T i s s u e B l o s s o m

Meet Chewie!

2009-02-12T13:23:00.001-08:00

I was playing around with the camera a couple nights ago, and inevitably the faces of my favorite little dogs ended up in the path of the lens. Yes, I said dogs!

I know I've introduced much-loved, silly Wicket here already...

... but it's the first glimpse of Chewbacca, better known as Chewie, here on the blog.

Hello!

Chewie's the newest addition to our home. Since we moved a couple of months ago, we felt we finally had the space to provide another little dog with a home (and Wicket with a friend)! Chewie came to us from a rescue group on Petfinder.com and we couldn't be happier with him... definitely makes life even more interesting!

In the Kitchen: Wicket Biscuits

2009-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

After Wicket's bout of sickness, I resolved to monitor his eating more carefully to see if any of the myriad of treats he consumes could have been a trigger for gastric upset. During his illness, Jess and I tossed his open bag of food and his half-full containers of treats and purchased new items, scanning the labels of each product for anything suspicious.

After some research and trial-and-error, he's now happily on a diet of a portion of dry Spot's Stew twice daily, with the occasional American-made rawhide stick and maybe a Purina Carver or two to round things out. Though I concede that everything made overseas is not necessarily evil, Jess and I decided that for anything Wicket was going to ingest, we'd try to stick with domestically-produced items. We were dismayed to find that the list of treats that fit our criteria was slim. Through careful perusal of the local pet stores' goods, we found even within a given brand the ingredients list were not consistent - so we chose a few that we felt comfortable with and stuck with 'em.

I decided to try my hand at making some homemade goodies for him, something with ingredients I knew he would like, and more importantly, would be safe. Here's what I came up with:

Wicket Biscuits for Dogs

Ingredients:
3 small glass jars of chicken baby food
1 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cups of your pup's current dry kibble
1/4-1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese, optional
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Put the dry kibble into a food processor and pulse in spurts until the kibble is a coarse meal.

3. Empty the baby food jars into a medium mixing bowl.

4. Add the rice flour and ground dry kibble and mix to form a dough. If using cheese, add to mixture now. Add water or extra rice flour as needed for mixture to take on a very stiff consistency.

5. Roll the dough out on a smooth, hard surface, dusting with flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

6. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out individual biscuits and place on a cookie sheet.

7. Brush tops of the biscuits with olive oil.

8. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn off oven and let sit until oven is cool. Turn trays if necessary so the biscuits bake evenly.

9. Feed 1-2 biscuits as a treat, and enjoy sloppy kisses from your happy spoiled puppy! Store extra biscuits in the fridge and make sure your best canine friend has lots of fresh water available at all times.

In the Kitchen: Brie and Pear Quesadillas

2009-02-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

My good college friends Sun and Jan came up from LA a little while ago, and my local friend Jas and I eagerly made plans for their stay. We ended up spending a glorious Saturday getting our eyebrows threaded (whereupon I grudgingly admitted the truth: they DO do a better job than my own plucking), window-shopping and enjoying each other's company over a couple of delicious meals.

One of the girls had gotten a recommendation to try The Peasant and the Pear in Danville, so, eyebrows smarting, we headed over for a late lunch. We found it to be a cozy, cute restaurant downtown with a more upscale ambiance than not. From our varied choices of artisan burgers, sandwiches and personal thin-crust pizzas, all of us agreed that the food was top notch. One of the best things we tried was the appetizer: a brie cheese and pear quesadilla with a sweet-and-spicy chutney. I'd never thought of the combination before, but the results were so good, I knew I had to attempt to recreate it at home.

A quick trip to Costco for a bunch of pears and a large-ish wheel of brie and I was good to go... especially when a Google search turned up what appears to be the exact recipe from the restaurant! (Since it's part of another site, I won't repost the recipe here, but check out the link in the last sentence and print it out!)

I found a small round measuring spoon works as well as a melon baller for neatly removing pear seeds: a fact I'll certainly remember for later...

Cheerful chutney ingredients on the chopping board. Though the photo in the recipe shows a light, chunky chutney, I tried to replicate the restaurant's smoother, darker condiment.

Chutney on the way with some brown sugar to cut through the clean zing of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, which I substituted for the white wine called for in the recipe.

Lots of delicious pears and the brie cheese.

Flour tortillas from Trader Joe's -- more organic in both taste and shape.

Tortilla, pear, brie, and mozzarella stacked on a baking sheet.

Sweet deliciousness!

Invitation Design: Stephanie

2008-11-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

I almost cried when Steph called to tell me she was engaged; I was so happy for her! Her and her fiance (now husband) found each other after years of prayer and they couldn't be more right for each other.

Steph and Charles' wedding had one of the most beautiful backdrops I have ever seen: the majestic granite cliffs of Yosemite, rising above the tiny Yosemite chapel where they were married.

Steph's color was a soft coral with accents of brown. To match the natural, rustic setting of their wedding, I drew a pen-and-ink sketch of Yosemite's traditional dogwood blossoms and scanned it into the computer to use as the main motif for her wedding materials. I chose a creamy paper with a distinct laid texture to further reinforce the nature theme, while still retaining a sophisticated and elegant quality to the piece.

Here's the original sketches, and how they came out in the final design:

The invitation consisted of two staggered tea-length panels, fastened with petite matching coral brads for an easy-yet-clean binding. The first panel had the main information, while the second showcased a simple map of the Yosemite area and housed a tear-off RSVP postcard.

I created small icons to indicate different areas on the map.

The progams were simple, one-panel sheets in the same textured cover stock and inks as the invitations, with the dogwood blossoms accenting the top, and finally, matching escort cards helped carry the theme through on the big day.

Invitation Design: Jasmine

2008-10-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Damask-type patterns are all the rage this year, and not just for weddings. The distinctive pattern is all over bedding, wallpaper, window treatments, fashion, desk accessories -- pretty much whatever one can think of, someone has made it in damask. The excessive use of it fails to dampen my enthusiasm for it, though... I'm fascinated by the way the patterns use symmetry and organic shapes to form such striking designs.

My MOH Jasmine got married on 8.8.08, the luckiest day of the year, and her beautiful wedding had a running damask theme throughout. I was honored to create a damask design to help tie everything together, starting with the invitations.

A chocolate vertical pocketfold opened to reveal a centered main invitation panel, the top of which was accented with a green satin ribbon (to match the custom Pantone ink) and a dimensional monogram. The damask design ran across the top of the design, breaking around the monogram to further highlight its presence. I chose a pale ivory cover stock with a subtle column texture, creating a sophisticated dimension across each printed piece.

On the left side, three inserts let guests know all of the pertinent information. The bottom of each had a more subtle, scaled-down damask pattern to tie them in to the theme.

The wedding was a shaded but outdoor event in super sunny Las Vegas, so a program that doubled as a fan wasn't just a cute idea -- it was a must-have! It was two-sided, with ceremony information on one side and the bridal party details on the other. We stuck them together with a sheet of sturdy gold cardstock in between and a thick wooden popsicle stick as a handle. A corner punch purchased from the scrapbooking section at Michael's added a little bit of elegant detail.

Jazz's cute favors: mini bamboo steamers with jasmine-scented incense inside. I created a tiny matching tag (the one in the pic is a little bent from being carried home in my suitcase!) for them and we used matching green ribbon to hold it all together.

Matching table numbers too!

A Foray into Textiles

2008-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have always, always held a huge fascination with fabrics. The way they feel and smell, the potential for crafty items that spins in my head when I hold a particularly pretty length of cloth in my hands. A trip to my local fabric store is something to look forward to, for me, and for Jess, something to lose patience during. :) Though who could blame him -- I could spend hours there!

I am not, by any means, a great seamstress, but I do enjoy a bit of hobbyist sewing when I get the urge every once in a while. So somehow, I got the idea in my head that maybe, just maybe, I'd like to extend my design skillset out to textiles. Hmmm.

But how to get from the drawing board to the bolt? I started researching everything, from contacting textile designers whose work I admired to local textile design programs, to investing in screenprinting materials to print on fabric myself. I certainly learned a lot, but the quest was about to get a little easier... enter Spoonflower!

Spoonflower is a site where members can upload designs, choose an amount of fabric and then receive the printed goods after a short wait. The site is still in Beta and only open to invited testers, so I almost died when I received my invite in my emailbox. I wasted no time transferring a design to the computer, changing up the colors a little, uploading it feverishly (the same night I got my invite, no lie) and ordering a fat quarter's worth of printed 100% Kona cotton. And in no time, I came home one day to a package of this:

It's not perfect, because I messed up the repeat somehow (designs must be uploaded in a format that's fully tileable) and you can tell where my design's "edges" are:

Oops! But, so far so good for my first tiny little foray into the world of textile design... I'm still thrilled with a childlike giddiness that I am holding a piece of cloth with my own design on it and I'm sure there's more to come!

Weddings weddings galore...

2008-09-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly reminded that I'm in my twenties, simply by the sheer amount of weddings I've found myself attending over the past couple of years. I've been privileged to be a part of several by helping to provide stationery designs. Here's a little taste of what's to come! (Yes, it's been a busy 2008!)

Wicket the Invalid

2008-09-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

I learned a lesson this past week. Actually, make that a few lessons.

#1: Pet insurance is worth it. Just because a dog is young and spry doesn't mean he can't have serious health problems. I started researching when we first got Wicket, got overwhelmed by the choices of deductiblesandcopaysandcoverageandwhatnot and set the project aside, assuming he'd be okay. He was fine for more than the first year of his life, right? Sigh.

#2: Vet trips add up... but, honestly, cost isn't a valid reason to hesitate to take a sick pet in. Wicket started throwing up a small amount of bile in the morning early last week. For the first two days I thought nothing of it -- perhaps he just felt empty from having an early dinner the previous night -- but the third day, I figured something had to be up. I went home from lunch during work that day and never went back. The poor little guy was throwing up and had poo the consistency and color of ketchup. He ended up spending the night at the vet after I rushed him there, receiving subcutaneous fluids, injected with antibiotics and antacids, and then discharged the next morning. I stayed home from work to keep an eye on him... and good thing, because before I knew it, we were back at the vet when his symptoms became worse. A few X-rays, more sub-cu fluids, blood tests and hundreds of dollars later, we had at least determined he had no obstructions in his intestines, and no giardia nor pancreatis. It was just a very bad case of irritated innards (non-technical terms of course). More medicine and a bland diet prescribed, and we were back at home. My wallet was aching, but I realized my heart hurt more. I just wanted to see my little dog back to his normal happy self.

#3: A happy dog = a happy owner. Okay, I knew this before this incident, but now I know it all the more so. I can't begin to describe the relief I felt as Wicket started to recover. I don't think I knew until then how stressed out I'd been over the whole thing!

#4: Prepare now for future pet disasters. I'm going to (gladly) sign Wicket up for his very own insurance plan. After researching many companies, we've decided to choose Pet Plan for Wicket. Their feature of being able to pick a co-pay and deductible as needed, and then a high annual limit that refreshes indefinitely, was the best fit for us. Second choice was Pet's Best. Before doing my research, VPI was the company I'd heard the most about, but upon seeing their very detailed criteria of what constitutes a covered illness/injury and the specific amounts per incident, it just seemed way too confusing. Many of the insurance companies offered coverage of routine care as well, but as the amount ended up being largely the same and I'd have to pay and then get refunded anyway, that wasn't an important factor in my decision at all. A few others I looked into were Embrace, PetFirst, and ASPCA.

I leave you with a few recent photos of the little guy, since I haven't posted any for a long time. Hopefully he'll look this happy again soon (he's getting there)!

LYS

2008-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

Local yarn store, that is.

Ever since I started knitting, I've become obsessed with finding the most beautiful, glorious yarns and bringing them all home. Between the web and several different LYSs, I've got my hands on more than I know what to do with!

Here's a still-growing list of sites and stores that I frequent, listed here partially for my own reference and partially to share, as well:

LYS, Northern California

Knit This, Purl That
205A Main Street, Pleasanton, CA
925.249.9276‎

That Yarn Store
7164 Regional St, Dublin, CA
925.828.1327‎

Adela's Yarn
3344 Village Dr, Castro Valley, CA
510.581.5326‎
Yarn Boutique
963 Moraga Rd # C, Lafayette, CA
925.283.7377‎

Article Pract
5010 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA
510.595.7875

Fashion Knit
675 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA
925.943.3994‎

On the Web

http://www.knitpicks.com/
http://www.kpixie.com/
http://www.purlsoho.com/
http://www.yarnmarket.com/

Not Just for Grandmas

2008-07-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

… but I gotta admit, anyone who mentions knitting to me also takes responsibility for the mental pictures of little, white-haired ladies with bifocals halfway down their noses that are instantly conjured up in my mind. However, unless I want to jump several steps ahead of myself (hehe), those imaginary images are fading fast… ‘cause I’m officially smitten with the knitting bug.

About a year ago, I was inspired by one of my dear co-workers (whom, in case she happens to read this, I do not consider an old lady by any definition, of course), whose fingers are as nimble with her knitting as her eyes are sharp with her job. When I expressed an initial interest in seeing her work, she brought in her current project, a gorgeous lace shawl, and when I oohed and aahhed over that, she offered to help me get started myself.

I haven’t knitted since my grandma first patiently introduced me to the craft, when I was a jumpy little eight-year-old with fingers that quickly grew tired of the work. But, being the obsessive person that I am, I dove in headfirst, purchased just enough stuff from www.knitpicks.com to secure free shipping, and convinced Jess to stop by Adela’s Yarns in Castro Valley with me on a Sunday afternoon so I could gear up for the incoming shipment. There, I fell prey to the irresistible charms of a pair of dark, rosewood needles and a hank of silky-smooth Tilli Tomas yarn.

Thus, I settled down to stitch happily away at my first project: a faux-lace scarf with a Falling Water pattern. Pretty, see?? :)

I used size 6 needles, no real gauge (since it’s a scarf and I really just wanted to see how it turned out more than anything else), and 260 yards of Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple 1-ply 100% silk yarn in Silver Salt. It’s expensive, but isn’t anything that’s 100% silk?

After successfully churning out a couple of the pattern repeats, I was so exhilarated I decided to sew myself a knitting needle case to house the collection of needles I planned to get, using odds and ends of fabrics I'd collected over time.

[Outside] -- chocolate brown fabric with a center strip of quilting fabric with a print that reminds me a little bit of Japanese paper. I secured the matching brown ribbon with a pair of dainty antique brass buttons in the back of the case (not shown).

[Inside] I used a synthetic satin-back taffeta that I happened to have a good yard of, left over from some failed curtain project, I think. I used the shiny side for the needle pockets and reversed it out for textural contrast for the background fabric. A line of brown ribbon (crookedly-sewn, I'm afraid) indicates where the user is to fold down a protective flap over the tops of the needles before rolling the case up. I wish I'd thought to use interfacing or batting to cushion it and give the whole thing more structure, but I didn't have either of those lying around. Oh well, it serves its purpose well.

Anyway, since that one scarf, I've become a knitting fanatic, gathered stash like a crazed woman and cast on way too many projects! So far I've officially finished... one. And that was only because it was a Christmas present last year for somebody and I HAD to finish it; I guess I work better with deadlines. Someone stop me...

Vir's Partial Knitting List

"Minimalist Cardigan" by Ruthie Nussbaum [Interweave Knits Fall '07]
Current status: Back w/ shoulder shaping complete, fronts.sleeves in progress
Yarn: 100% Italian Merino - Karabella Aurora 8 in Teal (#20)

"Fetching" Fingerless mittens by Cheryl Niamath [Knitty Summer '06]
Current status: Complete(!) and gifted
Yarn: 100% Italian Merino - Karabella Aurora 8 in Seashell Pink (#1380)

"Cecily Beanie" by Louisa Harding [Knitting Little Luxuries]
Current status: Cast on
Yarn: 50% Silk, 50% Wool - Louisa Harding Grace in Steel (#3)

"Diane Cardigan" by Louisa Harding [Knitting Little Luxuries]
Current status: Back halfway complete
Yarn: 16% kid mohair, 84% polyamid - Louisa Harding Impressions #11

Not to mention that I've somehow gotten myself into crochet as well... I blame the amigurumi! But I'll save that for another post... ;)

New Year, New Project...

2008-01-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

And yet, I felt almost guilty as I cast on for my newest chosen project: the Diane Cardigan, from the "Feminine" category of Louisa Harding's book. Though I've only just become re-acquainted with knitting, I have instantly fallen prey to an ailment a lot of more experienced knitters I know seem to suffer from: cast-on overload. I kid you not -- I have no less than five projects in the works right now! But somehow, after I'd purchased Knitting Little Luxuries, I still couldn't resist running out to add even more to my ever-growing stash and getting the wonderful new stuff onto my needles right away.

I decided to stick with Louisa's recommended yarns, partly because I don't have much experience with swapping yarn, and partly because once I saw "Impressions," the yarn that would make up the main body of the cardigan, I was instantly smitten. It's a mohair/polyamid blend that creates a gorgeous, tweedy-yet-elegant fabric when knit. The color in the book's Diane not being one that would look good with my skin tone, I chose shade #11 instead: a fluffy gray-silver ball.

I also picked out a shade of the other yarn, used for the lacy trim on the sweater, Louisa Harding "Grace." At the time, the light silver color just seemed to mesh so well with the variegated shades of the mohair yarn, and I still think it's gorgeous, but I ultimately decided that the lace would look better if it was a darker shade than the sweater itself. So, my two balls of "Grace" are on their way to becoming a Cecily beanie, also from the book (and yes, another new cast-on... eep). I figure any beanie with hand-sewn mother-of-pearl buttons on it will be handled delicately enough to be made of silk and wool, no? :)

So, while the hunt continues for a dark blue-gray silk yarn for my Diane's lace, the mohair has begun to slowly take shape...

To be continued.

102

2007-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

To honor the entire life of anyone within a short speech is not easy. Thus, it is no surprise that honoring one who has lived over a hundred years proves to be an even greater challenge. We all know how much can transpire in a day, a year, but what of a century? For my Gung-gung, his hundred and two years were a shining testament to his love of life, and his love of people.

My own life of twenty-three years has been blessed with memories of and lessons learned from this great man. While individual memories of him while I was a child are somewhat vague, as are most of my memories from that time period, I look back and clearly remember a man who was humorous, hardworking, and dedicated to providing for his family. He would be the one to carve the meat at family get-togethers, to entertain me with hand-clapping games while in line for some attraction at a theme park, to look on proudly at every important life event that I can recall.

I was entering junior high when he first began to need kidney dialysis. I don't think I realized at that point how blessed I had been to have grown up with my Gung-gung in such good health as he had had up until that point, nor did I then understand or appreciate his life experiences and age. I grew to know him better and appreciate these aspects in the midst of his battle with kidney failure. Though I sometimes wish I could have spent more time with him while he was capable of being more active, my greatest inspiration from him has come from seeing first-hand how he dealt with the physical ailments that constantly afflicted him. He seemed to handle every obstacle with grace and acceptance, at least for the most part.

My Gung-gung loved to eat. He was a pretty small man, but he could pack away quite a hefty portion if you sat him down at a good Chinese restaurant and let him have full reign of the lazy susan. He had to be put on a restricted diet due to dialysis, but that didn't stop him from sneaking in some delicious morsels when my watchful Pau-pau's back was turned. I always had to smother my smiles into my napkin when I saw him furtively put another piece of salty shrimp or other forbidden food on his plate as the dish spun by, then stick it in his mouth quickly before he could get caught and it would be whisked away.

Even as he became hard of hearing and it was more difficult to communicate with him, his sense of humor was always present. Earlier this year, a couple of months before my wedding, I brought over some low satin heels for my grandmother to try on with her outfit for that day. When I showed them proudly to Gung-gung, he said, "Oo! Pretty!" and proceeded to pretend to put them on himself as he sat with us in the car. It brought a laugh to all of us, and brought joy to my heart because I knew, even at one hundred and two, he was still enjoying life and looking forward with a positive attitude, still spreading it to those he loved.

Unless he was in great pain, I never heard Gung-gung complain about what he had to go through in order to continue living. Every time I saw him, his face would break into a huge sunny grin that never failed to earn a returning smile, not matter how blue I might be feeling myself. My grandfather loved the life that God gave to him more than anyone that I have ever met. He faced obstacles that would easily dishearten others, yet he kept pushing forward unhesitatingly without a second thought, maintaining a good attitude about whatever came his way.

Today, I feel keenly the stark pain of missing my grandfather and the joy that he brought to all of us. But, as he would have done, I look forward positively towards the future and the life that is in store for me, holding tightly to the memories of him. I can only thank God for allowing me to spend so much time with this precious man, for teaching me valuable lessons through his long and fruitful life, and for promising that, someday, I will see him again.

Honeymoon Dog

2007-11-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

On May 18th, 2007, Jess and I were on the second to the last day of our honeymoon, enjoying the balmy weather of Orlando and getting ready to go home. Little did we know that on that very same day, a little dog was born that would find his way to us just a few months later...

Say hello to our little guy, Wicket! (He's a bit like a small blonde quadrupedal ewok, no?)

Playing with his carrot...

"Hello!"

Sleeping...

Jess took this pic of us napping. Cute little paws. =)

Back to the Future

2007-07-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

When he first started to like me, Jess once made me a delicious, home-cooked meal at the place he was renting as a college student. I remember sitting at the kitchen counter, legs dangling down from bar-height chairs, impressed as my host brought a steaming plate of food and set it in front of me. I didn’t think to take pictures then (how could I have known then that he would one day be my husband??), but that night has always been a precious memory since.

Last week, he decided to wow me again, this time not to secure my affections, but simply to show me how much he cares. (Awwwww… I love being a newlywed!) So, he recreated that one cherished meal, and it was every bit as delicious as I remembered. Here it is:

Buttery Almond Sole with rice and veggies. I giggled at his carefully placed lemon slices, just ‘cause it was all so pretty and sweet and sentimental and I couldn’t help myself.

Why “Back to the Future?” Because a little part of me hopes he’ll make it a habit. Heehee.

Likeable Things, 2007

2007-06-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

One of the most fascinating parts about keeping a fairly constant and perpetual blog is that one can look back later on and peer into a digital time capsule, full of little things that meant much at the time. It's a diary of sorts, except it is generally much less embarrassing because the thoughts shared are suitable for public view (well, for me at least). I like going back occasionally to see what interested me at a certain period of time, and subsequent changes in my taste and hobbies. That said, here are some admittedly unnecessary and material things that I'm currently enjoying, in case you're interested in indulging as well... :)

Bo den: This is a UK-based company that I've fallen in love with, after a co-worker recommended its clothes to me. Well-made and with looks that fall comfortably in-between dressy and casual, I like that their garments have slightly different details than what I tend to wear normally (a friend once told me that my style is pretty much defined by walking into an Ann Taylor store). I can't afford to buy anything unless it's on sale, but browsing is always fun and inspiring in terms of fashion sense. Great men's line and kids' wear, too!

Blueprint M a gazine: I have an undying loyalty to Real Simple, but Blueprint, one of Martha Stewart's newest publications, has really caught my eye, and I'm thiiiis close to signing up for a charter subscription. This magazine is full of design-y things, both in content and presentation of the printed pages themselves. I think right now the organization of it is a little confusing for the average reader in terms of trying to find regular features, but as I keep receiving and reading through them I'm sure it can only get better.

Ratatouille: Jess and I went to see this new release last night. The verdict? I think we have found our new favorite Pixar movie, and that's saying a lot coming from these two huge fans. It was cute, with a storyline that was not overly predictable, and characters with personalities that really individualized each of them throughout the film. Loved it!! We might even see it on the big screen again (and make use of our trusty Entertainment coupons)!! A definite must-see for kids and adults alike, and well worth going to the theaters for.

Planet Earth: We were first introduced to the educational-but-intriguing series at Jas and Joel's house not too long ago, and we've pretty much been hooked since. There's not many opportunities to watch interesting TV, and feel like you're gaining some smarts as well. Some of the stuff in the hour-long episodes are crazy, and then the following "Diaries" sections, which show highlights of the filming experience for particular episodes, are even crazier.

115 4 Lill: I've raved about this one before on my wedding blog, but it's only because I love them so much! They're fun, colorful, durable, and give me a chance to be creative with a medium other than print. I was never really into high-end designer bags to start with, but now I'm sure I never will be. Though there isn't a store in my area, one can still throw a "purse party," with a local rep coming over personally with samples and hundreds of fabric swatches, to get everyone else hyped up about these too!

Toffifay: Chewy delicious caramel cups with a whole hazelnut and hazelnut-chocolate filling, topped with smooth chocolate drops. What's not to love?

Christmas in June

2007-06-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

[Image via www.target.com]

After getting married, much of our time has gone to setting up house and acquiring furniture and other items to make our little place truly a home. I’ve since become an avid viewer of Craigslist and the classifieds at work – and my daily perusals have yielded some great finds!

I know it’s a little early to be blogging about Christmas, but I gotta say that I’m really looking forward to spending my first Christmas with Jess as a married couple. I can’t wait to have our first tree together, transform our apartment into a bower of green and red, and open each others’ presents in our PJs on Christmas morning. But still, I didn’t expect to get a Christmas blessing this early in the year!

I was browsing on the classifieds when I noticed a listing for a couple of faux Christmas trees – almost new in box and $20 each! I emailed the poster right away. When she responded, Jess and I eagerly set up an appointment at her home nearby to come by and take a look.

Upon meeting Brenda, the seller, we were pleasantly surprised when she invited us in to sit and chat for a little bit. We told her about our recent marriage and how we were getting along in our individual careers; she shared about her long-term experience at work and about her planned retirement and subsequent move… and then she offered us whichever tree we wanted free of charge – “It’s a wedding present!” she insisted. “I need to get rid of them and I want you to have it.”

Talk a truly warm and generous gesture! We were both so surprised and thankful. I love the fact that every time I look at this tree, I will remember the things that Christmas is truly about – celebrating love and giving selflessly of ourselves to others – because of how we came to have it. Somehow, it makes a future event that was already special all the more so. ☺

In the Kitchen: Paht-Bing-Soo

2007-06-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

Jess has three brothers (yes... his mom raised four boys. She is Superwoman!). I remember that the first time I got to meet the eldest, Lee, was when we went down to LA for his second baby's 100th Day party. It was then that, besides meeting Lee, Bora, and little Ella and Emma, I was also introduced to paht-bing-soo (spelled that way 'cause that's how it sounds, but I have no idea if that's right...).

I had had modified versions of this Korean dessert before, but never like this -- and it was sooo good! Basically a concoction of shaved ice, sweetened condensed milk, mixed fruit, ice cream, chewy mochi pieces and red bean, paht-bing-soo had me smitten at first taste. Imagine my disappointment when we went back up to the Bay and there were no pat-bing-soo offerings anywhere to be found! I think I craved it for over a whole year before I got to have it, again with Bora and the two little girls in LA. But all this was to change... because one of our wedding presents was this:

And with it, Jess and I can make this together:

And then, I am this: :)))))))))))))))))!

Paht-Bing-Soo, Jess and Vir Style
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 large bowl of ice cubes, and a working electric ice shaver
1 can mixed fruit cocktail
1 ripe kiwi, sliced
Other fruit (optional)
1 pouch red bean paste (found in Asian markets)
1 package mochi (rice cake) pieces (also found in Asian markets)
1 pint green tea or vanilla ice cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1. Shave ice into a large container, using the electric ice shaver on the finest setting possible (on ours, it's "smoothie"). Put a small amount into individual serving bowls, so they are half full (aren't I the optimist?).

2. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the ice.

3. Proceed to arrange the fruit on top of the ice, covering one half. Put a small amount of red bean paste next to this, and then a small pile of mochi pieces and one scoop of ice cream.

4. Finish with another small drizzle of sweetened condensed milk over the top.

Our First Holiday

2007-06-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, not technically, I guess, but as a married couple, yes!

So what's a happy pair to do on a Memorial Day, in the company of blue skies and sunshine? Ride bikes, of course!

Jess and I trekked down to Dublin on our new wheels and hit up a little paint-your-own-pottery place called Café Art that we'd often passed by, but never visited. It's similar to Aran's Ceramics in Castro Valley, with a somewhat newer feel and a very nice selection of ready-to-paint pieces, arranged, ghostlike, all along the shelves. Overall, the place has a cleaner sort of ambiance than Aran's, but lacks the eclectic artsy feel over there, which always reminds me of my Poly days, when I spent hours in the painting studio deep within Dexter building. Another slight advantage that going to Aran's has is that it has a café, which verifies their claim that it's "the city's best-kept secret." I don't go often, but this little place in the back of the studio has goooood food! At Café Art, we made do with a couple of scones and sandwiches from the Starbuck's next door.

We each chose a modern-shaped bowl with a hole for chopsticks, to use as personal noodle bowls, and set to work. At first, Jess was a bit hesitant to start because he hadn't brought anything to copy. But he grabbed a sports magazine from the small "lobby" area of the store and set to work creating this:

It's verrrry Jess, huh? :)

As for me, I thought I would stick with grass going up the sides of the bowl, but ended up adding flowers. And then, petals flying off of the flowers in the wind... and then, some more flowers. For some reason, I seem to add floral art involuntarily whenever I go to any paint-your-own pottery place. I have no idea why. Oh well.

I Can Hear Music

2007-05-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

Both Jess and I were born in the early half of the 80's, but one of our mutually-admired music groups has always been the Beach Boys. When summer comes, bringing weather worthy of rolled-down windows and uninterrupted open-toe shoe use, we know it's time to break out the Beach Boys CDs. Somehow, their breezy harmonies just fit right with the season.

Anyway, yesterday in the car, while we were listening to a new mix of Beach Boys titles Jess had picked up at our local Best Buy, he reached forward and advanced the CD to a track, telling me, "This one reminds me of you."

You're So Good to Me
by the Beach Boys

You're kinda small
And you're such a doll
I'm glad you're mine
You're so good to me
How come you are

You take my hand
And you understand
When I get in a bad mood
You're so good to me
And I love it, love it

You're my baby
Oh yeah
Don't mean maybe
Oh yeah

I know your eyes
Are not on the guys
When we're apart
You're so true to me
How come you are

And every night
You hold me so tight
When I kiss you goodbye
You're so good to me
And I love it, love it

You're my baby
Oh yeah
Don't mean maybe
Oh yeah

You're my baby
Oh yeah
Don't mean maybe
Oh yeah

You're my baby
Oh yeah
Don't mean maybe
Oh yeah

You're my baby

I was so touched, it almost didn't faze me that he wasn't paying super close attention to the road because he was bobbing his head and singing along, with the goofiest smile on his face. :)

Play Together, Stay Together

2007-05-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

As we were heading down the mountains from Glacier Point in Yosemite towards home from our honeymoon, Jess asked me what part of the first half of our honeymoon I'd enjoyed the most. Though we had been treated like a king and queen during all of our stay there, and it had been more or less an experience easily considered luxurious, my favorite part was when we rented bicycles and rode happily around Yosemite Valley together. Neither of us had straddled a bike since middle school, I think, so it was a real treat to 'cycle around the paved bike trails throughout the park. Of course, it also helped that the scenery was absolutely gorgeous -- we stopped riding several times to take pictures of waterfalls and rivers that we passed on our way. Though we came off the bikes hot, tired, and sporting major helmet hair, we both agreed that it had been a most pleasant afternoon.

So, imagine our collective happiness when we walked out of Target last night with these:

And these...

And these too...(Colors and models of items not accurate to actual.)

And almost everything courtesy of generous gift certificates we received as wedding presents (!!).

I must admit that we did have a slight mishap with our purchases, not having planned to acquire bicycles that night. We walked out the doors, both proudly and geekily wheeling our bikes, and stopped short when we realized we'd driven a small sedan to the store. Obviously, getting our new treasures back home had not been in the forefront of our thoughts when we made the decision to buy them. We then had two choices: bike home (which would take probably a half hour or so, but would involve a lot of grief trying to get all the gear free from their plastic shells and into place on the bikes), or get a rack. So I ran back into the store while Jess stood guard outside, grabbed a bike rack that advertised "Sets up in minutes" on the side of its cardboard box, and hurried back out... and forty-five minutes later we were on our way.

We didn't let that slight hiccup set us back -- we finished setting up and unpacking all of our new bike-related gear around 10:30 PM, went for a short ride around our home, and went back inside, where we still had enough energy to make snow cones before we went to bed. :)