A Step At A Time

   

     Last Christmas I gifted hubby with a book called The Dad's Pocket Bible by Stephen Giles. It wasn't because I found his parenting skills lacking though. I skimmed through the pages of this book in the store and found that it wasn't just one of those parenting books but was more of a "survival manual" for dads. For soon-to-be dads, it described how newborns would look and thus eliminate the shock factor. And for new dads, a guide from changing diapers to feeding babies. 

     This book covers not only the early stages but teenage years, which isn't that far off now for our kids. It may be a book intended for dads, but parenting is a tag-team. What the other parent can't do, the other takes on. And so, this is also a book for me. From the list of things that we should teach our kids, I've done my part to teach them how to ride their bikes, tie shoelaces, my daughter how to float on her back and our son to whistle. Hubby has covered some of the athletic missions. 

      We didn't really set out to teach them but rather, teaching moments just came when it was necessary or when they showed interest.

     That night too, which was Christmas Eve, hubby told the kids stories of himself as a child. The wonder and perhaps envy on our son's face on hearing how his dad climbed trees and up onto the roof too made me feel guilty. He has been missing out on some experiences that he should have as a boy. But there really weren't trees to climb where we used to live.

     When we arrived home I realized that our tree in the backyard was easy enough for him to practice climbing on. This time we had a mission to accomplish. Garbed in pajamas so as not to get scratched, sunblock slathered generously, we headed outdoors. 

 

 The tree was closely inspected, of course. And big thorns were discovered on it's trunk and branches.

 

Thorns are primarily for protection and I didn't see anything that could threaten the tree. It may be unkind, but I have my priorities. So off with the thorns. 

He is also a cautious child. He learned from the best teacher, his over-protective mom. He tested first if the branch could hold his weight. Initially, this was as high up as he would venture, tightly holding on to the branch.

 

With encouragements and assurances that we were there to catch him if he fell, he went farther up.

And finally, to the highest branch he could stand on. Almost close enough to reach the nest. Clinging like a koala but realizing it's not that difficult or scary after all.

   Job well done son and parents. I'm happy for moments such as these when he kids learn from us and with us.

Batik Painting

     I'm a perpetual avid learner. When I see something beautiful, like a piece of jewelry or artwork, my mind makes a breakdown of what materials were used and how it was made. And then I get itching to get started and make my own. I've dabbled in many things, digital scrapbooking, photography, arts and crafts and the likes, all revolving around art. 

    Sad though that I have no talent whatsoever when it comes to drawing or painting. Oh, I have tried. The first time I attended my art class, a fourth of the eraser was used up, just from trying to draw an orange. But still, this hasn't stopped me from creating artworks and even putting them up around the house. So long as it doesn't involve drawing, it can work.

     On our recent trip to Malaysia, I discovered that we could try our hand at Batik fabric painting at Kuala Lumpur Crafts Center. Seeing all the finished paintings on display made it seem such a daunting task, but exciting at the same time.  

 I chose some reptilian design to match hubby's in case they turn out to be display-worthy. The fabrics were stapled to a wooden frame and we were each given a palette of watery dye in basic colors. You basically just dip in your brush into your chosen color and dab it into the fabric. The solution was very watery so the color spread quickly on the fabric. 

 Hubby had the best work though. I love the burst of bright colors, especially when he finished it by painting the background yellow. 

As we waited for our work to dry and be framed, I took a walk around and stumbled on another workshop where Batik painting was also being taught, but this time on silk. I just gotta learn that too! But it had to be put off until the next day for the sake of our growling stomachs. 

 This time I had to trace the template myself onto the fabric. Then came the application of wax. This is a quite difficult to do as you have to have a steady hand while tracing over the pattern as well as control to apply just the right amount of wax. 

 

Hair fixed in a bun, bangs clipped back. I mean business here.  Not even being mistaken as a Malaysian actress could distract me from my work.

 I did pick up a thing from my one and only art lesson, which areas to make lighter or darker.

The dye lightened as it dried so it was necessary for a second and sometimes third layer of it.

 

The artist showing me which areas to add a darker green to give it more dimension.

Ta da! My finished work. Not bad for a first attempt right? 

All I was after was at least a passable artwork to put on display but now I'm dreaming of a hand painted silk dress soon. Quite ambitious for a non-artist, I know. But it has the perfect motivation for me, fashion and art. So we'll see in the future. 

Wet Market Fashion

     When I first got to Phnom Penh, one thing that really struck me was that it was difficult to find nice clothes in the city. The better ones are overpriced for the quality and brand or lack thereof. 

     So I was a lady with a mission to find nice clothes. To be fair, at that time all I had with me was one luggage-full of clothing because we thought our things would follow us shortly. They arrived 4 months after we got here. No need to describe how it felt like for me having so few pieces to choose from, none of which were fashionable enough.

     Lest you think this is a fashion-backwards place, there are some posh clothing shops here too with brands from Paris. Mango, Axara and BYSI among internationally known brands and local designers too with dresses to just love! But I'm featuring my cheap thrills for now because people find it more surprising and interesting than expensive stuff. 

     Psar Tuol Tom Poung (Russian Market) and Psar Thmey (Central Market) have become my usual shopping grounds. As their names imply, they really are wet markets with produce, but also has hardware materials, school supplies and clothing. Think SM in a wet market setting. So a food-shopping trip is not complete without having a look at the clothes too. 

 
     I don't know if there is a technique for spotting The One from among the many. It usually just jumps out at me or calls to me even from afar. Mostly it is a matter of personal taste though and maybe honed skill through practice.

   
I love these dresses because I'm very attracted to pastels and light colors these days. They go for $26. Considering that these are well-made, that's already a steal. I especially like the classic cut of the left-most dress and the light pink with black lace accent.

              
This qualifies as a Little Black Dress, fit for an evening event. With a different belt, of course.

This is my favorite purchase by far because it had all the right elements: perfect color and style. Sexy without being too much so and the fabric is a nice really soft cotton.  I had 2 buttons added to the bottom for it to work as a dress for me. A similar one was on the window display of Axara yesterday. This may not have the right label but try beating its price at $9. 

  
The perfect cover-up for swimsuits. It was the only piece they had and it was my size. Bought on the same day as the green dress above for $5. Lucky day indeed! Oh, and my hat was a wet market find too when we first got here. Love it so much, I have 2 of this.

This is one of the 3 dresses I bought together for $10. It's pretty easy to dress this up or down with the choice of footwear and accessories. And with the right arm-candy, who would think it's $3 cheap.


I'm quite lucky to have these cheap finds. They are the perfect cure for when the shopping bug hits me without draining the purse. They're like little snacks to tide me over until the next big meal in a fancy restaurant. 

Do you have your cheap thrills too?