So anyhow, I'm getting around to posting some updates now, remembering the parting word of cheeky girl when we met up during CNY - "Update your blog!"... geez.. I had no idea any of you are still following my blog.
What have been keeping me busy? Lots! Right after Christmas and New Year celebrations, we've been busy shopping for Chinese New Year. And I don't mean clothes shopping (though I couldn't resist purchasing a few pieces.. just a few!). I mean how much drinks, cookies and tidbits to buy, how to know who would turn up at our house? What does one bring home for the in-law? And parents? And how much angpow to estimate and pack? So we did the best we could and hopefully have not offended anyone (I can imagine hubby snickering at this point and adding "too bad if they think otherwise!").
Apart from food shopping, I was 'pre-occupied' with CNY home decor. So I obsessed for weeks before deciding to buy what was needed for how I envisioned our home would be decorated. Nothing overly traditional nor too much red. Mind you, it wasn't easy with a hubby who would have been fine with me buying bunches of (dried or real) pussy willow, or (darker or lighter pink, fake) cherry blossoms or (thicker or thinner) bamboo stickers for all he cares. But to his credit, he carried and fitted them all into the car. No easy task for they are at least 6 ft long or some definitely longer, to be fitted into out little car (no sweetheart, this is not your cue to change car).
I spent hours arranging the bamboos, pussy willow and tying the cherry blossoms to them
And another few hours moving it to another location and re-arranging each stick, trying to experiment (I have no proper training in flowers arrangment!)
The paper lanterns! I fell in love with them when I saw them at Parkson as part of their CNY decor. I simply must have them! (had no idea where to hang or how to hang them before buying)
Side note : I can totally imagine a wedding with all these hanging at the venue. Might even change my colour theme to orange if they were selling then! They had pink too.. so romantic that I can come up with a wedding inspiration board based on that. Hmm.. if only Parkson sells them whole year round.. in multi colours! What a lost of opportunity for them.
Aaahh.. I love them! :) It wasn't an easy task, doing this alone. I climbed up and down the ladder endless time, not having someone to pass the next lantern to me, not being able to tell if the length of the ribbons was alright, not being able to estimate the distance of each lantern up close. It was hard work.
So lovely, yet it costs me nothing
Twigs - picked by daddy
Flowers - from previous year CNY decor
Vase - a gift (darling, remember?)
I spent a day back at parent's home helping sis decorate the cherry blossoms tree too. It's like a family tradition and I didn't want to miss out just because I'm married!
Ever watched Ben 10? That's an interpretation of Four Arms on the mandarin orange by hubby. There were others like Batman and Spiderman's logo too..
We spent a lot of time hanging out with our families, visiting relatives (given that this is our first year of marriage, we decided to be generous in distributing some angpows) and met up with some friends too. But this post is full of pictures of my nieces and nephew only simply because their cuteness prompted me to carry my camera around (I snapped some during luncheon and dinner with friends too, but those are already in Facebook).
The kids snacking on junk food.. it's CNY afterall
Mostly, they love hubby for playing with them
Posing with the decor
Splashing in the kiddy pool
The must-have yee sang (minus the fish) and our usual vegetarian steamboat on Chap Goh Mei. Prawns were cooked especially for hub who still can't fathom why 'luncheon meat' and 'meat balls' are not what they seemed to be.
After dinner, the kids were out playing firecrackers - those pop pop snappers. And once those were gone, they were running around playing catch with hubby while the rest of us observed.
To catch his own breath, hubby had them sitting down doing meditation instead.. hilarious!
The storyteller's concoction of a fairy-tale turned Goldilocks and the Three Bears into a horror story! (Eldest niece was feeling blues after a fall while running outside)
And hence, Chinese New Year was over in a blink. I have thereafter moved on to my next project..
Up next : Festivities Recap Part 2 - Valentine's Day
1 comment:
my name is mentioned... with all the time... u shld update yr blog daily... hee... =0
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