iMock

Watch out Martha Stewart!

2012-01-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

2011 Holiday Season

2011-12-11T20:38:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everybody!

This year, we have all of Mommy's AA friends at work to thank for all of the wine and champagne corks for our Christmas decor. Ella helped with making these cork decors for our green Christmas tree that we got from FUF SF this year.

Thank you for all the gifts!!! Ella doesn't know what to play with anymore.

We went to Great America to check out the Global Winter Wonderland for New Years this year.

Little Foofa fan got the best souvenir of the night courtesy of Daddy's darting skills.

Ella: I had FUN today!

Ella likes to sing

2011-12-10T12:50:00.001-08:00

A little Thanks to give

2011-12-10T12:37:00.001-08:00

As usual, we had a feast at Thanksgiving this year. While Grandma et al were busy preparing for the big meal, all the little people spent some time in the newly renovated basement movie room.

This year's feast was a pot luck. Thanks for making the yummy salmon wraps "kai yea!"

Ella helped mommy make these jam drop short bread cookies.

Finally it was chow time!

We also started our 1st annual Thanksgiving weekend Lord of the Rings marathon. Here are our rock avatars watching the "one ring" marathon.

Ella couldn't exactly sit through the whole thing yet, so she spent some time in her cardboard castle.

And jo jo fits in there too!

Over at Grand Uncle Dominic's house, there was a Santa's workshop churning out these cute little knit booties. Thank you! Mommy is still learning...

Activities for sick and rainy days

2011-11-14T19:57:00.001-08:00

We've been kept indoors the last couple of weeks because of the weather and a bout of pneumonia. So what did we do to pass time?

Eating some Chocolate ice-cream. YUM!

Learning to brush our teeth in the morning.

Making some Wii family and friends.

Ella's Busy weekend

2011-10-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun filled weekend for us.

Saturday was an exceptionally beautiful day in SF. We were able to catch a flash mob down in Union Square featuring Auntie Ansy (pink top and white shorts) in the front row! Good job!! Ella can't wait for her dancing lessons :)

Then we went down to Sunnyvale to for a delicious dinner with Auntie Mani and the gang for Mommy and Auntie Mani's belated birthdays at Dishdash. The rack of lamb was to die for!

Sunday was a stay at home kind of day with Ethel and Elsie.



And then Ella helped Mommy made some coconut chocolate cupcakes for her little friends at Daycare.



Taste testing was part of the job! Yummy frosting



Then it was time to chow down on the rock cod that Daddy caught earlier in the week.



Lastly, Daddy carved a friendly face on Ella's first Halloween pumpkin.

Largest LCD screen

2011-10-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

This is evidently the largest LCD screen in the world. Where else would it be but CHINA? It's like the land of WoW

Advertising Chinese style

2011-10-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've never seen anything so awesome as this Ad in the subway tube!

China, Fall 2011

2011-10-08T19:47:00.000-07:00

A month ago, we tested Ella's patience on a flight to Beijing. All of the Dora episodes, colorings, naps, and play kept her occupied for more than 13 hours. Good job!!

All that flying finally got us to Beijing. Here's the new impressive airport. So different from the first time I was there in 1997!

Lao Lao finally got to meet Ella!

Mommy and Daddy finally can begin to sin. Gluttony and Greed!

Here are some delicious duck hearts.

Spicy and Numbing hot pot in Chengdu, Sichuan. Unfortunately, we couldn't find this pot in the stores. Daddy had a sore throat for 4 straight day while we were in Chengdu.

And we had to pass on these chili pepper snacks. Probably a good thing!

Althought we weren't smart enough to pass on Yak sausage at Little Lhasa in Chengdu. Kudos to Daddy who actually could stomach these, cause they reminded me of the the Safari area of zoos (the smell).

We also came across Chinese style "Starbucks" and beer houses in Chengdu.

The Chinese easily surpasse Americans in practicing capitalism and shopping there is nothing like it is here. So, when in Rome...

Here are just a few of the things we purchased.

These are "tea pets." I don't know if there's any practical use to them, but super CUTE! You're supposed to pour left over tea on them and keep them watered with tea, so that their coloration will change.

There's also these adorable earrings.

We happened to find an Ella doll!

A pig made of caramel, which Lao Lao thought looked more like a fat rat!

Fabric shopping on this trip was a little disappointing though. The only thing I found was this retro woodland animal print, which I do LIKE very much.

Aside from all of the eating and shopping, we also managed to squeeze in some sight seeing.

Here are the ruins of Yuen Ming Yuan in Beijing.

One of the many Chairman Mao paintings in the capital museum. They were all very George Washingtoneque, which was a little odd...

This was probably the largest museum I've ever seen!

This is the famous Leshan Buddha outside of Chengdu in Sichuan.

We were lucky to only have lined up for about 20 minutes to start going down the cliff to see the Buddha. Our tour guide said she's been in line for 2 hours before.

Here's an old couple in their 90s making the same trek we made to see the Buddha! Hope I can still walk in my 90s.

We saw so many temples on this trip. These are the unique temple decor atop of Mt. Emei in Sichuan.

Here's Ella after her prayer session at one of the temples we visited.

We also had the honor of taking this photo with an old monk at the Golden Summit at Mt. Emei.

But her favorite things at these temples were the stone lions .

These stone lions were more interesting to Ella than the little baby Pandas we saw.

Some of the coolest things we saw were not at any tourist sites we visited.

Here's an entire book of the "Art of War" woven in silk!

Uncle Dominic's garage.

Even dogs in China are stylish!

Bye Bye Summer 2011

2011-08-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ella's been pretty busy this summer soaking in the sun and just having fun! Here are some of the highlights...

Hanging out with Kei Ma Stella

Swimming at Amber and Ariel's local pool

Exploring nature.

Jumping and petting little friends at Mommy's company picnic

She LOOOVES the beach!

What's Ella's been upto?

2011-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

Looking good in a new dress.

Picking her nose all the time.

learning to poop in her potty.

Goodies from Abroad

2011-07-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Tiny little cup and saucer set, which Tim just pretty much claimed, from good olde England. Sooo gorgeous...

Turkish coffee pot.

Thank you Emi!!

Chicken Coop

2011-07-12T19:49:00.001-07:00

Ethel and Elsie have been living in their new cottage for about a month now. They seem to love it! Thank you for the super cool digs Daddy :)

We found the "e" hanging above the door at the Alameda Antique Faire. It was really a "6."

Farmer family in training here.

2nd Annual Alameda Antique Faire

2011-07-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

This year's Alameda Antique faire was scorching hot just like last year! We headed out there with Emi again and Nimone and her girls joined us for the treasure hunt.

Ella's cooling down with her first popsicle. Yum Yum good

Like last year, it was full of great craft ideas and curios.

The best purchase was by far all the unique and beautifully designed silverware. Thanks for helping us find these Emi! And they were all polished to the perfect shine!

This water server is also silver but needs a little bit of polishing.

Well, until next year.

Punjabi for a day

2011-06-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of being guests at a crazy fun Sikh wedding this weekend and were Punjabi for the day.

We have Auntie Priya to thank for Mommy's attire and Daddy's Turban.

It only took me 1 try to wrap the Turban!!! I'm so PROUD, and Daddy's beard grew in really well for the look! Someone asked him, "which part of Rajasthan are you from?"

Since Mommy and Daddy had the whole get up, we couldn't leave Ella out!

We hit the dance floor early and stayed way passed bedtime. Non-stop Banghra!

Here's the bride and groom showing how it should really be done.

PDX

2011-05-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to Portland!! I've been wanting to visit Portland for a couple of years now. We spent an extended weekend there eating, shopping, taking in the beautiful lushness around, and just enjoying everything PDX had to offer.

Got some great ideas for our bedroom from the elegant and glamorous interiors at
Hotel Deluxe, where we had a wonderful stay.

We walked all around downtown Portland on Friday evening and Saturday. Tried out a few of the restaurants. We were starving by the time we got to this Thai food cart. There were so many of them docked at various parking lots around downtown. Too bad we were there for the weekend mostly, and didn't get to try all the other yummy looking carts.

The other places we've tried were:

The Original. I actually like the Beef Jerky Bloody Mary with my breakfast and I don't usually like Bloody Mary.

Mother's Bistro. I enjoyed a very delicious cocktail called Lavender Silk, which is basically a lemon drop made with lavender vodka. Got to give this recipe a try sometime!

Deschutes Brewery was surprisingly good for a Brewery restaurant, especially the braised pork belly on the sampler appetizer.

Kenny and Zuke's Deli next to the Ace Hotel made me love Eggs Benedict.

The Waffle Window had the most crispy and yummy waffles I've ever had, and Ella didn't want to share at all. Good thing they had free samples at the counter.

Petite Provence had the most beautiful pastries, but I think the lemon tart is still better at Tartines :)

Pine State Biscuits was where Daddy fell in love and here's why... Can YOU resist this??

We definitely ate well on this trip, but there were more to just eating. We visited the Saturday Market, where I had a lot of high hopes of finding awesome crafts made by hand. Unfortunately my expectations were not met, it's kind of like any other street fair or even flea market. Ella found it utterly boring and slept through pretty much all of it.

I did manage to find one unique item from an old man. He takes coins from all over the world and meticulous cuts out the background. This British coin I got is from the late 50s. It has the rose of England, thistle of Scotland, clover of Ireland, and the leek of Wales. I had no idea that Wales is represented by the Leek.

It took him about 3 hours to cut out the background on this coin, which is about the size of a thumb nail.

There were also some photography booths that had images from around Portland. We were especially intrigued by this photo. Initially, I thought it was a cathedral in the area, but it's actually the support for St. John's Bridge, one of the many bridges connecting Old Town to the other side of the Williamette River. Tim was too cheap to buy the photo so we went to the bridge and copycat the shot. Good call Daddy!

Here's Ella pretending to take of picture of Mommy taking a picture of her in Cathedral Park right underneath the bridge.

I also got to go to a couple of cool fabric stores. Bolt Fabric Boutique and Josephine's Dry Goods. Found some amazing prints. We really need more places like these in the City!

I also wanted to check out Fabric Depot, but sort of ran out of steam. Instead, we just drove around cause it started to rain. Checked out a few of the neighborhoods: Hollywood, Belmont and Hawthorne, Mississippi, and Nob Hill. We just fell in love with all the blooms and gorgeous Arts and Crafts houses around.

On our last day it was pouring rain, so we had to change plans from going to the zoo to visiting the Pittock Mansion . Have to thank Daddy for this last minute great discovery!

This mansion belonged to Henry Pittock who was the second owner of the Oregonian, a large newspaper back in the days. Although it's not as lavish as Hearst Castle, but it's beautifully decorated and the he really put a lot of thought into the floor plans, which I had to get a copy of, and the location of each room. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Grand Staircase. Ella sat in and posed as soon as she saw me point the camera there. She's fast becoming her Daddy, trying to get into every picture!!!

The Turkish Smoking Room. Great colors.

The Sewing Room. So envious!

One of the bedrooms. Love the wallpaper.

Finally on our way out of Oregon, Ella saw her first double rainbow. What a beautiful ending to a wonderful road trip!

It might have been the longest blog entry ever! Can you tell we loved Portland? We'll have to visit again and stay at another cute little boutique hotel or a B&B soon!

I Love You

2011-05-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

Teenage chicks

2011-05-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

We've had our baby chicks for 1 months now and boy have they grown already! They went from cute little fuzz balls to awkward looking teenage chicks in just 1 short month. It's incredible how much they have already changed.

Here they are when we first brought them home. They were just a couple of days old here.

1 week later...

2 weeks later...

3 weeks later...

1 month later...

Hopefully they'll come out of this funky stage real soon!

Peapod's back!

2011-04-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

My favorite fabric store in the city is back in business again! Peapod Fabric now has a much bigger space! Can't wait to check it out on my day off this week :)

Lao New Year celebrations

2011-04-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

We were invited to be part of the Lao New Year celebrations (mostly eating) at a temple in Ceres, CA this weekend. It was an all day affair for us, so we got up early and drove 1 hour and 40 minutes to Mani and Tito's place in Modesto.

Daddy was over the moon when he found out that they had made us traditional Lao noodle with his favorite, all the goodness inside the pig, and I have the say that the soup was yummy in my tummy!

After the "breakfast" we headed off to the temple. The back of the temple had a majestic bamboo grove with large and mature plants. Many had religious graffiti on them.

The front of the temple complex had an alter for offerings, fountain, ornate buildings, a reclining buddha, and the inside was decked out like many of the temples in Thailand.

There were a few beds decorated with all kinds of colors and ornaments. Everyday necessities were laid out on them. I suppose these were offerings for those who have passed.

Outside on the temple grounds, there were tents, seating, and a center stage were "Miss Temple" pageant took place in the afternoon. At night, it really felt like we were sitting at a market place in Laos as you would see on Anthony Bourdain.

We of course were there for the GRUMBS!

And Ella quite enjoyed herself with her new buddy, Kai Lan.

Meet Elsie and Ethel

2011-04-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

We picked up our first baby chicks from Half Moon Bay yesterday. Ella absolutely adores her new friends Elsie and Ethel!

Elsie is a chatty little Black Sex Link (black) and Ethel is the calm Light Brahma (yellow). Both of them will grow up to be beautiful birds and we're only 6 months away from fresh eggs!!!

Here they are enjoying a little cuddling with each other under the heat lamp on their bed of food.

We've transformed our multifunctional fire place into their temporary apartment. More decorating to come...

Hello Spring

2011-03-29T21:35:00.001-07:00

Spring has been ushered in by some beautiful blooms in our yard this year.

Oh, and here's the most beautiful one!

Before this week's gorgeous weather, it was dumping buckets and frigid for about a week and a half. This is what Ella did to pass time.

Watching more Yo Gabba Gabba on the sofa.

And Karaoke!

She also fed some birds at Golden Gate Park, but decided it's a better idea to just eat the bread herself.

Inspirations from Half Moon Bay

2011-03-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

We went to Half Moon Bay this afternoon to get some chicks at the Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel. Sadly we didn't come home with chicks this time cause the more docile Black Sex Link chicks won't be in until next week, but we didn't come home empty handed. I did some shopping, found some inspirations, while Ella and Daddy found a new friend on the bench.

There was a great little yarn shop called Fengari Fiber Arts. They have a fantastic collection of books on knitting and crocheting. I forgot to see if they had any on felting... I shall be back! Tim found this beautifully illustrated series by Lucinda Guy.

I couldn't bear putting such CUTE books back on the shelf, so I had to pick up a few :) And how can you leave a shop filled top to bottom with skeins of tempting yarns!! And of course, these temptations were strategically placed at the register. Knitting needles with "toppers?"

The family that makes these birch needles rely on the Blind to QC each needle for imperfections. I wasn't sure if that info was supposed to reassure me of the quality of the needles or if I should be offended by the fact that disabled people were sort of exploited during the making of my needles? Whatever it was, it was an inspiration for me to create my own needle "toppers."

Then another great inspiration came from a children's clothting store. Check out these felt and button hair clips! I can do this! No need to pay $12.

Sunnyside Conservatory

2011-02-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

We did a little bit of discover SF again this weekend. The Sunnyside Conservatory on Monterey Blvd had been restored a couple of years ago. It used to be pretty dilapidated and just overgrown. It was the kind of place only homeless squatters would frequent. Now's it's become the beautiful neighborhood gathering place for just about anything! I would love to host a luncheon there!

The garden has a few of these whimsical little creatures scattered around and hiding amongst the beautiful and water-friendly new plantings.

Here's Ella running around rocking it in the new Mien Ao Mommy sewed. I think this would be the last one I will ever make. It's too much work and I just am not very good at making patterns from existing clothes...

Always the HAM! CHEESE.

And the Oscar goes to...

2011-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

Spring is near

2011-02-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

You know spring is upon us whenever daffodils and paper whites arrive at the florist! I love the clean scent of paper whites and they really are a must have for Chinese New Year besides plum blossoms.

We cleaned up the back yard to get the space ready for our new pets. While going through the stack of pots, I found this little surprise!

Hospitalization

2011-01-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

Poor little girl has been sick as a dog since Sunday. Just when we thought she was getting better, she took a turn for the worse. We rushed her to the Pediatric ER when her fever returned this morning. She was so lethargic, but still put up a good fight everytime the nurses came to perform more tests on her to find out what was wrong. Finally, we got a diagnosis of an RSV infection. Just glad it's not pneumonia! There is really no cure, but just supportive treatments to ease her symptoms. So they got her in a little toddler hospital gown and decked her out in full hospital regalia.

She has a breathing tube that delivers oxygen, a few stick-on sensors for her vital signs, and an IV port just in case she needs more fluids. The IV port is right on the inside of her elbow, so to prevent her from bending it too much they put a piece of board there. She looks like she's got a broken arm too, but it's the IV.

After a couple doses of Tylenol, Motrin, and Albuterol treatments in the ER, we got a room in the pediatric ward. Looks like we're staying here for a couple of days...

Little fighter definitely got better in the afternoon cause she's EATING again! She hasn't had much of an appetite which is very abnormal for her. We just have to get her lungs to sound smoother and we'll be able to go home. Hopefully that'll come tomorrow.

Projects from DIY friends

2011-01-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

Sherry has been a member of my little Crafter's Guild for a year now, and she's recently completed a couple of baby quilts.

Here she is, proudly posing with the 1st one she's ever made! Turned out beautiful too!

She got so good, this 2nd one was made in merely 2 days. Super cute!

Hope to be posting many more from out monthly gatherings!

My friend Dave harvested some black bamboo stalks from our backyard a few months ago. Now that bamboo is on his custom made self by his woodworking friend, Eric.

I love the details and our bamboo looks fantastic!

Dave also has a beautiful handmade quilt from his grandmother hanging in his living room. I LOVE it! Only if I can create something so beautiful. It must have taken her ages to hand sew everything.

Road Trip to Carmel and Solvang

2011-01-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

This winter break, we took a few days for a quickie road trip to Carmel and Solvang. The theme of this trip seems to be fairy tale houses... We left early Tues morning, and here's Ella at the beginning of the drive.

Here she is after 20 mins...

Our first stop was at Carmel, which is only a couple of hours away. We enjoyed an afternoon of just strolling and admiring all of the uber adorable fairy tale houses and shopping of course! We happened to find a copy of the new book Carmel's Fairy Tale Cottages that was signed by the author.

The next day, we headed down to Solvang. Although it was only 3.5 hours from Monterey (where we stayed the night before) to Solvang, we had to make a couple of pit stops since little girl didn't like sitting in the car for that long. Here we are at Pismo Beach enjoying some late lunch and coloring while wearing the super stylish sweater from Emi.

We finally made it to Solvang in the late afternoon and luckily was able to enjoy some sunlight before everything was closed and the weather turned frigid and rainy.

We had to take refuge at the hotel pretty early that night and saved the shopping, munching, and sight seeing for the next morning. We started off with some pastries at Mortensen's Bakery, which I thought wasn't all that impressive. I think we're just too spoiled from the Bay Area...

I did however, find their Christmas ornaments super rustic and cute.

They seem to be big on gnomes too! These can be a cool little project for next Christmas.

While Ella and I walked around, Daddy went to the local motorcycle museum, which I'm sure was the highlight of this trip for him.

This Indian motorcycle has a very interesting story behind it. The first owner bought it when his girlfriend left for college and when they got married, he hid it in the barn because he didn't want her to find out about it. He hid it so well that it stayed there for the next 50 years until someone found it while looking for something else in the barn. Needless to say, it was in pristine condition. Now it belongs to the collector who opened this museum.

Our last stop was the Mission Santa Ines, one of the 21 missions built by the Spanish in California. This one is in really good condition and has been maintained and restored quite well.

Finally, we grabbed some lunch at "Solvang Restaurant" to try their famous AEBELSKIVERS, which were actually pretty YUMMOS!

Some Christmas gifts and ideas for next year!

2010-12-27T10:14:00.001-08:00

We went to the Renagade Holiday Sale last weekend and saw a few great ideas for gifts. Here are just a couple:

This can be an idea tree, a to do tree, a random thoughts tree, a message tree... The possibilities are endless!

This stall had the cutest felt animals and monsters! The crafter (Wool Buddy) was felting at the show and made it seem really easy. We got a little owl, of course, for Ella!

This year Daddy made a plant stand for Kei Ma, Alvina.

We surprised her by sneaking into her house, with the help of Kei Yea, and placing it onto her balcony with all her plants. The slippers lead her to the surprise, but she was more freaked out and thought maybe someone broke into her house!

I made a few earring for gifts this year and here's my favorite pair. Finally got to use the beads I bought from Athens 4 years ago! Made myself a pair too! Hee.

I was a huge failure in gift wrapping this year. A few presents were not wrapped cause they were just too big (TV and bike). Sorry Renee and Kyle! Then there are these Ghetto wraps... I will have to try better next year!!

Ella in her many disguises

2010-12-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

Pretending to be Daddy in his boots

Pretending to be Uncle John in his baby sweater.

Working the Granny look with Great Grandma's reading glasses

Working hard at MiMi's desk.

Our little Christmas tree fairy has been keeping the tree alive.

Our first Sing Along... to Family Guy

It's beginning to look a lot like Chrismas!

2010-12-10T10:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! This is the first year I managed to put up some Christmas decorations well ahead of Christmas.

Daddy changed his mind about getting a Christmas tree this year! We went to the Sloat tree lot this week and got a 7 foot Silver Tip. Ella is just absolutely overjoyed! She sniffed and hugged the tree repeatedly and kept telling us there's a TREE in the house!

She couldn't wait to help out with hanging all the ornaments too and kissed them all after she hung them. Thanks Daddy!

Family girl

2010-12-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ella's really big on family. Here she is doing a leisurely bike ride at the back of Daddy's bike.

This Thanksgiving was all about getting to know the cousins. Here they all are at Grandma's house.

Her favorite person besides Mommy and Daddy is Uncle Ethan. Here she is giving him a big smooch!

Ella's month in review

2010-11-13T22:36:00.000-08:00

Ella refuses to get out of the tub now. Here's her struggle with Mommy.

Her favorite hobby of EATING!

I kissed a girl and I LIKE it.

Little yoga mater

Football Mums

2010-11-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for massive football mums. I just love how elegant they look!

Got Crocs??

2010-11-06T13:26:00.000-07:00

At the Oakland zoo with Stella

2010-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

We spent a day with Auntie Stella and Uncle Jason at the Oakland Zoo last weekend.

Ella enjoyed the outing, but not so much the animals yet.

Check out this Ghetto goat with a brush in its coat.

This has got to be one of the nicest and juiciest behinds I've seen!

For All the Ella Fans

2010-10-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

I know I've been a little lazy about posting lately, but I do have a few of Ella's recent pics to share. Hope you like it!! She's becoming such a big girl with her own mind now.

Enjoying her milk in her rocking chair.

Waking up in the morning.

Watching her favorite show, Yo Gabba Gabba, on TV.

Love those pigtails!!!

A little milk drunk.

She's been wearing accessories.

Check out Daddy's toes on Ella! Or are they just fingers that grew on her feet???

Little Picasso.

She knows to smile for the camera now.

Happy Birthday Manisone

2010-10-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Manni's birthday at Range this past weekend. The food was DeLeeCious, especially my coffee rubbed pork shoulder and Manni's roast chicken, the skin was so crispy. How did they do that?

And then there was the chicken liver that was finger licking good.

The highlight of the evening was Tito's "not so subtle way" of telling us that BJ Novak was seated next to us. "Hey! it's that dude from The Office!!"

Uncle Ethan's book for Ella

2010-10-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Uncle Ethan created a riddle book for Ella with riddles he came up with over the summer. It was a summer project that went into the fall. Thanks so much Uncle Ethan!!! I can't wait to read it to her :)

She loves having her Uncle sit next to her at the dinner table too!

2010 Armenian Food Festival

2010-09-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

We finally made it to the Armenian Food Festival on Brotherhood Way by our house this year. We pass by it every year, but never made it. I think all of the Armenians in SF showed up, we were the few Asians around, and truly felt like a minority in the Sunset!!

The food was really overpriced, but since we've never tried it before it was justifiable... My plate here was a whopping $31. My favorite were the beans in the bowl and the Souvlaki. Tim loved the puff pastry filled with mild cheese, and Lola's favorites were all the honey sweet goodness.

Ella liked the cookie a lot, which surprisingly not too sweet.

But of course, she liked the dancing even more!

Party Ella

2010-09-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

We attended our last wedding of this year at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay yesterday. It was our first time there and the weather couldn't be more gorgeous! The location was just breathtaking and we got to enjoy the sunset while sipping Champagne and Sangria!

Becky and Carl made sure every detail was taken care of personally. We loved all the thoughtful individual favors and the guest book.

While Ella got packs of cookies, Mommy and Daddy received these beautifully made soapstone hearts.Ella had a blast dancing and absolutely loved all of the delicious goodies.

Thanks for inviting us Becky and Carl! I guess Ella's not ready to be a bride yet.

Daddy Playtime

2010-09-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ella has definitely identified Daddy as her playmate and Mommy as the go to for everything else, or maybe it's because Daddy's KRA-ZZZ.

I found these from a toiletry bag. They are "evil eye" pendants we got on Mykonos from our honeymoon 4 years ago.

She also like to bully Daddy too. Like mother like daughter I guess...

Estate Sale Finds

2010-09-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

We went on a little impromptu treasure hunt at a couple of estate sales yesterday. We were actually looking for silverware, but found a few other surprises.

Love this set of wine glasses from 2 sons cleaning out their mother's house. They asked that we drink our first toast to Dorothy, because she loved her Champagne and wine. So, here's to Dorothy! Thanks for keeping your glasses in pristine condition all the way from the 1940s.

This other house was also being cleaned out by a couple of old ladies, not sure if the owner was their mother or just relative. They had really nice antique furniture, but we have no where to put them... So, we opted for smaller items.

Food Truck discovery

2010-08-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

Food trucks of all kinds have been popping up all over the city. I've never really eaten at too many of them really ( OK, just once), but I can see the appeal. Cheap, gourmet, easy food. We were running a bunch of errands today and ran into an amazingly eye catching truck with delicious goodies, The Chairman Bao Bun Truck.

We had the Bun Meal with 2 buns and a drink. So we ordered 4 out of the 5 buns available. All with steamed buns as opposed to baked.

Pork belly; roast duck confit.

Red sesame chicken; pulled pork

We had the lychee and ginger drink (so ymmuy) + mango and matcha green tea ( a little weird). All were surprisingly finger licking good for a total of $19. Every item was about $3, tad bit over priced, but I'll definitely go back again.

This whole experience and last weekend's street food festival gave us another business idea...

SF street food festival and mission discovery

2010-08-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Today was our discover SF day. We stopped by the SF street food festival, which was already way too crowded by the time we got there at 2:30pm. Many of the vendors had already SOLD OUT. I really wanted to try the Korean taco from Namu too!!!

Thank goodness little Tasmanian Devil was fed in the car before we got there.

Every food vendor had long winding lines that took about 30 - 40 mins. We were only able to buy some tasties at 2 of the vendors, Lucero's Hot Dogs and the Kung Fu Taco truck. Both the bacon wrapped hot dog and nunchuck chicken tacos were delicious. Ella enjoyed the corn tortilla quite a bit.

We didn't really pig out enough to have to hit up the Pepto stall.

Besides all the yummies, there were live music and people just peddling their schtuff.

It was a really nice family day so far, but got even better when we discovered Clarions Street between Mission and Valencia. This alley was filled with murals. Very awesome!

There's always something to discover in SF! I'm so glad we live here.

My Staycation week

2010-08-08T16:23:00.001-07:00

This past week I stayed at home and worked on many of the projects I have on my long long list. Knocked out a few while watching season 2 of The Tudors. Thanks Roz! Please send over season 3.

Here's an owl from some old sweaters. This was really fun to make. I think I'll be making a few more.

I also started on little ruffled skirts for Ella. Here's one of them. I'm still working on a couple more, and I'll have to finish them with the new sewing machine I bought too!!! I got a Singer Confidence Quilter. SOOOOO excited to try it out!

Besides all the sewing, I made a couple more scented teacup candles for gifts.

Lastly, went to TJ Maxx HomeGoods again and got a few more white ceramic ware. Besides the sugar bowls and teacup set, I also got a small pitcher and and metal frame in white. Those will be my new decors at work.

Performance arts inclined?

2010-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ella's been really expressive lately through many different forms. They range from music, to her endless babbling with many new sounds, to just arranging her facial muscles in various combinations. I think we might have a little performance artist on our hands.

Daddy's last birthday in the 30s

2010-08-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend this week. Ella and I visited the Renegade Craft Fair (more to come on this) at Fort Mason Center on Saturday and we loved it so much that we went back the next day with Daddy. We were thoroughly impressed with the variety of handmade crafts that were presented at the fair as well as the quality. Got so many ideas and utterly inspired! Can't wait to get started on some of the projects already.

This past Sunday we celebrated Daddy's 39th birthday with a pizza party! He started off his day with his favorite hardy breakfast of rice, Chinese sausage, 2 sunny side ups, and some soy sauce.

Then for dinner, we had 4 different flavors of homemade pizzas: all meat, asparagus/pepperoni/parmesan, potato/rosemary/parmesan, tomato/mozzarella/basil. All turned out OK, but the potato one was a little under cooked.

Then we topped it all off with some yummy chocolate cake from Copenhagen Bakery (Thanks Renee!) and some Bacardi Rum cupcakes with cream cheese frosting courtesy of MOI. They turned out really Yummy in cupcake form.

Kevy really knows how to take care of his little cousin too. SOOOO SWEET!

First hair cut

2010-07-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Ella's hair's been poking into her eyes, so it's time to give her bangs!

Who is this little Peruvian girl looking so happy on her new hand-me-down rocking chair??

I think this chair from Uncle Ethan just needs a new coat of bright paint to make it look absolutely styling!!

Formal Ella

2010-07-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we attended Matt's wedding at Elliston Vineyard in Sunol. It was right by Grandpa's old place in Fremont. Ella got to wear her formal dress one more time this year!

Thanks for taking super cute pictures of her Auntie Alvina!

This picture looks so perfect! The couple with their baby...

Thanks for hooking us up with a table right next to the bar Matt! Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to drink too much since I was driving.

dinning room completion

2010-07-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

We haven't had large dinner parties for a while mainly because we simply don't have a table big enough to fit everyone. A couple of weeks ago when Roz was in town, we were faced with the same dilemma again. We were looking for a round table top to put on top of our existing table just like in Chinese restaurants, but couldn't find a place that sells 60" rounds. So, I called up Uncle Dominic to see if he knows a place that sells plywood that's large enough to cut a round. NO, just wasn't going to happen. BUT, I definitely have the hook up. He made one out of wood lying around at his house that same day! It measures 65" across, and can comfortably fit 12 people around. Best of all, it looks really rustic and super stylish too! We draped a black table clothe over it and it was the perfect table. Now we just need a lazy susan to go on top.

We also found the last piece of China that finally made our wall complete. Voila!

Now our dinning room is complete.

Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival 2010

2010-07-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy and social one for us. A wedding on Friday night, send off dinner for Nestor and Felicia Saturday night, street fair in Palo Alto on Sunday, and send off dinner for Emi Sunday night. Ella had so much fun the entire weekend, she didn't want to go to sleep at all anymore!

We spent Sunday morning strolling around the Clay and Glass Festival in Palo Alto with Stella and saw some really amazing artwork! I was especially fond of the this glass artist from Santa Cruz. He obviously didn't have to look very far for his inspirations. He had the most realistic sculptures of crashing waves and sea life. There were these beautifully made starfish ($50) and octopus ($250, down from $300), which I really wanted. They were a little too expensive for my budget though. I should have taken photos of them...

However, I didn't walk away from the festival empty handed. I got this ceramic wind chime with 2 owl faces. This brings me to my next point.

Seems that I've been fascinated by owls for a while now. My first appreciation of owls came from Finland. This was on the headboard of my hotel room in Turku.

Then, there's Ella's room. There are 3 of them on the back wall of her room.

She also has an owl print bolster pillow from Emi. OMG, I forgot how chubby she was!

Rozanne's 40th

2010-07-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

Rozanne and family came by to SF for her 40th this last week. Sorry we still haven't gotten you a gift! That's because you're so difficult to shop for... Don't worry though, we'll come up with something before the year's end. Here are a few pix of the kids during this past week.

Ella and Nathan are playing together.

Here's the 2 foodies having a cereal puff eating contest. Looks like Kevy is taking the lead!! OMG, hurry up ELLA!

Krazy Katie caught with her pants down.

I've been working on some crafts using recycled sweaters. Here's a little doggy for Katie. I'm working on some other projects using recycled sweaters. Stay tuned :)

Just wanted to show the florals (fresh from our garden) for this past week:

Also, since Ella's been walking more, we've been putting shoes on her. Here she is modeling these beautifully handmade felt shoes by Auntie Emi. Thank you! They fit just right.

Happy July 4th at the Alameda Antiques Flea Market

2010-07-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

No BBQ for July 4th this year! Instead, we checked out the largest antiques and collectibles flea market in NorCal at Alameda today. And boy did we have a rewarding day! Uncle Dominic's family and Grandpa joined us on today's treasure hunt.

We found the botanical prints we've been looking for to hang in the tunnel entrance along the stairs, the mirror to hang above the mantel, a cute little cup and saucer set, and another little froggy for the tunnel entrance.

The place was filled with great inspirations and great pieces, but the prices are all jacked up pretty high.

This vendor had a bunch of seating upholstered in burlap. Nice rustic and simple twist on the more formal furnitures.

This is a cute little green house constructed with old windows.

An evil looking giant Gnome.

I think we might have to make this a yearly tradition! Can't wait to see what we can find next year!!

I want some of that Chocolate!

2010-06-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I've been watching this new network on cable, The Cooking Channel. At first I thought, is this just another Food Network? Well, it turns out it's the original Food Network without all the annoying competitions and reality shows. Pure cooking shows back to back. I used to watch so many of these shows (Jamie at Home, Nigella Express, Two Fat Ladies) and was very sad when they got replaced with all the reality schtuff.

One of the new shows I like is Foodography hosted by Mo Rocca. The first episode was about everyone's favorite food, CHOCOLATE. This very eccentric pair of chocolate makers were featured, Mast Brothers Chocolate. I love how they've stylized themselves and their products. So as a good consumer, I looked for a retailer of their beautifully packaged chocolates and was utterly disappointed to find out that they are only sold in NY!

Hint! Hint! What is a girl to do when I'm thousands of miles away? Is there someone I might know that can get me some? Mmmm...

Found this link to the world's top 20 most beautiful chocolates from the Cool List. Salivating now!

The Beauty that's around

2010-06-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Another rewarding year from my flower garden. Although there are a couple of roses I should replace in the front. Meaning, another trip to Reagan's Nursery!! I should also replant the flowers in the flower box in the back. In the meantime, I get to enjoy some robust big blooms of hydrangea.

A few blogs ago, I mentioned baking cupcakes every weekend. Yeah right! I did keep it up for 2 weeks. My Red Velvet and Coconut cupcakes are both from the Cupcakes book by Martha Stewart.

How can I forget the most beautiful thing I have? Looking like a glam diva.

She also likes to sleep holding onto Daddy's arm just like Mommy.

Katrina and Paul's wedding photos have been blogged by her talented photographer, Erica Berger. Amazingly beautiful photos. Makes me want to take some pictures!!! MUST lose weigh!

Gold Rush

2010-06-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took Ella on her first road trip to an old gold rush town, Columbia. Grandpa, Ethan, and his parents came along with us. We all got into Grandpa's new ride and headed off Saturday morning, which happened to be Grandpa's 70th!! Happy Birthday :)

Since we couldn't check in at the Motel at Columbia until mid-afternoon, we headed towards Calervas Big Trees State Park first. After about 3 hours, we finally arrived at the park and it was well worth it!

This tree below began as a seedling in 600 AD and was cut down in the 1860s. Uncle Dominic pointed out that a new tree is now growing between the stump and the fallen trunk.

There were many other magnificent giants in this forest. This is my favorite by far, The Mother and Son. The 2 trees are connected at the bottom, but has 2 separate soaring trunks.

Here's the view from the bottom between the 2 trunks. Simply breathtaking!

We took a 1 hour+ hike through the forest and saw many more great sights. The best part is being in such a beautiful place with fragrant pine trees infusing the air. I loved it! Unfortunately, Grandpa's back starting hurting the night before and couldn't walk around as much as he would have liked to and missed some of the incredible sights...

These bright red plants were sprouting up from the drab forest floor all over.

Always love a good patch of moss and lichen.

The carvings left by tourists on this cut tree resemble codes from a Sci-fi. Could be encrytions from an ancient civilization or aliens...

On Sunday, we headed into Columbia town and found a very pleasant surprise. It was the last day of the 16th annual Diggins. The locals dressed up as Gold Rush settlers (all volunteers) from 1852 for 4 days and reenact daily lives of the first Gold Rush tent town settlers. We had a BALL! We had to buy everything with "eagles," or coins from back in the day since paper money didn't exist. We were greeted by Marvin, an old chatty carpenter, who told many stories with many tangents... We talked to many of the tent town settlers and they would give us a very realistic glimpse of what it was like in 1852, and it really felt like we traveled back in time.

The little boy here was stringing beans to dry for the winter while the girls were churning butter.

Another lady was weaving lace by hand. It took her 3 days to finish about 6 inches!

This was her tent, which can easily make a magazine page.

This fella here was teaching us all about panning for gold. It was tough work for sure!

We spent the morning at the Diggins and went into town after a little rest and snacks. Ethan did a little gold panning himself and found 5 little bits of gold along with some gems, which made his day, and it only cost his parents $12. Good bargain!

I was shopping for a bonnet for Ella and found a super cute one at our favorite store in town, The Farmer's Friend, which sold gardening and gardening related products. I was very disappointed because the baby bonnet I loved was too small for Ella's big head. Now I have to find a pattern online. Stayed tuned for that project! I did walk away with some beautiful wrapping paper, so it was all good.

Finally around 2pm we sat down for some real food for the first time in the day. Ella couldn't stop high fiving everyone.

I would say her first road trip was fun for her, since she was all worn out on the ride home.

Great Shopping Day

2010-05-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Emily and I went to the TJ Maxx HomeGoods store and it turned out to be THE BEST shopping trip there ever!! I love this store. Have to really thank Mani for introducing it to me.

We spotted this origami ceramic stool and fell in love with it immediately. The price tag was definitely very agreeable as well. Didn't quite have a spot for it except for in front of the window. Just hoping little Jolly Jowls can't move it.

The selection for ornate white teapots was really quite good yesterday. It was a tough one, but I decided on this because of the artichoke knob on top. It's not very practical though, a little hard to hold.

This BIG bell is perfect to summon everyone for dinner! Since Nimone and her family were coming over for dinner, it was a no brainer. We had to try it out for dinner call, and it worked great! I LUV it!

I saw this vintage floral print vinyl tablecloth last time I was there, but was too lazy to get in line for this 1 item, so I had to pick it up this time. It's perfect for those backyard brunches, lunches, and just snacks on a nice warm sunny day. I can't wait to use it this summer.

This dress was in the pajama section. Made by Munki Munki. I love the cute fabric used and the simplicity of the dress. I think this can be a summer dress, seems a little too pretty and cute to just wear it to sleep...

Last but not least. Super cute Thank You cards.

Big girl

2010-05-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

She's looking different everyday, but still looks just like ME! Here are a few recent pictures since she's turned 1.

Poor baby's been sick for the past couple of weeks. First it was a cold and now she's feverish from teething. We've noticed that she likes to sleep with her butt in the air whenever she's not feeling well.

Here's the dazed morning look.

She loves having hair clips in her hair now. She stays still for me to put them on and always flashes a satisfactory smile when she hears the click.

Playing peek-a-boo with Daddy.

Ella's 1st birthday

2010-05-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Miss. Ella P.
Ella's already 1, which means I better hurry up and lose weight!!

She's coming into her own more and more everyday. We had a birthday lunch with Great-Grandma, the Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles, cousins, and Godparents. Too bad Stella couldn't join us. Maybe next time!

We had the Pope room at Buca De Beppo. Angie, the amazing cake maker, made Ella's Ni Hao Kai Lan themed cake. I was blown away when I picked up the cake. Almost everyone asked if we can eat the cake. Haha

Ella wore the new dress Mommy made, copying something I saw at Target. This fabric was the one that Emily found at Discount Fabrics on Irving last month, and I happen to have a lot of ribbons and trims. It's always a good idea to keep ribbons from packaging and gifts. As Martha would say, "It's a GOOD thing."

With a little sequin flower hair clip and the cute little old lady orthodic shoes, Ella's ready for her 1st birthday!

She's beginning to understand the concept of looking good. Not a happy camper when the sparkly hair clip went onto Kevy's head.

Maybe we can try Grandauntie Lu's haircut. I think she'll look really cute in this style.

While Tim and I were both busy doing I don't know what, thank God Auntie Alvina was busy with her camera that day. She really got quite a few very good pictures for us. Thank you!

On Ella's actual birthday, Kei Yei (Johnson) and family, came over to help celebrate.

I decided that I should practice making cupcakes, cause it's an essential part of being a Mom. Here's my pathetic first attempt at cupcake decorating. Alvina and Felicia lent a hand there as well. We had some interesting looking sheeps... I'm not giving up yet. There shall be cupcakes every week now!

Katrina and Paul's wedding

2010-04-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ella attending her first wedding this Sat and she had a blast. Katrina had an exquisite wedding down and she was just stunning! We are so so very happy for Paul and Katrina. It was such a simple yet lovely wedding. Oh, I just LOVE going to weddings, it always makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, especially when the couple are such CUTE people.

They couldn't have chosen a more beautiful setting for this intimate gathering. It was at Hakone Gardens. A magnificient little gem tucked away in the hills of Saratoga surrounded by giant Redwoods. This was the perfect time of year for a wedding too. All the blooms just filled the space with dashes of color. Tim and I were both extremely envious of all the very mature plants and the garden design. Hmm, an inspiration for the next Urban Gnome project?

Ella was very well behaved during the ceremony and was amongst the cheeriest and loudest when we welcomed the new Mr. and Mrs. LeGris into the reception area.

However, she was a little ill-mannered at the table...

Sadly, we didn't get a piece of this beautifully made red velvet cake, one of my favorite flavors.

Time to head home after a whole evening of festivities!

Rozanne's visit

2010-04-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

Rozanne and family visited a week ago for a week. This was the first time all the babies were together.

Wait... did someone have another baby???

The Bitner Boys had a birthday party at Coyote point this year. Pizzas, various sausages, and tons of junk food! It's been so long since I had Ruffles. YUM.

Ella met Jackson, who was super friendly and give her a big Hello kiss.

Looks like Ella has a little Jackson in her as well.

Asian Art Museum visit

2010-04-19T06:54:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the free Target Sundays this month at the Asian Art Museum in SF. Our intention was to check out the Shanghai exhibit, which was a little disappointing... Maybe because we already have such a treasure trove of Shanghai within the family; however, I'm sure it'll be great for Grandma to see the old Shanghai as she might still remember. I'll have to take her.

Before the museum opened, we did a little shopping at the Civic Center Farmer's market. The new federal building looks so awesome next to all the dinky old run down buildings. This is part of what I love about SF!

The Aisan Art's permanent collection really had quite a few fascinating pieces. I'd love to add this teapot to my collection of white teapots!!

Super cute artifacts

I hope Ella was taking in all this culture! Bor Bor was definitely taking everything in.

Happy Crafting

2010-04-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've been setting time aside lately to my hobbies. It really is the best way to relax and be creative.

Made some blank cards last week, even this year's Christmas cards!

Roz and family are here this week. It was another perfect excuse to sew little girl dresses! So, I made a couple of summer dresses for her and a matching apron for Roz.

Ella's dinner table manners

2010-03-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

What is Ella up to while everyone else is eating?

Here she is busy texting away.

And laughing at us...

The magic of makeup

2010-03-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

This Korean girl, Catalina, is amazing in creating different looks with makeup! The before and after are like 2 completely different people. Best of all, her tutorials are really detailed and gives the kinds of details that you'd never think of. For an amateur like me, this is heaven sent. Although, I'm not sure if I can pull of the youthful looks anymore, but I can certainly still adapt some of the techniques for a more grown up look.

This makes me want to be a cougar

2010-03-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

My latest obsession has been Paolo Nutini. He is everything I want, but a decade too young! Check out his sound. He's young and beautiful with model looks but a deep deep soulful voice that just melts you into a puddle of muck. OMG

And to top it off. He is definitely a spring chicken. I have never wanted to be a cougar until now...

White boys don't usually do it for me, but have to wave the flags here.

SHAMEFUL. UGH...

Super CUTIE

2010-03-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

Just want to share some more recent pics of CUTIE PIE! I just can't get over how adorable she is!!!
These make great wallpapers by the way.

Ella's new clothes

2010-03-24T21:49:00.001-07:00

I tried sewing some little midget clothes last week on my staycation. Wow, learned a lot about clothing construction! They make it look so doable on Project Runway, but it really takes a lot of planning and smarts. I've been humbled yet again...

These pants were my first sewing project. Emily spotted this super cute J. Crew-ish fabric at Discount Fabrics on Irving. I learned that the waistline in front of the pants should be lower than the back to allow room for the BUTT, which should have been Obviously!

This next piece was patterned from a dress I got at Target. Aunt Lu clued me in on how to get the patterns from clothes and make templates out of them, but my first attempt was definitely not perfect. The angle of the sleeves were kind of weird. Ella looks like a little peasant girl from the late 1800s in this potato sack of a dress.

Lastly, I used a pattern from a Japanese mag I had gotten a while ago, and it turned out much better! Surprise.. surprise... However, she'll have to wait a couple more years until she can get into this. I'll have to figure out how to size up/down from patterns.

Ella Bella

2010-03-14T20:55:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a couple pictures of Ella in 2 super cute outfits from her Grand Aunties.

This vintage piece was originally created for Emi by Aunt Lu a long long long time ago... 20 years may be? Still looking ever so stylish on a cutie pie!

This little sailor number is from the Ning's baby knit collection. This piece also has to be more than 20 years old. Ella rocks both vintage pieces with such ease.

Where's Timo??

2010-03-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

Caliber is a super cool blog by local photographer featuring some of their images of SF. Can you find Timo?

My Boston Rendezvous with EMI

2010-03-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

Emily and I met up in Boston this past weekend while I was there for work. It was a much needed little R&R session and a great inspirational reboot trip! Found tons of ideas and inspirations for projects!

We started off in Cambridge on Friday night at Bob Slate Stationer. LOVE that place! I first found it a couple of years ago wondering around Harvard Square, and knew Emi would love it just as much as I did. Found a couple of treasure there: a set of greeting cards featuring Faerie Houses by Sally J. Smith, and One Line A Day -- a five year memory book.

Then we passed by this absolutely darling shoe cobbler shop with original Art Nouveau store front.

Saturday morning we started off in Beacon Hill. I would love to live there someday...
The last time I was there, it was Spring and all the window boxes displayed beautiful blooms while all the trees had pretty little pink and white flowers. This time around it's winter, but Bostonian kept their window boxes filled with colorful evergreen, willow, and dogwood branches.

We shopped along Charles Street all morning. Bought stamps and cards and jewelry and .... A couple of the shops were painted in my new favorite color, Tiffany Blue.

We found this little Boutique called Holiday, which is just like Ambiance!

One of the shop girls designs dresses for the shop as well. This little piece is one of her designs. It's simplicity, flirtiness, elegance, and style all rolled into 1. There were so many things I wanted to buy, but not enough $$$ to buy the entire store... We also found some super easy and cute little girl dresses at another store. They are similar to the dress below, kind of a sack and ribbon dress. Just like the one I made for Katie for Christmas. Took some pictures of those dresses. Can't wait to start on them. Ella and I will have some coordinating Sack-n-Ribbon dresses!!!!

We finally made our way to Anthropologie in the afternoon and spent a good chunk of time there. That place is the ultimate destination for inspirations! Emi requested that I share this photo, so here it is!

Finally, our day had to come to an end, but it was one of the greatest shopping days in a LONG LONG time. At least for me. Thanks Mei Mei!

After I dropped her off at the South Station, I found this cemetary in the middle of the financial district. Many of America's forefathers were buried here, but I didn't have too much time to search the tombstones for names. Had to get to the airport to go home and see my little chunky.

I just have to make it through this week and I'll have a whole week off to relax and craft. Stay tuned for the Mommy and baby dresses :-)

Another separated at birth moment

2010-02-07T20:59:00.001-08:00

Ella's nature hair style is both a little Krazy and a little Oompa Loompa...

There's a thought for this year's Halloween...

Easy granola recipe

2010-02-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Roz's delicious homemade granola bars, I tried out Martha's easy granola recipe. You can pretty much put in anything you like. Mine had oat, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond, maple syrup, coconut, cranberries, and a little brown sugar. I can't believe it's so easy to make and I've been buying it this whole time!!

Great New Interios Magazine!

2010-02-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

I was really bummed when Domino was taken off the newsstands last year. It was my favorite interior and home magazine. Many of our DIY projects were inspired by it. After almost a year, there might just be another publication that can replace my beloved Domino. I bought Fresh Home a couple of months ago and kind of just left it in the magazine bin in the bathroom and forgot about it. Recently found it under piles of other magazines and felt like I struck gold again! It's got a great layout with very detailed and easy to follow instructions. The best part is that there is a photo for very step of the DIYs. The DIY projects all look very polished and not DIY at all (unlike READY MADE). It's also got loads of great informative articles with terrific advice; many are also very environmentally conscientious as well as budget friendly. It's been a while since I read any magazine from cover to cover! The only down side is that it's published every quarter...

Ella at 9 months

2010-01-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Little chubby girl has lost some of her cheeks since she's become more mobile. She's an expert at speed crawling and is getting really steady when standing now. One of her favorite pass time is looking out the window just like great grandma!

On the day she turned 9 months, we started day care. She's been going for a week now and is getting used to the idea. Her first day was a little rough though.

Another milestone was having her first tooth peek out.

Crafter's Guild 2010

2010-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Crafter's Guild have been reinstated in 2010. The first finished product was from Ms. Jenna. She made a quilt as a baby shower present for her good friend's little girl. This was her first attempt at quilting and the results are IMPRESSIVE!

Ms. Jenna embroidered quite a few butterflies at the encouragement by her hubby, Tyler.

Voila! I hope her friend likes it as much as we all do. The good news is, she's hooked! She's wanting to start on another one.

Ella's first busy Christmas

2010-01-12T18:54:00.001-08:00

Ella had a business Holiday Season this year. First, on 12/23, little Aaron stopped by to wish us a Merry Christmas. Thank you for the cute little toys!

That night, we attended a little get together at Uncle Johnson and Auntie Alvina's house. Ella put on a new outfit and some new boots for the party.

But true to her style, she couldn't wait to take off the boots. Little girl prefers to show off her big feet!
Look at the spread on this dinner table!

Post dinner, Ella played with Peanut and absolutely loved him.
On Christmas day, Ella went on her first trip on a plane. Here she is waiting to be boarded with Daddy.
She had her own ticket too! Off to meet the Leys in Tempe!

Auntie Roz cooked us a delicious ribs dinner, and then it was presents!

A couple of home sewn gifts for little Katie. A pillow dress from the sewing book Roz gave me for my birthday. Then, a little apron for when Katie helps with the cooking.

Both Ella and Daddy hit the bottle to get some Zzzzzz

We all got up bright and early the next day for some yummy homemade granola.

Then it was time to really meet the Leys. Katie: "AHHH, Ella's here again! She's everywhere I turn!!! AHHHH"

Nathan didn't mind us much. He's the happiest baby I've ever seen. He's always smiling, even at only 3 months! (Well, maybe not in this photo...)

Hands are a great snack. YUMAlthough a wooden hammer is even tastier.

Finally Mommy got it that Ella was teething. Thank god Auntie Roz was prepared with teething biscuits. Just messier than the hammer...

This is Eddie's last photo. He unfortunately had to leave us, but is now in a much better place :)

We only went out to eat a couple of times. The first time was to a Mexican restaurant where Mommy ordered a delicious mango and crab salad.

For New Year's Eve, we went to the famous LoLo's Chicken and Waffles. Who would have thought to put fried chicken with waffles?! And cool pickling jars as water glasses!

For our last nite, New Year's Day, we had an all out Chinese Hot Pot dinner. Of course, lots of left overs for the next day for both breakfast and lunch. Auntie Roz couldn't be happier with all the food all week long.
It's finally time to go home after a week of vacationing. Ella was definitely beat on the way home.

This is how Ella likes to eat

2009-12-23T23:17:00.001-08:00

Between feedings, Ella likes to feast on her fingers.

This is a short on how she likes to eat her blueberry oatmeal.

Handmade gifts and greetings

2009-12-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to craft whenever I can in the evenings. Such a great way to relax! Especially with a drink in hand. I've been doing some sewing lately. Since we're going to Rozanne's for Christmas and it'll be the first time we meet little Nathan (aka Benjamin Button), I had to make a quilt for him to bring over. Went to my favorite little fabric store in the Avenues, Peapod Fabrics, and got a few different patterns. Made one of my signature easy peasy quilt.

Also had some fabric that I bought there a while ago. And so Tim and I made an apron for Lola.

Finally, how can new parents be without Christmas cards that's got our baby's picture on it?
Thanks for helping out with the glitter Grandpa!

In preparation of Ella's 1st Christmas

2009-12-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

This year, we'll be going to Auntie Rozanne's to spend the Christmas Holiday and New Year with Cousins Katie and Nathan. So we stocked up on Onsies for both Mommy and Ella.

Had to also get a Christmas themed one.

We can't forget to pack Ella's new favorite monkey! Thanks Grandma!

Lastly, we still have to keep the house clean before we head off, so Ella's started cleaning the glass on our front door.

2009 Thanksgiving

2009-11-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our house for Thanksgiving!

Grandpa brought over some beautiful Oncidiums along with his best ever Lemon Iced Tea.

I went to the SF Flower Mart the day before and found some amazing Peonies for the house. They were flown in from New Zealand, so naturally quite expensive. Well worth every penny though. They opened up more each day and are still looking heavenly!

I can't stop admiring them everytime I see them! Ahhhh.....

We also had some blooms from the newest climbing rose (Climbing Eden).

The little monkeys got to have a little play date before we all sat down for dinner

Some Peanut Brittles (Dave's secret recipe) to tie us over before the big dinner

We made the Turducken which came out of the oven looking gorgeous!

Here's the Turkey giving birth to the duck.

Bo and Miche brought delicious Collard Greens with Bacon, Butternut Squash with Wild Rice, and Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple and Beer Brats.

Renee brought over Brussel Sprouts with Chestnut, and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Lola of course brought her famous Sticky Rice Stuffing. With our Butternut Squash Soup, Coleslaw, and Biscuits, we had a full table of FOOD!

By the end of the night we were all stuffed silly with food and Ella had her first Thanksgiving with everyone.

Ella at 7 months

2009-11-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

My little girl is getting so big too fast! She's already outgrowing 9 month old clothes and fitting bearly into her 12 month clothes (although the legs and sleeves are too long). She's getting really good at the cat pose, but is imitating a puppy here.

One of chuba wabba's favorite snack is her own foot. Sometimes she takes both big toes simultaneously.

Ella got sick for the first time the week before Thanksgiving and passed it onto both Mommy and Grandpa. Her first taste her snot, yuk!

She's already found her favorite cartoon. She's completely captivated by "Little Einstein." Her attention is never divided when she's watching TV.

Ella's at 6 months

2009-10-31T10:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween, BUZZ

Playtime

No more oatmeal!!

Little Sumo wrestler

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Ella Candids

2009-10-01T22:16:00.001-07:00

Sweet potatoe is YUMMY. Gimme mo'

Nappy Time

Happy Buddha with Grandma

Silly Wabbit

Little village girl

2009-09-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ella inherited a little traditional Chinese coat, mien aow, from cousin Katie. She looks really adorable wearing it. I couldn't resist making her a little village style coat using Katie's coat as a template. Tim helped to pick out the most country bumpkin prints for this little project. Since the overall styling was "little village girl," we picked up the gold medallion from our wedding from the safe deposit and VOILA!

This was definitely a challenging project. Although it turned out OK, but the coat is a little too stiff and the sleeves could be shorter and wider for comfort and would fit her better. Lessons learned. The next one should turn out much better.

New bedding for Ella's crib

2009-09-15T21:10:00.001-07:00

I bought a bunch of fabric two years ago in Beijing not knowing what I'd use them for. I knew I would use them someday for something. They were all just so pretty and CHEAP. A couple of weeks ago, I made some new bedding for Ella's crib, and they match her room really well.

A walk in the park

2009-09-15T20:19:00.001-07:00

I've been getting to work at 7am on some days. Although it's really difficult to get up so early, but I really enjoy the time I get to spend with my family after work in the mid-afternoon. We went for a walk in Golden Gate Park yesterday. It was just gorgeous all around! Can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Ella at almost 5 months

2009-09-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the last Ella posting. Time for more chubby baby!

Thanks Emily for this cute little bolster pillow that echos all the little owls in her room.

Ella is posing for a Renaissance portrait of a little lady.

Ella's mouth may look tiny, but she can still fit almost her entire hand inside!

Rose bouquets

2009-08-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

We've planted roses in both of the brick planters flanking the front of the house. They've really taken off and are doing very well this year. I have bought all of my roses from Reagan Nursery in Fremont. They have the largest and best selection of all varieties of roses. It's always lots of fun and not enough money when we go there. They also have a large selection of Peonies, Camelias, and Azaleas. Here are a few of my roses.

This is the only rose I got from Home Depot. It's really beautiful when this rose begins to bloom. The new blooms have a bright pink color and becomes peachy after a few days. Finally, it becomes a pale pink right before it wilts. The multi-petals resemble a Peony.

This Hot Cocoa never was a strong plant and never did really well until we replanted it with new Rose Soil. It went from a weakling with fingernail size leaves to a robust thriver with healthy sized leaves and stalks. The color is just so RICH! One drawback are the sharp and large thorns which cover the entire stalk.

This has to be our favorite of all, the Eden Climber. I was skeptical of whether it can adapt to the SF weather and bloom. So far, it's never disappointed. Every year it'd have flushes of these tightly clustered blooms. The color gradation contrasts especially well with the new house color!
We bought another Eden Climber for the planter on the other side of the house, but in a cream color.

The 8 rose bushes we have supply me with plenty of fragrant rose bouquets to enjoy throughout the summer. I especially love them in the bathroom.

The Young Farm

2009-08-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

We've been wanting to grow our own vegetables for a while, and have not been very good at farming. So far this year, we've only had some tomatoes and sweet peas.

Here's the vegetable box at the beginning of the season.

Aunt Jo has been supplying us with seedlings of tomatoes, and zuchinis.

We grew some sweet peas from seeds.

Strawberries from the Bitner Farm

We'll have to elevate the boxes and supplement the soil with more manure for next season. Hopefully our harvest will be better next year.

Amy Winehouse, step aside!

2009-08-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Ella Winehouse in da house!

Who's got the highest Beehive of all??

Back to Work

2009-08-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Four months of maternity leave seemed like a lot back in April, but now it's all gone in a flash. I can vividly remember turning off my daily 7 AM alarm; it was like yesterday. Last Sunday night, I packed up my laptop, and felt what seem like first day of school jitters. Sniff... Sniff...

I've been leaving my blog open on my laptop at work so that I can look at my Ella Bu all day. Time for some new pictures!

Ella loves to hold her bottle now, but still needs a litte help from Mommy.

Ella doesn't cry anymore when she wakes up from a nap. She just looks around and starts to babble to herself.

She loves to sit upright now, but can't quite sit by herself yet.

Ella starts her days in the swing, and sometimes just nods off again.

Finally!!! Ella finally began to take to Auntie Emily and have been sleeping soundly in her arms for a couple of times.

Getting ready to wash her greasy hair.

Ella's Party

2009-08-07T11:11:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Ella's 100th Day with a picnic at Golden Gate Park last weekend. The unpredictable weather in SF was very cooperative. The wind was calm for the most part and it was sunny for the duration of the picnic, which unfortunately melted the malt balls in the favor bags.

It also happened to be Daddy's birthday, and it was the best birthday he's ever had. All the photos are posted on Flickr, but here are a few.

Auntie Emily and Daddy went to the park early to set up and waited for the jumper to arrive. They set up all the tables in the shape of an "E" for Ella. Nice detail!!

Thanks Grandma and Uncle Bo for picking up all the Sushi and Chinese food!!!

Mommy and Uncle Ethan had the difficult task of cupcake tastings and we decided on the Red Velvet and Lemon Drop Cupcakes from Noe Valley Bakery. Both were big hits with everyone!!

We also want to thank everyone who participated in the Sumo Wrestling for providing the FREE entertainment.

We had a great time hanging out with everyone! Thanks for coming to share a fun day in the park with us!

Ella turned 3 months

2009-07-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

I don't have anything in my pockets?!

Wearing one of Mommy's favorite onesie.

Ella's first funny face on camera.

Both babies are ready for bed

Ella disguised as a bear.

She did it! She lifted her heavy cheeks today, both Mommy and Daddy were there to see it.