bon appétit!

I finally found some time to be with Julia and Julie last night. And it was delight to watch two women’s lives transformed by their same love for cooking.

Of course, the delicious-looking fanciful meals that they dished out in the movie made me happy too - loved the eye candy! I don’t know anyone who cooks like that at home on a regular basis, else I’d be glad to be that budding chef’s neighbour!

Julia Child had a “career switch” in her 30s when she took up cooking lessons. The fact that she went on to influence America’s cooking is stunning.

Equally amazing is how Julie Powell picked up a new hobby of cooking and blogging in her 30s, and is now living her dream of being a writer.

How does it feel to embark on a brand new journey, and jump into an unfamiliar venture? What is it that you love, but have not found the courage or time to just do it?

I have some adventures in mind, and shall take the baby steps to kick-start them. As for this November, I shall get down to hunting for a recipe and try making my fave dessert – the lovable panna cotta.

Meanwhile, stay inspired by the two gutsy ladies, and start your own quests!


p/s: If you have yummy panna cotta recipes, please do let me know! Merci beaucoup ^_^

kate

j’adore

tower

Couldn’t resist picking up this Eiffel Tower keychain when I was browsing in Accessorize yesterday. It’ll sit on my new desk for sure.

There’s just something about Parisian etceteras that fascinates me ... perhaps it’s that certain je ne sais quoi about it.

For a touch of French today, check out some phrases. Au revoir!

kate

pumpkin face

cupcake


This cute cupcake certainly made us squeal in delight!

My charming Miss Audrey Hepburn wanted to celebrate Halloween with these cupcakes, and blessed us with a sweet treat at Joe and Dough.

Nothing beats meeting a bunch of cheery and entertaining gal pals over a Thursday lunch. We were recharged and that bouncy spark lasted me the whole day. Just what I needed!

kate

fantasy vs facts

This "expectations vs reality" scene from 500 Days of Summer is adorable yet poignant.

How many of us set ourselves up for disappointment when we keep expecting situations to flow the way we want?

Thought for the day: what's one expection you can toss out of your GOTTA BE PERFECT list this week?

kate

today’s brew

A friend recently asked me whether I came up with the name “Today’s Brew” for my email letterbox.

I thought about what inspired me to pen that moniker, and remembered this wise quote:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34, NIV)

Those words taught me to take each day as it comes.

I also recalled that I was fascinated by the daily menu that usually greeted cafe fans with handwritten words scribbled in chalk. Every day’s menu had its own special concoction of the day. And similarly, perhaps every day brings its own unique blend of ups and downs – its very own flavour.

Since every day’s experiences are unique, savour each day’s one-of-a-kind brew as it comes. Here’s a toast!

kate

happy feet

Feet are sometimes such underrated ardent supporters.

After all that bus-chasing, or strutting in killer heels, or squeezing the toes into those chichi shoes – it’s time to give the feet a well-deserved break.

How about dainty and comfy ballet flats for a change?




This charming pair from Gripz made my feet feel loved as all the toes could stretch out nicely inside the shoes. Wonderful.

What’s a part of your body that deserves more affection? Take a moment to dote on it this week!

kate

pick a treat

Sometimes after many days of intense work days, you just gotta pamper yourself with some R&R or S&S. Rest and relax, sleep and shopping ... whatever. Anything that makes you beam like a brand new being. Just take your pick.

I’m a fan of massages, so I went for one after a quick brunch today. My regular yoga lessons do help my muscles feel relieved. But nothing beats lying on a bed doing nothing, except to feel someone kneading the tightness out of your body. Nice.

Next up was my first ever perm in my life! The mere thought of seeing myself with curls was quite exciting. The process wasn’t that erm ... enjoyable, especially when your head was heated up to over a 100 degrees. (Hotter than boiling water, yep!)

But it was definitely quite an experience. In one scene I looked like an extra straight out of the Aliens movie with wires tagged to the curlers in my head. Totally out of this world.

After three hours, the perm was ready to be revealed. And I was happy with my new style. The treat of a new look? Absolutely priceless!

kate

in the present

Yesterday’s yoga lesson awakened me with an AHA! moment.

Halfway through the lesson, Mr Teacher saw that some of us were tired and were not using our hands to push into the mats as much as we should. After all, we modern beings don’t spend many hours on all fours working out those biceps.

He wisely asked us to take a little break and told us his story.

When he was a young yoga practitioner, he used to keep planning ahead. He’d think of how he could last the whole hour of yoga. So he’d not extend his arms to the fullest, thinking that he was conserving strength.

But because he wasn’t doing the pose correctly, he didn’t reap the maximum benefits from the poses. Giving a halfway effort just wasn’t the same as giving it his all in the present moment.

He offered us an alternative: why not reap the most from the poses now by extending our limbs correctly? And if we were really tired later, we could just ... take a rest!

That instant, my mind was opened.

Maybe sometimes we are planning too far ahead, and not making the most of the present moments by trying to conserve our energy. It’s like we try to cut back on the ingredients, and still expect to whip up a wicked dish.

Perhaps it’s time to stop shortchanging ourselves. Give it your all, now. And watch your strong efforts blossom.

kate

sprinkle the confetti !

I just love birthday celebrations. It’s a zippy timeout filled with much laughter, hope-filled wishes and chirpy candles. Best of all? It comes with a totally legitimate meal of pure indulgence.

Yesterday’s birthday dinner was a feast. We wasted no time and chewed right into our tasty steak. Dessert was divine too! These darling scoops of ice-cream were irresistible.




Maybe we need more birthday fetes every year!

p a r a d i s e

Rufus

Rufus enjoying his dreamland


There’s just something magical about watching a pet sleep quietly.

It kinda transports you into their calm and carefree world.

Just the perfect soothing balm after the helter skelter in the office.

And a timely reminder to sleep well tonight ... unruffled.

Sweet dreams!

kate

love chapters

“Some love stories aren’t epic novels – some are short stories. But that doesn’t make them any less filled with love.” (Carrie Bradshaw in Sex And The City)

Carrie’s wise musing popped to mind when I watched (500) Days of Summer today. Although (500) Days had traces of the usual Hollywood traits, the quirky movie was still a breath of fresh air without saccharine sweet endings.

Sure, love does happen. But shit happens as well. And when breakups spin like a typhoon to wreck our lives, what then happens next?

Does the catastrophe become an opportunity for healing? Do we dare to face the flaws that a crisis excavates out? Flaws that belong to us and our partner?

Maybe sometimes breakups are as revealing as a health report. Some folks look healthy on the outside, but a health report may disclose that they do have high cholesterol levels. And perhaps breakups expose the pressure points and fears that we try to bury hidden in our hearts. This ain’t necessary a bad thing is it? If we take it in good light, it may even help us to give and receive love better in our next relationship.

Partings can make some people feel that their world has crashed indefinitely. But as the protagonist in (500) Days found out ... although a love chapter may end, the book can continue on.

kate

trim it !

“To be a successful decision maker, we have to edit.” (from Blink by Malcom Gladwell)

I remember watching one of those reality TV shows where a judge was giving a contestant some useful advice. She said that whilst the contestant’s designs were creative, if he wanted his creations to have more punch, he had to learn to edit.

I was just thinking about this information-overload age where we have a huge myriad of choices to get the latest news quickly – google, facebook, twitter, good old emails, TV, radio and papers. And the ubiquitous handphone messages of course.

Life will be boring without learning new things and experimenting with fresh ideas. So with experimenting versus editing – how do we strike a healthy balance?

What do we have to edit out of our lives to be more dynamic?

My self-editing goes by a simple rule of thumb. One project a time keeps me focused and sane, for sure!


p/s: Am working on an upcoming ‘best moments’ project ... stay tuned!

kate

meeting surprises

I remember the time when I saw a shooting star whilst lazing around on a rooftop with a bunch of friends – my heart just gasped.

Sometimes life’s little surprises leave you beaming with dreamy wonder.

Maybe it’s nice that surprises don’t come all at once, but kinda scattered over your life. You know those join-the-dots picture books? Perhaps it’s more fun to join the dots one at a time and not have the complete picture staring at you all at one shot.

Today my moment of marvel was chancing upon this sweetheart. Turned on a smile instantly!



(by Blanca Monrós Gómez)

kate

pretty on a plate

It was Monday night dinner with the gals and we decided to give ourselves a treat. We couldn’t resist the gorgeous fruit tarts parading like beauty queens and walked right into Fruit Paradise Café at Raffles City.

Since we were all a tad more conscious about eating healthy, we shared the main dishes and left enough space for the luscious fruit tarts.

It was tough picking just one slice and finally the mixed berry chocolate flavour won my vote! The enticing dessert looked more like edible pop art. My favourite part was the chocolate (of course!) and the crispy crust. Very yummy ... oohh ...

Bet I’ll drop by again whenever I need a bite of bliss.




kate

lost and found

It was back to childhood days today.

I kinda forgot how it felt like without an ATM or credit cards. So I totally felt like a fish out of water when I forgot to bring my wallet out this morning.

You know, back when we were in school, all the money we had were in our little purse. That was what we could spend for that day – nothing more, nothing less. You couldn't suddenly fall in love with a pair of gorgeous shoes and whip out your plastic card to pay for it. Purchases had to be planned and kept within a budget – and today I had that déjà vu feeling of being much more aware of what I was buying.

Luckily for me, I had a human ATM machine in the office (aka nice colleague). Borrowed twenty bucks and off I went to get my breakfast. Somehow I was extra grateful for that breakfast!

Sometimes we take certain routine things for granted ... simple things like buying a flower. I usually get my flower on a Monday like a nondescript weekly affair. But today I was almost exuberant to get that beautiful two-toned pinkish rose wrapped - $1.20 got me loads happiness today!



By the time I was home, I was truly contented to reunite with my humble wallet!

Yippee :)
kate

happy birthday !

The best part of any dinner celebration? The guests, of course.

It was our foodie friend’s birthday feast and she picked Spruce. Kind of like an in-between of PS Cafe and Barracks (both at Dempsey).







I like the good vibes of the photo near our table. Uplifting!




And ... the pretty birthday cake.

Next up? We may be having our own Julie Powell moment by experimenting with some recipes and devour the dish over more laughter and chitchat. Whilst a good meal is a blessing, a good time with friends is tops.

kate

give thanks

Yesterday was pure chaos.

It was Saturday and also laundry day. Usually weekdays are so packed with office work that I am only left with energy to do my rounds of laundry on weekends. So right after lunch, I was rushing through the housework at a frenetic pace.

Brushed mom’s teeth and walked her to her bed.
Put the flowers into a container of water. Had to keep the gifts pretty.
Dumped the dirty laundry into the washing machine.
Took down brother’s dried clothes. Took down mine as well.
Fed the family pet.
Started packing my room and writing the cards for the night’s celebration.
Soaked some clothes to be hand washed.

And then it happened .. again. Mom refused to rest and kept whining for different things - asking for a drink, blubbering nonsense. Whatever. It just wasn’t the right time with so many things to finish and I was sweating like a crabby pig. So in between hanging the wet clothes onto the pole, I tried to pacify her and coax her to sleep.

I don’t blame her because she suffered from brain damage and loss of memory and logic, after her accident five years ago. But I was still tired from all the chores.

PAUSE. I stopped for a moment (took a deep deep breath) and gave thanks.

1. Thank God that my mom is still alive, and I can still try to show her love the way she needs.
2. Yep, laundry was a chore. But I was thankful that it meant I had a variety of clothes to dress in.
3. Ok ... I was grateful that in our times, there’s the handy invention called the washing machine. Sure helps a lot!

With those thoughts, I carried on with the rest of Saturday’s checklist. Fed mom with a milo drink, hand washed the clothes. Threw some rubbish. Washed the cups. Took a quick bath. And then rushed down to the birthday dinner in a cab.

AND I was thankful for the night’s fete with a bunch of good friends. We went on an adventure and tried out a new spot. After a taxing day, now that was the perfect way to chill out!

kate

spotted !

Fancy a dash of colour and fun “interior design” for your desk? Then check out this cheery stationery set that I chanced upon in Ion’s Prologue.




If you are in the mood for more cool stationery, pop by kikki.K at Ion as well. I felt like a little gal in a candy shop full of delightful choices when I was there this week. Totally delectable. Life’s sweet surprises do come in small packages!

kate

passion & poise

“We tend to rehash the past and rehearse the future. You can fret as much as you want, and it’s not going to change anything. Why not get through with grace and ease?” (Julianna Margulies)

Today I had an aha! moment of how to grow through life with grace when I read nie nie dialogues. What an amazing lady with an infectious effervescent spirit. I’m charmed.

This week had been pretty hectic at work with sales folks’ demands, clients’ issues and non-stop emails furiously streaming in. But no matter how bad a work week had been, after you read about how someone survived a near-fatal plane crash and still sees the sweet moments in her life now - it just puts things into proper perspective.

The incredible thing is that someone who’s so full of life like Stephanie Nelson can switch on the spark in strangers. Even though I've never met her, I’m already a few hundred volts brighter just by reading her blog! And I thank God for this touch of grace today.

kk

what’s your cage ?

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours.” (Richard Bach)

Just received this timely reminder in my inbox today. And it reminded me of the red paper clip story of how one man started with a huge red paper clip and got a house at the end of 14 barter trades. He sure wasn’t arguing for his limitations then! What a good move.

What are your constraints that you think you have? Perhaps it’s time to chuck those aside and give your own ‘red paper clip’ dream a chance.

Enjoy your very own quest!

snug as a bug in a rug

Took a cue from this stray cat and had my own sweet Sunday siesta too! Such simple bliss and a great way to recharge before a new week kicks off.







(after a little stretching ... back to zzz ...)


“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop.” (Ovid)

office buddies

What gets you going in the mornings, when you know you have to be in the office that day?

Certainly not a mailbox clogged with emails, a 15cm stack of unfiled papers or multiple reminders in your calendar all pointing to that impending project dateline.

Since we spend at least eight hours at work when we check in at the office, we may as well make the day as easygoing as we can. And surrounding ourselves with happy things to spur us on won’t hurt one bit!

How about a funky cheer-me-up pen to brighten up the office desk? Sounds perfect? Then perhaps one of the nifty polka dot pens at CityLuxe may just be your sunny office sidekick. Check out this pretty lilac one.

And whilst you are there at the shop, you may want to pick up some charming stickers as well. I always have a soft spot for Parisian knickknacks ... so a tin box of nostalgic stickers was my pick. Now am looking forward to revamp my desk!

waiting and pausing

Today as I was clearing some old emails, I found something I wrote two years back which is still as relevant today. Here goes!


17 Sep 2007

Just read this nice quote today.

""I hope you'll hear what I'm about to tell you. I hope you'll hear it all the way down to your toes. When you're waiting, you're not doing nothing. You're doing the most important something there is. You're allowing your soul to grow up. If you can't be still and wait, you can't become what God created you to be." ("When the Heart Waits" by Sue Monk Kidd)

I know friends who …
- waited for a dream job for years …
- are still waiting for a deserved promotion …
- waited for their spouses to change or to come back …
- waited for healing for a loved one for a few years …
- waited for a loved one to be released ...
- waited for years to be pregnant …
- waited to find some meaning in life …

Sometimes the answers don’t come at the timing that we want, but will come in time.

Sometimes the answers are just right beside us, if we open our hearts ... something I learned from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

"With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin. With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown." (Chinese Proverb)


Take heart :)

true blue TLC

Over an entertaining lunch with lots of laughter and chitchat, a girlfriend told us that she’ll be on a getaway in Hong Kong this weekend with her hubby (sans kids!). We could visibly sense her excitement with the word s-h-o-p-p-i-n-g written in her eyes.

Well that aside, she told us it will be her 7th anniversary this weekend. Wow! That IS a long time together. I was doing crazy math in my head ... that is like 2,555 days of being with the same someone!

Like any relationship, I’m sure they had their share of both sunny and stormy days in those years. All the perseverance and love poured into a longer relationship is usually quite underrated. But today I just want to take a moment to take delight in their miracle.

I hope my friend and her hubby will have many more sweet honeymoons to come.

I am also thankful for the folks who have stuck by me all these years - those who embraced even my quirks, moods and the different seasons of my life. Thanks for making love so concrete and for those zillions of days of TLC!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwavz9bmxqo