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Friday, August 31

Food: Farmhouse Breakfast


During the long weekend, we all went to my parents' farmhouse to unwind.

It is such a relaxing space surrounded by plants and trees. If you want to read more about this one farmhouse, here is a previous post about it.

While we were there, we were pampered with yummy comfort food every single day. For the most important meal of the day, we had our own typical farmhouse breakfast.

The pancakes were so fluffy. You know the secret to thick, fluffy pancakes? Do not over beat the batter.



Okay, you'd think that this is part of ordinary Filipino breakfast food. No, not at all. It is quite the opposite. These pancakes are actually out of place. They were for Allie. Hahaha.

We had sunny-side-up eggs, which I did not take a picture of, and we had fried broken eggs. They look weird but they are good.



We also had dried fish and squid. This is what I missed most, especially the ones that they called danggit.

You buy them salted and dried from the market. Then you fry them in oil to make them super crispy and crunchy. Because they are salty, I like to soak them in vinegar and eat them with steamed rice. Yummy!


We also had some talbos ng kamote or sweet potato leaves that were freshly picked from the farm. They were so crisp! We ate them with fresh tomatoes and some traditional Pangasinan fish sauce (bagoong).


So there you have it. More farmhouse food soon!

Thursday, August 30

Home: Our Entryway In Detail


I love entryways. It is a space where you leave your car keys upon coming home, or set up a welcome bowl of chocolates for guests, or sometimes it is as simple as a single chair where you can sit while you put on your boots.

People tend to forget to put up this critical area of the home. For me, it sets the mood of your entire house. Read on to find out how I set up ours.

[1] Start with a main furniture. Our entryway space began when my parents gifted us with this beautiful buffet table from Crate and Barrel. It is a great piece for our entryway because it has just the right size for our wall, and it has room for storage as well. I also love that it is easy to clean underneath.

[2] Add some height. I put framed photos above it -- around eye-level, and arranged the frames in quadrants just like a window. I just printed out some of my prenup and wedding photos on photo paper (see, this was pre-Allie, otherwise, she'll definitely be in it). Then I used cheap white Ribba picture frames from Ikea. The Ribba is such a good deal. It already comes with matting -- and this makes all the difference in the world.





[3] Include visual interest. On the right is a pendulum clock that I got from Z Gallerie. My husband always tease me about it. He says that it's useless because it is hard to tell time with it. But hey, I love that I can call it functional art. It is also a great way to start a conversation.

[4] Balance the whole space. I used a leather chair and placed it below the clock. It is almost the same shade as the buffet table. Again, I got it from Ikea (Henriksdal, I believe, is the name) for a steal at $25. I remember because it was the first time I found something useful in Ikea's As-Is section. The only problem was that the box did not include any tools and screws, but I figured they were easy to get anyway.


[5] Put some of your favorite things. I love tiffany blue set upon dark woods and white. My only tiffany blue colored book is the Domino (love love love it) so of course, I added a Tiffany catalog. 

I got the bowl at a discount from Ross. I filled it up with Hershey's chocolate kisses -- I used their easter version (lots of pastel blues, greens, silver and pink). 

I don't know if you can see it but there is a couple of round dice on the books. Interestingly enough, it is weighted, so they function as real dice! If memory serves me right, they are from Z Gallerie as well.



[6] Add flowers or plants. I got live white phalaenopsis from Lowe's and put it in a white Ikea pot. I got it there because they guarantee their plants for one whole year. It was my first attempt to care for a living indoor plant. I was still a fool to believe I can take care of it. I tried, but I realized my thumb wasn't green. I think mine came only in black. Eeek. Sadly, after two months, the beautiful orchid became a brown stick. Okay, Lowe's people, don't hate me, but yes, that was me returning a dried stick and asked for a refund. Sorry. Now I refuse to go in Lowe's. I am so ashamed. 

Now, cut flowers are easier to take care of because the life expectancy of cut flowers is so much shorter than potted plants. Haha. Lucky me, bunches of blue hydrangeas were growing in our condo garden, so I cut a stem and placed it in a Crate and Barrel bud vase with water. Just cut its stem a little bit every day, and it will last for more than a week.





Wednesday, August 29

Love: Good Surprises


My morning started a bit too early. The hubby and I had to make up for our office absence yesterday. Hmm, not that I did not work from home yesterday; I did -- until after midnight. I know, I know. But I just couldn't bring myself to stop doing this design project on Sketchup. The momentum was just there.

Anyway, it was an unnaturally busy day for me. There was a ton on my to-do list. By around 2:30 pm, we were so sleepy already, and we just had to get some caffeine fix. So we went down to our local Starbucks, and our barista surprised us with a half-off promotion for the day.

Don't you just love good surprises?




Tuesday, August 28

Crafts/DIY: Paper-Wrapped Pencils


I 've been eyeing this tutorial for a couple of months now. It's on how to make your own paper-wrapped pencils from scissors.paper.wok blog. It has a complete step-by-step tutorial so make sure to drop by.

I tried making it the other day, but I only had scrapbook paper -- those thicker-than-origami-paper ones. The tutorial mentioned using washi paper. Mine turned out not so great as s.p.w.'s. It is definitely harder to sharpen.

I got cheap clutch pencil leads from National Bookstore -- I think they're around P40 for a pack. My dad used to buy the Staedtler ones for me all the time when I was still in school. Wow, they are so expensive pala when I checked. National sells it PER piece, not the pack. Make sure to ask for the non-Staedtler ones if you're chipipay like me.

I also used contact cement instead of white glue, because that is what I have already. I think it's better to use contact cement because it dries quicker. But, of course, there is a trade-off. It is more expensive.

So here's how it turned out. What do you think?




Friday, August 24

Travel: Tybee Island and Seafood

 
Have you ever seen Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's movie The Last Song that went out a couple of years ago? Well, apparently, that movie was set in the coastal area of Tybee Island near Savannah, GA.

The movie was based on a Nicholas Sparks book, but I think the book story was originally set in South Carolina. It's a movie fit for father's day. Kakaiyak, and I'm such a sucker for these kinds of plotsI really don't watch Miley Cyrus' movies, but I am a Sparks fan. I even met him once in a book signing (and incidentally, Hill Harper, too, during the same event). They're both super cool guys.

Here is the famous Tybee Island Light Station:


The beach:



Pardon me for posting mostly about Georgia in most of my travels. I think I'm missing it. We used to live in Atlanta, and getting the yummiest seafood platter in the state is about a four-hour drive from the city. One time, we decided to go to Tybee to just have lunch at the Crab Shack. It was sooo worth the drive.


Funny thing is, my husband is allergic to shellfish. So he had ribs. Translation: More seafood for me.




Thursday, August 23

Love: Lilly Pulitzer



Remember when I posted about these Lilly Pulitzer paper-wrapped letters for Allie that I used for her birthday dessert table?

Well, I am thrilled to see it on the official Lilly Pulitzer pinterest account. :) I'm just sharing my giddiness. Haha!


Wednesday, August 22

Crafts/DIY: Florigami Tutorial


Okay folks, hang on to your seats. Here is the tutorial for the flower origami that I posted a few days back. And it is super easy.



The visual how-to:




Now, from step 10, you glue the two edges together to form the completed flower petal in 11.

Repeat the whole process 5 times to complete 5 petals, and glue them together to come up with the finished flower as in the first photo.

See? Super easy. I bet you can even do this in your sleep. *wink*
 

Tuesday, August 21

Love: Jacques and Gilles Font


Have you seen this font? I swear, it was love at first sight for me. Get it from Emily Lime's etsy shop here.

Image from EmilyLimeDesign's etsy shop 

Monday, August 20

Travel: Reminiscing Savannah in Pictures


Houses in Savannah --





Store window --




Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist --



Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD) Theater --



-- and my favorite,
River Street Sweets Candy Store --


Friday, August 17

Crafts/DIY: Florigami Therapy


I am working on this residential design project, which is super exciting for me (and the homeowners, haha), but I feel like I'm getting some kind of bug, and I just wanted to sit on my bed all day. In between working and researching, I managed to amuse myself with a cool paper flower origami.

Origami is the art of paper folding. Florigami? The art of paper flower folding. It's been a while since I've done this, and for some reason, folding paper feels like therapy for me. I am able to think more clearly after.










Thursday, August 16

Design: Method Home x Orla Kiely Collab


It is times like these that I miss living in Atlanta where I can just go to my nearby Target store and buy stuff I needed wanted.

Okay, to all of you guys out there lucky enough to have a Target store (or maybe some other supermarket that carries Method Home), you have to get these Limited Edition Orla Kiely by Method Home. I will just live vicariously through you.

I am such a big fan of Orla Kiely, with her graphic prints and bold colors, and Method Home, with its simple and cute packaging. This collaboration is a match made in heaven. Well, my heaven.

Photos from Method Home website


Gel Hand Wash
Bay Leaf Gel Hand Wash

Pear Ginger Gel Hand Wash

Primrose Gel Hand Wash

Vanilla Chai Gel Hand Wash

Foaming Hand Wash


Bay Leaf Foaming Hand Wash

Primrose Foaming Hand Wash

Vanilla Chai Foaming Hand Wash


All-Purpose Cleaner


Pear Ginger All-Purpose Cleaner


Dish Pump


Pear Ginger Dish Pump


Wednesday, August 15

Food: Bulgogi Garden


Bulgogi Garden is one of many Korean restaurants in Kalayaan Avenue. The area has become a breeding ground for Korean businesses, believe it or not. I'm not sure if this is the newest one there, but it looks like it's the biggest. I like going here because they have a big parking area.

The food is great. Forgive me here, but all the times I've been here, probably 3-4 times already, the food was already pre-ordered by someone in the party, so I really have no idea what the actual name is on the menu. Here are photos though.

Appetizer sampler for everyone. I think this is bottomless.




Korean pancakes -- dip in their soy sauce. Yum!




This looks like gyoza. I just find this version a little too dry inside.



Of course, bulgogi.



Katchang for dessert! Looks like halo-halo, but it's more citrus-ey.



Visit Bulgogi Garden
Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City
Walk-ins accepted


Monday, August 13

Crafts/DIY: Stripey Labels Template


Wow, I can't believe I haven't shared this with you yet. If you remember my post about Allie's party dessert table, you probably remember my stripey labels.


Oh my gosh, I get soooo hungry by just looking at this picture. Those cake pops were made by my sister's friend. They are super yummy. Hmm, this reminds me, we are going to collaborate with her on our pop-up store Project Happy, so watch out.

Anyhoo, I made the stripey label template in Photoshop, printed them out on thick card stock, and then cut to size using an X-acto knife (cutter to other folks).


I just taped a one-inch pink ribbon at the back then finally attached it to the serving dish.

To make it simpler for you, here is a download link for blank stripey labels that you can just print out and cut. Enjoy!





Crafts/DIY: Mini Paper Buntings

 
The start of Maroon 5's 'Sunday Morning' song definitely explained the day yesterday.
"Sunday morning and the rain is falling." Yes, it rained hard again. So, I decided to make some cute little buntings to brighten up the gloomy mood.




Don't you just love buntings? Here is an easy tutorial on how to make teeny weeny buntings.


All you need are the following:
{1} a piece of colored paper,
{2} twine or raffia, and
{3} a pair of scissors.


Cut small triangles. They don't need to be perfect. :)



Then cut slits on the sides of the triangles, and just insert the raffia or twine. There you go!


Saturday, August 11