A Flowery Note(book)

Helloo there!
Serena popped into Bangkok some weeks ago and, at my request, scoured the maze-like aisles of Chatuchak market to bring back these, at a fraction of the price I would have to pay here!

Finally found time to play with some... and now they happily sit atop this:

I sure was glad for the crafty break I took amidst busy days at work! 

Have you let the artist in you out lately?

sheon

Precious at Four

Hi there!

Popping in with a quick layout to celebrate our precious little one turning four! 

He brings so much joy and energy to our lives with his ever-ready smile,  boundless energy and optimism - can't hug him enough haha!!

And for the record, here's some of his current favourite pastimes:

• Building 'jet planes' using Lego blocks
• Creating multiple rescue scenarios with his assortment of fire-trucks, police cars and mini Lego-men 
• Transformer figurines and all associated storylines on video
• Going for chocolate ice-cream treats with Papa
• Visiting the local library
• Hanging out with his best pals Alex and Isaac around the neighbourhood
• Going for a 'swim' in the estate's pool
• Having a sandy dig at the nearby beach
• Going for breakfast on weekends with his big brothers in tow
• Drinking orange juice
• Having mum read to him before he falls asleep every nite (my favourite too :))

Take care everyone and in the midst of your busy week, don't forget to hug your favourite people!

sheon

An Abundant Life

A colleague will be leaving us soon to pursue her studies overseas. Even though we've hardly spent time together or had conversations that extended into our personal lives, I've always felt an affinity towards her, especially since we both graduated from the same discipline. There was a sense of understanding, perhaps a connection that could have grown into friendship.

But the days at work are always passing in a whirlwind of activity, movement and often, urgency. Since we never had to work together on any projects, there was no chance to meet over coffee nor little conversational interludes when we might have just talked about ourselves. Perhaps my tendency to compartmentalise work and personal life just so that I could be efficient and objective has cost me precious opportunities to bond or build relationships with others...?

Well at least for C, I will write her some heartfelt well-wishes before she goes on her way: that wherever she goes, she may enjoy a life of abundance, one filled with friendship, laughter, warmth, peace and love.

And that's my hope for all of you as well.

Sheon

On The Road

Our family of five will be heading up north tomorrow, on a driving trip to the cooler climes of Cameron Highlands followed by some retail therapy in Kuala Lumpur. When the boys were younger, driving trips to neighbouring Malaysia were our preferred holiday style - you can carry everything (including all the peripherals needed for 2 small children) easily in the trunk, play any music you like, take rest and food stops whenver the fancy strikes and spend lots of time in close proximity bonding (and often fighting!) with your sibling, surrounded by your favourite cuddlies and blankies!

Nobody really minded where we ended up... in fact, some of the places we stayed in were simple, rustic and not necessarily filled with spectacular scenery or exciting activities. It was simply the process of journeying together and making the experience up as we went along that we enjoyed so much. Tomorrow's going to be the first road trip for our youngest - we hope it'll be a great start to a new journey together as a family... share with you the highlights soon!

Sheon

In anticipation of...Mother's Day

Hello!
Managed to get down to some card-making yesterday - here's 2 I did up for Mother's Day. It's just round the corner so time to start making some plans for the special lady in our lives!

Sheon

On The Road Scrapbook

Hi everyone!
As promised a couple of weeks ago, here's a look at some pages of the scrapbook documenting my recent trip to Macau and Hong Kong.
It was really fun putting the bits of memorabilia together, inserting photos and writing up highlights. I hadn't really thought about a theme or colour scheme this time, being my first attempt, so I guess everything looks sort of mish-mash and random but definitely precious...maybe a little like Macau, where all the unexpected and different come together, though not always in perfect balance...
In fact, this scrapbook is still a work in progress, may slot in additional photos courtesy of my travel companions and write up more thoughts as I go along... the journey remains fresh in my mind!

  

Work is moving along at a rather intense pace and will pick up even more in the next couple of months but I'm already anticipating my next trip - a family driving holiday in June :) Must get the boys involved in collecting stuff for the scrapbook I'm going to make!

Sheon

On The Road

Hello there

March is a month of busy activity for me! Even as you're reading this, I'm travelling for work in a nearby Asian country - guess where? (p.s this is a scheduled post - I've been away a couple of days now). While I was excited by the opportunity to go on this study trip with a group of like-minded (and fun-loving!) colleagues, it was also difficult leaving my family, especially the littlest one, behind. The upside though, is that my dear hubby will be joining me for a few days of R&R after my work is done :)

I really want to make the most of this journey, given that I'm rarely away from home without my children for so long. Not only in terms of what I'll learn professionally, but also by taking in fully the sights, sounds and people that I'll come into contact with. As the inspiring Ali Edwards says in her online class, travelling is really about sensitising oneself to the experience and perhaps, learning some things about myself along the way... 

So I made this in a bit of a dash (hence the hasty photos) - a scrapbook-to-go, a little receptacle for journalling and collecting bits of memorabilia as I go through each day. 

 

Hope to share with you the completed version sometime soon! 

If you're heading off for a little break yourself, why not put together a book and see where it takes you?

Sheon

Heart to Heart Part 2

Here's 3 quick mini cards I did yesterday using my favourite heart-pins.
For sending love, friendship or simply to brighten up someone's day.

"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart."

~Helen Keller~

Sheon

Photobook: Heart to Heart

Hello there!
It's been raining this ENTIRE Saturday in usually sunny Singapore! Must be a spillover of the floods plaguing our friends in Jakarta, Indonesia. Certainly not the best time to be shopping along Orchard Road (prone to floods too!)
But the cool weather sure makes for a perfect day to finish up a crafting project and chill out on the couch with a warm cup of tea (confession: I dozed off for a good 20 minutes :)

Here's a look at what I customised for A, a photobook gift for her boyfriend.
I left the inside pages mostly blank so she can insert photos of their special moments or pen down her thoughts. The cover and pages are held together by ribbon ties so more pages can be easily added.

Sweet? Found your inspiration for Valentine Day's yet?
Drop me a line soon if you want something done up in time for a loved one or a dear friend.
Have a good week ahead!

Sheon

Christmas Greetings

Just 3 days to Christmas! I've finally mananged to finish this customised order from a good friend - 2 notebooks and 5 photoframes. So thankful for her generosity and the opportunity to do some serious crafting amidst spending time with family and friends.

Have a blessed Christmas my dear friends. Catch you in 2013!

Sheon

Christmas Gifting II

Trying to finish up some Christmas orders today, in between spending time with boys in the park, doing some shopping at the mall..., whew another whirlwind of a day!
Here's more customised journals, a set of 'his' and 'hers', for a mummy who wants to record special moments for her son and daughter - nametags will be stuck on later :)
As you can tell, I ran out of crafting time in the day, so had to take the last photo at my desk right after I completed the journal at 10pm... not the best lighting I'm sorry!

Heading off for a family vacation soon, hoping to check out some local markets (and stock up on crafty supplies maybe?) when I'm there...

Enjoy December... catch you soon!

Sheon

Christmas Gifting

Hello everyone! Put up the Christmas tree yet? I haven't dug our trusty tree (umm...it's 14 years old gasp!) out from the depths of the storeroom yet.
I'm thinking, what a luxury it would be to get a real tree this year, just like my friends who are living in the States... but in sunny (now also rainy) Singapore, not sure this is a good idea. Maybe I'll settle for some new trimmings - should I go with a blue and silver theme this year??

As for what goes under the tree, well, that's the fun part of course.
Customised this journal for a friend - she's going to give it to a mother who wants to record her prayers and blessings for her young daughter so that the girl can read it when she's older. What a lovely idea (and a priceless gift for the child don't you think?) - want to start one for each of my boys too!

If you're looking for some specially handmade items this Christmas for the special people in your life, don't hesitate to drop us a line anytime!

Sheon

Thankfulness

The weather is changing lately, work is winding down at the office, the children have finished their final exams and school is almost up. 

The year is all too quickly drawing to a close again. It's been a long, often exhausting and mind-numbing 10 months for me - my first year back at full time work after my youngest was born 3 years ago. 

It took all my energy just to keep moving through different responsibilities everyday. At times I went through the motions mechanically (or lethargically? ) or was possibly curt or thoughtless to those who worked with me. Yet, it was their help, support or counsel that smoothed things over in difficult or stressful moments.

Made these quick thank you cards (or tags?) for my colleagues - they'll be sitting atop packs of delicious choc chip cookies that Serena has so kindly agreed to bake - early Christmas gifts before we all go off for a much needed break :)
Are there some people in your life that you couldn't have done without this year? Perhaps your co-workers, friends, neighbours.... people who form part of your everyday, going about their routines quietly but bringing ease or comfort without you even realising it...

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” 

                                                                                             - Thornton Wilder -
Sheon

Motivational Tags

I spent the past week making these - motivational tags for a group of young people who are facing an important challenge in a month's time - their university entrance examinations. 

I was inspired by Sasha's lovely badges - don't you think they're cool? Do check out her quirky blog and etsy shop! She has many lovely designs and they worked perfectly as 'toppings' for my tags! What's more, they can be removed and repinned onto pencil cases, or  even used as collar pins :)  

My stash of cardstock, washi tapes and ribbons came in handy too!

Sheon

Happy Teachers' Day

Schools in Singapore celebrated Teachers' Day yesterday, on the last day of school before the one-week term break. It was a good opportunity for our children to show their appreciation to their teachers for all the care they'd shown throughout the year.

I was hardly the effusively appreciative student – the kind who would shower my teachers with flowers, chocolates or even better, a big stuffed toy on Teachers’ Day to express my gratitude for all they had done. Being a highly self-conscious child and teen, doing that would mean drawing far too much attention to myself. What’s worse, it would likely require extended conversation with the teacher-recipient of my gift! And how tongue-tied I would be then! No… I preferred to remain unobtrusively in the corner, sharing in a collective class present and simply signing my name on the card the class rep provided.

Today's post is an opportunity for me to pay tribute to my teachers, especially those who brightened up my path during my formative years, even though they may never know the difference they made to the quiet girl in the corner.

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Mrs Pereira was a wonderfully collected woman, slightly plump and always immaculately coiffed…

She remained unfazed when a classmate peed on the floor in the first few days of Primary One (First Grade). Speaking in impeccable English, she would usher us firmly into our lines or through the routines of teeth-brushing, colouring or the completion of simple worksheets (did we even do any? My memory fails me here!). Her steadiness and motherly nature made me look forward to schooldays and the assuredness of order that came with it.

Miss Tok had a commanding presence that made every student desire nothing less than her approval…

With her lips tightly drawn into a thin line, her back ramrod straight, she demanded nothing but perfection from us during our PSLE (Sixth Grade - Primary School Leaving Examination) year. Failure to answer a question correctly would most certainly mean a change of seat – relegation to the back rows of the classroom, a place I associated with hopelessness and stagnation. Wanting to avoid that fate rallied me to work harder than I’d ever done. For all the discipline she enforced, Miss Tok had a heart of gold – she never scolded, only insisted. During music lessons, she accompanied us on the piano. Firmly and patiently she coaxed beautiful songs from the class by working her magic over the keys, without ever singing a single note!

Mrs Choo instilled in me a love for clarity, method and meticulousness…

The way she solved each Math problem on the blackboard, writing down the steps ever so neatly and systematically almost made me sigh with relief and gratitude. Mrs Choo spoke in slightly Chinese-accented English, using modulated tones barely louder than conversational, never agitated but always certain and purposeful. Listening to her explanations gave me the confidence I never found before (and unfortunately, would never find again, after I left her class) to excel at a subject that sorely revealed my academic limitations.

Mrs Oei, my English Literature Form Mistress, showed me the richness of life through her beautiful use of the English Language…

A larger than life personality who did not hesitate to fling sub-standard work out of the second floor windows of our airy classroom with a dramatic toss accompanied by a loud dismissive shout, Mrs Oei both terrified and inspired me. Every line of text and every analysis made of character or plot was done in her signature manner, with passion and exuberance reverberating through the room. I filled up the blank spaces in my Literature textbooks with her comments or descriptions ad verbatim, reveling in how her every turn of phrase captured so vividly and precisely the intensity of seemingly ordinary human experiences. Though I never once uttered a comment or asked a question in class, my beloved Literature teacher’s rhetoric threw open doors to experiences I had never known and depicted a range of emotions I could only marvel at. Little did I guess then that those awe-struck lessons were preparing me for the vocation I would eventually pursue.

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Thank you teachers for all you've done! 

And to all my teacher-friends, here's my favourite quote:

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.

Sydney J. Harris

Sheon

A Perfect Moment

Today my youngest turns 3! It was certainly a perfect moment 3 years ago when I first set eyes on him. Many more special moments followed - his first smile, first words, first tooth. On this "big day", there isn't a fancy birthday party, themed birthday cake nor hordes of children or friends celebrating with us in style. But simply being together as a family, holding my son close and watching him play with his favourite toy makes this a perfect day.

Scrappers find our craft so meaningful because it is all about documenting our special experiences - with family, friends or ourselves at a defining time in our lives. As part of our memory keeping, we take photographs of ourselves, our children, the places we visit and use these in our layouts and holiday albums. That was such a wonderful holiday, we say... or... look at how much our children have grown... As we scrap we hold on to those perfect moments, just for a little longer. We want to continue enjoying the precious memories (and record them for our loved ones to share) ... when we knew he was the one, when we walked down the aisle, when we held our first born in our arms, when time stood still in a beautiful city...

To many of us, though, these moments seem few and far in between... Till the next birthday party, the next holiday... when we drive our dream car, move into that dream house, when our children graduate from college or marry... we doggedly go through the motions of the everyday, waiting for and working towards the next moment of perfect happiness, perhaps defined by some grand achievement or monumental gain.

In his memoir Chasing Daylight, Eugene O'Kelly, faced with his imminent death, gained a deep appreciation for  every little experience. He realised that a perfect moment was "a little gift of a moment or an hour or an afternoon. Its actual length was never the issue. The key was that you had to be open to a Perfect Moment." 

The next time your child grabs your hand, a cool breeze blows on a sweltering afternoon, you take the first sip of coffee on a sleepy morning or... see a friend walking towards you in the distance  - remember to take a deep breath and revel in that perfect moment.

Sheon

Nest(ing)

Nest: a place offering snug refuge or lodging; a home

Nesting: to create and settle into a warm and secure refuge

The weekend is here! 

I've been blessed with quite a lovely half day of 'nesting' - casting off the busyness of the work week with a relaxing morning run, a long dip in the pool with my youngest, a simple roadside lunch with the husband and... a much needed crafting session!

Should be getting started on dinner soon - the boys are expecting mum's homecooked meal tonight. I'll be trying out seafood spaghetti, together with some baby potatoes roasted in butter and topped with bacon bits - a dish that never fails to please :)

Hope you're 'nesting' nicely too!

Sheon

Live full the life you have imagined

This week, I had the pleasure of filling a customised card order - a retirement gift.
While retirement may mean the end of a long and fulfilling career, it is also the beginning of a new way of life, and along with this, there are many potentially exciting discoveries waiting to be made.
Many previously postponed trips or activities that were deemed to be too time-consuming can at last be undertaken; one can spend long stretches of time with old friends and loved ones without being bound by the constraints of a workday.

Perhaps in a way the card's sentiment is also a reflection of how our busyness at work (or is it our mindset?) stops us from living the life we envision? When we are busy meeting our responsibilities at work, home or school, how close are we to living the life we aspire for ourselves?
Do we feel constrained by what we spend a big part of our day doing and using the lack of time or energy as excuses, put our hobbies, relationships and passions on the backburner?
Maybe when work winds down, when we save enough money to leave the job or... when we retire? Then there'll be opportunities to do what we've always wanted - pick up that hobby, climb the mountain, travel round the world...

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project suggests that when a person is truly passionate about his work, he will gladly spend not just his actual working hours, but also his moments of leisure thinking about it or pursuing activities related to it. How many of us truly experience this luxurious state? Instead, do we spend a large part of our lives working at a job that no longer excites us but are too scared to move on because of the financial security it offers?

Some, like this couple, Betsy and Warren, have transformed their lives to pursue their passion of travel while others, like Courtney, is a 'retiree' from the corporate world who advocates living a life of minimalism filled definite purpose.

Whatever your approach (or your job), let us start living the way we imagine today and not wait till tomorrow, next year or till the day of retirement.

Sheon

Taking the longer route

Have you ever gotten off at the wrong stop, taken a wrong turn or perhaps misread directions, only to end up far away from your intended destination? Are you unsettled at moments like these? I usually am and often want nothing more than to retrace my steps or stop to check the map. If I'm too far off from where I wanted to explore in the first place, it's likely I'll abandon the plan, retrace my steps and take the safe route back to the starting point or to civilisation.

My husband and I took a ferry to Lamma Island, HongKong over the weekend, in search of the famed beancurd dessert and fresh seafood. It wasn't long before we discovered that in order to get to the recommended seafood stretch on Sok Ku Wan, we had to trek a good hour and a half from our landing point to the other side of the island. On top of that, it was raining.

Oh dear, we should have checked the ferry dropoff point more carefully before boarding I said, upset that we had rushed up without verifying which side of the island it was headed. 

Walk so far in the rain, without proper shoes, no umbrella or ponchos... not a good idea, I thought, especially when I saw how prepared the locals were - armed for the outing with their brollies, towels and hiking shoes. Let's turn back, settle for the seafood restaurant near the pier (the only one with any customers actually, due to the lack of choice) so we can head back to the mainland in good time. 

Who knows, the choices may be pretty much the same on the other side of the island and we'll be disappointed at having wasted time and effort.

But never one to balk at a challenge, hubby won me over with his enthusiasm. 

We made a good trek of it (also a much needed exercise session for me!), all the way round to the other side of the island, trudging uphill (in the rain) at several points! 

A little unplanned hike, a small step into the unknown but certainly a powerful reminder for me - that not everything in life can (or even should) be planned and executed accordingly. 

It may be a good thing to detour sometimes, to take a risk instead of retreating to the familiar, comfortable or convenient when faced with choices... 

what's more, mistakes can give us great experiences we may otherwise miss!

Who knows what one might discover at the end of the road...
Well in our case, there was an entire street of seafood restaurants with mouthwatering fare for us to choose from :)

Have you been doing much travelling this month with your family and loved ones? 

We take such care to plan and record these journeys, don't we? 

Often we also spare no expense in our efforts to make sure that everyone on the trip has the most unforgettable and complete experience. 

But surely life's multitude of journeys needs more than a map, money and forward-planning? 

With a constantly evolving itinerary, it takes courage to embrace new paths as they open before us. 

Let's keep a grateful heart when faced with detours, and... remember to smile and take the hand of the person next to you when walking uphill in the rain!

Don't forget, Serena and I will be waiting for you with some of our handmade goodies, (above: sneak peek of my altered notebooks) tomorrow (Sunday 17th June) at Rochester Mall, 12 noon to 6pm! Do drop by and say hi to us!

Sheon