A very productive and much needed break!

It’s been a very long time since my hubby and I have been able to take a very long leave from work. So, it was nice that the opportunity came last raya when we could finally take a much needed break from work, and what’s more, this time, we didn’t get calls from the office while on our break! LOL!

Hari Raya this year fell on a Sunday, 19th of August 2012. We did not ‘balik kampung’ to Kota Bharu nor Johor Bharu this Raya because Aiman’s UPSR was another 2 weeks time after Raya, and we did not want the hassle of getting all stressed out being stuck in a jam and coming back to get all stressed out all over again trying to get Aiman to study for his UPSR.

Since Raya this year fell on a Sunday, we got an extra day off on Tuesday. I took Friday, 17th August, off to bake cakes and another day off on Wednesday, 23rd August off, just so that we can take extra care of the house.

I think our house has lacked attention from us for a very long time. *grin*

It was a very good 6 day break for us, and also a very productive one too! Most satisfying too, I must say!

No! No! No! I did not do any crafting at all last Raya break, even though I longed to work on my Postage Quilt-a-long, but, I have no regrets on not working on my craft this break, as I managed to really sort out and organize the house and made the house really nice, even though it was done after the actual Raya day itself.

To begin with, on Friday, 17th August, I spent the morning baking. I baked a cake for my MIL, a small cake each for my hubby’s aunts, Mak Zai and Mak Jah, and some cupcakes for the neighbour a few doors down the road as what the Malays call, “sebagai pembuka kata”, since we have yet to get to know this neighbour despite both of us have been living in the same neighbourhood for the past 18 – 20 years..

I thought why not bake them cupcakes as an opening conversation so that we can get to know them better.

I spent Saturday morning the next day frosting the cakes and the cupcakes with the help of Aiman.

He was eager to help out to decorate the cake for Tok Zai. I had no hand in decorating this cake. It was all his ideas.

I think it turned out pretty nice, wouldn’t you agree?

However, by the time it was time to decorate Tok Jah’s cake, he was already out of ideas, or, shall I say, he was just getting lazy and tired? LOL!

So, I ended up decorating Mak Jah’s cake, but I took some ideas from the cake he decorated for Mak Zai’s. Not too bad either, right? LOL!

For my MIL’s cake, my son gave me the idea to make a tiered cake. I have never in my entire life of making cakes have I ever tried making a tiered a cake, but, I thought, why not!

So, I set about baking 2 cakes – one bigger than the other.

I had quite a tough time frosting the cake though, as the frosting came out too soft to pipe. I had to work real fast and I had to put the cake into the fridge several times while working on it as the frosting began to melt.

Despite the problems though, I think the cake turned out pretty well, don’t you think so, especially this being the first time that I am doing a 2 tier cake? LOL! *wink*

My inspiration came from watching Cake Boss and Fabulous Cakes on TLC. I still have a lot to learn, but, I think it’s a start. Next year, I am going to try working with fondant, God willing.

Raya day was spent visiting my MIL’s house, the two aunts, Mak Zai & Mak Jah. By the time we were done visiting the 3 houses, we were tired and decided to head home, but not before we had a very interesting discussion with Mak Zai about owning a bungalow or a semi-detached house in the near future! LOL! More on that in a later post! *wink*

The 2nd day of Raya, Monday, 20th August, hubby suggested that we visit Ikea and Ace Hardware as he wanted to get some things to organise the house.

I have always been a big fan of Ikea furniture and I always get plenty of inspiration from their sample rooms that they have on show, so, of course I jumped at the opportunity to visit Ikea! LOL!

We came home from Ikea all excited and eager to put together all the items we bought.

In fact, we spent almost the whole of the next 2 days assembling all the items we bought.

What did we buy?

Well, for one, I got this step –up stool.

Since having the knee pain, I find it very difficult and at times, very painful, to climb up the plastic stool that I always use to reach the things placed at a higher level. So this step-up stool was just perfect for knees like mine.

Aiman and hubby put this step-up stool together while I put together the 6 plastic chairs which we bought to be used together with our next item we bought from Ikea – a expandable dining table for our kitchen.

We have been using a 36” round table bought at a furniture store in Bandar Utama as our dining table in the kitchen for quite some time already. It suited the 3 of us fine. Even when I had my brother Azan who stayed with us for 4 months when he first started working, the table still suited the 4 of us. BUT, when my mum comes and stay with us on and off and when our other siblings comes for a visit, the table was no longer suitable.

Where did our formal dining table go, you might ask? Well, for now, our formal dining room has been temporarily turned into my sewing area. *grin*

So, we needed to get a dining table that could be converted into a table suitable for more guests coming to our house. What could be better than an expandable table that can be kept small on days when there are only the 3 of us, which is actually most of the time, but, when guests come a calling, ta’da, we have a table that can take up to 8 people!

Awesome, right?

The next area which went through a transformation was our courtyard.

We have an open shoe rack in our courtyard, and sometimes, or, shall I say, most times, this area can get quite messy if we get too lazy to put the shoes and slippers properly on the shoe rack.

What better way to hide all those disorganized shoes and slippers out of sight than a closed shoe rack and what better shoe rack to get than a slim shoe rack from Ikea! LOL!

So, out goes the open shoe rack, and in comes this very slim white shoe rack.

What a difference it made to the place! By adding 3 pots of flowers, yes, they are real flowers, on top of the rack, made this area look even better.

The old open shoe rack now has a new place by the pergola.

I did not want to actually throw it away, but instead I wanted to use it when we have many guests that drop by at the same time.

I made it look homely by adding potted plants on the top row of the shoe rack instead of putting shoes on it. I think it made such a difference to the area.

If the things bought from Ikea weren’t enough to get our house organised, the next day, Tuesday, 21st August, we went to Houz Depot in Kota Damansara to get more things to further organize our house.

What did we get at Houz Depot?

Wait for the next posting to find out! *wink*

Did you know.....?

....that there is an Arsenal female football team?

You don’t? Shame on you, Arsenal fans! There is, and their team logo is exactly like the original, but in pastel shades to reflect their faminity.

Heheh.......kidding, people!

I definitely don’t want to get into trouble with the Arsenal fans nor Arsenal themselves, so, I’d better apologize.

Of course there is only one Arsenal team, but, I am not to be blamed for the Arsenal Birthday Cake that I made for my nephew that did not turn out with the right colour. Blame it on the cake and baking supply shop for running out of the right red, blue and gold colouring and running out of supply of the white vegetable shortening just when I needed them most! *sulking*

Heheh.... *wink*

Sorry! Drama sikit. *grin*

Ok, but, the reality is that I really could not get the right red, blue and gold colouring and the shop did run out of supply of the white vegetable shortening which would help in getting the colours closer to the actual Arsenal logo colour.

My SIL, Eina, had initially ordered a Carrot Cake for her family as a Raya Cake. It was initially supposed to be decorated as a normal Raya cake or just plain Carrot Cake, and in my head, I was trying to plan how to decorate the cake with some sugar flowers and raya decorations when she sent me a message on FB a few days before the 1st of September, asking me if I could decorate it with something to do with football or Arsenal since her whole family is a great Arsenal fan, and since by coincidence, the day that she was to pick up the cake, it was her son, Amirul’s birthday.

Can I blame my SIL for telling me late about wanting it to be an Arsenal Cake instead of a normal Carrot Cake? Yeah! Blame it all on everyone else but myself! LOL! *wink*

Kidding, Eina!

Thank you, Eina, for entrusting in me a ‘project’ which I am sure you thought I’d deliver successfully, but which I must apologize, as I think I failed miserably in the decoration part. BUT, I assure you, the taste of the cake is GREAT! LOL! *wink*

Honestly, I thought that I could find time earlier in the week to get the things I needed, like the colouring and white vegetable shortening for the frosting, but fate has it that it was a busy week at home and at the office front.

I ended up not being able to find time to go to the usual cake and baking supply shop I frequent in Kota Damansara where I am very sure I would be able to get the right food colouring and other stuff I needed to make the cake.

Instead, when I find myself simply short of time, I had to settle to drop by a small cake and supply shop in USJ. My alternative plan or Plan B if I am not able to get the right food colouring was for me to buy a decorating set of football players and goal post, which, again, I know, in the shop in Kota Damansara, they would have.

I had plan on making a cake of a football field as an alternative. Alas, the cake supply shop in USJ did not carry the football decorating set either. :(

I did, however, managed to get a bottle each of red, blue and gold food colouring, but it was a brand that I am not familiar with, but it got me all excited anyway to do the Arsenal logo as the logo did not look too difficult to do. Alas, they did not have the white vegetable shortening.

I bought the normal yellow shortening anyway, hoping that I could whisk it until it turns white and fluffy, but while I was whisking it for some time, I remembered a baking friend telling me that over whisking the shortening could take the butter cream too soft to pipe. So, I stopped whisking it before it could turn totally white, and added in the colouring.

That’s when I realised that I am no to going to get the right colouring to match the logo as the yellow base colour of the butter cream made any food colouring added to it turn a pastel colour.

Even after I added so many drops of the red and blue food colouring, the colours remain pastel.

I wanted to call my SIL to tell her that I wouldn’t be able to make a cake with the Arsenal logo in the right colour, and to ask her if I should proceed or should I just decorate it with something else. But, it was already past midnight on the 31st of August when I got to the point when the colours simply did not turn out right. I had actually only started on decorating the cake at close to 11.30pm.

Yeah! I think I will blame my boss (kidding, Boss! *wink*) for making me start late on decorating the cake, as I had to help out at my boss at his daughter’s wedding rehearsal.

My target was to start decorating the cake after dinner at about 8.00pm. But, when one thing lead to another at the rehearsal (through no fault of his, actually), that by the time I was done at my boss’s daughter’s wedding rehearsal (I am honoured that my Boss has asked me to help out at his daughter’s wedding), I ended up arriving home only at 10.30pm (after we stopped by for dinner on the way home).

By the time I got all the things ready for me to start on the decoration, it was already close to 11.30pm.

I did not want to wake up my SIL at 12.00midnight only to tell her the not so good news. So, I decided to proceed anyway, as I think that at least I got the logo almost right, and also, if it is of any consolation, I know for sure that my Carrot Cake tastes good and almost all my nieces and nephews would swear by it that even the top most cake shop in town can’t beat it! LOL! *wink*

Right, Sarah and Kuyana? *grin*

I finally finished decorating the cake at 1.30am. The result?

An Arsenal cake for the female team! LOL! *wink*

Again, I apologize to my SIL, Eina, and to the birthday boy, Amirul, for failing to deliver the right Arsenal cake, but I hope you all will still enjoy the cake.

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, Amirul!

Next year, I think, if my SIL orders a Birthday Cake from me again (Who am I kidding? You think she will order from me again after this blunder? LOL!), I am just going to make a cake of a football field. And, this time, I think I am going to buy the things early in the year for just in case! LOL! *grin*

NNC turned 5! Part 2 – The celebration

I was up early that day, 14th April 2012. I hardly slept, in fact. I slept very late the night before, doing some last minute packing. This time, it was really last minute as I was still up at past midnight trying to finish up everything.

I actually took leave that Friday the 13th to finish up whatever that I have yet to finish. I had the whole day, and I thought that it would give me plenty of time, without having to rush, to finish up making my posting gifts, packing them all up, cook the spaghetti (the Meet was Potluck style) and still have time to work on some appliqué which I hope to be able to show off to my friends at the Meet. *grin*

But, as fate would have it, on Thursday nite, my hubby came home and told me that one of his uncles is very critically ill and that he would like to visit him who is in Johor Bahru. We had earlier planned to go on Saturday, and I had asked if we could go after the Meet. But, my FIL said that Saturday might already be too late.

So, after sending Aiman off for his school motivation camping trip at 7.00am, we headed off to Johor Bahru. However, one hour into the journey, we got a call to say that the uncle has passed away. Al-fatihah.

Since we were already on the way, we decided to proceed anyway. We wanted to at least pay our last respect to Ayah Bid, my hubby’s uncle, and to lend some support to Aunty Chah, the widow.

We thought that we could make it in time to at least pay our respect before the burial, but, for some reason, our journey that day took longer than usual. It would usually take us only 3 ½ hours, but that day, it took us 4 ½ hours. By the time we got to JB, they were already performing the prayers.

We stayed on for a while and chit chatted with the family and caught up with some cousins whom we have not met for some time. It’s odd how we only do catching up at such occasions – weddings, funerals and such. Maybe it’s time to meet up more often with friends and families to keep our ties strong.

I plead guilty for not playing my part more, as work always plays a major role in my day to day decision. I don’t know how many times that I have had to cancel my leave to spend time to Aiman at the last minute when duty calls. Even Aiman has started to complain that his Mummy and Abah is always so busy. Maybe it’s time to look back and reflect at the way we run our lives...... but, till then, it’s back to my story telling on the NNC Meet! *grin*

By the time we arrived back in KL, it was already very late. There was a bad jam going into KL from JB. There was even a point when the traffic was totally stalled. I arrived home tired but forced myself to finish up packing whatever I could.

As for the spaghetti that I promised would make, it was totally out of the question now that it was late, I was tired and I still had the packing of the gifts to do.

I smsed earlier to Mel and Margaret about it during my journey to Johor Bahru of my emergency, and luckily they assured me that there will be plenty of food. They were right! Just look at the spread of food for the day!

And just look at Mel’s lovely table setting of the awesome cupcakes! I just love them – both the cupcakes and the setting! Mel is so creative! Can I steal this idea, Mel? *wink*

This corner is the worse! I call this the sinful corner! LOL!

Just look at that chocolate fountain! I could stand in front of it all day and let the chocolate coat the fruits. Fruits are good, right? LOL! *wink*

I arrived at slightly past 9.30am with Sally and Jo who took a lift from me to Mel’s house, our Hostess for this year’s Meet.

I immediately got to work with Janet to sort out the Door Gifts.

My! The door gifts are starting to get more and more interesting and exciting by the year! Just look at the contents!

I’d better start planning for next year’s Meet now! LOL!

I made these labels to ensure that everyone gets their door gifts and so that members do not get them mixed up with someone else’s should they put them aside to enjoy the rest of the celebration.

Notice that it's got a bird theme?

Mel had some extra items to give away and they were all so awesome!

She had them laid on the table in 3 lovely decorative containers. The containers themselves containing the extra items were all so lovely, I wish I could take the containers too! LOL!

The first agenda was breakfast, and everything was so delicious.

I hardly ate most of the food though. I was still feeling tired from the long journey the day before and so had very little appetite. I was also missing my son.

I ate a lot of tit bits though – the dim sum was delicious. So were the Roti Jala and the Potato Cheese Balls. But, I spent a lot of time in front of the chocolate fountain. LOL!

I think I have this bad habit that whenever I am tired; I look for something chocolaty to eat. When I am down with a cold, I look for something hot and spicy to eat as when I have a cold, I have lost most of my sense of taste and smell, and so, spicy food usually helps me with the taste so that I have an appetite to eat.

While some of us were enjoying breakfast, we took turns to chit chat with Diane on skype from across the globe.

We also took a tour of Mel’s lovely house. I just simply love this novel idea of using a clothes hanger to hang ribbons.

Thanks, Mel, for the inspiration!

Just look at Mel’s collection of handmade bags! All so lovely!

Next on the agenda was the demo on using the Sizzix Big Shot – the first of 2 demos planned for the day.

Thanks, Vivian and Janet, for the demo. I already have a Sizzix die cutting machine, but a much smaller one, and a very old version of a die cutter, but I am just tempted to get the Big Shot after seeing the demo, especially when I read that it can also be used for doing patchwork and appliqué!

The next demo was by Zarina on how to put together the blocks for the Postage Stamp Quilt (PSQ).

We have planned a PSQ Quilt-Along (QAL) at the group to encourage members to give a try at quilting. So, this demo was just appropriate.

Just look at the lovely baby quilts made by Zarina! They are such an inspiration.

Thanks, Zarina, for the demo!

BTW, we also had a corner for selling craft related items, and Zarina brought some lovely Layer Cakes, Charm Packs and Fat Quarters. I bought a pack. I also bought some overdyed threads.

Sally sold some threads which she purchased from Superior Threads, and I bought 2.

Faizon sold some tatted pieces, while I put up my owl and cat pouches for sale. I only made one sale that day, and it was from Janet. Thanks for the support, Janet!

I will be putting up the rest for sale at my blogshop. Do drop by and make your order.

We also put up a corner to sell items contributed by members where the proceeds will go towards paying for the postage cost to send back the Anniversary Gift items and the door gifts to Diane, Shanny and Radha who joined in the Anniversary Gift Exchange and contributed towards the door gifts despite being far away.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Next on the agenda were the results for the most liked bird. But, before that, here are the birds all nicely perched on Mel’s bay window.

Aren’t they all so lovely? Aren’t all our members so creative and talented?

Sally’s origami bird has more than 500 folded pieces of paper put together.

I just love this bird sitting in the nest made by Mel. It is so cute! Wished that I had won this one too!!

Zarina made some lovely tatted birds.

See that Angry Bird? That’s the one made by Usha which I won with her Exchange Gift.

Aiman was elated that I won an Angry Bird, knowing how much he loves Angry Birds. It is now perched on his PC and he brings it to bed with him each night!

I can’t remember the rest of who made which bird, but the bird I made is the one in blue to match my Anniversary Gift.

Back to the Bird Challenge, votes were cast by members themselves, and the winner is..........Veronica! Two years in a row!

This lady is really talented, and I am envious. I wish I have the talent and TIME to come up with such a creative design.

Veronica did not make just any bird, but a bird that is actually a purse.

It has two pockets on the side which are under the wings of the bird. Really awesome, and the bird is really lovely! Congrats, Veronica!

Can I echo someone’s suggestion that you no longer be in the running for next year’s prize? LOL! *wink*

No, I wouldn’t do that. That only means limiting your creativity, and I wouldn’t want to do that. Maybe next year, we can have two prizes instead? One which will almost surely go to Veronica, and another one to the 2nd most liked creation so that we still have another winner without putting a stop or damper to Veronica’s creativity?

I’ll discuss that with Margaret. Maybe she can also let me in on what next year’s challenge will be so that I can start planning on it NOW! LOL! *wink* Psssst! Margaret! LOL! *wink*

To thank Margaret for coming up with the Bird Challenge, some members gave Margaret owls and chicks to prove a point to her that owls and chicks are birds too, as she said that she will confiscate any bird that looks anything like an owl and chicken, other than banning me from doing an embroidered bird.

Hey, Margaret, how come Zarina wasn’t banned from doing a tatted bird since she is also an expert tatter, like you banned me from using Em, my embroidery machine, since embroidering a bird would make making my bird a breeze? Not fair!  LOL! *wink*

Next on the agenda was the giving away of the Posting Prizes.

Diane won for the 1000th message posted the 31st of December 2011, and here is what I made. It’s a spectacle case.

I know Diane loves cats. I hope she will love this cat too!

I had actually made her an owl pouch, but she posted at the board a request “No more birds!” LOL!

She has had enough of birds! Who wouldn’t, after the talk on birds for months since Margaret put up the challenge? LOL! *grin*

Since Zarina and Janet stayed up with me on 31st December to try to reach the target of 1000th posting in December 2012, I decided to reward both of them.

Zarina won for posting the last message for the year at 11.59am on 31st December 2011, and Janet won the prize for posting the first message for the year 2012 at 12.02am. Congrats, Zarina and Janet!

Here are their prizes.... I made Zarina a Flip Flop Spectacle case, and I made Janet an owl pouch. Zarina too had requested no birds! LOL!

Usha won for posting the 80,000th message at the board since NNC was formed 5 years ago. I made her a pouch with her name on it as 80,000 is a big achievement for NNC! Congrats, Usha!

For Mel, to thank her for hosting this year’s Meet, I also made her a pouch with her name on it. Thanks, Mel! Big hugs!

Mel also received some lovely Hostess gifts from the other members, but I can only put up photos as I can’t recall she got what from whom.

I hope everyone like their prizes. I wanted to do more or add more to the prize, but I was short for time this time around. Maybe next time. In the mean time, keep actively posting at the board, members. More prizes will be rewarded from time to time!

We had some lucky draws for gifts contributed by Diane and Shanny, but since I did not take any photos, nor do I have record of who won, I can’t report on it. I ran out of memory space on my memory card in my camera at the time the lucky draw was done. I had to spend some time deleting some old photos, and so missed out on the event. 

But, luckily, I did not miss out on the big event, and that is the exchange of the Anniversary Gift! I managed to delete enough old photos to snap most of the photos of the much anticipated event of the Meet, though I still did missed out on some. :(

Here are photos of who got what from whom...

Janet received from Diane.

Here’s me holding up the gift Veronica made which Shanny got, and more close-up of the winning bird. I wished I was the one who got this gift!

Jo helping Zarina to open up the gift she made.

Instead of wrapping up the gift with wrapping paper, Jo had wrapped it up using fabric. Her explanation being that if she wraps up using paper, whoever gets it will just tear up the paper and throw it away. By wrapping it with fabric, Zarina gets to keep the fabric too and make use of it! Good idea!

Zarina got a lovely handmade bag from Jo.

Usha received a lovely set of stitching accessories from Radha.

I have always admired Radha’s stitching work and hope to someday be her lucky partner for the Anniversary Gift Exchange.

Mel received a lovely piece of patchwork piece from Janet which got everyone going ooohhh and aaahahhh! LOL!

I must say that it really is a lovely piece, and has inspired me to get started on my PQS piece.

Now comes one of the most coveted Anniversary Gift of all – Mel’s Anniversary Gift!

Each year, everyone would eye Mel's gift. It always comes in the biggest packaging and never fails to get everyone excited. This year was no different.

It was Sally’s turn to pick a bird, and she stood next to Mel and said allowed, I want Mel’s gift!

As if in answer to her request, she picked out the bird with the number that matches Mel’s gift!! LOL!

Come to think of it, Mel, did you hint to her which bird to pick? LOL! *wink*

Next year, I am sitting next to you! LOL! *wink*

Jo received from Sally (sorry, no photo), and Bee Ee received from Lillie.

Lillie made this very beautiful pincushion that resembles a doll’s dress.

It’s really pretty and very creative. I must ask her where she got the design or idea to make this pincushion from.

Veronica received from Vivian. Unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo of all the things she got, but you can read it all about it here at her blog.

Vivian received from me.....

.....and and this was what I made.

Like I mentioned in an earlier posting, I got the pattern from Embroidery Garden. It is a pincushion cum needlebook cum scissor holder cum thread holder, and I included a seam ripper and needle threader.

I think this owl with the spool of thread for its foot is really cute! Wouldn’t you agree? *wink*

I know that Vivian is more into cardmaking, but I still hope that Vivian will find some use for it and will still be able to enjoy using the pincushion.

For the 3rd time since we started having the anniversary Gift Exchange 5 years ago, I again got Usha’s gift. I think it has been fated that we are soul mates! LOL! *wink*

Anyway, I got another crocheted doily from Usha in the same colour that I got earlier from her, but, this time, it is bigger. Each time I get a doily from Usha, it gets bigger and bigger! LOL! *wink*

Now with 3 doilies in matching colour, I have a complete set to decorate my living room. Thanks, Usha!

I won’t be using the pot holders though. I don’t want it getting burnt after all the hard work and effort put in by Usha to make them. They are definitely going into my Craft Showcase.

I love the Angry Bird. It is just so appropriate for Aiman!

I did not manage to snap photos of the other gifts the members received when my camera ran out of memory space, but, for the record, here’s the list of who got from whom.

1. Janet received Diane

2. Shanny received from Veron

3. Radha received from Shanny

4. Zarina received from Jo

5. Lillie received from MW

6. MW received from Zarina

7. Diane received from Bee Ee

8. Usha received from Radha

9. Mel received from Janet

10. Sally received from Mel

11. Jo received from Sally

12. Nik received from Usha

13. Vivian received from Nik

14. Bee Ee received from Lillie

15. Veronica received from Vivian

After the big event was done and over with, some continued to eat whatever food that was still leftover from breakfast. Margaret, Jackie and Lillie, however, had to leave as it was Margaret’s son’s birthday that day.

It was nice of Margaret to still come despite it being her son’s big day. I really appreciate it!

Sally, Jo and I left soon after that, but we did not head straight home. Instead, we made a detour to Kelvin’s shop. I needed to get some fusible web for an appliqué project that I am currently working on. I will post on that in a later post.

I think, all in all, everyone went home happy, and I think everyone had a good time.

Thank you to everyone who came. Thank you to Margaret, Jackie, and Lillie for organising the Anniversary Exchange. Thank you to Paul for organising the food. Thank you to everyone who contributed towards the postage cost and towards the door gifts. Thank you to all who brought the food.

A huge and special thanks to Mel for opening the doors to her lovely house and hosting this year’s Anniversary Meet.

Looking forward to the next one, God willing!