Findings

Happy New Year to one and all of my blogging friends!

First find in 2012: a red envelope with a toy soldier sticker stuck on the back, addressed to me (of course!). Who wouldn't be curious what was in it?

Well... the contents, as you can see, are a teddy bear-shaped card and a little knitted stocking! I was totally blown away. Who could have sent me this?

I had no clue even after looking at the name and address of the sender on the front. The name's "Fox". My first reaction was our very own Fox @Tat-ology! Nope. Sorry about the mistaken identity, Fox.

Then it occurred to me that I saw this miniature stocking on a blog. Oh forgetful me... I can't recall which. To cut the story short, I look in all the blog links I have on my blog margin and follow. Finally found the wonderful person who sent this.

I'd won this awesome stocking from Teresa @Stitching 'n' Knitting. I must have missed the announcement of the winners. A kind soul must have given Teresa my mailing address. Thank you, whoever you are. (Do tell me who you are.) Thanks, Teresa, for sending this gift!

My shuttle will go into the stocking when it's loaded and brought around.

Next find: a pair of goldfish!

Aren't they lovely? They are for my little sister who's been pestering me to make her some clay goldfish. I'm glad I found them for her.

My CNY

The rabbits have arrived!


My collection



 

Flowers symbolise the arrival of Spring



Sweets box filled with yummy candies and nuts.

No celebration is complete without food!

A steamboat dinner

 

Yusheng (鱼生-- a salad dish of raddish, carrot shreds, crackers, sasame and peanut bits with
thin slices of raw fish, accompanied by a sweet-sour plum sauce). The ingredients in this dish are
tossed and the act is believed to toss up some wealth and turn the fortunes in our favour.



Chinatown

With the Lunar New Year looming close, Chinatown (牛车水) was buzzing with hawkers selling celebration goodies. It's Year of the Rabbit in 2011.

Buildings have been decorated with flowers and well wishes (couplets)



Rows and rows of makeshift stalls line both sides of the street



Charms that people hang in their cars, on purses, anywhere



Windmills blessed at the Wong Tai Xin Temple in Hong Kong, believed to
change the previous year's bad luck when the wheel turns with the help of the wind



Auspicious Chinese sayings to be stuck to the doors



Dried preserved meats (duck, leg of ham, Chinese sausages) -- in the past, these were prepared
to tide over the winter months when people could not go out to hunt.
The meats are either salted or sugared. It's now become a tradition to have these.



More accessories for decorating the house



Lanterns and decorations to ignite the celebrative mood 



Not forgetting the flowers



These cheery windmills are for the kids



These knotted tassles can be added to lanterns or hung on their own. Very colourful.




Mustn't forget the lanterns



Chinese lions (These were what I thought Jane had in mind in the early days of the 2011 TIAS)



Other finds -- big calligraphy brushes



And dolls of the different Chinese tribal peoples

It's the fourth day of the CNY celebrations today. This festival is celebrated for 15 days and kids can continue to collect angbaos (aka hongbaos 红包) till the last day. Families usually gather for a huge feast from the eve through the 15th day.

Here's wishing my Chinese friends

Gong Hei Fatt Choy 恭禧发财

Hope you'd enjoyed some eye candy here.