Picasso

It‘s Ashrie’s first-ever painting! My wife said it somehow looks like the Philippine map. And to me, the red scribbles at the bottom-left remind me of this Chinese painting we saw in one of Marriott Singapore’s grand lobbies.

Ashrie used a large flat brush, at least three water-based acrylic paints (red, green and yellow) and a large sheet of pattern paper.

Exhibition of her artwork is now on. The gallery is open from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. right in our living room. :-)




Here are “The-Making” shots:

Very artsy!

And so messy!

And some souvenir photos afterwards...

The Young Artist







Shy? Don't be my dear. You did great!



She is 18 Going on 19

Ashrie’s 18 months today and looking pretty as a flower.

Mommy and Daddy are so blessed to have you as our daughter.

We love you so much, Iel!

Trash and Treasures

They say one man's garbage is another man's treasure. And I'm a believer of that.

Take this for example; my latest find is this elegant console table which is now comfortably positioned at the end of our hallway. It has classic lines, smooth finish, and even has a small drawer. It's a perfect piece of furniture. My wife is planning to put picture frames of the family on top but for now it will be the platform for one of our Christmas trees. I've also found out on Facebook that my former colleague has found for himself an LCD TV!

And I'm not talking about flea markets here, but apartment void decks! You just have to be in the right place at the right time.

For those who don’t know, most of the Singapore residents live in apartments (with limited storage). And that means if you want something new (and big) in your abode, something else must go, and this ultimately contributes to the trash-treasure thing I'm talking about.

Personally, I think throwing away things is the easiest but the least eco-friendly way of getting rid of the stuff you don't need any more. Other options are as follows:

1. Send it home. If you have the money and a second home in another country, you could "ship" it. Your relatives would love to take it, more so if you will be putting new items for them and even chocolates!

2. Sell it or just give it away online. There are a lot of practical people who will buy needed things at a lower price especially if they will just use it for a short time. If you can give it for free, the more they will appreciate it.

3. Donate it. I believe Salvation Army Singapore accepts donations in kind for them to sell in their thrift shops. There could be other charities or NGOs (non-government organizations) who accepts recyclables.

4. And lastly, place it in the void deck for the garbage man to collect. This might end up in the flea market or to someone who'll find it as a treasure and happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Effigy

Coming home from the office last night, Jane and Ashrie made a huge effort in surprising me with this hand-crafted "effigy". It was neatly posted on our bedroom closet. With its green eyebrows and purple eyes, I have to admit it surely looks like me! Haha! (Though I'm telling my wife she did a very nice self-portrait.)

It also has a big note saying We Love You Daddy!, Jane's kissmarks and Ashrie's hand-print.

So to my dear girls, this is highly appreciated. I love you too!

Discipline No-Nos

Here is an article from http://www.sprogs.co.za/ about disciplining kids. An area in parenthood that is, should I say, the most challenging not only to new parents but basically to every parent. A challenge which when not confronted in the early years of the child will bring about big problems in the future. So start discipline early. It will bring lasting and productive results. As Proverbs 22:6 reads, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." KJV.

Photo grabbed from Photobucket

Don’t repeat yourself, if your child can learn to obey at the count of 10, he can just as well obey at the count of one. A repetitive question or demand turns to white noise and doesn’t have any impact.

Don’t threaten your children as they are quick to recognise an empty threat. Stick to the one warning and if that doesn’t sort them out, choose a discipline method that suits the crime.

Don’t bribe your child in order to get him to behave the way you want him to, as this is not teaching him anything in the long run.

Don’t ask him whether he would like to come and have a bath, tell him to come and have a bath.

Don’t give long explanations, a child will lose you after the second sentence and start focusing on something else. Keep it short and sweet.

Don’t do the evil-eye-thing: “Listen to mommy, Johnny. Come now, I’m not asking you again. I’m counting to 3. Look at auntie Val’s big eye.” That means absolutely nothing. Request, followed by one warning, then the consequence of not listening.

Do not punish your child when you’re angry. Rather send him to his room while you take a few moments to calm down.

Don’t delay the punishment. It needs to happen right there and then. Even if it means parking your shopping trolley somewhere and taking your princess to the restroom to have a serious one-on-one with her. You can always continue your shopping once she understands that you actually mean business. Delayed discipline is exceptable when you are in a place where it’s impossible to reinforce discipline right then. Keep in mind that your child should be old enough to remember the reason for you disciplining her by the time you get home.

If your child bites or smacks you (or anybody else), don’t revert back to the an-eye-for-an-eye method. It doesn’t teach them anything positive. It actually only teaches them that violence is acceptable.

Beloved Homes

Being an IKEA  member has its privileges.

Aside from the discounted meal everytime we visit the restaurant, and selected items at a lower price, we can redeem items for free by accumulating a certain number of points. Like this coffee table book entitled Beloved Homes!

It contains matte, colored pages of photos upon photos of various Swedish home interiors. It features nine much-loved homes, from a tiny apartment to a sprawling eighteenth-century house.

Of course you can find IKEA items everywhere but you can also see how these owners cleverly utilize the commercial brand that is IKEA and give it character and personality by infusing their vintage finds, modern appliances and favorite things in their interiors.



A good reference for  architects, interior designers,
homemaker or even a flea market junkie! 

 

There are cute but catchy captions stating valuable information
or trivia about how unique the owners are.

Text by Stina Holmberg, photographs by Stellan Herner and illustrations by Klas Fahlén. 240 pages, softcover. Priced at $14.32 (US) at the time of posting.