Saturday, April 25, 2009

excuse the absence



i can't believe it's THE END OF APRIL already! remember when you were a kid and the summer holiday seemed to stretch into the future forever? and then when school started it felt like the winter days and waking up in darkness would never end... somehow these last few months (and years, even) feel as if they've flown by and i've missed making the most of a lot of my days.

i'm told this is all part of getting old(er). i'm starting to say things i remember hearing my parents say: "kids grow up so fast" and "where has the year gone??" and as i age (and a birthday has gone by since i last posted) i find i'm becoming more and more like my mother. how and when did that start happening?

a mutual friend of mine and happy-d's once told us you should always hang out with people who are 10 years younger and 10 years older. the great thing about hanging out with younger people is they always think you're considerably younger than you are – i've been told i look 24 or 25 at the MOST (ha!). that made me feel good. it makes me feel i haven't quite reached the age where i'm completely uncool yet.

the great thing about hanging out with older people is... well, they make you glad to be younger! and, i guess, often they have some wisdom and life experience to impart. they remind you not to sweat the small stuff, and even when you think you're in the worst crisis of your life, the fact is, you will get through it.

so, as i've passed another birthday and now must well and truly put my 20's behind me, i shall mourn the loss of my sterling short-term memory (gone are the days when i could go to the grocery store without a list), my huge appetite (i just can't manage to eat as much as i used to, so now it's more about quality rather than quantity), and my ability to stay awake late enough to watch the weather report on the 10 o'clock evening news. the thing that worries me most about getting older, though, is the thought that maybe i will be less brave (or, perhaps, less impulsive!) about taking risks -- perhaps because as you get older, there's more at stake, and more to lose. but i suppose, the greater the risk, the greater the potential reward. i guess time will tell...

photo: hurray! they've extended the already excellent recycling collection in my borough. in addition to recycling cans, glass, batteries (even car batteries!), engine oil, shoes and textiles, card and paper, and aerosol cans, they now also collect cartons (ie. tetrapaks), plastics, garden waste, food waste for composting, and even mobile phones and printer cartridges!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

soundtrack for a spring day



i hope this website doesn't end up like the old muxtape! it has a great catalogue of non-western and indie music.

Monday, April 20, 2009

white chocolate

lazy oaf!

mango buttercream cupcakes!


this weekend myae and i celebrated our april birthdays. we chose a weekend date that was in between our aries and taurus birthdays. it was a lot of fun and filled with a lot of food.

photos: shots of some of the more photogenic prezzies i received. cupcakes were courtesy of marzipan cake design (pssst, i did her website!). the mango buttercream icing was amazingly divine.

ideally, i would now start a strict diet and daily exercise regimen. ha!!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

drum roll.....

myae makeup

we've launched myae's portfolio site: myaemakeup.com

if anyone needs make up services, a very talented artist is willing and able!!

==
the cbc needs our help! the awesomest canadian institution is also feeling the pinch of the recession and is requesting a loan (not a bailout!) from the government. learn how you can help here.

Monday, April 13, 2009

kitchen - part II - sneak peek

no more yucky drawers

not for the vertically challenged

andre's handywork

a quick kitchen update!! andre has been working tirelessly and getting sick because of this house project, but our kitchen is almost done! this is how it used to look like.

we installed our ikea cabinets and the counter people came and installed quartz countertops - which means we have a working kitchen! i can't help but daydream that i'm giada or anna with my own tv show when i'm preparing even the quickest of meals in this new kitchen.

the trim went up this weekend and now we just have to install the last remaining cabinet doors, cover up the nail holes in the trim and we are almost there.

what's remaining:
• finding a pendant lamp for above the sink
• buying the backsplash tiles and putting them up

Monday, April 6, 2009



for all my fellow canadian/american asians who have been told they look exactly like, michelle kwan, lucy liu and even connie chung.

thanks marissa.