[Katie's 2!]

With Facebook and Flickr accounts, it is difficult to keep track of photos that I've already posted and those that I haven't. :) Realised I have not posted the pics of K's birthday over here, so here they are!
Looking at a handmade card from her sister...
G's drawing of a princess
look at those faces! :) They love opening pressies...
Wonderful twirly skirts that i bought from HERE...G printed this out from the computer and wrote the words herself :)
Playing with new pressies!
She loved her skirt!
G and my mum, G absolutely loves her popo...
K flouncing around, i think G was upset because she didn't want to twirl with her...
Happy again, my parents with the girls :)
Getting winchy....
Finally! K and her own selection - Barney and friends cake...

Family photo.G, looking super grownup for a 4.5 yrold.
K, no longer a baby at 2, but since she's still so chubby and small, I'm allowed to pretend she's still a baby!

[Talking Thursdays]

Back to the regular schedule of Talking Thursdays! (on a late saturday.. but better late than never! heehee) :)
I've been inundated with work lately and it didn't help that both the girls and me fell sick! So it was literally a whole week of sleepless nights over here. Anyways, this didn't stop me from starting to think about how to create a nice interior space for the new place. The problem i feel with architects is that we tend to think much more about the configuration of spaces - ie. where the walls should be placed, which spaces overlook each other, what should the overall flow through the spaces be like etc. We seldom ponder very much over what sort of furnitures to purchase, what should the soft finishes be, what sort of decorative lights look better in the space. Of course, with our own home, we are our own clients and have to look into all these things too. Which is very fun, as a lot of it is to do what we love best - shopping! hee......
So, here's what's top on my list of items to purchase (or already purchased)
Some Simple Furniture - especially the clothes trees (which has also a junior version!)

Cute Wallpaper - anybody going to the UK soon?
Ikea's new PS collection ..... especially this wonderful side table!!
Been also dreaming of the perfect sofa, you know, the type that is nice and comfortable enough to fully stretch out and lounge in, yet looks totally presentable and pristine in a more formal setting.... I'm in love with leather sofas, but I really doubt it will be super comfortable to lie in on a hot humid tropical afternoon! (thinking of wet sticky patches... eeeks)
But, if i could, this is what i would get (or something similar):
image via emmas designblogg

sigh.... so many things on my wishlist! Luckily I've already bought all the essentials - sanitary fittings; kitchen equipment etc... hee....

[Happy Birthday K!]

Dearest K,
You are the happiest little baby that we have been so blessed to have! Before you were born, we worry that it will be difficult to cope with 2 girls. We worry that we will not be able to give you the same amount of attention and love that G had. Of course, you always had to share us with G, but I think that really shaped your personality. From the day that you were born, you have been such a joy! Your calm and cheerful personality was the perfect counterpoint to a more feisty older sister. :)
At 2, you are able to -
. Speak in complete sentences, although u can't quite pronounce S or F yet.
. Eat on your own (but you're still not on full solids!)
. Play all your games on my iPhone
. Surf your favorite websites on my computer (you esp love YouTube and will ask to watch Hokey Pokey everytime!)
. Play independantly on your own if there are enough things to keep you occupied (a life saver when both me and V are busy at work but need to babysit as well)
. Give spontaneous hugs to us all the time

Most of all, we love how you are so much your own little person, and at 2, you have such a strong personality and we love you so much! Happy Birthday little K! :)

1 day old
7 days old
2 months
7 months
9months1 yr old
13months

15 months18 months
22months


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! :)

[lanterns and birthdays]

Handmade card from G and V. :)

I have been thoroughly spoiled this year for my birthday! Thanks to my parents and sis-in-law, the start of my birthday weekend was a 'child-free' date night out with Vic to try the infamous Morten's steak sandwiches. Together with Lychee martinis, it was a great way to start an adult's night out! :) Part 2 was a great dinner of grilled lambchops and rosemary baked potatoes at the English Pub venue Queen & Mangosteen, Vivocity. The girls then had a nice walk about the rooftop carrying their lanterns. On my actual birthday, we went to the nearby Colbar, a really quaint little part of the Wessex / Portsdown cluster, with ample space for the girls to run around. Now I'm pigging out on mooncakes and coffee..... having a perfect weekend indeed!

Some pics:
Choosing what to have for lunch
cute little overalls :)
Doting grandpa
lunch! Western / Hainanese grub in rustic canteen settingK and me
Me and the girls, not really cooperating for a nice photo
Playing mastermind with Grandpa
Sharing a joke
Peek - a - boo!
Sweet sweet K
Hahaha, this was the look she gave my dad when he called her K.

[Talking Thursdays]

Heh, for want of a better title....
I know i posted sometime ago about putting up house related postings every friday once the house reno got underway. Unfortunately, those best laid plans have gone to nought... :P Anyways, i was thinking about what to post, how to post it and realised that there isn't a real "theme" running through all the stuff that I wanted to talk about. Hence the title.
So, to start off, i thought i would post some pics of our new house (in model form):


I love making models and in school, i made lots of them! Especially models that can double up as dollhouses for the kids. The girls are thrilled when they see words like "girls room" and "playroom" in the model.

Also, I thought i would do a little review of some products. Recently, we bought 2 sets of drawers from IKEA. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE ikea for many many reasons. However, we realised how wrong we were when we bought these:

It's the "Antonius" set of drawers and frame, which are quite the staple at IKEA. We were sold by the attractive price tag, and thought that the simple construction meant that little could go wrong. Unfortunately, even though it was simple to put together, the slanted drawer sides meant that there wasn't as much room as it looked. Also, the drawer tracks were constantly skewed, depending on how we pushed the drawer in, it is never a smooth opening or closing. I guess it might work for lesser used drawers for storage, but for daily use, it is super frustrating and is really getting to me!

Compared to this:A set of similar drawers called "PP" from MUJI, which was a good three times the price tag. Of course, we learnt our lesson this time. Sometimes it is better to pay for a better quality product than to be frustrated with it every single time I use it.
For an item that i use at least 5 or 6 times a day, multiplied by the number of days a week, by the number of days a month, I think I will go for the MUJI drawers from now on!

Hope you like the 1st Talking Thursday post! :) More to come next week (hopefully)....

Some interesting links i've been looking at:
CARDBOARD FURNITURE
WOODEN FURNITURE
NICE FELT STUFF

Happy Thursday... and a fun children's day to all the children out there!

[midweek blog]

Commissioned phone pouch going out to it's new owner. :)
Some pics of the girls enjoying a pre-dinner bike ride around the terrace
I love the patina in these shots
So cute...


Look at them go....

Another commissioned bible cover going out to it's owner... :)