I was pretty happy that I got to use the wrapping paper for my Christmas 2020 layouts. I love that they are all quite different even though I used the same 2 pieces of wrapping paper. :)
What do you think?
So February was a short but busy month. The Yams ate a lot of yummy stuff in addition to the celebratory rich Chinese Lunar New Year goodies. (At least according to me since I made them...clearly modesty is not my strong suit...*LOL*)
While I did not take pictures of every single dish I made, here are the ones I did share on IG.
Like this bowl of homemade hand-torn noodles which is a Yam family fave. The soup base is made with dried squid, onions and carrots. The noodles are made with AP flour + tapioca flour (for chewiness) + egg + water + olive oil. The noodles are served with fishballs, minced pork, an egg with a runny yolk and garnished with crispy fried garlic. Eaten with cut red chillies in soy sauce.
Next up is a minced beef fried rice with red and yellow peppers, mushrooms, Japanese cucumber and avocado served with cut red chillies and spring onions.
I like to add crunchy elements to my dish because I love the mix of textures. Yep...in art and in food. *winks*
Hello friends! This week's quick project is a decorated baby box! My cousin had her second child recently...of course the fave aunt has a gift for her latest nephew. *winks*
I started with this book box that came with a wax seal set.
I kept most of the elements flat for easy storage...but I think the box can be used to store little keepsakes of his first year of life (my cousin does not scrapbook).
Of course, I had to add a birdie or more to the mix. *LOL*
Am I becoming a minimalist? *dramatic music plays in the background*
Happy Tuesday friends! :)
Well, check out my sister's "battle gear " as she heads out in the middle of the day. *LOL*
(Sunblock, cap, scarf, sunglasses and golf umbrella)
Finally had a chance to use up a collage piece of scrap bits I put together months ago...because the weather has gotten really hot. We had a rainy January and early February but mid-February onwards, it has been extremely hot. Like 3 loads of laundry can dry in an afternoon kind of hot. (Clearly this gal has been home a LOT...hehehe)
Playing along with Stick It Down.
Happy week ahead friends!:)
This year, I'm planning to expand the variety of decorated paper bags in my stash. They are currently a mix of cutesy, pretty and eclectic (aka mish mash...*winks*). Really nothing for the dudes in my life. ;)
A super quick project to add to my decorated paper bag stash for dudes! :)
Happy weekend friends!
Has it been another week? I am still a little behind with my mixed media eye drawings but still persevering. Here is 11/100.
So this pouch came with my Sephora order today - perfect for art supplies on the go! Actually I mostly use my free makeup pouches for art supplies because cosmetics companies know how to make some good ones. They are usually made of fabric which makes them washable or a hard synthetic plastic that has structure and makes it super easy to spot the items you want once you open them...less digging for art supplies! *winks*
This one is pretty roomy too. And it has 2 side pockets inside! But the best thing about it is that it is black and washable! I have "destroyed" so many pretty pencil cases with pen leaks and coloured pencil marks.
There is one downside to using makeup pouches for art supplies though. The other day I asked the niece to go to my desk and bring me my current art supply pouch which is from the brand Urban Decay who are famous for their Naked series of makeup (for more neutral looks)...
"Sophie, can you go to my room and bring the rose gold coloured pouch which says Good Things Happen When You're Naked?"
You should have seen the look on her face. *LOL*
Happy Wednesday friends!:)
Hello friends! Here is this week's super quick card with scrap bits (which I just made in the last hour ...see my previous post for context..*winks*).
This year I'm dipping into my chipboard stash so I added a cute little one at the edge of the card. :)
For a little interest, I added a little bloom with bling. And a random fussy-cut snail. *LOL*
Hope you are having a beautiful day!
At first, I was annoyed that there were so many restrictions on what can/cannot be done. And the media wasn't helping with spates of bad news from all over the world. If there was a light at the end of the tunnel, it was so dim that I wasn't even catching a glimmer of anything.
But the moment I realized that I couldn't change what was happening in the world, I decided to focus on changing my attitude and making the best of the situation.
If I was going to cook meals for my family, I will learn new dishes and challenge myself creatively. With the change in perspective, even the weekly grocery run became a tad more interesting as I combined my love of bargain shopping with the need to feed my family nutritious food.
To cut down on buying processed food, I made lots of food from scratch. From chicken broth to pasta sauce to homemade noodles to bread and other pastries. With no daily need to commute or travel, all the time I used to spend waiting at the airport for flights and luggage could be devoted to the mastery of cooking.
Every day I look forward to the protein that my mum has taken out from the freezer for the day's meals and my mind starts to think of creative ways to make a nutritious and delicious meal. I'm not going to lie and say that it was a breeze. Because it wasn't. It would take me a long time to cut the garlic, onions and veggies.And I was spending most of my free time watching YouTube videos on how to cook certain dishes. Or there would be some home repairs to tend to and I had to learn how to use tools.
Something had to give though...I wasn't spending as much time on my scrapbooking and drawing because I was really exhausted at the end of the day. Most nights I was in bed by 9pm. Sometimes 8.45pm. Yep, even my folks can make it to 10pm. *LOL*
2020 was the first year in all my years of blogging that I had NOTHING pre-scheduled to post. Every blog post was done on the day itself. When I made a quick card for the blog post, it was probably done the hour before. Sometimes I might do 3 or 4 projects on the weekend and have something to post but the actual blog post was written on the post date.
But I picked up so many skills and learned how strong I could be - in mind and in spirit. And for that, I am grateful for 2020.
In 2021, I want to advance further in my self-growth. I started a journal on January 1st. Some people have separate journals for bullet journaling, gratitude journaling, brain-dumping and affirmations. Mine is a single journal where I can do everything in it. *winks*
In January I did daily journaling but it was such a chore that in February I decided to journal every few days instead. And I enjoy the process so much more. Of course, I have to challenge myself when it comes to journaling too. My affirmations are written with my left hand (I am right-handed) just to force my brain to focus because I have to write a lot slower.
I also started a 5 minute meditation in the mornings when I'm still in bed. Meditation is hard and right now, I just focus on my breathing for a start. Since I am an early riser, I've started to use my early mornings to do my art stuff like scrapbooking and drawing. Which is working out much better because my night time ritual is a lot more relaxing and I am sleeping.a lot better. :)
What about you? How has 2021 been for you? Are you on track with your goals?
