retrospect: month of september

we had moved into a new apartment for several weeks. i stayed home and mostly busied myself with decorating the place. 

on the ferry from ikea to wall street.

my vanity desk, a small indulgence---no more leaning awkwardly over the sink while i put on makeup! it is a 1940s piece off craigslist and came with a light gray metal stool that had a stained velvet-covered seat cushion. i painted the table in "popcorn" and the stool in black. the cushion was then reupholstered in black linen.

the roses poster is by debbie carlos.

we had a housewarming party right before i left for my long trip to asia. as usual, i forgot to take pictures during the actual event, but here's what we had: zucchini keftedes, feta & spinach spanakopitas, homemade pita with tapenade and tzatziki, and a fig & apple tart.

week of july 1

this week's mix: black sesame, blueberries, banana, ground flaxseeds, soy milk, raw honey. i have a weak spot for smoothies because they taste like ice cream (albeit melted) and don't involve utensils.

currently watching "big." what is an exam study bonanza without some quality korean drama to further mess up your sleeping schedule? gong yoo. so dreamy. whoever proposed putting hot-off-the-press korean dramas on hulu deserves a promotion.

brief half-day stop in toronto on canada day. i could not bring myself to order this "canada donut" instead of my usual favorite---maple syrup dipped donut. 

bar exam study to really pick up steam starting this week. really not looking forward to july.

week of june 16

bye bye, old place. where i started and finished three years of law school. the longer it has been, the more i miss being in this space.

trader joe's lemon-pepper papperdelle makes the best summer pasta.

more summer pasta.

a bag waiting for repairs (the grommets on one end of the shoulder strap came off somewhere between dimsum in chinatown and window-shopping in soho). the replacements are on their way.

a day-long week downtown. first stop: catching "5 broken cameras" at the film forum. left feeling incredibly enraged, but i am glad that we had a chance to witness this all. 

during afternoon-tea at caffé dante, c asked me if i liked the documentary. i asked him if one could actually "like" a documentary, especially when it covers a tragic topic like this.

spotted at bedford x morton. instant love. 

(scroll back up to the other bag, and you will see a pattern.)

at the high line, with (yet another) new summer love. i wonder what life it had led before coming to me.

favorite links this week

valentino's resort 2013 collection. if i ever get married, it would be in a valentino. i don't need a white dress, i just need a dreamy one. no. 44 is quite lovely, but  no. 45 is even better.

awkward black girl is back with its second season!

a favourite moment #1

c cleaning chuckle's cage, with chuckles watching.

on film: london from yesteryear

some forgotten moments.

也忘了。

camera: smena 8m

film: boots, iso 100

spring vanity

my palette is quite constant throughout the seasons: beige and dark brown for eyes, and some variations of red for cheeks and lips. for the fall and winter, the red of choice is rose. for this spring and summer, coral it is.

for lips: 

smith's rosebud salve

j.r. watkins natural aloe lip balm, spf 23 (discontinued)

when i am not using any other lip colour, i would go with the tinted one.

lancome rouge in love, in miss coquelicot

a new addition this year. it is a bold shade (looked insane from the tube) but unexpectedly lifting for my complexion. a few touches are enough to produce a flush of colour, reminiscent of the reddish hue that our lips turn when we eat a popsicle on hot summer day. i like to put a few extra dabs on the center of my lips.

for eyes:

bobbi brown eyeshadow, in espresso

smashbox photo op eye shadow trio, in shutterspeed

for a long time, i liked to draw a thick line with bobbi brown's eyeliner gel (i have monolids). but now i prefer a softer look from blending their eyeshadow, which is still a deep black-brown but nowhere as severe (eyeliner gel also feels mucky when the weather is hot and humid). finish with a a soft swipe of pink on cheeks.

riverside park

last-last sunday, on the brink of spring.

went through a very stressful couple of days---reaching out to people, negotiating with the establishment, and trying to keep something alive. but i am not going to give it up without a fight. 

sunday meal with c

one of the great joys of eating at home: having whatever you want. 

steamed eggplants with garlic, green onions, soy sauce. 

zucchini phyllo pie and grape leaves (both from anthi). 

胡亂的一餐。

在家吃飯真好。

cannoli, fig yoghurt

saturday: little italy.

星期六：義大利的。

sunday: anthi's greek food. 

星期天：希臘的。

mid-week lunch

spinach namul, kimchi pajun

菠菜，泡菜煎餅

an interesting take on time management (seen via a cup of jo): 

scroll down to the last paragraph.

on a thursday, the chance to make and have lunch from home is a rare luxury.

faking it

very charmed by the unexpected touch of gold.

令人驚喜的標籤設計。

for those of us who like the look but can't deal with the stuffiness:

silk collar from nauticoco.

(by the way, how do some people manage to look so effortless when they layer blazers upon sweaters upon shirts? the hems and sleeves always ride up on me, and i spend the day tugging and pulling. please tell!) 

從小就受不了穿太多層衣服在身上那種彆扭感覺。

critters

greek yoghurt, granola, honey

也忘了是什麼時候學會蜜糖與希臘乳酪這古老的組合。

pink suede maryjanes with a muted dark green trim, vintage brooch: accents for a grey bridal shower outfit (the first time i've been invited to one!).

剪了短髮後，久違的顏色。