Outdoor Patio / Deck Ideas

These are all the ideas I would simply love to incorporate in to my future home. Unfortunately, to make the below come true, it is going to burn a gaping hole in my pocket. Hence, I foresee it will be a work in progress spreading out over 10 years! Lol.

Hmmmm... so, what would be a must have at my outdoor entertainment area??

#1 A deck / patio where I can invite friends and family over for a BBQ session (it's a pretty big thing in Aussie that families do a 'barbie' even on a casual week night dinner).

#2 Nice long table with ample seating to fit the many guests.

#3 A lovely garden that just oozes with peace and tranquility and beautiful plants with colourful flowers (oh yeah, a pear and orange tree, too!).

#4 Definitely a pond teeming with gold fish.

#6 A swing / egg shelled chair for lounging and reading books.

#7 Now that I think about it, I would like to have a round table to enjoy drinking Chinese tea the proper way with some Chinese looking chairs, the antique wooden sort with ivory etchings.

#8 Not forgetting a herb garden filled with basil, coriander, chives, tomatoes which are the main ingredients we usually use.

#9 Quirky Melburnian (yes, that's how you spell the word!) hanging lights.

#10 Fan for hot summer days and good lighting for nights. Blinds to keep out the gusty wind on Korean BBQ and steamboat nights.

Enjoy the endless possibilities. Extracted the pictures just by Google. Reckon they are mainly American  type of houses.

The friend that shouldn't be

Dear you,

I am unsure why only now I am feeling this anger, this frustration, this... this negative feelings towards you. It happened awhile back but only now, I am feeling this feeling that I can only identify as being hurt. Maybe it's the hormones amplifying the feelings.

Still...

The questions keep popping up one after another. Over and over. If you were my friend, how could you treat me the way you did? Why did you do what you did? What have I done wrong to you to deserve this? The mixed signals. The confusion.

I feel like calling you or texting you to confront you with my questions. But what is the point? I never got my answers all those years ago and I am not holding my breathe that I will be getting any this time.

I am happy for you and where you are at in life but I do not appreciate you stepping into mine and undermining all the hard work I had put in, on my own, to be where I am now. Can't you be happy for me and leave things be? Couldn't you have just kept it all to yourself? And even if you wanted to approach me, keep it simple and sincere with no distractions, no illusions, no mess with my mind actions.

I want to know. I feel I need to know. I wish I know. Maybe that would be my closure but we all know that's not going to happen. You know why? Because you are selfish. You take what doesn't belong to you. You do what you do and somehow come out of it unscathed. Or maybe you do, I just don't know.

Is it a challenge? A joke? A whim? A fancy? What? Does it amuse you so?

If I only knew. If you only divulged what goes on in your super secretive world. What is due to me.

I am not sure if I should ever see you again or keep in touch. Only time will reveal the best course of action.

xoxo,

A frustrated, confused and gloomy me

The Leongs in town

The In-Laws aka The Leongs have been in town for close to two months. 

It's been lovely with Mr. C and I being pampered. His dad cooks dinner every week night and his mum washes, folds and irons all our clothes! They even vacumn and mop the floor!! With my hatred for ironing and vacuming, it means a mighty lot to me!! Lol.

Of course, it will be nice to have our own playground all to ourselves again but we really don't mind them around. And it isn't just because they take such good care of us. It just feels right to have family close by. Besides, they are rather relaxed and not into the whole touristy-must-see-everything kind of people. 

When we told colleagues and friends that they would be visiting for two months, most people were taken aback by the long duration thinking a week or two was good enough.

I think after all our parents have done for us - working hard to provide for us, children - I think it would be petty to begrudge them whatever that is within reason and our control to provide. :)

As much as I like order and things done my way in my own home, the in-laws will be missed. That's for sure. The house would be quieter we two less people.

I would miss Papa Leong's Hokkier Char, Mama Leong's awesome laundering skills. Heck, I will definitely miss our nightly orange consumption ritual.

I am truly blessed with lovely In-Laws, that's for sure!!

Hokkien Char

Stir fried cucumber with shrimps - my first

Stewed bean curd skin (fu chuk) with carrots and star anis

Folded clothes

Nightly ritual

 

 

Home karaoke

It's been awhile since I sang at karaoke. Firstly, I don't have karaoke kaki here and secondly, it's not as cheap as it is back home. 

So, I sing... at home! I sing to YouTube ktv version. Improves my mandarine somewhat. Lol.

With my Jay... oh, Jay. *swoons*

 

 

Project Nemo

I've been wanting to do something with this sad looking pond since last year but decided to leave it whilst I focused on my first Christmas party. Disheartening news last week, however, spurred this project on. 

When I decided to go ahead with this project, Project Nemo just came to mind. Nemo, in reference to the cute clownish from the animated film 'Finding Nemo'. My mother is always telling me to do some project together with Mr. C and here was one.

Plus, I thought it would be a good distraction for Mr. C and bring a smile onto his face. After all, he loves fishies. And a smile, there was.

We first bought three gold fish and a pump that came along with a teensy light bulb for underwater. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Few days later, we went to Bunnings - a warehouse that sells everything you could possibly need for a home - to obtain pine bark to cover the ground for a more earthy look. One bag wasn't enough though which saw us going back a few days later for two more.

We also bought two water lettuce to provide shelter from preying birds. Water lilies were a bit too pricey and not conducive in our shallow pond. It's annoying how we have to scoop out bird feathers from the pond's surface every single day. Bird poo on the supporting rocks are a sight for sore eyes and the dull coloured basin, now that I think about it.

Meanwhile, day in, day out, we see three teensy, lonesome fishies in the pond. We had a ball and bought six more little swimmers. And it's a welcome sight to see them before and after work, swimming excitedly in their new home.

Have been thinking of getting a swing sort of chair or tables with chairs for us to sit and have occasional meals outside and enjoy the view. The cascading water is pretty soothing and I reckon, therapeutic. 

 

 

 

 

All in all, objective achieved. Mr. C smiled and bonus points, so, did I. :)