Our trip to Vietnam was the first time we traveled just the two of us. I was nervous but also excited.
We flew from Jakarta in the morning and arrived in Danang close to noon. After exiting the airport, we spotted the driver from Kua Casa, where we stayed in Danang. Tips: look for accommodations that offer free airport pickup!
Read MoreWe tried the Zoom virtual photoshop just for fun. I am pleased with how these actually turned out.
Read MoreStaycation during the holiday season means catching up on my to-do list.
J was at a friend’s house, baking failed gingerbread cookies. I enjoyed the quiet home, and decided to go through old pictures and found some pictures that I overlooked in the past.
Here are some from Summer 2016 (!!!) when we took an afternoon walk at the Little Bay Park.
Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most visited places in New York City. It’s kinda a must for people, especially tourists, to visit. And I can understand why. Spanning from downtown Manhattan to Brooklyn, this bridge is a beautiful architecture with many characters and photogenic spots for pictures.
Photographers and people visit the bridge in the early morning or afternoon to capture the sunrise and sunset against the city landscape.
A friend of a friend visited New York, and she wanted to capture her family in this iconic site. To beat the crowd, we agreed to do a morning session. It was November, but on that day, it felt like a freezing Winter. I left my home at 4.00 am, arrived about 45 minutes earlier, and watched the breathtaking sunrise!
I applaud the whole family for being super committed. I wore my winter jacket, hat, gloves, thick socks, and still...my fingers and toes went numb after a few minutes. This family, including little Ms. S braced the cold! walked to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, stopped for coffee and snack, and we had a great conversation and session. Thank you for choosing me to capture your lovely family!
I learned about CourtneyCourtney seven years ago. Courtney’s bold imagination in combining patterns and colors inspired me.
CourtneyCourtney dresses traveled with us to museums, beaches, markets, cities, and countries. She wore them on her birthday, in Spring and Summer, layered them in Fall, and put on more layers in Winter. Versatility is the key word here. :)
I don’t have to think when putting together an outfit. Any patterns or colors work beautifully with any of her dresses.
Jo and I were so happy when Courtney told us that she is now creating adult sizes too. Jo reported that this sweater dress is so warm and comfortable.
For us now, CourtneyCourtney dresses are more than just combining colors and patterns. Wearing her dress is part of our contribution to reduce our carbon footprint and to be more conscious in what we are wearing and buying.
I was once eagerly went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to take pictures during their Cherry Blossom Festival. I came home empty handed. It was almost impossible to take pictures due to the crowd.
So every spring, I am now waiting for the cherry trees to bloom at the Cunningham Park.
It’s a nice, little park close to Jo’s dance studio. Once the trees are in full bloom, we go to the park for a quick shots and I’ve been very happy with how the pictures come out.
We, well, I had been wanting to go to Lavender by the Bay. I looked at pictures posted online, and this looked like a beautiful place especially to take pictures.
We visited this place on Sunday in early July. Maybe not a good choice of day because it was packed on that day. There was even quite a long line at the shop.
The field was smaller that I had imagined. The full, harsh sun and the big crowd made it challenging to take pictures that I had envisioned. I only took several pictures, just because I already brought my camera. But we only stayed for about 30 minutes. :)
Hello, poffertjes,
So, the last month of 2018.
This year, I had a few days vacation left, and I decided to take them during the Christmas holiday season. I was so excited about it because I got to spend the whole one week with you, and the last few days of the holiday with papa too.
We explored the city, tried several bakeries we've never been to, we ate, we baked, we binged watch, we cuddled, we went shopping - and someone "accidentally" got her first DrM boots. :)
Then we took a trip to Philadelphia. For the second time, we visited the Reading Terminal Market, our favorite place to stuff our face and tummy. We stood for literally an hour in cold weather to try Max's cheesesteak.
We also visited the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Yeah, kinda an unusual place to visit during the holiday, but I think we could agree that it was a time well spent and that we learned a lot of stories from this eery but beautiful premise.
Another thing that made my heart full is that I was able to support you in upgrading your kitchen equipment and tools. Finally, you got a new, shiny, yellow standing mixer, a new yellow apron to match and to replace the first apron that you've outgrown, a set of a pasta maker, and a real rolling pin! Now, you don't have excuses not to bake more pies!
I know I said that Christmas is supposed to be a time for reflection, and not to indulge in consumerism. But I couldn't help to pamper you. Your happy, radiant face wept away my tiredness. It's all worth it, poffertjes.
Here's to many more moons of happiness, health, wellness, adventure, baking, and shopping!
bun-bun
This is the second year (or perhaps the third?) that we bake for teachers and friends. Last year, we baked cookies. This year, we decided to use my bundt pan collections. Tee-hee-hee.
The pastry chef decided on Bailey’s Hot Chocolate Bund Cake from Live for Cake and Snow Capped Cranberry Bundt Cake from Seasons and Suppers because I insisted on using cranberry.
We were super pleased!
My dearest lollipop,
13!
Welcome to an awkward age, where the children section no longer fits and the adult section looks too frumpy. The age when you have to pay full price. Yep!
You know, when you were still a tiny dumpling, I often wondered what kind of personality you would develop as you grew up. What kind of person you'd become? What would interest you?
I remembered when you were in 5th grade and there was a secret Santa or a gift swap event at school. You didn't tell me about this until weeks after it had happened. And I asked, "What did you give?"
You said you collected some leftover beads you could find from your jewelry making kit, added some ribbons, and put them in a plastic bag. I felt embarrassed by that gift because I didn't think it was a decent gift.
I started raising my voice and getting angry at you. Of course, you cried.
I asked, "Why did you do that? Why didn't you tell me so we can pick a decent gift?"
You simply said, "Because I didn't want to bother you."
And that answer stabbed me right in the heart. You were trying to demonstrate your independence. Instead of encouraging it, I shut it down. It crushed my heart, and I learned a valuable lesson here.
Most recently, you were working on a school project. I don't remember what exactly, but I remembered that there were parts that you struggled a bit. So I said, "You can always ask me for help, you know."
And you said, "I know. But I also want to know how far I can accomplish if I am doing this myself."
I was speechless.
Over the past 13 years, you have definitely grown into an independent, responsible person.
You have also grown into a sensitive person who can read between the lines. You have become a person who doesn't listen only with her ears, but also with her eyes and heart.
A proof? You bought me a matcha brioche after you sensed a sad tone in my text. I didn't say my feeling explicitly in that text, but you sensed it and decided to do something about it.
This is the kind of person you have become. You are resilience, brilliant, funny, sensitive, independent, and humble.
I couldn't ask for a better daughter or best friend.
Enjoy 13 my lollipop!
For you, a thousand more.
Bunda
