Adieu (for now)

Hello there, if you visit this place regularly, you'll realise it's been a while since I updated. Well, this is what this post is going to be about.

I started this blog in 2009 (wow, that's 6 years!) and it documents many events in my life-- the loss of my dear grandmother, my departure from my full-time job, a wedding, many travel experiences, crafting adventures and most recently, the arrival of my beautiful boy. 

Since my little one came along, I've been trying my best to take care of him. But at the back of my mind are always the affairs of Cookie Cutter, including this blog. I found that at times, I wasn't 100% with him and yet I wasn't doing a great job with this blog as well. Something has to go so that I do at least one job well. So, it's with a somewhat heavy heart, that I have to say, I'll be taking a break from this blog. Because for now, my precious little boy takes priority. I'm not sure when I'll continue where I left off with this blog. But I do hope to.

Cookie Cutter's definitely still around. I'm not about to stop sewing/crafting. My Etsy shop is still live. As for new products, it's likely to be in the 2nd quarter of next year. Meanwhile, you can still find me on Instagram where I'm most active and updated occasionally will be the Cookie Cutter Facebook Page.

Whether you've been here since the very beginning or you joined me along the way, I want to say, thank you, dear reader, for being on this journey together. Stay in touch through the other social media platforms I mentioned above!

Cute lunches

Hello! I thought I'll share this cute blog I stumbled upon. Jill, a mother of two, documents on Meet the Dubiens the amazingly cute lunches and snacks she prepares for her children! How lucky are her kids! Makes me happy just looking at them. I thought this also demonstrates that there is space for creativity everywhere :)

[Images: Meet the Dubiens]

Pastry beds

I love bread and pastries. The smell of freshly baked bread is one of my favourite smells. I could go on for days just eating bread, even though rice is considered a staple in this part of the world. What makes it even better for me is if the bread and pastries are Japanese ones.

If you share this love of mine, you gotta love these pastry beds! They are are a dream! Imagine lounging around in your favorite pastry. What's even more ingenious is that these pastry beds/cushions come with a wearable cape that transforms you into the filling! You got to hand it to the Japanese. Available online at felissimo.

Images: felissimo

Vegetable dance

Sometimes, we need moments of silliness.
Sometimes, we need to take ourselves less seriously. 

Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian hit our shores a while ago. I found a pocket of time this week to check it out. I loved the one I visited in London and was curious to find out if the one in Singapore matched up.

The interior decor is similar to what I saw previously-- casual, eclectic and warm. What was missing however was the vibes. The bar area was pretty empty when I was there. I recall the one in London being packed full of people (in a good way). Thankfully, I was happy with the food and I thought prices were reasonable. I'll be happy to revisit but I wish there was more cheer and energy. 

Superhero

If you can be a superhero for a day, which will you be?

In My Sketchbook

Recently, in my sketchbook. 

Hey, how are you doing?

I'm still getting used to having a new member in our household.

It's been a crazy month,

filled up the lowest of lows,

but also the highest of highs.

When he smiles at me,

the joy in me is indescribable.

ABC doodle

Some doodling to preserve my sanity, in between seeing to the little one. 

MT Expo Singapore finally landed on our shores! It took place from 26 Jul to 11 Aug at Ion Gallery and I'm glad to have checked it out. Not as huge as some other MT Expos but I was so thrilled with my visit nevertheless. I was on a high the whole time I was there! Like a kid in a candy store. T was most sweet to let me take my time salivate over everything and fill up my shopping basket.

Limited edition Singapore tapes

I hear it took 10 persons and 48 hours to MT tape the entire space! I enjoyed myself thoroughly at the DIY table and did you check out the gacha gacha machine?

My Beautiful Boy

In case you were wondering why the sudden lapse in postings. Well, our little baby boy arrived! He's beautiful and I fell deeply in love with him.

I've been trying to find them to breathe but am not about to abandon the blog though. It's just that postings will be less regular for this month or so. Do stick around.

Handmade Baby Cuffed Pants and....

I made a pair of baby cuffed pants out of T's old T-shirt, which he was about to toss out. It didn't take too long and I'm happy with the result.

I guess it's about time I share the news. We're having a little boy! :)

[Sydney] - Till next time

Hi there, we've come to the last post. I hope you've enjoyed this Sydney series. I'll remember this trip for a long time. It'll be a while before I travel again. But I'm sure I will. I believe that life is about experiences and traveling is about self-understanding.

When I first started this blog, I had no idea that it would document so much of my travels but I like that it has evolved this way, to become a mix of travel, design and craft. Has this been to your taste?

How can I wrap up without leaving you with photos of the Sydney harbour?

[Sydney] - Newtown

I don't know how we managed to experience so many things during our short Sydney trip and yet not have a crazy schedule. I'm not complaining though! We traveled outside the city center one day to Newtown. It was just a convenient train ride away. The vibes were definitely different there. It felt a little slower but also pretty hip. There were quite a few vintage shops lining the main street just outside the station. It was fun just strolling along and popping into those that interested us. 

Brunch was at this little cafe we spotted. No frills but friendly service, good food and oodles of charm. 

Cute little bear cookie!

"Mandatory" graffiti that we see near train stations all over the world, except Singapore.

[Sydney] - Hugos at Manly

Any kid will be able to tell you that the aftermath of playing in the pool or water is hunger. So, we headed to Hugos @ Manly for some food. This is a gorgeous restaurant that sits on the waters near the wharf. It was late afternoon when we arrived so only a few tables were occupied. Soft laughter punctuated the air occasionally. We had a spot facing the sea and watched the sun slowly set. 

 

 

I've never heard of figs pizza but we were adventurous and ordered it anyway. It was super delicious! The sweetness of the figs were subtle and it complemented the savoury cheese very well! Lovely thin crust. Mmm... Holidays ought to be like this :)

 

For dessert, we ordered pumpkin cheesecake. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised. Not your usual cheesecake. I loved the mix of textures in there. Haven't had such a good dessert in a while. 

We returned to the Sydney on the ferry. Picked the outdoor section and like kids, couldn't keep our butts to the seats. Excitedly took in the sights and felt the winds caressed our faces. 

[Sydney] - Day trip to Manly

T and I made a trip to Manly on one of the weekdays (no crowd) and we were thankful for the beautiful weather. Manly afterall is akin to what you see in the Billabong and Roxy surfwear ads. The sun, the sea, the waves, the sand, the seagulls and the cool dudes and babes. 

We arrived in the late morning via the bus (instead of ferry. There was a strike that morning) and decided we should charge up first. We randomly picked one of the cafes that lined the beach. I opted for pancakes and man, was I not disappointed!

I have a couple of times had pancakes cravings in Singapore. But what was served differed greatly from the image in my mind. Not to mention, they didn't taste much better than how they looked. But this! This was what I had envisaged. This was material that glossed magazines. And it tasted heavenly! If ever there was a moment to indulge, you got to make it worth it and this was it! I loved the imperfect look of these pancakes, the slightly burnt taste they had and the sweet blueberry toppings. 

The beach was of course beautiful and we strolled along it, watching the surfers do their thing, jogging mums with prams... Ah, is paradise something like this? T was so tempted by the sights that we got into one of the nearest shops, bought a pair of surf bermudas and within 10 minutes, he was playing with the waves. Cold, he later said, but totally worth it.