Look what arrived in the mail today!

Fuzzy booties from Viv and the family for the cold SF winter

Everyone's been asking why I'm lagging with the blog, if I'm doing ok, or if there's something wrong. Truth is, things haven't been peachy at all lately but I guess we'll survive.

It sucks when you:

1. ...can't be there for your loved one when they're going through the toughest of times
   
2. Are reminded that life is extremely fragile
3. Have problems pulling on a pair of jeans that were loose just months ago
4. Were annoyingly surprised by an uneventful journey
   
5. Have allergies that are so bad you can't taste the melt-in-your-mouth white chocolate Pavlova you just took out of the oven
6. Feel it impossible to sleep at night because it's shivering cold under your goosest-of-down quilts
   
7. Are remind that that special someone in your life is miles away and not even within a phone call's reach
   

That's why when something as simple as a pair of booties that will keep you warm arrive in the mail, you can't help but feel all fuzzy inside.

Thanks sis! I love you and can't wait to see you the fam again

Pink necklace with lucite roses

Merry Macarune

Happy Holidays everyone!


I just realized something -- Hari Raya (Haji, I was promptly corrected by a friend from home) is now during Christmas week.. Isn't that crazy!!?? Just a few years ago we were calling it Gong Xi Raya.

More pictures for the season

Cookie party at Laura and Rachel's:

Our little reunion after so long


I wasn't lying when I said there were trays and trays of sugar cookies


The artists' tools


The masterpieces


Artists at work - Melissa and I


I don't know who this is, but he made a mean little cookie. Nice red hots!

Presents, presents and more presents:

Received this in the mail from SW today. Thanks for the pretty vintage frame. Will find a place for it in our lovely kitchen (yes, I know I should've kept it till Christmas, but a girl can only be so patient)


I copied SW's idea of tying a peppermint stick to my Secret Santa gift due tomorrow: white and dark chocolate dipped macaroons with Christmas-themed sugar decor (silver dragees, blue sprinkles and white hundreds and thousands!)


Gifts from work (and play)

Bah humbug

Home alone on a Saturday night with nowhere to go and no one to go with...

I just completed what seemed like the 100th batch of macaroons today. With Sex and the City playing on my faithful notebook atop the kitchen counter, it wasn't too bad. What happens though, when I get to season 6? Will I move on to The Sopranos? Or should I scour the On Demand channels for new movies? I feel so lost, overwhelmed, and alone.

Errands take twice the time to run. And cabbing has left a big hole my wallet. It's been 3 years since I've been in an empty apartment without the bf, not counting his short business trips, and I'm still getting used to it. As much as I've done this past month, I don't think I've figured out how to do them efficiently enough. I haven't bought a single gift, completed my Macarune orders, or even come close to packing for LA. With ALL that's happening, I'm just not sure I'm doing Christmas this year.

Still, it doesn't mean I can't enjoy the sweetest little things others do that remind me of the season.

My first Christmas gift: caramel and chocolate dipped pretzels - check out the teeny sugar snowman


Cookies I brought home from Laura and Rachel's cookie-decorating party. This is the neatest idea for a party ever. Trays and trays of sugar cookies to decorate and not to mention, free flow of apple cider, eggnog and Sam Adam's. I was in heaven until...


...this happened. The murder of my girl cookie. Someone bit off her innocent little head taking away her brunette locks and Sno-cap eyes. Matt with the Sierra Nevada sweatshirt -- I got my eye on you


The murderer, also got away with vandalism of my favorite ornament. Oh well - it was a swell party anyways

Happy Holidays everyone...

Awaiting your return...

$295 sheer silk & satin slip from Marni

An orgy of macaroons

Caramel fleur de sel macaroon

A drop of sticky caramel and fleur de sel, with salted caramel cream

Pistachio rose, lavender and matcha macaroons


Thai iced tea macaroon innard


Raspberry and pistachio rose macaroons

Raindrops and roses...

I'm eating chocolate and spoonfuls of frosting for dinner.

Really.

A lot has been going on in life (the bf's more so than mine) and meals haven't been the biggest priority. For the most part, I swallow everything in sight, especially at work. Gingerbread cookies in the kitchen, leftover Specialty's scones from a meeting, stale donuts from a pink box. You name it. This disgusting habit's primarily due to stress -- says all who are fat in this world.

I get my dose of chaos at work daily, and I'm feeling lost in the home front. When I try to put things into perspective, there seems nothing more I can do but be hopeful. A person who believes in faith would pray. And I'm not sure if I know to do that. What do people do in moments like these?

Remembering The Sound of Music, the movie I watched a million times as a child, I wondered if there's something to be said about that song. The one that goes:

Raindrops and roses and whiskers of kittens. Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages tied up with string. These are a few of my favorite things. When the dogs bites. When the bee stings. When I'm feeling sad. I simply remember a few of my favorite things. And then I don't feel... so bad...

I wish it really were that easy.

Sometimes it's not just a dog bite. And even when it is, no one sings. I know.

Even so, I'm going to have to give it a shot.

Something's missing

An exhausted coworker yelled at me today for picking up on an error others should've noted in my absence. Others whom I had clearly told over the phone, "I trust that you know the work well enough to make sure everything's in order."

Another coworker stormed out of a room during a meeting having been told to "not be such a jerk." And, I just responded to a scathing email explaining an action I decided to take in my own judgment.

If the bf were here, we'd laugh about these incidents over dinner and Scrubs, but he's on a plane going where he's most needed.

Stepping into the empty apartment, I dropped my bags, headed to the kitchen and inhaled the waft of ginger and garlic leftover from last night's dinner we cooked together. There was a McChicken (the bf's) in the fridge, which I ate slowly standing by the microwave.

I really hope all is well back home.

In memory of Scarlette

Scarlette 07'

I learned to love you even though we've never met.

Everything I heard about you from the day you came to our lives was nothing less than good. You were a beam of sunshine to our home and I can't thank you more for just being you.

How adorable was it when you greeted everyone at the door? When you whimpered softly for attention or slept on everyone's beds. Even your barks, soft and light but full of spirit, were embraced by all. I'm sorry that those were my only contact with you. And I'm sorry you had to go.

Scarlette, may you rest in peace, and bring with you all the good memories you gave us all.