bitter almonds

happy happy thoughts

2012-01-25T19:05:00.000-08:00

'storm' wall decal

2011-04-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

i just love my bedroom even more with this "storm" wall decal from Blik.

birthday present for myself

2011-03-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

wine labels

2011-03-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

happy spring weekend

2011-03-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Products I designed for True Fabrications

2011-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the products I designed for true fabrications. Mostly I designed graphics on wine bags. But I also designed some glass cheese board and napkins.

and i quote

2011-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

my etsy shop

2011-01-01T19:08:00.000-08:00

My 12 month calendar 2011 is now for sale on Etsy website. visit my shop and take a look!

Dok Un Chan

2011-01-01T00:50:00.000-08:00

Or Butterfly Pea Flower

new wallpaper

2011-01-01T00:18:00.001-08:00

my first gingerbread house

2010-12-26T01:51:00.000-08:00

and i quote

2010-12-16T22:25:00.001-08:00

left over red wine & perfectly ripe pears make a perfect dessert

2010-12-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

new camera

2010-12-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

loving my new Canon G12 :)

and i quote

2010-12-11T15:24:00.001-08:00

poached pears in red wine

2010-12-11T15:19:00.001-08:00

recipe here. i decided to go with whole pears for a change this time. i also used bosc pears because of its beautiful shape!

valentine's day photo card design

2010-12-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

new designs

2010-11-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

IF : Spooky Whimsy

2010-10-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Illustration Friday word of this week is "spooky." This is my version of spooky... spooky whimsy :)

chalkboard art

2010-10-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

what i do when i'm bored

2010-10-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

what i do when i'm bored

2010-10-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

watermelon, arugula, feta cheese salad

2010-09-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

here's the link to the recipe.

corners of my home...

2010-09-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

few things i'm in love with right now

2010-09-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

:: Trophy Cupcakes ::
:: Nutella Crepe from Ballard Farmer's Market ::
:: Kale ::
:: Jonboy ginger caramels ::
:: Brix and Theo Chocolates ::

homemade croutons

2010-09-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

homemade croutons from leftover rosemary bread.

blackberry picking and blackberry cobbler

2010-09-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

and i quote

2010-09-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

lovely pears

2010-08-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

float the Snoqualmie River

2010-08-24T21:40:00.001-07:00

lovely brownies

2010-07-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

i made the brownies from this recipe.

today...

2010-07-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

lovely little card...

2010-07-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

pumpkin scones

2010-07-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Icing
(i made half of this recipe... which made 8 scones)

4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 cup cold butter, cut in small pieces
1 cup pureed pumpkin
6 tbsp milk
2 eggs
milk for brushing tops
sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. Cut in butter using 2 knives or your fingers, until it resembles small peas.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, and milk. Fold together with the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Pat dough into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Slice in half. Slice each half into 3 squares. Slice each square into a triangle.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with a little milk, and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 14-16 minutes. Your house will smell heavenly! When cool, drizzle with spiced icing.

Spiced Icing

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch cloves
2 tbsp milk

Mix powdered sugar and spices. Add milk and stir until smooth. Using the tines of a fork, drizzle over cooled scones.

falling for you...

2010-07-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

i can feel it
i feel like i'm ... falling for you

just wish i had a crystal ball
to show me, if it's worth it all

ginger dipping sauce

2010-06-24T22:56:00.001-07:00

Grilled Pork with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Marinade:
3 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs chopped garlic
2 Tbs chopped jalapeno
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs lime juice
1 1/4 lbs pork tenderloin

Marinade the pork (cut into cubes) for 4 hours.

Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 Cup chopped red onion
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 Cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp pepper flakes

:: Heat small saucepan over medium heat, add oil and onion.
:: Cook 4 minutes then add ginger and garlic.
:: Add undrained tomatoes, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and red pepper flakes to pan.
:: Bring sauce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
:: Pour sauce into blender, puree until smooth. Keep warm.

appetizers...

2010-06-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

prosciutto wrapped salad

baked jalapeno with cream cheese wrapped with bacon... delicious!

just a little something to say ...

2010-06-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

Olympic Sculpture Park

2010-06-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

brown butter chocolate chip cookies

2010-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

“Take-Jacques-Torres-Out-Back” Chocolate Chip Cookie
Cook’s Illustrated 2009 Cookbook (May and June 2009 issue)

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cps unbleached ap flour (8 1/4 ounces or 250 grams)
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 14 tbsps unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks or 200 grams)
* 1/2 cup white sugar (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams)
* 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces or 150 grams)
* 1 tsp table salt
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1 1/4 cps good quality chocolate chips
* 3/4 cp chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle and pre-heat oven to 375F degrees (191C)

2. Whisk flour and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside

3. Heat 10 tbsps (140 grams) butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling constantly until butter is dark brown and has nutty aroma.

4. Remove butter from heat and place in a heat proof bowl.

5. Add remaining butter (60 grams or 4 tbsps).

6. Once butter has melted completely, add sugars, sat and vanilla to bowl.

7. Stir everything together. You’ll notice it’s rather grainy and the butter wants little to do with its new friends.

8. That’s okay, now add the egg and egg yolk. It will help them all get along. Stir together to ensure there aren’t any sugar lumps.

9. Allow mixture to sit for 3 minutes. Come back, stir again. Starting to get along now, right?

10. Allow to sit again for another 3 minutes. Come back, stir again. You should now have a lovely, relatively smooth mixture.

11. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture.

12. Add chocolate chips.

13. Bake for 10 minutes.

doodles

2010-06-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

currently listening to...

2010-05-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

imogen heap
love her voice, love her music

wonderlust 2010

2010-04-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

i made my own steampunk costume from silk remnants, lace ribbons, and netting fabric.

i am...

2010-03-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

poster

2010-01-27T23:37:00.001-08:00

i volunteered to design the banners and poster for this fundraising event for haiti.

new patterns

2010-01-27T23:34:00.001-08:00

another baked cheesecake

2009-12-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

chocolate gelato

2009-12-20T00:46:00.001-08:00

this is a very simple recipe that doesn't require egg yolks which i like!

chocolate gelato

1 3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chopped)

:: stir 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch
:: whisk together sugar, cocoa, and 1 1/2 cup milk
:: bring to a boil over moderate heat
:: stir cornstarch mixture again then whisk into cocoa mixture
:: return to a boil over moderate heat
:: keep whisking then remove from heat, add vanilla and a pinch of salt
:: stir in chopped chocolate (or you can keep half and put them in while making the ice cream in the ice cream maker)
:: chilled for couple of hours before putting in the ice cream maker.

january month

2009-12-17T06:02:00.000-08:00

baked cheesecake

2009-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

halloween 2007

2009-10-31T08:33:00.001-07:00

bits & pieces

2009-10-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

little bits of the unfinished renovated house.

lunch...

2009-10-24T07:26:00.001-07:00

phad thai, using vermicelli noodle instead of the rice noodle.

"little home" cakes are so good... i love them.

roasted bell peppers sandwich

2009-10-24T06:13:00.000-07:00

i think the best way to cook bell peppers is to roast them... yummmm...

at a coffee shop

2009-10-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

the unfinished renovated house

2009-10-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

'cha om' vegetable

2009-10-07T23:08:00.000-07:00

cha om vegetable with egg batter then fried. an accompaniment with nam prik or chile dip.

miang kum appetizer

2009-10-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

the heart-shaped leaves are called bai chaplu in thai.

if u like sugar... this one's for you

2009-10-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

roti saimai is a thai style cotton candy. it's threads of sugar, rolled up in very thin flour pancake. the color green is from pandan leaf... very aromatic. i love them :)

something green : something icy : something very healthy

2009-09-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

i had a lot of avocados last week that i just couldn't eat it fresh anymore :P i've made guacamole, put them in salads, in fresh spring rolls, had it plain, ... avocado ice cream sound's pretty good to me :) personally i don't like ice cream made with milk or cream, so this recipe is perfect. i found the recipe through tastespotting website. the ice cream doesn't come out as creamy as the typical ice cream, i guess it's because of the soymilk, but i don't mind. it's healthy :) just don't tell people (who's about to taste it) that it has tofu in it! they will make a funny face :P
i still have one avocado left, i might make a vegan chocolate avocado cake next time.

greeting cards design (set 2)

2009-09-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

the second set of greeting cards. birdies :)

greeting cards design (set 1)

2009-09-06T03:05:00.000-07:00

these are the first set of greeting cards i designed for Emery-Burton. These cards will be printed out soon.

a show

2009-08-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

another flyer i designed for a friend, laurianne. as always, i have two versions :P

i fall...

2009-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

i'm in love with this version of 'i fall in love too easily' by chet baker.

makeover project

2009-08-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

a $3 piece from goodwill turned to something nice with a little bit of paint and a little bit of beautiful fabric!

a handmade birthday card

2009-08-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

another batch of frozen yogurt

2009-07-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

chocolate frozen yogurt

in love with frozen yogurt

2009-07-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

coffee frozen yogurt :)

greens

2009-07-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

i love vegetables. the tea flavor soba noodles really taste like tea! it was really good. the label behind the package is pretty funny too :) i think according to my hobby, i might have done a pretty delicious noodle soup!

a new found, a new resolution

2009-07-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

i came across this site the other day. there are definitely things i can relate, things i agree, and things i disagree, but most of the time agree but finding it so hard to do. check out holga (art) blog too!

listening over and over and over

2009-07-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

you melt my heart to stone adele

watercolor background

2009-07-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

finished the watercolor background paintings for a client. these are the three that they've chosen. the project is a brand guidelines book for Microsoft Studios. as part of the project, there's a toolkit that users can download backgrounds, picture frames, sketches, etc.
it was kind of fun working on this project. normally, i don't do a lot of watercolor paintings. it gave me an inspiration and i will probably incorporate more of these in my future artwork.

If you forget me by pablo neruda

2009-07-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

Pablo Neruda

old/new shorts

2009-06-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

an out of date piece turned into something new. i love my new shorts now :) high-waisted too!

condo for sale: downtown bellevue

2009-06-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

i designed the flyer myself! i still can't believe my place is for sale now. i LOVE my condo. it's everything that is me... my personality. however, i know i'll be happier in thailand being closer to my family. i'm shipping almost everything home too btw. i've let myself get too attached to them already. the sad part is being so far away from my best friends :(

yellow projects

2009-06-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

i've turned vegetarian

2009-06-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

several dishes i've done in the past weeks...

favorite corners

2009-05-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

it's all in the packaging...

2009-05-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

i bought bags of dried bael fruits in thailand and they came in clear plastic bags tightened with elastic bands. not very pretty-looking as i'm giving these as gifts to my friends in seattle. so i gave these dried bael fruit new packaging using patterned papers and ribbons. just ignore the fact that it's a zip-lock bag :P it's practical and functional, as these dried fruits are best kept in zip-lock bags :)

bunny

2009-04-13T22:50:00.000-07:00

i was at my little cousin's house the other day and she had this really cute bunny stuffed-doll attached to her flash drive. i made a quick sketch and turned into this little artwork. i need to make more sketches...

more chairs...

2009-04-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

i can never really decide between the white or the dark background... ummm..... i like both :)

sorrel soup

2009-02-25T00:33:00.000-08:00

the other day i bought these sorrel but i had no idea what to do with it. they looked so fresh that i had to have them... (a small bunch for only 8 baht!) anyway, i found a recipe through tastespotting website. the link to the recipe is here. the soup i made has celery, porcini mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, sorrels, vegetable stock and cream. i added dill just because i love them :) i found out later that you can also substitute sorrel with spinach. this soup is simple and delicious!

light on food

2009-02-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

:: blanched green peas with japanese sesame dressing topped with dill ::
:: beets and carrots salad ::
:: a fig for an afternoon snack ::

new patterns

2009-02-24T05:42:00.001-08:00

i just recently joined Spoonflower. Spoonflower is a place where you can upload your own design patterns and order them. it is a great way of expressing yourself and sharing unique ideas, while still being able to carry it with you. check out my profile here.

thailand

2009-02-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

ayutthaya, ruins of the old city

amphawa floating market

let's sea, hua hin www.letussea.com

river shrimp, ayutthaya

vacation turned stay

2009-02-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

december, january, february -- vacation back home in bangkok, thailand

it's the end of february and i'm still in thailand. i really didn't plan to stay here this long but so many things have happened along the way and after a very hard decision, i've decided that i'm going to move back to thailand. definitely a big change... but a good change :) i knew i would come back and live here eventually but never thought it would be this soon. it has made me realize that you can't plan anything too far ahead because things change...unexpected things happen and there may come a time when you have to decide what's best for you and the ones you love.

holiday cards

2008-12-13T02:19:00.000-08:00

this year i decided to make my own holiday cards to send out to all my friends and families. i had in mind to do gocco print of my own design, which would be my first time trying it out. unfortunately, it didn't come out the way i envisioned it :P the light blue is too light and you can't read the text. also, i can't seem to get a smooth color print. i can't figure out what i did wrong yet, but maybe i put too much ink on the screen? another big problem is i can't get a clean image. there are tiny dots around the image.... can't figure out why either. anybody knows?

so i went with my second plan, which is the same design but printed out from my own ink-jet printer. even though it's not a gocco print, i still like how it came out a lot. it still has the same block-print feel.

IF: similar

2008-12-06T22:51:00.000-08:00

another submission for illustration friday. new work for holiday cards this year :)

gift for ashley

2008-12-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

personalized notecard set done with gocco print. i also made hand-lined envelopes.

can't get enough Jamie stuff...

2008-12-01T00:13:00.001-08:00

beautiful cookbook... i want one of my own :D

doll & salsa

2008-12-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

handmade doll from scrap fabrics...

pomegranate salsa...

homemade chocolate almond biscotti

2008-11-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

i love biscotti. it was really easy to make too!

favorite juicing recipe

2008-10-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

this is my favorite juicing recipe at the moment. i love the color from the beets :)

IF: late

2008-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

i always wake up late lately...

and appropriately called "late" as i submitted pretty late this week... but better late than never :)

sweet & light little soufflé

2008-10-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

i used low-fat greek yogurt to make these sweet little soufflé so they're really light and fluffy.

sweet...

2008-10-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

thrift finds...

2008-10-14T16:40:00.001-07:00

got couple of things from thrift store the other day. i've always wanted to make this similar wine cork bulletin board but haven't saved enough corks to make one this big :) i repainted and distressed the square mirror frame and put a chair motif on it with wood block print i made.

rollerskating...

2008-10-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

IF: sugary

2008-10-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

this week's topic is "sugary." i love cupcakes :) the frosting and decorations are always so sugary.

sunny sunny monday in kirkland...

2008-09-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

it was such a beautiful day today. i happened to be in kirkland in the afternoon. it was so beautiful by the waterfront. i hope the parents don't mind that i took pictures of their kids :P but they're so cute playing with the ducks!