I have finally completed the DIY project #3. It now sits proudly with the other two completed projects at the dining table. Even my Gnomes are enjoying the fruits of my labor, chilling in all the rooms! Heheh…
Four Gnomes are just chillin’
And so, with an end, another begins – the fourth DIY project which is another cafe. And it’s about the same size as the earlier cafe but minimal plants.
Here we go with Project #4!
I find this latest set is even more challenging because the instructions are rather small in font size, and all in Chinese unlike the previous sets. And I for one, cannot read Chinese!
So I had to download the Google Translate app and use if the pictorial steps with tiny Chinese characters are not clear. Thank goodness for technology that is put to good use here.
Well, I’m in no hurry to finish this set and will work on it at a comfortable pace. The best part, no fabrics to deal with! Yay.
Over the weekend, it was our first time doing a really short anniversary trip. Just two days and a night away, given the circumstances of the pandemic and protocols to contain the spread.
We decided to visit Malacca again after the last trip there to check out the Husky cafe with M2. This trip, sans M2, it was simply a round of golf at A’Formosa Golf Resort, food and playing tourist at Jonker Walk.
The front of Aava Hotel. The back entrance faces the riverfront.The lobby, breakfast room and waiting area. Room was big and comfy.
We stayed at Aava Hotel which was very strategic and within walking distance to the attractions. On Saturday evening, after golf and checking in, we explored the street market on Jonker Walk before and after dinner. People were all masked up and it wasn’t too crowded.
Pre-dinner was Cendol and SatayLovely anniversary tapas dinner
The next day, we even had time to do a morning walkabout again after breakfast. To our delight, we stumbled upon a morning antique market. Not as big as the night attractions, it was very interesting nonetheless. Some of the items on displays brought back memories of things both of us had seen or used when we were young. Lovely.
Colorful rickshaws on the road!
By eleven, we checked out and bade Malacca goodbye, to head for lunch in Seremban. Unfortunately, the famous Beef Noodle at the market was too long a queue, so we opted for something else instead. Oh well, next time…
Clay pot Loh Shi Fun
Next stop was Seremban International Golf Club (SIGC) for an afternoon round of golf before going home. It was windy, the fairways were hard and the greens were horrid to putt. Then it rained. Haish… we had to wait out the rain for about 20 minutes before we could resume our remaining seven holes.
All in all, the trip was short, sweet and very enjoyable. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be far and foreign or exotic but doing what we enjoy most together is best.
It’s that time of the year again to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This year, it’s supposed to be a special milestone because it is our 25th silver anniversary!
Alas, flying off to somewhere far and exotic is out of the question. It used to be we would traverse the world for significant wedding milestones but not this year. With the pandemic still raging on uncontrollable, it is best to shelf any big plans that involves flying.
However, we did go away on a short local self-drive trip for some golfing fun rather than sticking to our weekend golf routine. And when I say short, it was just 2D/1N. The shortest trip for the most significant milestone!
Happy anniversary, my significant half! We have had an amazing journey for the past 25 years. I certainly look forward to the next 25 to come. And we will weather through this weird and trying year together.
The tail-end of DIY Project #3 has been very systematic and easy. I guess working on the little pieces ahead and allowing them to dry with time helped. Then once the wiring was done up for the ground floor, and the first floor installed, it was a breeze from that point.
Lights in place for the ground floor
The last two hurdles were the bed and room chair but I was patient. In between my golf days and cooking, I got these two done up without any procrastination.
The final touch now is drilling a new hole for the wiring in the living room. The original hole is inaccurate when the side table that has the wire for the lamp, is placed over the hole. It does not align to the living room sofa and table that are already in place.
Old hole (red circle) and new hole (purple circle) for the wires
Well, when the drilling is eventually attended to, I can proudly say this set is truly complete. Good job!
I’m down the homestretch for the third DIY project now that most of the pieces are in place!
The sofa’s done with the pillows in place, the first floor is up, and the stairs as well. Even the bathroom is done. This time I managed to get the shower door installed, unlike the previous set whereby the door did not align at all, so I left it out.
A very detailed bathroom
However, I still have the bed and a chair to work on before the whole set is complete. And ugh, I have fabrics to deal with. I hope I won’t get derailed.
When I completed the second DIY project, the 3-story bungalow, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I was very motivated by my patience and skills, so much so, I purchased another set to work on! The latest set, also another cafe arrived last week.
My latest DIY to work on
This latest online-purchased set appealed to me because it had minimal fabrics. And its footprint is not very big to clutter the display space when completed.
The parts to another cafe
However, excited as I am, I am not starting on it just yet as I am still working on the 2-story set. Progress has been slow because of the sofa and pillows, and that unexpected bedside table problem. Luckily I managed to resolve that, and I hope to finish this set soonest possible so that I can start on the new one in queue.
Working on the 2-story set that I took over has not been easy. There are so many pillows to make compared to the previous set. Being so tiny, the pillows are harder to hold and glue, and slows down my progress.
And as if this is not enough a deterrent, I discovered two pieces are missing to make the bedside table! I searched high and low, thinking they could have fallen out but nope, the two pieces were not included at all.
For several days, the problem was on my mind. How do I fix this? One night, the solution presented itself as I spotted a pack of ice cream sticks in my art taboret. It might just work because the sticks are of the same thickness.
So I cut the sizes that were required, and I even had orange acrylic paint to paint up the panels. And before I knew it, the bedside table was completed. Phew. With the problem resolved, I hope no further issues as I continue on.
I have taken over M2’s two-story DIY set because she has given up working on it. She has lost interest and has no patience at all. For me, I just cannot bear the thought of it staying unfinished, and collecting dust. So I find myself working on it everyday.
The ground floor is almost complete except for the living room’s sofa and pillows. However, much effort is needed for the first floor that has yet to be put together.
Every night, as I walk past the dining table and seeing the two completed projects, I’d play with the lights to admire the structures. The lighted pieces spur me on to stay focused so that this third set can join the other two to be displayed. But it has been slow.
There are more pillows in this set to work on, and it takes time for the glue to set. I’m not complaining though as I have gotten it down to a pat to do the pillows properly.
I’m sure there will be further progress this week. With Thursday being a public holiday, and I am not playing golf for once, I can focus on this.
It has been two weeks already since my mishap missing the last step on the flight of stairs. The donut on the left ankle subsided, but the bump on the right ankle is still evident, albeit smaller.
Bump has reduced on the right ugly foot
I have gone back to playing golf after resting for five days. And I played one of my best games ever, coming back with two under my handicap! I guess the break was not only good for the ankles but the body. However, to be safe, I wrapped my right ankle for protection. The weather was excellent, and the game was exceptional. And I didn’t let the ankle bother me.
Since then after that personal best, I have played three more games. And I’m pleased to say the ankle held up okay. I hope by the end of this week, the bump will subside and the ankle back to looking normal. The road to recovery can sometimes be an arduous track, but I’m hanging in there with exercise and positive thoughts.
The two-story bungalow is finally complete! Yay. Towards the end of the project, I was sidetracked with my busy golf schedule, cooking, and my unfortunate mishap. But all’s good now.
The set has been very challenging from the start. From wiring, wall alignments to dealing with fabrics, it was a test of patience and skills. But I suppose I can be forgiven if the set has not been perfect because after all, this was my first DIY project.
Gaps in the wall and windows but not obvious at a glanceMessy wiring & difficult sofas
The wiring was stressful compared to the cafe because firstly, it’s a much bigger set, and secondly, there are more light points. The biggest challenge, however, was dealing with fabrics. The pillows! Ugh. The last few pillows delayed the completion of the set. I sat myself down and got this over and done with when I couldn’t do other things much because of my recent fall.
Citizens of Gigglesville testing the sofas before the pillows were added
It was another proud and exciting moment when I switched on the lights. I could feel a sense of accomplishment. So now, this piece is being displayed on the dining table, together with the cafe.
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