:: recovery ::

Sorry bad at giving titles...

back to work today after a long weekend...

Anyway had fun yesterday with a group of teens (5 gals & a guy).
So the story goes like this... my ex-boss's daughters liked their gifts last year very much and were interested in SB, so she approached me. Her elder dd was interested to personalise some gifts for the coming X'mas and thought SB would be a good choice!!

So there I was yesterday morning at her place, teaching the group. They are all cousins so the atmosphere was really lighthearted. Lots of bantering, sibling rivalry and jokes all around.

I chose a simple layout that all the gals could do.
& this was a layout design that I made:
something simple, with enough techniques for a beginner but yet fun and girly at the same time. & it had to be quick and easy to put together!

It was really interesting to see how everyone's layout turned out so different and unique according to where they wanted to place their flowers, embellishment and title. I didn't manage to take any pictures as i was busy being the 'teacher' floating around the table to help with placement and things.

The boy had a similiar layout with lots of dark /musculine colours. He was so funny as he was so addicted to tearing, inking, distressing papers and chipboards. I must say his layout turned out really fun with lots of the distressed looking chipboards! he even mixed alphas for his title. too bad no photo of that.

I also taught them how to alter a wooden alpha + painting + embellishing it. Thinking back I don't know how I managed to teach all that in 4 hours!! It was pretty crazy but I am real glad that the kids had fun, they said they did and even were talking about what they could do for their friends.

But I had to warn them.. SB is an EXPENSIVE hobby!!! i'm sure many agree with me out there!! haha...


**********************************

today is a different story, it's no fun :'( but at least I've 1 report down and 6 more to go! sobz!!

Big bummer of the day!

I can't get season parking for the car at the carpark under the block. Reason, car is under my E bro's name, so my family gets 2nd priority to get season parking.

To cut the story real short... My dad kindly agreed to go to the HDB office to sort things out. When he was there he called me and I screamed and shouted at the lady over the phone so loudly that my colleagues could hear me (my boss closed her door & my team leader walked over and did the "fanning / cool down" action). Telling her that despite prompt payment for season parking for the past 5 - 6 years, I can't get season parking at my own block? I have to park at the next nearest carpark that is 3 blocks and a road away for the whole of November. If I park downstairs and the parking attendant comes along & check, I might just get fined as I'm not 'allowed' to park there why??? because HDB has happily oversold their season parking! I dunno if this is a perpetual problem everywhere but honestly I think it is just plain illogical. I am fuming and I'm really sorry to friends & colleauges who had to hear it from me over msn and in person today.

Yup, so trying to recover from the long weekend back into 'work mode' and from talking to a totally senseless woman with misguided views / information and customer service skills.

pray hope things start to look up, even if it's ever so slightly!!

:: the new word ::

Oh! Was watching Oprah the other day and I am totally inspired by the word

CLUTTER BUTT

Peter Walsh, who wrote
was on the show. He said how things, food, practically anything has 'power' over us and it wears us down.

Peter Walsh, the bestselling author of It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff, believes that the secret to successfully losing weight is to forget about calorie counting and weekly weigh-ins. Instead you need to focus on how, why, and where you eat. When it comes to clearing clutter (the fat in our homes) it isn't about the stuff itself, it's about the life you want to live. The same is true for losing weight: It's not about the pounds, it's about living the life you deserve in the body you want.

Using his expert techniques honed from years as a clutter expert and organizational consultant on TLC's Clean Sweep, Peter helps you address how the clutter in your kitchen, your pantry, and your home is directly related to the clutter on your body and negatively affects your ability to lead a full and healthy life. This book shows you how to clean up not just the spaces where you eat, but the routines around them: from planning meals and shopping to dinnertime rituals.

Peter knows all the pitfalls and all the excuses. In Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? he gives you the tools (and courage) you need to get over all your excuses, face the issues, and make the change to a better life.

This is not a diet book. This is a book about your life -- about creating the healthy life and body you have always imagined for yourself. Peter helps you kick the food-clutter habit forever. You have only one life. Start living it today.

As usual, he helped to 'clean up' a lucky family's house and it was so neat!
I am so inspired and I want this book!!

:: D.I.Y ::

I've been in an organising / clearing / throwing away old stuff mood :')

The past few weekends were spent in my room as I took things out, pondered over how long I've used or even seen something, whether to keep or throw. I've cleared away many things, reorganised as much as I can. I have 2 HUGE bagfuls of clothes that I am passing on to my granny's helpers clearing little corners of my room.

I even took the measurements of the 2 door cupboard so that I can buy some plastic containers to organise things in it properly. Unfortunately the ones that I like from Ikea are slightly too big (the door can't close fully after I put the plastic containers in), so I was happily sawing away 1 of the handles from the containers. Now my shoulders ache badly but my things are nicely organised in the cupboard and I have mini drawers :D I'm pretty happy!

Only bummer - I need to buy another 2 more containers as I was worried that the ones I bought don't fit and to be safe I only bought a few to test. Ah well ,think of the hotdog that I can eat when I'm there! haha...

I'm halfway into the clearing... more to do more to sort more to throw more to reorganise... I quite like such weekends, even if it's tiring at the end of the day, nothing bets an organised room! No scrap space yet, not planning to create one in my room anytime soon. I just want clean empty space! haha

Managed to scrap abit too...

hidden journalling


While, I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to not working tomorrow as I feel like I'm coming down with something :'( Hope I get over it soon!!! Lots of reports to write!

Have a great long weekend!

:: miss ::

image taken from this comic: http://xkcd.com/99/

Sudden pang of missing my friends who are aboard. Somehow just talking on msn seems so impersonal and it's no longer enough just to talk over the screen.

to Ming, Jane, Wendy... I miss hanging out with you all. My younger bro just asked me about Kyoto the other day and I said the owners left to go back to Japan :( It was such a fun hang out place for us, drinking sake by the cartons and the yumy food.

to Nat-chan whom I've not met in several years, now a mother of 2. I hope I can see you soon.

I miss the times when we hang out in your beatup VW van, your smiles, your delicious tamago and sushi, the jamming sessions.

:: my mind right now ::

My mind feels like a video player now.

Sounds, images, words, actions keep replaying in my head.

At the moment I'm trying to separate the surreal from reality...

the reality bites... quite painfully..

:: my brother the model ::

Did you read Today? Someone familiar was in the papers but for all the right reasons. My elder bro really do have a Masters (for some 'chim' financial/statistics related subject) under his belt. I guess if he ever gets out of job (which is hardly unlikely) after surviving a couple of bank retrenchments & the recent USA bank turmoils he can become a model... hahaha

image from: http://www.todayonline.com

I was just commenting to my SIL the other day about my family, that everyone seems to be on a constant learning journey. My elder bro is still studying, so is my younger bro for a finance qualification (although one is at the final level, while the other is at the 1st level) and me & quest for further studies. Even my mom's learning something new - dressmaking & mandarin (through karaoke!). Only person that's not in 'formal' learning is my dad.

I had a nice relaxing day today saw some nice eye candy that I so lust after...
it's back to face the 'reality' tomorrow.. at least I'll be having a shorter 4 day week... :P

:: A layout and a tag ::

{random thoughts}
I seem to be in a hurry all the time! I was out at Orchard Road by myself, with the agenda to buy some presents and to bring my tiffany & co charm for a polish and hopefully purchase a 'house' for my homeless charm. After completing these 2 errands, I went straight home... Weird hey? As it must have been almost a couple of months since I've been to Orchard Road and now that I had time on my hands to walk around, I didn't do so. I didn't even walk into Zara or Mango, or Novo or any other shops! I guess I was trying not to be tempted into buying something?? after all, 'see no evil, buy no evil'... HAHAHA...

{a layout}
A random picture that I took in Melbourne.

As my friends and I were walking along the quaint little shops, we entered one that sold many handmade stuff! We were so fascinated... but what really caught my eye were these HUGE metal alphas that were on the floor! I just had to sneak a pic! :D


To emphasis on my 'addiction to alphas', i used different alphas on purpose for the title. I also used papers with journalling lines, and words to keep in the mood that with alphas, it's always writing.

up close of the alphas

{a tag}
& I got tagged by her!
Thanx babe!! You have been relentlessly leaving wonderful comments on my blog!! Muakz !!!

So here are the rules!

1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

Unfortunately, I've never been one to pass on chain letter/sms/emails etc... you get the drift!
Basically I love reading friends' blogs to find out what's happening to them esp when they're overseas.

But but there's one blog I've gotta tag and that is... bagaholicboy

bookmark it / Read it / blogline it & you won't regret it!! It is one of my must read everyday!! I found the blog by accident and I've been loving every moment of it! It keeps me updated of my other obession. Eye-candy for my eyes... pain to my heart and wallet 'cos it makes me so tempted everytime!!!

:: happy ::

It's October!!


Happy because:

1) it's a School Holiday - Children's Day ~ Have a great day all kids out there!

2) Public Holiday - Hari Raya Pausa ~ to my Muslim friends out there Selamat Hari Raya

3) Only another agonizing month to go before to the moment of truth!!

4) I'm been in a scrappy mood...

one of the layouts that I did last weekend:
Finally something other than my aust trip album.

I'm out of the house soon... never ending to be on the move even though it's a PH...
Have a great day everyone! :D