i've been busy

oh dear, it's been a really long time since i updated this space, isn't it? the truth is, I have been busy. or rather, something really BIG is happening to me. here's a hint :)

 

God has given us a gift, a wonderful blessing! we are now a family of three :) God-willing, we will meet baby E in about 4 and a half months time. the first time we went for a check-up, the EDD given to us was 01012013. Doesn't this just show that God's plans are perfect? 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

We are thrilled, but of course,we take this on with much fear and trembling too. do pray for us! 

p.s. I do mean to keep this blog going. perhaps it will take on a new direction, no longer so much about crafting, but it will always, always, always be a testimony of God's goodness to me and remind me of the wonderful blessings He has bestowed on me. 

paper pinwheels

this paper pinwheel was the very first thing i cut with the silhouette cameo, which i received from my sister for my birthday. it's such a nifty toy  and i really went "Aaaaaaahhhhh!" when i found out what she got for me. THANKS JIE!!!! :) anyway, this was a craft for pre-school kids. many thanks to vera, from paper party, who gave me many insights as to what exactly was needed and even helped me by drawing out a diagram ^_^ do check out her fb page here!

here's the instructions i typed out for others to follow. will just copy and paste them here for future reference :)

Materials needed:

a. Pinwheel Paper (Coloured cardstock)

b. Whitepaper(withJohn3:30)

c. Brown paper (rectangle with two slits in middle)

d. Wooden Dowels (long wooden sticks)

e.Pins 

f.Beads

g. Colour Pencils/Crayons/Markers

Steps:

1. Bring all the holes on the 4 corners of the pinwheel to meet in the centerhole.

2. Take out the pin from the wooden dowel and poke it through all 5 holes.

3. Continue to poke the pin through one bead. (Result: the paper pinwheel is between the pinhead and the bead)

4.Poke the pin into the wooden dowel.

5. Thread the dowel through the slits on the brown paper.

6. Ta-dah! You have your pinwheel. May you be reminded of Christ and how you want to add to His glory. Just like how the wind enables to pinwheel to spin, God can enable us to obey and glorify Him when we are willing vessels :)

 

p.s. the silhouette machine comes with a pinwheel template which can help you cut the pinwheel paper. it should look somewhat like this :)

counting my blessings in Public Garden May 2012

What a lovely experience it was at the Public Garden! Like i shared with some of my loved ones, this bazaar was a time when i really experienced God's goodness in so many ways :) here are some pictures! I was too exhausted to take any but my dear PP helped to take some :) 

let me count my blessings here:

- for countless lovely people who came down to show their support: auntie, 107, XW, HL, WX, CW + J, YR, R, K, K and M, EJ and family, ZH and family, Ade + friend, V + friend, DK + CYL + EO! and of course my dear parents, brothers and sister (+ Z!) ! 

- for how these lovely people made the process so much more enjoyable and fun with their presence :) 

- for a great helping hand in my sister, who made a great deal of awesome products :) 

- for the extra muscles from my two brothers ^_^

- for the many food, bought by many people, meant to stuff me TTM!

- for wonderful weather! it was drizzling around 3pm on sat and I was kind of worried. but the weather cleared and the rain brought a cool and refreshing breeze :)

- for the lovely people who stopped at our stall and who encourage me in what i do by their smiles and encouraging words

- for safety, strength and sustenance through the entire event

- for my mother's "xue ge"

- and last of all, always, for my dear PP who supports me in this whole-heartedly and always does what he can to help me.

for all these, i thank God! God is so good :)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

  

something's brewing

FITW is taking a big step to explore something new! this month, we will be entering the arty-farty scene with the Singapore Arts Festival and the Public Garden. 

If you're free, you're encouraged to come! not only to support me, but enjoy all the other unique products from other stalls as well :) 

 

if you have never heard about public garden, do visit their blog here :) they also offer more information about how to get to the exact location and what you can expect to see. the event lasts for three weekends but i will only be there from the 25th - 26th of May :) 

as for FITW... sorry for the lack of photos but you can still expect a fresh new set-up but with the same handmade and quirky goodness in bags, pouches, photo-cards and other accessories. see u! :) 

p.s. this is a night event and because it's the first time im trying it out, i do have some fears and prayer requests. firstly, for grace and strength during the preparation and actual event, and secondly, that it will not be a complicated night scene with loud music and an ungodly atmosphere. if you're a fellow sister/brother in Christ, i covet your prayers :) thank u :)

saveur

it's been a really long time since i last shared a food adventure in singapore but this one is such a fantabulous one but i can't help but jump at sharing about it! 

there must be tons of people raving about it online, but if you have not heard about it, do check out saveur. Saveur (pronounced "sah-vere") has its origins in a hawker place somewhere in East Coast Road. now, however, they have found a new home at 5 Purvis Street, #01-04. it's a nice, clean and more classy set-up, and im thrilled to say that prices are still very reasonable!

here's a glimpse at the menu :) photos are all taken with the iPhone. pardon the quality...

i was astonished when i saw the prices. french cuisine with mains for less that $10? never seen before! after some deliberation, we decided to order the Pan Fried Foie Gras (which is often sought for), together with Duck Confit and the the Crispy Pork Belly. 

the mains are nice and a great value for money. portions are slightly smaller, but with the pricing, you can always order another bowl of pasta and enjoy a really sumptuous meal :) out of all three, i felt that the duck confit was the best. however, they are not extremely wonderful... especially when compared to other places more suited towards fine dining like the black sheep cafe, taratata or even la petite cuisine (perhaps more about this another time?)

nonetheless, i would like to RANT about the desserts, which are just simply OH SOOOO GOOOD. im longing to go back again, just for the desserts, which offer a experience of what desserts ought to offer. sweet, savoury, with different textures and layers. the more bites you take, the more you want. not the kind of dessert that makes you "jer-lad" (i.e. the more you eat, the worse it tastes). 

PP and i tried the last two. the Textures of Citrus is a true "mouth-opener". on top of a citrusy orange smooth jelly lies some crushed, flavoured ice (think ice kanchang). right of top, the chef scattered light, flaky biscuit crumbs, which are slightly savoury, adding a nice twist to the entire set up. this dessert was very refreshing and i like this more than the latter. i think i can eat 10 servings of this hahaha..

the Chocolate and Hazelnut really looks like a mess when first presented. 

looks can be deceiving though. this dessert consists of a hazelnut mousse embellished with a crispy chocolate-coated waffle biscuit. very nice too! the mousse is not over-powering or too sweet. it's especially nice when eaten with the small cranberry bits scattered on it. the nutty crumbs offer texture and i really liked the sauce at the side. couldn't figure out what it was though...tasted somewhat like burnt caramel. the chocolate cookie is the nicest touch:) bite into it and feel your tongue CRACKLE :) 

note however, that queues can get really long, and this place does not take bookings :( my suggestion? go either really early, or really late, on a weekday where people are less likely to dine out. take note of their opening hours here. PP and i went on a monday evening at about 9pm, and we hardly had to queue. alternatively, get someone to do the queuing ;) this is a must try! i do hope to bring my loved ones here one day. hoping the queues might shorten after the "newly-opened" craze dies down but by the looks of it and the prices, it is quite unlikely :)