memories from bangkok (april 2014)

use for washi tape #2

washi tape has a definite place in our house. it is pretty much one of the things we can't do without :) We have used it in cards (here too) and packaging.. but recently, we have found joy in how it sticks marvellously on walls, and yet does not peel off any paint :) 

here's another idea for washi tape, and also for occupying an over-active cant-stop-moving toddler if you have one. use washi tape and stick a thread to it, den stick the thread on a beam or ceiling. 

it bought me 3 minutes of free time. maybe it will buy you more :) 

tip: if your child has a racquet, you can adjust it higher up and teach him to swat at it :) PP's brilliant idea. 

bad days

ah, there are bad days too. when i wake up in the morning, feeling like i have been run over by a truck, many times. when i think the boy has been trained to sleep, but wakes every 20 minutes, crying and wailing for me. when i simply cannot summon anymore energy to do more than the bare minimum. when all i feel like doing, is sit on the couch and stone. when the boy throws his tantrums, every 5 minutes. when i just cannot attend to him as he cries and wails. and even when i can, im reluctant to do, for i feel sapped of my energy.

when i read/hear/think about other children, and start comparing... why is he being such a cranky grouch? when i read/hear/think of other mothers, and start comparing.. why am i such a lousy mother? and my heart is exhausted, resentful, depressed and ungrateful. on such days, i can only count down to the return of the husband, to perhaps bring a turnaround. but work beckons and he can only come back after the boy goes to bed. 

where is my hope? where is my strength? who can lift me up in such a time?

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Psalm 34:9

this verse became very close to my heart, for it revealed to me how many things are out of my control, even when it pertains to myself. it only shows how weak i am, and how much i need God - to teach me how to conduct myself, how to lead and teach ezra as a mother and how to glorify Him in this calling. 

so Lord, help us, but without you, we are truly nothing. 

i never thought i would regress to this state!

The day has finally arrived. 

I remembered that I had not taken a single bath for the day, only when its past midnight and I was about to wash up and turn in for the night. 

But.. 

I did manage to cook and prepare his meals. We also played with his mega bloks, and built the tallest tower for the little monkey to climb. I fed him his meals, and in order to distract him (so I can get food in his mouth), struck up several conversations about what he did yesterday, what he saw and what he played with. I managed to complete the dishes (trust me, easier said then done), and sort out his overflowing wardrobe. He had a good solid nap without waking, then awoke with a smile and received some cuddles from me.

We went to the nearby market and then, to the playground, where he pointed out several millipedes, and bravely climbed through two holes in the playgrounds which he was reluctant to do so previously. The boy took initiative, and said himself that he wanted to "read a book"!! He chose three (In his own words - "many!!") books, one of which was about jonah. I managed to convert a "chore" into "fun" by asking him to give his toy animal figurines a bath. 

All through the day, there were tantrums and tears, but by God's enabling, I did not just let it go (even though its easier to do that!) but pursued, reprimanded and caned. He tickled my belly button, and squealed in delight when I screamed and giggled. He raced to me in fear when the airplanes took off (he has never been afraid till recently :/). he came to me wailing and complaining when he hurt his hand/head/toes/elbow... but grinned and was ok with a pat and a kiss. 

We played with toy vegetables, and fed his teddy bear, stuffed dogs and penguins. He picked up the word "pepper". We prayed many times, thanking God and seeking to obey Him, also for papa's safety and for loved ones. We ended the day memorising God's word and with a prayer too. Finally, I sat next to his bed while he tossed and turned and put himself to sleep, with a hope that he might sleep through the night again. (Yes he has done so for 2 nights!! Goodbye to sleep regression???)                         

when i recall times like this, and wholeheartedly spend my time with him, dedicating full attention to play with him and talk to him, i notice how happy he really is to have my company. if one day can help him pick up a few new words, receive admonishment and have so many hugs and giggles exchanged, i guess my role as a SAHM is not as mundane, hectic and dreary as i sometimes tend to think it is. 

I cant believe all these happened in one day, but it did. And because of all these, its ok that I may or may not have bathed for the day.

reflections about social media and my activities online

i have been quiet here, i know. other than endless happenings that demand my time and energy, i have also been jaded, thinking about this blog, facebook and instagram, social media etc. a statement from a friend has made me consider what ive actually been exposing myself to. the culture of selfies, OOTDs, food shots - what are they for? they seem to be subtly leading one to a life of covetousness and envy. a person can look at the photos others upload and envy them for how good they look, or the type of life they have. conversely, i can also make a post, and find myself coveting "likes" and seeking the envy/approval of others. ah, i do not want to fall into this trap. and so, i deleted the instagram app. but then, i re-downloaded it again, because actually i do want to keep in touch with others and know what has been happening in their lives. 

and so, it is a fine line :( i do not know if it is so for you - it may not be, for we all have different temptations and struggles. but it was so for me, and i pray that these apps and my posts/statuses/pictures may only be used for His glory and to share how God is good to us. i do not deny that there is a place for them - to keep in touch with each other, to share our testimonies and struggles, to mutually encourage one another etc.. but if used wrongly, and self steps in, the damage can be irreversible..  

yet, i also know that this blog, and my statements (both online and offline) can make more impact than i can imagine.. and God has used this blog to be a blessing in ways i have never expected. and that is why i am back here. in such a time like this, this blog seems to be a God-given opportunity to shine for Him. i have thoughts that i do want to share, albeit i fear the opinions and judgments of others. i pray that He will keep using this little place - so others can see this little light of mine and how He works in my life. 

18 months

its been awhile since i came to this little corner.. but something happened that i would like to note, so you and i would remember. 

yes, you are 18 months plus.. and it has been nothing short of challenging in recent times, for you simply cannot/will not sleep well. hourly awakenings, or 3 hours of tossing and turning in bed, unable to rest, is simply madness. we are tired, frustrated, exasperated, worried. yes, the internet says 18 month sleep regressions are normal, and it will pass.. but clearly for now, it has not, and we are forced to suffer long. 

yesterday in the state of grogginess while trying to coax you to sleep at 4am, you suddenly sat up and suddenly told me you wanted to "pray", putting your hands together, and repeating the words in all earnestness. can it be, that you have learnt to recognise that there is a God, a present help in time of (sleepless) trouble? whatever it is, your simple action has comforted my heart and reminded me that even sleep, this priceless commodity, is in the hands of God, who gives it to us. 

so bearing this in mind, we will press on.. night by night. it will pass!

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Psa 127: 2

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD -Josh 24: 15b (Part 2)

After the cards were settled, the next mission was the wedding deco :) There were 2 things I was especially thankful for... firstly, that the "junk" we have hoarded over the years could be put to good use.. and secondly, for the many loving hands who came together to create a beautiful backdrop ("pretty vintage school") for a blessed wedding :) xw, hl, joce, hannah, gabriel, alanna and abigail, joanna etc.... im sure the list goes on and on and on when you count your blessings and remember the people who have lovingly helped :)  for couples who are preparing to get married, never forget that a wedding is a community project. involve those whom you love and spend time with them preparing for the day :) and you can be sure that on your wedding day, as you see their labour of love and how they rejoice with you, your heart will overflow with thankfulness for how you have been blessed with so many who love you :)

standing chalkboard with handwritten details...

the bride wanted a "mailbox" as an angbao box :) we bought 2 of these, added our own details and propped them up using vases. guests also wrote on little postcards that have been designed to match the mailbox theme.

pompoms galore! it's no joke fluffing them up! many thanks to merrylove weddings for providing these at such a short notice :) do check them out! they have lovely things :)

photos, revealing some precious memories which the couple and their loved ones share :) 

hot chocolate wedding favours, which many loving hands have joined together to make possible! 

dearest 姑姑 and 姑丈 have always showered their love on little ezra boy unconditionally, and we are so much more than happy to do a little something for them :) we pray that God's love will be the cord to join them both together always, in easy and tough times, that they will grow together to love God and each other more :) 

p.s. hope these photos can give you a glimpse into the possible wedding styling that FITW can provide. the props that you see (vintage cameras, luggages, wooden crates, chalkboards, tablecloth, mailboxes and picnic basket) are all available for rental too :)  (we have more that are not shown here!)

some of you have enquired on this vintage bicycle and whether it is still available for rental.... yes, it still is :) you can use it for photoshoots, as part of your wedding set-up, or even for your wedding march-in! being white in colour, it should match all colour schemes, and it comes with a pretty little basket in front, which will look perfect with baby's breath added in. our bike is special because it comes with two seats, perfect for two people embarking on a journey to become one :)

But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD -Josh 24:15b (Part 1)

with ezra around, it means that the time to do anything crafty/design-related is greatly reduced. nonetheless, i truly thank God for opportunities that He provides, so that we can be a blessing, and at the same time, be blessed! though there is pressure, I really do enjoy the process of creating something and seeing it come to fruition. best of all? it makes others happy too :)))))) thank God for this chance to be of help to my sis-in-law, who got married sometime back! here are the cards designed for them.

we were working on the wedding deco with a friend (more on that later) and with the bride being girly, the groom being an english teacher, we thought that "pretty vintage school" would be an appropriate theme, which the card happened to match!

the back of the card, also with hand-drawn details. the primary font used was "Jenna Sue". 

The programme sheet was printed on an A4 white paper and folded vertically in half. Primary fonts used were "Jenna Sue", "Kidtyperuled" (for the headers), and "High Fibre" (for the text)

are you looking for someone to design your wedding card/wedding stationery? do get in touch :)

Elliot's full month - part 2

So entirely by God's provision (and many sleepless nights hehe), we completed the full month favours just in time for his full month gathering. initially, nothing was really planned about the deco... after all, surviving a month of confinement and for God to see the family through the first month of a baby's arrival is pretty much an achievement already! 

as i was chatting with the sis the day before the gathering... suddenly... BOOM! turns out we were both itching to do something.... and so we did, and here's what we came up with, within a day!

 
 
 

thank you for this opportunity, jie! i thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed myself :) :) so, when is our next project.....?? hmmmm.....haha...

"God has given each of you to help each other" - act of kindness #5

i received a package sometime back. opened it and what i found made me smile immediately!

a miniature vintage sewing machine (fashioned exactly like my mother's).

sometimes, there is nothing like a thoughtful gift that can be used to cheer one's spirits. that, coupled with an encouraging note, and a verse from God - thank u sister K :) 

you have indeed been used by God to help me, undeserving as i am. 

baby hugs - act of kindness #4

from a loving familY, very deserving of Super Good Neighbour Award!

one can never get enough of baby hugs :) 

I suspect this book is more for me than for my little boy. it was very very comforting. thank you. 

a sweet handmade letter

praying that the boys can form godly friendships in future, just like the ones the parents enjoy <3

生日快乐！