Something new for the new year

 

Since both memes have the same topic, I decided to combine them in a post.

My new pair of shoes which will be worn tomorrow when I'm going to a birthday party.

Newly trimmed  tree just next to my apartment block. This photo was taken just 20 minutes ago, on my way home from shopping.

New look for the new year... trees here are regularly pruned to a manageable size.

Soon to be a new mother ant guarding her precious eggs, photo taken a few weeks ago, I'm sure by the new year she'll be busy looking after the little ones.

Newly bloom hibiscus greeting the new year tomorrow.

Lattest addition to my son's collection- they are the Medieval designs letter openers.


Wishing all my friends and visitors a Happy 2011!

Thursday Challenge: TOYS 2

ABC Wednesday : X

X'mas tree

eXciting and eXhilaring ride at the eXcape Theme Park.

Color Carnival # 71 - Colorful chopsticks

Ruby Tuesday: Christmas season

Monday Macro: Itsy bitsy spider

 

Tropical milkweed.

ASCLEPIAS CURASSAVICA - TROPICAL MILKWEED. 

Common name: Silkweed, tropical milkweed, bloodflower, cotton bush, sunset flower, pleurisy root, butterflyweed, ipecacuanha, scarlet milkweed, cancerillo, redhead, koningsbloem, tropical butterfly flower, madhar, algodoncillo.

This herbaceous plant is native to tropical South America and is a very commonly grown here in our parks .  It has white milky poisonous sap and grows up to a height of about 4'.
It has oblanceolate leaves and beautiful scarlet/orange/yellow flowers.
It blooms year around in the tropics and sub-tropics and  is a favorite among butterflies, hummingbirds, wasps and beetles as a nectar source. They are a food source for Monarch butterfly larvae.
 

The seeds, in spindle shaped pods, have a crown of silky hairs and blow into the wind like miniature parachutes.

FMTSO: Christmas

Being a Muslim, I don't celebrate Christmas but it difficult to give this festivities a miss, as we can find Christmas decorations all over the place, especially the shopping center. Yearly, the whole stretch of Orchard Road will be decorated with lights and malls will have their facade gaily decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments. I didn't have a chance to go there during the nights but made 2 trips there in the daytime for some retail therapy .

Santa's waiting in Takashimaya store.

I love this decorations, simple but artistically done with only soft ,cuddly bears.

Something different in front of Paragon Shopping Center,a hot favorite among visitors there.

A traditional Christmas Tree inside Ngee Ann Building.

From 2pm today till the next morning, Orchard Road will be closed to traffic for some Christmas  festivities , which will be packed with people from all walks of live celebrating. I think I rather stay at home to avoid the big crush there.

I would like to wish my friends and visitors from around the world a Happy and Joyous Christmas!

Thursday Challenge: TOYS

"TOYS" (Dolls, Games, Stuffed Animals, Athletic Equipment, Construction Toys, Art Supplies,...)

 

Big boys toy....first need to put the Japanese Gundam figurine together from pieces, then must dust it regularly. My 22 years old son had been collecting the Gundams for years and we're running out of place to display them.

ABC Wednesday; W

It's Wednesday again and it's time to play ABC Wednesday....

W is for Wheelbarrow .

W is for Windmill- it's make entirely of cake, being display in a lobby of a hotel.

Helianthus Annuus

Color Carnival # 70 -Rainbow of colors

Round Robin Challenge: SYMBOLS

FMTSO: RED

The lovable character Elmo and the gang from the famous Sesame Street TV show, putting up a presentation in a shopping center last week. During the school holidays, most malls would always have free show for the kids.

With Christmas round the corner, there's a lot of red around. Saw these simple decorations at the counter of a hair salon.

During the recent I -Light festival recently which saw a lot of lighting installation around the Bay area, even the underside of the bridge have changing lights illuminate the dark nights.

Standing at 18.35 meter tall, this 44 ton sculpture was designed by a well known Israeli artist David Gerstein and permanently display in Finlayson Street near the Raffles MRT station since December 2007.

A horse carriage in display at the Bugis Junction shopping center.

Bridge in Bishan Park, very near my house.