~Stars and Snow~

Its getting darker as i type. winter is here, it's 4 and it will get dark by 5. and by 6 or so we can get to see the stars! but no, no snow.. it's not snowing yet! we're still in our 10c and sometimes 13c. still cold!

I've been playing and seeing too many stars and making too many snowflakes lately! still on my christmas stuff. i will only stop probably on christmas eve! not that i'll be celebrating anyway! 

Some felt ornaments i made last week. i love the fact that the bells jingle everytime i carry them here and there! Aidan loves them and cant stop pulling them! i had to say please at least twice for him to let them go!

I am loving the fact that it's almost the end of the year. simply because the sale starts after christmas! but to resist the temptation to shop is another thing! i am not really a shopper, i'm more of a browser, and i love to look for bargains and i love going to markets! but anything's on sale is definitely good for me! but on the other hand, where did 2008 go?! it went by so fast! am i the only one who's feeling it?!

Here's a card i made last night. i thought i might give light blue and red a go. probably the two colours i've work with the least. i've underestimate them both! i should be more adventurous with my choice of colours next time!

Be happy and merry everyone!

The 'Little' News & a Giveaway

Over the years since we moved here, i have been collecting a lot of stuff and so we've decided to convert our basement into my craft haven! Hardy is almost done with the basement (i feel so loved!). we hope to start on the flooring now painting and wiring are all done.

I thought i might share some of what i have with you before i 'sayang' and wont let them go even more!

So, some of you might have noticed it, and some of you might have not. but i've created another blog under the same profile with the stuff that i'm willing to sell and share.

My Honeypot

I will update it once a while to add more yummylicious stuff!

It's wonderful to get to hear people tell you that you've inspired them. i'm overjoyed with such comments and emails. grateful to have made new wonderful people in here, and so i've decided to have my first ever giveaway! a step closer to get to know most or, some of you! Hardy and Aidan will both pick a winner on the 26th of November (a very very special date!). we will let you know the next following day. all you have to do is just write to me a couple of lines telling me about yourself/your crafts with your name (or nickname if you chose to be anonymous) as well as your email. and the lucky winner will get to receive these items.

Receiving is certainly nice but nothing can beat the feeling of giving and sharing!

Good Luck! and as they say it here, Success!

Curry in a Hurry

We've been having simple meals lately. saves me time now that Aidan eats whatever we eat. by simple i mean non malay food! to have such a heavy dish is quite rare for us these days. good, some might say! i am also very selective with what Aidan eats. i try to make his food as interesting and as balanced as possible but he's quite picky with his greens! but mama's smarter! ;)

Anyway.. here's a simple dish i tried last weekend. we normally treat ourselves with prawns once in a while, like a month or once in a couple of months. Aidan is not ready for prawns yet, so this meal was entirely for the two of us - Hardy and i.

My Prawn Curry in a Hurry

400g fresh prawns

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

4 cloves of garlic (whacked and sliced)

4 Kaffir lime leaves (half shreadded and half leave it as a whole)

2-2 1/2 Thai fish sauce

A handful of fresh coriander (chopped)

1/2 tsp fish curry powder

Oil

To blend:

1 lemongrass stalk (bashed and chopped)

4-5 fresh coriander stems (chopped)

2 kaffir lime leaves (shreadded)

3 green chillies (seeded and chopped)

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients into a paste and set aside.

2. Heat wok with oil and add in garlic.

3. When garlic turns slightly brown, add a teaspoon of the fish curry powder. and stir for a tad bit.

5. Pour coconut milk into wok and bring to the boil over a medium heat.

4. Add 1 or 1 1/2 tbsp of green paste and shreadded lime leaves and add fish sauce. stir well.

5. Add prawns and/or other seafood. careful not to overcook them!

6. Just before serving, add fresh coriander and you can adjust the flavour with probably more of the fish sauce or the paste. but not salt!!

Give it a try and let me know!!

Traditional

Christmas is definitely in the air! i can smell it almost everywhere! we were in Stratford last week, while in the UK and they've already put up the lights on the high street. shops are playing christmas songs, decorations all up for sale! it's glorious! my oh my.. it's already end of the year! can you believe it!?

Anyway, just thought i'd share this with you. made a few cards using the traditional colours - dark green and maroon. i love the simplicity of it all. its always wonderful working with felt! the snowflakes makes it all wintery and snowy!

Here's a couple more! dont just just love the white trimmings at the sides? thanks to the best herbadashary supplier of mine, Harry on Sonja who carries beautiful gorgeous stuff every week!

That's it from me for today! i promise i will be posting a cooking post next! i managed to cook this really nice curry dish, and i'm very excited to share the recipe! oh, and the announcemnt! i almost forgot! so stay tuned!

-Sweet Sofea's Hanging Board-

It's amazing what the internet can do! it simply connects people! i managed to 'bump into' an old friend early last month. we go way back to uni days, some good 14 years ago! its been really good catching up with him. he has a beautiful family, with 2 beautiful girls.

He then asked me to make his younger daughter, Sofea a card for her 5th birthday. i decided to make something else - a hanging board to hang in her room. i added two tiny little cutest pegs so that they can change the photo or whatever note Sofea wishes to hang.

From the pictures her daddy showed me, Sofea's such a sweetheart. she's really talented, incredibly sweet and a charm that can melt each heart! i'm gonna look out for her in catalogues and brochures when i'm next in the UK!

I simply love making girly stuff! they are so much fun! thank you Azam! its been great catching up! lots of love to all of you in Reading!

* Let it Snow *

It snowed when we arrived here in Warwick! everything was white and it was just a wonderful feeling! i love it when it snows... you just feel like sitting down on the couch, cover yourself with a fleece blanket drinking hot cocoa and just watch, watch it all fall!

It's freezing here, no more snow but still a lovely day..


I did this card before i left for Wawick... another christmas card for a friend who ordered 50! i still have quite a long way to go and i have to get them all done by the first week of november! i havent even started on mine yet!!

I thought i'd use pastels instead, after working with too many reds, maroons and greens. embossed my baby blue cardstock and cut the word SNOW. used my favourite trimmings (i use them in almost all my cards these days!), and some punched out flakes.

I hope there will be lots of snow this winter! let it snow.. let it snow.. let it snow....

Have a lovely weekend everyone, wherever you are!

{Happy Birthday Fi}

We surprised my sister Fifi yesterday by turning up on her doorstep in Warwick yesterday! yes, we're now in the UK. we had quite a journey yesterday, the weather was lovely right through the M25, and then it snowed! it snowed and everything was white within minutes!!!

This is my second time working with Laura Ashely's papers and i absolutely love it! i love all their papers, and this one i incorporated it with MM's metal sign and some laces and trimmings. loved the simplicity!

We have the strongest bond. we have quite a relationship. we have a strong love and a really good friendship. 'Togetherness'- that's the best thing any sister could ever have.

Happy 36th Birthday Fi, i'm the luckiest sister in the world! May all your dreams come true! lets enjoy the day, together!

Love you loads,

Adik

-A Reason-

This was suppose to be yesterday's post but i cant seem to log on to blogger for some reason the whole day yesterday. and before i know it, it was already midnight! arrghh...

Anyway, as promised, here's another couple of cards i made earlier. i am so loving felt at the moment. its just so wintery, so snowy and so christmasy!

The second card is something i whipped up using scraps and leftovers. never, ever throw anything away if you're a crafter! i have a box full of scraps and a whole tin full of tiny bits and ends of ribbons. you can create a lot using just scraps! this is just one example!

I've had quite a good day today. and to top it off, tonight's X factor (the UK version of American Idol) was absolutely brilliant! if you have a few mins, go check them out on youtube, as tonight's big band night simply blew me away! the girls were amazing!! (watch alexandra, laura, diana, rachael and ruth's purple rain) and let me know who's your favourite!

I'm off to finish one card before i call it a day, a beautiful day in fact. everyone's tucked in.. i wish everyone a jolly good weekend!

*Making Up*

This is for you lot who always pop by everyday to see what i've been doing. i know i havent been blogging lately, but today and tomorrow and over the weekend, i promise to blog and have at least a couple of cards to share.

Aidan and i went for our usual Thursday walk to the lake to feed the ducks. weather's quite nice, getting colder but at least the sun's out! we love our usual walk. we talked and sang as we walked (his favourite malay song is no longer burung kakak tua, but gelang sipaku gelang! thanks to Hardy!) I often thought to myself, what would i do if i'm not here living the life that i'm currently living. i have been trully blessed.

One of the things that my parents always stress out whenever we're together enjoying our days, just like today was to always be thankful. today, i am thankful for the clean air that we breathe, thankful for the opportunity, yet another day to get to be with my son, thankful for this beautiful weather, thankful for our home being close to the lake and the park, thank you for making us healthy again (Aidan just recovered from a fever), and last but not least, thankful for putting us here. 

And, thank YOU, for always listening, reading and commenting! ;) i'd better stop now...  can go on and on... 

As they say it here, tot morgen (till tomorrow!)

Showing off 2 Today!

I know i've been quite a bad blogger lately. i havent been updating for almost 5 days now! gosh.. that long! Aidan had quite a bad fever last Saturday, and i've put everything else on hold since. he's much better since yesterday. back to himself, being bubbly, chatty and bouncy!

Anyway, a couple of cards to share this time. i feel like i havent shared for quite a bit, so today i thought i'd share 2! nothing much, nothing fancy, just a couple of straight forward cards...

Was at my favourite herbedashary store last weekend, and met my 2 most favourite shop owners, Harry and Sonja. Bought some supplies and used them right away! i love laces, dont you? 

I might have problems fitting this one in the envelope. thats the thing with what i do lately... but i cant let an envelope stop my creative juices from flowing! they'll throw the envelopes away anyway! am i right? hmm...

I am so behind time, i still have tonnes to do. i was almost stressing out last night until my husband said, not to worry, this year, we'll buy our christmas cards, you dont have to make them! err.. that's so not going to happen! haha..

Oopps! that's my call. Aidan's up from his afternoon nap. we're gonna enjoy a koekje or two downstairs before dinner. 

Till my next post, which is going to be pastels! and a little announcement!