When this cutie came for a visit

So the other day my cousin, her husband and this cutie came for a visit. :) 

Of course, he made a beeline for the stairs...because apparently toddlers cannot resist stairs! *winks*

We also played dress-up...he got to don his cousin's angel wings....

And played "cupid" for a few minutes (you know, just enough for me to take some photos...*LOL*)

I really wanted the photos to stand out in this layout so I went with a subtle colour palette with some pops o blue and green.

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

P/s: Happy week ahead friends!

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The one about carrying Zoe (and not making her cry)

The last time I saw my niece Zoe (my cousin's daughter) was when she was a month old...which was back in July 2017. Now you know I have a thing for babies (ahhh...that baby smell) so I was pretty excited to see her when we went to my grandma's for the annual Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Of course, my uncle said that it would be impossible for me to carry her now that she recognizes faces and would cry if I tried...(insert sad music).

But you know me...would I give up on a chance to carry a cute little baby? Nah. 

Turns out that Zoe could be "bought"! *winks* All I did was play with her for a bit...gave her her fave biscuit and then I got to hold her! (insert triumphant music)

When I saw her again the next day, she was happy to see me and gave me the sweetest smile! :) Don't you just love a gummy (no tooth yet) baby smile?? My sister E looks so sweet in the photo too! 

Now the first photo was taken at night while the second was taken the next morning in daylight on different phones...since I couldn't get the lighting in the photos to match, I went with a coloured photo and a b/w photo instead. 

Finally used this circle chipboard in my stash on a layout...have been using it as a mask for misting for 3 years! *LOL*

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

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Someone had 2 mains for dinner (Not me)!

So the other day we went to the NUSS cafe for dinner and my sister decided to order the stuffed squid. 

When it came, my sister was a little disappointed (Note: facial expression had to be re-enacted for me! Hehe...) because the portion was really pathetic.

So she ordered another main - a club sandwich. Notice the much happier expression on her face? It's because of those curly fries! Why do curly fries taste better than normal fries??? *winks*

Still working hard on demolishing the scrap pile but it's always fun to incorporate little fun bits on my layout - a little cup here, a monster there...you know. *LOL*

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

P/s: Happy weekend friends!

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My fun family...*winks*

Well, you all know that my family likes to have fun...like the other day when we were celebrating my sister's birthday. *winks*

Yep...my parents and sister are holding props. Because I made them. And the Yam family loves to have fun! *lol*

If you look closely at the cheesecake, the blueberries are not enclosed in a glaze...they were were just propped on top so that the cake looks nicer (according to mum) and we had to remove them before we could cut the cake unless we wanted the blueberries to roll off (*hahaha*).

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

P/s: Happy weekend friends!

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This cheeky kid really likes Aunt E!

So the other day, my nephew E (my cousin's kid) came over for a visit and for some strange reason, really really liked my sister E. Now you know that the Gangster Gang (my brother's kids) generally steer clear of scary Aunt E. *lol*

But this cheeky dude repeatedly opened the door to Aunt E's room to "see" her. 

Check out that happy face! :)

Kept this layout relatively simple...strips of patterned papers, buttons and washi tape in the same colour combo. Added some ink splatters for a little faux texture.

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

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Packing on the paper scraps...on a layout

Yep, it's that time of the year again..when I take stock of my patterned paper scraps, realize that this is NOT the year I finish using up my paper scraps, then proceed to pack on the paper scraps on a layout in a feeble attempt to make the scrap pile just a little bit smaller. And failing miserably of course. *LOL*

So, this is what a typical Saturday looks like at home - a home-cooked lunch by mum and making the Gangster Gang (nephews + niece) do a little monotonous work like plucking bean sprouts....while I manage QC (quality control) of course.*winks*

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The one about the free lunch

My sister is the "deal" queen. She's always discovering new value-for-money or even free deals! Last month, we enjoyed a free lunch courtesy of Yummy Bank. :)

Okay, so the view from her office is way better than the lunch. But it's free! *LOL*

Trying out a subtle colour scheme for a change....It's so hard! I soooooo wanted to add bright colours. 

I tried to compensate with gold-painted chipboard and clear bling. Did it work? *winks* 

Playing along with Stuck?! Sketches.

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Chocolate spells love in any language...

So we celebrated yet another birthday in the Yam family. Nephew #1's birthday. Notice the same banner in the photo as when we celebrated nephew #2's birthday last month? Yep, it has been up for a whole month! *hahaha*

Since chocolate spells love in any language *winks*, I went with a chocolate cake. Evidently, the right choice judging by the beaming birthday boy. :)

Of course, the first thing the Gangster Gang (aka nephews + niece) asked was, "Where are the pigs?"

That's because I had previously showed them a picture of the Pigs in Mud Kit Kat Birthday Cake. Yeah, the fave aunt kinda "underperformed" here. *hangs head in shame*

But you know me...it was no basic cake - it was a 3 layer chocolate mousse cake! The kit kats were just there to hide my lousy icing skills. Seriously, icing a cake is really hard...so I always describe my cakes as rustic-looking. *LOL*

Well, the rustic-looking cake was a hit! *high fives all around*

And I did finally get a decent shot of the Gangster Gang using the classic works-all-the-time trick...."no chocolate cake for you if I don't get a nice photo!" 

Yep, always works. With chocolate. And cheese. 

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When I asked for a "nice" photo....and got this...*LOL*

Now I love doing multi-photo layouts because I feel that they help to tell the story better. This is THE exception.

"Come on...let's take a "nice" photo together!"

Problem #!: The over-smiler.

Problem #2: One remained in the shot but across the road!

Yep. This was an outtake that needed to be scrapbooked. See what I'm dealing with when it comes to The Gangster Gang (nephews + niece)? *winks*

Currently I'm a little obsessed with using my odd-sized paper scraps to form a fun mat for my photos. 

I also try to fit as many fussy-cut elements on my layout as possible. Look Julie,  a birdie from Jillibean Soup! *hehe*

All while keeping the items as flat as possible to maximize album storage.

Playing along with Stuck? Sketches.

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