Ah Niu's New Tuxedo

This is a true story.  It was about twenty five years ago.  My friend brought these stuffed animals from Hong Kong and gave them to us as wedding gift.  They have always been together and have been sitting on top of our headboard in our bedroom since the first day we were married.  They moved with us to several houses and they were always placed in the same location, even we moved to different houses.

They went through the ups and downs with us all these years.   They witnessed how we raised our kids. If it hadn't been for the valentine's card I received from my husband, I would have not remembered that we had been married for almost 25 years.   I then realized Ah Niu (the groom's name for the cow) and his wife had been with us all these years.

I noticed Ah Niu had lost his hat and tuxedo.  I also noticed his shoulder was beginning to fall apart.

But his wife still looks just as good as the first day she arrived.


I feel very fortunate to still have these two stuffed animals with us after all this time.  After days of futility to find Ah Niu's tuxedo, I decided to make a new tuxedo for him.  Because I don't know how to sew, I went online to search for some tutorial videos hoping to learn to sew properly.  Unfortunately, I didn't find any clips to show how to cut the pattern for a stuffed animal.  So I began to brainstorm myself with whatever I learned from the internet.

I used a vanilla card board to roughly measure Ah Niu's body and cut the pattern out first.  Then pinned the fabric on the pattern and cut it quarter inch bigger as seam allowance.  It was a little difficult to deal with when it was time to sew the shoulder area. I left out the sleeves and collars, since I wasn't good with sewing. I was afraid it would look terrible after all the effort; that's why I only made a simple tuxedo.  I remembered Ah Niu originally had a golden chain. I then looked through some old jewelry and found these gold chains that I bought from Singapore and thought they were perfect because they both have the same sentimental value to me.



 I added a new bow tie on him.  Now look at the handsome Ah Niu:


I thought I should also give something new to his wife.  I used the broach I found from the box and pinned it on as part of her necklace. Look at them now, aren't they a lovely couple?

It was fun to do this project.  Not only I get to save something sentimental, but it's always good to learn something new.  The internet is a great way to learn anything you wish these days.  All you need is some willingness to explore. 

Artist Paint Brushes Holder

Artst paint brushes and tools are expensive. I have been wanting to make a paint brush holder to protect all the artist painting tools I used in my oil painting class. I did not want to make a fabric holder which you can roll up and go.  I wanted to use a hardboard that can protects brushes from damage.  It also needs to be great at displaying and transporting  the brushes, pencils and small tools.

I went to Joann Fabric store and see what I could find.  The ladies from the store gave me these cardboard to use. 

I randomly found some fabrics and ribbons at home and started to do some designing.  I covered the board with fabric first, and then measured and sew the slots for the tools that are going to be inserted.  I also stitched elastic band to hold the brushes/pencils in place for easy access.

This is what it looks like when finshed:

This project only took me two and half hours to finish.  The great thing was I didn't have to spend any money by looking for recyling scrap items that were laying around everywhere.

Cleaning Out The Refrigerator

I have been wanting to clean my refrigerator for awhile.  The weather has been up and down these past few weeks.  The temperature would soar up to 90 degree at some points, then lower to 65 on other days.  It has been much cooler these past few days.  I decided to start my my fall cleaning today.  The task for today is to work on my refrigerator (this has been way overdue for some months).

Clean out the freezer side first

 Store frozen goods in a bin; toss any unused or expired frozen food

Wash refrigerator with warm soapy water, then rinse with clean water with another cloth.

Once done, store back the frozen goods immediately

 Now, clean out the refrigerator side

Put all goods in a bin, toss any unused or expired items

Put items back into the refrigerator

It took me three hours to clean the refrigerator.  It's best to remove all shelves and bins from the refrigerator because you will be surprised what went behind the shelves.  It is also easy to clean any sticky stains that have been there for a long time.  For a harder to clean area, you might want to soak the area with warm soapy water for few minutes before cleaning it to make it easier on yourself.  Put in half of lemon and baking soda in both sides of the refrigerator; it will help eliminate the refrigerator odors.

Front Door Restyle

I have been wanting to redecorate my front entrance of the house lately.  Although I love these two metal containers, but they have been hanging on my front doors for several years.  I have been trying to come up with some ideas to change the look.

This is how it looked like before:

Close up look of each of these:

I thought I could spray paint the containers and replace with some new flowers.  But the flowers were glued so tight in the foam and I didn't want to ruin them.  Instead I just added more leaves and now they are hung in the back yard for a different look.  Here is the after photo:

We have a double door in the front entrance of the house, and I always wanted to get something that went together but without looking too similar.  I thought the only way to achieve that was to get a couple of wreaths and make them myself.  I was lucky to find two wreaths at the clearance price of only $3 each.  I snipped off the flowers that were originally on them and hot glued my own silk flowers and arranged them.  Now I have a brand new look for my front door:

I was thinking I could also pull these silk flowers out and replace them with different flowers as the seasons change.

Beauty In The Jar

I saw this beautiful cookie jar on the Neiman Marcus website.  After checking out the price, I thought to myself that I could do this at home and get a similar effect without paying the expensive price.

Although I did not have a jar with a ceramic lid at home.  I did have a couple of similar jars that I could work with.   I started to put on my thinking hat and looked through my craft box.  I went to Michael's craft store and Home Depot to see what I could find.  Unfortunately I couldn't find anything similar that I could use to replica the look.  But I used some of the things I bought from Michael's and here are the replicas:

Glass bead knob

Brass bead knob

Here were what I used for this project:

Materials:

Lid from the glass cookie jar
Black enamel paint
White enamel paint
Dry erase marker
Flat brush
Small brush
Beads (Glass and Brass)
Designer chromets
E4000 Glue

Instructions:

1. Clean the lid with soapy water first and dry them.  Unscrew the knob and use a ruler to measure the diameter of the lid.  Draw straight lines across with even spacing.

2.  Turn to opposite side and repeat step #1 to make a checker pattern.

4.  Put an "X" on the area where black will be painted on.

5.  Place the lids on a protected surface before painting.  Using a flat brush and paint the white area carefully by skipping the "X" spots, then paint the black next.  Let dry first before applying a second coat.  Use a small brush for missing spots or touch ups.

6.  Let it air dry for an hour, then bake at 350 degree Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.  Cool off in the oven.

7.  When they are cooled off, srew the knob back on the lid.  Design and glue the desired pieces on top.   Make sure they fit properly with the hole.

8.  You can also design your own knob by getting a plain doll head from craft store and painting it, or you can get a cheaper and plain knob if you are design-challenged.

I bought these from Michael's but was only able to use a few of the pieces here.  It seem wasteful but I may use them to change the look in the future.

Note:
Use paper towel to wipe off dry erase marker if mistake was made.

I found that placing the lids on individual pie plate was really useful.  I was able to turn and paint to the desire aea without worrying about touching and messing up the paint on the lid.

A small brush is good to use on small details such as lines and corners.

I learned that it's easier to clean up the mistake right away by wiping off with a rag while the paint is still wet, but it looks better to let the paint dry first before applying a second coat.

It's A Fruit, It's A Fish! 如魚得水

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we went to a potluck party.  I saw this fruit salad presented as a fish from the watermelon website and thought it was so cute and fun that I had to make one to bring over to the party.

It looks simple to make but it actually took longer than I expected.  The instructions are easy to follow.  I didn't have a fruit baller at home, so I traced the shape using a cookie dough scooper to get the imprint of a circle.  Then I used a pumpkin cutter and trace the line of the circle to carve.  I also used the scooper as a fruit baller to scoop out the fruit. There were a lot of juice as I scooped out the watermelon balls. I poured out some of the watermelon juice first before adding the mixed fruit into the hollowed watermelon, that way I could fit more fruit balls and didn't have to worry about over spill the watermelon juice.  The fruit I mixed here were cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes.

I used the fins to cover the open top and left the toothpicks in, then covered it with saran wrap and left it in the refrigerator.  When I was ready to go to my friend's house, I placed the whole fruit salad in a box to ensure that the fruit salad did not tip over and re-assembled the fins back with the toothpicks when I got to my friend's house.  It was just a cute and fun project if you don't mind the mess and cleaning up afterward.

Guest Toiletries Display

A while ago, I had learned to make some soaps at home and didn't know what to do with them.  They have been sitting in a basket for a long time.  I had an epiphany that I should display them in a glass container as I was strolling inside a home department store.

While I was looking for the glass container,  I also found this towel rack, which is supposed to be used for placing hand towels in the bathroom.  I decided to see if it worked to display some travel toiletries in the guest bathroom.  I was so excited to see when it turned out so well.  My kids said it feels like now we are living in a hotel.  I am really happy to see the ideas work.  It gives a great feeling to step into the guest bathroom now!  

Indoor Flowers and Plants

I have been crazy planting some indoor plants.  My friend gave me this green plant to plant at home.  She told me to soak it in water for a couple of weeks or until  the root shows up before I plant them in a pot.

 

The orchids my husband bought me surprised me with this bloom one morning.  I was so excited when I saw the flower.  I usually don't have a green thumb and this really makes me happy.

I like to cut these flowers from our backyard and put them on our kitchen table.  I like it because I don't have to worry about falling leaves or petals and it lasts a long time.

I also picked some roses from our backyard and set them in the dining room.

To make sure the flowers last longer in the vase:

1. First fill up a vase with cold water.
2. Cut the stems at an forty five degree angle so the bottom will not just sit in the water and rot later on.
3. Trim any leaves that you submerge in the water.
4. Put roses in warm water (not over 110 degrees) for 5 minutes then transfer to the vase with cold water.
5. Put them in a cooler area so it will last longer.  If you want it to bloom faster, then put them where there is a lot of sunlight.
6. Trim the bottom of stems and change the water a week later.

Spring cleaning - organization

Every year in the spring.  I try to reorganize and redecorate some parts of the house. I've learned to organize things as I do spring cleaning these days. The most important thing I learned is not to have small items floating on the surface where we can see them.   Clear the counter-top and walls of small objects and organize them behind doors or display the collection neatly in the cabinet neatly to avoid looking like clutter. Use unifying objects, frames, baskets, or boxes to hide clutters.

Kitchen:

• Line up spics and put them in the drawer
• Put all loose tea bags together
• Post a list of food at home on refrigerator
• Use a plastic container,box, empty jar, bowl, basket to gather small items
• Discard expired items
• Donate any item that you do not like or use

Closet:

• Donate duplicated items 
• Sweaters are best to fold and stack no more than 6 pieces at a time to avoid them from tumbling down
• Leave 6" between self and clothes to let clothes breath
• Use shower curtain rings and hang them on a hanger for belts and scarves
• Place most often worn clothes in the front and middle
• Use scents for closets, like lavender or cedar
• Use rack with pegs to hang long necklaces
• Anything that you have not worn over the past two years go into the donation piles
• Hang clothes by length, color and season (shirts, skirts, pants, dresses, coats, white, gray, colors, etc.)

Living Room:

• Put small things in a basket or box, like remote controls or glasses.
• Use similar frames to unify the look
• Group frames in groups of 3 with various sizes to display photos

Laundry:

• Post a cleaning instruction on the cabinet door to remove any kind of stains
• Put a container there to collect coins or anything found in the laundry
• Hang a rod between walls or cabinet to hang dry clothes to safe from ironing 

Home Office:

• Store samll objects such as IPod, cell phone, camera, glasses or keys in a decortive box.
• Only keep a few pen and pencils to use.  Box away excess office supplies that are not being used, such as rulers, binders, papers, etc.
• Try to minimize papers around the house, scan artwork and use the computer for back up instead.
• Magazines -Start with the most recent ones and tear out the pages that can go into the 3 ring binders and donate the rest or swap with friends.

Miscellaneous:

• Guest bathroom -Display all collected toiletries from hotels in the medicine cabinet
• Donate unused photo albums if it's been there over a year
• Discard any duplicate photos, scan all photos into computer
• Frame all artwork that are to be kept as soon as possible to avoid cluttering and also to keep them from being destroyed.

DIY Plants Centerpiece

I have been doing my spring cleaning through out the house over the past few days.  I found these baskets and almost put them in the donation piles.  While I was finding ways to display these rocks my girls collected from Carlsbad when we took our vacation there few years ago, I started to play with these items:

I first laid out the rocks on the big rattan tray and then put the small basket inside.

Then, I finished gathering the small plants and grouped them together here, and Voila!

Here is another centerpiece I made a while back.  I loved the shape of this zisha clay teapot but broke the long handle and thought I could use it as a flower pot.

I have 4 of  these small bamboo plants in the votive that I received as party favors from a wedding we attended last year. One was used for the above tray centerpiece, these 3 were used in the teapot.  Look how beautiful they are together:

I am just so happy to be able to salvage the things I love and make it into something I can display at home.  All you need is a little imagination!

Food Design - Winter Melon Grapes

I had been cooking and cleaning for most of the day in the kitchen and was inspired from this kitchen rug to make the dish:

Since I had all the fresh ingredients in the refrigerator already.  I wanted to make the dish right away.  This is really easy and simple to make.

Ingredients:

1 Piece of winter melon
1 Tbsp cooking oil
2 Gloves of garlic
1-2 Cups of chicken stock (depends on the size of the melon)
Salt to taste
1 Tsp conrstarch
4 Tbsp cold water
Parsley
Spinach

Directions:

1. Use a small cookies dough scooper to scoop the melon into balls.
2. Heat the pan and add cooking oil.
3. Add the garlics, stir until fragrant and discard them. 
4. Add the winter melon balls and salt, stir and cook for few minutes.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, cover and cook until melons are soft.
6. Mix cornstarch with cold water, slowly stir into cooked melons until sauce is thicken.
7. Arrange cooked melons into grapes design.
8. Decorate with parsley and spinach to mimic the grapes leaves and vines.

Note:

Winter melon can be found in Asian supermarket.  You can add chicken bouillon cube for stronger flavor.