:: Right to the end ::

When I need a break, I still need to do work on my day of leave & flight!!

Argh...

Can't wait to go to Australia to meet up with my old pals again!!
That's what pushing me through this week... after one, sorry THREE super busy weeks prior to the trip!

:: hello march ::

definitely my favourite month of the year :P

Note to self:

Don't submit to stupid rules

be yourself and not a fool
open you heart and push the limits...

{close-up of the journalling}

:: family ::

one layout before i go to bed... good night dearies!

:: Grateful ::

My scrapping mojo engine is still warming up... the layout consist of lots of my usual technique of cutting out designs and relayering them.

This family photo taken last year during my dad's 60th birthday. The title reminds me to be grateful for a great family that I have... and as my elder brother puts it, we are a 'TOGETHER' family who constantly checks on each other, calls and talks to one another often, sharing our days and knowing everyone's friends.

Just today, as we were having dinner, or rather as my younger bro was having his dinner and I had finished mine and was watching the telly, a little kitten suddenly 'meowing' at our doorstep. It was so so cute! It reached up and looked through one of the little 'holes' in the gate. Immediately, my bro and I went to have a look and it continued to look at us as it meowed away (think Puss in boots in 'Shrek'.. YES! that cute!) How apt, we were having salmon for dinner and there were lots of the bones (with meat still intact). I wanted to give it but of course I didn't as I was afraid that it would come to our house again.

A while later, we could not hear anymore meowing, so my younger bro decided to check if it was still there. He opened the gate and I stood behind him... Suddenly he made a move and I screamed!!! thinking that the cat got it! arghh... yup that's my bro and he gave me a nice shock... my dad came running out of his room, shouting, "Don't let the cat in!"

Ya, I'm adding another year to my age next week... and I told my bro, "Hmph, I'm going to tell mummy you scared me!" haha...

Nice memories of this 'healthy' sibling bickering to remember ?!?!?!

yeah talking about my birthday next week.... my birthday wishlist... (while i should really stop buying things) i really really do want a pair of white gold big loop earrings (don't want silver as they will tarnish) :P Hmmm can't think of anything I want... although a nice bag is always a great!!

any givers???? lol

one year older and celebrations starts this friday with some gal pals :)

and then it's busy packing luggage time :D can hardly wait! yippee

:: random thinking ::

thought #1

I do not have good writing skills. I find my writing ability immature and am always stuck in getting the correct words out. When I read an email from a colleague, I am always amazed at how the email has been phrased and the words used. Maybe I should keep that as a reference??

thought #2

I was looking at the latest layout that I just posted. Looks like I am not afraid of 'covering' things up as I used to be as I wanted every individual embellished to be seen in its full glory! Yeah, like what Irene said... another level up in my scrappy style

thought #3

I am a planner and at times I should just go with the flow! HaH!

:: pouty lips and that LOOK ::

Yeah! Another layout that I did :D

I am totally loving this particular Crate Paper range... & definitely my camera and this picture that I took of Kate during CNY!

LOVE LOVE LOVE...

:: and CNY is ALMOST over ::

It's the15th day of the Lunar New Year or known as 元宵节, tt also marks the end of the celebration... thus today is officially the last day to collect red packets! hehe...

I am going to miss Yu-sheng...



Yu-sheng is a definite must-have during every Chinese New Year. I had several lou-hei 撈起 this year... and each time it was great... :D


Step-by-step:

Step 1:
When putting down the "Yu Sheng" on the table, say Gong xi fa cai 恭喜发财 meaning (Congratulations for your wealth) or Wan shi ru yi 万事如意 (May all your wishes be fulfilled).

Step 2:
Say Da Ji Da Li 大吉大利 (to be very auspicious) when adding pomelo and lime juice to the ingredients.

Step 3:
Say Nian Nian You Yu 年年有余 (to have a surplus every year) and Long Ma Jing Shen 龙马精神 (to enjoy great health) when placing Yu Sheng onto the shredded carrot, green radish and white radish.

Carrots indicates blessings of good luck. "Hong yun dang tou. 红运当头". The shredded green radish symbolises eternal youth. "Qing chun chang zhu. 青春长驻". The shredded white radish symbolises prosperity in business and promotion at work. "Feng sheng shui qi 风生水起 and Bu bu gao sheng 步步高升".

Step 4:
Say Yi Ben Wan Li 一本万利 (to increase all profits 10,000 times ) when putting pepper and five-spice powder to the Yu Sheng. Pepper is then dashed over the ingredients in the hope of attracting more money and valuables. "Zhao cai jin bao. 招财进宝".

Step 5:
Say You Shui Duo Duo 油水多多 (encouraging money to flow in from all directions.) when adding oil and sauces to the Yu Sheng. "Cai fu guang jin. 财富广进".

Step 6:
Say Jin yin man wu 金银满屋 when adding the condiments. First, peanut crumbs are dusted on the dish symbolising a household filled with gold and silver. As an icon of longevity, peanuts also symbolise eternal youth.

Step 7:
Sesame seeds quickly follow symbolising a flourishing business. "Sheng yi xing long. 生意新龙".

Step 8:
Deep-fried flour crisps in the shape of golden pillows is then added with wishes that literally the whole floor would be filled with gold. "Pian di huang jin 片地黄金".


This is the time when everybody will start mixing the ingredients by pushing them toward the centre and tossing it in the air!!

The higher the better!
捞起！捞起！今年捞个风生水起！

:: sketch 120 ::

To help me get my mojo running, I turned to Pencil Lines for some ideas... the latest sketch 120 was pretty cool... and this is my version.

Celebrating my dad's 60th birthday last December at Seafood Paradise @ Singapore Flyer. It was definitely a night to remember with great food, service and a joyous occasion :D

:: chapter close ::

I finally finished the 2008 Australia album... phew!
Now is prob just to alter the album cover although I might not even do so! heh...



The mojo engine is slowly warming up so the layout is rather simple. It's not my usual load of embellishing but hey it's a start...

:: croak ::

Waaayyy too many cookies for me this year... mid way through day 1 of NIU year I felt that my throat was really dry. I had to stay off all the yummy goodies at relatives' and friends' place and could only tell my brothers to try certain food that is really yummy and watch them eat in delight :X so here I am today, at home on 1 day medical leave resting my throat as it could no longer take it anymore ( i went back to work from Wednesday)...

1st day of Chinese New Year lunch at paternal grandparents, a simple yet yummy feast

It has been a busy busy for the 1st two days of CNY, where we had 4-5 locations each day! It was fun nonetheless! I managed to visit some of my own friends too which was great.

I love CNY, with all the decorations, the visits to the Nursery to pick out pretty flowers and Chinatown on New Year's Eve for all the great bargains. Another week or so to go... must enjoy and eat as much Yu-Sheng as I can! Yum :P

:: 200 ::

that's the number of posts I've done since I started the blog way back in Oct 2006...

I guess the figure just shows that i've done an average of 7.5 posts a month, which is way way too little.. (been working on KPIs and work percentages... figures are popping out of my ears!)

My very first post was about being inspired...

and this definitely inspires me!

:: pictures taken from: source ::

Chubby Hubby renovated his dream kitchen and it is way way way cool!! just look at the island, the clean lines of this kitchen, the lovely colours of the kitchenaideS (I want one too!!)

Definitely my dream kitchen as well...
Just imagine the wonderful time working in this kitchen, dreaming up wonderful recipes... dishing out scrumptious meals! Yum...

Check out his blog as he dishes out great recipes too.. or the food are just eye candy! :D

:: hello 2009 ::

I can hardly believe it's 2009 already!

I saw a number of ups in 2008 which I am grateful for, be it work, personal achievements and just in myself. Of course, there were definitely several downs, but I am glad I managed to pull through and picked myself up, dusted off the negativity and braved on.

For that I am glad.

Glad for my family.

Glad for a great work team.

Glad for the great friends I have, new and old.

Glad for the encouragement that I always hear.

I started 2009 on a quiet note... watching the marina bay countdown on the telly at home. I liked the peace and the quietness. I hope the year shall bring calm and patience in the trying times ahead (heh.. while I do refer to the global economy, that applies to me personally too!).

My resolutions for the new year, I was asked...

I guess the one major thing that I really want for myself is -

just to be me, doing things without the feeling of guilt or obligation.
If I say No, I feel no obligation.
If I say Yes and it a wholehearted YES!
& definitely ENJOYING every moment of EVERYTHING!! :D

:: Wishing... ::

my family, relatives, friends and all a

Very Merry Christmas

may you receive lots of pressies!! :D

:: another::

10 days to Chrismtas

&

16 days to New Year

GOSH!!! Where has all the time/days gone to?

I've been lazy to blog although I have stuff to blog about...
1) Hort Park (part 2) - this time of people!
2) A company retreat to Batam
3) Dad's 60th birthday!
4) A memorable wedding

Hmm... I've started to give out X'mas presents! Ain't I early! haha... well that's because the recipents are overseas & I needed pass to Ming when I met her in Singapore to bring them back to Perth! I also gave out a couple of presents over the weekend although they were combined Birthday/Xmas presents! Hope they were liked!

Oh! I've also received my 1st Xmas present from Ming! :D
& I guess bought myself a present one month in advance and happily using it! :D haha....

more presents to prepare??
I really dunno... Not a big Christmasy person... I'm already looking wwwaaayyy ahead to buying CNY clothes! hah!

:: disbelieve ::

It is the wonders of internet that fueled my curiousity. As I searched the glorious search engines, I found that I was after...

As I read and reread each post, my emotions ran into a rage. In disbelief I am, that a young person can so easily disregard the family which had once and still is trying their very best to provide, love and care for this person. In desperation as the family tries to locate the person, some drastic measures were made. Without a hint of regret, a backward glance, shortening of steps, this young person continues to strive on into an uncertainity in life and possibly living with the illusion that alone one must be to find oneself and that the one other partner is sufficient. Attempts to convince, to give in, to persuade a open-armed homecoming was futile. Nothing can or will change this young person's mind. The decision has been made. Family is secondary.


Here I am, as I find myself in an unusual situation where I actually get to hear/read both sides of the story, of one party's longing and heartbroken sobs and the other's willingness to forget and disregard, I wonder if such an action was or will be ever necessary? Is a parent-child relation simply so tangible? With a simple goodbye to break the bonds of childbirth?

Would I have the courage to even contemplate such an action?

:: let the pictures do the talking (part I) ::

:: quick one ::

just a quick post of one of the layouts I did.. nothing fancy... scrapping mojo is running low

I'm deadbeat too! Just came home from a meeting... I dislike meetings.. they drag on and on and always get sidetrack with other things. Matters get worse, it is tough having meeting when the other party is so fixated on certain things and there is always no room for negotiation or they twist and turn your words at every moment! argh!! I am just glad the meeting is over!

I need to hit the sack soon... droopy eyes...

:: finally ::

Finally completed a layout that I started last week! Phew... that took a while. Hmm I guess the inertia to get going on the layout was really bad... I cut out a flower or two and I stopped. Anyway just glad that I finished it. Managed to take some pictures before leaving home this morning for work.

Heh! Went on the Southern Ridges walk last Saturday morning with the family! The weather was beautiful, the scenery was lovely and of course I managed to take some pictures!
Will post them soon! when I'm home and not too lazy to upload them :P

It's mid-week already! Almost to the weekend again!

:: passing it on... ::

Sorry for not blogging for some time.. Work has been busy and it totally left me 'moodless' to blog...

anywayz, I was tagged by her so here goes...

the 1st tag,

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

1. I love cleaning, organizing, throwing away stuff.

2. I have a photographic memory, which is really useful for knowing road directions.

3. I can recognize voices over the phones pretty accurately.

4. I have difficulties drafting letters/emails out.

5. I always try to occupy my time ahead of time, to make sure if I have free time, it’s done doing something.

6. I sleep on a queen size bed ALL by myself, that has 2 large throw pillows, 2 pillows, 1 bolster, 1 baby pillow and 1 furry pink cushion with the word 'Princess'.

7. I rather talk to kids than adults.

the 2nd tag,

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your friends! Try not to be lame and spoil the fun! if you get tagged, copy this entire survey and paste into your own blog, change all of the answers so that they apply to you. Then visit the profiles of some of your friends and "Tag" them by simply leaving a comment, asking them to visit your blog, and state that they have been Tagged! The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known! Some of you may get tagged several times, so they can always refer back to your blog for your answers.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
6.30am when the mobile phone alarm rang, which I switched off and promptly woke up at 7.50am

2.Diamonds or pearls?
definitely diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
My Best Friend’s Girl

4.What is your favorite TV show?
Ghost Whisperer

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Coffee

6. What is your middle name?
Pei Jun

7. What food do you dislike?
Offal

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Spirit by Leona Lewis

9. What kind of car do you drive?
Family car – Toyota Wish

10. Favorite sandwich?
The ingredients are more important, as long as it has my favourite chicken, melted cheese and veg I love…

11. What characteristic do you despise?
Indecisiveness

12. Favorite item of clothing?
Skirts

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Switzerland

14. Favorite brand of clothing?
Too many to choose from, but what I can’t get now I want so it’s KooKai for the moment…

15. Where would you retire to?
never thought of this yet… seems a long long time away

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday?
My surprise 21st in SG, where I was pampered with a wonderful spa treatment followed by a great BBQ at home with family and friends :D

17. Favorite sport to watch?
Gymnastics – the synchronized ones

18. Furthest place you are "tagging" this?
No idea as I’m typing this

19. Person you expect to send it back first?
No clue

20. When is your birthday?
March 4

21. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning person

22. What is your shoe size?
7

23. Pets?
nope

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
Er.. getting staff appraisal done? My duties listed required a separate sheet???

25. What did you want to be when you were little?
Architect

26. How are you today?
Swarmed… with work

27. What is your favorite candy?
Pastilles, blackcurrant flavour please

28. What is your favorite flower?
Lily

29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
The day when I am on leave

30. What's your full name?
Fiona

31. What are you listening to right now?
Radio

32. What was the last thing you ate?
Mint mentos

33. Do you wish on stars?
Don’t believe?

34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Pastel colours

35. How is the weather right now?
Cloudy

36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today?
Working colleagues

37. Favorite soft drink?
Coke

38. Favorite restaurant?
Too many to choose from…probably it’s the cuisine that’s more important? 1st choice Japanese, followed by Chinese, then Italian

39. Real hair color?
Black/ Dark brown

40. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My little pony

41. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs

42. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Both, depending on how it’s being served

43. Coffee or tea?
Coffee

44. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Not necessary

45. When was the last time you cried?
Yesterday, watching a show about how a little 9 year old girl has to learn to cook and take care of her handicapped parents ;’(

46. What is under your bed?
Hope there’s nothing!!

47. What did you do last night?
Scrapped abit, watch telly abit, then snuggled in bed to read until I fell asleep

48. What are you afraid of?
Not being able to see my loved ones

49. Salty or sweet?
Both, depending on how it’s served and my mood :D

50. How many keys on your key ring?
3

51. Favorite day of the week?
Sunday? My only rest day?

52. If you can choose your talent, what would it be?
Being decisive, well most times?

53. Do you make friends easily?
No

54. How many people will you tag this to?
Not sure

55. How many will respond?
I hope at least 1?


Ok, now it's to tag others... here goes...
Jacq
Irene
Jeannette
Nani
ming
pauline

:: almost there! ::

I was counting the number of empty sleeves that the album and there are only 4-5 left! but that does mean another 10 layouts. But the album is so FFFAAATTT already!! & I don't have that many photos to scrap from the trip but I guess I'll revisit the photos again!

These are the few latest ones that I did recently... I am loving the BG papers here!

lots of glossy accents, foam dots to make the butterfly wings 'pop' up, and my fave 'cut, cut, cut'!

Thanks for looking!