Promise Myself, On My 22nd

To be so strong that nothing

can disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel

that there is something in them

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make my optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,

and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past

and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living creature I meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of myself

that I have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,

and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on my side

so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

Happy Birthday, to you.

[DIY TUTORIAL] Melted Crayon Art - Kissing In The Rain

It was Anjanette's 22nd birthday. I ran out of birthday gift ideas for this special girl of mine, then suddenly an idea struck me, why not DIY something for her? That's when I came across this on internet and inspired by it - melted crayon art! If you are looking for a fun, easy, cheap art project, you can't go wrong with this. This is an easy, straightforward project that delivers a lot of graphic impact for not very much effort. Here I put together an easy step by step photo tutorial to help you make one for your own!

WHAT YOU NEED

Drawing paper

BUNCHO Oil Pastels in 24 colours

Hair Dryer

Scissors

Double sided tape

Transparent tape

STEP ONE: Draw

Before you begin, take some time to decide what and where you would like your design to be. I decided to draw a kissing couple under an umbrella. I chose to make my paper sit portrait and my design rest on the right side. Then colour it with colour pencil.

STEP TWO: Prepare

Get your crayons out!

STEP THREE: Arrange

Decide what kind of color spectrum you want to do. I opted for a rainbow palette. You could also do only cool colors, only warm colors, a random assortment, etc. Lay out your crayons along the top edge of your drawing paper.

STEP FOUR: Stick & Tape

Put double sided tape under the crayons. Make sure they stick on the drawing paper. I put an additional layer of transparent tape on top of them to secure them better.

STEP FIVE: Blow!

Cover your work surface in newspaper. You will know why later!

Here comes the fun part - turn on your hair dryer! I started out on strongest hot wind. Focus the heat on the crayons, they melt easily! 

You have to experiment a little to see how your hair dryer works with melting the crayons. If this is your first time, it is better to put it on a low blower setting first, otherwise it will spatter the crayons everywhere. 

The crayons will quickly turn sweaty, then start dripping down the paper. 

Just like the coloured rain. :)

At this point of time, you will have to tilt your drawing paper a little to control how fast the drips go and allow the melted crayon to flow in the way you wish to. Or you could also prop the drawing paper against the wall.

I concentrate on one area at a time, working my way across the drawing paper. It takes 5-10 minutes on each area. It took me about an hour to get all the colours to melt sufficiently. If you are not happy with how far down the crayons melted, you could always go back over the specific area until you get the desired effect.

STEP SIX: Wait for it to dry and voila!

To be honest, I am not satisfied with the finished artwork. :( I didn't expect the crayon painting to be ''brittle'' and part of the crayon to peel off, leaving behind a translucent coloured area on the paper. (See the yellow and green part)

TIPS: To avoid this, don't move the paper until it is COMPLETELY dry!

''Kissing In The Rain''

Nevertheless, I had fun during the process. Picking up crayons make me feel like a kid all over again.  And I am sure you would have fun watching crayons melt with the on switch of a hair dryer, too! :)

Let me know if you'd ever try something like this. What makes you feel like a kid again? What's your favourite DIY project?

Leave a comment below to share with me!

A plain white paper has unlimited possibilities.
Colour yours.

Turning Twenty-one.

Everyone insists on acknowledging that turning 21 is a huge milestone in life. It means you are officially in your 20s, no longer dancing on the edge of teenage and adulthood. But knowing that, I had no expectations or whatsoever. I thought it's just gonna be another ordinary day. Well it was, but with a little bit of unexpected twist at the end of the day.

I was blessed with surprises by an old friend of mine, and it brought back some old memories four years ago. I still vividly remember what happened on my 17th birthday night - how could I ever forget? I wonder if you still remember, but I find it better not to bring this up again. Things have changed tremendously. The other person was not even there. Why am I still relating here and there? Silly me. For a moment, I thought history was gonna repeat - but nope. Phew. This time, you did it right. All in all, it was a great night. Good food, thoughtful gift, sweet surprise. What more could I ask for?

I wish everything stays the way it is.

Not forgetting all the other three pre-birthday celebrations that I had. All of the kind that I like best - simple and sweet. Thank you for knowing what I like best and making me feel loved. I need no expensive presents. Your presence is everything that matters to me. All of you.

On a side note, my thoughts and prayers go out to all the flood victims in Malaysia. I have friends in Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan and I really couldn't bear to see them losing their home. I wish that the condition gets better and families get to reunite in this festive season.

We tend to relate 21 as growing up. The sense of responsibility and perhaps some big decisions in life. For girls, it is time to invest in a great shade of lipstick. Looks are not everything but confidence will get you far and when you look good, you feel good. Take this advice. And how else my 21 is gonna be? 

Give until it hurts. 

Reach out and touch someone. 

Spend time with your love. 

Hug someone who needs it. 

Go out and make your dream comes true.

That's about it. I guess.