My reason to Smile

HIM. I get his ounces of smiles everyday, and i feel happy knowing that he likes to smile and a photo like this is priceless.

I miss scrapping. Lately I've been busy with creating scrap gifts that i don't scrap for Kaylen much, and i certainly miss this part. I've got photos of Kay taken at my brother's wedding last month to scrap, photos taken in March to scrap which are of him as well, and I'm going through my to-do list of scrappy projects to do before reaching the point of scrapping for Kaylen again.

Don't ask me about my sleeping pattern, but this layout was scrapped at 4am in the morning till close to 6am.

Title: Smile

Journaling reads:-

Smile please for me!

This is what I've been asking you

to do. Just so that i can see that

brillant smile of yours over & over again.

Materials:

Patterened Paper -Sassafrass "Nerdy Bird"

Die cut Stickers - Sassafrass "Nerdy Bird"

Hambly's overlay

Stickers- October Afternoon

Chipboard flowers/"our little boy" words - Making Memories Flutter/ Teresa Collins

Lettering: Sassafrass / Jenni Bowlin / American Craft

Glimmer Mist - Juneberry Wine (currently my most fav colour mist)

Others: washi tape

Another reason why I'm smiling is because i had some time off from work yesterday to be home earlier to pack some of my scrap supplies for my dear friends. I love the fact that some of my storage containers are now not packed to the brine, the idea that someone out there would love to have some of them to scrap with, and best of all, they do not mind that they are not of the latest series. Thanks pals J & KY for this. I had some help as well from Kay as I pack yesterday, and you know what he told Jayce over the phone on his way home from work while i was still packing away, he said "too many papers", "too many papers", "Kay pack". Argghhhh even my lil guy knows of the mountains of stash that mommy has. Yikes, a wake up call for me!

Kay starts school tomorrow, so be back with some photos of him as we start the new month with a new journey for him.

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

I had the chance to....

*prepare & pack for this Saturday's mini album class....can't wait to meet the lovely ladies


* take a photo of both Jayce & Kay together this morning. It is one of the few rare moments that i can get Kay to keep still and although slightly a little blur, both of my boys are still looking good!!

* to put the finishing touches on this latest canvas of mine. It's a birthday gift for my 18th year old cousin - Wei (It's her birthday today - Happy Birthday Wei!!!), who's totally not into too sweet a type of layout, and if i could as much dark colours as possible, she'll probably make me. Simply have to love Irene's gorgeous poppies in Midnight blue colour. I knew it when i first saw it that they'll be the best for Wei's canvas gift. You got to love American Craft's latest series of "Dear Lizzy's" fabric paper. What is it with me & pleating???

I wished weekends could just be that little much longer so that i can get more chances to complete just that little more.

How has your Monday been so far?

Looking Back...

I take time to always look back at the scrap layouts which was created for him, remembering just how little he was when he arrived, remembering back the details of his birth. Memories of our journey are always fresh in my mind, just as if he arrived into our world only just yesterday. I never want to forget the feelings of being a new mom and to have him in my arms for the very 1st time.


It feels good having all these memories of Kay, and as we go day by day, i see changes in him, be it him losing his baby fat or seeing some parts of me in him, or him being really cheeky with his facial expressions or the way he speaks, i just love the way he is.


As he shows of his independence now in his daily life, doing things by himself, i know that he stills very much love for me or Jayce to just be with him, even if it means us sitting quietly by his side, watching him play.

Exactly 2 months from today, we will be celebrating his 3rd Birthday.

Some of my favourite photos of him growing up

@ 6 months at my workplace

@ 18 months at the playground

@20 months at home with daddy's mobile phone

@ 2years old at Botanical Gardens

@ 2years 3 months at great grand ma's place

@ 2years 7 months at home

@2 years 9 months at Uncle Hengxi's church wedding

To all these beautiful memories of you as you grow, I'm surely blessed to at every stage of your life Kay.

Have a happy Thursday!!

I'm happy...

When we're all so busy with our everyday life, our work, our family, and sometimes i just wished for just a little more each day. As much as i wish i could spend time with all my friends, i never seem to be able to do just that. There are pals whom i see once a few months and some whom i would see twice a year at least. Even with the months apart, we never fail to talk like crazy or laugh together whenever we meet.


I've the chance to meet G today. Gosh i missed her so much cause we use to meet at least once a week over scrapbooking, and now that we're both so busy with our work, our daily lives that we don't see each other as much as we would like to. So whenever we get the time even its over an 1 hour of lunch, it's always so good to see her smile, for us to talk about our job, and of course we never miss not chatting about scrapping. She's super busy with scrapping at the moment, and her teaching at The Art Republic is going so well, and if you know her, you'll know her style, and i definitely would say that there's never once that i don't fall in love with her work. Check out her work here. She's certainly a joy to be with, and come this August, we'll be friends for 1 year!!!

I'm looking forward to spending more scrap time with her cause she's always so willing to show me new stuff, and share her ideas.

Have a beautiful Wednesday!!

Sunday Bliss

Nothing beats having him all to myself for the whole of Sunday. We're back to just me & him days like every other weekend cause i've been working since last weekends & last Saturday, so i missed him so much. Miss bringing him to playgroups on Saturday mornings, having lunch together in town after that, and missing just the days where it's only me & him.

So i feel great having just all that goodness yesterday, and simple as our Sundays would be, i managed to snap some photos of him playing with my wooden stamps, trying to turn them into the MRT train as he says. Just watch his expressions from being seriously in play mood and onto asking him to give me a smile, and latest his funny face....how can i not be laughing away behind the camera.

His ever so funny faces, so this is what he thinks when i say "make me your funny face Kay"

It's also bliss when i get some of my own time when Kay naps, to just do scrappy stuff. Not creating away just yet (cause you can imagine the mess i had after he's done "build a train with mummy's wooden stamps" episode, i had to re-arrange them back), but more of just sorting through the latest scrap supplies which had been sitting there for the last few weeks untouched.

Irene's gorgeous handmade blooms which I'm so in love with, and have already made plans for them already....

A glimpse at what's waiting for me to scrap with....and i'm addicted to Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist now

Some time to take a couple more photos of my April "Being Thankful" mini album. Don't you just love butterflies?

I had the chance to also catch up with my pal KY in the morning cause it was her birthday yesterday, and as I'm in canvas mood for the last few months (and more to come I'm sure), i enjoyed so much just creating this piece for her cause it's close to our hearts since both our lil ones are of the same age, we're ex-colleagues and dear friends as we grow, and to both of us, kids are endless conversation topics.

I'm all geared for this new work week with new focus after having a super busy 3 weeks in March, meeting topics to be tidied up, and in my family life, we're all looking forward to having Kay start Nursery 1 on 1st April (yes pooi, i'm sobbing even more when i just got my hands on his very 1st uniform & PE attire this morning), for us 3 to be going away for 10 days in April to Szechuan on our very 1st offical holiday with the family (it's all 12 of us that's travelling, so you can imagine), and being me, for the last 2 weeks, I've already started packing for the trip.

Have a good week ahead!!

Don't miss this out!!

The Scrapbook Carton is having a store wide carton sale on now!!


And my upcoming April "Being Thankful" 6"x6" mini album class at The Scrapbook Carton, created using American Craft's Letterbox series patterned paper & embellishment, and a mini binded by yarn.

Due to my busy work & life schedule, I'm only able to have 1 class in April, but this mini album class will be extended into month of May as well. For more details, check out : classevents@thescrapbookcarton.com

Can't wait for Sunday to be here, where once again i would be able to soak in all of Kaylen goodness cause I've been working over the last weekends, and today as well, and i must thank my mom for helping me watch him, and bringing him to playgroup for the last 2 saturdays. I simply love weekends cause it's all the time i have with just being the both of us.

Life gets busy as we speak, I've got loads to do around the house, with my ever growing supplies of scrapbook, my dining table back to its usual job of being a scrap desk. I seriously need to get everything organised again on my scrap desk & of my supplies before i start to create again, and i'm hoping to get some of this clearing up time tomorrow when Kay takes his nap. I'm also looking forward to settling Kaylen into nursery 1 registration this coming Monday and if all goes well, he will be starting at PCF Nursery 1near my workplace from 1st of April onwards. Boy, he is really growing up. Sob sob...

Back to work for me now, and wishing you a great weekend ahead!

My world of Lil Boys....

I've never looked back ever since this lil guy came into my life some 34 months ago. Life has never been the same. I would come home each day with his lil cars laying either in my path, or i would step on one of his many toy blocks, or enter the kitchen and find his motocycle in my way, he would just leave little parts of him just all over the house. I would be asked to see him line his fleet of cars (consisting of cars of all sizes & shapes, emergency vehicles (he is now crazy over the police cars, ambulance & fire engines) and for him to prepare for "kaylen's car wash", or have him tell me to sit & listen to play on his keyboard (Gong Gong had bought him a super cheap keyboard from NTUC X-tra at $18.00) and have him dance to songs like Old Macdonald, X'mas jingles, or simply just watch him do colouring.

I love the fact that Kay has a softer side of him, whenever i don't feel too good like having a neckache or a severe headache, he would just say to me " mummy, ok? not scared (then he would give you a rub on where he thinks hurts), and then say "sayang sayang, kay kay kiss (i would always when he hurt himself, give him a kiss to make the pain go away, and he just follows). He would then ask ok mummy?? Boys are equally sweet too.

I've got my fair share of cheekiness from this young man both from his words or actions, and most of which would always sent me laughing away, and never would i have a dull day. I never thought that lil boys are chatty, but i got myself one chatterbox for sure at times. It can be in the car, or at bed time, and just last week, i've got him talking & talking for close to 1 hour. I better treasure all these chatter moments, cause I'm sure he's loads older, he might not want to be talking to me as much as he is right now. By then, i would if I'm still blogging a post on - "My world of Teenage Boys" for sure.

My very own Lil Boy is my son, my buddy, my everything. Thanks for such wonderful times Kaylen, mummy can never seem to get enough of your goodness, and everything boy about you.

Have a great start of the week you all!!!

I'm sure going to enjoy scrapping this....

I simply love the fact that i've the chance to be scrapping both my 1st brother, and now the youngest one. So you should know from now till April, I've got my hands filled with different sorts of scrapping projects for this lovely couple, and the fact that i still have another scrap mini album for Hengxi & Cheryl to go as i gather thoughts on how their album should be like.

Create & Scrap Away!!

Has it been that quick....

I'm feeling old whenever I see them, and to a stage that when i play back my wedding video, they were only a bunch of lil kiddos, whom in a span of 5 years has now all grown up. These young people are my dearest cousins. We're not exactly a very big family, and closest to me would be these 4 young chap. I see them every weekend, and when they are lots younger and before Kaylen was born, they would sometimes be staying over at my place, and we'll all watch movies into the night. Such times now are hard to come when they're all grown up, each having their own busy school days, or fun with friends.

Our extended family would always have family photo taking day during Chinese New Year, and each year when i see their photos, i would just lament at how time just flies past.

All posing in their "cool" pose (yes my dear brother always get them to

pose to their best coolest pose, and this year, there you have it, all 4 of them)

Big brother Kai, Sister Yi Wei, and our pair of twins Han & Hong.

This is why when i got this photo of Kay with just the 3 of his twin uncles & auntie Lim (kaylen calls her by this name), i knew i had to scrap cause some 14 years ago, they were around Kay's age, and of the same size, and BAM just look at them now. One day Kay, you'll be where they are.....this is why i titled my LO "One Day".

Title: "One Day"

Using paper from MME's latest Lush series of paper, my favourite pleats (i got to stop cause

they are just everywhere now, on my LO's, mini albums, and canvas, those pleats are just

addictive)

In love with AC's latest "Dear Lizzy" rub ons which i practically

used up 3/4 of the pack of rub ons.

Glimmer mist in Patina & Tattered Leather

Paint Splats: MM acrylic paint (and yes i'm starting to like paint splats a little more now)

I'm feeling all scrappy again after my short break, and how many more scrap work to come, I won't know, but just that it certainly feels good to be back scrapping.

All that goodness

Goodness to me comes in so many form, and for the last few weeks, even how busy I can get at work , and with my family, it's all the best times I've had. Doesn't matter even if i have to try my best to complete as much as possible at work, it doesn't matter if i tried to scrap but didn't manage as much, or that i would just get tired at the end of each day, my days are still fill with so much of these goodness. We have family visiting from Malaysia & Australia, and it's always good to have that time even if it mean a dinner to see everyone again. They all took the time to come for my brother's wedding, and for this we're all grateful.

I manage to squeeze a good half day to just spent time with my cousin Serena, whom the last time i saw her was 5 years ago at my wedding, and this round i had 2 days more with her + whole load of shopping, and even if we don't get to see each other that often, we've still heaps to talk about, and i was so happy that i had the chance to create for her & Michael this canvas....it's a totally Yin Wen type of canvas, and I'm thrilled that she loves it...


I had the chance to create for my aunt Peggy this scrap canvas of the photo of my mom & her during my mom's visit to Melbourne last Oct, and all that Prima is just so suitable for their great garden photo together. My aunt's a fantastic quilter, and if you've been to her home, you'll just find heaps & heaps of beautiful handmade quilts, and she's made me this pink country flower quilt this time round when she visited, and the amount of time she took to just put it together. Thanks so very much Aunt Peggy, it's gorgeous!

I've been also working round my upcoming scrap class for The Scrapbook Carton in April, and this time round, i'm creating a mini 6"x6" album from scratch using American Craft's LetterBox series of products, and hand stitched to bind with yarn. Playing with border punches to create each page, it creates a dimension as we view the album from the side. Mini albums are great to record life moments, and stories which we want to tell, and for my mini album this time, it's going to be more words that photos cause having Kaylen in my life, i have loads to thank for. So i titled it "Thankful". For more details on this mini album class, write to classevents@thescrapbookcarton.com

Playing with latest scrapbook lines are always so much fun...I had the chance to create for The Art Republic at Novena Square this fun filled "Dear Lizzy" by American Craft using Kay's home photo...who says flowers are not for little boys.

Title" Grow Kay"

And another layout for The Art Republic using Prima's latest series of products, and it fits by wedding photo so well, and got to say that Prima's has got to be one of my favourite brands. I'm also totally in love with my latest purchase of Glimmer Mist in Vintage Pink, i'm sure it's going to be in most of my LO's to come.

Title" Today, Tomorrow, Always"

Scraping will always bring to me even loads of goodness cause i'm constantly working on photo of people i love dearly, if not creating that very special gift for them.

Have a great Monday you all, and thanks so much for giving my blog so much love.

Love ya!

I'll let the photos tell you the story....

We've just welcomed into our family over the weekend a brand new family member, and being a big sister, watching my brother getting married to the one he loves, I'm just happy to know that he's found that special someone, and now all ready to start his brand new journey with Cheryl as they walk this road of marriage together. Congratulations to you both!! Love ya!

At St.Xavier's Church in the morning for the church ceremony....my dear sis in law with her dad as he walks her in

Me & my sis-in-law Jianxi (whose wedding is coming in early April, and WOO HOO to yet another stunning & beautiful wedding in our family) before the church ceremony

Yes, Kay looking all smiley, and this is his latest smiley face

Anxious groom awaiting for his bride to come, and already sweating buckets

Before tea ceremony....all things customary

Cheryl all ready for the dinner march in and looking all stunning

These 2 sweet girls Yiwei my cousin, and Meizhen my dear sweet friend whom i watched grow up from their little girl days, and just look at how much they've grown up to. Already turning 17 soon!

My best friend Wendy & her mom Aunt Maggie who's our honoured guest. I'm so going to be seeing them soon for the upcoming wedding again in April...

Just the 3 of us over dinner...yes i'm so going to scrap a family photo of us....

Another happy couple soon to be "married" in April....my dear brother Yixi & Jianxi

The proud parents.....(from left my dad & mom, followed by Cheryl's mom & dad)

And my good ol' brother hengxi who's definitely beaming the whole entire day...love you brother, and thanks for having me as being a part of both yours & cheryl's happiest's day.

We've been all busy with the wedding, with having overseas relatives join us on this happy occasion, and i'm looking forward to having some scrappy moments to myself sometime tonight or in the next few days cause i certainly miss scrapbooking eversince Chinese New Year.

Have a great day!