Monday, February 28, 2011

They've Been Framed

I just love frames, I love playing with frames, do whatever I want with frames, it's just fun and easy craft, I think. I love going to the thrifty shops and buy frames cheap, I bought 3 good medium sized frames for £2.50 and some costs £1.50 or single frame for 50pence or less, I took them home and give them a makeover.


..and not only they're easy to decorate, I can change the color, the inside of the frames to whatever I want, I did this awhile back, I had some scrapbook leftover that I could use and then re-painted the frames.


Spring is coming and I wanted to look for more frames to play with, add more colors and flower pictures, I just love spring!

Linked to:



Sunday, February 27, 2011

Happy Birthday Pumpkin :)

Happy 46th Birthday My Darling Husband

Today is my hubby's birthday, I've wished him twice, last nite when the clock striked at midnight and in the morning when he first woke up. I made him his fave breakfast in bed with bacon and a hot pot of coffee. He wanted a relaxing time on his birthday as he's been stressed out lately with his new project at work as a computer programmer, so I kept tip-toeing around the house so he could have alot of rest and so glad that I've baked the cakes yesterday!


The cake above is called "Dundee Cake" which my husband's fave and requested me to make as his birthday cake, my first time baking it, a bit burnt and cracked in the middle but he loves it.


The second one is called "Victoria Sponge Cake" which we are both love, especially me :) coz i dont particularly like a cake that has too much dried mixed fruits in it like Dundee cake so he can have it all by himself while this one I can share it with him and his colleagues at work which I need to bake another one later as i just found out it wont be enough for 10 people :)


I gave him 3 books from his fave author for a birthday gift that he wanted to add to his collection, his parents and only sister called and asked when he could drop by as his parents dont drive and his sister lives quite far from us, so we will try to find the time to visit them this week, hopefully.


I've set the table, prepare 3 course meal for two which consist of, chicken with sweet corn soup for starter, Rib Eye steak with roasted veggies for main course and a chocolate pudding from GU as a dessert. Lovely meals he said and I'm glad he has a nice relaxing and a quiet birthday that he wanted, time to wash the dishes and clean up and join him watching some movies he loves.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

My Precious Camera

It's Saturday! I always look forward for weekends although I'm not working but it's where i can spend alot of time with my beloved and where I have a company and not feeling lonely.

This pink saturday I wanted to share a photo of my pink Lumix camera, the most precious and trusted companion that was given to me on my 30th Birthday from my husband 3 years ago and because of this camera, I enjoy my hobby more which is taking pictures, I take alot of pictures wherever i go, whatever I do, whoever I meet. Sadly the camera in the picture below is no longer in use because of my stupid clumsiness (I'm such a klutz), I dropped it one day about a year ago when I tried to use the little tripod that apparently was wobbling, I cried and cried and thought I had to use the old camera which has not flash and timer option that I brought with me when I first came here but hubby surprised me when a few days later, a package delivered for me and it's another pink Lumix camera in it!! I cant stop thanking him for what he did, he bought me the same model and exactly the same camera to replace the one which is broken.


Since then, i try to be more careful with the camera that I'm using now although it's so hard to keep it unscratched as i've always been clumsy all my life, I still keep that broken camera as a reminder and a keepsake that I treasured it and when it was used, I couldn't take a picture of it and now it becomes my model in a picture, I love that camera so much!

Happy Pink Saturday!


Linked to:


Friday, February 25, 2011

Banner of Words

I was inspired by Terri who made a beautiful vintage look Spring banner which you can see her video tutorial Here and make my own Banner, Thanks Terri for the wonderful tutorial!

Although mine isn't as beautiful and as vintagey as Terri's, I am satisfied with the result, I wish I have a sewing machine to make it more like Terri's banner but since I dont have one, i've to make do with what i've got, thankfully i already have the stuff I needed to make a banner so I dont have to go out and buy. I wish I'm as crafty and as talented as Terri's! I just love her banner soo much!


Anyways, I've been busy baking cakes for my husband's birthday and he requested for a Dundee cake that he loves so much and a victoria sponge cake that he could share with his colleagues at work, so while i was waiting for the cake to bake in the oven for 2 hours, I busied myself making this banner :)

I wish everyone a lovely and blessed Weekend! x

Linked to:

Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Notice that Board? :)

Thank you for all the well wishes to the lovely ladies that commented on my previous post, I'm well enough now to go back in doing what I love most (not the housechores). I can't remember exactly when but it was last year that I made this notice board that can be used front and back, using two different types of fabrics so if I got bored with one look, I can just turn it over and use the other side :)


...but yesterday I was browsing through TheGraphicsFairy, that's where I got my inspiration and there are so many beautiful vintage images that you can use to edit or print straight away, so since I wasn't feeling that well, I just printed out lots of images from the website and edited some and added some of my photos and other bits and pieces that I embroidered as well as my heart shaped brooch and stick them all to the board.


Voila, i like the way it looks now and i hung it on my bedroom's wall. I do have one more notice board that I made (i made two) that needed to be revamped but that's for later coz tomorrow i'll be busy baking cakes for my husband's birthday on Sunday. Till then..I wish you a wonderful and blessed Thursday. x

Linked to:



Transformation Thursday

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

While there's Tea, There's Hope!


I do hope everyone else is in good health and having a beautiful Tuesday, I'm still a little bit under the weather but I'm so much better, I think I'm getting over the cold now but I still feel abit crappy. Anyways, I made the framed Tea Quotes above from scrapbook paper that I cut in a shape of a teapot and teacup then added some simple printed quotes from the internet that I really love.


I'm taking it easy today, reading some books that I got on Valentine's day, the leftover heart chocolate that my husband bought for me and drinking tea from Laura Ashley's polkadot mug because I'm half lying and half sitting on the sofa so I didn't use a proper teacup for today. I really hope I'll be back to my normal self before Friday as my husband's birthday is on Sunday the 27th and he already requested me since weeks ago that he wanted me to make him a birthday cake for a change rather than buy as we normally do but of course he knows that if i'm still sick, we can always buy his birthday cake but i really don't want to disappoint him so I'll try my best and we'll see!

So that's it for now and I'm off to read again and resting. Happy Tea Time Tuesday!


Linked to:


Sandi - Tea Time Tuesday

Lady Katherine - Tea Time Tuesday

Martha - Teacup Tuesday

Terri - Teacup Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Tuesday Tea for Two

Monday, February 21, 2011

Need a Makeover

Last week I spent three days cleaning, scrubbing, wiping, re-arranging, organizing and vaccuumming my small kitchen, yes it took me 3 days just cleaning the small sized kitchen although not a full day, just a few hours each as I need to divide my housechores in other rooms.

Anyways, My kitchen has always been like this since I moved in, even when my husband bought this house some 7 years ago, a little changes made only to replace the sink, the boiler, the bits that were broken, in terms of decorating, None at all.


I'm not sure when will I be able to give my kitchen a makeover it deserves, I will have to find the money for it but it's going in my to do list as a project, I wish I have alot of money to just buy a new kitchen set but i dont see myself having that much lying around in hubby's bank account, so I'm going to do it bit by bit over the years, I already imagine painting the cupboards white shabby chic, change the wallpaper and took down the ugly mirrors that covered most of the wall, I also need to find some lovely curtains for the windows, I hope I can do all these this year! i'm excited already.


But for now, I love it when my kitchen is clean from top to bottom, I will have to be happy for that for now, I know it's the one place that I spent alot of time in, and I assure you it's never sparkly clean and neat, always lots of stuff on it and I ran out of cupboards to store stuff but some says Kitchen is the Heart of The Home.

Linked to:



Sunday, February 20, 2011

Tea for Two

I woke up this morning feeling crappy, I have been awaken most of the night to blow my nose or feeling cramp on my neck and arms, my husband (bless him) made me chicken and sweet corn soup which was helping and I felt abit fine at midday,He then told me that I probably need to drink a cup of tea, loads of cup of tea and asked me if I wanted to drink tea in a tearoom and of course I jumped and said, YES! (i forgot i was ill at that moment :)


About a week ago, my mother in law told me that she just came back from meeting her church friends in a cafe downtown, she knows I'm crazy for tea and lovely teacups/teapots and told me that the cafe has a nice collection that I might love going there to have tea, I told her that I havent any luck finding a tea room downtown but apparently this cafe comes a tea room so I was excited and true enough, I saw lots of cute teacups/teapots and served with lovely teacups and teapot with a slice of Victoria Sponge Cake, I feel so much better already!


My hubby kept pouring me cup after cup after cup of tea, I think i'd probably had more than 5 cups while he had only 3 cups. The Cafe is called "Green Cuisine", i love the cake and wanting to make one over the weekend, we had a nice relaxing tea and talk for about an hour and hubby drove us home and asked me to lie down on the sofa and covered me with a throw so I feel warmer, I'm blessed to have him as a husband, I'm happy though i'm sick and I will get better soon!

Thank you for a treat!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

a Cat without a name

As promised, i'm posting some photos of a cat and a little story about her.

About 2 years ago, when My husband, his parents and I were having a barbeque lunch in our backyard, a cat suddenly appeared out of our next door back yard, no name tag and seems to want some food from us, abit skittish at first but after a few hands that offered her some pieces of meat, she became abit more friendly, since then she appeared every lunch time in my backyard and I always ready to give her some cheese or leftover meals we had until one day she decided to also appear in dinner time outside my kitchen door and then when i offered her to come inside the house and feed her inside, she doesn't like to stay long though inside but instead love to sit outside the kitchen door or at the back gate, just sat there for hours which got me thinking maybe she's a stray cat but hubby thought to ask the neighbors if they had this cat which none of them said they had, so a year later on a winter day, she was still there waiting for me to feed her and she spent more times inside when it's raining or snowing.


She is now sometimes spent some nights in our home, she became quite fat now that one day my husband said while looking at her sleeping, "she's a ball of fur, she become so fat now that you can roll her if she can't walk anymore", of course he's joking, he always calls her furball, i was asked once what to call her, i told my husband, I don't want to name her because if i did, I'd be more attached to her than before and since I'm very sensitive and had once many pets that either some left me coz they died or I had to leave them behind coz I had to move to England and cant afford to bring them here and that's heartbreaking for me, I hate having pets coz i know they will die and leave me, and also I remember a quote from one of my all time movie "Breakfast at Tiffanys":

Holly Golightly says: He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's.

..anyways, on Christmas day, The cat was given christmas gifts from us and she seems to love it, well more like she loves playing with the ribbon on the gift though :)


I do love taking pictures of her, coz she's beautiful but last year she was banned to enter the house by my husband coz she spread her fleas onto the carpet and me coz i have a very sensitive skin and the fleas somehow love to bite me as well, it's weird that they dont like my husband's skin though, I had to clean the carpet, vaccuum them everyday and put some flea repellant to the cat and myself, hard work but finally the cat can be allowed inside again, coz I begged hubby for that.


So she's back sleeping with us, I remember some days when I was lonely at home alone while my husband was working and I got so homesick and I cried, she jumped onto my lap and nudged me to give her a fuss and looked at me with those beautiful big eyes as if to say "there, there, I'm here with you so don't cry". She is one who doesnt like to sit on people's lap, even with my husband she's always giving distance and easily skittish whenever strangers or my parents in law came to visit, she's very independent and I guess it's a blessing that she chose to stay with us however not often and chose to give us her loyalty by visiting us and sometimes I think she understands me. I love her and I know it's too late now to distance myself from her coz some days I can't wait to go home to feed her or worrying if she has eaten or not whenever i was away with friends :)

Sorry for the long entry, there are so many photos of her that I can't possibly put all of them but maybe next time...Have a great Weekend!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Dream

I actually did this last year but since I only created this blog this year, I thought to post it now as I've the opportunity and share it with you. My bedroom was quite frankly a boring room before I moved in to England 3 years ago, Hubby (Bless him) didn't mind when I wanted to decorate it and added bits and pieces in the room, I put up some frames which I bought from charity shop and re-painted them and changed the pictures with fabrics that I love and just hung them here and there in the bedroom, I also made the hearts bunting and the big project here was the plaque that says "Dream" on it.


I found a piece of unused wood one day when I was checking the garden shed in our back garden and thought to myself "I could make use of it" and then I bought a pink paint and spray and cut up some stencils and just stick them on the wood and spray them, i must say i like the result and now it's on top of my bed frame and it looks lovely :)


The flowers bit was a cut up leftover fabric that I use it for the frames and it adds more loveliness to the dream plaque. I also made the heart bunting using the same fabrics which i filled in with polyester. I now love sleeping in our bedroom and dream of wonderland :)




Linked to:


Transformation Thursday


Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special






Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Knit meets Purl

The sun is shining outside but i fancy abit of knitting, I love bows and when i was a child, i remembered my mother always put some bows, either on my hair as a pin or on my dresses, I decided to knit a bow to put on my red dress that is made of wool, I chose red and white as it goes with the dress and I also knitted a union jack patchwork (i think that is what it's called) just because i had some more spare time after I finished the bow.


...and i always thought that I feel like a five year old trapped in a 32 years old body, I still feel like i'm a child who loves to play dressing up game with those cute little bows on my dress or on my hair, I'd like to share some of my bows collection on the dress, coat, top, shoes, hair and even on a ring that I bought when I moved to England 3 years ago and needed a new wardrobe, I just can't get enough of it...


I will be busy cleaning my kitchen from top to bottom the whole day tomorrow, i must say I dont particularly like the thought but one got to do what one got to do, right? Have a wonderful day!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Summer Wishlist

I always love shabby chic style in decoration and I always wish that I have the money to buy what I wanted just like that, but right now money is tight and my husband is the only one brought food to the table, so while I'm still looking for a job, I can dream a little dream. I wish....


(01) Shabby chic style Butler's tray that I saw on ebay.
(02) Shabby chic style plant stand, might be a good addition on my patio.
(03) Shabby chic style Wall Garden Clock (i would feel like i'm in paris!)
(04) Shabby chic style bedside clock and all of those I found on ebay but can only look and marvel on the photos for now..

Well i'll just keep this post on the "Wishlist" category, coz who knows, this summer I can be able to afford them or someone somewhere bought it for me....One can dream..can one? hehe

...I'm off to cook dinner before hubby comes home now.

Candlelit Dinner

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day, I know I did :)

Hubby came home early from work last night, it was a nice surprise although he forgot to buy me a flower which wasn't a big issue for me as he had to pick his dad from the hospital after his dad had a prostate surgery (praise God). His Dad is fine now and back to his chirpy usual self, we're going to visit him at his house later this evening and I have some valentine cookies that I baked on Friday to give him and my mother in law later :)

I settled for a box of chocolates that he gave me on Saturday which we shared last night as well as a few of my baked cookies after we had our dinner which was Singapore Laksa (prawn noodle curry) :).


We shared our food with the cat who came by as usual to our home, I will tell you more in another post about her, complete with photos, she's adorable :)


What better ways to have chocolates and cookies with tea? well it's coffee for my husband and tea for me and since this blog is about tea and I joined tea tuesday, I only took pictures of the teacup I used last night. The pink teacup and the saucer are from Handgemalt it says underneath "Leander 1946" China of Boheme, Handgemalt, 14 karats gold (which I assume for the edging). Sorry for the poor low light on the photos as we were having candlelit dinner so the light wasn't so bright :)

I thank the Lord for giving me a lovely and patience husband who cherish me and takes care of me and I thank the Lord for the lovely evening that we spent it talking, joking even singing to the song ("She" Ost of Notting Hill) that we played on the vcd player while we're having dinner, and for the stolen kisses we shared, I hope we will always be together and stay in love.

Linked to:


Sandi - Tea Time Tuesday

Lady Katherine - Tea Time Tuesday

Martha - Teacup Tuesday

Terri - Teacup Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Tuesday Tea for Two

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's finally here! the celebration of Love and romance and for me, I think those who have lived their lives for 365 days filled with love are those who deserve more to celebrate on this day, those who have shown their love unconditionally not only to loved ones but also to others be it their homes, their pets and most of all to GOD. I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day! Spread the Love stay in Love and not just on Valentine's Day.


I've done a little bit of decoration with Love theme, I made the hearts garland from felt and gingham fabrics and put them on top the mantelpiece, I made the heart shaped curtain's hanger from felt as well as the XOXO decoration and filled them with polyester fillings, I can't wait for tonite's candlelight dinner at home with my husband once he comes home from work :)


I've set the table for two and going to cook something special for him and then enjoy the chocolates and cookies while watching some romantic movies, I already picked two movies that we're going to watch together, The Lake house that we love so much and Valentine's Day.

I'm excited and I can't wait! :)

Linked to:


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Sunday Bake

I was going to bake heart cookies for valentine's day yesterday but since hubby wasn't feeling too well and there are so many house chores to do so I could only do it today, I'm still learning how to bake and cooking, my husband is usually the one who cooks and he loves cooking and he taught me how as I've never cook in my whole life before, bless him for teaching me and for the patience he's shown me. I am now can make simple cookies with the recipe book he bought it for me.

I used the ready rolled icing for the cookies as I wanted it to look neat, then decorate them with butter and cream with pink food coloring, it was fun and i made it especially for him, well i tell a lie, I made a bunch that is enough to give to his parents and his colleagues tomorrow at work on St. Valentine's day.


although he'll be working tomorrow and i dont think we'll go out anywhere, i have promised him a candle light dinner at home tomorrow once he comes back from work, I'm excited!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

No talent for painting

I know since an early age that I'm not very good in drawing, when i was still in kindergarten or in junior high school, I always painted the same picture of two mountains by drawing two triangles side by side and then a half circle in the middle as if it was the sun that was about to rise, other than that...I'm crappy in drawing other things that are more complicated.

I saw so many talented people who could draw beautiful paintings, shabby chic style and I just feel so envious that I thought to myself, let's give it another one last try, so i bought a set of cheap acrylic paint and sat on my dining room table for like..eternity and after 3 scrunched into a ball painting paper that I threw in a trash bin, I finally finished painting this pink roses. (the flowers are artificial btw) :).


I have to say I have an improvement but again, it took me hours to paint this, so i'm not sure i want to do it again and I have to tell myself to stop and accept that I just don't have the talent for it, but i do love my flower vase, it's my fave! :)

I hope everyone have a great weekend! x


Linked to:



Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special



...And check out the Valentine's day giveaway from Debbie's blog, you're gonna love the sentiment pillows she made, they're just lovely!! I would love to win it! :)

Friday, February 11, 2011

P.S. I Love you

Valentine's day is fast approaching, although it falls on monday where hubby can't take the day off and so we're going to have our candle light dinner at home once he comes home from work. I hope everyone will have a romantic and full of love Valentine's day! I can't wait to decorate the table with romance in my mind, cook a delicious food with love and have a lovey dovey conversation with my beloved :)


Anyways, I made the "Love Notes" jar from a used pickled onion bottle that I cleaned, washed and decorate it with ribbon, I made this about 2 weeks ago and asked hubby to leave love words in small notes that I already cut up from red and pink cards everyday for 14 days, red ones are his notes and pink ones are mine and we can only read the notes we left in the jar on Valentine's day, I'm excited on what he written there!

..and I made the fake Heart lollies from felts, it was a fun project and quite easy to make, Thanks for the tutorial that I found while browsing the internet from Pamela Susan, She's so crafty, do check her blog :)

I'm making more crafts right now and I will post it once i'm done and hopefully it'll be ready for valentine's day.

Linked to:

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Fake Gumball Machine

I was browsing the internet for Valentine's day ideas that are easy to make and i don't have to go out and buy the stuff to make it instead use something around the house and stuff that I already have. I made this fake gumball machine from a plant pot (upside down) and the pot's plate (for the top/cover), a small bowl which I bought a long time ago from the charity shop, ribbon and tags for decoration, I just painted them with pink and red (for the heart) paint and instead of using real gumballs, i used my mentos candy fruity flavor inside the bowl. Big thanks to Pamela Susan for the tutorial which you can click the link below. :)



Tutorial can be found here:
Pamela Susan


Linked to:

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Me, myself and Tea

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

As I was waiting for my washing machine to finish its job, I spent my waiting time to make a cup of Assam tea and took out the blueberry cheesecake from the fridge that I bought from my local bakery on weekend.


I'm also accompanied by my loyal companion, my cigarette and yes I still can't and not ready yet to quit smoking, my bad I know :) Anyways, tuesday is the 2nd day of the week where I spend most of my time alone while hubby is working and so I am sometimes feel abit lonely but I try not to dwell on it and i'd rather think about something else more enjoyable, right now I'm thinking about Valentine's day that is fast approaching and looking for ideas to make and decorate for V-day.


I love my tea cup that I'm using in the photo above, I found and bought it from ebay awhile back, the cup is from Royal Vale and the saucer is from Imperial and as for my favorite ashtray is from Old Foley, they're all made in England.


I also have a framed tea quote that I printed from the internet which I love so much, it says "When in doubt, Brew up". I do love Tea Quotes and right now in search of a book that has lots of Tea Quotes in it.

So once again, I'm having tea by myself but I'm enjoying it :)

Linked to:


Sandi - Tea Time Tuesday

Lady Katherine - Tea Time Tuesday

Martha - Teacup Tuesday

Terri - Teacup Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

The Plumed Pen - Tuesday Tea for Two

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...