Little Master Chef

Little Master Chef

16 June 2013

Jo came home last week with a radiant smile. She showed me the book that she borrowed from her school library. "The Children's Baking Book." Hmmmm.....

She excitedly showed me that the book is divided into four parts. Cookies, Doughs, Cakes and Pastry. "Let's make cherry and berry pie, mommy. The level is easy." For someone who loves pastry but don't like to get her hands dirty (and...that's me!), the recipe looks pretty easy. 

We went to Target to get the ingredients and to our disappointment, we can only find a Pillsbury croissant dough and that's not even the puff pastry listed in the book. So we switched plan and decided to make blueberry croissant instead. 

Miss Little Master Chef worked seriously rolling the dough and her eyes were all big when I took them out of the oven. And of course because she is goofy, she needed to show me how to eat a croissant without using her hands.

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And the Flowers Start to Bloom

And the Flowers Start to Bloom

14 June 2013

I am always excited when vendors who produce high quality products contact me for collaboration. And that includes Flower and Fancy-free Boutique. 

I don't think I've ever had my jaw dropped when I opened a headband package. :) You might say that I am exaggerating, but that's the truth. I literally had my jaw dropped when I opened the box Rachel had sent me. The headband is just lovely. I immediately fell in love with the color combination and I really admire the quality. I've seen and own many headbands, and I can really see that Rachel puts a lot of heart and time in creating her pieces. 

I showed the headband and the tutu dress to Jo who insisted to put them on immediately. She was then dancing and kicking ball around the house wearing the long tutu. :) 

Jo recently mastered the skill of riding a scooter, so she insisted on bringing her soccer ball and scooter for this session. She challenged E for a race. E won easily so she made the challenge harder. "You need to bounce the ball while run, papa." And she continued to raise the bar. "Now you need to run and throw the ball into the air and catch it back." All I can say is that E got a good exercise that afternoon. Ha! 

Please check the Facebook page of Flower and Fancy-free Boutique and her Etsy store.
 

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Celebrating A Father's Life

Celebrating A Father's Life

06 June 2013

My father turns 66 today, exactly on 6/6, and the last 10 years have not been pretty.

It always makes my heart heavy to think the stage where he is right now. But I am not going to talk about that today.

I want to celebrate his life. A life of a man, of a husband, of a friend, of a father that has helped me to be where I am now.

A father who always put his daughters' interest before him.
And told many stories before we went to bed.

A father who couldn't understand our taste of music and hence the argument over a radio station that we should hear when we were in a car.

He who would climbed to the roof and fixed the TV antenna tirelessly. "The TV looks good. Why are you still fixing the antenna?" I asked. "If you can achieve something better, why not?" he said. His answer silenced me. His perseverance stays in our mind and works like a candle that guides us when we are trapped in our darkness.

Singing in his baritone voice in duet with his other half, his voice was a beautiful ornament in our house.

His love to drive had taken us to beautiful places. He would drove far, passing paddy field and I would roll down the window, inhaling the grass smelled air, eyes open wide to soak in the lush green in front of me. His love for food had spoiled us with various delicacies, sweet and savory. At time he would disappear from home, we would wonder, and then he would return. Bags of charcoal in his hands and he would later busied himself cooking satay. Black face, dark hands, and a proud face of his creation.

His love for animal had granted us the luxury of birds chirping in our home with their delicate, colorful feathers.

"I am a happy man," he once said to his fried. "Because my wife is close to God, because one of my daughters is building her life, and the other one has a bright career."

Today, I am celebrating his life. Papa, you are my one thousand splendid sun.

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A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess

03 June 2013

I'm so inspired by Kids Were Here project. When I first learned about this project, I was immediately hooked. It taught me to see a messy house with different perspective. I see the beauty in all the mess that the children leave behind. Each picture is a reminder of their existence, of their personality, of their presence, even if they are not there. 

Once upon a time, I let a big sigh every time I see my living room. Scattered lego? Check! An soccer ball in the middle of living room? Check! Books and crayons in the dining table? Check and check! Once upon a time, these would drive me nuts. 

Now, I'd just chuckle and grab my camera. The mess means she was there, as part of my world. I see her existence, her presence, unclouded. And it's a beautiful thing. Thank you for the inspiration Kids Were Here!

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God's Protection

God's Protection

God's Protection

Each of us has a course to follow, 
God knows every cross I bare, 
God knows the battles brewing, 
He protect me with His care. 

God has set the course I follow, 
He knows how much that I can bare, 
God will help me fight my battles, 
When I go to Him in prayer.

God has given me the power, 
He has set the course we share, 
God will keep me in the battles, 
He protects me with His care.

God protects me with His Spirit, 
He delivers me from care, 
God defends me in my valleys, 
When I go to Him in prayer.

God rejoices in my worship, 
He protects me from all harm, 
God has helped me win my battles, 
Wrapped securely in His arms. 

Silent Prayer

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