I NEED to....

in random order lah....

1) save $$$ from my cupcake sales to NOT ONLY buy a bigger oven, but also customize its 'built-in' cabinet.....
(gosh! coz I can't see where I can squeeze in another oven in my current kitchen now.....and besides, such ovens require its own built-in cabinet......aduh...extra cost to me, that is!)

2) save $$$ from my handmade sales to get myself a serging machine.....and an electric sewing machine that can do buttonholes and have different stitch options! Both ain't cheap fyi ya...
(fyi, I already found its table...lol! Salvaged a metal table with caster wheels from Godma's unwanted-and-to-be-thrashed stuffs)...yeah, so now, I have the suitable table....but yet the machine itself...LOL! See the table? Pretty messed up huh? But worry not....I shall wave my magic wand (when I actually have ample free time, I don't know when....with my current schedule).....and turn this Raggedy Ann into Snow White! :D I have the colors and design in my head the moment I spotted this poor thang...yet the time....so be patient ya'll!


You might ask...."Why not just swipe those on my credit card or something?"

Well, yeah....credit card....I have come to learn from Oprah that....credit card is like the devil....'who' makes you spend money you don't already earn.....and people are S.T.U.C.K with this bad habit of destruction......how true is that? So, I have told myself to swipe my card in TWO circumstances only......

a) EMERGENCY of course...
b) When I have the cash to actually buy the thing but bringing cash is not convenient...., in short, it means, only buy with credit card when you actually have the money to pay for it almost quite instantly lah! lol!

Truth be told, I learnt a lot of things from Oprah...from her interior decorator Nate Berkus' tips on decorating, to the financial experts she had on her shows.....to the shrinks who talked and talked....I just wish I could watch her show every day...and learn a new lesson daily...but sorry lah.....haven't seen Oprah for quite some time......(gotta fix that!)

Did I mention that I recently helped my parents UN-clog their bedroom? Yeah, now you know....I learnt that from Oprah too! LOL! It's her "Clean Up Your Messy Home" campaign....no no no....don't get me wrong...my parents bedroom was NOT dirty what the heck.....but my dad aka the "HOARDER".....had kept toooo many unnecessary items till they 'clogged' the breathing space in their bedroom.......hah! No wonder he always complains he's unable to get a good sleep or rest at home!

So, as busy as I am.....I set on a task.....Mum couldn't be happier....coz she said: "He never listens to me, only you girls can talk him out on letting go of his hoarded junks" LOL!

So on one fine weekend, me and MY TEAM (= Z + K + M), headed on to mum's house (why we always call it MUM's PLACE, Mum's house and not DAD's place????). Thankfully, Dad was willing to let me touch, sort and throw then reorganize his stuffs......I think I threw out 50% of things......but of course, I didn't simply throw things okayyy.....hehe....

And just look at the junks that we should have discarded ages ago!!! Man!!! This is just 5% of the total items we got rid of that weekend you know..... :O

"Things you have not touched or used in the past 12 mths, THROW or DONATE"
-from The Oprah Show :D

So, items that are still usable but un-needed, we donated to the Salvation Army...some were taken by Dad's workers, this way, every good item did not go to total waste! Look at these cupboards here.....It's an ISSUE of organizational skill really....I opened his cupboards a-many.....and realized that Dad had a 'whimsical' organizational system......

He stored some stationeries in Cupboard A, some in cupboard C.....you get the flow....
So, I cleared and regrouped his stuffs according to TYPE, and placed em nicely in ONE place....thus, these 3 cupboards were made EMPTY!!! Yes, EMPTY!!! And that's how I managed to clear their bedroom off these 3 bulky unnecessary items!!! GOOD!!!


Using some leftover Murobond paints from our house, my teammate Z helped mum and dad paint their not-so-feature-able feature wall...which was half maroon, half white :P
***Sorry, again, I forgot to snap the "BEFORE" pix...as usual...too excited to get started to transform things....always always forgot to do that!!!

So this is the semi-final outcome......tadaaaa!!!! Gorgeous Aubergine shade.....
The week before, Mum , little sis and I went to buy her curtain fabrics....and see how the curtain matched the feature wall? (This is not yet the final outcome....I have to go there to snap the pix....haven't done that...will update here when I have it ya)....even their old-but-still-pristine bed set matched the new shade harmoniously...dont cha think???
So I told mum, the only thing she gotta 'fix' would be her FILI FALA flower power-ish bedsheet! LOL! Asked her to find one in matching shade, simple pattern to simplify the room even more....

As I am writing this, this bedroom already had the curtains hung up......there's more breathing space.....and definitely less crowded! Even though this is not some fancy 'makeover', I feel that we made the best of things with super minimum budget...and that's the real success...to me at least!

Have you spring-cleaned your space recently? It's fun.....HAHAHA!

mODE: B.U.S.Y

At times, I feel guilty for not saying "HI" to my blog.....but i think it will understand.... :D

So, the past week was crazy busy for me, first, I managed to complete this bag that I started 2 weeks ago.....and I'm loving it.....I think this is my first gem-ed handmade item....but I am happy for 'her' coz she'll have a new good owner :D


Then, in all craziness, I made myself a long wallet, copied the design from my favourite Burberry's long wallet, using the little square Japanese cotton remnant from the babes' dresses, but little did I expect this wallet in this print would generate such positive responses from friends and family alike! Making me wish I had bought more of this fabric.... :P

Truth is, I made it coz it's supposed to be my TEST wallet, coz Godma ordered a handmade long wallet for the son's girlfriend....for her birthday.....and yeah, I made hers too in the span of last week!
Then, there was a cupcake order that called for nearly 100 cupcakes....got me baking 4 batches and totaling an exact 100 pcs of these.....yummm!!!! I tell you, after finishing the whole baking that evening, my body felt as though I have just gone through mountain hiking!!!! LOL!
Then, I also made this cutee bear blankie comforter....It's for baby-toddler....unfortunately, it's just 3' x 4' and definitely too small for even Maia....so I am putting this one up for sale in POLKADOT + CUPCAKE!
More bakings to be done......these birthday cupcakes were ordered by a boyfriend for his girlfriend...how sweet eh.... hehe.....these are rich chocolate medium cupcakes with MATCHA buttercream.....oh, I gotta say....they complemented each other so well.........


And on Sunday, I am baking for an order by a friend to her church friends' 39th Anniversary! How exciting.....I mean, 39th....gosh.....maybe you know of many couples who made it that far, but are they making it that far and still very much in love? That's what you should find out.....LOL!
Was informed both of them love music....thus the theme....and I chose RED coz this shade represents L.O.V.E!!!
Okie, I better go.....I'll come back again when I feel inspired to write better! LOL! In the mean time, have a good productive week peeps!

Birds, Beessss....then B.a.b.i.e.s :D

15th July 2010, my younger cousin's wife gave birth to a baby boy Hariq Danesh Lee. Well, being the good aunt that I am...LOL! JOKING BIG TIME......okay!, I already packed a few baby gifts that I'll be sharing with Sis#2.....then, I remembered I used to make newborn baby shuz for Maia and decided to try my hands at em again this morning.......but this round, it's not red or pink....it's Houndstooth black and white :D.....How do you like em? Hehe....

Baby Hariq is Muslim born to a Muslim Melanau mummy and Chinese daddy (my cousin). I think these cute smart shuz will make visitors ooo ahhh during the upcoming Raya, no? :P
I added a Mandarin button at the side too...

Might consider making a few for Polkadot + Cupcake.....rain check!

When I am biggggg!!!

Those who know Z and I, would know that we always always only let the babes sit in their own respective carseats. So few days back, as I was stepping out of the car while Maia's still strapped in her carseat, she called out to me saying:

"mummy mummy!!!! carry me out......next time when I am bigggg, I carry you lah!"

hmmmmmphhhh!!!!!
Not sure to chuckle over that sentence or feel concerned...LOL!.....
Did she just 'bribe' me with a 'favor' or wad?!!!

Wad a weird weird day!!!

3 days ago on Wednesday that is....I nearly got ran down by a mommy who was dropping off her child at the kindie my two babes went to.....She reversed all of a sudden even though there's no need for her to do so considering there's so much space for her to go forward and make a u-turn, and I happened to be passing behind her halted car at that time after sending both Kyra and Maia to school.....gosh, good thing her 'beeper sensor' (whatever you call that thing that beeps irritatingly wen your car nears something) worked! Okay, that was weird thing #1.

Off I happily went to make my own apron, I don't own one......and as I was stitching the polkadottie waistband, somehow....stupidly.....I stitched my left index finger through and through, from top to bottom, right next to my fingernail! OUCH!!! Funnily, even when the needle was still INSIDE my finger, I didn't make a move or went "OUCH!".....truth be told, I just looked on the polkadots wondering what just happened! :D I think the polkadots made my vision bleary to differentiate my own finger and the dots! LOL! ooohhh...and only many many seconds later, I realized I have stitched into my own finger.....HAH.HAH! and slowly, lifted up the needle to release my bleeding finger.... :D and I could really see two holes, 1 up, 1 bottom.... yeah, crazy heh! Weird thing #2 of that day.


So you think after weird things #1 and 2, that would be enough for a day's event.....NO nou.....
my day had its own agenda......I suddenly had severe symptoms of UTI in the afternoon.....no early signs in the morning.....got me so puzzled and frustrated coz I couldn't even sit long enough to sew a stitch! SO there I was seated (finally)......in the toilet......with my seam ripper to rip off some seams of an old (but pretty new) panel curtain......I hate being unable to do anything.....so there I was.....

Sis#2 chuckled when I told her about the toilet scene.....she thought it was funny....hmmmm...

Then later in the afternoon, I could feel fever and chills creeping onto me.....not to mention lots and lots of pain in my lower abdomen.....gosh! At 6.35pm, we dashed out to the Dr's clinic waiting for him to open at 7pm, imagine how desperate I was.....

Okay, Dr assured me it's nothing serious, very common actually...must drink lotsa h2O! Take antibiotics and fever meds.....So I went home, take the meds, and ooohh....did I mention, I even baked carrot cupcakes before going to the Dr's? LOL! My big babe was 'wailing' about missing cupcakes and pizza......I felt guilty coz I oredi told her we would make pizza for dinner that evening, but due to my 'condition' pizza-from-scratch is totally impossible.....so I made her a consolation....her favourite carrot cupcakes.....at 1st, even Sis#2 asked if I was crazy to bake while I was supposed to be resting......hehe....

That's my weird wednesday......but come to think of it....(I guess I am a sucker for looking at the bright sides of anythings nowadays huh)......I made a very cute apron design, which even Sis#2 likes very much (she doesn't cook or bake).....I made the carrot cupcakes that got her friend to watsapp her to tell her how nice they were! That made me happy.... :D

my GUNNYbags!

A few days ago while accompanying mum at the fabric store to shop for fabrics to make her bedroom curtains, I stumbled upon this rugged gunny-sack kinda fabric.....at RM40 a meter, I think it's by far the most expensive fabric I ever purchased on my own! :P

And because I love anything 'gunny-sacky', so I told myself I had to stop sewing all my other orders to make a FIRST bag for myself....and so I did.....and THIS is the bag!
It has Japanese natural cotton with polkadot prints in Olive Green as the lining fabric.......
a roomy zippered pocket on one side......
and 4x patch pockets on the other, 1 for my handphone, 1 for my sunglasses, 1 for pen, 1 for my envirosax (or equivalent)! :D
Then, I made a matching wristlet for my lipsticks, blotting paper, tissue paper, hand sanitizer, comb, lil mirror and hairbands........this will go into the big brown bag of course.....
Later, I decided to add zipper to the big bag for security reasons, upon Z's advice.....which I later thought was rather needed....added a zipper tag too so that I won't have to fumble here and there searching for tat tiny zipper head! hehe!
The next day, which is TODAY, I made something I fell madly in lurveeee with.....this bag! (BELOW)
It took me many hours to get it done.....non-stop hours.....till I got so exhausted....I felt sleepy and so hungry...LOL! Some areas were truly hard to stitch with my manual not-so-mechanical-nor-electrical sewing machine, man!!! But I really loveeeeee this bag! It's for sale :O
The strap is detachable, so you can use it as a clutch bag if you wanna.....or you can attach one buckle to the other side to become a wristlet! Comes with magnetic closure.......and to me, I think the strap is kinda cute.....it's 'handwoven' too! Everything is built from scratch of course.....

And I really do hope whoever the owner of this bag is, will take really good care of it for the longest time possible.....coz I really poured my heart and soul into making it......I wish I do not have to sell it.......but then, I wish so with all my handmade items...so you get the flow.....I love em.....but I must learn to let go....so I can make more.... :[ If you're one who crafts your own things, you'd know the feeling....... :(
Like what you just saw? Hop over to POLKADOT + CUPCAKE's FB page and join us!!!

DURIAN

So it is said....when life throws you lemons, you make lemonade! SO, what happens say life throws you DURIAN?!! :O

Re-purposing the laundry room (PART 1)

SORRY, forgot to snap the "BEFORE" shot....but nevermind, it's just messy and wrong anyway...haha.....so THIS (below) is the "AFTER" shotsssss......but bear in mind, just the PART 1 ya!

I am truly glad that I have just the exact and enough space to slot in THREE units of LERBERG, ie the black metal shelves from Ikea....Exactly three units and not an inch left to spare! Phew!!! I'd be soooo arghhh if the 3rd one could not fit in by...say.....an inch?

Previously, I was just plain blurrrr to not put a thick rug in front of my washer and dryer coz I always had to kneel down in some instances to unload the laundry from washer then load em into the dryer.....and I was always mumbling to myself how much I hate to see the knees getting the 'wear and tear' by it......okie, problem solved! thick comfy rug for my knees.....happy laundry days any day now....haha!

Now you see why I had to re-purpose the laundry room? My kitchen can fit in stuffs alright, but under normal usage only...and when you have packs of flour and sugar and etcetera all in bulk, that's just abnormal for a normal kitchen......and that's when you need a P.A.N.T.R.Y! Well, it's nothing fancy but it neatens both my kitchen and laundry room up!!!

Near the windows, you have the wash basin, the giant washer and then dryer....
Every placement has its ergonomic consideration btw...LOL! You see, my washer opens to the left, that makes unloading and 'throwing' of washed laundry directly into the dryer which opens to the right, very smooth and ergonomic! :D I had the basin installed there before we even moved in, coz I know I'll need to wash my hands after handling the detergent :) and also the dogs which is just outside the door!

On the door grill itself, I hung an Ikea hamper or whatever you call it....for storing 'ocipalar' light but bulky items! And here.....there you see em....my "S, M, L, XL" I always call em.....hanging proudly protecting the plastic baggies from being abused! hehe!

Why did I say PART 1 for this post you wonder?
Well, I've gotten the wall brackets ready.....the only thing not ready is the MAN to do the drilling and installing..that's all... *hint hint*

Gonna add two wall shelves on top of the metal shelves......then make a 2-panel curtain to cover the entire 'pantry'....the only tiny problem is, I might have an issue on how to hang my panel curtains now that I lost our unused and new shower curtain rail somewhere in this house :O.....hmmmmm.....how could something as long as 6' go MIA???

:D

oh so busy....and random!!!!

NOT according to sequence btw.......manyyyyyy photos ahead....(but you like photos more than words, don't cha? I do)

* We (sis#3 and I) got mum a puppy for her birthday that's in September 2010. Yeap, laugh, chuckle, whatever....LOL! His name is KIDDO and is very cute.....wait...I go 'curi' (steal) his photos from Sis#3's FB album first.....

wait arh......


...............



...............





SEE!!!! Ain't he adorable!!!!!????? He's at the moment, less than 10" long only!

His pop's a Terrier while mom's a Shih Tzu. We bought him from my ex-school friend actually. I haven't seen him in a while....heard from sis, he's getting naughtier by the day! Cutie pip!!! So, you already knew what we got mum for her 'upcoming' birthday......hahahaha!

*******************

I got a birthday cupcake + cake order to be delivered last Friday, and I had to stay up till 2am to finish it ....got me sooooooo worn out the next day.......and I told myself: "NEVER AGAIN should you accept such last minute cake order, girl!" Noted...noted.....

Anyway, here it is....birthday babe's born in the year of the Pig (Chinese calendar), her name is Joey (like me!) and she turned 3, while I turned 3-0! :P





Well, I have my SIS#2 to thank for assisting me from 8.45pm to almost midnite with the moo-moo calf especially.......but anyway, it's always a lot of fun working with her (not in the office I mean! LOL!)...coz most times, we don't even have to complete our sentences and we just "ok, got it!" auto-mode! I guess growing up playing and fighting together did benefited us...or at least me? :D

SO, u like my pig? hahahahaha!!!!


Wait....got another cupcake thingie to share with u....but you'll have to wait....
my hands!!! my hands!!! they are itching to sew something.....gosh, I didn't have the time to sew the entire weekend!!! I tell you why.....

1st, it started on Friday nite when I baked Godpa's birthday cupcakes till midnite......

Then, before I knew it....it was already Saturday and I had to fetch Godma from her office and go check out kitchen sinks with her for her new home.....that ended at 3pm.

Then, there was his birthday dinner that we all organized at their place.....done, the entire Saturday was gone! Here's my two babes singing the bday song, as usual....It's almost like their national anthem already, and they usually do it in three different languages :D


And here, check out the cupcakes.....me likey the laebit!


See the pile of fondant with a toothpick sticking out below?
That's Maia's creation, it's her version of bday cake + candle...
(I beg you to forgive her...she's only 2.5 year old LOL!)

Errr......the green lump on a stick,
(kinda her style eh)...is also Maia's.....she said it's a lollipop....
later she said it's satay! :P

The veined butterfly and 'face' was created by Kyra specially for my Godpa's bday...
I didn't expect a pretty well-cut veined butterfly from my 4.25 year old actually...
but again, I guess I underestimated her little fingers....
(in fact, all the veined butterflies here were hers)

These were butterscotch cupcakes with buttercream frostings btw.


SUNDAY! today...yeap yeap!
We started the day 'ferrying' Euro (our male labrador) from my in-laws' to our house....
Then I got a very last minute cupcake order from who-else-would-I-oblige-for-but SIS#2! LOL!
So, off to the kitchen....baking it was....and this is the simple classic chocolate cupcakes with a hidden layer of choc ganache topped with fresh cream frosting!

YUMMMMMY!!!


Then at 3+pm, Mum and Dad and SIS#3 arrived, so we went to Godma's to move a few SUPER heavy furniture items to my place......the stuffs she won't be bringing to new home that is!
Let u see....

See that set of outdoor table and 6 stools made of concrete but fashioned like wood?
Yeap.....I'm loving it very much there.....they feel right here...LOL! But you know how darned heavy they were???? Luckily I have a strong sista, cousin and Godpa around! whooshhh!!!


And this poor prickly baby.....would be abandoned when they move house....so I adopted it....
See my feet there? Just for comparison.......size comparison lah....

Okie....enough photos and words to blurrrr you out for the nite.....go to sleep! Nite nite!!! Sweet cupcakey dreams yo! :D

(I hope I'll find time to post some photos of the newly organized and RE-purposed laundry room tomorrow.....)