes today... heh.. gonna be my bible for a bit :P

Fun in the Sun !

2009-03-25T22:04:00.004-07:00

A sunny warm day finally, we decided to hit the outdoors. The beach near us was just an immense span of unmeasurable powdery silver sands (i never realised this phrase to describe beaches actually existed until i walked on them today). With seagulls lurking nearby and SeaHawks (erm... that's the helicopter you see..) flying overhead it was an interesting mesh of the real world and the tranquil.

Living so close to an operational naval base with the sounds of whirring copters, frigate calls, and 'rounds' fired (during drills) almost second nature now, after 3 days here, just serves to remind me how real-life the US navy's work is and how dangerous the world can actually be to demand such intense training and operations.

Took the girls to the playground near our home yesterday. On the background you see the San Diego bridge which links us back to the main city. Guess their faces say it all :P

Hope all's well at home. I want Chicken Rice ! aarggghh...