A New Beginning

Dear Readers,

It's been a while, hasn't it?  The past month has been more busy than ever due to my workload but also due to my constant fight against my failing health.  Working out and cooking everyday is not an easy task for me so I completed stayed away from the blogging world to focus on this new challenge.

I wanted to come back to my blog and give you good news about my health but last week I learned that my blood test came worse than before.  It was a crushing blow for me.  I thought I had finally stepped toward the right direction but it seems it was too little too late.

However, all hope is not lost.  I am continuing my diet with the help of meds prescribed by my doctor.  I have dreaded this but I can longer avoid this treatment as it would be too dangerous for me to go on without intervention.

I want to win this battle.  Like the new peach blossoms that have been sprouting around me, I want to believe that a new beginning is possible. 

It will be the Lunar New Year this Thursday!  Every year I send envelopes and lucky money to my friends.  However, this year I can't because there were two deaths in my family and I don't want to send anybody my bad luck. 

I can't visit anybody either because people would not like it if I show up at their doorstep on the first day of the year!   I can only visit my own relatives  (^_^)

The last few days of the year are always hectic so I won't be back on the blog until at least this weekend.   I would like to wish everyone a wonderful new year full of joy and hope!

New Year presents from Bikbik and Roro

Dear Readers,

Did you have a nice weekend?   Did you celebrate the Lunar New Year?  My weekend was fun and calm despite the number of guests and the busy schedule.  The children enjoyed the company of many cousins and relatives who came to visit.

We spent almost all weekend greeting, visiting, eating, and drinking.  We don't cook during the New Year's 3-days celebration so all the cooking was done ahead of time before Friday.  We also played charades which is a great way to bond between generations.  The grand-parents, parents and children alike, all participated eagerly.

We also went to a Chinese New Year's fair where the kids spent some of their lucky money on fishing surprise box out of a pond and throwing hoops on a board (well the typical carnival games).

This year was really stress-free compared to last year because for the first time in my life I had a home that fully belonged to me and that I didn't have to share with anybody else but my little family.  I finally took the liberty to decorate it the way I wanted, mostly with plants and flowers!  I bought a little kumquat tree, a lucky bamboo tree, and branches of Forsythia.  You can see them in full bloom here below. Apparently it means I will get lucky this year. I sure hope so :)

And look what I received from Janice from Bikbik and Roro!  Janice is an incredibly talented artist, crafter and blogger.  She sent me four beautiful miniature lanterns that I immediately hung up on my forsythia branches!

Also in the package were miniature golden carps.  Carps are symbols of good luck in Chinese culture and they are believed to bring good fortune.  They are very small so I will be able to include them in one of my Sylvanian Families display.

And it's not all!  In the parcel were lovely stickers and postcards as well!  They display themes and characters that Janice has created.  Her ETSY SHOP sells them in form of soft dolls, bags, doll carrier, and more.  The tabby cat is really cute and I like her very practical doll carrier bag!

But I must add that she has another Etsy shop called UmamiBaby where she sells her own Custom Blythe Dolls.  I can't tell you how impressed I am because it's impossible to define the utter shock I felt when I saw them and how much I suddenly wanted to own one.    

After seeing her Blog Post about her new creations, I am seriously considering buying a Custom Blythe doll and I hope I'll be able to put some money on the side so that maybe I'll have my own one day.  One look at her dolls and you'll understand why.  Here below are some photos of Deirdre which I am showing with Janice's permission.

From UmamiBaby Etsy Shop

From UmamiBaby Etsy Shop

Don't you think she looks gorgeous?  I totally fell in love with her sweet face-up and her lovely romantic long hair.

Do you own a Blythe doll?  Do you customize your dolls?

One more day until New Year...

Dear Readers,

Are you ready for this weekend?  I am so ready.  I am ready for a restful and pleasant Lunar New Year.  My home is not totally ready yet though.   I took Thursday off to finish cleaning up and preparing for the big day on Friday.  On top of that, we are having guests tomorrow!  My husband's cousins are coming over and some of them are staying at my place.  Let me tell you something, there is no greater incentive to clean your house than when you know you are going to have visitors!  

We bought a few plants and flowers.  My boy had a really fun time decorating the bamboo tree with lucky charms and miniature lanterns.

I bought my favorite gummy candies from Kasugai and I placed the lucky money in their red envelopes.  

I didn't forget that I wanted to show you miniature items for the Chinese New Year.  Here below are miniature pieces made by Orcara.  The firecrackers and candied fruit tray (which we typically eat during the New Year) are very well done.  You can remove the fruits from the tray's compartments.  

The doll is a Hello Kitty Mini Valentine Doll purchased at Target today.  I was very curious about her because I have never seen any Hello Kitty doll this size before.  Here she is next to some other Mini dolls so you can compare the size.

She is almost the same size as the Playmobil figure so she would look totally fine in a Playmobil house!

Another doll I found at Target was the Valentine Special Target Exclusive Mini Lalaloopsy Doll: Velvet B. Mine!  She is only $4.99 (comparatively to the usual $6.99 for Mini Lalaloopsy dolls) and she comes with 2 pets and a velvet cake on a stand.

Doesn't she remind you of somebody?  Yup... Dollop Light-N-Fluffy!   Dollop comes with more accessories but I definitely like Velvet B Mine's dress better!    

There are also new Mini Lalaloopsy dolls at Target but I will post about them another day because it's so so late right now and I desperately need some sleep!

Lunar New Year - Lion Dance

Dear Readers,

How was your weekend?  Mine was very busy getting ready for the Lunar New Year!  2014 will be the year of the Horse and the first day will be on January 31st!  I still have a good 2 weeks until then but there are much to do so I feel a little out of breath running around to get things done.  

I somehow managed to get 30 minutes on Saturday to snap a few picture of a miniature Lion I saw in a store and I knew it would be an awesome prop for my Sylvanian Families!  It is attached on a drum with metal wires.  I cut the wires so the head could be used by my scenes.

It is very nicely made with tons of details just like a real Lion.

The back has not been neglected either and it's very colorful!

It is too big for a child Sylvanian figure but it fits an adult figure.  Here below you see the Norwood Mouse Family and the Mulberry Raccoon Family participate in a typical dance.  Money is placed in a red envelope and hung at the end of a pole.  The Lion will try to "eat it".  

Children are usually very excited for the Lion dance and they also get money in the red envelope! I created them by printing miniature envelopes with a color printer.

Sometimes the Lion will perform special tricks and even jumps on tables or poles to get to the money.  Daddy Mouse is using the coffee table (he is getting a bit old to jump on poles!).

Can you see Father Mouse's eyes in the Lion head?

I have some more miniature items related to the Lunar New Year to show you!  But it will have to wait for the next free time I get!  Hopefully I can set up a display soon!  Have a good week!