Hello There!

I know that I have been missing for quite a while and my apologies. This year has been a rollercoaster of a year for me; personal, career as well as in the area of my interest. I am however determined to write this most more consistently like before, starting with an update of my apartment.

As I am living alone now, I decided to put in a few touches in the flat. I think it is always nice to give your home character by adding some items up for display especially when they are meaningful to you not just a mere testimony of your great taste.

I have put up a little display of some possessions from my past under a huge glass dome on top of a few wine crates to double up as extra bookshelf space. I am running out of bookshelf space rapidly due to my magazine collection as well as CDs.

Recently I have also been in a habit of burning a Malin + Goetz Cannabis candle before showering at night, so that the room will be perfumed with it's gorgeous musky, spicy scent. It smells to me how a man should be, mysterious, masculine and inviting. When it isn't in use, it is covered with a glass cloche. It sits on a pretty vintage plate that has been chipped on the edge.

I have also designed a mirror to be my permanent menu board. You can see it in use for a dinner party. It is adjacent to a small grouping of art, photos and a handwritten piece. Frames are from Ikea.

My door knocker for the longest time has been left without a label, so instead of a family name, I cross-stitched a modern greeting. This adds a little fun to the old fashioned knocker. A nice element of surprise.

These were handpainted by Mara of Blue Trike. The butterfly was commissioned by me. The slices of wood are hand picked and cured by her husband. They have such a beautiful detailing on their own. Art does not always have to come from someone famous or be expensive. Art has to speak to the soul of its audience/spectator.

New Work in Progress at Home.

Recently, I've been doing a little sprucing each weekend. I've always thought of home as a constant work in progress. This always keeps you busy and the pride you'll get from doing your own place is priceless. Moreover, it gives your visitors something new to see every time they come by.

A new nook with some books, photos, an anglepoise 75 lamp and ceramics.

This is still in progress. I intend to add a custom made mirror hung above it to double up as the menu for guests when entertaining.

My New Art.

Recently I bought some book sculptures through etsy. It is from a store named, Paperfaerie. I recently hung them on one of my walls. I love how it looks like dandelions. Enjoy.

Chinese New Year Deco and New Additions.

To add some festive cheer, I've put up some Chinese New Year inspired things to decorate the home. There are also some new additions that I'd thought I would share. Enjoy.

A page from my grandpa's calendar that he saved up from the day that I was born.

My grandpa's old surveying tool. He used to be a civil engineer.

A bowl of oranges in my Ju bowl.

Two framed up paper cuttings that I got from Beijing last year.

A paper cutting of a tiger to signify the year of the tiger, stuck on the main door.

A close up of the paper cutting.

Spending the last few hours of being 29.

I don't know if I want to be forever 21, but being 29 is surely more interesting in so many aspects. Firstly, you have come to that point in which you know sort of enough to get you going, not too jaded or idealistic anymore. You've still got a good mixture of youth and maturity. I thought really hard before January was over, how I would like to spend the remaining days counting down in February and I figured that the only way to do it was in style. I would drink a glass of my favourite champagne (Bollinger) everyday and have a cigar on every alternate day till I turned 30. Here's some photos of the last bits of my 20s.

Another Christmas Party.

These pictures are self-explanatory. Enjoy.

Vintage Globes.

Vintage globes have a certain nostalgic charm about them. Their colours a little faded and the palettes used, beautiful. It's amazing how much over the years, what we have discovered about this planet we live on. Here are some lovely photos of vintage globes and what others have done with their collection.

New At Home.

Some new additions to home (my favourite long haul project). I've added two wooden trays on both side of the master bathroom's console for a his and her organised look. On Sean's side, I've added a decanter for his mouthwash. It definitely looks more polished than a Listerine bottle. The rose is in a brown Bundaberg bottle which has been scrubbed clean of its label.  

The painting of the old man is bought off ebay and I had it reframed. It is more than a century old. The composition is of a court official painted on silk. The man seems to pop up from the silk as though it were embroidered on. How much did I pay for this? USD 11. What a steal.

Thought I'd add in a picture of the last batch of cupcakes made. Enjoy.

Cupcakes for a Party.

Last Saturday, we had hosted a Labour Day's party, "Screw the Boss and Hand me the Mojito Party". It was for an intimate group of nine. We had a small barbeque, salad, cupcakes and a self-serve bar for everyone to attempt to make their own lychee mojito. After dinner, we each had a go at telling our worst story about our bosses. 

I thought it would be nice to share with you the pictures of the cupcakes that I had baked. A few weeks earlier, I had ordered a batch of new icing flowers and cupcake liners. They were so beautiful. I had baked 22 cupcakes and at the end of the dinner, there were only 3 left, so I suppose they were a hit with the group. 

Another Cupcake Picture.

Love this picture of it. So tempting.

Vanilla Cupcakes.

These cupcakes are the most scrumptious! My best recipe yet. They look fantastic too. I made a batch yesterday and it's all gone. Anyone who wants me to bake some, do let me know. I'd be more than happy to do so at a small cost.

Pork Ribs with Homemade Barbeque Sauce.

This is definitely one of my husband's favourite home cooked dishes. It made it to his top ten chart. It's pork ribs with my special homemade barbeque sauce and for today, he has buttered carrots and corn on cob as its accompaniment. How does home made barbeque sauce differ from the commercial ones? It taste more tangy and less sugary. 

Enjoy!

Guest Room New Addition.

Presenting to you the new addition to the guest room, a console table from I Wanna Go Home. Think it fits in quite beautifully. Now our guests have a place to put their laptops to work on them or use as a dressing table. The only thing to do is the tablescape. I will update the additions as they come.

Weekday Breakfast at Strathmore Ave.

How are most mornings like at the Yeo residence? It usually starts with me making breakfast for my husband. I love cooking and the aroma of breakfast is often very arousing (especially the smell of freshly brewed coffee). Wonder what we have for breakfast? Here are some of our last few breakfasts that we had.

Grilling the Bananas to go with his french toast.

Making french toast.

The coffee machine on standby.

Freshly made French Toast.

Beef Pot Pie.

This morning's omelette with bacon, mushrooms, salsa and a hint of white truffle oil.