Woodland Embroidery!

Finally created! Let's stand up for Amy!! Dearest Amy has embroidered the pattern (remember it? My first embroidery pattern!) for her Granny (God bless you, Amy! ..and Amy's Granny, you are so lucky to have her as a granddaughter!).


Amy's work is obviously not a work of a beginner, no? I am really honored that she chose my pattern for her skill, she's great!! And look at that tiny leaves on the tree!! Such detail! I wouldn't have done that even if I can embroider. So, do any of you have been inspired lately? Send your creations to me, it will make my day and suddenly there will be rainbows on my backyard! Seriously!

Thanks again, Amy!

Flashback and a little chat.

Let's see, today I, myself, went to the doctor, I have this cough that has stayed for as long as I can remember (I am exaggerating it, I think it's 1 or 2 months). I thought it was nothing serious, I never smoke and I live in a smoke-free house, I can exercise, eat, and sleep well, I can still regularly do daily activity, well, I just cough a little. But there's something about airline regulation of putting on an oxygen mask for yourself first before helping your accompanying children, isn't it? I want to be healthy, for my sake and Baby G's sake. So I went. And he diagnosed .. (probably) TB, tuberculosis.

.. isn't it like, the plague that could kill hundred or thousand people and children in 18 or 19 something? I was mortified! I was never expected something so serious! The doctor said I have it from someone else, might be anywhere, in the park, at the mall, anywhere. I will know my lab result tomorrow, so I really am praying it's not that serious.

Speaking of illness, I have some pictures the moment right before Baby G was sick. After she was sick, I had no urge to take any photograph at all. She was all laugh and play, and.. I remember what my mom used to say, "Illness (in babies and children) strikes like a lightning and goes away like a snail". I think it's some Chinese proverb, but it's true. She was a little miss sunshine one morning and later on the afternoon she couldn't barely open her eyes! Sigh... anyway, yep, she started to walk and yep, it's her father a.k.a the hubby.

The lotus got nothing to do with the story, but it's so pretty I have to share it.

OK, don't be blue by all this illness chitchat. I have saved the great news for last. I won a chickdowntown giveaway a few weeks ago, and it just arrived. It was a very very "it" acid wash jeans, I am keeping it for my (more fashionable and has better gene) sister. My post baby bod won't allow me in something very "it", darling. So, if you're into fashion or like me, a fashion fool, but really enjoys staring at fashion pictures, head on to chickdowntown. Great service indeed, and they're having a free shipping promo (and yes, they do ship your item in that sophisticated white box with black satin bow!). Chin up, ladies, this is good news! Happy Tuesday!

Where am I?

Well, here I am, I'm not going anywhere at the moment. Why the sudden disappearance? You know the notorious swine flu? Well, Baby G suffered another mutation of the flu and has just recovered today. It was her first serious illness and yes, I was very very worried and stood by her 24 hours a day, even when she slept, I kept my eyes wide open. So, I'm sorry if I had not been available in the blogging world, I hope I were missed (hey, did you miss me??) but now I'm back, hopefully, to my regular routine.

Having known how hard it is to persuade a child drinking her medicine, I make this treat (or bribery?) coupons for moms to use. I think it might work for older children, but of course you can always give this on every occasion. Winning a match, do chores, birthday, or just simply being cute. For those who thinks ice cream and toys are the worst treat for children, the two other coupons are left blank for you to write anything.

download.

Enjoy your weekend.

Baby G's Birthday Inspiration..

..still, with no luck on finding a theme, I know ideas can be abstract, but this is too much. I have an array of beautiful things across the net to keep me inspired, I just need to sum them all into a word/sentence! What would these be??

blossomhillcottons' Flickr.

allsorts' woof woof pupkin.

JennyLees' Flickr

simplythisthatandtheother's strawberry shortcake cake.

And as tempting as it is, please don't say a strawberry shortcake theme, because I don't want everyone to think of that freckled red haired girl with big hat, she's adorable, but no, I'm not into character party at this point, Baby G is too small to relate to that.

Tagged!

This is my first time getting tagged, so it was kind of amusing and exciting, really, because I don't know if I get this right, so..um.. I was tagged by Rheaa from by_Rheea (hehehe, pun really intended!) So here are the rules :

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. List six little things that make you happy.
3. Tag six bloggers and let them know they’re “it”.

Yep, I have done the first rule, so I'm going to make a list. Happy, huh? mm..but I like to make some note, that on this list I try to exclude my family and friends, because obviously they make me happy and is the very foundation of my whole being.. so mom and hubby (and Baby G too, someday), if you read this and you're not on the list, doesn't mean that you don't make me happy..OK, now to the list..

Bittersweet comedy. I laugh at certain and particular kind of comedy, of course pranks, racial and dirty jokes, and the slapstick ones are excluded. That's why I never seem to like the character Ashton Kutcher try to portray on Punk'ed, or is it the real him, either way I never like it. Btw, the picture is of Flight of the Conchords.

Dreamy spaces. swoon, no explanation needed. From JoieDeVivre via SweetiePiePumpkin.

Disneyland, I have this little kid inside of me that never grows up.

Nice people, random kindness, and the whole things of being nice. Just nice. I received a lot of sympathetic emails and comments when Bronnie died, and most of them comforted me like they knew me, in fact I live miles apart and a total stranger, but it doesn't stop them from being nice. Thank you everyone, your every bit of words made my day brighter than ever.

Design things and stuff. Aren't they the prettiest? candle holders courtesy of bonboog.

Handmade things, crafting, and all those stuff. You know it. The picture is of Renegade Handmade store, yep, opened based on the craft fair with the same name at Chicago, you can always visit its online counter part if you reside outside Chicago.

Is it 6 already? Aaaww... I wish I had more things to list!! Shut up, big baby, now unto the next task, tag away 6 people!! Ha, I love this. OK.. OK.. Carrie, Natsumi, Diana, Joelyne, Anna, and Tuppence!! They are 6 different ladies with different field of expertises, so I guess it must be fun to find out what makes them smile.

Today's to do list..

• pancakes for breakfast .. done. I'm too lazy to mix my own dough, I bought "the box"
• baby food for Baby G..done, but she didn't like the Gouda cheese I added in, so we hit "the jar"
• daily design works.. horoscope/zodiac illustrations, quite exhausting to figure out 12 different poses..
• play with Baby G
• another baby food for G, skip the Gouda add the usual cheddar
• snack for Baby G
• put her to an afternoon nap
• back to work
• write a blog..hey, I'm doing this! Consider this done!
• go out for dinner ..my husband is planning this, I think we'll hit another jar for G.
• put Baby G to sleep

Well, ... I wish I could put on one of these on my today's to-do list, but...sigh, OK, I hate to explain my incapability, but of course, I always love to share things!! Here are some of the best paper craft tutorials I'm dying to try.

remember this? the awesome Tuppence has written a tutorial for the cute bag.

design*sponge's paper scarp craft will make you think twice to discard any gift wrapping leftovers.

...and so is spotted sparrow's paper bow tutorial.

Simply delight the little ones with this paper magic trick from anise mouette.

Sprinkle some..

...Momfetti!! Such cute name for a blog, no (confetti, get it?)? And her real name is a real blast, Tuppence!! How dear is that? I wish I were named Tuppence now! sigh. OK, back on the real post topic, dear Tuppence has made a wonderful creation with my deerio-shroomio pattern (remember it?). It's a snickerdoodles-sized take-home bag (wow, that's a mouthful, try to say it 5 times, fast!). Look how cute it is.

And that's not all, I'm really glad she emailed me, otherwise I wouldn't find her precious wonderful blog filled with sewing and craft tutorials, pretty daily photographs of her family (and her neurotic cat), and much more! But I do wish she will post the tutorial of deerio bag up there for everyone to follow, *wink*.. Not the seamstress/crafter type but you crave for her sewn goodness? Yep, she has an Etsy shop, ooh, thank God for Etsy.

As if that's not great enough, she's having a giveaway right now until 11th of August (eep, quickly now)! Yes, Giveaway! Go on, win a diaper clutch (non-mommies can keep it until they need it or just simply give them to any moms you know) and tell her I sent you, that increase the chance of winning....er, kidding, just say hi for me, will you?

If I can love..

..you more....sigh...


My family dog of 14 years, Bronnie, just passed away on Friday, so yes, it's been a rough weekend for me, not to mention the common cold Baby G has to suffer. Just like an episode of Oprah, I really really regret that I didn't have the chance to say goodbye, stand by her when she needs me, or say I love you, or show her how she means to me, no, I just took her being for granted, it's (always) too late now and I deeply regret that. With all those Oprah episodes and movies and books with similar moral I am still an ignorant idiot who think of Bronnie as just another old furniture in the house.

My brother put a song by Jackson 5, Ben, into a really good interpretation of Bronnie's life. She was taken from the street by my father, along with her sister, at merely 6 months or so, given by my father to his acquaintance for another months, and then we finally adopted her when she was about 1 year old. Her sister stayed with the acquaintance, but her life was even shorter. Bronnie had many great personalities and you can say that she was an "easy" pet. She required very little pampering, rarely got sick, ate almost anything, slept almost anywhere, and very easily toilet trained (she's even the one who refused to took a leak everywhere, she had a favorite spot in our garden). She's hug-able (you can notice her cute chubby stature) and always in a good (not the too excited one) mood. Maybe that's the reason I took her for granted. Sigh. I can go on and on and I still have that hole in my heart. I can't never be the same person again now.



I need to move on, be very strong. If you're kind enough, please help me immortalized Bronnie by using this patterned paper of her to your creation. Please feel free to use it any way you can. here.