Quilting

I have been neglecting my quilting these past several weeks! Fortunately for me, my clients are not very fussy and allow me to finish their quilts at my convenience.

I received Carrie's quilt more than 2 weeks ago, and I have only yesterday completed machine quilting it. Today I am going to box it and mail it back to her. Hers was the first that I'd received through the mail. She usually drops off and picks up her quilt at my home, but since she moved away from the area, she can't always drop it off in person.

This quilt of Carrie's that I just completed will be entered at a quilt contest in August. She told me to include some business cards in the mail so she could place them together with her quilt. I am not adverse to some free publicity for my quilting business!

Blog of the Day!

Woohooo! I just got approved today at PayPerPost, and already I am Blog of the Day at PPP! I waited a week for my blog to get approved after signing up with them.

Next on the agenda, is for my first sponsored post to get approved so I can get paid for writing it! Otherwise I will have given them all that free advertising!

On another topic, Puteri's Musings now has its own domain. This blog at Blogspot will continue as usual, because I do not have any complaints about its service.

The reason for the new domain for Puteri's Musings is so that I can make more money from blogging! I have caught the disease from Jamy! She personally admitted that she is "obsessed" with making money! She even uses "kayatan" as her ID on her blogs. Heheh, Jamy, true what!

Ok, now I need to drive traffic to my new blog. Ok, people how about you help me by linking my new blog to your blog? I will do what Baby Bok Choi is doing! She is one smart lady! She is offering the chance to win a shopping gift card to anyone who links to her new blog. If you want to try your luck at winning this shopping gift card, go over to her blog and leave a comment there! Good luck!

Ok, about that opportunity for winning a prize on my new blog ... go over there and check it out. It should be out soon, really, really soon!

I signed up with PPP!

I have been approved at payperpost and I am now its newest Postie! I am very excited about getting paid for blogging about the things that I love!

Come August, I will have been blogging for two years, but all this time I never realized that there are businesses out there who will pay you to write about things that you have been blogging about all this time. Come to think of it, bloggers have a large reach and I can understand why advertisers would want to harness the power of the blogging community to spread the word around about their products.

I first heard about payperpost from Jamy who is obsessed about making money. I then checked out payperpost website and signed up without hesitation. I was excited, motivated and challenged by the earning potential after reading the testimonials from members at PayPerPost.
I am already making friends with other Posties and networking with them and learning from them ways to drive traffic to my blog. Besides that, I am also learning from other posties on how to write an effective post for the advertiser.

Imagine what I can do with that extra $$$!! Who knows I will have made enough by Christmas time so I can afford to buy that large screen TV that I covet! I am looking forward to that first payment from PayPerPost for my effort on behalf of the advertisers!

What are you waiting for? Join me and sign up with payperpost and start making money from blogging!

Car Show and Craft Faire

Yesterday morning my friend, Kathy, and I went to our Church’s annual car show and craft faire.

I love looking at other people’s handicraft especially jewelry, bags and purses because those are the crafts that I make. The thing about going to such faires is that I cannot resist other people’s handiwork. I also feel compelled to support fellow craftsters.

After browsing the different booths and chatting with the different vendors, I bought, among other things, a small but beautiful hand painted glass vase. The floral painting on the vase reminded me of the morning glory that I planted recently and which has just started blooming. Kathy also bought a similar vase because she too thought they reminded her of her morning glory.

I also bought a small purse from the ladies that were selling them. It was easy enough to make but it was something I could use immediately. I am going to use the purse as my cosmetics bag because the one I have is looking very grungy.

I didn’t buy any jewelry and it was hard not to! But I did buy a bookmark that had some pretty beads on it. I had to buy at least a bookmark from Christina who is a fellow church member. I also bought a wooden cross that she’d made. I was surprised that she could make something out of wood! It seems she has diversified her interests!

I forgot to bring my camera, and my cell phone! I could at least have used my phone camera if I had it with me but …!

This time I didn’t look at the classic cars that were on display because Kathy and I didn’t want to spend too much time there that morning. However, on the way home we stopped by at the local library so I could get a library card and also register for a card craft class. A lady who teaches the class had a booth at the craft faire.

Kathy told me that I should also have a booth to sell my crafts! Maybe next year.

Unique Gifts

Do you like giving gifts and receiving gifts too? What kind of gifts do you like receiving? Unique ones or useful ones?

Among the things that I love having around the house are scented candles. I almost burn down my house one day when the dish that a candle was sitting on broke and there was flaming wax all over the counter! All my candles look like what candles are supposed to look like but look at this beer mug of a candle! Cute ----->!

How about umbrellas? We Asians don't like walking around under the hot sun without something covering us. When I go to the Flea Market in summer I always carry an umbrella with me! And I am not the only one because there are many Asians shopping at the Flea Market. But do you really need a monogrammed umbrella? I know it is unique but an umbrella is an umbrella!

How about a fleece jacket for your dog? I don't have a dog, but if I have a dog, and takes it out for a walk on a cold day, I think the dog will need something to keep him warm too. I won't mind dressing him in a jacket, even though he will look silly in it! --->

I have a couple of crystal vases but for every day use, I won't mind receiving this unique shaped vase!

When I was younger, I like receiving cute gifts. But as I got older, I like receiving gifts that are useful, gifts that I have need for, gifts that are useful for my personal use or for use around the house. But best of all, I LOVE receiving monetary gifts!

Is that Gucci bag you're carrying really a Gucci?

This story on the Daily Mail made me smile. According to a survey in the UK, two thirds are proud to buy fake goods and are willing to admit what they have is not the real thing.

I was at the Galt Flea Market last Tuesday where I tried several stylish sunglasses with famous brand names like Gucci, Burberry, Coach, Prada, and Chanel but did not buy any. The current style of sunglasses are huge and on my flat Asian profile, those styles just don't sit very well on my face. If they did, you can bet I would have bought at least a pair for myself! Each pair only cost $5!

But I did buy a Gucci handbag not too long ago. The quality of the bag looked like the real thing, and it cost me only $20. I am quite proud of my Gucci! Heheh.

I have a friend who is very well to do. When we go shopping, we told her, even if she was carrying a fake handbag, no one would think it was, because everyone knew she could afford the real thing. Whereas if I were to carry one, even if it was genuine, people would think it was a fake! Hah.

I don't mind fake handbags or sunglasses but I stop at fake perfumes. I love perfumes and I want to be sure that the scent is genuine and not something that will smell like some cheap perfume after a few hours!

Summer Camp

I was pleasantly surprised when NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams, on their Faith in America segment featured a story about how and where some American youths were spending their summer.

The American youths who went to Mexico, went under a Texas based group called Teen Mania Ministries. They had to raise their own money for the trip and they brought food, toys, shelter and most importantly shared their faith with the poor people in that part of Mexico.

I am happy and encouraged to hear of the existence of groups like Teen Mania. I am sure there are many churches who send youths to places like Mexico for the summer. My church does it too, and they have three different groups go to Mexico every summer.

This year we were able to contribute to the trips by donating six bags of used clothes because among the things that my church group brought this year were clothes. Each of the group that went to Mexico built a home for a needy family. All the materials for the building were bought and paid for with money raised by the youths who went.

We also "bought" two pairs of Helping Hands. Helping Hands was a way that some of the youths raised money for their trip. They offered services like yard work, baby sitting etc to raise money.

Almost everyone of the young people who have gone on one of these trips to Mexico experienced a life changing experience. A life changing experience not only from their service to the Mexicans they interacted with, but also to their Christian walk, and they had a better understanding of what fellowship and service with other Christians meant.

Crocs Shoes

This is a follow-up on Jamy's post on Crocs Shoes. The first time I saw something resembling this famous brand of shoes was on my sister-in-law's feet (I don't think they were Crocs brand though). And that was several years ago. She wore them around the yard as she watered the plants. I understood her reason for wearing such footwear because, being rubber it shouldn't matter if they got wet.

I didn't know that there was a famous brand of footwear, for these ugly sandals and that they were such hot items among the so called trendy folks. One of the kids at the pre-school where my children go wear those Crocs sandals. I even commented to one of the teachers, "I don't understand why her mother would let her wear those sandals. They don't look comfortable on hot days. Those are shoes you wear working in your yard!" And that was not the only time I made such a comment to the same teacher! Heheh.

When I read Desmond's Gawai post in which he mentioned BlueHeeler wearing those Crocs shoes to the longhouse, the thought that crossed my mind was that Singaporeans were so trend conscious that they were even willing to be seen in public wearing ugly rubber shoes!! Rubber shoes remind me of the rubber shoes my father used to own that he liked very much but made his feet stink!

I can understand why gardeners, fishermen, boating enthusiasts, and beach goers wear them because they were intended for use near the water. Crocs shoes are "non-slip, anti-bacterial, non-marking, and odor-resistant".

But to wear them to work? Jamy's colleague wear them to work, but maybe because they wear scrubs so those shoes don't look that out of place! I like the various bright colors available but I will never be caught dead wearing them to work! Maybe around my yard ...

What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body?

So what is the ugliest part of your body? You don't have one? Good for you!

For me, the ugliest part of my body is my double chin. Errrr ... maybe it is my fat tummy! Ok, ok let's just say that I have more than one part of my body that I think is ugly!

When I think about what I consider is the ugliest part of my body, I am thankful that I don't have uglier looking body parts! Imagine being born with a huge birthmark on your face! I guess with today's make up technology, even that can be hidden.

As for teeth, bad and ugly teeth can be taken out and caps or bridges put in. Look at how good looking Elliot Yamin is now with his new set of pearly whites.

I read some where that a famous fashion designer by the name of Halston once said that a woman's knees are the ugliest part of her body. Come to think about it, knees do look ugly especially if you are skinny! A lot of women think that their feet are ugly. I think where feet are concerned, white people (Asians like to walk barefoot in their homes) who have their footwear on all the time have the ugliest, gnarly looking feet!

What about men? What do men think is the ugliest part of their body? I can think of one part that I consider ugly! Hahahaha.

Looking for a New Bed

When you buy a bed and a mattress, what do you look for? Comfort? Functionality? Style?

For me comfort is top priority. The queen-sized water bed that Doug and I got after we set up house is no longer as comfortable as it once was. I have stopped sleeping on that bed for several months now because I started having lower back pain. The top foam padding of the mattress has lost its firmness, and sags right where my lower back is. Doug still loves the bed but two days ago he woke up wet. It appeared that one of the tubes in our water bed had sprung a leak!

Well, I thought, that would be a good excuse to get a new mattress. Hell no, Doug instead bought some stuff that he used to try to patch up the leak! To him, the water bed is the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept in. It was the most comfortable bed I had slept in too when we first bought it, but it no longer is!

Since getting the lower back pain from sleeping on the water bed, I started sleeping on an adjustable single bed that I got when I was pregnant. The comfort level could be better, but compared to the sagging padding on the water bed, it is a lot better!

I hear a lot of advertising on Select Comfort's Sleep Number Bed. On TV, some faded TV stars are also endorsing the bed. I am quite tempted, but I think the bed is not that different from my water bed. Instead of water tubes, there are air chambers, and of course there has to be a padding at the top, just like my water bed's. That padding will eventually sag, as it did on my water bed, even though the air chambers remain in good condition, unless it develops a puncture!
One alternative to a queen-sized bed is to get another adjustable bed for Doug, and we'll have them side by side. The adjustable bed is comfortable for reading and watching TV because you can raise the top end and there's no need to have several pillows piled behind you.

I like the adjustable bed because I have a very acid stomach and at times I just have to have my head higher than my tummy because of the acid reflux!

We'll see how ready Doug is about getting rid of that water bed!

Reminiscing Part 1

Have you ever had one of those days when out of the blue you thought about your childhood friends, or that primary school classmate and wondered what became of them?

I was in the shower this morning thinking about blogging, and out of the blue I thought about my primary school classmates!

Well, of course I am always reminded of one classmate in particular because my daughter is named after her. The classmate my daughter is named after was Denice Katherine Hepburn. She was Australian and was my classmate during most of my primary school years until her family returned to Australia. Her father was the manager at SESCO back in the days when SESCO had a little building right in downtown Miri, near where Park Hotel is right now.

I remember how mean some of us were to Denice. She had curly red hair, with lots of freckles on her face. Some of us called her "white bum". The thing about her was that she dished out what she got, and her favourite phrase was "Sticks and stones will hurt me, but words won't".

I liked Denice and she even invited me to stay with her one weekend, because that weekend was her birthday and there was going to be a birthday party for her. It was a big deal for me because at 11 years old, I had never spent any time away from home before that, and I remember feeling homesick the whole time I was at her place. Also it was the first time I had stayed with a white family. The thing that struck me was that they didn't eat dinner! We had tea, and that was it.

Denice loved to watch Hindi movies and listen to Hindi songs. I remember her calling the cinema because we wanted to go watch a Hindi movie, but she got the day and the time all wrong and so we never went to see any.

I couldn't wait to get home after the birthday party, and Denice's mother was kind enough to take the time to drive me home right after the party.

Another primary school classmate that I often think about is Yvonne Davidson. Yvonne's mother was Indonesian, and her father was English, I think. She was my classmate until I was in Primary 3, because her family moved to Kuching after that. She was the smartest girl in my class and was more advanced than any of us, and when we were in Primary Two there was talk about promoting her to Primary Four. She played the piano, and it was from her that I developed an interest in playing the piano. I begged my mother to send me to piano lessons but my mother said the classes were too far away, and we couldn't afford it anyway. That was that.

I don't know if I'll ever meet either of them again, or if they'll even remember me, but who knows eh.

Valerie Bag

I am going to start naming my bags! The above style is called the Valerie Bag. It is the smallest of all the bags I have made so far. I started off by making an oval base for the Valerie bag but the bottom was too difficult to sew on!! I spent several hours sewing and ripping the bottom and finally gave up. Maybe there is a method to attaching the base, but I have most definitely not found it!

On the the bag making supplies side, I received my order from Tall Poppy Craft today. When I found the site, I did not realize that they were based in Australia! Imaginge ordering bag making supplies from Australia when there are many places to buy such stuff right here in the US! I found everything I needed on the site and continued with my order. One of the items I have not found on any of the sites that I looked at is leather handles for hand bags. I also found some colorful braided handles.

I might just do what Kitman of Knit Your Love suggested. Set up an Etsy store! Yes, sell my bags and my jewelry at an Etsy store. Actually I have been thinking about setting up an Etsy store for a while. Maybe now is the time!

Blogger Arrested

By: Robert Andrews
Online Journalism News

A blogger was arrested by police in Malaysia and faces criminal proceedings for violating the country's official secrets act after posting a link from his website.

Nathaniel Tan, 26, a web editor for Malaysia's opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat party, was detained in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Initial reports said he was arrested on suspicion that a photomontage posted to his blog - depicting the deputy prime minister dining with a political adviser allegedly involved in a murder case - was a violation of the country's Communication and Multimedia Act.

......

South East Asian Press Aliance (SEAPA) reported: "Interestingly, on the same day Tan was remanded, national news agency Bernama reported that Johari had tasked the police to track down writers who 'spread lies through websites' - specifically those who direct criticisms against government leaders."

Read More

Does this or does this not cause chills up your spine? Posting a link on your blog can lead to your arrest! If the the link leads to "official secrets" how then is it possible for the "secret" to be accessible by the public?

This whole arrest, and the tracking of bloggers who 'spread lies through websites' smack of intimidation, revenge, and censorship on the part of the government.

There are bigger problems facing Malaysia. Rather then be worried about what is being written about individual elected representatives, the government needs to deal with the corruption that is on the rise especially among the higher ups of government, the rising cost of living, the declining inter-religious tolerance, and many more social issues facing the country.

Viva the internet! Bloggers continue to write on the issues that you care about!

I have Succumbed!

Ok, ok, I have finally succumbed to the lure of income generated from advertising placed on my blogs!!

I registered with Google Adsense, and I have got my first click resulting in a grand total income of $0.37! Now, how do I make that one click to a gazillion clicks? You know what they say in the Malay saying, "Sikit, sikit jadi bukit", loosely translated, "Little by little, will result in a mountain".

I have also registered to be an Amazon Associate. As you can see from this blog, I have a list of books that is linked to Amazon. I feel comfortable with this advertising because these are books that I actually own and bought at Amazon. But of course I will also put links to stuff that are on my Wish List in the future. I have a long list on my Wish List at Amazon.com!

You know, I am seriously, seriously thinking about setting up a nonsensical blog like that of I can has cheezburger? I don't know if it'll take off, but it is worth a try!

Oh to be as successful as Perez Hilton and I can has cheezburger! Deam on, babey!

Faith's Subjectiveness

Dennis Prager talks about everything and anything on his radio talk show. I always enjoy listening to the topics that he brings up. One of the things that Dennis Prager often says about faith is that it is subjective. Can anyone prove or disprove the genuineness of someone's faith?

In Christianity, faith is only as good as the object of our faith. If I place my faith on something that is not deserving, say a rock, then no matter how genuine my faith is, that faith is delusional. Believing in something that is false does not make it true.

As a Christian, I have to first of all acknowledge that I am a finite being, with limitations trying to understand and reach out to an infinite God, a God who is not limited by time and space.

I have to put my trust in His Word which he has left behind as " a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalms 119:105). I have to put my trust in Him because He tells me so, and not to rely on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

I can only do these things with my faith. My faith makes it possible for my limited understanding to reach out to the One who is without limitations.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him". Hebrews 11:6

Blog Advertising

I have resisted placing those google ads on my blogs but now I am seriously thinking about it.

Jamy over at Seay's Kopitiam, is crowing over the fact that she has now moved her blog from Blogspot to her own domain. She says that she has made enough money from her ads to buy her own domain. Good for you, Jamy!

How many others are actually making good enough income from the google ads at their blogs? I heard on the radio today that there are people who make plenty of money through the advertising on their blogs/sites. And I mean plenty! Like the guy who has the celebrity gossip site called Perez Hilton. He makes over $11 k per month. How about this guy who has nothing but funny cat pictures on his site? He's making plenty of money from the ads on his site. His cheapest rate of ad per week is $500 and his top rate is $4 k per week.

I'd like to make that kind of money, but how do I attract traffic to my site? Another copy cat site like I can has cheeseburger? Just what makes a site more successful than others? Quality content doesn't seem to be the standard if that cat site is anything to go by. Of course celebrity gossip is always popular. Mr Manager's site is popular enough. Hey Vernon, do those ads on your blog bring in the dough? Heheh.

Maybe I'll start a blog featuring fish. Do you think that will do the trick and bring in the dough?

Zippered Tote

Woo hoo! I successfully made a zippered tote! If I am to give away my totes to family members, they have to have zippers. They have this fear of being picked by pick pockets, or should the phrase be pick bags/purse?! I don't blame them because I will never go shopping carrying a bag that does not have zippers back in Malaysia!


Rattan handles, the same kind as in an earlier tote. I love this tote!

Bags With Handles

The motif on the fabric of this flare bag is a print of the "pua kumbu". My mother told me to make a bag for her using this fabric. What a pain it was trying to finish the bag with the handles already on! Is there another method? I mean other than stitching the handle straps on the outside?



This is like the other totes but with rattan handles. With those handles it looks like a basket. Hence this style is called basket style bags. I like these kind of handles because they can be unscrewed and so they can be attached to the bag after the bag is completed.

Tropical Tote

I love making totes! And to think it has taken me this long to get started! I bought more decorator fabric from JoAnn since they were all on clearance and each piece cost me between $1.50-$2.00 a yard. What a deal!

I struggled with the zipped pockets. The tutorial at Crafster did not work for me. I had to make the pocket wider than the width of the zip, and that solved the problem.

I have two quilts that I must finish by the end of the week. I'll just have to put the tote craze on hold for now.

One yard=Two Bags

See what one yard can yield! The bag above is what it is because of a mistake. I had intended to make the one below, but had the height and width of the bag confused. When I was done, err, how come this bag is long and narrow?



Ok, I had enough fabric to do it again, but no more wooden handles. So straps was what it ended having. I wished I had used the stiffer interfacing though. I think it would look better and classier if it was able to stand upright. Oh well.

Yes, I am on a roll! ;-)

Another Tote!

I'm on a roll! Here's another tote bag. I went to JoAnn for their Independece Day sale this morning and bought a few pieces of decorator fabric and this bag is a product of that shopping spree. Besides fabric, I bought magnetic snaps, handbag handles, interfacing - the works to start this new hobby. And oh, a book on bags and purses!

I wanted this bag to be stiff and able to stay upright, so I used the stiffest of interfacing that I could find at JoAnn. But what a pain it was when it came to folding the lining into the bag from the top edge of the bag! :-( I had to rip my first attempt because it was crooked and the stitching on the bulkiest section of the seam was horrible. I had to use my chasing hammer to flatten the bulky seam. The second time around was much better, but not as neat as I would like. Oh well. This is after all only my second tote and my first with a stiff interfacing.

I have never used any kind of snaps in any of my previous sewing. Good thing I had the book, and learnt how to put on the magnetic snaps on the bag.

Can't wait to do the others! :-)

Tote Bag

Here's my first tote bag! In time to show off my patriotic colors for the Independence Day celebrations! Instructions for the bag can be found at Craftster.

Tote/Purse Organizer

I bought this pretty tote bag but it didn't have any pockets. I hate to dig around my bag for my stuff.

I started searching around the internet for a tote organizer because I remember seeing some such thing quite some time ago. I found this design and it was simple enough to sew. The size of the pockets are sized according to the item that goes into each of them.

This is how it looks like with my things in the pockets. Maybe next time I'll use a heavier interfacing so the organizer will be stiffer and can stand more upright.

Spread the organizer along the sides of the tote bag and the empty space in the middle is where my wallet, cough drops, camera, and dental floss go. :-) Thanks to the designer of this tote organizer, whoever she is, for coming up with something so practical! Next time, when I need to change to another tote/purse, I only need to remove the organizer and a few miscellaneous stuff.



* A purse organizer pattern can also be found here.*

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to my adopted country.

God bless America.

Summer Ramblings

Have you got your iPhone yet? I haven't, and am not likely to get one any time soon. When it comes to the latest fad in electronic gadgets, I am a little slow. I might get one when the price has gone down quite drastically and when all the hype has died down.

What it is it with some people that they have to have the iPhone and are willing to start standing in line at 3 a.m. when the store isn't ready to start selling the item at 6 p.m. that same day? The iPhone costs something like $500 and in order to be able to use it you have to sign a two year contract at about $60 a month with this exclusive carrier.

I heard that it is possible that by Christmas time iPhone will have the second generation iPhone for sale. See, what you have right now could be outdated by Christmas!

So much for not getting carried away with the iPhone hype! I just signed up for Rush in a Hurry newsletter because new subcribers are automatically entered for an 8 gig iPhone giveaway drawing! Heheh. If I am lucky enough and wins one for free, eh, why not?!

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So the Islamist jihadists strike again in Britain. Two car bombing attempts foiled in London. One possibly lethal fireball at Glasgow airport resulted in, amazingly, only five bystanders hurt. One of the perpetrators in custody, and one held in a hospital for critical burn injuries.

I am pessimistic that these jihadists would not try more of these kinds of attacks. According to Melanie Phillips author of Londonistan, western countries, like Britain, "refuse(s) to acknowledge that the true driver of Islamist terror is religious fanaticism. Instead, it attributes its causes to Muslim poverty, discrimination and grievances over foreign policy. In other words, it blames us."

When the jihadists say that they are intent on establishing a Caliphate, we better believe them. Daniel Pipes in his July 26, 2005 article called What do Terrorists Want [A Caliphate]? writes succintly about it. Pipes article, What is Jihad, is quite an eye opener too.

Two books that I am currently reading make me even more pessimistic. These two books tie in end times events with the rise of militant Islam. The scenario is very, very plausible. The first book is Anti-Christ: Islam's Awaited Messiah by Joel Richardson, and the second, Christianity and Islam: The Final Clash by Robert Livingston.

If Richardson and Livingston are to be believed jihadist attacks are only going to get worse as time goes by, and Christians and Jews better be prepared for the worst.

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