What we did on Christmas Day.......

We had hoped that Santa *wink* would drop by and give us a bungalow, LOL!, but since he didn’t, we have given up waiting *grin* and thought that it’s time we do something about our never ending closet space problem.

We decided that we would redo our built-in closet to create more closet space. That way, I can bring all my clothes currently in Aiman’s room into our room, thus giving him back his closet and his bedroom!

It’s time he has his own room. It is long overdue, we know. We, I think mostly I, have been putting it off for many reasons, which I don’t think I need to disclose here in detail as sometimes it gives me goose bumps just hearing some of the gory stories (I still get goose bumps when I remember the incident where our house got broken into some 8 years ago!). May God protect us all, insyaAllah.

So, on Christmas Day, we spent the day spring cleaning, all in preparation for a minor renovation to be done in the master bedroom.

First, we had to empty out our entire present built-in closet to make way for newer and hopefully more spacious, built-ins.

We've had these built-ins for at least 10 years already. It was quite sad to have to tear it down, but it has got to be done. Unfortunately, I can’t have my cake and eat it too. :(

Today the contractor came to pull down the present built-ins. Here’s what’s left of the built-ins.

All gone! Now you see it!

Now you don’t!

We have moved everything out of our bedroom already, and almost everything is in the living room.

My hubby commented that first we lost the dining room which I have taken over and made it into a sewing area! LOL! Now we have lost the use of our living room when we brought down everything from our bedroom to the living room! LOL! Definitely we won’t be having any guests until the renovation is completed! LOL!

Currently we are using my mum’s bedroom to sleep in. We can’t have Aiman sleep in his room either as that room too will be undergoing some minor renovations. We hope to put in an air-conditioner in the room and a water heater in the bathroom. I also hope to repaint the room once those works are done with.

We will be doing a lot of re-wiring too to the room as the positions of the socket and lighting points needs to be realigned with the position of our new built-ins.

I am feeling excited, but nervous and anxious too as we will be living like nomads most probably for the next one month, as the built-ins can only come in 2 weeks after the last job is done and there is a lot of work to be done - the ceiling needs to be repaired, the wiring on the walls rewired, and the floor redone as all the parquet pieces are coming off.

I will be putting up progress photos as the renovation gets underway. Check back soon!

Etsy Market at Jaya One

Tini had set up a stall recently to sell her lovely handmade and craft items at the Etsy Craft Market together with another friend on 27th November 2010 at Jaya One.

In support of her business, I made a trip there with my hubby and son in tow after attending a friend’s son’s wedding in the afternoon.

If not for Tini opening up a stall at Jaya One, I would never have known such a place exist! LOL! I originally thought it was Jaya 33 which I came across when I was visiting my SIL staying in the same area. I got to Jaya 33, but when I realised it wasn’t the one Tini said she was setting up stall, I had to call her to confirm and get directions to Jaya One.

I got to Tini’s stall only to miss meeting up with Jo who was there to lend support to Tini too.

Paul was also there, but I missed him too. By the time I got there, Paul had left for Summit USJ to check out the Popular Bookshop sale that was going on at about the same time.

Tini’s stall was laden with many lovely crafts , kids ‘clothes, and fabrics.

If I hadn’t spent so much at Epal at its recent road show, I would probably have bought a couple of cotton fabrics. But guilt prevented me from spending any more on cottons! LOL!

I checked out some of the other stalls, and was so smitten by this stall selling stuffed owls.

They have it in two sizes – the smaller one was going for RM20.00 and the big one which is big enough to be a pillow, for RM60.00.

If the big one had been priced at RM45.00, I would have grabbed it at first sight. But, I thought RM60.00 was a little on the high side, despite my wanting to lend support to the craft business. Even though RM20.00 was also considered expensive, but I just had to have it! LOL! I took one in, what else, PINK! LOL!

Cute and sweet, don’t you think so? *wink*

I also bought a dozen of cotton threads from Tini to use for my bags. I just love the colours!

I did not manage to snap that many photos as it started to rain while I was going around checking out the stalls as the market was held outdoors.

But, here are some of the photos I downloaded from the Etsy Face Book page put up by one of the members at Etsy Malaysia Local Team. I hope they don't mind.

I wanted to buy some of these packet of ribbons, but I wanted to buy it after making my rounds first.

When it started raining, I rushed to Starbucks to meet up my son and hubby who was waiting, and ended up forgetting at about buying them. *sigh*

Aren't all these bags lovely?

I hope to visit more of these craft markets and maybe someday join one too to sell my bags, insyaAllah, God willing!

Broken and damaged!

I just came back from Penang yesterday, 21st December 2010. I was there since Monday for work. I came back with a bag that was tampered with and the padlocks broken. :(

I only found out about it after I had left the airport and stopped at McD to get dinner along the highway. Luckily nothing is missing.

I travel Business Class, and so I thought that at least extra precaution would be taken to safe-guard the bag. I thought wrong. Maybe BECAUSE it has a Golden Club Class sticker that it became a target thinking that probably something valuable could have been stashed inside the bag.

The padlock is too small to create such damage to the zipper holder as it is a Polo bag - the holders are very strong. I believe that someone had actually used a crow bar to cut the zipper holder because I remember very well padlocking the 2 zippers together.

This bag has 3 compartments. They broke 2 of the padlocks. This is the other compartment.

I think they had a key which fitted into this padlock and so opened the padlock, but locked it again after opening the zipper. I remember very well too padlocking the 2 zippers together and checking it over and over again to make sure that they were secure. Yet, when I realised my bag was damaged and upon further inspection, found out that the second compartment has also been tampered with.

If not for the security sticker across the zipper, I am sure that they would have tampered or broken the center compartment too.

I am going to travel again tomorrow. If before this I think the stickers are a nuisance as it sometimes gets stuck in the zipper teeth, this time I think I am going to request that the security put a security sticker across all 3 compartments.

My mum believes that since the security sticker can be easily removed, there is no assurance that the center compartment too has not been tampered with. The security check sticker looks intact. But, then again, they could have replaced it.

I certainly won't be putting anything valuable inside the bag. I usually don’t, but now I will have to be even more extra careful.

I travel so often that I always have my bag all ready packed with the usual stuff – pajamas, telekung, make-up bags, toiletries and clothes to wear for the next day (which, of course, I change for each trip. LOL!) .

The bag is always ready to go (except to change the clothes) that I sometimes I forget what else’s is inside the bag apart from the usual. I usually even avoid putting my costumes jewelleries inside the bag.

*sigh* I guess I will just have to be even more extra careful and make sure that nothing valuable is put inside the bag.

A short break to Seremban

While some of my other friends are going off on holiday to China, India, London, Bandung etc, I only have the time to take a short break to bring my son for a quick break to......SEREMBAN! LOL!

My hubby was attending a workshop at Klana Resort Hotel from the 13th to the 14th of December, 2010, but I could get away from the office on the 13th of December. So, after work, I picked up my son from my MIL’s house and we made our way to Seremban.

What would have normally been a 45 minutes journey turned out to be a 2 hour journey when I got caught in a bad jam and heavy downpour that started almost as soon as I started my journey.

As I have trouble driving at night, I could not drive fast enough and so was driving at a snail’s pace of 80km/hour. When I got to Seremban, it was already close to 8.00pm.

I schooled in Seremban (Kolej Tunku Kurshiah) but, it being dark, and with my bad sense of direction (LOL!), if not for the GPS, I think I would have had a hard time locating the hotel.

But, thank God for the GPS, I managed to find it quite easily, and arrived at the hotel at about 8.30pm, 2 hours after staring out at 6.30pm from my MIL’s house! I felt like I was driving to Melaka instead of Seremban! LOL!

As my hubby was already late for his evening workshop, he quickly got us settled into the room and left my son and I in the room to rest. After a good refreshing shower, we settled down to a room service dinner of Fish and Chips and Cantonese Fried Kuay Teow and Bee Hoon.

I don’t know if it was because we were really hungry or that the food was actually good, but we cleared the plate really fast! LOL!

I think it’s a little of both! *grin*

The next day, while my hubby was cracking his head coming up with resolutions for the workshop, my son had a great time in this HUGE pool.

I took the opportunity to go online to clear some emails and took a relaxing time browsing some craft blogs and websites.

I did some work too when I got a couple of calls from the office. Yeah! I am still working despite taking leave as I am short staffed but work as to go on. I don’t mind doing work away from the office despite being on leave for as long as I am not forced to go back to the office, especially not when I had driven for two hours to get to Seremban! LOL!

We drove back to KL at about 3.00pm after making a stopover for lunch at A & W Seremban, a place I use to frequent during my school days before we would board the bus back to school on weekends on our day out.

A short break, but none the less, it was good to get some break time. I think I might more of these short breaks to release the stress at work which sometimes can get to ridiculous levels. And, who was it that said that working with the government is relaxing? I think he/she must be working in a different part of the continent or, have been dealing with people from the wrong department! LOL! *grin*

A Giveaway at vEr0n!c@'s Stitching Vault!

A stitching friend, Veronica, is having a giveaway at her blog. She's offering this lovely Camille, Paul Et Myrtille Draw String Pouches up for grabs.

Aren't they lovely?

If you want to try your luck at winning one of these pouches, check out her blog at http://veronicaoyh.blogspot.com/

I know I am! Here's wishing myself a HUGE Good Luck!

NNC December Stitching Bee

We had the last Stitching Bee for the year on the 4th of December at our usual place in Bangsar Village II.

I arrived early that day with my son in tow as his class doesn’t start until 10.30am. We were at Starbucks at 10.10am, after dropping by the newly opened Borders for a short while as my son wanted to get a Max Attack card for his collection.

Faizon arrived soon after that and as I was ordering the drinks, Anna arrived. Faizon did not waste any time and immediately took out her tatting box to work on. She also brought along the Needlebook which she received from Diane for the NNC 3rd Anniversary Exchange.

Margaret had asked her to bring it along as she wanted to take a closer look at the lovely piece. It is indeed a lovely piece!

I left to send Aiman for his Art Class at 10.30am, and when I got back to Starbucks, June was already deeply concentrating on the instructions Faizon was giving on tatting.

Janet , Margaret and Jackie too had arrived.

Veronica arrived soon after that all eager to learn tatting too from Faizon. Faizon was more than happy to teach.

She (Faizon) even brought along a great book on tatting which she had authored specially for those beginners wanting to learn tatting.

You can see part of the book here shown with the collection of scissors Veronica won in a bid at eBay. Such lovely scissors, I want one too!

Seen here are LHN’s House of A Needleworker pieces by Margaret and Janet in the recently completed Sisterhood Stitching which Margaret had organised.

I just love this piece by LHN and had actually put up my name for the Sisterhood Stitching but I had to back out when the stitching started as at that time I was going through a big crisis at the office and could not concentrate enough to spend time stitching. I hope to one day stitch this piece.

There was another demo going on at the other end of the table when June completed her tatting lessons with Faizon. She moved to the other end of the table to teach Margaret’s daughter to knit. You are a student in one instant and a teacher in another instant. LOL!

Zarina brought along her box of lovely HDTs.

Seen here is Faizon making her choices. I bet if I were buying any, I’ll end up buying the whole box as the colours were all so yummy! LOL!

Note too the lovely tatted lace at the edge of Faizon's tudung (headscarf).

I brought along a sample piece from the May 2010 issue of Cross Stitcher to work on. It’s been a very long time since I last stitched, but was excited to work on it again after putting it aside since the trip to Ipoh in July.

I just gotta have (like as if I don't have enough books on bags already! LOL!) this book of bags by Amy Butler which Jackie brought to show us!

I was impressed with Jackie’s mini quilt piece and if I was not so crazy on making bags, I would have wanted to do one mini quilt just like that one! LOL!

Jo showed us a lovely box piece she was working on.

I was in awe of this lovely etui Margaret brought to show us which she did at a class at Kelvin's some time back.

Oohh! I love both Jo’s lovely box and Margaret’s very sweet etui! If only I have a lot of time to do all that I want to do, but yet still able to go to work as usual! LOL!

Here is Margaret with a pincushion I made for her birthday. I meant to mail it out in August when it was her birthday but never got around to it. *blush!*

Paul arrived at about noon and immediately started working on some granny squares in between having breakfast.

Mel arrived too at about the same time, but she could not stay long enough to work on anything as she had to go back to take care of Nigel who had sprained his ankle. Poor boy. I do hope Nigel recovers from the sprained ankle quickly so that he can go about doing all the things and activities that he loves to do.

Alynn arrived at about the same time too but did not stay long either when her son suddenly came down with fever and threw up just as they arrived. It was a pity. I hope her son is feeling better today.

Here is Anna showing of her lovely granny square bag which Jo had helped to sew in the lining for the bag.

Soon after I picked up Aiman from his Art Class, everyone decided to adjourn for lunch. Initially I, Anna, Veronica and Jo wanted to just wait at Starbucks until Margaret, Jackie, Paul, June, Zarina and Janet came back from lunch as we wanted to discuss our activities for next year. But when Faizon left, all four of us decided to join the 5 of them for lunch at Chawan.

As the tables were small, we had to squeeze ourselves in between! LOL!

Aiman was obviously oblivious to what was happening around him for as long a she gets to play his PSP! LOL!

We must be all hungry! Just look at how engrossed we all were when the food came! LOL!

As usual, I had a great time at the Bee! I hope so did everyone else. 

Anyway, thanks, everyone, for coming to the Bee! It was great seeing everyone again, and seeing all the lovely pieces that you all have been working on.

Thanks to Faizon for the tatting lessons and to June for the knitting lessons.

The next Bee will be the Anniversary Meet in March as from now until February; everyone will be busy with Christmas, the opening of the new school year, and the Chinese New Year.

Keep your March diaries free! See you all then! Take care and keep posting at the board. More posting prizes will be given away!