Pretty Pink Peonies
January 21st, 2012 § 25 Comments
When asked the question, “Where is home?”, both MM and I would often have to sit down and scratch our heads. You see, for the most part of our adulthood, we have lived in six different countries and have had fifteen different residential addresses combined. Our current apartment in Singapore is the one location that we have held for the longest length of time as a married couple, and it is perhaps the most memorable because we brought Miss Maple ‘home’ with us to this very place.
We felt it was necessary to make this temporary abode as comfortable as possible for the duration of our stay so that we can thorougly enjoy our time with Miss Maple in Singapore. But, it has taken us a while to figure out what to do with the apartment. Much of our decor is a mish-mash of old treasures, new finds, and DIY projects in various stages of (dis)repair. If anything, I would call our ‘home’ a massive work-in-progress. And, so, it came as a surprise when a kind reader wrote in requesting for more photos of our apartment!
Well, the timing couldn’t have been better. The Christmas ornaments have come down and the Chinese New Year decorations are now in their place. Our ‘eco-chic’ Christmas theme has made way for ‘pretty pink peonies’—a fitting motif representing Chinese New Year, which is also known as the “Spring Festival”. With our apartment all done up, Miss Maple eagerly awaits your visit to our living space. We hope you enjoy the tour!
"Welcome! Come on in, everybody!"
Our living room and balcony (aka Miss Maple's indoor playground).
A makeshift console by the front entrance to drop off loose change, mail, and handbags. Teak stools (Salvation Army); ceramic ware (Daiso).
The balcony offers an alternative space for morning breakfast or an afternoon nap. Teak foldable chair (Salvation Army); cushion (Daiso); antique side table (donated by the in-laws).
A comfy reading corner and one of Miss Maple's many sleeping spots. Teak bench (garage sale find); studio light photography lamp (Funan Centre); ceramic plate (donated by the in-laws); ceramic pot (donated by the in-laws); pink cushion cover (Tangs).
The huge coffee table serves as Miss Maple's "den" and a hideaway for all her toys. Coffee table (Barang Barang, which we later reupholstered); shaggy rug (Arab Street); rubber wood TV console (Johor Bahru).
The coffee table not only holds books and magazines, but collectibles as well. Japanese glassware (Hock Siong & Co); ceramic horse (donated by the in-laws).
This chest of drawers neatly stores away our electronic gadgets, CDs, toolbox, and other odds-and-ends. Chest and mirror (inherited from a previous tenant, which we later re-painted); antique gold vase (donated by the in-laws); Peranakan porcelain (donated by the in-laws); tassels (Salvation Army).
Centrepiece. Artificial pussy willow stems and peony flowers (Salvation Army); red "hóngbāo" (collected from various local banks).
To our family, friends, and readers who will be celebrating Chinese New Year over reunion dinners this weekend and feasting on goodies all throughout the week, we wish you a happy and healthy year of the dragon. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Disclaimer: HAPPY.BARK.DAYS is an independent entity and was not paid to write this review by any of the commercial enterprises mentioned in the article.
East Side Story
January 19th, 2012 § 14 Comments
If you’re looking for a girl named Maria who works in a bridal shop on a New York city street, then Broadway’s ‘West Side Story’ is where you would want to be. Our version—the ‘East Side Story’—is about a furball named Miss Maple who ventures from her home in the western part of Singapore in search of sun and sand along the eastern shores of the island. Since we don’t often head out east, we decided to make it a full-day event for the little tyke.
To ensure that we had plenty of energy to expend, we fuelled up at The Garden Slug for a hearty brunch. Nestled in the bohemian-chic neighbourhood of Joo Chiat in eastern Singapore, this bistro offers weekenders a place to laze the day away with an extensive food and drinks menu that could easily take you from breakfast to lunch to dinner.
Sandwiched between a pet store and a vet clinic, it is not surprising that this eatery is a pet-friendly establishment with outdoor seating to accommodate patrons and their four-legged companions.
For once, Maple got to enjoy being perched on a chair and soaking in the views from above ground. Of course, this also meant that she was dangerously close to the table top where food is served and temptations beckon—this includes the ‘All Day Breakfast’ that MM ordered and the ’Pumpkin Cheese Gnocchi in a Beer-Spiked Lamb Ragu’ that I selected from the Specials of the Day menu.
The description of the dishes sure had our mouths watering, but upon trying them our taste buds were soon disappointed. The highlight of the ‘All Day Breakfast’ was the lone Bratwurst, and not much else. We’ve had more memorable breakfast dishes that really wowed us, so it would take a pretty strong contender to win us over. The ’Pumpkin Cheese Gnocchi’ was an interesting concept and all the flavours seemed to work with one another in creating a robust meal. Unfortunately, there were nuggets of minced lamb that, although cooked, seemed to have come straight out of the refrigerator. I’m not sure what happend there—perhaps this plate was meant to be served warm and not piping hot? Nevertheless, I would have preferred the dish to be heated through and through.
With our tummies full, we moved to the next item on our itinerary: Katong Park and Dog Run. Little did we know, upon entering the park, that we were standing on the grounds of a historic site. During the early 19th century, Katong Park and its vicinity formed one of the earliest settlements in Singapore. Over 150 years ago, Katong’s seaviews and abundance of lush coconut trees attracted urbanites wanting to escape from Singapore’s overcrowded city centre. Katong was the recreational/resort hub of its days. Today, what was once sea is now reclaimed land. It’s hard to imagine the Katong of yesteryear when our eyes gaze out into the horizon, only to see a multi-lane expressway!
But, all is not lost. As we would soon find out, the beach is merely a hop, skip, and jump from Katong Park. It’s off to East Coast Park we go! With a 15-kilometre coastline and unobstructed views of the sea, East Coast Park is one of our favourite urban oases in Singapore. Maple ♥ East Coast Park—she can spend all day doing just two things: (1) watching the waves roll, and (2) basking in the attention showered on to her by rollerbladers, bicyclists, joggers, and pedestrians alike. It doesn’t take much to make Lil’ Miss Maple happy 
By 4:00pm it was getting far too warm for comfort and we had to call it a day, but what a day it was! We’ll be back to visit the east, that’s for sure. But, until we do, Miss Maple will be dreaming of seashells by the seashore.
Disclaimer: HAPPY.BARK.DAYS is an independent entity and was not paid to write this review by any of the commercial enterprises mentioned in the article.
Goals For The New Year (Wish Me Luck)
January 1st, 2012 § 11 Comments
* * * * *
Lil’ Miss Red Maple Leaf’s 2011 New Year’s Resolutions (click here)
- I will play gently with Momsy and Popsy without nipping at their fingers. ✔
- I will head straight to my ‘outhouse’ when the urge comes while playing in Momsy and Popsy’s living room. ✔
- I will resist the temptation to jump on sofas, chairs, and tables. ✔
- I will remain calm while being groomed by Momsy and Popsy. ✔
- I will learn to socialize with humans and my fellow canines so that I can make new friends. WORK-IN-PROGRESS
And now we present…
Lil’ Miss Red Maple Leaf’s 2012 New Year’s Resolutions
- I will not bark and growl at strangers on a whim (I know it’s not the most gracious way to greet people). And I will stop when Momsy and Popsy tell me so.
- I will walk nicely when I have my harness and leash on (although I would much prefer to go my own way).
- I will relax and enjoy my liver treats while getting a pedicure from Momsy and Popsy. Momsy says pedicures are a luxury, so I shouldn’t complain so much when getting my nails done.
- I will try my best to make our next door neighbour like me—for now, he only knows me as the little yappy dog.
- See 2011′s resolution #5
Santa’s Little Helper
December 22nd, 2011 § 8 Comments
The decorations are up. The Christmas cards have be mailed out. And our inquisitive little munchkin just had to be in the middle of all the action.
This year, we’re throwing our apartment a festive ‘eco-chic’ theme and, while rummaging through our local Salvation Army Thrift Store last week for potential DIY projects, I came across a unique set of holiday greeting cards with a wildlife motif—how perfect! These cards are not only printed on recycled paper, but also feature information about a particular endangered animal in Asia. What a scholastic novelty. J’adore ♥
All these lovely cards needed was a bit of sprucing-up with some scrapbooking embellishments to make them look one-of-a-kind. [Note: I think Martha Stewart would have been proud ] Now, if I believed Miss Maple could lend her paw for this project, I would have readily entrusted her with the glue-stick. But, my instincts warned me otherwise!
Another recent find were these two Japanese Sasaki glassware from a second-hand store, called Hock Siong & Co, which sells furnishings collected from 5-star hotels around Singapore. To give these display pieces a boost of Christmas cheer, I filled them each with a green bauble that reminds me of lemongrass and a whimsical pearlescent butterfly.
[Note: When you have a theme like 'eco-chic', you just have to run with it (lol)! But, I can imagine putting these two glassware to other good uses throughout the year, perhaps as dessert bowls (the way they were intended to be). YUM.]
With the cards signed and sealed, it was time to get them stamped and delivered. Lil’ Miss Maple thought she could help with that task, too, but our pint-sized furball would need to be hoisted up to the mailbox or have the mailbox brought down to her level. Next year, Miss Maple, there’s always next year to be Santa’s little helper again. Who knows, you might just get that growth spurt you’ve been wishing for all this time!
Disclaimer: HAPPY.BARK.DAYS is an independent entity and was not paid to write this review by any of the commercial enterprises mentioned in the article.
‘Tis The Season To Be…
December 19th, 2011 § 21 Comments
As the festive season approaches and the last-minute Christmas shopping rush begins, let us be reminded that pets may not necessarily make the best gift ideas. Our blogging buddy, Barb from Passionate About Pets, wrote a convincing post listing 5 good reasons not to buy a pet at this time of the year. It’s easy to understand how children (and adults alike) can be easily captivated by the cuteness and innocence of a puppy—I should know, I used to long for a puppy during my childhood years and hoped that Santa would bring me a furball on Christmas day. Fortunately, my parents knew better because my motivation to get a puppy eventually waned as I grew older and my interests moved on to more important things… like sleepover parties, make-up, and boys!
And, so, it wasn’t until adulthood that MM and I agreed to add a little companion to our nest of two. As the story goes, one year ago, Lil’ Miss Maple was formerly known as Lola and lived in a nice comfortable home with her previous family. But, because her former momsy and popsy were so busy taking care of their own little ones—two young toddlers—they hardly had time for Lola. As a result, Lola developed some behavioural issues that made life a bit more complicated for her family. So, Lola was put up for adoption. As luck would have it, Lola (Maple) found a new home in ours.
The moral of the story is: pets are a huge commitment. Some children may be too young to understand, or be willing to accept, such a responsibility. Parents, as busy as they already are, have to be positively certain that the needs of a pet can be accommodated and fulfilled despite the family’s hectic schedule. With so much to consider, the holiday season may not be the best time to contemplate adding a pet to the family—especially when consecutive days of feasting on good food and wine may cloud our judgment
But, what can you do when you have a dog-loving child who is persistent about being close to the four-leggers? MM and I have a niece who falls into this category. This year, we thought we would introduce the concept of adoption to our niece by giving her a homemade Christmas gift voucher that would entitle her to sponsor a shelter dog for a year. Here is a sneak peek of the voucher—ssshhh… it’s a secret!
Gentle Paws is one of many local dog shelters in Singapore—their Sponsor-A-Dog program allows members of the public to sponsor a dog on a monthly basis. The donor can visit his/her sponsored dog any time at the shelter, as well as receive updates on the dog’s well-being and adoption status. We hope exposing our niece to this meaningful cause will not only feed her appetite to be close to dogs, but also foster a sense of compassion and awareness for rescue dogs.
Last, but certainly not least, we were pleased to receive a blog post request from The Shelter Pet Project (TSPP) campaign—a collaborative partnership between The Humane Society of the United States, Maddie’s Fund, and The Ad Council—that connects potential adopters with shelter dogs across the US. If you wish to learn more about TSPP or help promote greater awareness about pet adoption, you can connect with TSPP via Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Here is a delightful and funny public service ad campaign for TSPP. Do check it out and share with all your friends!
