Happy Halloween everyone!!

[Image from Sanrio.com]

Thank you for your kind words, I am doing a lot better today. Poor Mike had to take me out for some comfort food and I felt better last night. I went to bed early, got up early and was just grateful for all the comfort I got. It all helped, thank you!

By the way, Halloween has never been a tradition in Singapore – so I never had a costume. Maybe when I have kids, I will dress up as an excuse to accompany them on their candy expedition. Now what would I wear?!?!

Happy Halloween everyone, enjoy and be safe!

Work’s been busy for me, I just wanted to let you know I’m still here. Just been really running around, looking at the computer screen a lot and fretting about deadlines. Looks like I know what I’ll be up to this weekend.

Just a favorite excerpt from Lilo & Stitch, a really underrated Disney animated film about a Hawaiian orphan who lives with her sister and adopts a wanted alien as a pet:

Hula Teacher: Lilo, why are you all wet?
Lilo: It’s sandwich day! Every Thursday I take Pudge the fish a peanut butter sandwich.
Hula Teacher: Pudge is a fish?
Lilo: And today we were out of peanut butter. I asked my sister what to give him, and she said, “A tuna sandwich.” I can’t give Pudge tuna! Do you know what tuna IS?
Hula Teacher: Fish?
Lilo: IT’S FISH! If I gave Pudge tuna, I’d be an abomination! I’m late because I had to go to the store and get peanut butter ’cause all we have is…is…STINKIN’ TUNA!!
Hula Teacher: Lilo, Lilo, why is this so important?
Lilo: Pudge controls the weather.

If you haven’t seen this film, you should… but the main reason I quote this was because I feel like an abomination this morning as I made myself a cup of Lipton tea. I forgot I had ran out of my other teas at work.

Stef: It’s LIPTON!! Do you know what LIPTON is? It’s tea dust in a bag!…^%^$&$#$%@!!

Erica, thanks for reminding of their wonderful stockings! Here’s just a sampling of them. I can’t decide on which one I would pick because they are all lovely!! Hable Construction has wonderful goodies! I know I know, it’s not Christmas yet but they don’t only make stockings.

Last evening, we bought our first Disney DVD – The Lion King. As I watched it, I recalled the very first time I saw it, it was a grand spectacle. The music, in particular, touched me…Lebo M. who sang the first chant in the Circle of Life is truly gifted. It feels at times like we were watching a National Geographic documentary.

This brought me back to a time when I had started listening to world music – Paul Simon on his album Graceland. He had been inspired byLadysmith Black Mambazo – a group I truly enjoyed.

If you haven’t heard Ladysmith Black Mambazo, you should start now. I recommend Shaka Zulu or Journey of Dreams. This South African vocal group is amazing and they are now touring North America.

Thanks, Anh-Minh, for sounding us out about Nigella’s Living Kitchen collection here in USA. The combination of white and baby blue is just sweet.

Influenced and schooled by my German friend, Anissa, I wanted to share this link about an artist who makes her own online advent calendars every year. Look out for it this year… on Dec 1 and enjoy it daily for 24 days (available in 6 languages). Also check out Penny’s previous calendars.

If you prefer it analog, rather than digital, here is a pretty one. There are many others online – paper and wooden.

I made these soaps last evening for the fall. Coincidentally, we turned our clocks back last night. I wanted to make them with autumny scents and so, decided on sandalwood. It was a little mild and so I added some geranium, now they smell great. The challenge for me was to get an autumny color and oh, you should have seen my face when Mike said they look exactly like my pink summer ones! I guess after inhaling too much geranium, I forgot that my husband’s a little less color aware than I am. So, here is a picture, without tweaking, what do you think?

I had a great time at the craft store today. My bounty consisted of lovely fabrics, poster frame (for the poster Mike bought me for my birthday), some little buttons for a cardigan I want to revamp and a new ink pad for my rubber stamps in Sienna brown.

The top fabric, I plan to make throw pillows with and the bottom one, for pillow cases to match with my plain yellow bedding.

Tonight, we having Japanese curry with rice for dinner. That ends tonight’s report