Thursday, December 31, 2009

Keep On Keeping On

Do you have a dream?
Susan Boyle showed us something this year
That little insecurity in all of us
That dream that we never really forgot
And the importance of chasing it
What is your dream
That you will be chasing?
Happy New Year
May 2010 be your best year yet!

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!!

We are finishing up the last presents for our kids
We had all those left over wrapping paper
So we are making something really quick for girls
Our girls don't get enough time with us individually
So we made some tickets for girls to use
And put them in glass jars
So we can have fun all year long doing fun stuff
It is 1:30am now
So we are finally going to sleep...
But before I go
Merry Christmas!!
I am hoping you a wonderful day with many cheers :)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Tote Bags

I finished making matching tote bags for my girls last night
And I am going out to buy chocolates, cookies and other sweets to stuff in them for Friday

I did stuff their stockings with sweets last year
And I didn't know I needed SO MUCH sweets to fill them
....I think I made them high from so much suger
....Because they were SO HAPPY
....And kind of crazy

So
I made matching tote bags with left over fabrics this year
Just for little bit of sweets

So far
Me and girls are being good
And avoiding sweets and hot cocoa this holidays
So we can be really bad on Christmas day :)

Happy Wednesday
Are you done with Christmas shopping?

Monday, December 21, 2009

How To Watch TV During The Holidays

The right way to watch TV during the holidays
According to my kiddies
Is like this

You might already know
That no girl likes to lose

So if someone dare to steal one of those
She will chase you
And let you know how important those things are
To watch TV
With a karate chop
Instead of using those things inside wrapping papers as swords to beat each other
Which they have done in the past


It is this in 2009


I will put names on each of those tonight
So I don't need to see any more karate chops coming out of my girls
....Who ever said girls are easy?



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Lost Treasure

Do you remember your stuffed animal or a toy you loved when you were a child?
Or a music that brings out a lot of memories?
I found pictures of my girls few years back that brought out a lot of memories
I took them during a trip to Japan

The trip had a special meaning for me
Because one of our children didn't come out of my tummy
She came out of my sister's tummy

And with all the twist and turns
She became our baby
And came to the US as a year old
But the baby had difficult time adjusting

So she had terrible one
And terrible two
And terrible three
And terrible four

And I started questioning myself as a mother
And a person

Part of me knew
She was longing to go back

But I knew
She has no family to go back to anymore

So I couldn't visit my family for a long time
And finally, we did a few years ago
I met her as a day old newborn
And by then she had lost her mother already
So she had to go through many caretakers
Until she joined our family

She didn't come out of my tummy
But I did go through very difficult labor for her
Which took me several years
To become her mother

So I am thankful
To just be
A mom


What are you thankful for?
Happy Wednesday and stay warm!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Slowly...

I have finally started to put Christmas decorations (besides Christmas tree that is)
This year I was too lazy to bring out all the boxes of decorations
So I used antique silver items I have been collecting
With left over Christmas decorations
(Above our old piano)
(Lauren's pine corns from a park in antique silver bowl along with Chloe's old books)


I am planning to put more out...but it will require a little more time...
Just a quick sharing with you...


Happy Monday
and
Stay warm :)

Friday, December 4, 2009

Prepping For Friday Night Dinner

Just a peek...

Prepping for Friday night dinner...
With a special guest...

I am not cooking tonight
So I am lighting candles instead

Wish you a wonderful night!!

Advent Wreath

I saw an article of a Swedish holiday decoration
And the home had an Advent wreath with candles hanging above dining table
And then I saw some more Advent wreath
Hanging over dining area like a chandelier
In many blogs from Sweden
So I thought I might be able to make one for our house :)
But then encountered a problem....

If I stick candle sticks like the ones I saw
I might start fire...

So I went to get some tea candles
To place on the wreath
All the material here came from Michael's

Did you go there this holiday season?
All beautiful Christmas decorations are now 50% off
So I picked some for this wreath

And I am thinking about getting a very small Christmas tree (a real one)
So I can use Christmas cookie cutters
And bake cookies to decorate the tree

I am so~ enjoying to see all the Christmas decorations in many blogs :)


Happy Friday
And
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Inspiration

Everyone has at least one person who inspires them
Mine lives in Japan
And she turned her new house into this
She distressed wood and aged them outside
And used them inside her newly built house
To give character
I am a big fan of old house
And never thought a newly built house can be this charming


Anyway

I have a new Christmas lighting project
That I am hoping to share with you soon


Til then...
Stay warm :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

Remember Those Doors?

Remember when I bought 2 doors for $20 from my neighbor?
The two unfinished over sized doors
That made me look crazy to that someone's eyes?
Well, I finished them!!!!
I layered many paints and dark stains to make it look antique
And added a huge mirror that has been sitting in our garage
To make one of the doors into a trumeau mirror for our living room

And the other door
Which is a double glassed door
Turned into a room divider
Because our old cottage is like many other old house
That doesn't have a foyer
And when you walk into our house
It is just one open space

So I used it to divide our living room from the door way
Without completely blocking out the natural light

So when I finally finished
I earned my right to tell that special someone

Ha! Ha!
See? I wasn't crazy :) :)

I am just a little frugal and handy
Which makes him a very lucky husband ;)

Happy Monday!!!

Hello, Christmas Tree

Hello!!
We've been waiting for you
The time with a tree with lights
This is our new tree
White tree
With white, green and silver ornaments

But if I leave it to girls to decorate
And go to do dish washing
They might add something green to the Christmas tree
While I am not there

Something green like this
Comes out from girl's room
That naughty green one
Grinch...is...sitting...on...the...tree...

I didn't take many pictures
But it is quite pretty at night
So
I will wait to take more pictures after dark
To share with you some other time :)


Did you get your tree yet?

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Sunday Morning

We've been having very warm Thanksgiving weekend
So first thing to do today was
Going to the beach
And just have fun :)

We'll decorate the tree tonight
So I'll share that with you tomorrow...

Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Three Little Leg Warmers

I have been having serious dark circles under my eyes
Like a Panda Bear
And I have been a panda bear
With serious dark circles
Who sips coffee all day long
Because I have been knitting three little leg warmers for my girls
As stocking stuffer
And since they are for Christmas
I had to hide and knit late at night
Which really tested this night owl
When we were awaiting the birth of our children
The only thing that mattered
Was
They grow old happy and healthy

And
We hoped to be that wise parents
Who can teach them what's important in life

But
"Keeping up with the Jones"
Always sneaks into our mind
And sometimes we do too much
And take away
Something precious in life

Is giving coolest toys for Christmas really that important?
Should the amount of toys make us proud or sorry as parents?

Sometimes I want to ask me
Me in 1999

When we were soon to be parents
We had just a simplest wish
To be a happy family
Not from having many things
But having many invisible things that make life special
So as I knit and sew
I am hoping to go back in time
And
Be me with the simplest wish....
Who would laugh out loud for such a silly dilemma...
Who would also tell me...
Love is all we need


Sunday, November 22, 2009

Picnic

We have been having warm weather
So when we set out to have a picnic
And take some pictures for Christmas cards
There was no way I could dress our girls in layered clothes
They might do it if they were professional models
And getting paid
But they are not
So I ended up dressing them in summer clothes
Paired with winter accessories
And red cheeks for being too hot
It has been too warm
We don't even have golden leaves...
They are all leafy with really green leaves...
For our Christmas pictures...
And when it takes 30 minutes to get there
Little one is sleeping happily in her seat
And she won't be running like those two
She will either be held for pictures
Or
If I put her on the ground
She will hang on
To Chloe's hat
And circle around
To make a point

So we'll go again next week
Hoping it gets a little cooler
So they don't have to dress in summer clothes for our Christmas cards :)

Thank You Girls

It was Kanon and Lauren's Shichigosan

Shichigosan means 7 5 3 in Japanese
They celebrate kids aged 7, 5 and 3 in November
Because too many small kids used to die before reaching those age long time ago
So parents put their kids in little kimonos to appreciate
And celebrate the milestones

So we took the girls to a Japanese garden
To take pictures
And remember
How lucky we are


And when we dress two girls in kimono
There will be one who says
I wanted to...
So
We celebrated
Our girls
Aged 10, 7 and 3 :)

Thank you girls...
And I love you...