It's been ages!

Or it seems like it anyway! I so miss blogging, it's been almost 6 months since my last entry. So much has happened and i have alot to say but I guess I wont have the time to write everything so I'm gonna try and make it short.

I guess there's always a plus minus in everything just like when I started my job early december, I was excited and happy coz that means I will have extra money to buy vintage things I love, save so I can go on a holiday and/or fix my run down house but the minus sides of it is now i dont have alot of time to do what I love doing such as baking, crafting and sometimes even the house chores got to be put off hence my absence in the blogging world!

It's still abit of a shock for me as i have forgotten working full time 5 days a week from 8am to 5pm, the last time i worked as a full time was probably more than 10 years ago! Anyways, I was sick after just working a month (winter probably didnt help either) then my feet were and still are aching from alot of walking to the train station and to work/home (my only exercise i'm doing) and I haven't eaten properly as work has been manic and stressful.

I am still grateful though as I finally got a job and that our financial issue is getting better now, I am also happy that I lost abit of weight because of it although for the first few months, I can't even relax on the weekends! doing house chores etc but I think i have gotten used to it now and more organized. I can even make simple things on weekends now and still taking photos on my mobile phone which I post on instagram (that's probably the only place I update daily as i don't have to switch on the computer and just snap a pic and post it wherever I am).

The reason why I can blog now is because Im taking a week's off from work coz i have enough holiday hours accrued and another reason is that my 5th wedding anniversay is coming up on the 6th of June! I have so many things to do this week, spring cleaning isn't that exciting but someone got to do it but we're planning to have some outings and of course a romantic dinner!

Anyways, I think i have spent alot of time on the computer as the screen has started to get abit weird (I hope to buy a new laptop soon!), so I'd better switch it off and do abit of crochet before bed time. I'm sorry i still can't visit everyone's blogs but I hope to have time this week to do it and I wish everyone has a lovely weekend! x

Altering that Vintage Dress

This is my first time trying the sewing machine on clothes, it looks easy when i read or watch the tutorial online but it's not coz i'm still learning how to sew and i'm too lazy to hand sew it.

Anyways, I bought this dress in a charity shop awhile back for under £3 and thought it's cute but when i wear it, it looks so ridiculous on me, it swallows me up and the skirt is just too long, so it stayed in my wardrobe for a long time until last week as i was browsing online and found the tutorial on how to cut it and re-hem it.

I got rid off the pads on the shoulders, shortened the length of the skirt...though i was having trouble trying to iron it flat as the skirt is pleated and sew it straight is tough, the needle kept on going sideways! but anyways who would want to examine it closely? i like the result! what do you think?

I think i deserve a hot chocolate with marshmallows in it after that and i think i'll be wearing it at my friend's birthday dinner party next week :)

I still have a few clothes that i bought in charity shops that I wanted to get my hands on altering them next time.

Also Linking to:



Sweetology101

Loving These

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile now but other things seem got in the way, i dont know if any of you remember my blog entry about my attempt to make a cross stitch mural Here inspired by a talented dutch lady by the name of Eline Pellinkhof, well anyways I fell in love with her creations and that time i knew she wrote craft books but unfortunately they're in dutch language.

My sister and I are very close and we often chat via whatsapp on the phone and since she lives in Netherlands, she was telling me about this big craft show that was going to be held near to where she lives and coz i can't just fly to the Netherlands a few weeks after i just came back from my long holiday in Indonesia (i'm broke), I just told her about the book by Eline Pellinkhof that Im drooling over, she said she'll keep an eye on it if she saw it. I'm so thrilled and over the moon when a few weeks later a parcel dropped on my doorstep from my sister, she apparently has bought me not one but two books of Eline's (though they're written in dutch which i dont understand, i'm still happy that she bought me those as my birthday gifts and oh i just love flipping through the pages and see the lovely creations and beautiful photos in it). Not only she bought the two books but she also bought me the Christmas fabric from Eline too! a metre long fabrics with like 9 lovely different christmassy designs on it. (you can see the video of the pages inside the book in her website)

..and not long after, while browsing through Mollie Makes magazine last month, i was so happy to see that she finally published her book in English and i cant resist the offer of Mollie Makes magazine that if i subscribed the mags, i'll get the book for free plus a metre of eline's fabric, vintage design. Hubby seems to not mind it as long as i ticked the 6 months subscriptions, not a year's :P

I'm a happy bunny! I've been using some of the designs on the fabrics I got of Eline's and also make some creations from the book, but that's for another post. I guess Christmas comes early for me :)

Last but not least, I would like to say Thank you for my dear blogger friend Bee Happy for sending me a lovely card with little sticky note to put in the book written by her that I bought before i went for a holiday in Indonesia in July, I read her book on the airplane and i gotta say it's hilarious and very helpful if i ever want to buy/sell a house hehe.

..and thank you also for the cute matching bookmark you sent too. Until..next time..

Simple Chocolate Tart

Boy, it's been awhile since I updated my blog...I got a cold a few weeks back and i was so miserable that i wasn't in the mood to switch on my laptop that takes forever to load and can only use it for half an hour or so before the monitor screen started to play up and i had to switch it off. Thankfully i got my phone to entertain me :)

Once I got over the cold (slow progress though), i was informed by my friends that they have some vacancies in their workplace that I might be interested to apply, but of course!! so I was busy (again abit fed up with my old broken laptop) and update my CV and then saw more vacancies online for christmas jobs that i just had to apply (i could dream of buying with my own money for hubby's christmas pressies) and of course myself! :p

Anyways, between applying jobs and two interviews so far and still no news if i got a job or not, I always wanted to try and make a tart, it's from Jamie Oliver's recipe book.

The hard bit, i gotta say was making the pastry, it's gotta be a short crust one and it was my first to make it, the result wasnt as good as i expected to be, it's crumbly and kind of uneven but hubby said he loves it :P

The chocolate bits are heavenly coz i used my fave Lindt Dark Chocs, just pure heaven. I used cocoa powder and icing sugar for dusting once the chocolate has hardened abit in the fridge :)

Anyways, I miss visiting everyone's blogs and i really could do with inspirations for christmas as I just realized it's almost december! fingers crossed i got a job even if it's only temporary christmas jobs, i dont mind at all! :)

Also Linking to:



Sweetology101

Pyrex Love....

Inspired by my other lovely ladies in the blogland few years ago, I too fell in love with pyrex dishes, although my collection isn't that many and i can only managed to find a few of these pretties over the past 2 years in charity shops but i did manage to add one more cutie, rather smaller in size and plain...but i like the color and so i quickly grab it and paid it in a hurry before the rain started to fall again and walked home yesterday :p

It's plain and in blue color, kinda cute i think and i like the handle too... can't resist adding face effect on photo editor to it, just too cute! :p The below photo are my small collection of the pyrex dishes that I managed to find in different charity shops in the past two years...

...and since it's tuesday, i'm combining this entry with my tea time tuesday, the weather is just so wet and gloomy again today, im lucky enough to be given scones freshly made by my dear friend Komang and it's fruits and cheese, even hubby has had his share, seems like hubby got a cold and i feel like coming down with one too so..im just going to enjoy my tea and scones while wrapping up to keep warm and watch Black Adder. Hope everyone else is having a much more sunnier day!

Also Linking to:



Sweetology101

Surprises and a Crush..

I received a lovely parcel yesterday from Magie at TeacupsandBunting along with a lovely card from Jem at BeautifulClutter, I really am touched and so happy to receive them, Thank you!

Magie sent me a cute heart shaped cushion hanger with super cute bunting card. i love the lip gloss she gave too, the color is just perfect and the crocheted flower is so fun and bright, thank you Magie! The parcel is beautifully wrapped and i just love the doodle she made, she's just so creative.

Jem sent me a beautiful Tea Time card from Wedgwood, it's so beautiful and I'm so touched reading what she wrote to me, i really thank you so much!

As i was re-organizing my stuff, I have this bundle of scrap fabrics that are too small to use them as small projects and don't have the heart to throw them either as i might have an idea on how to use them on something which i did, I have some unused picture frame that i got from charity shop a long time ago, so I just sort of decoupage the scrap of fabrics onto the frame and layer them.

I think i like the result and it is now has its uses to display the lovely cards i got from my friends :) I feel a crush coming on and i really want to make more and perhaps use the much more smaller scraps for a different project as i still have alot more of scrap fabrics lying around...

Have a lovely weekend! x

Click...Click

Many things you can do while drinking tea, browsing a magazine for one or the internet to name a few. I also love to make things while having tea such as crochet or knitting especially when the weather is wet and gloomy like today, so as i was browsing for ideas, i found this free crochet pattern to make a cute instagram camera from Haakensmaak. I decided to try and make my own :)

for someone who loves taking pics, Instagram is a great invention and I used to envy my friends who got iphone as it was an app exclusively made for iphone users (as i cant afford buying one!) but i'm so happy when after awhile it can be used by android users too! Still...as my android phone is a cheap one and the camera is not that great, i'll have to make do for now til' i can afford a nicer one but i'm still grateful though!

Anyways, I wanted to try and make a smaller version for this crochet instagram camera as it's abit big if i use it as my digicam casing cover, I think i need to use a smaller crochet hook for next time and try to mind the tensions as i can see some stitches are tighter than the other and it's kinda crooked but overall at least now i know roughly how to make one :)

That's it for now..and I'm off to refill my tea and blog hopping :) x

Also Linking to:



Sweetology101

Paper Mache Shoes Box

While sorting old magazines and newspaper (while the weather is wet and gloomy), I had an idea of using the cath kidston's catalogues that i've been getting every month as a craft project that i saw a long time ago while browsing the internet from someone's blog (cant remember now), i found an old shoes box and use the catalogues as paper mache, i love the result :)

it took me awhile to make it as i was also trying to sort out other old magazines and being surrounded by magazines and cut up magazines can make you abit dizzy and almost gave up and just wanted to throw them all into the recycle bin!

I wanted to cover the inside of the box too but as the time was pressing that my husband was already on the way home from work and i didnt fancy him coming home into a floor covered magazine in the living room, so i just leave it as is and cleared the floor. But i like the look of every sides of the box :)

Linking to:

I Heart Cupcakes

My dear friend gave me the most delicious birthday gift, she baked me some yummy cupcakes that she put in the most cutest cupcake box i've ever seen and i just had to share it with you...

Isn't it so cute? the cupcakes tasted lovely and it's a perfect company for my tea time when the weather isn't so great though i'm taking advantage of the weather for relaxing and it's about time to start making something and be creative :p

I might pick up and do the half done projects from last years or start a new one, no idea yet but will keep you posted..

Also Linking to:



Sweetology101

Catching up...

I found a parcel at my doorstep yesterday sent by my lovely blogger friend Bee Happy, it was a lovely surprise and I wanted to thank you so much for the birthday gifts you sent.

Loving the 3 spools of cute ribbons she sent, a cute metal sign, lovely Heart shaped hanger made of fabric that she screen printed (i gotta learn that!), handmade cute keyring from ribbons and a sweet birthday card, Thank you Bee! x

I know it's kinda late but I didn't have time to take a pic and post it before i left to Indonesia but my dear friend Marianne also sent me a parcel full of pretty things for me.

I'm enjoying flipping through each page of the Tea Time Treats she sent me along with the heart shaped cookie cutters (definitely going to use it soon), a gorgeous red nail polish, lovely selection of ribbons, a sweet notebook that i brought with me to Indonesia to write little notes about my journey and floral scented soap that smells heavenly. She even wrote me a lovely letter on a paper that she designed herself...cute cherries! Thank you Marianne! x

I also won a giveaway before I went for a holiday from MellyBee, I was so happy to have won Jubilee items from her such as Jubilee greeting cards and postcards, some cute badges and lovely tea towel that she made herself. I'm so lucky!

..and last but not least, I wanted to share photos of the Jubilee swap that i sent to and received from Hannah that I joined over Faith Hope & Charity Shopping, this too..im sorry to say I took the pic from my camera phone and it's not a good camera and posted it in Instagram, so i'm sorry it's abit blurry but I would like to say thank you to Lakota for hosting the event and to Hannah for the lovely swap gifts she sent.

if you want more clearer photos, click her link on her name above to see what she has sent me, I love the jubilee bunting that she made, the pomander is a pretty addition, a Jubilee tea and.......a sedum cutting (also known as 'Ice Plant) that she grown herself in her garden which is a direct descendent of a plant which is growing in one of the Queen's gardens i'm told, complete with a note on how to care for it coz i dont have green thumbs....but Lo and behold! it's not dead yet although i left it for more than 10 weeks but it has now pink flowers on it though it doesnt look that good but i do hope I don't kill it! hehe Thank you so much! please forgive me if i killed it in near future (fingers crossed i wont!)

I'm Back!

It's been ages! felt like it anyway, not sure where to begin and how to write it but i'm gonna try and make it short. More than 10 weeks in Indonesia and I just came back a lil over a week ago,I spent every single minute of it with my family and friends, shared so much laughter and tears, endless flow of conversations 24/7 and i feel like even 10 weeks is not enough :p Lots of happenings while i was there, being picked up by my best friend at the Airport was a nice surprise, visited my dad's grave the next day and then went for a road trip as it's our family tradition that we go for a family road trip usually once every 5 years so it's long overdue for me and as usual we took Java - Bali route as we've done it a few times by car.

From Jakarta where my family lives, it took us about 24 hours drive and more than 1500km to reach Bali Island plus a 20 min ferry ride to cross from Java Island to Bali Island. Since all my nephews and nieces have grown up, this time we rented the second car a slightly larger one (3/4 mini bus ELF), total family who went? 18 people :p

Lots of Toilet trips along the way in every rest areas or petrol stations and sometimes when you really gotta go and cant find toilet? well in the bushes in the woods. I was appointed to be the navigator for the bigger car and my older brother became the driver and as for the smaller car was my eldest sister the navigator and her husband as the driver who came from Netherlands with their kids :) Thanks to GPS now that we didnt get lost too often :p I truly dont want to be the navigator next time coz when all the others were watching movies in the back or sleeping, I had to concentrate on the road and see signs and entertain the driver so my brother wont get sleepy or hungry hehe.

Lots of meal breaks too and experienced lots of lovely food from different towns/cities along the way, stayed at nice villas/bungalows, mom and aunt are in charge with the food with the help of my sisters/in law. Cook our own meals in the villa and the kids spent many nights awake playing cards and hanging out alot. I took so much pictures that the 8GB memory card in my digicam ran out of space and had to buy 2GB more. Watched sunsets every afternoon on the beach in Bali, truly heaven!

So much things to say, so many photos i've taken that I dont think it would be enough to put it into words in one page but anyways, when we came back from the road trip and had a long rest days, we attended my youngest brother's wedding and that too was a lovely family gathering, all my relatives were there and it was held in another town called Bandung so we also stayed in the villa, it was my chance too to meet my other relatives that i've never seen for ages!

so anyways, when my sister and her family had to go back to the Netherlands, it was a very sad moments, everyone was crying and then I too had to fly back to England. We don't know when we're going to have family reunion or road trip again as it's kinda sad now that everyone has grown up and have their own families and busy with their own things and I feel lonely the next day I arrived back in the UK, the house is so quiet and no midnight talks and kids' laughter while they're joking around. I'm missing them and feeling homesick already! :p

anyways, it's a long entry here, gotta say I miss blogging and i miss reading my friends' blogs and so many things i've missed! the jubilee, the olympic, my husband's parent's 50th wedding anniversary and i havent even unpack my suitcase, just finished cleaning the house that is sooo messy and I even almost missed my own birthday hahaha but got here in time and hubby cooked me a nice birthday meal, that's for another post as I've been on the laptop for quite a long time and it's still not fixed yet and I will give it a rest for an hour or so before I got online again and visiting my lovely friends' blogs one by one!