Thanksgiving

I woke up this morning to the rustling of the sheets. It was still dark out; there was no hint of light in the sky. I felt a movement in the room, and as I tried to focus my eyes, I saw Alphonse, sitting in the darkness, making happy, little noises. He didn’t even notice me wake up.

I was expecting him to run to the light switches and open all of them in one go, or even attempt to open the bedroom door which we lock at night to keep him from wandering, but no, this time, he stayed put at the foot of our bed. And then just as suddenly, he clambered over the bed, sidled up to me, and started giving me wet, sloppy kisses, all the while still making his happy, little noises.

As his lips brushed my cheeks, he suddenly whispered, “Ayayu (I love you).” He has not spoken these words in a while so I was surprised. “I love you too, baby,” I whispered back, as tears fell down my cheeks. He gave me one last kiss and then moved to the other side of the bed, where he did the same to his dad.

Later, snuggled between his dad and me, he smiled and went back to sleep.

This is what we call Thanksgiving.  

Being Thankful: The Seven Ups

It’s Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, and while we do not observe this occasion in my country, I feel that any opportunity to be grateful, thankful, and appreciative of the blessings in our lives is always worth celebrating wherever you may be in the globe. 

I’d like to share this wonderful message sent via email by my friend Melyn. I think it’s very appropriate as we reflect this weekend on the meaning of gratitude.  It’s easy to focus on the negatives, especially when there is so much of it in the world today. The world seems just about ready to turn upside down with acts of unspeakable cruelties and unimaginable horrors that it is so easy to simply give up. But to be truly grateful is to constantly view life as a gift from our Creator. To be grateful is to choose to live each day as a celebration of faith, love, and grace.  And to be truly grateful is to always stand for what is right.   

Decide to have a good day.
‘This is the day the Lord hath made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.’The best way to dress up is to put on a smile.
A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at outward appearance,but the Lord looks at the heart.’

Say nice things and learn to listen.
God gave us two ears and one mouth,
so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking.

. . . for what you believe in.
Stand for something or you will fall for anything.
‘Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good…’

. . . to the Lord.
‘I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me’.

. . . for something higher.
‘ Trust in the Lord with all your heart ,
and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.’

. . . your Prayers.
‘Do not worry about anything; instead
PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.’

UPDATE: Wonder Toys Powers, Activate!

 Since I put up the Wonder Toys post last week, I have received a few inquiries about the information contained therein. The most common question asked was: “Is there really a Wonder Toys store in SM North Edsa?”

The answer is NO. I did not specifically name the SMNE outlet as Wonder Toys. What I said was, and I quote,

A few weeks ago, in one of A’s solo trips to the mall since I got injured, he discovered a small toy warehouse outlet tucked in one of the corners of the new Annex of SM North EDSA. Always on the lookout for toy sales, A took a step inside and discovered a goldmine — old Sylvanian Families (SF) toy sets for sale at below market prices…. …The salesperson then volunteered a nugget of information — they might have some more SF in their stores in Tutuban and in Festival Mall.”

Just to make things clear, these are the facts.

1. The name of the SMNE outlet store I was referring to in my post is Ultimate Toy Drive.

2. Ultimate Toy Drive was set up by TK (Toy Kingdom) Express last August and the first time my husband went there, he was told that it will run through the Christmas season.

3. That particular TK Express outlet is unique because all the merchandise being sold is supplied solely by Speedtech, which used to be Smarty Toys.

4. Speedtech owns Wonder Toys (Festival Mall) and Happy Toys (Tutuban), which is why all the products that could be found at the Ultimate Toy Drive (UTD) are also available at Wonder Toys. Only in many cases, they were actually cheaper at UTD.

5. This is also the reason why many of the items at Wonder Toys sport TK or TK Express bar codes.

Below are pictures of the Sylvanian Families Oakwood Manor purchased at the Ultimate Toy Drive at SMNE. At PhP3000, it is PhP500 cheaper than the ones currently in Wonder Toys (WT restocked with these beauties last week). UTD is now all out of Sylvanian Families items but if you ask their sales people, they will say that they did have them, and that they are still available in the company’s other outlets (Wonder Toys and Happy Toys). Also, notice the Toy Express tag, seen clearly in the second picture.

I will try to take pictures of UTD when I do my grocery-shopping this weekend at SM North Edsa and try to post them asap. Hope this post answers your questions, folks.

Kittymama’s Guide to Good Manners and Online Businesses (Part Two)

*I am NOT a seller so I am making this guide from a buyer’s perspective.

Kittymama’s Guide to Good Manners and Online Businesses for Sellers*

1. Post clear pictures and describe your products honestly. Describe even the condition of boxes. Don’t say an item is brand new when it is not. Show tags as much as possible to provide buyers with date of manufacture.

2. Provide measurements or comparisons as much as possible. An item seen through macro lenses may appear gigantic, when in fact, it is only a few inches tall.

3. Indicate clearly which items are included if the buyer is interested in a set.

4. Please post your prices. It’s difficult to have to keep asking “how much?” (or in my friend Cynthia’s case the very unique “how muchie?- cute!) especially when multiple items are involved. Unless you are open to haggling, indicate if your prices are fixed and non-negotiable.

5. Don’t change your prices midway through a transaction. A short example: I was looking at some cellphone cases a while back. I took a screenshot of the item to show my husband but didn’t bother to peruse the posting closely (my fault, see number two of previous post; I learned from this mistake). I then left a message for the seller, asking her  for the price.  The seller quoted a number and in turn, I passed on the price quotation to my husband. He quickly pointed out that the picture I sent him had indicated a much lower price. I chose not to pursue the transaction anymore.

6. Once an item is posted for sale, it is fair game for anyone. Unless you mark it as reserved or taken, the first person who reserves an unmarked item should have the right of first sale. Better yet, if you have promised it to someone else, remove it from the album.

7. Don’t say it is on sale when it is not. Some sellers use the word “SALE” loosely to entice buyers. For most of us, the definition of a sale is the opportunity to purchase at reduced prices.  

8. Money isn’t everything. We all know that sellers sell to make money, but for patrons of a seller, it does not feel good to be duped or misled. The most common reason for buying online is to cut on costs by shaving off big retailers’ mark-ups. So to find the same items you are selling in the malls at a much lower price than the sellers’ is a big, big letdown. Of course, if you are selling unique or handmade items, a significant premium based on these qualities is understandable, but even then, know how much profit your market can  take.

9. Reply to inquiries promptly. Don’t put off your correspondence. Buyers hate waiting and by not acting promptly, you may lose their business. One seller I met promised to text back with details and didn’t; I did not pursue the transaction as I felt ignored and my business unimportant.

10. Provide clear instructions on payment modes. Give your buyers all your options, be it bank payments, money transfers, COD, or electronic money (for example, Gcash). If the last  is one of your chosen options, indicate if you are passing on the 1% charge (cash-out fee) to your clients, and only then, charge only the amount which is being transferred via this mode.

11. When products have been paid for, acknowledge payment with your thanks. An acknowledgement of payment assures the buyer that their business is real, solid, and based on mutual trust.

12. Package your items carefully, especially breakables and fragile items. Also, special touches mean much. Just this morning, I received a package in the mail from someone who I did business with just two days ago. I didn’t spend much, just PhP270, but the seller’s packaging made me feel like a VIP. It really made my day.

13. Send your buyers’ tracking numbers or air bill numbers right away. This should be a seller’s responsibility. Tracking numbers also assure buyers that the contract has been consummated. Trust me, unless you are a good friend, buyers hate running after waybill numbers.

14. If you opt for a meet-up, indicate upfront if the buyer must shell out part of your gas expense.  Meet-ups are usually done at the seller’s convenience, not the other way around. The rationale behind  this is to save on shipping costs. As such, meet-ups do not usually require charges. Don’t say you can meet her somewhere then later ask for extra money for a service you volunteered because this action shows bad faith. 

15. Freebies are very nice and heartwarming, but they not absolutely necessary. Good service, honesty, and a real concern for your buyers count more than whatever it is you can throw in for free.

16. Lastly, keep an accurate database of your buyers’ contact details. Remember their names and match it with their online handles. It’s frustrating to have to keep giving your contact details to someone you’ve done business with repeatedly. Besides, when you start treating your customers as your real friends, they are less likely to defraud you.

~0~

What can I say about my experience as an online buyer in Multiply? I have been immensely blessed by the people I have met in the forum that the successes still far outweigh the occasional disappointments. I have tried my best to be an honest, reputable buyer and this is a reputation that I would like to maintain and keep. 

In the end, we–buyers and sellers alike–must remember that an online business, like any other business, relies on good faith and a reciprocity of service, goods and trust. That we are able to develop friendships beyond the confines of the material world is a blessing that makes this world a much smaller, less colder place to live in.

Kittymama’s Guide to Good Manners and Online Businesses (Part One)

We join social networking sites for various reasons. Some want to meet new people, others want to look for old friends. Still, some want to join interest groups; others,  discussion fora. Whatever the reasons may be, social networking sites provide a new venue where people may interact regardless  of geographical distance and limitations.

My first foray into social networking sites was in Friendster. Joining was actually a no-choice as I did it simply to monitor my then thirteen-year-old son’s activities on the Internet. Later on, as I got more net savvy, I joined Facebook whose appeal lies on its interactivity and its games. At around the same time, I also opened a Multiply account, and on this, I have to be honest and say I joined to be able to buy Hello Kitty stuff online.

With Multiply finally legitimizing businesses in their new terms of use, online entrepreneurship is expected to hit an all-time high. With this development, however, we expect that the rules and etiquette of business will undergo continuous modifications to accommodate the changing needs of a new virtual frontier.

I have, in the last two years, been a frequent Multiply buyer. In the course of doing business with others, I have been witness in my circles to breaches in social rules that result in joy reservers, bogus buyers, and bogus sellers. How, then, do we attempt to avoid all these headaches?

Here are some suggestions for buyers (part one) and sellers (part two) alike. If I miss anything, please feel free to add them in the comments section and I will update the list and give you credit for the suggestion.

 Kittymama’s Guide to Good Manners and Online Businesses for Buyers

1. Read. Read seller’s descriptions very well and repeatedly to avoid misunderstanding or false expectations.

2. Check first if the item price has been posted before asking “how much?” This saves the seller from unnecessary inquiries and saves her time and effort.

3. If you have questions on the item, do not hesitate to ask via text or email but always introduce yourself and indicate your purpose clearly.

4. Be polite. Send polite and clear inquiries whether it be via email or text.  

5. When using private messages, do not use text language. Do not assume that your seller is well-versed in text language. Phrase your questions clearly and in complete words to avoid having to repeat the same inquiries.

6. Once you make a reservation, make sure that you are serious in buying and have the money on hand to pay for it. Don’t reserve today if you are looking to pay for it with next week’s salary. By locking out an item you cannot pay for, you are depriving the seller the chance to make an honest profit from a sure buyer.

7. Provide up-to-date and clear contact details. Indicate your handle and provide your real name, address, cellphone and landline, and even your zip code. If your home address will likely cause confusion for the courier, elaborate by giving landmarks.

8. Know your seller. Don’t be afraid to ask for a name and contact number; after all, you have given them yours.

9. If an invoice is due any day, set time to check your inbox for messages and updates. You cannot excuse late payment by saying that you were offline. If you can go online to reserve an item, you can go online to finalize the transaction. 

10. For preorders requiring down payment, pay your deposit promptly. Two years ago, deposits were virtually unheard of and trust was the rule of the day but because of bogus buyers, sellers have been forced to ask for deposits to ensure future payment. We do not want to wait for the day when sellers will require full payment upfront even for preorders.

11. Mark the estimated time of arrival on your calendar for preorders so you will know when to contact your seller for updates. With their growing list of clients, sometimes, they are hard pressed to provide each and every one with update. In an ideal world, such a responsibility would hardly merit a second thought- it would be a given. But since you have paid your deposit, you must share the burden of following-up on your orders.

12. Pay promptly, preferably on same day as the invoice. Sellers generally give their clients a short leeway and time allowance for payment (usually three days). Don’t abuse their kindness and don’t give the seller cause to have to run after you.

13. Don’t use your seller’s pictures to show off your purchases. Unless you are granted permission to repost them with credit, take your own pictures.

14. Be gracious and say thank you for a business transaction done smoothly. If you can, leave recommendations on their feedback page.

15. For complaints, go straight to the seller if you wish for action to be taken. If you are ignored and your complaints are dismissed, then you may wish to take further action by reporting it to the network. You are free to express your disappointment in your blog, but remember to do so with discretion and with respect for a person’s reputation.

Coming right up: Part Two of Kittymama’s Guide to Good Manners and Online Businesses for Sellers

Wonder Toys Powers, Activate!*

A few weeks ago, in one of A’s solo trips to the mall since I got injured, he discovered a small toy warehouse outlet tucked in one of the corners of the new Annex of SM North EDSA. Always on the lookout for toy sales, A took a step inside and discovered a goldmine — old Sylvanian Families (SF) toy sets for sale at below market prices. A snatched up every single one he could buy and came home with four huge bags of an assortment of SF, from Japan-released single boxed characters, to Flair theme playsets, even a boat (The Rose of Sylvania) and a house (Oakwood Manor).

Because he had bought so much in one go, the salesperson inquired on his interest on SF. A replied that he was bringing them home as gifts for his poor. sick, SF-addicted wife (okay, okay, enough with the drama, heehee). The salesperson then volunteered a nugget of information — they might have some more SF in their stores in Tutuban and in Festival Mall. A thanked the kind salesperson profusely and filed the information for future use.

Fast forward to the weekend of our church wedding anniversary (November 14). A had promised me a weekend getaway in the city as a gift. I was totally excited at the prospect of some alone time with him. My sister graciously acquiesced to babysit Alphonse for the weekend; Alex volunteered to help his aunt and the remaining nannies with his brother. We felt Alphonse would be in safe hands, so we put a green light to the plan.

A had booked us a room at The Bellevue Manila, a five-star luxury hotel in Alabang. Muntinlupa City. As part of our weekend itinerary, he had planned surprise gifts, movie dates, dinners and lunches, and the special bombshell- a hunt for Sylvanian Families (with the option of buying, of course). I thought that it was auspicious that The Bellevue would be so near Festival Mall, until I discovered that A had it planned all along as part of the surprise for me.

And so there we were, after an hour and a half of city driving, billeted at a very comfortable room (I would have loved to take a snooze, the bed and pillows were enticingly soft and  fluffy) but we had a schedule to stick to and time was ticking. We unpacked our gear, locked the laptop in the room safety deposit box, did the restroom stops, quickly tucked Mama Bronte Keats and Sister Shelley Keats in my pocket, and boarded the car again. I was tired from the ride and my neck ached like h**l, but I swallowed a couple of painkillers, slathered an analgesic rub all over my neck and upper back, and hoped adrenaline would be enough to sustain me. The first stop: Festival Mall!

We looked for the store the salesperson told us about and found it in the 3rd floor of a rather convoluted building. This being my first time in Festival Mall, I could not get a good grasp of the lay-out right away; fortunately, A has a keen sense of direction and found the place without any problems.

Wonder Toys is a small store but it comes packed with lots of great items, both at sale and regular prices. I found a wide array of Sanrio merchandise, many of them with negligible defects that cut down the costs measurably.

Sanrio ceramic decorations on sale

Sanrio toys at regular prices

My SF hunt was a bust this time, though, as they had few items left (we were able to buy most of them at their North Edsa branch anyway; good that prices at their SMNE outlet were also lower) but I did find a Fox father I had been looking for and an extra double pram for my Sylvanian babies.

One salesperson was very friendly to me after finding out that I love SF. We kept making small talk about SF until he happened to mention that he was sorry they ran out of the ‘big house” (referring to Oakwood Manor) which they sold only at half the price. Before I could reply, he also said that the house was so cheap that he had heard of a seller who made a huge profit on the house by selling it online at a shockingly hefty markup to a SF addict. *gulp* I almost choked on his words but managed to maintain my composure. What he did not know was that SF addict he was talking about, alas, was probably me. Sigh. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. I think I lost big time on that one. 

single boxed characters from SF Japan (Epoch)

boxed play sets from Flair, the Rose of Sylvania boat, and SF families

Still, if only for Fox father, the trip wasn’t such a bust after all. I did score great Sanrio merchandise, some for Christmas giveaways and some for my collection. One of these days, when A has more time on his hands, he and I are seeking out Wonder Toys Tutuban next. 

The Wonder Toys stop was simply the first of a series of SF hunts. In the span of a weekend, we managed to make the rounds of most major stores carrying SF, including Eastwood’s Toy Town, SM Mall of Asia’s Toy Kingdom, and Greenbelt 5’s Kidz Station. Add to that the SF gifts A had purchased beforehand at the SM North Edsa’s Toy Kingdom and I think I made a pretty good haul of Sylvanian items in one weekend.

Best of all, A and I simply enjoyed spending time together. Our weekend jaunt to The Bellevue was truly a relaxing and pleasurable experience. I particularly love breakfasts at Café d’Asie, with their succulent pork sausages and luscious buttered rolls. I think Shelley Keats loved them too.

Shelley apparently eyeing something else…

she makes a dash for it while Mama tries to run after her…

SUCCESS!

To Senator Noynoy

An Open Letter to Senator Noynoy Aquino from a Mother of an Autistic Child

(Originally published in Herword.com on November 16, 2009)

Dear Senator Noynoy,

Up until you announced your candidacy, I had given up hope in the election process of 2010. While I have exercised my voting rights judiciously in every election since I turned eighteen, years of ineffective, dishonest governing have made me jaded and worn me out of any shred of hope.

And then you came along, and for the first time in many, many years, I felt I had something to look forward to. This child of the Marcos era, who slept through much of her adolescence in an apolitical and apathetic slumber, who resisted the call for the revolution in 1986 because she was too busy studying, is putting her hopes for honest change squarely on your shoulders. I pray for a change that will come in my lifetime and continue in my children’s and their children’s lifetimes.

Your popularity does not surprise me. I share the sentiments of many people who have felt indignant yet helpless at the shameless and callous displays of behavior of our present government. But while your popularity may help you in the course of the campaign, it has also opened you to vicious attacks from your opponents.

Your critics claim that you are autistic, and as any neurotypical person is wont to react, you have vehemently denied it, calling it “malicious and baseless.”

Allow me to say outright that I do not believe you have autism. I may not be a diagnostician, but having lived with autism every single day for the last fifteen years of my life, I  know what autism is firsthand. I have witnessed it up close, lived with all its blessings, and survived almost all its challenges. What I know of it, I know not only from books, from the Net, or from research and published papers. What I know of it comes from real life. As an advocate for autism, I am proud to be part of the large community of families of Filipinos with autism, which at last count, numbers close to half a million affected individuals. That being said, let me posit a question: If you were one, what is absolutely wrong with it?

Autism is a spectrum of conditions ranging from the mildly affected to the most severely impaired. Common to this spectrum, however, are varying degrees of deficits in social relatedness, behavior, and communication. My son Alphonse, at 15, remains on the far end of the bell curve of “normal.” He is nonverbal, continues to require assistance for many of the activities of daily living, and has the cognitive understanding of a five-year-old child. You, on the other hand, are well-educated, highly conversant and intelligent; your cognitive abilities are certainly not in question. While these two pictures comprise the polar ends of the extent and breadth of a highly complicated spectrum (again, I reiterate, we are simply assuming for the sake of argument that you belong to this spectrum), they are not totally incompatible. (To wit, there are individuals with different degrees of autism already enrolled in some of our country’s best universities.)

Autism is difficult and challenging, and to those of us who love persons with autism, it is a rollercoaster ride every single day. Is it a disability? It is, but it also is not; it depends on how you look at it. And yet, when you really think about it, ravenous greed is a much harder disorder to treat, as are immorality, shamelessness, corruption, and vice. I have heard of recovery in autism, but diseases of the soul are almost always incurable.

If being autistic means not being able to lie, then by all means, I should be proud to say I am autistic.

If being autistic means not being able to cheat and rig elections, then call me autistic.

It being autistic means not being able to steal, to use public funds for personal gain while the country wallows in poverty, then I am staunchly autistic.

If being autistic means satisfaction with what one has, if it means a characteristic lack of greed and materialism, then I count myself autistic.

If it means not being envious and not judging people based on looks, money, connections, or pogi points, then, yes, I am autistic.

So the next time someone calls you autistic and you feel slighted, perhaps you may wish to reply to them this way instead: “Thank you for calling me autistic. To me, autism does not make one more or less of a person. It does not make one more or less of a man. It just makes one autistic. I am sorry to disappoint you that I am not, but I hope to be able to live up to the honesty people with autism expect every day. I would much rather be autistic than be corrupt. Better autistic than be unable to understand what it means to be a public servant. Thank you very much.”

The day you do, you have championed the cause of the least able of our people. And for what it’s worth, you still have my vote.

Sincerely yours,
Pinky Ong-Cuaycong

Betrayal

Last night, I let go one of Alphonse’s nannies.

I’ve never really had much luck with household help. In all the years A and I have been married, we’ve only had one really good person come into our lives, and even then, she left to get married and raise a family of her own. Of course, I don’t expect them to stay forever, but given the way they are treated as family in our home, and not as help or employees, I always expect better but I never seem to get it.

In the last few months that I’ve been sidelined by this neck injury, I’ve had to rely on Nannies L, D, and B more and more for Alphonse’s care. When he wakes up in the mornings, they are usually ready to take him off my hands. The routines he and I used to share together — eating, bathing, dressing, getting ready, learning — have been replaced by their own routines for preparing for the day. And long after his lessons are done, they are there to keep him company, keep him safe, keep him loved. Or so I thought.

In the past week, however, we’ve noticed Alphonse’s reluctance to go with Nanny L in the mornings. He would cling to me, oftentimes hooking his arms around my neck to keep him from being pulled away. He would inadvertently cause me more pain but the more they tried to pry him away, the more he clung to me. I thought it was just another phase of separation anxiety until I found out the truth.

I received these distressing news last night. Nanny L had told me a few weeks ago that she would going home this Christmas to her family. Her father was gravely ill, she claimed, and she was needed at home. A week ago, she changed her mind suddenly, claiming that her father did not seem that ill after all. Yesterday, I found out that her father was not ill after all (she made it up only to set the stage for leaving) but she  changed her mind because her boyfriend was coming to Manila. I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend.  

The lies were already bad enough but it gets worse. Apparently, whenever Alphonse would shout, she would clamp her hands down on his mouth. When he would jump around, she would kick his shins to keep him from jumping. And when he would refuse to obey her, she would hit him with quick little slaps on the mouth. I asked the other nannies about this and when confronted, they both broke down and corroborated these. Nanny L crossed the one line I kept sacred in my household — no one ever hurts my children.

Nanny L had been part of our household for close to two years and I trusted her to care for Alphonse while I was injured. It hurts to be betrayed.  It hurts to find out that the person you let in your home and treated as one of your own will hurt your child. And it hurts that I have not been able to see the signs sooner.

Dollhouse Dreams

While I am waiting to save enough money for more Sylvanian Families authentic furniture, I am busy at work modifying cheap plastic doll furniture to add to my remodels. The work has been derailed temporarily because of the flu (the coughing strains my neck, stiffens it more, and makes it #$%@ painful) so in the meantime, I busy myself with papering the houses or making small accessories.

I love that cheap plastic furniture, or those that go for PhP50 or about US$1 per set, can become quite chic when repainted. Since I’ve been accumulating houses left and right, I’ve been hard pressed to furnish them all with appropriate pieces. Unfortunately, original SF furniture cost an arm and a leg and can create quite a hole in the pocket when purchased in bulk. Moreover, Ban Kee Trading, the country’s current SF distributor, has such a limited line of furniture available that  it becomes hard to keep each house unique and distinctive, what with the same things cropping up over and over again in different houses.

Of course, nothing beats the satisfaction of owning the real thing, but the truth is, when it comes to playing, as long as the pieces are there, the fun goes on. 

This is the kitchen sink and stove with oven. I hated the fake colors and the stickers so I opted for a pale shade of green to complement the wallpaper I used in the area. I also repainted the tiles with mixtures of white, yellow, and green to make it more interesting.

The refrigerator, in the same hideous color as the sink and stove, was repainted to match. I flipped the picture so you can see the before and after shots more clearly.

I am very proud of this bed. On the left is its original state, which is not quite as bad as the colors of the other plastic pieces. I repainted it a wooden brown and added gold accents for that English Victorian era feel. I made the mattress out of an old, unused maternity napkin (heehee). The cloth for the bed cover came from old pillow cases. The ruffles were added to make the bed more elegant. I still have to finish sewing the pillow shams.

Repainting the television and component set matte black and silver made it look more real. I have a few glossy cut-outs of old movies I got from magazines and I can simply stick one on the screen to make it seem as if there’s a movie showing.     

This is part of the Oakwood Manor remodel and papering. I made an oriental screen (from illustration board and tracing paper) to separate the bath from the rest of the second floor, but I accidentally destroyed it while coloring in the design. I then opted for curtains that open in the middle, held up by a barbecue stick painted the same color as the walls. The bathroom furniture used to be in a sickeningly purple color so I made it pristine white with paint. I used gold paint as accents for the pieces. While I try to resolve the problem of creating mirrors (suggestions, anyone?), I used foil to make a temporary one. I also made the toilet seat cover and the small rug.

I’m quite happy with the results of my “experiments” on colors and paper. On the days when I am unable to do much of anything at all, I simply look at my dollhouses and let my imagination play.  It’s enough to drive all the blues away.

Fifteen Candles

Happy 15th Birthday, Alphonse, child of our hearts.

You weren’t like other children
and God was well aware
You’d need a caring family
with love enough to share.

And so He sent you to us
and much to our surprise
you haven’t been a challenge
but a blessing in disguise.

Your winning smiles and laughter
the pleasures you impart
far outweigh your special needs
and melt the coldest heart.

We’re proud that we’ve been chosen
to help you learn and grow
the joy that you have brought us
is more than you can know.

A precious gift from Heaven
a treasure from above
a child who has taught us many things
but most of all – “Real Love”.

(author: Sharon Harris)