Thurs 4//19 :: Hunger Games

Have you watched the hunger games yet? I watched it a few weeks ago and ended up reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay right after. It was so good. The series did not disappoint. I was actually pretty happy with the ending and enjoyed having something fun to read in the evenings after the kids were in bed. Have you read the books? Did you like the ending?

p/s I made the free printable for MAAD April but I didn't manage to be there in the end. I will definitely be at MAAD on 4 May. Put it in your diary now!

Thurs 4//19 :: Hunger Games

Gift idea :: Stamp your own Muji Bag

:: Stamp your own bag at MUJI ::

This is a really fun idea that I chanced upon when I was at Muji last week. For as little as $1.90, you can personalize a bag using the in-house stamps that they have for no extra charge! 

They carry them in 3 sizes: 

B5 $1.90

A4 $2.30

A3 $2.90

I think this would be such a fun gift idea for a friend or maybe even for mother's day which is sneaking up on us pretty soon. 

Here are some fun quotes for you:

- Dreams don't work unless you do

- I'm not weird. I'm limited edition.

- Stop saying I wish. Start saying I will.

- Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.

- I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.

- Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing's going to get better. It's not. (The Lorax)

- Even the best fall down sometimes.

- Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.

- Don't forget to be awesome.

What would you put on the bag? 

Gift idea :: Stamp your own Muji Bag

Wedding Gift Idea :: Cheongsam Inspiration

:: Cheongsam-inspired earrings made for my friend ::

As you may know, I have been busy working on a couple of cheongsam inspired pieces of jewelry for the National Museum of Singapore. This inspired me to create a gift for a friend who recently got married. For her tea ceremony, she had chosen a salmon pink cheongsam with red floral prints. She looked stunning and I thought it would be fun to make her earrings to match them or remind her of that day cos honestly, there aren't that many occasions to don a cheongsam.  

This is how you can do it too:

Step 1: Obtain photos of the printed dress - I downloaded photos from my friend's Facebook account

Step 2: Print out the photos - I did this on my laser printer

Step 3: Glue on the glass pebbles and leave it to dry. I let it dry overnight.

Step 4: Cut around the glass pebble and then simply adhere to the earring backing.

And that's it! You have made a meaningful wedding gift that your friend will appreciate for the years to come. 

* The diy earring gift kit can be found at the Gift Wrapsody store.

Wedding Gift Idea :: Cheongsam Inspiration

Easter DIY :: FREE Resurrection Eggs Printable

:: Printable Resurrection Eggs ::

Resurrection Eggs are a meaningful and fun way to tell the story of Easter. I made this set of Resurrection Eggs for my kids last year using plastic eggs and filling them with miniature props. I even used it at church last year and the kids listened intently.

:: Resurrection Eggs ::

This year, I wanted to replicate this for the kids at church but it can be tricky finding plastic eggs in Singapore, not to mention, costly. So I decided to create a paper version of Resurrection Eggs.

:: The image is at the back and the verses are sandwiched in the middle ::

I thought this might be useful for other families who might want to use it as a story prop. So here is the free printable with the links below.

I hope you like this meaningful and fun Easter activity.

Resurrection Eggs Printable Page 1 - Easter Eggs

Resurrection Eggs Printable Page 2 - Images

Resurrection Eggs Printable Page 3 - Verses

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut out the Egg shapes

Step 2: Lay out Page 1 then Page 2 and for the verses on Page 3, flip them around.

Step 3: Punch a hole at the top using a hole puncher

Step 4: Fasten the 'Eggs' together using a paper fastener.

Happy Resurrection Sunday everyone!

Easter DIY :: FREE Resurrection Eggs Printable

Happy Easter ::

:: The Easter Egg Wreath on our front door ::

It is Resurrection Sunday and it is such a joy to celebrate that our Lord is Risen! Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Easter ::

Easter DIY :: Colouring Marbleized Easter Eggs

:: Happy Easter ::

Hi everyone, how are you? I hope you are enjoying the long weekend so far. I only found out recently that Good Friday is not a public holiday in the US unlike Singapore. In the UK, they get Good Friday and Monday off as well. In parts of Europe, apparently Thursday and Friday is a holiday. Whatever the case, I am glad we get a long weekend. 

Easter is my favorite holiday because I am christian and it holds the most meaning for me.

I love celebrating it with meaningful activities with the kids. This morning, we dyed easter eggs and baked resurrection rolls. Easter eggs are a simple reminder that Jesus conquered death and brought us new life. 

I decided to dye hard-boiled eggs like we did last year. But I tried a little variation. I tried this marbling technique a few years ago and I really love how the eggs turned out. It is really simple. 

All you need is:

- white eggs (brown eggs work too but the colors can be less vibrant)

- food coloring

- white vinegar

- oil

- containers (i used black ikea cups-to avoid stains)

Step 1: Boil the eggs.

Step 2: Prepare containers with 1 part food coloring, 1 part oil, 1 part white vinegar. I used 1 tbsp here. 

I find that a little less oil helps create nicer patterns cos I had a smaller surface area to drop the egg into. The vinegar helps to intensify the colors. The oil creates the marbling effect.

Step 3 : Dip the eggs as you wish. We tried dipping them halfway by holding it halfway into the dye

Step 4 : Dip the eggs in another color.

We also used labels and cut them up and stuck them on the eggs before dipping. We removed them once the eggs were dry.

Here are some of the nicer eggs. I left some in a little too long and those didn't have the marbling effect. They ended up solid red or blue which weren't as pretty so I didn't include them here.

The kids had fun and I loved coloring them too. My younger son kept stopping to eat the eggs though. He loves eggs but only the egg whites. So he had quite a couple today :)  

Easter DIY :: Colouring Marbleized Easter Eggs

Good Friday ::

Good Friday ::

National Museum of Singapore :: The Museum Shop

 

So I made my way down to the National Museum of Singapore (NSM) last week to check out the line of accessories that I had made for the National Museum. When you enter NSM, there is a museum shop on your right and that is where my accessories are.

Okay I am speechless. It is pretty cool just seeing them in that case even though it is just plastic.

As you can see, they are being sold under the Museum Label. The Museums have recently begun to create a range of products under the Museum Label that will be sold across their museums. The Museum team are an innovative bunch and their Museum label seeks to incorporate art and heritage into their line.

I love how these jewelry aren't just pretty pieces but they hold a story. Each piece contains fabric that is linked to our past in a special and intricate way. Lots of these items will make great gifts. 

There are cufflinks, bracelets, earrings, pins, hair clips and pendants available. The pieces are priced between $12 - $28 per piece.

But while you are there, make sure you browse the other items. Have you seen these cheongsam collars? Don't they look fun?

Here is how they look worn on a mannequin.

Don't miss these decals. I would definitely buy these if I had girls. At $3, they are a steal. 

Aren't the figures gorgeous? Perfect for gifts or for traveling. 

I think I might buy one for myself! Haha.

Well, thanks for sharing my excitement! And if you do visit the Museum, don't forget to check out the Museum shop! :) 

National Museum of Singapore :: The Museum Shop

National Museum of Singapore :: In the Mood for Cheongsam

I have a confession to make. As a young girl, I found museums to be boring. This probably lasted way into my teens too!

But sometime during my twenties, I started taking an interest in art, heritage and history. One of my favorite things about holidays abroad is museum-hopping. Not only is it normally relatively quiet but I think it has to do with marveling at the creators and makers that belong to the past generations. How their creations have transpired over time, the reasons, the history and the creativity. All of it inspires me.

Well on Thursday, I made a visit to the new exhibition at the National Museum - In the mood for Cheongsam and was excited about spending a morning there on my own.  

Outside the exhibition, there is an kid activity corner which was very well planned. There is a section that introduces patterns in fashion and their names. 

Another section allows for a little hands-on play as children are invited to make cheongsam patterns through the use of stencils.

 

Now here is a peek at the exhibition.

:: Cheongsams take on a slimmer silhouette due to western influence ::

:: The wearing of black cheongsams as day and evening wear became more widespread

in the 1950s because of Modernisation and Westernisation ::

:: Cheongsams with Floral Motifs ::

:: Cheongsams with Psychedelic Motifs ::

Then it was time to take a peek at Cheongsams worn by the the wives of our past presidents.

:: Here were a few of Mrs Benjamin Sheare's Cheongsams ::

:: Mrs Wee Kim Wee's Cheongsams::

:: Mrs Ong Teng Cheong's Cheongsams::

I thought I took a photo of the Mrs Lee Kwan Yew's cheongsams but I can't seem to find it. You will just have to make your way down to check it out. The last section of the exhibition highlights certain modern day transformation of the cheongsam and that was very interesting. Although small, I enjoyed that section and am sure you will too. 

The exhibition is open till June so find a friend and head on down!

National Museum of Singapore :: In the Mood for Cheongsam

Meaningful Weddings :: Flowers that show personality

Let your personality shine through your floral bouquets. New wedding inspiration over at the Wedding Wrapsody blog.

Meaningful Weddings :: Flowers that show personality