All Things Small and Cute

24 Aug

I like small things because I find them cute, in fact the smaller the more appealing to me. In my kitchen, I have the smallest grater, a mini chopper and a mini chopping board to match. They may be small but yet are quite practical, you’d be amazed.

My Citizens of Gigglesville are also small and cute. Many times, people are surprised at how small they are when seeing the real deal compared to the pictures I pose. Hahaha…

Two days ago, I bought a small and rather cute toolbox. It may be small but it ain’t no toy and it fits all my carving tools just nicely! Obviously I’m pleased as I find it practical to keep the tools instead of just having the tools laying in the box they came in.

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Battle of the Boxes, Part 3

23 Aug

I finally bought something online again after so long! In fact, I purchased two items from my regular online site, Lazada. Initially I had placed an item in the cart but it sat there for quite some time as I didn’t push myself to check out. I guess it was a case of want more than need.

Then two days ago, being quite free in the office, I searched for another item and before I knew, had two items and decided to check out.

Both are of course carving related. I eagerly await my boxes to arrive. Stay tuned to find out!

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The Gnome’s Home

21 Aug

Over the weekend, I had a really good opportunity to work on the two-piece Meranti block. After sending M2 to school for her activity early in the morning, I came home and set up the carving station. Initially I thought of warming up by carving a Citizen but changed my mind and dived into the Meranti at 8.00am, early by my standards.

Two hours later, I nicked my finger for the third time but it did not deter me. I had my warm green tea in the Thermos, the weather was lovely and although official pet number one was snoring away by my side, the focus was not disturbed by his loud snore.

Another two hours went by and I nicked my finger again! Dang… either the Meranti is too hard or I am not doing it right. I have not nicked myself so many times in one carving. Then again, it’s been a while since I started on a new shape/character, what more on a Meranti.

Eight hours later, the Gnome’s home was done. I was pleased with my efforts but suffered the consequences soon after, not just with the four cuts on my index finger.

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The third and fourth cut. Ouch

The right tennis elbow flared up and the left hand was sore at the thumb and wrist. The left index finger throbbed from the fourth cut and the strangest thing, the fingers of my right hand tingled at the tips, a sensation I’ve never experienced before. It became more pronounced when I typed on the phone. And this sensation lasted six hours passed the carving.

Have I pushed myself too far this time? Then I looked at my end result, the Gnome’s home, and all that pain was forgotten.

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Resistance is Futile, Part 2

20 Aug

I must say my food fancy have changed ever since the discovery of Endometriosis. It’s sad that I have to give up certain food but some things I just cannot give up.

Top on the list of food I avoid these days are dairy, wheat, onions and caffeine or should I say coffee. As for eggs and beef, the less I eat them, the less pain I would have to deal with. And so far, it’s been manageable.

I thought I could still do sunflower seeds after that last ordeal a month ago, dismissing it as an isolated case. I couldn’t be more wrong as I had some recently and suffered the consequences miserably. I guess I have to give this up too. Sigh…

I was at the grocery store over the weekend and the chocolate bar called out to me again and I couldn’t resist because it is one of the two things I can’t give up. I picked it up without hesitation. As I have said before, resistance is futile.

Although chocolate contains dairy, I manage and consume in moderation, so it’s bearable. It doesn’t cause as much pain as cheese or even the sunflower seeds. I would be terribly miserable if I can’t have my chocolate. Shudder…

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A Great Source

17 Aug

I find Pinterest a great source for ideas. The site is very specific in categorizing things and this makes visual research super easy even with cross referencing. It was from here that I diverted to Gnomes from my Citizens of Gigglesville.

And it will be from here again as I find inspiration to fine tune my idea to carve a Gnome home soon. Can’t wait to begin the next carving project!

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Intense Heat

16 Aug

We are experiencing an intense heat wave of late, it’s unbearable. The biting heat certainly makes life uncomfortable and it’s no fun to carve in such weather, what more to do so out in the garden terrace with the sun in the background. When the wind blows, it’s as if we are standing in front of an opened oven with the heat gushing out. Phew.

Several months earlier when it rained, we’d wished for dry weather but we get dry weather now, we wish for the opposite! I guess we have to deal with the situation.

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Is It A Sign?

14 Aug

Recently I started playing two new games, Age of Solitaire and Solitaire Cooking Tower by Sticky Hands Inc. I like the first one because it has funky music. Very rare to have nice jazzy pieces from such games. As for the second one, I am into it to see how high I can build my tower; currently I have six floors and my seventh floor is at 33% to completion.

Both games are a refreshing change from my usual candy games. Yes, I am still at them candies. But there is a hitch to my new entertainment.

My iPad.

It has been acting up, being laggy and always quitting mid-way through a round on either games. And it’s not just under-performing with these two apps, sadly even reading the news on Safari is too big a task for my poor iPad. Let’s not even go into the exasperation I have to deal with when it comes to Candy Crush Soda…

It’s like the device can’t cope with the speed of the internet or my deft hands, thus giving up on me at every opportunity. Is this a sign my iPad Mini is nearing its end? After all, it is almost six years old. And any device that can last this long is surely a miracle. My poor iPad.

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Unusual Flavors

13 Aug

Over the weekend, we had the most unusual after-dinner dessert. We decided to visit a fine desserts cafe after googling it up, and decided to try it out since it was just a short drive from the mall where we had dinner.

The menu wasn’t extensive but enough with the usual offerings of dessert, coffee and tea. As always, we shared our portions.

The single scoop was rather interesting – ice cream made from Guinness Stout, yes the stout beer and contained alcohol. I still can’t get into my sorbet (there’s still half of the pint in the freezer) so I have resorted to indulging in small intake of real ice cream.

The other dessert choice was an Apple Strudel with a scoop of Black Pepper Mango ice cream! The strudel was normal like any other strudel but this ice cream…. obviously we’ve never had anything like it before! What a combination.

Comparing both flavors, the three of us preferred the stout ice cream. Although the crushed pepper was too strong and totally subdued the mango flavor, I liked that the pepper provided a nicer crunch than the pistachio bits. Very unusual.

I foresee this will be our new favorite haunt for dessert if we feel like having some dessert after dinner regardless of future dinner venues.

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A New Club

10 Aug

Several months ago I bought a new club, a 3-iron for a steal of a price! With thoughts of going back to playing more golf, I wanted to expand my iron usage ability.

Now I can handle my irons well, up to a 4-iron and I thought with this new addition, it could give me an edge. I don’t use my woods as much; the only wood I have in the bag is a 3-wood which sometimes can work and sometimes not. In other words, my irons work better.

I just need to build back my strength and regain my confidence if there’s any hope to improve the game a notch higher with this new club.

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A Quick Job

9 Aug

Within less than a week, Monument 11 was completed! I ought to give myself a pat on the shoulder as it took less time than I anticipated with the usual steps (after carving) of sanding down to shape, patching any unwanted gaps, painting the base coat and applying the finishing colors.

I am finalising my thoughts to begin the glued two-piece Meranti. However, with several golf games lined up this month, one being a tournament, I will only begin after all the golf in case I aggravate the tennis elbow whilst carving away on the hard Meranti.

As for the idea, I am actually contemplating something new, a Gnome home! I hope I can pull it off.

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