[Our Home - process 02]

So, we've finally moved in, still in the process of snagging the defects, rectifying the defects, more cleaning, decluttering and sorting out what things go where. We have not got to the fun part of decorating yet, so the following pictures are really what the bare spaces look like now... :) I think 2 weeks might not be enough to complete the space for Chinese New Year (is it only 2 weeks away!!! how time flies!)
Here's some pictures from the phone + camera:
Screenshot montage of arty pics of the house from V's phone
Walls.....
More walls....
Dining space and display shelves
Reading + Library nook


Throughout the week, the girls have also slowly adapted to living in this new house. They constantly tell us that they like it so much here.... it is so fun to watch them use the different spaces of the house. The little patio is one of their favorite place to hangout. They loved bringing their toys out to play, even when it's super hot!

Snacking on cornflakes and playing with their "girl girls".
You can see the window behind them, it leads straight to the kitchen and is a convenient hatch to replenish their food! :)

They love the playground downstairs too, these shots were taken on Sunday evening, just after their nap..
K so proud that she could manage the tall slide all by herself now!
On the see-saw



Some shots of them at new house where we had to go back to finish packing.... lots of boxes still remain for us to transport over! :P


Finally, not much time for crafting, what with all the moving and unpacking, but I managed to complete a phone cosy sometime last week and it's on it's way to the states now. :)



Lots more pictures and documenting the whole process of the house in the next few posts.... Have a good week!

[October Afternoon - Monogram Tutorial]

Remember the Wooden Monograms? Here's the tutorial on how to make them!
I've done a few more for the girl's room, will share soon.....

October Afternoon Monogram Tutorial

In the meantime, we're slowly settling into our new place. The space is pretty incredible, lots of high ceiling spaces, storage, a dedicated office and most importantly, a really good size girls' room! The little ones are so happy to be in this new space. K especially finds it hard to believe that this is going to be our house. I asked her last night about where "home" is, and she still thinks it's 'new house'! So funny. She loves the playroom, toddling over every morning the minute she opens her eyes, to look for G and to play there before her morning milk. G too, loves her space to bits, especially her little reading nooks and all her new books. We bought her a pink fairies quilt yesterday, hopefully she'll like her little surprise tonight! I'm slowly discovering my favorite spaces, there are more storage spaces to be installed, so we're not done with the unpacking yet.

A little sneak preview of the space (still in the process of putting things in their spaces, not much decorating....) -
G in her new bed... :) Complete with princess canopy..
Unpacking, destashing and putting together my new craft space
It is fun to see all my fabric stash in 1 storage location.
Putting up the mobile and some decorations in the girls' room.
Our huge (too big?) leather sofa in the living roomG and her good friend N playing petrol stations in Kindie.. :)

[Our Home - process 01]

.......*drum rolll.......* We're finally moving!!!! This weekend to be exact.... It has been long awaited and from the initial 3.5months of expected stay at New House (V's grandpa's place), it has been extended to almost half a year. The girls have adapted surprisingly well to this temporary arrangement. We were worried that they would be homesick, or feel very uprooted by all these changes. We read and researched online lots and have been helping them transition by keeping all their familiar things on hand. It helps that every weekend there is the beach or park to look forward to, and that everybody here really adores them and they have no want for attention! In fact, i think they would really miss living here at "taigong's" house, no more large spaces to run around, no more big playroom to chill out in. I'm definitely going to miss all those ready made meals and instant laundry... hee. But when we told the girls we were going to be moving into their new place this weekend, the delight in their little faces was too cute to behold! To say that they were overjoyed was an understatement. G wanted her princess bed with her princess room, K wanted her animal bed with the animals bedspread. How funny that they identify their new house with their own beds... I guess I'll be the only one missing our 1 bed family arrangement now.. lol...

So, as we transition yet again into our new place, here are some pictures which I've taken through those months of construction (the construction only started in mid-sept, so it has been pretty fast actually, completing in 3.5mths with a little bit of Xmas and New Year's delay in between)
Lots and lots of rubble from demolishing some internal walls
The entrance sidewalk with some leftover wicker chairs....
A view from the girls's room, lots and lots of storage!
Modern Loo from TOTO.... hee.... of course, part of the fun of renovation is the shopping!!! We had to do a lot of shopping - appliances, fittings, and of course, that also meant quite a lot of research at Ikea!
The girls loved the tea set at Ikea. They can play there for ages!
Tiling up the kitchen... i love how these interesting "process" photos are never really seen after everything is all nice and clean.
The main space... i think I will put together more before + after photos of this once I look through my photo archives - It is VERY different!
Choosing the right stone for the kitchen counters... :)

Okay, lots more the show in the next few posts.... but in the meantime, back to packing!!!!

While I disappear from the blogsphere to concentrate on the move, below are some of my favorite blogs / links for other peoples' homes.. enjoy!

DOS
EMMAS
Decor8
RedHouse

Till next week!

[new house]

3am.

Sigh, it's yet another late night as the days are spent running errands for the house (yes, yes, it's coming along and will be complete soon.... there's the general level of losing steam as the completion date is delayed yet again...)
As I was looking at the blog posts, I realised that there are no external pictures of "new house". So, for posterities sake, and so that the kids will be able to remember days of being at "new house", here are some pics taken over the weekend:
It was built in the early 80s, in the sort of modernist architecture that was "trendy" then. Living in this building has it's ups and downs, we love the fact that there are split level living spaces - each half level has it's own living space and accompanying green terrace, all the way up to the roof! The central stairs are the heart of the house, connecting all the different levels. However, climbing 4 flights of stairs just to get to our room sometimes can be really a drag, especially if you have lots of groceries and 2 little ones to watch over.... "don't play on the stairs!" is a constant refrain! lol..... However, we will really miss staying here, I think it has formed quite a lasting impression on the girls, the various parts of the house that is their favorites.....

We usually head out during the weekends, to the parks, library etc. This weekend, we had to start the packing (repacking) process, so decided to just walk to the neighborhood greens :
G was thrilled that she could be on the swing by herself - she is now tall enough to push off herself and strong enough to create the continuous swinging momentum. Look at that cheeky face!
K at the situp bars, she loves imitating what her sister does, G was trying out the situps just a moment ago.
After the park, we headed for a family lunch to celebrate the arrival of the youngest baby in the family... (unfortunately no baby pics.). It was fun to watch cousins interact, especially the younger ones. Here's V + K peeling the celebratory red eggs:
Both 2nd daughters, born 1.5mths apart, they are so different in temperament! V is all demure and ladylike in her behavior, and K is..... erm, not quite so ladylike... lol. V is very very soft while K is super loud! But this above pic captures the singlemindedness that is so characteristic of 2 yr olds.
K couldn't wait to finish peeling hers, she just HAD to try it first! :) hee, looking also at the above pic, you would never guess that V was eating like a pro from age 4mths, and K only started fully on solids a couple of months ago!

[Park, nap, park, nap, beach, nap, beach, nap]

Mostly what we've been doing these past looooong weekends. It's been really great! Rediscovering the parks and also visiting the beach. The weather has been really kind, windy overcast skies might not seem like the perfect summer weather, but it is great in a tropical climate where the temperatures are sweltering most days of the year!
We had a lot of fun feeding the fishies at the Botanical Gardens, and earlier today, building lots of sandcastles on the beach at Sentosa.
Looking so grownup with her hair tied up in a bun!
sweaty and yucky....


Finally completed the monograms for the girls room at our new home:

Watch out for the tutorial at the October Afternoon blog! :) I'll announce it soon as well as a little giveaway....

[Happy 2010!]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Any resolutions? I think i've stopped making new year resolutions, although as always, my most constant resolution is to stay HAPPY :)

Here's a roundup of my favorite pics from 2009 as promised:Our date nights are rare and much cherished. Especially those we can dress up for!
- Hongkong Design Awards night, Hongkong, Dec 09
Birthday drinks at Mortens, Oriental Hotel, Oct 09
G trying on V's old frames (without glass) as I pack in the background. Aug 09.
V + K all sweaty at the Children's Garden. Aug 09
Sisters. Jun 09
G skating like a pro, practising at our playspace downstairs. Mar 09
K, doing peekaboo, Feb 09
Sleeping in the sling, Jan 09
Overexposed shot of us in Hongkong Dec 09
Being silly at Hollywood Hotel, Hongkong, Dec 09
Disneyland, Dec 09
Disney Hotel, Dec 09
Disney Hotel, Dec 09
G sometime in Jun 09
Hort Park Sept 09
My birthday lunch, Oct 09
Hort Park again, Sept 09
Sentosa, Aug 09
Hort Park again...
Cheeky kids at New House, Aug 09
Baking at Auntie Karen's, Oct 09
Finally finishing the princess puzzle, Dec 09