All By Myself

Sad to announce that I have to get used to being by myself from this year onwards..... on sundays only! Eldest gurl being 24 is independent and living on her own; second gurl just started serious training at AirAsia.... and studying for exams.

So I went out by myself and stashed mags for work and crafts, threads, knitting needles, crochet needles. Even went for a long overdue facial!





I finished the bed runner on saturday and here are the pictures:

Something made me smile!

Hey ladies,

This mini pitcher plant was purchased by me on Mother's Day this year. The bazaar at Subang Parade had a fair for the event and this nice gentleman had this wonderful stall dedicated to pitcher plants.




I am glad to say that the plant did florish under my TLC! It had only two pitchers when I bought it and look! There are three new ones and a couple more coming!

NNCC from Janet to me!

The NNCC exchange is a first time at card making for many of us at NNC, but we all had fun doing it!

Here is Janet's card to me ~ with smiling blooms! (Sad to report my card to her do not have smiling blooms!)

Bookmark in my favorite foodie theme !

Look at what Nik stitched just for me!



An ice-cream sundae with chocolate fudge topping with whipped cream and cherry! LOL, too bad its only cross stitch! What a yummy yummy gift! Thanks Nik for the trouble and time you took to stitch this just for me!

Flurry Bed Runner

I decided it will be fruitless for me to try knitting with this yarn, so crochet it was! Simple stitches and viola, a bed runner in the making!









I make it longer to cover the width of a kingsize bed and its gonna be at least foot in width when done. I just started on the third ball of yarn at time of posting.

Lovely rich color, isnt it?

Stitching Updates

For the past couple of nights I have been working on my Long Dog sampler piece and here is the current result! Enjoying the colors on bands three and four.



Please to say that I started on the DT Gameboard too! Here is the result of the first week! Found a piece of shiny blue 18ctn fabby which I got off Yasmin and am happy plodding away on the first set! Wish me luck to get through the first piece!

Stash given and Stash bought

Mmmph, look at what I got off Reen! Yarn and patterns!





And Reen is an absolute darling to have remembered that I collect Chinese porcelain spoons! What a cute pair! And Thanks! Reen for the butterfly thingies!

50th Merdeka (Independence) Day Sale at NeedleLittleLove!

I just received my Merdeka Day Sale purchases from Jean’s online shoppe, NeedleLittleLove! DT Gameboard sampler chart, Kelmscott Designs heart thread rings, Kelmscott curious cat needleminder and a fat quarter of 32ct Ivory Jobelan.


I adore the Curious Cat Needleminder! Mmph, wonder what is on its curious mind! The Heart Thread Rings was a whimsical purchase! But the 32ct Ivory Jobelan – oh scary!


And here is what I stitched so far on the Long Dog Sampler!

Cushion Cover Exchange, CCE

Had problems uploading pictures of Charlene's CCE to me at the group site, but here they are finally!

Look dramatically striking on a dark background!



And demure on a light background! Look equally good both ways!



And buttons and buttons holes! Have not done any button holes for a long time!


Thanks Charlene for a lovely piece in our CCE. And from MyAuntsAttic too, Wow!

My CCE to Barbara J!

Although I finished the primary stitching for the three pieces much earlier, I managed to delay their sending off to the recipient a week after the dateline! Any way, hope they were worth the wait!

This is how I finished the stitched pieces, with red and white check cotton and to be attached to the cushion covers by four white buttons with a floral centre.



BJ loves French Redwork, so Casamia is the easiest thing I can remember the link to!


I can not recal where is heart freebie is from, but I really enjoyed doing the borders!


And this is one of the three freebies from The Gift of Stitching EMag, and which MW worked hard to get them for those of us in the dark! The heart part was done sometime ago but I added the borders just for BJ! This piece was for the bonus cushion cover measuring 20" length x 11-1/2" height cushon which is good for lower back support while at your desk.

Update on LDMSal

I have only been stitching on the LDMS and here is where I am at right now!

1st Day of a New Lunar Month

There are two auspicious days in any given Lunar month (Chinese calendar) and today is the 1st day of a new month, Choh Yat. The other day being the 15th day - Choh SabNg. Some folks will observe these days by going vegetarian for the whole day on these two dates.

And thanks to this practice, look what I found at the wet market today? One of my favorite Chinese treats ~ AngKoo Kueh! A Bonanza find I must add - seven flavours all at one go.



Ground peanuts with sugar filling, red bean paste filling, pandan custard filling, sweet coconut filling, green bean paste filling, sweet corn paste filling, taosar paste filling!

And here is my favorite place to search for recipes!

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=211

Upcoming Festival Goodie!

Look what I had this evening, Ping Pei Mooncake with Lotus Paste Filling with Salted Egg Yokes, enjoyed with Chinese tea!





* For readers from abroad, there are two types of mooncakes, with baked pastry to be eaten as it is and that with unbaked skin to be eaten chilled. Ping Pei mooncake is the unbaked version. And then are jelly mooncakes!

And here is the link to simple to make at home mooncake:
http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2389

Updates on X-Stitch WIP

Love the 17"x17" Qsnaps I bought from 1-2-3 recently and I managed to use it with the stand too! As at today:

Finished a third motif for the 1826!



Finishing the second band of the LDMS!



Love my Qsnaps! Was certainly a good buy!

Look what I got!

Here is what I got myself last week at Amcorp Mall, in line with the 6pds or 8.9Euros that Mirre and friends have been spending on one thrifting trip. Here is what I got for MYR38!



Three pieces of batek napkins in my favorite color at MYR1.50 a piece!


Two pieces of crochet placemats at MYR4.50 a piece:


Additions to my Chinese spoon collection: A pair of same design at MYR0.50 and MYR3.00 per piece for the flower designs


At a charity stall, bought 3 pieces of tiny mugs at MYR5.00 and MYR10.00 for the pair of seashells fossils:

HEALTH ~ QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

**HEALTH** QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them On exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafyvegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodnessthat way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger!!!!!! . You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? **HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOOHOO, What a Ride"

Latest Addition to Inventory!

Look what came in today!


A larger than life mirror:



Close up of woven PU frame:



You could opt for woven rattan finish:

Since Mum is the Word on XStitch......

Since we cannot post pictures of our pieces for the Cushion Cover Exchange, might as well update you on my recent packed lunch (no, not home cooked!). Just something I picked up from a shop in Taman Maluri.



Yong Tau Foo
Ingredients
• 500 to 600g Spanish mackerel (ikan tenggiri); flake and keep bones and skin for stock
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 4 tbsp ice water
• 1 block beancurd, halved
• 1 bittergourd (seeds removed), cut into 2cm thick rings
• 4 red chillies, slit down the middle and seeds removed
• 5 ladies´ fingers, slit down the middle and seeds removed
• 5 small fried beancurd (tau fu pok), halved

Method
Mince fish. Add salt, pepper, water and tapioca flour. Stir in one direction to get a sticky paste with a springy texture.

Stuff the paste into the vegetables, beancurd and tau fu pok. These stuffed vegetables can be used for the yong tau foo soup.

Yong Tau Foo SOUP
Ingredients
3 litres water
150g anchovies (ikan bilis), washed well and drained
2cm piece old ginger, lightly bruised
5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly bruised
1 chicken stock cube
l tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar or to taste

Method
Bring water to a boil. Add anchovies and the rest of the ingredients and simmer over medium to low heat for one hour. Strain the stock and use as soup base.



Chee Cheong Fun
Ingredients
• 580ml to 590ml water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil

Combine and sift:
• 110g rice flour
• 15g corn flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp tang meen fun or wheat starch flour

Method
Put combined sifted flour into a mixing bowl. Add water gradually to mix into a smooth batter. Mix in salt and oil then leave aside for one hour. Strain the batter.

Steam the sheets of chee cheong fun over rapid boiling water for five minutes until cooked. Roll up immediately.

And here is my favorite item from Just Heavenly: Banana Pie!

Just as I was thinking of dresses and so forth....

Chanced upon this blogger with interesting stories to tell. Enjoy!

http://www.dressaday.com/archive/2007_07_01_archive.html