these are a few of my favourite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Last week in the states!

Time flies. And soon one month flew past faster than I could blink.

I'm grateful for the chance to do many of my favourite things here, especially, getting to spend lots of time with my loved one :) I guess, that's really the best part of the whole trip!

my favourite things 

lunching in the outdoors in quaint cafes, with the cool breeze and fuzzy sunlight

supporting my loved one in his honourable career 

golf in the wonderful beautiful nature

picnics, baking and preparing delish pretty bites

shopping for beautiful pieces


Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

photographing with the luscious bushes of our backyard

embracing the checkered shirts of american a&f culture

spending leisurely time in the day with matching shoes

trying much raved american food


Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

photographing pretty colors and food

frolicking on the white sands of Florida

Watching seagulls fly

enjoying my own company and creating beautiful things, reading endlessly.

cooking and each meal more delicious for my loved one :)

stitching every stitch for my husband :)

baking and celebrating with my most A C E person in the world :)

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

thank you for all the favourite things I got to do in the states.
blessed is me.
till the next time we meet!

xoxo
crystael

A day in Alabama

"Remember the days, we set out together in faith, remember the times so fine that we thought that nothing could stand in our way"

Took the chance to make cards for all my amigas :) Blessed to have lots of wonderful gal pals who are always supportive, although some are far far away and scattered all over the world!

ivy league colours :)

prepared a snuggly casserole to warm the heart :)

The Commissary

Where good things come in brown packages :)

And the big tree in our yard(with a bird's nest in it) that I so love!

And cheers to a paisley weekend! Gettin ready for another road trip!

"Always have faith."

xoxo,
Crystael

Masterchef Bootcamp

If music be the food of love, play on.

And if kindness be the food of soul, pass it on.

Brought along my pretty cookbook to peruse leisurely. .. 

But what I didn't quite envision was a 'Masterchef Bootcamp' that evolved, which brought out the best of my culinary skills.
And so it seems, I can actually whip up quite tasty dishes! Quite a shocker since the last time I checked, I could barely fix up a plate of fried rice. :P

First attempt at the stove for lunch.

and managed to come up with a decent meal of
Spaghetti Bolognese with sauteed mushrooms and sausages, and sinful bacon :P

My favourite kind of breakfast the next day :)

And then dinner on another day-
Grilled chicken with thyme and sauteed potatoes, complete with fresh asparagus and baby carrots. 

Justen loved it and slurped up my portion too! Yippee!

Breakfast at 7am-
Cheesy omelette with carrots sticks and toast. Complete with OJ and a cup of hot tea!

Dinner on another day -
Aglio olio spaghetti with grilled tomato garlic chicken, sauteed mushrooms and pan fried asparagus + carrots. 

And a cosy fish & shrimp casserole to warm the tummy and heart :)

Home-cooked chinese style dinner -
Stir fry diced chilli chicken with asparagus, onion tomato omelette and rice.

My lunch one day under the big tree :)
Fruit platter with my favourite 3-in-1 cereal Mom packed for me from Singapore!

And a simple lunch-
Omelette, asparagus and grapes!

Breakfast for Justen at 6.30am -
Sunny side ups with sauteed potatos & toasts with grape jam.


Well I guess,
if you never try, you never know.
I tried, and my masterchef bootcamp is going on good and really fun. :)


What will you be willing to try today? :)

xoxo,
crystael

the inner game of golf

"If you want to change the fruits, you will have to change the roots" - Harv Eker

The golf greens at Alabama are a really beautiful sight and I was so amused to see scampering squirrels sniffing for acorns, beautiful red birds flying in the woods and there was actually a flock of geese on the greens! I guess they don't need any PC to step onto the course ;)

Buggy! Whee!!!!

The weather was superb for the game!

The pro and his perfect strokes! 

Whoosh and that's a complete follow through!
Next stop would be a PGA tour. heh!;)


Awesome weather to play golf here :)
And the courses here are challenging! Hilly terrains and interesting landscapes make the practice for a noob like me much more exciting and I love the challenge, adrenalin and focus.

What is your inner game of golf?

xoxo,
crystael