I was hit with an intense craving for chocolate cookies tonight, so I baked some. I used a recipe for double chocolate chip cookies I found online, but modified it a little because I didn't want the chips but also wanted more chocolatey cookies.
Recipe:
150g chocolate
125g butter
200g sugar
1 large egg
60ml milk
1tsp vanilla
200g flour
100g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1) Heat oven to 175C.
2) Melt chocolate, set aside to cool a little.
3) Cream butter and sugar.
4) Add milk, egg and vanilla, blend well.
5) Add melted chocolate, blend well.
6) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder.
7) Add to creamed mixture, and form a dough. (Note: if your dough is still a little gooey and not easy to roll into balls, just leave it for about 15mins or so till the chocolate in it cools down. The mixture will firm up, then you can roll the dough easily :) )
8) Roll into balls, place on tray, then bake for about 15mins.
Just for reference, the original recipe is here.
The cookies turned out really rich and luscious. Very chocolate-y, and not at all sweet because I used dark chocolate. Mine also turned out a little ugly because instead of rolling them into neat balls, I just dropped spoonful of dough onto my baking sheet ^^;;;;;; So no pictures, sorry!
I prolly should add that these are really quick to make - it took me about 1 and a half hours from walking downstairs to storing the cookies. The dought took about 30mins to make, including preparation time. Another 45mins was for baking the cookies. This recipe yielded 41 uneven cookies. If you use only a teaspoonful of dough for each 2cm ball, you'll probably get about 60 cookies :)
Okay, I'm going to take a plateful of these and a mug of milk and read some manga :D Bai bai!
Monday, 27 April 2009
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Jenny's 2nd Anniversary Cake
My friend Jenny came over to my flat today because she wanted to make a cake to surprise her boyfriend on their 2nd anniversary.
Together, we made a mild chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting :) I couldn't find heart shaped cake tins, so we baked them in round tins, and cut it into hearts. It was filled and coveredwith the very light and airy cheese frosting, and I put a border of chocolate curls on the heart, then arranged sugar roses and those silver sugar balls on one corner :)
Here's how it looks! :)
I'm quite proud of how it turned out!! Even more so of the chocolate thingy that says "Happy 2nd Anniversary"! It's a little messy and some of the border had melted of a little, but I did it all by hand using parchment paper, melted chocolate and skewers :) Yeah, that's my handwriting in chocolate!
There was loads of leftover frosting, so we ate the extra cake bits with the frosting to see how it tasted. It's not bad! Not at all sweet, slightly sour. It's good for people who aren't too fond of sweet foods ^_^
I'd post the recipe, but my right arm is aching like mad - the frosting called for double cream whipped into stiff peaks, but I don't have a handheld mixer, so I did it all by hand. Eurgh, where's my massage oil...
Anyway, I'm feeling quite tired now, because I woke up early this morning to go to ASDA to get the cake board, and a tupperware, plus a few ingredients that I can't get in my local Waitrose. So I'm gonna go sleep now.
G'night! Recipe will come tomorrow :)
Together, we made a mild chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting :) I couldn't find heart shaped cake tins, so we baked them in round tins, and cut it into hearts. It was filled and coveredwith the very light and airy cheese frosting, and I put a border of chocolate curls on the heart, then arranged sugar roses and those silver sugar balls on one corner :)
Here's how it looks! :)
I'm quite proud of how it turned out!! Even more so of the chocolate thingy that says "Happy 2nd Anniversary"! It's a little messy and some of the border had melted of a little, but I did it all by hand using parchment paper, melted chocolate and skewers :) Yeah, that's my handwriting in chocolate!
There was loads of leftover frosting, so we ate the extra cake bits with the frosting to see how it tasted. It's not bad! Not at all sweet, slightly sour. It's good for people who aren't too fond of sweet foods ^_^
I'd post the recipe, but my right arm is aching like mad - the frosting called for double cream whipped into stiff peaks, but I don't have a handheld mixer, so I did it all by hand. Eurgh, where's my massage oil...
Anyway, I'm feeling quite tired now, because I woke up early this morning to go to ASDA to get the cake board, and a tupperware, plus a few ingredients that I can't get in my local Waitrose. So I'm gonna go sleep now.
G'night! Recipe will come tomorrow :)
Saturday, 25 April 2009
Harp Music~
I do not recall when it was that I began to play the piano. It was most certainly before I turned 9. In fact, I cannot actually remember a time when I was unable to play the piano: it was always a permanent fixture in my life, always a favourite instrument to play.
As such, it is no surprise that piano music is my favourite type of music. I enjoy listening to piano music at any time, no matter how I feel, happy, energetic, sad or even angry - piano music is the one thing through which I can feel emotions at their most intense.
Usually, I would listen to some songs played on the piano (and on violins, guitars, etc.... I like listening to instrumental solos ^_^) on YouTube. However, as of late, I have also been listening to harp music. I used to admire harp music, but only in a very off-hand "oh, that's nice" kind of way. Now, as I listen to some people playing the harp, I am simply blown away by how beautiful it can sound.
Just as a couple of "samples" of what I've been listening to, I chose two popular and easy-listening songs from Phantom of the Opera:
Doesn't it sound stunning? Don't they look so elegant playing the harp? I feel so inspired to take it up now!! :) I wonder where I can find lessons in Kuala Lumpur...
As such, it is no surprise that piano music is my favourite type of music. I enjoy listening to piano music at any time, no matter how I feel, happy, energetic, sad or even angry - piano music is the one thing through which I can feel emotions at their most intense.
Usually, I would listen to some songs played on the piano (and on violins, guitars, etc.... I like listening to instrumental solos ^_^) on YouTube. However, as of late, I have also been listening to harp music. I used to admire harp music, but only in a very off-hand "oh, that's nice" kind of way. Now, as I listen to some people playing the harp, I am simply blown away by how beautiful it can sound.
Just as a couple of "samples" of what I've been listening to, I chose two popular and easy-listening songs from Phantom of the Opera:
Doesn't it sound stunning? Don't they look so elegant playing the harp? I feel so inspired to take it up now!! :) I wonder where I can find lessons in Kuala Lumpur...
Friday, 24 April 2009
Yukata Picnic!
When I dressed Michelle up in that furisode two weeks ago, we'd made a promise to have a kimono outing before she returned to Edinburgh. We made plans to have a picnic in the garden compound behind my flat, and we were all going to wear kimono! :)
Sadly, they were only able to arrive at 3pm, after which we had to prepare the food, so our picnic was at a rather odd time of the day. Also, Hong was meant to join us, but her flat got flooded (;o; poor poor thing!!) so she couldn't.. :( *sighs* And I was really looking forward to seeing her after such a long time...
Anywaaay... The weather was so nice and warm today that we decided to wear yukata! ^_^ Here are pictures of what we wore~~
Michelle is wearing my purple peony yukata with my navy blue ro tsuke obi. Mel is wearing my 2008 UNIQLO bunny yukata set.
I'm wearing my 1000yen UNIQLO yukata set, with blue swirling waters and orange kingyo (goldfish)! I think it makes me look older, but in a more elegant and refined way :D I must say, I'm proud of nice my kitsuke turned out, even though I took less than 10 minutes to put it all on.
Of course, it being a 10 minute kitsuke meant that my obi wasn't as nice as usual.
Pictures of the food!!
Clockwise from left, we had "pancake sandwiches made with cream cheese and smoked salmon", "chorizo scotch eggs", "ham, cheese and spinach sandwiches", "wild mushroom quiche", "quiche Lorraine", "egg salad and spinach sandwiches" and "baby plum tomatoes" :) It was delicious!
You can see the mixed seedless grapes and apples we had as dessert :)
Mel and Michelle enjoying the picnic!!
We chose a private little corner at the top of a hill to have the picnic :) It was the flattest bit of land there was without being in the middle of the whole place, and it was just under the (now bare) cherry tree, and overlooks the whole area. It was a cosy little nook! It was really peaceful and pretty sitting there, especially since Darcy (the cat) was frolicking all around the area :D
It was fun! We really should do picnics more often! And next time, we WILL have Hong here too! XD
Sadly, they were only able to arrive at 3pm, after which we had to prepare the food, so our picnic was at a rather odd time of the day. Also, Hong was meant to join us, but her flat got flooded (;o; poor poor thing!!) so she couldn't.. :( *sighs* And I was really looking forward to seeing her after such a long time...
Anywaaay... The weather was so nice and warm today that we decided to wear yukata! ^_^ Here are pictures of what we wore~~
Michelle is wearing my purple peony yukata with my navy blue ro tsuke obi. Mel is wearing my 2008 UNIQLO bunny yukata set.
I'm wearing my 1000yen UNIQLO yukata set, with blue swirling waters and orange kingyo (goldfish)! I think it makes me look older, but in a more elegant and refined way :D I must say, I'm proud of nice my kitsuke turned out, even though I took less than 10 minutes to put it all on.
Of course, it being a 10 minute kitsuke meant that my obi wasn't as nice as usual.
Pictures of the food!!
Clockwise from left, we had "pancake sandwiches made with cream cheese and smoked salmon", "chorizo scotch eggs", "ham, cheese and spinach sandwiches", "wild mushroom quiche", "quiche Lorraine", "egg salad and spinach sandwiches" and "baby plum tomatoes" :) It was delicious!
You can see the mixed seedless grapes and apples we had as dessert :)
Mel and Michelle enjoying the picnic!!
We chose a private little corner at the top of a hill to have the picnic :) It was the flattest bit of land there was without being in the middle of the whole place, and it was just under the (now bare) cherry tree, and overlooks the whole area. It was a cosy little nook! It was really peaceful and pretty sitting there, especially since Darcy (the cat) was frolicking all around the area :D
It was fun! We really should do picnics more often! And next time, we WILL have Hong here too! XD
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Kimono Opinions: Silk vs Wool vs Synthetics
I used to be really snooty about the type of fabric my kimono were made of. I always bought only the silk ones (except when it's yukata, when it's made of cotton) and snubbed all those made of synthetic fibers. Then, one day, I bought a synthetic kimono completely by accident.
For a while, I floundered: what do I do? I heard synthetics were really uncomfortable, I heard they were hot to wear, etc etc. Then I received it in the mail. To my surprise, it was very smooth and soft, almost like silk! It was also really comfortable, and best of all: if I accidentally spilled something on it, I just threw it into the washing machine! I was hooked.
From then on, I stopped snubbing synthetic kimono. But then I noticed something: nearly all of the synthetic kimono I could find were layered, and too hot to wear during some of the season-change months! I despaired for a while, thinking I'd never be able to wear kimono during the season-change months (usually in May and September) since all I had were awase kimono (double-layered kimono, or kimono with lining) and yukata (thin cotton summer kimono).
One day, while pondering this, I noticed RyuJapan was having a sale on his website. I noticed he had a category called "Wool" and went to check it out. I immediately saw a large number of absolutely gorgeous kimono made of wool, which meant they were casual and for everyday wear, not as hot as synthetics, but not as fragile or delicate as silk! A big plus is that none of them were lined. Of course, I bought a few of them.
When they arrived, I straighaway put them on. I had originally had misgivings on buying wool kimono because I was always afraid that the wool would be scratchy against my skin (I have very sensitive skin). I soon found that this was a rather stupid fear, because I would have my hadajuban and my nagajuban on, so I wouldn't feel the kimono if it was scratchy! (Not that many of them were scratchy)
I tentatively posted this on the IG forums and found a whole list of pros to wearing wool: natural fiber, so it breathes better and is cooler than synthetics; not as delicate as silk, so it won't stain so badly even if I spilled water on it; casual and for everyday wear; all of them are unlined, so technically I can wear all of them all-year round without worrying! I fell in love with wool kimono then, and have worn wool kimono almost every time since. A majority of my everyday kimono are actually made of wool.
Sometimes, I think back on all that time ago and wonder why I was such a snob for only wanting to wear silks, even though they're more difficult to care for and so delicate.
Two Saturdays ago, I got my answer as I finally wore a silk kimono again after nearly 5 months of not wearing silk. The reason I preferred silk then was really obvious to me: silk, despite being more delicate and requiring more care, feels heavenly even against my juban. It is smooth and flows wonderfully, barely creating wrinkles and hanging gracefully on my body. It is truly the one fabric that makes kimono seem soft and delicate, not at all harsh straight lines like the impressions that some stiff fabrics give. I think a part of its delicate appearance is because of the soft swishing sounds the silk makes when you move, unlike the loud crinkly sounds that synthetics and sometimes even wools make!
Of course, this does not mean that synthetics and wools aren't good to wear! They do have their own merits, after all. But still, after 5 months of wearing nothing but synthetics and wool, which are at times harsh to feel, the gentle feel and wonderful texture of silk fabric surprised me, and I found myself falling in love with kimono all over again.
Sometimes I wish the weather in the UK wasn't so unpredictable. Maybe then I'd dare to wear out a wonderful silk kimono out on the streets, feeling like a princess and floating along the pavement!! XD
For a while, I floundered: what do I do? I heard synthetics were really uncomfortable, I heard they were hot to wear, etc etc. Then I received it in the mail. To my surprise, it was very smooth and soft, almost like silk! It was also really comfortable, and best of all: if I accidentally spilled something on it, I just threw it into the washing machine! I was hooked.
From then on, I stopped snubbing synthetic kimono. But then I noticed something: nearly all of the synthetic kimono I could find were layered, and too hot to wear during some of the season-change months! I despaired for a while, thinking I'd never be able to wear kimono during the season-change months (usually in May and September) since all I had were awase kimono (double-layered kimono, or kimono with lining) and yukata (thin cotton summer kimono).
One day, while pondering this, I noticed RyuJapan was having a sale on his website. I noticed he had a category called "Wool" and went to check it out. I immediately saw a large number of absolutely gorgeous kimono made of wool, which meant they were casual and for everyday wear, not as hot as synthetics, but not as fragile or delicate as silk! A big plus is that none of them were lined. Of course, I bought a few of them.
When they arrived, I straighaway put them on. I had originally had misgivings on buying wool kimono because I was always afraid that the wool would be scratchy against my skin (I have very sensitive skin). I soon found that this was a rather stupid fear, because I would have my hadajuban and my nagajuban on, so I wouldn't feel the kimono if it was scratchy! (Not that many of them were scratchy)
I tentatively posted this on the IG forums and found a whole list of pros to wearing wool: natural fiber, so it breathes better and is cooler than synthetics; not as delicate as silk, so it won't stain so badly even if I spilled water on it; casual and for everyday wear; all of them are unlined, so technically I can wear all of them all-year round without worrying! I fell in love with wool kimono then, and have worn wool kimono almost every time since. A majority of my everyday kimono are actually made of wool.
Sometimes, I think back on all that time ago and wonder why I was such a snob for only wanting to wear silks, even though they're more difficult to care for and so delicate.
Two Saturdays ago, I got my answer as I finally wore a silk kimono again after nearly 5 months of not wearing silk. The reason I preferred silk then was really obvious to me: silk, despite being more delicate and requiring more care, feels heavenly even against my juban. It is smooth and flows wonderfully, barely creating wrinkles and hanging gracefully on my body. It is truly the one fabric that makes kimono seem soft and delicate, not at all harsh straight lines like the impressions that some stiff fabrics give. I think a part of its delicate appearance is because of the soft swishing sounds the silk makes when you move, unlike the loud crinkly sounds that synthetics and sometimes even wools make!
Of course, this does not mean that synthetics and wools aren't good to wear! They do have their own merits, after all. But still, after 5 months of wearing nothing but synthetics and wool, which are at times harsh to feel, the gentle feel and wonderful texture of silk fabric surprised me, and I found myself falling in love with kimono all over again.
Sometimes I wish the weather in the UK wasn't so unpredictable. Maybe then I'd dare to wear out a wonderful silk kimono out on the streets, feeling like a princess and floating along the pavement!! XD
Outfit Snap: Lazy Showa Kitsuke
I don't know if I ever posted these photos, but sometime in October last year, I really really wanted to wear kimono.
I decided to try on my 150cm early Showa era (Showa is a time period in Japan, from 1926 to 1989) kimono just to see if it would fit. I didn't have a juban with matching sleeve lengths, so I just wore an easy collar. For the obi, I didn't have any obi that matched it well, but I did have one hanhaba obi that seemed to achieve the look I was going for. (I wanted to try and accomplish the "Showa" look like in vintage photos and prints)
The musubi is a variation of something I found in a kitsuke book a while ago and had been dying to try because it really looked like some of the Showa era pictures I've seen. Also, to accomplish the look, I tried to have a messy at-home kind of kitsuke that wasn't neat at all, but I think I failed at that :P I've had too much practice being very neat!! XP
Here is the result!! (Btw, pls ignore the ugly face! :P)
I tried to do one of those poses in prints and photos :P
I actually kinda like this obi musubi ^^;;;;
Do you like it? :)
I decided to try on my 150cm early Showa era (Showa is a time period in Japan, from 1926 to 1989) kimono just to see if it would fit. I didn't have a juban with matching sleeve lengths, so I just wore an easy collar. For the obi, I didn't have any obi that matched it well, but I did have one hanhaba obi that seemed to achieve the look I was going for. (I wanted to try and accomplish the "Showa" look like in vintage photos and prints)
The musubi is a variation of something I found in a kitsuke book a while ago and had been dying to try because it really looked like some of the Showa era pictures I've seen. Also, to accomplish the look, I tried to have a messy at-home kind of kitsuke that wasn't neat at all, but I think I failed at that :P I've had too much practice being very neat!! XP
Here is the result!! (Btw, pls ignore the ugly face! :P)
I tried to do one of those poses in prints and photos :P
I actually kinda like this obi musubi ^^;;;;
Do you like it? :)
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Coordination Comments: Potential Ensemble for Sakura Furisode?
On the IG forums, I was advised to choose more colourful accessories for the furisode I dressed Mich in a couple of weeks ago. I found some hot pink accessories, and decided to put them together to see how they went, and this is the result!
What do you think? Colourful enough? Bright enough? Too much pink? Comments and suggestions welcome!! ^_^
P/S: I really need to find that white han-eri I was talking about.. I can't believe I lost it!! Or did I give it away..? o_O
What do you think? Colourful enough? Bright enough? Too much pink? Comments and suggestions welcome!! ^_^
P/S: I really need to find that white han-eri I was talking about.. I can't believe I lost it!! Or did I give it away..? o_O
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Outfit Snap: Lenten Kimono Ensemble
Over Lent, I'd put together a kimono outfit that was somewhat meaningful to the season. I finally got to wore it a little late on Holy Saturday.
It's coordinated according to colours:
Green - spring, the season Lent is in
Purple - the colour of Lent. In church, the priests wear purple vestments, and what little decorations there are are usually of this colour.
Pink - on the fourth Sunday of Lent, the colour is pink. I'm not sure why o_O
Just so happens that I had an obi that fit this criteria perfectly!!!! The kimono is a very pale green iromuji that I bought ages ago, and was all excited about because I thought it was white. Well, I suppose the colour is so light it may as well be white, but it isn't the cream colour I wanted. The obi and obijime were a part of a set I bought a few months ago. I chose a pink kasane eri and obiage to pick out the colours of the roses. I also thought it would be more youthful as compared to wearing the ensemble with no kasane eri and a white/sage green obiage.
Pictures!
What do you think of the coordination? Do you like it? :)
It's coordinated according to colours:
Green - spring, the season Lent is in
Purple - the colour of Lent. In church, the priests wear purple vestments, and what little decorations there are are usually of this colour.
Pink - on the fourth Sunday of Lent, the colour is pink. I'm not sure why o_O
Just so happens that I had an obi that fit this criteria perfectly!!!! The kimono is a very pale green iromuji that I bought ages ago, and was all excited about because I thought it was white. Well, I suppose the colour is so light it may as well be white, but it isn't the cream colour I wanted. The obi and obijime were a part of a set I bought a few months ago. I chose a pink kasane eri and obiage to pick out the colours of the roses. I also thought it would be more youthful as compared to wearing the ensemble with no kasane eri and a white/sage green obiage.
Pictures!
What do you think of the coordination? Do you like it? :)
Friday, 17 April 2009
Outfit Snap: Patrick's Birthday and Furisode Dress-Up Pics
So yesterday was Patrick's birthday. He turned 18. Congrats, Patteh!! He went out with a bunch of friends, but I was feeling really ill, so I stayed home. Oh well. At least we sort of celebrated the day before! I took him out shopping and we bought LOADS of clothes for him!
I asked him how he felt, and he said "no different". :D We're of the same wavelength, alright!
He went back to Concord today. His luck with trains seems to be improving - no delays or sudden changes this time! :D
Anyway, two Thursdays ago, Mel's sister Michelle was over at our flat after Borough Market. For ages, she's been wanting to dress up in kimono, and I keep promising to do it, but we never have time. Since we had loads of time that day, I decided to dress her up in furisode so that she'd have a good experience wearing kimono and would feel pretty! I had two spring furisode for her to choose from, and let her decide which one she wanted. Having good taste, she chose the nicer (and more expensive) one XP
Here are pictures!!!
Doesn't she look so cute??? :D We didn't know who was more excited about this, her or me :P
The furisode is very pale pink with grey clouds and stylized sakura (cherry blossoms), cranes (the purple birds) and phoenixes (the orange birds) as its motifs. This furisode was relatively cheap for being so pretty, unique, modern AND in perfect condition! In fact, considering that it's just about the perfect size for me, it's really really cheap!
This obi is one of my more expensive ones, and is brand new from Yahoo Japan Auctions. Doesn't it match the furisode perfectly??? The colours and the patterns, not to mention that shiny gold sheen on it!! *hearts* You know, everyone who sees that obi falls in love with it. Mel and Mich most certainly did! :D
I decided to tie it in a fukura-suzume, which means plump sparrow, and I thought it was cute: the furisode had a pattern of birds and flowers, while the obi had a pattern of flowers and was tied in a bird style! However, I also think that a tateya musubi (diagonal arrow style of tying) would look very nice with this :)
I was really proud of my obi-tying skills, because this was only my second time tying a fukura-suzume onto someone else, and I did it completely from memory! YAY! And, uh, it isn't quite as lop-sided as it looks in the photos :P
For the accessories, I used a hot pink kasane-eri (that pink stripe you see at the collar. It's to give the impression of multiple layers) to highlight the bright pink bits. I hadn't coordinated a proper obiage and obijime for this furisode and obi set, so we had to make-do with what I had. It doesn't look too bad, but I've already bought a cheap but very pretty formal obijime for this. It's bright pink, like the kasane-eri, to highlight both the kasane-eri and the pink parts of the furisode. I haven't decided what obiage to match this with, but I'm still tossing bits of fabric about to see what looks good before I buy something :)
The juban is a little off, because I don't have a juban with sleeves that fit this. Still, I think it looks okay... Right? Anyway, if I ever do get a juban with sleeves to fit this furisode, I think I'll have to get something in a colour that matches! Pale pink is the most common colour and really would match, but something like hot pink or pale gray would be nice too :) Or maybe I can make fake juban sleeves? :P
I didn't use a han-eri, but I've decided that when I put together the full complete set, I'll sew my white han-eri with gold sakura decorations onto the juban! White han-eri looks nice with this ensemble, and I believe the gold decorations will suit it perfectly :)
What do you think? Do you like it? I can't wait to wear it myself!!! :D
I asked him how he felt, and he said "no different". :D We're of the same wavelength, alright!
He went back to Concord today. His luck with trains seems to be improving - no delays or sudden changes this time! :D
Anyway, two Thursdays ago, Mel's sister Michelle was over at our flat after Borough Market. For ages, she's been wanting to dress up in kimono, and I keep promising to do it, but we never have time. Since we had loads of time that day, I decided to dress her up in furisode so that she'd have a good experience wearing kimono and would feel pretty! I had two spring furisode for her to choose from, and let her decide which one she wanted. Having good taste, she chose the nicer (and more expensive) one XP
Here are pictures!!!
Doesn't she look so cute??? :D We didn't know who was more excited about this, her or me :P
The furisode is very pale pink with grey clouds and stylized sakura (cherry blossoms), cranes (the purple birds) and phoenixes (the orange birds) as its motifs. This furisode was relatively cheap for being so pretty, unique, modern AND in perfect condition! In fact, considering that it's just about the perfect size for me, it's really really cheap!
This obi is one of my more expensive ones, and is brand new from Yahoo Japan Auctions. Doesn't it match the furisode perfectly??? The colours and the patterns, not to mention that shiny gold sheen on it!! *hearts* You know, everyone who sees that obi falls in love with it. Mel and Mich most certainly did! :D
I decided to tie it in a fukura-suzume, which means plump sparrow, and I thought it was cute: the furisode had a pattern of birds and flowers, while the obi had a pattern of flowers and was tied in a bird style! However, I also think that a tateya musubi (diagonal arrow style of tying) would look very nice with this :)
I was really proud of my obi-tying skills, because this was only my second time tying a fukura-suzume onto someone else, and I did it completely from memory! YAY! And, uh, it isn't quite as lop-sided as it looks in the photos :P
For the accessories, I used a hot pink kasane-eri (that pink stripe you see at the collar. It's to give the impression of multiple layers) to highlight the bright pink bits. I hadn't coordinated a proper obiage and obijime for this furisode and obi set, so we had to make-do with what I had. It doesn't look too bad, but I've already bought a cheap but very pretty formal obijime for this. It's bright pink, like the kasane-eri, to highlight both the kasane-eri and the pink parts of the furisode. I haven't decided what obiage to match this with, but I'm still tossing bits of fabric about to see what looks good before I buy something :)
The juban is a little off, because I don't have a juban with sleeves that fit this. Still, I think it looks okay... Right? Anyway, if I ever do get a juban with sleeves to fit this furisode, I think I'll have to get something in a colour that matches! Pale pink is the most common colour and really would match, but something like hot pink or pale gray would be nice too :) Or maybe I can make fake juban sleeves? :P
I didn't use a han-eri, but I've decided that when I put together the full complete set, I'll sew my white han-eri with gold sakura decorations onto the juban! White han-eri looks nice with this ensemble, and I believe the gold decorations will suit it perfectly :)
What do you think? Do you like it? I can't wait to wear it myself!!! :D
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes
If I'm not mistaken this is my 200th post! Hurrah!
Anyway, I was looking through my pictures folder and I came across pictures of cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery which I had meant to share, but forgot to. Here is the best one! Don't they look delicious??? :D
I've been addicted to Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes ever since my sister brought me to an outlet on Portobello Road. They also have an outlet in South Kensington, so once in a while, when Mel visits, she'd bring along some cupcakes. (Mel studies at Imperial College, which is at South Kensington, and lives at Earl's Court, which is a quick walk to the bakery)
My favourite has always been the sinfully sweet red velvet cupcake, which is a chocolate cupcake dyed a lush velvety red and topped with a cream cheese frosting. I've looked for recipes, and the most common ones seem to be "make devil's food cake from mix, stir in one whole bottle of red food colouring, bake" o____O My dad will have kittens if he finds out!
Anyway, in this picture, Mel decided to bring along some other flavours.
Clockwise from left: Coconut something (I forgot), chocolate and red velvet (YUM!).
Ahh, aren't they pretty?? They're almost as cute as they are delicious :D I also introduced these to Hong, who isn't much of a sweets person, and the first time she ate it, she said it was so sweet she couldn't finish it. The next time she saw these, her eyes lit up, and she said that it was funny how addictive these are: she'd been craving them even though they are to sweet for her tastes! XD
Mmmm, I wish I had a red velvet cupcake in hand right now...
Anyway, I was looking through my pictures folder and I came across pictures of cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery which I had meant to share, but forgot to. Here is the best one! Don't they look delicious??? :D
I've been addicted to Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes ever since my sister brought me to an outlet on Portobello Road. They also have an outlet in South Kensington, so once in a while, when Mel visits, she'd bring along some cupcakes. (Mel studies at Imperial College, which is at South Kensington, and lives at Earl's Court, which is a quick walk to the bakery)
My favourite has always been the sinfully sweet red velvet cupcake, which is a chocolate cupcake dyed a lush velvety red and topped with a cream cheese frosting. I've looked for recipes, and the most common ones seem to be "make devil's food cake from mix, stir in one whole bottle of red food colouring, bake" o____O My dad will have kittens if he finds out!
Anyway, in this picture, Mel decided to bring along some other flavours.
Clockwise from left: Coconut something (I forgot), chocolate and red velvet (YUM!).
Ahh, aren't they pretty?? They're almost as cute as they are delicious :D I also introduced these to Hong, who isn't much of a sweets person, and the first time she ate it, she said it was so sweet she couldn't finish it. The next time she saw these, her eyes lit up, and she said that it was funny how addictive these are: she'd been craving them even though they are to sweet for her tastes! XD
Mmmm, I wish I had a red velvet cupcake in hand right now...
I want this furisode set!
Hey, if anyone wants to give me a gift and had $500USD lying around, this would be perfect! XD
(Click HERE for the page)
I've actually been eyeing this set for months. The patterns and colours really appeal to me, plus it's a really great fit, if a little too long for me! I love that the sleeves are so long (113cm - that touches the floor when I put it on!) because the longer the sleeves, the more elegant it looks.
*sighs sadly* But that is really waaaaay too much to spend. Maybe if it hasn't already been bought by the time I start working..? :P
(Click HERE for the page)
I've actually been eyeing this set for months. The patterns and colours really appeal to me, plus it's a really great fit, if a little too long for me! I love that the sleeves are so long (113cm - that touches the floor when I put it on!) because the longer the sleeves, the more elegant it looks.
*sighs sadly* But that is really waaaaay too much to spend. Maybe if it hasn't already been bought by the time I start working..? :P
Friday, 10 April 2009
Good Friday~
It's Good Friday today! I must remember to be vegetarian today. I must also remind Patrick to be vegetarian and to go to church.
I'd almost forgotten about the no-meat thing. Luckily, I remembered yesterday when we were in Borough Market (again), so I managed to buy loads and loads of vegetables :) I bought an aubergine, yellow and green courgettes, fresh duck eggs, and four types of mushroom (enoki, shimeji, shiitake and Paris brown). Yum, we'll have lots of good stuff to eat! I was considering having roasted vegetables with mushroom rice, but I'm not entirely sure the mushroom rice will work out well, so I may just have roasted vegetables and butter fried mushrooms on plain rice.
Ooooh in Borough Market, we took some photos of this really cute display of cabbages!
Aren't they cute???? :D I dunno why, but it struck me as incredibly adorable, and made me feel nostalgic for old fairy tales! XD
Mel's sister Michelle went with Patteh, his friend and me to Borough Market, and she followed me home after the trip. I dressed her up in a furisode!! I'll post pictures and details later :D
I'd almost forgotten about the no-meat thing. Luckily, I remembered yesterday when we were in Borough Market (again), so I managed to buy loads and loads of vegetables :) I bought an aubergine, yellow and green courgettes, fresh duck eggs, and four types of mushroom (enoki, shimeji, shiitake and Paris brown). Yum, we'll have lots of good stuff to eat! I was considering having roasted vegetables with mushroom rice, but I'm not entirely sure the mushroom rice will work out well, so I may just have roasted vegetables and butter fried mushrooms on plain rice.
Ooooh in Borough Market, we took some photos of this really cute display of cabbages!
Aren't they cute???? :D I dunno why, but it struck me as incredibly adorable, and made me feel nostalgic for old fairy tales! XD
Mel's sister Michelle went with Patteh, his friend and me to Borough Market, and she followed me home after the trip. I dressed her up in a furisode!! I'll post pictures and details later :D
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Presentation
So I had a presentation for my International Human Resource Management class today.
I started the presentation, and thought we were doing quite well, and handed it over to Vian to continue with the second part. I wonder if she was nervous, because she started to talk really really fast. In fact, she spoke so fast that the lecturer stopped her and said she couldn't catch anything she said, so she had to redo her part. I felt a little worried and embarrassed by then.
Carol finished up the presentation, and I was relieved we were able to save it, until the lecturer said that we forgot one main part of the thingy: the institutional context. I think we panicked! Luckily, the lecturer didn't really scold us, but said that she hoped she would see it in the final report. Now we'll have to do just a little more work sigh.
The presentation counts as 10% of the course, so I'm a little worried about our mark. We did include alot of information, which the lecturer said was good, but we didn't do much analysis because of our missing part. It wasn't until later that we realised that most of the missing part was Vian's part, and we all agreed to cut parts of it out because it made the presentation too long! But it's not like we had much info on it anyway... ~_~""
On a lighter note, we're going to Chinatown tomorrow! :D I'll have to leave early cos I've got a lecture at 4pm (my revision lecture for Arts and Antiques) but I'm still looking forward to eating at Misato or something. Yay!
I'm not sure what we should have for dinner tomorrow. I dunno if Patty is getting sick of my cooking or not (so far, since he's arrived, I've cooked Saturday's dinner, Sunday's brunch and dinner, and this morning's breakfast. My cooking is usually quite plain and boring, so it's easy to get sick of. Maybe I should look up new recipes for tomorrow night? Since we're going to Chinatown, maybe I can buy some things there to cook with. Or maybe we can go out to some restaurant, like Royal China or even Il Bordello again.
Any suggestions? :D
I started the presentation, and thought we were doing quite well, and handed it over to Vian to continue with the second part. I wonder if she was nervous, because she started to talk really really fast. In fact, she spoke so fast that the lecturer stopped her and said she couldn't catch anything she said, so she had to redo her part. I felt a little worried and embarrassed by then.
Carol finished up the presentation, and I was relieved we were able to save it, until the lecturer said that we forgot one main part of the thingy: the institutional context. I think we panicked! Luckily, the lecturer didn't really scold us, but said that she hoped she would see it in the final report. Now we'll have to do just a little more work sigh.
The presentation counts as 10% of the course, so I'm a little worried about our mark. We did include alot of information, which the lecturer said was good, but we didn't do much analysis because of our missing part. It wasn't until later that we realised that most of the missing part was Vian's part, and we all agreed to cut parts of it out because it made the presentation too long! But it's not like we had much info on it anyway... ~_~""
On a lighter note, we're going to Chinatown tomorrow! :D I'll have to leave early cos I've got a lecture at 4pm (my revision lecture for Arts and Antiques) but I'm still looking forward to eating at Misato or something. Yay!
I'm not sure what we should have for dinner tomorrow. I dunno if Patty is getting sick of my cooking or not (so far, since he's arrived, I've cooked Saturday's dinner, Sunday's brunch and dinner, and this morning's breakfast. My cooking is usually quite plain and boring, so it's easy to get sick of. Maybe I should look up new recipes for tomorrow night? Since we're going to Chinatown, maybe I can buy some things there to cook with. Or maybe we can go out to some restaurant, like Royal China or even Il Bordello again.
Any suggestions? :D
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Borough Market
Yesterday, Patrick and I went to Borough Market with Mel, Zhen, Eva, and one of Eva's friends Sarah.
Needless to say, we ate alot. First off, we had scallops:
(Picture from my summer 2008 folder, cos we didn't take any pictures yesterday)
I treated everyone to one portion of scallops each. I think Eva fell in loooove :D
Then, we had chorizo sandwiches!
(Picture from my summer 2008 folder, cos we didn't take any pictures yesterday)
I can't really remember what we had after that, but I remember getting our usual Comte cheese and drunk cheese, and mushroom pate. Then we had fresh oysters and smoothies. I also found a new shop that sells really great caramel! I bought a small pot :D After that we got our brownies, and Mel recommended the banana cake, so we got one slice. OMG I love the banana cake!! Between the brownies and the banana cake, I'd take the cake anyday!
After the banana cake was shared and finished, we had bratwurst and chocolate eclairs. We went wandering around for ice cream, but the shop had closed :( Instead we had nice creme caramel! Once that was finished, Patty and I went to buy Floris beer at Utobeer, two more slices of banana cake, and an Italian blue cheese, then we all went home :D
This morning, we put yesterday's groceries to good use: for breakfast, I made fresh, sweet pancakes, and we had them spread with mushroom pate from Borough Market and smoked duck slices. Yum, they were really delicious! I think that for breakfast tomorrow, we'll be having scrambled eggs with that Italian blue cheese on toasted slices of that onion and honey bread we got from the brownie shop.
We eat well here :P
Needless to say, we ate alot. First off, we had scallops:
(Picture from my summer 2008 folder, cos we didn't take any pictures yesterday)
I treated everyone to one portion of scallops each. I think Eva fell in loooove :D
Then, we had chorizo sandwiches!
(Picture from my summer 2008 folder, cos we didn't take any pictures yesterday)
I can't really remember what we had after that, but I remember getting our usual Comte cheese and drunk cheese, and mushroom pate. Then we had fresh oysters and smoothies. I also found a new shop that sells really great caramel! I bought a small pot :D After that we got our brownies, and Mel recommended the banana cake, so we got one slice. OMG I love the banana cake!! Between the brownies and the banana cake, I'd take the cake anyday!
After the banana cake was shared and finished, we had bratwurst and chocolate eclairs. We went wandering around for ice cream, but the shop had closed :( Instead we had nice creme caramel! Once that was finished, Patty and I went to buy Floris beer at Utobeer, two more slices of banana cake, and an Italian blue cheese, then we all went home :D
This morning, we put yesterday's groceries to good use: for breakfast, I made fresh, sweet pancakes, and we had them spread with mushroom pate from Borough Market and smoked duck slices. Yum, they were really delicious! I think that for breakfast tomorrow, we'll be having scrambled eggs with that Italian blue cheese on toasted slices of that onion and honey bread we got from the brownie shop.
We eat well here :P
Thursday, 2 April 2009
DONE!!!!!
Congratulate me. I've just submitted my dissertation!
WOOHOO!!! FREEEEEDOOOOOMMMM!!!! For a couple of days anyway :P I've still got a presentation on Monday!
I'm feeling quite proud of my dissertation. I don't think it's as long as some other people's dissertations, but 52 pages seems enough to me :D Besides, I think quality is better than quantity.
On a side note, I'm appalled at how much it cost me to print and bind the thing (I had to print it in colour). I was going to print it using my own printer, but the colour came out a little funny (I think it's running low on blue) and presentability is quite important, I should think. So yeah, I didn't have time to go to Jessops or Curry's to get ink, print it, bind it, and submit it all before 12pm today, so I printed it at the Uni.
It cost me £26 to print and bind two copies!!! I am so so horrified. I was going to print a black and white copy and bind it for myself, but I think I'll do it later in the afternoon when other people won't need to bind their own dissertations :)
There was a little bit of a drama I had - we were to hand in two copies of the dissertation, and one CD with a copy of the file. I'd sent in everything, but I hadn't realised that the file on the CD needed to be converted into a PDF file!!! Luckily, I have friends who live a stone's throw away from the uni, so one of them helped me convert my dissertation into a PDF file and burn it onto another CD. My course officer was also nice enough to let me switch CDs :D Lucky!!
I went to my last lecture at 3pm, then went home. Mel and I met up, and I cooked dinner. We had roasted duck legs (really nice and crispy skin! And so easy to make, too) with mashed potatoes, butter glazed carrots and green beans, and a spinach, rocket and watercress salad. The salad was nice and peppery and went really well with the duck!
For dessert, I still had a bit of the white chocolate cake leftover, so we had that with halved strawberries drizzled with melted dark chocolate. Yummm, it was sinful, but delicious!
Mel and I ended up chatting till 4am :P I woke up at 10am because I had a coursework meeting at 12pm. Patty arrived in London at about 4.30pm, so I went to pick him up.
He was feeling really tired and wasn't really up to going out for dinner, so I walked to Il Bordello's and had them pack up a dinner. We had our usual starter of cornetto di salmone: pureed avocado with prawns and lemon juice wrapped in smoked salmon. For our main course, Patty had spaghetti alla vongole, while I had the linguini sea scallop. I really really enjoyed mine, especially with its brandy and cream sauce. The scallops weren't the freshest, but were still really good and were cooked to perfection. Yum! As always, we shared a tiramisu for dessert.
I am so freaking full now it isn't even funny. :P I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while!!
Lol, and to think that we're going to Borough Market tomorrow :P Given how much I've been eating these past two days, and all the goodies that are sure to come, I'm going to put on so much weight a panda would feel skinny. Someone stop me from eating!!
WOOHOO!!! FREEEEEDOOOOOMMMM!!!! For a couple of days anyway :P I've still got a presentation on Monday!
I'm feeling quite proud of my dissertation. I don't think it's as long as some other people's dissertations, but 52 pages seems enough to me :D Besides, I think quality is better than quantity.
On a side note, I'm appalled at how much it cost me to print and bind the thing (I had to print it in colour). I was going to print it using my own printer, but the colour came out a little funny (I think it's running low on blue) and presentability is quite important, I should think. So yeah, I didn't have time to go to Jessops or Curry's to get ink, print it, bind it, and submit it all before 12pm today, so I printed it at the Uni.
It cost me £26 to print and bind two copies!!! I am so so horrified. I was going to print a black and white copy and bind it for myself, but I think I'll do it later in the afternoon when other people won't need to bind their own dissertations :)
There was a little bit of a drama I had - we were to hand in two copies of the dissertation, and one CD with a copy of the file. I'd sent in everything, but I hadn't realised that the file on the CD needed to be converted into a PDF file!!! Luckily, I have friends who live a stone's throw away from the uni, so one of them helped me convert my dissertation into a PDF file and burn it onto another CD. My course officer was also nice enough to let me switch CDs :D Lucky!!
I went to my last lecture at 3pm, then went home. Mel and I met up, and I cooked dinner. We had roasted duck legs (really nice and crispy skin! And so easy to make, too) with mashed potatoes, butter glazed carrots and green beans, and a spinach, rocket and watercress salad. The salad was nice and peppery and went really well with the duck!
For dessert, I still had a bit of the white chocolate cake leftover, so we had that with halved strawberries drizzled with melted dark chocolate. Yummm, it was sinful, but delicious!
Mel and I ended up chatting till 4am :P I woke up at 10am because I had a coursework meeting at 12pm. Patty arrived in London at about 4.30pm, so I went to pick him up.
He was feeling really tired and wasn't really up to going out for dinner, so I walked to Il Bordello's and had them pack up a dinner. We had our usual starter of cornetto di salmone: pureed avocado with prawns and lemon juice wrapped in smoked salmon. For our main course, Patty had spaghetti alla vongole, while I had the linguini sea scallop. I really really enjoyed mine, especially with its brandy and cream sauce. The scallops weren't the freshest, but were still really good and were cooked to perfection. Yum! As always, we shared a tiramisu for dessert.
I am so freaking full now it isn't even funny. :P I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while!!
Lol, and to think that we're going to Borough Market tomorrow :P Given how much I've been eating these past two days, and all the goodies that are sure to come, I'm going to put on so much weight a panda would feel skinny. Someone stop me from eating!!
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Closet Feature: My Summer Obiage and Obijime Collection
A few days ago, I was arranging my obiage and obijime collection, and decided to take a picture of my summer collection.
Tadaa!!
Here you see my summer obiage and obijime collection in its entirety :P There are 9 obiage and 8 obijime in that box. I only need to get a purple one now! But actually, it isn't really important if an obiage is ro (a type of weave that makes the cloth semi-transparent, and airy, and ideal for the summer), so I don't think I'll hunt for any :)
I'm certainly happy with my summer collection! When I have the time, I ought to do the same for the rest of my obiage collection, too, hehehe...
Tadaa!!
Here you see my summer obiage and obijime collection in its entirety :P There are 9 obiage and 8 obijime in that box. I only need to get a purple one now! But actually, it isn't really important if an obiage is ro (a type of weave that makes the cloth semi-transparent, and airy, and ideal for the summer), so I don't think I'll hunt for any :)
I'm certainly happy with my summer collection! When I have the time, I ought to do the same for the rest of my obiage collection, too, hehehe...
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