Tag Archives: quarantine

An Early Surprise

15 Sep

I was pleasantly surprised when my online purchase arrived yesterday. I certainly did not expect the parcel to arrive so soon this week. But it did, and I’m pleased.

So, what did I buy? Yet another DIY set, of course!

DIY project number five! 😍

This will be my fifth set, and from the looks of it, the biggest and heaviest by far (1.682kg according to the parcel description). But even without the weight mentioned, the package felt heavy when the delivery man handed the parcel over to me.

Ooohhhh… I can’t wait to get started on it. However, I have to finish project number four first before I can even open the individual packs inside this latest DIY set to get a feel of things.

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Missing Pieces

14 Sep

DIY project number four has been coming along at a good pace until a slight hiccup several days ago. Or should I say, a big stumbling block? I discovered that some pieces were missing! Uh oh.

Unfortunately, I discovered two important elements missing only now after working on the set for some time. I guess I couldn’t have found out earlier as the focus was on the bigger and individual pieces. These two missing pieces are essential for the itty bitty decorations.

Missing item #1: labeled K10, it is a bunch of plastic leaves for the flowers. I sat on this problem for several days, wondering how to overcome this. In the end, I bought a pack of leaves and improvised from there, cutting them down to fit. And they did, thank goodness.

Missing item #2: labeled K09, it is an 80cm length of wire for making the stem/stalk of the plants/flowers. I took some garden wires from hubby’s supplies, and trimmed them down to make the plants and flowers. And they came out good. Phew!

Sometimes we need to improvise and DIY a DIY project. I hope no more discoveries of missing pieces from here onwards.

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A New Tray

8 Sep

The mood for online shopping struck a few weeks ago. And I purchased a silicon baking tray, not for me obviously but for hubby. He has been baking a lot during the MCO, so we thought it’d be fun to vary the bread shapes and sizes.

Now, this is our first silicon tray for baking, and it took hubby a couple of bakes to get it right as far as the temperature and timing control are concerned. On the first attempt, I was left in charged to watch the loaves in the oven because he had to leave for the office.

Obviously I cannot bake! 😅

And the mini loaves, under my watch, came out a little burnt! Oops. I had followed the temperature and timing accordingly though…

Second attempt using a wheat bread recipe

So hubby had to make some adjustments. On his second and third attempts, using a wheat bread recipe, the loaves turned out okay. And by the fourth attempt, the mini loaves turned out lovely. All these attempts, I wasn’t roped in to help, thank goodness.

A tad too little (dough) that resulted in skinny minis?

We love the new tray and the breads.

Lovely mini loaves by the fourth attempt

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Good Progress

7 Sep
The makings of DIY project #4

There’s much progress with DIY project #4. Most of the big pieces are done up. However, I face some unexpected predicaments.

The two cross beams are not quite aligned and the main pillar cannot touch the roof! Yikes. I have to modify things a little to resolve these issues so that the whole set does not fall apart.

The coffee machine

Other than these structural challenges, the little pieces are coming along at a good pace. I think this set can be completed quickly. If this is the case, I should buy another set, ready to be worked on when this set is completed.

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DIY Project #3: Final Touches

28 Aug

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!

Such a livable little abode!

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Down the Homestretch

25 Aug
The almost complete 2-story

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.

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New Project Awaits

24 Aug

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.

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Tiny Pillows Challenge

21 Aug
Deft hands are required to handle these!

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.

DIY a DIY project!

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Taking Over

18 Aug

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.

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Another Proud Moment

14 Aug
My beautiful home

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 glance
Messy 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.

Looks gorgeous when lighted up!

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