When my hubby and I got married, we didn't hire a wedding planner. We considered it, though. But after talking to one, we decided it was beyond our budget. Looking back, I wished we got one, even just the on-the-day package offered. There were things that happened in the reception that were cringe-worthy. But, I quite enjoyed the planning and the sourcing with my partner prior to our special day. It was like doing a project together. For those who are engaged, are about to plan their dream … [Read more...]
A Holiday Movie Night With Family, Cymplified!
I cannot wait to wind down with a holiday movie night with my family... After ordering or buying gifts for family, friends and the children's classmates. After wrapping presents, making customized gift tags and sticker labels. After sourcing and looking to complete the kids' attires for their school Christmas program. After the rehearsals and the children's Christmas program itself. After attending Christmas parties, filling up ourselves with food and conversations. It's time … [Read more...]
Watercolor Gift Tags, Cymplified!
Mere days before Christmas and we're all about the get-togethers and the gifts we will be giving at the gatherings. Time is scarce to spend it on the traffic jammed roads and navigating the crowded malls to buy gifts, wrappers and tags. Good thing there's online shopping! I could buy presents from the comfort of my home and in my jammies. Also, I have a stash of paper bags, papers and ribbons from opened presents that could be reused. Saving the earth one gift at a time, I say! :-D For … [Read more...]
Hand Lettering – Love It Or Leave It? Cymplified!
Is hand lettering for me? For you? As with new food, new experiences, new learnings that we get a taste of, this question would certainly whisper in our thoughts. Is it for me? When I attended the hand lettering workshop by Make It Blissful and Abbey Sy last March, I was given a background and some tools on the subject. A photo posted by Cym M (@ceemee) on Mar 22, 2015 at 1:57am PDT Brief review: La Creperie, where the workshop was held, was a lovely place and the DIY … [Read more...]
Guest Post: How To Creatively Manage The Household Budget, Cymplified!
This guest post on How To Creatively Manage The Household Budget is brought to you by Hilary Smith. Every mother has heard these dreaded words, “I'm bored” from their kids during summer vacation and “stick to the budget” almost every day from either her spouse or herself. The first one is easy enough to solve with a new toy or a treat for a restless child, but that can make the second scenario even more agonizing. Balancing a budget often means going without those little extra treats, like … [Read more...]
Create Your Masterpiece: Busy Hands, Cymplified!
Proverbs 10:4 (NIV) 4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV) 6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. "Always be creating!" That is letterer Abbey Sy's motto, I believe. Note to self: buy her book, The ABC's of Hand Lettering. Anyway... Our hands have purposes. They were meant to do something beautiful, … [Read more...]
Learning Basic Calligraphy From Cher, Cymplified!
Calligraphy is so popular these days. There are even fonts being made out of calligraphy. It's different from the Chinese calligraphy that I learned in high school, though. The calligraphy that people over at Instagram do is the art of decorative handwriting. It's the way one writes a certain letter which makes it beautiful, a work of art in itself. I have not tried calligraphy before. I wasn't interested because 1. I have no idea what pens to use. 2. I have poor handwriting. Then, my former … [Read more...]