tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16938217577968151392023-12-26T18:55:11.896-08:00curious foreignerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1529125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-75728397658432203092023-01-07T08:00:00.003-08:002023-01-07T08:02:11.761-08:00New Year Preparation <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gkyUZW7zjehoF6DB4VmxPBrmjSJQUP72ialQ7EORzb7AjdN2ZP7nFzV5kHDlOZdf2taZGYOJZrWp-9k5jLLm20k2I0ZuQ0n0dMBYYGQY5LpCjuYUWJRLPjeaWx3vaPkvX_KWaSMskYbrAURUwD7Ztn-tlMrACYzpNpoA5JBuDHk1o7hAf_msyMx1/s2448/IMG_8683.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1834" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gkyUZW7zjehoF6DB4VmxPBrmjSJQUP72ialQ7EORzb7AjdN2ZP7nFzV5kHDlOZdf2taZGYOJZrWp-9k5jLLm20k2I0ZuQ0n0dMBYYGQY5LpCjuYUWJRLPjeaWx3vaPkvX_KWaSMskYbrAURUwD7Ztn-tlMrACYzpNpoA5JBuDHk1o7hAf_msyMx1/w480-h640/IMG_8683.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>I always like to do a bit of preparation at the end of each year to welcome the new year, although this year things were very challenging, I still couldn't help but feeling thankful that all my puppies are with me and we've gone through another holiday season all together. There seems to always be some hardship around the holidays that make it hard to get into the celebration mode for the last couple years, but I'm determined to actually celebrate holiday season for 2023. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXUBIys5twFT75hQZkddgFgjNB43dZrYRh267QPnJZFLRJImOxdqWyAq3sAdP8Bg6SuoHz421AaSM1ZzUQoha1tGZd7lSGQxTHo2bbzBEUc4zYTHgqKydle_NbrWpwuwB8ZCrdcF796ArqX92qQ9F1ZzL9Q1SWrV-MMZsHzd5_vvhwERnA7_CHm5e/s2448/IMG_8694.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXUBIys5twFT75hQZkddgFgjNB43dZrYRh267QPnJZFLRJImOxdqWyAq3sAdP8Bg6SuoHz421AaSM1ZzUQoha1tGZd7lSGQxTHo2bbzBEUc4zYTHgqKydle_NbrWpwuwB8ZCrdcF796ArqX92qQ9F1ZzL9Q1SWrV-MMZsHzd5_vvhwERnA7_CHm5e/w640-h480/IMG_8694.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>To prep for the new year, I let go a lot of things around the house. I went through every area going through drawers and cabinets to see what things can be donate or disposed of. Things like dishes I don't use, clothes that no longer fit me or shoes I don't wear anymore all found new homes. It was such a good feeling to let go of things and remove clutter from my home. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX3DZcEPFgzih7B5IgXw_QXEVvlQGOCcLCDVQ5vT_y34Ajg1383tyrg1TZe5u1aIIcf5ecdLIfRIi3mvFFTBSYjktixYriCvyla0BG2zDHRNyASDJje3H_2mM40z4EKfLZ0Uxp3le9hLYFqN9WH0wfoLECh1ZfdA1z3aV47vD-YF6otZI83C2XqwB/s4032/IMG_8474.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX3DZcEPFgzih7B5IgXw_QXEVvlQGOCcLCDVQ5vT_y34Ajg1383tyrg1TZe5u1aIIcf5ecdLIfRIi3mvFFTBSYjktixYriCvyla0BG2zDHRNyASDJje3H_2mM40z4EKfLZ0Uxp3le9hLYFqN9WH0wfoLECh1ZfdA1z3aV47vD-YF6otZI83C2XqwB/w640-h480/IMG_8474.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>I also dropped off a massive tray of custom jewelry as my vintage days are very much behind me. Lately I really don't want to be weight down by material things anymore, and I am ready to part ways with a lot of things that I no longer wish to be responsible for. It felt so good to reclaim my space again and just have a peaceful and organized home. </p><p>Other things that got the boot are several orchids and books that I don't read anymore that are just taking up precious space. Some area of the home actually required more than one time decluttering, it turned out to be a far bigger project than I anticipated and I'm still not finished, but I've got enough to give me a fresh start for the new year. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7a-aJGZrtJK8HANs9EIM9coCMuCObxAVYGyxXLQjYebWC0lK5r4ec7_GC28jUxCNWr1iXYPiqnuspUkRkPzIyrKzCTsxwioySVuIC7yjFCEv5924BH8GyuouATdkRg7_p7iSCs0fnjuoSTGkxNI8LErp14w41PeNA26Prfjt3vNZFQr0HqQZsLdk/s1558/18DEF222-EAF4-4E90-878E-6C627A18BB86.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1558" data-original-width="1558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7a-aJGZrtJK8HANs9EIM9coCMuCObxAVYGyxXLQjYebWC0lK5r4ec7_GC28jUxCNWr1iXYPiqnuspUkRkPzIyrKzCTsxwioySVuIC7yjFCEv5924BH8GyuouATdkRg7_p7iSCs0fnjuoSTGkxNI8LErp14w41PeNA26Prfjt3vNZFQr0HqQZsLdk/w640-h640/18DEF222-EAF4-4E90-878E-6C627A18BB86.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>One last thing that I always do for myself before the New Year is buying a brand new journal. I always love writing down my goals and inspirations and there's nothing that quite like starting a brand new journal that signify putting the old year behind and start the new year fresh. There is so much trauma from the past year it made me want to not think about it altogether, I'm looking forward to write down some better experiences for this year. </p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-87115263826065993422022-12-24T08:25:00.005-08:002022-12-24T09:15:40.443-08:00Home Improvement Plans for the New Year<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALqIy_WMQd8APKouPDEmbmfzX14meyW7Hh8kq2L14upj5vC_XnajKtrbjuzoof5jL2MG5cjjt5CQwYP0OHflMTICMWAP56yUefvMzO-IAQkrURo3-EKoaCH_ghyd-T9RvjAP9OGRvHxxw2UHhRAnwwLc8lEWs0RIplIGEhyejyTt2VXyKB6sfHkUQ/s2448/IMG_8219.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1772" data-original-width="2448" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALqIy_WMQd8APKouPDEmbmfzX14meyW7Hh8kq2L14upj5vC_XnajKtrbjuzoof5jL2MG5cjjt5CQwYP0OHflMTICMWAP56yUefvMzO-IAQkrURo3-EKoaCH_ghyd-T9RvjAP9OGRvHxxw2UHhRAnwwLc8lEWs0RIplIGEhyejyTt2VXyKB6sfHkUQ/w640-h464/IMG_8219.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I stopped by Michael's a week ago and although I swore not to buy anymore planners, I couldn't resist such a cute cover. As usual I really enjoy making plans around this time of the year. Particularly I've been really looking at the kitchen and baths in my house and wondering when I can finally get these areas done. I'm using this cute little planner for home improvements and it would be good to keep track of expense and timelines somewhere. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynpALdtfSrynA5WBByxQIjwMKM1e8MUyre8A9Xt9iiCGEGaX8h42a-6Q6aVDF7UsadkLJwztr0JiJ3iabxYXYJHRLKpv4koJG1EtNVWyvvN2dYC_Yzy0LABVJl6GbZAFOuKkysM99tw-EYf_jCXFr1aXil7djPTh-WzfEt9Y4jnmLk9emwFYunom/s316/IMG_8170%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="316" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQynpALdtfSrynA5WBByxQIjwMKM1e8MUyre8A9Xt9iiCGEGaX8h42a-6Q6aVDF7UsadkLJwztr0JiJ3iabxYXYJHRLKpv4koJG1EtNVWyvvN2dYC_Yzy0LABVJl6GbZAFOuKkysM99tw-EYf_jCXFr1aXil7djPTh-WzfEt9Y4jnmLk9emwFYunom/s1600/IMG_8170%202.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's the current set up of my bathroom, I'm embarrassed to say that not a single thing has changed since I moved here eleven years ago. It's got the early 2000's Tuscany feel and very boxy design because of all the "built ins." Also since my house was built in the 1920s, I'm looking forward to bringing some 1920's bath flair into the next upgrade.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ7snkhLKSQWobtGBPA5b8tPN8Nb4YNt7xe2jJme7WSDnFYEdB1cN4jH5tdDeQGGVQ61K9kzcTqDL7gR5YlVM10K_RRHkQ93zqsO1cOCCEU5U2kb78nWJQ9p8JQSiDUU2qgmVN5VwhKWIDXBZ_jiLIvZ20XwH4TspDyifbGZcMA9S2byWQInnbvGY/s1200/Elegant-antique-bathrooms-1900s-14.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="853" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQ7snkhLKSQWobtGBPA5b8tPN8Nb4YNt7xe2jJme7WSDnFYEdB1cN4jH5tdDeQGGVQ61K9kzcTqDL7gR5YlVM10K_RRHkQ93zqsO1cOCCEU5U2kb78nWJQ9p8JQSiDUU2qgmVN5VwhKWIDXBZ_jiLIvZ20XwH4TspDyifbGZcMA9S2byWQInnbvGY/w454-h640/Elegant-antique-bathrooms-1900s-14.jpeg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><div>Here's an inspiration of my bath renovation. I really love the look of the shower ring and I think it could work well for protecting the windows. <br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh183VE-2IkOEDEUHs1f8xdRz-SRqrRxaO2u0M46aPQf6gAHyLbAw4cBsaoIBK7fmh2HpeEiGnexBQSUmw_1DpdYpqufzr84IkvtG3qPf3WsWef73NzdLp4BsW5OvLjeVEf0pNNJKd2sPTmlEiScVB0JdZs8zOYJwhrqwF3dxQATrCVp8tUrxISIHgz/s1000/lg66de7wdib_2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh183VE-2IkOEDEUHs1f8xdRz-SRqrRxaO2u0M46aPQf6gAHyLbAw4cBsaoIBK7fmh2HpeEiGnexBQSUmw_1DpdYpqufzr84IkvtG3qPf3WsWef73NzdLp4BsW5OvLjeVEf0pNNJKd2sPTmlEiScVB0JdZs8zOYJwhrqwF3dxQATrCVp8tUrxISIHgz/w400-h400/lg66de7wdib_2.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I'm already super smitten on <a href="https://www.vintagetub.com/randolph-morris-cast-iron-double-ended-clawfoot-tub-rim-faucet-drillings-lgde7wdi.html">this</a> vintage style tub, my current tub is in front of two windows and I would like to keep the tub in the same location if possible. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePLCO0hXpwwAoU0fq7VMRlo1eFMHGV6iepuYaOsTpRtzgiCDenII3q5sldoJhoxJXnAUVF2tT4B6MYgO2ALZb7HYDdiA04EJWyvQQjz6ZPafPb-JpHecpUO9BdlNuiA9x0YA01l2BpoIIzSvgLbuZDOm-Z7K4i3oT1Xs9-HcIqiHmS1dRtVWy7U1_/s1920/P0757C__69970.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1920" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePLCO0hXpwwAoU0fq7VMRlo1eFMHGV6iepuYaOsTpRtzgiCDenII3q5sldoJhoxJXnAUVF2tT4B6MYgO2ALZb7HYDdiA04EJWyvQQjz6ZPafPb-JpHecpUO9BdlNuiA9x0YA01l2BpoIIzSvgLbuZDOm-Z7K4i3oT1Xs9-HcIqiHmS1dRtVWy7U1_/s320/P0757C__69970.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>The more ambitious move is to get rid of the stand alone shower, considering that I have not used it in the past five years, it's function is pretty obsolete in my house. I'm the one weirdo who much prefer bath over a shower, and the bulky shower took almost half of my tiny bathroom space. Having a shower and bath combo would open up the space tremendously, as well as allowing me to move the location of the toilet and sink. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdV1ykohOmYdAb-oX2pitS1KM594F35nWuFGNVbGbHQlH8T8N_fKnYPMjqR3jpoCaCkBJG03t-ThQB6iLvwHWPVFef5rxJ1xC6CPFi2udFhKVc4mXtRt0uygLuz2ZuNbnwzNS4k9cP8ZwFvcTVhWay0DBMHkR7wToyCG_7EKaBwaL5RtqXnKQ5qAM/s447/IMG_8220.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdV1ykohOmYdAb-oX2pitS1KM594F35nWuFGNVbGbHQlH8T8N_fKnYPMjqR3jpoCaCkBJG03t-ThQB6iLvwHWPVFef5rxJ1xC6CPFi2udFhKVc4mXtRt0uygLuz2ZuNbnwzNS4k9cP8ZwFvcTVhWay0DBMHkR7wToyCG_7EKaBwaL5RtqXnKQ5qAM/s320/IMG_8220.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><p>The one thing that bothered me the most about my master bathroom is the door opening to the view of a toilet, with an oddly placed cabinet above it. Without the shower bulking up the space, it would allow me to move the toilet over and place an elegant pedestal sink over it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cDTqVOS7Wl2cKl13TvJxA2nwoltmIA5Z5O4N9v4AYk9DQypTnyxBkMsbGBNRHFmjKL8CNyMEedtp2hCBQx0TBLL73pRbegZr8a1Xs7n8sObpkSYPapUM9F7PkR64aN5jeayMCdPY2UC0hTCAwAxuNuzSzi-QBaWe5UTChZzgBX7WSzzPwlTc12A6/s800/northallerton_versailles_avebury_flow_richmond_torch_13.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="700" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cDTqVOS7Wl2cKl13TvJxA2nwoltmIA5Z5O4N9v4AYk9DQypTnyxBkMsbGBNRHFmjKL8CNyMEedtp2hCBQx0TBLL73pRbegZr8a1Xs7n8sObpkSYPapUM9F7PkR64aN5jeayMCdPY2UC0hTCAwAxuNuzSzi-QBaWe5UTChZzgBX7WSzzPwlTc12A6/w560-h640/northallerton_versailles_avebury_flow_richmond_torch_13.webp" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Currently I'm obsessed with the console sink from </span><a href="https://www.firedearth.com/versailles-small-console-1" style="text-align: left;">FiredEarth</a><span style="text-align: left;">, I think it would absolutely be amazing for this space. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gy25BMcRVwbHWCyaMgTkC6asvPAsM9K9Rwliahsa5H34XDWb7wPfqpNEA-Jot4npVGfa6ApZpGi6zj8s9dFVTc372dVZmAZHR-dNbLKK8F4x8rfBBOm3TijjxvOCjMhMGU3hUToCTHY_kORE48yyucf5TlZchDLta6XtI2W_o5RUHi2roxU_8hGT/s1280/vanity-white-cabinets-b1000fc17159498d94a208c89614128b.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="919" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Gy25BMcRVwbHWCyaMgTkC6asvPAsM9K9Rwliahsa5H34XDWb7wPfqpNEA-Jot4npVGfa6ApZpGi6zj8s9dFVTc372dVZmAZHR-dNbLKK8F4x8rfBBOm3TijjxvOCjMhMGU3hUToCTHY_kORE48yyucf5TlZchDLta6XtI2W_o5RUHi2roxU_8hGT/w461-h640/vanity-white-cabinets-b1000fc17159498d94a208c89614128b.jpeg" width="461" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For the area that currently holds the cabinet and sink, I would love to convert it into a sit down vanity area with storage cabinets on both side. <a href="https://www.bhg.com/bathroom/vanities/bathroom-makeup-vanity-ideas/">This</a> article has so many great ideas. Mine would likely be smaller with french panel doors due to the space constrains, but me being a soaking-bath girl and a make-up girl, I would really love to turn this bathroom into a luxurious space for myself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDFDXSXhizerG3grO3gnCtF5I1fi06N_Zrn1fPAB7lMKk6J4ZWF-Wwc4WhF8OwZxEAzv3uf8kpL2edBTP3rvSexQkYAP0QzzU8IJ-yoQJWi3syx2kikgzTME53nxuIhfXKnbAfmxHWbG79zOyVRSARFZaVozWYE_7Jv-YMQ36t90soEpdQplTjxgY/s666/transitional-bathroom.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilDFDXSXhizerG3grO3gnCtF5I1fi06N_Zrn1fPAB7lMKk6J4ZWF-Wwc4WhF8OwZxEAzv3uf8kpL2edBTP3rvSexQkYAP0QzzU8IJ-yoQJWi3syx2kikgzTME53nxuIhfXKnbAfmxHWbG79zOyVRSARFZaVozWYE_7Jv-YMQ36t90soEpdQplTjxgY/w480-h640/transitional-bathroom.webp" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's an inspo photo I found, I think my tub area will end up looking quite similar! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65zK9tLit7sY_OLGxq8aF9SXcfVuFTO37-GTdW00hy40xL8DF8TzyPa4SAyonjhqJm-ya7GpZVKUSSzQrO3Vju41CWXd0Odztx9JtT3aKxStF0DZFNzFOFWO8aw2hCfnQPZ2QfViNS8r_9wPdzTndmLUk7Jvwz49-jb4f8yDO2VmkRWrK_BDg9piJ/s1662/Modage210Accents800.2_554a6bad-886f-4ed6-a506-26cb665d7f52.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="1611" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg65zK9tLit7sY_OLGxq8aF9SXcfVuFTO37-GTdW00hy40xL8DF8TzyPa4SAyonjhqJm-ya7GpZVKUSSzQrO3Vju41CWXd0Odztx9JtT3aKxStF0DZFNzFOFWO8aw2hCfnQPZ2QfViNS8r_9wPdzTndmLUk7Jvwz49-jb4f8yDO2VmkRWrK_BDg9piJ/w388-h400/Modage210Accents800.2_554a6bad-886f-4ed6-a506-26cb665d7f52.webp" width="388" /></a></div><br /><div>Finally, when I think of 1920s bathrooms, I'm always reminded of intricate tile work. <a href="https://www.mosaictile.com/collections/1-x-1-mosaic-tile/products/hive-pinnacle-hexagon-patterns?variant=40602374996144">This</a> site seems to have some fun design. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCs_y1t73YiFObqVMNuwMcisWhBQlhHRURtAu-1-8VvucQ0nhSchKU-rp4WtK9wQd_pJQq0b9P5jUHQEXb3L7IkN4UZsfdeQ7thbel8J3G_f29CvTfxbCRY75zJVrigTUAs1XBDaLsILJ_fVH2Z9o0mrD_SGI8ugS6ouLLhLIkjG7bOQyf855BRhx/s2621/marianne-evennou-office-paris-13-1466x2621.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2621" data-original-width="1466" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCs_y1t73YiFObqVMNuwMcisWhBQlhHRURtAu-1-8VvucQ0nhSchKU-rp4WtK9wQd_pJQq0b9P5jUHQEXb3L7IkN4UZsfdeQ7thbel8J3G_f29CvTfxbCRY75zJVrigTUAs1XBDaLsILJ_fVH2Z9o0mrD_SGI8ugS6ouLLhLIkjG7bOQyf855BRhx/w358-h640/marianne-evennou-office-paris-13-1466x2621.jpeg" width="358" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm really loving all the tile detail of this bathroom featured on <a href="https://ruemag.com/home-tour-2/rooms-we-love/1920s-style-bathrooms-that-inspire">here</a>. There are vintage style tile makers in LA such as BW tiles that I will have to make a trip over some time soon. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66MzY1NsFWvbungEg1Wu3Y6nPUfXGKZUgf8VmA6BW7i3Mjm47uSdPsMNHnFaYuwYrtyfEtEPvfm1GNP1rWhZrJoJFTMcXm8gkDaBaMTypBg8hhX1KR9KmRFzWb4PyCXvs2sYNs9oJEdTE7gA4A_xBd0YaOvNAX1F0hTBrgIEwWTWPnYVIRIHhqiJF/s1800/IMG_8244.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66MzY1NsFWvbungEg1Wu3Y6nPUfXGKZUgf8VmA6BW7i3Mjm47uSdPsMNHnFaYuwYrtyfEtEPvfm1GNP1rWhZrJoJFTMcXm8gkDaBaMTypBg8hhX1KR9KmRFzWb4PyCXvs2sYNs9oJEdTE7gA4A_xBd0YaOvNAX1F0hTBrgIEwWTWPnYVIRIHhqiJF/w360-h640/IMG_8244.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>All in all here is my vision for the master bath, I think it will suit my 1920s home very well and I really can't wait to make it happen! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-51420579409440407262022-12-18T17:01:00.001-08:002022-12-18T17:01:31.372-08:00Master bedroom progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jS576kJi8K1Nwy_7F_1f7-akRUPH6ZCvb06FXZQCcWwIIx2lpVjfC2D4bZe7bzOl1I4Ri4dkHU5CffGEGDeLD4ONZioXpSv87auxkOXF6cz52DQH7G3QI8AakX7DZ5RUxpmz2TzXj1F7EmfysjVDrt8lnxRF8Lv1B6eK18qDlX84DZoK6RiGp4Rl/s960/320699167_529621829098088_9214016322689935274_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jS576kJi8K1Nwy_7F_1f7-akRUPH6ZCvb06FXZQCcWwIIx2lpVjfC2D4bZe7bzOl1I4Ri4dkHU5CffGEGDeLD4ONZioXpSv87auxkOXF6cz52DQH7G3QI8AakX7DZ5RUxpmz2TzXj1F7EmfysjVDrt8lnxRF8Lv1B6eK18qDlX84DZoK6RiGp4Rl/w640-h480/320699167_529621829098088_9214016322689935274_n.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Last year I refinished the <a href="https://curiousforeigner.blogspot.com/search?q=bedroom">bedroom</a> floor in the master bedroom and gave away the old furniture set to my gardener because he had commented on how much he liked it. It literally took me a whole year to get working on it again because I didn't sleep in there and simply didn't have the time. </div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in late August I suffered a very bad medical incident that literally threw my life upside down and took me away from being able to live a normal life for months. It made me realize what an awful and dangerous world we truly live in and there are some medical professionals who could care less about me as a human being and my life meant nothing to them.</div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12rem;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.12rem;">While struggling to survive and repairing the damage done by others, I put my focus on home improvement projects again because it's something that I'm passionate about and it always guarantee to brighten up my day. I finally ordered a new bed, this time I upgraded to a king size low profile bed because I had wanted my pups to be able to jump on the bed with ease and also have plenty of leg room for all of us. It took me a while to bring in the mattress because the one I had wanted was quite pricy. I ended up going with a luxurious Beautyrest mattress that has a plush pillow top. I took Kelly to the mattress store and she helped me negotiate a great bargain.</span></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Yesterday the mattress got delivered after a two week long wait, I immediately went to HomeGoods and picked a new set of quilt and sham and also order a water proof mattress cover online. In the evening when I got home, I slowly worked on the bed and made dinner for me and the pups, it was such an amazing feeling to focus on something happy. I'm already loving the natural wood color of the new bed and the mattress feels like soft cloud. </div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj0zLFwaDdsBAfkXrXD3oTEuxIamCzrM8Ir4AG9A8Oh5ZP2QsX0aOyqS_FFRqR_sEnecqsIQqNLy0UgD9Fp7xRyuWDkPGKHL0MYwGxmsy5LN_Lo4SoKG3Di3ywOxbkwkXDZ2IyTIoR7_IgnnOEEq3ihdOeEA0VA-hblV8qhCQwg5sGld3oo71xOuS/s2448/IMG_7985.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj0zLFwaDdsBAfkXrXD3oTEuxIamCzrM8Ir4AG9A8Oh5ZP2QsX0aOyqS_FFRqR_sEnecqsIQqNLy0UgD9Fp7xRyuWDkPGKHL0MYwGxmsy5LN_Lo4SoKG3Di3ywOxbkwkXDZ2IyTIoR7_IgnnOEEq3ihdOeEA0VA-hblV8qhCQwg5sGld3oo71xOuS/w640-h480/IMG_7985.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Our first night trying out the new bed was amazing. Bella was a bit confused at first as she likes to head upstairs when she's ready for bed so I had to lure her downstairs with a treat. I slept so well on my new bed and I couldn't even put in words how good it felt to finally get a new bed!</div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTPQZy1gh0RqsbWOjJwEgoIvoj5VpndFmMpeG4C0cM53jvzpX2NNHhoWy5eyZrRFsMQ49LxVYGNOt2AYSARK-gY3Akg3FH16qjrf7jiFSyunRlFDaJZGnm7pfHeFi6AMZJqZ9hOpLQZs072NB4n4Kqpv_KJG8JA9NtxG2Jr1bIdwv2nmq2dNQJwtl/s1800/IMG_7988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1198" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTPQZy1gh0RqsbWOjJwEgoIvoj5VpndFmMpeG4C0cM53jvzpX2NNHhoWy5eyZrRFsMQ49LxVYGNOt2AYSARK-gY3Akg3FH16qjrf7jiFSyunRlFDaJZGnm7pfHeFi6AMZJqZ9hOpLQZs072NB4n4Kqpv_KJG8JA9NtxG2Jr1bIdwv2nmq2dNQJwtl/w426-h640/IMG_7988.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">The remaining things that needed to be done include installing new baseboard, fixing the window that Uggie chewed up again!) and making new custom cushions for the window seat. After that I just need to declutter and organize my closet and also switch out my current IKEA dresser with a new one. I also want to install some new window covering and I already found some new lace curtain that I really like. I'm also contemplating painting the room again... but I do still love the current wall color! So, that's the plan for now. I can't believe it has taken me this long to get to it but I'm really loving how it's turning out!</div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: #fdfdf9; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--text-dark); letter-spacing: 0.12rem; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-49775584943134061112022-10-12T03:42:00.000-07:002022-10-12T03:42:43.517-07:00A little tlc for the home<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvK7zHXTGEr5hq0iEuxyM_0uKM4XHNAvNv6-NtGwfMDAXEabEEPTeR_Tul8VA6Giw-NZR79LcDrZYUG3JC_qmTt7yvufPZSb5bFDVPHI7UqY6yRPd11_vOf404VVraUzpnMP-EXhHomW7kS0SfnuQGMFXwx1LbEEYPU9xS8__6ga6LQlXN6XNKFCs/s4032/IMG_2330.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvK7zHXTGEr5hq0iEuxyM_0uKM4XHNAvNv6-NtGwfMDAXEabEEPTeR_Tul8VA6Giw-NZR79LcDrZYUG3JC_qmTt7yvufPZSb5bFDVPHI7UqY6yRPd11_vOf404VVraUzpnMP-EXhHomW7kS0SfnuQGMFXwx1LbEEYPU9xS8__6ga6LQlXN6XNKFCs/w640-h480/IMG_2330.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The past month and half has been extraordinarily stressful with one traumatic event after another, as a result a lot of things at home were neglected. I decided to hole up at home this past weekend and work around the house a bit, and also just take some time off for myself so I could heal and recover from all the stress. It's very hard to make future plans when life is overwhelming, a short break was much needed for me to just recharge and recover. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzXg8ApAEGvWp7yJ1EN4C0HlZjU_Vrvk5D_qMFv_b9Id4bkwlVLbCk4-AlRHy5p3UiyubDZkpPwpSs4sFBachLHztQnyANpzq5rcJaZUwxYqRPPgScA1zEB-aTx6QkpIN00hLCniMnStHNOzdX--ykkIKfBvw-lTduN0xxwwU6z6F1p42eVO0PfPF/s4032/IMG_2295.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQzXg8ApAEGvWp7yJ1EN4C0HlZjU_Vrvk5D_qMFv_b9Id4bkwlVLbCk4-AlRHy5p3UiyubDZkpPwpSs4sFBachLHztQnyANpzq5rcJaZUwxYqRPPgScA1zEB-aTx6QkpIN00hLCniMnStHNOzdX--ykkIKfBvw-lTduN0xxwwU6z6F1p42eVO0PfPF/w640-h480/IMG_2295.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>All of my orchids had been quite neglected, I spent a lot of time giving them some love, potting several orchids that badly needed a refresh and cleaned up a good deal of them and giving all the orchids a thorough soak in water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I also gave some extra love to my puppies as well, everyone got a hair cut at the groomers and I made delicious meals for everyone just because I had the time. It was very hard to make plans when life is full of stress, when I'm a bit rested I can finally think about future plans and have a positive outlook on life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6zUd3b9S59joUJHPUBWa5HdOl_epb5PATfbubOWi_7RjZ08UiCYnKuoeKsUPmcm5TipFjqDJGMSBsCQPlxMbWENEMO3iynZpasZwNCfKim6ixZk4IDJksh5JBLBs44EdJIVzRGooovFvtPX_4kpCnnlt4uQzh0ZOTxcoIBq4MW8KWaMz1WjAgLma/s2448/IMG_2359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6zUd3b9S59joUJHPUBWa5HdOl_epb5PATfbubOWi_7RjZ08UiCYnKuoeKsUPmcm5TipFjqDJGMSBsCQPlxMbWENEMO3iynZpasZwNCfKim6ixZk4IDJksh5JBLBs44EdJIVzRGooovFvtPX_4kpCnnlt4uQzh0ZOTxcoIBq4MW8KWaMz1WjAgLma/w640-h480/IMG_2359.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">I also made some more home improvement plans. It seems that home improvement is just never ending, even if nothing is "improved," a lot of things still needed up keep. For one, all the flowers pretty much died on the front porch. It's badly in need of a sprucing up, I bought some new flowers but also made plans to make a new miniature garden. I also need to purchase a new bed for my master bedroom since I gave my old set away to my gardener as well as finishing painting the master bedroom. There are also repairs that needed to be done but I never got around to finding the right person to do them. I've made some plans to take a bit of time off work, perhaps a week or two to focus on myself and my home. Sometimes I'm so busy making a living that I forgot how to live and once in a while it's good to remind myself of that. </span></div></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-21174861923629437902022-09-05T08:20:00.002-07:002022-09-05T08:20:46.046-07:00Food I've been enjoying lately<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdvNIXAotV-wdPHNdR4mjES7UZtgX5-f7DLCq9eq2tfBDG6MZbZ2H3BDrdOkE02bleq81kBOzMU2vwFEjqH8YioUuxs3PUmZX6dnIRckOHW-vJJREJlIn8xF5EvAmKnRnTvfXkqIQIBa7S1AI5i44RDxLw_6oSE8qOmpC-Ea0EGsJ29GtKyRHdyZF/s1800/IMG_9785.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1439" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdvNIXAotV-wdPHNdR4mjES7UZtgX5-f7DLCq9eq2tfBDG6MZbZ2H3BDrdOkE02bleq81kBOzMU2vwFEjqH8YioUuxs3PUmZX6dnIRckOHW-vJJREJlIn8xF5EvAmKnRnTvfXkqIQIBa7S1AI5i44RDxLw_6oSE8qOmpC-Ea0EGsJ29GtKyRHdyZF/w512-h640/IMG_9785.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My food choices have improved quite a bit and I'm trying a lot of delicious and healthy foods that I normally don't touch. One of the morning drink I've been enjoying is powdered wheatgrass juice. The taste is not as strong as fresh wheatgrass and I mixed it with two shots of ginger lemon shot from Trader Joe's. I find it quite refreshing and I keep a set at home as well as in my office! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another new food I'm trying is black tahini and blackstrap molasses, not sure if it's just old wive's tale but I've heard that both are great for hair health, so everyday in the evening I mixed one tbsp of blackstrap molasses with two tbsp black tahini as a dessert. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've also started using the Chinese tea maker that I bought earlier in the year. It's designed to brew Chinese herbal tea that has medicinal qualities. The little machine came with a recipe book so I've been slowly going through the it learning how to make delicious porridge or tea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbwJceofdHXn-ozRsFvXg3fkyBjco9V-z6wA1NFSWQsxJg1DIaT5ysIczQs5G5nsJ5sECva22Ox7LbF3Y8AjCdWeZ-G7HJ6loxKshi1vjh_1873uzzJhsZMms6xzSqXGeAzkQPrMHf3sSqwZp15LXPkBxqoeJRS-7yc94tJYV8tLkt6TZeNhgaZK2/s4030/IMG_9187.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="4030" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbwJceofdHXn-ozRsFvXg3fkyBjco9V-z6wA1NFSWQsxJg1DIaT5ysIczQs5G5nsJ5sECva22Ox7LbF3Y8AjCdWeZ-G7HJ6loxKshi1vjh_1873uzzJhsZMms6xzSqXGeAzkQPrMHf3sSqwZp15LXPkBxqoeJRS-7yc94tJYV8tLkt6TZeNhgaZK2/w400-h300/IMG_9187.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other things that I have been working on that's helpful to improve my energy level include exercising 2-3 times a week and eating healthy food. I've been incorporating at least one salad into my meal every day, it's a small change but I can feel a difference already! Every 3 days or so I pick up a couple bags of mixed green so they stay fresh when I make the salad, and I like to throw in all kinds of ingredients for depth of flavor. It's a great way to increase my fiber intake and I'm already feeling the benefit from eating healthy food. I'm overall less anxious and stressed and my energy level is good throughout the day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I want to improve my nutrition, I tend to grab a supplement or a pill as a quick fix and always ignoring the simplest thing right in front of me and that's the food I eat every single day. With healthy food choices, very little to no alcohol intake and a few times exercise a week, I'm slowly improving my overall wellbeing and my weight has started to come down. It's been a really interesting and rewarding journey and I'm looking forward to see what changes will come in another month's time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-37226384662607343922022-08-16T13:19:00.005-07:002022-08-16T13:22:14.486-07:0090 Day Glow Up (Part II)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKINUaKycbtxVf9ENwS5Ncb3QuajwrmED5TR40mRNsiz-634luFTKd2T936DfQm9IcD8Y7D3YVcA6Qtt0otJOMpoH5Gj1Qy3-H4Ft1pI0upW_R7oztdPFp3jgHdNheq_qJnOJ_kUQtK_F1p_HgURwBmJ9-R5DDgAagutzWGIHfDwRNhfhCUQqjtau6/s4030/IMG_9113.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="4030" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKINUaKycbtxVf9ENwS5Ncb3QuajwrmED5TR40mRNsiz-634luFTKd2T936DfQm9IcD8Y7D3YVcA6Qtt0otJOMpoH5Gj1Qy3-H4Ft1pI0upW_R7oztdPFp3jgHdNheq_qJnOJ_kUQtK_F1p_HgURwBmJ9-R5DDgAagutzWGIHfDwRNhfhCUQqjtau6/w640-h480/IMG_9113.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been nearly a month of my 90 Day Glow Up plan and it's time for a small update! Although I haven't lost much weight, I've drastically improved my way of eating and it's showing up in my skin, my energy level, as well as in my mood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I love dining out, the hardest part is figuring out how to eat better and not going to restaurants so much. One of the things that has helped me is having easy to grab foods available at home, in the morning I always pack a few things to work and so I won't be tempted to order take out food when I'm hungry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8UefZ4ZPTM6_GmNAsE1luXD9LssXVEfJU4LbRz09NQD67X_ogl2HZXSKb0R_6mUlFGaFbrQ9Gx2qVSycw0_XDZswo_nzdRWu8cNhUKkTlW3ZX3y4CAQvQ7MrhnANYpd9a9nYO-cfespbxqcmFLHfrac5GAjcMmPjgZKlVZ4Q9k4TGIeB5xi4llR2/s2448/IMG_9010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8UefZ4ZPTM6_GmNAsE1luXD9LssXVEfJU4LbRz09NQD67X_ogl2HZXSKb0R_6mUlFGaFbrQ9Gx2qVSycw0_XDZswo_nzdRWu8cNhUKkTlW3ZX3y4CAQvQ7MrhnANYpd9a9nYO-cfespbxqcmFLHfrac5GAjcMmPjgZKlVZ4Q9k4TGIeB5xi4llR2/w640-h480/IMG_9010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I like to pack a handful of mixed nuts, one or two eggs along with an avocado and a piece of fruit, these can be healthy breakfast or a delicious afternoon snack. I also always have some single pack oatmeal at my office in case I want some warm breakfast. I often end up bringing so much food that I have no need to eat out at least for breakfast and lunch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichEOCD_ZMpR4kSC3nbPuF2coS_sTAd7eYaGsZqkLHEQnEL9XsL1dKSOO4XSIhe3S1zgLMfgddd-T9w2MJBZbTKvnI5d6hyD3oS5i4cnGxaD03XxlMmT38-VwM3ldraNRKkn3FzmoS1fbHfSJYsWYTivAuG_QTZl32qwRwiiBZwTb3X_r9hgzESDWM/s2448/IMG_8239.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichEOCD_ZMpR4kSC3nbPuF2coS_sTAd7eYaGsZqkLHEQnEL9XsL1dKSOO4XSIhe3S1zgLMfgddd-T9w2MJBZbTKvnI5d6hyD3oS5i4cnGxaD03XxlMmT38-VwM3ldraNRKkn3FzmoS1fbHfSJYsWYTivAuG_QTZl32qwRwiiBZwTb3X_r9hgzESDWM/w640-h480/IMG_8239.heic" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop8jZS01fqVFXPIriwIdCjx_ep5pSxztBOnHBSW55BzCZJfJpcGYGUY4J6BGbA0-JmBoQdi0V0Bwyd9DGDVzz-rrzU6B75v4V3SOQRnWTeBgU8U22_rYDnNTGrYcFzYqlNW6o_N7qeBu9eJFl6xe1BS_bAD_9dvZxFRbX5ANJ_H7Amzlw7YWkhEjq/s2448/IMG_8240.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjop8jZS01fqVFXPIriwIdCjx_ep5pSxztBOnHBSW55BzCZJfJpcGYGUY4J6BGbA0-JmBoQdi0V0Bwyd9DGDVzz-rrzU6B75v4V3SOQRnWTeBgU8U22_rYDnNTGrYcFzYqlNW6o_N7qeBu9eJFl6xe1BS_bAD_9dvZxFRbX5ANJ_H7Amzlw7YWkhEjq/w640-h480/IMG_8240.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p>My nutritional goal also includes more fiber intake and I'm starting to pack a salad for lunch a few days a week. I'm slowly getting used to eating healthy food again and the process of pursuing better health is actually quite a positive and enjoyable journey.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-69758663775611681452022-08-09T06:44:00.001-07:002022-08-09T06:44:30.063-07:00Major throw back<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H4vY7ObSfwQO_Q8t6cv4WoN0GChRw6JhPKA1_eTKW_w6SMj___GSKOwCHc8Lzp_BfQxno-Reqzamf0_Yn5H3HpOK3T-NLhz45vDsDjApZHIDYIoHkpNA2OjgzgL_tC7vGQL7D8a4Dw3jaTQWTzg0_6BP_Zy_w8A43scTiVTWXoLBDxTPSL0IRKuM/s1280/289632_10150261942794051_3129085_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H4vY7ObSfwQO_Q8t6cv4WoN0GChRw6JhPKA1_eTKW_w6SMj___GSKOwCHc8Lzp_BfQxno-Reqzamf0_Yn5H3HpOK3T-NLhz45vDsDjApZHIDYIoHkpNA2OjgzgL_tC7vGQL7D8a4Dw3jaTQWTzg0_6BP_Zy_w8A43scTiVTWXoLBDxTPSL0IRKuM/w640-h426/289632_10150261942794051_3129085_o.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>This photo popped up recently of Kelly and Bobby sleeping on their Ikea kid bed, this was 11 years ago. It was such a solid good quality bed and they felt so special when I brought it home for them. I also got a mattress and cute blanket with it, it's the cutest thing in the world. I still miss Bobby so much, it's incredible how much time was robbed of both of us and life just isn't fair sometimes. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-30439104667213499072022-08-03T17:12:00.003-07:002022-08-03T17:12:30.765-07:00Small steps and enjoying the process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt8j0ZfsyscX1dxp-uHbLttl1AZVUSuX7HxRcodTksGHHGqS0_niUy8TC4J-lHht-I6Vnj5TD_ns3-dh-ruFAaJTTjgS30F1mK6iZuOn2UeBEmY7CIJ39mwE1Gp4s7L5N3xQVJ-vwYHcq8AMuYPZFihfNUUzRjpFqiOxQffU3QttIUYe66dN_vng1/s2576/IMG_0800.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWt8j0ZfsyscX1dxp-uHbLttl1AZVUSuX7HxRcodTksGHHGqS0_niUy8TC4J-lHht-I6Vnj5TD_ns3-dh-ruFAaJTTjgS30F1mK6iZuOn2UeBEmY7CIJ39mwE1Gp4s7L5N3xQVJ-vwYHcq8AMuYPZFihfNUUzRjpFqiOxQffU3QttIUYe66dN_vng1/w300-h400/IMG_0800.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><p>I found this photo of myself couple years ago. Before I got sick last year I had pretty decent hair, but I've had to chop off much of it hoping that healthy hair would grow. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9E9Z8YFV276syJ73vfv4fpyIf14ghAW-hI-DlOeJ0rcM3mB9cH1oVVBHKiAKSnonkxK3XTO8kJ9P-RsND4V4_Zr5ZkpMJOKeJpXtdUgOQ6uCgIk3gfGYoYP9pHtAwbg6Crw1AIkBrlb3rSmkwwBndAWeC80NTSpl2i7saOdtZITU4YKUsgOBecqtT/s2447/IMG_8847.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2447" data-original-width="1835" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9E9Z8YFV276syJ73vfv4fpyIf14ghAW-hI-DlOeJ0rcM3mB9cH1oVVBHKiAKSnonkxK3XTO8kJ9P-RsND4V4_Zr5ZkpMJOKeJpXtdUgOQ6uCgIk3gfGYoYP9pHtAwbg6Crw1AIkBrlb3rSmkwwBndAWeC80NTSpl2i7saOdtZITU4YKUsgOBecqtT/w300-h400/IMG_8847.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>So far this year I haven't been able to grow my hair the way it used to be and the struggle is pretty real. My goal right now is to focus on my health and be able to feel like myself again. Personally, I believe being happy is the best medicine, nothing beats being in a good mood, so I do my best to always keep a positive attitude, but other than that, I'm putting in a lot of effort to work on myself everyday. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvW71DSMDWnDaJjGvhcmDzO33uXYtlzF0Th_pkLdJ7ZE8DUZ_f5vMrNYwqigjPiCc-eocuJXTUgilOo1lFF0aInVYtAJ9UleM6Hv6ttMTerK4xXODc7uW57jwDNycXd-RLLmB71VvEyArbO5DhYUVmbK7vtAnzbQ5VpcBkMfMMSZRIu5VtzdCaIHa/s2447/IMG_8845.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2447" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsvW71DSMDWnDaJjGvhcmDzO33uXYtlzF0Th_pkLdJ7ZE8DUZ_f5vMrNYwqigjPiCc-eocuJXTUgilOo1lFF0aInVYtAJ9UleM6Hv6ttMTerK4xXODc7uW57jwDNycXd-RLLmB71VvEyArbO5DhYUVmbK7vtAnzbQ5VpcBkMfMMSZRIu5VtzdCaIHa/w400-h300/IMG_8845.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The thing about making positive changes is that, it may be difficult at the beginning, but once I get things going, it becomes very rewarding to improve myself. Small efforts add up over time, things like getting a fresh juice whenever I have a few minutes to stop by a juice bar, it may not be everyday, but let's say getting a fresh carrot juice 3 times a week still add up to a healthy dose of fresh vitamins!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOaXqfM0Ph-9rzMRKoVJHsuiNydElOmQACebrrjbgEqQKN4IDoFABXzbu2ndxXON3JA-9Ugm6ISQqpCriIosv4Fe5mpiENVP45cPl-ziVlULrvzYbuW-QDOxFjRzC3Nq8RQe9ozeN6hU9knsCwVEbbouan0ITAPNnujUnX4bFvHjZAiHB8R_hg1hu/s2448/IMG_8834.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOaXqfM0Ph-9rzMRKoVJHsuiNydElOmQACebrrjbgEqQKN4IDoFABXzbu2ndxXON3JA-9Ugm6ISQqpCriIosv4Fe5mpiENVP45cPl-ziVlULrvzYbuW-QDOxFjRzC3Nq8RQe9ozeN6hU9knsCwVEbbouan0ITAPNnujUnX4bFvHjZAiHB8R_hg1hu/w400-h300/IMG_8834.HEIC" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">About once a month I also book an acupuncture treatment at my local clinic and I usually like to get cupping as well. I always feel so relaxed after my treatment and good sleep is guaranteed!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtuzhjwUWvyl7yJVRPGsdNQPkGgDv_749wO0_imIAMh4iXryFppH8ZnY5Ymj74qY4zKwWETSHj9ehH5FzReaURSjQduLvMjoU5ZdjRNsTHphjYGaC2Xe-8Z8q_5GT6eLE5Iax75EErR8uuoTNbLNUMJohZCvyp0P3CRmYiMLSNuYKt8W44yWaXJl7/s1800/IMG_8848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1198" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtuzhjwUWvyl7yJVRPGsdNQPkGgDv_749wO0_imIAMh4iXryFppH8ZnY5Ymj74qY4zKwWETSHj9ehH5FzReaURSjQduLvMjoU5ZdjRNsTHphjYGaC2Xe-8Z8q_5GT6eLE5Iax75EErR8uuoTNbLNUMJohZCvyp0P3CRmYiMLSNuYKt8W44yWaXJl7/w426-h640/IMG_8848.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div><br /></div>There are a few things I don't do before and after my acupuncture session, I avoid heavy massage, drinking alcohol, and I also avoid showering right after acupuncture. Usually I book my session close to evening time so I could just go home and rest after treatment. I do like to make a delicious veggie mushroom soup as a light dinner after my treatment. A simple recipe is making a soup stock using Dashi packet (can be purchased from Amazon) and throw in daikon radish, various kind of mushrooms, and add in a bit of tomato and tofu and viola, a delicious and healthy vegetarian soup for a calming and filling dinner.<div><br /></div><div>This past few weeks, I try to make a least one or two meals at home. Sometimes it's hard to cut out dining out entirely because I do love having dinner with friends, but just by spending a bit of effort preparing breakfast and lunch is already giving me more energy! I'm enjoying the moment and learning new things and trying simple recipes, and excited whenever I see small positive changes in my health! <br /><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-17283751473792810572022-08-01T12:00:00.004-07:002022-08-01T22:47:30.431-07:00Relaxing Sunday<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ_Bqh2qXlP6il42b3sklx5e0ZfXmYcKSCRoA6qTbJ2ez09wJIWdZwHwWLmRRu3imqDRsR253F7E71J2HV2s9YEq7bjNBEao7VsTKSBSWhyWQL4c1KUEfLNq6gjGe-VkrBE4oJJltgyy_GbiXow3F56wRx9OR6HGLTo8bzfnbYm2s7OKrqsv_lsRH/s2448/IMG_8728.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ_Bqh2qXlP6il42b3sklx5e0ZfXmYcKSCRoA6qTbJ2ez09wJIWdZwHwWLmRRu3imqDRsR253F7E71J2HV2s9YEq7bjNBEao7VsTKSBSWhyWQL4c1KUEfLNq6gjGe-VkrBE4oJJltgyy_GbiXow3F56wRx9OR6HGLTo8bzfnbYm2s7OKrqsv_lsRH/w640-h480/IMG_8728.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Every week I try to have at least one day where I'm doing nothing but fun activities that I enjoy. Sunday morning I got up early and went to the supermarket and got some more supplements, fruits and veggies for the week and also got a fresh juice on the go. I also went through things in the fridge and made some meal plans for the coming week. </p><p>I find that when I do a bit of planning, I actually save money and eat way better food. This week I'm incorporating some vegan and vegetarian dishes and also bought several bottles of spring water as a bonus!</p><p>Besides eating healthy, I'm adding in cod liver oil and fish oil to my supplements hoping it will be good for joint and heart health but also improve my hair quality. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkPwGz-mG07NddcmKMqzzKpAzwhBLxdBdYRUlFSF6Gxv65FOiFCdHT_KeWyW2ilgssrlkHAcWwdGLwrkFoY4GSIhOJVdPqXo6niqgBrt9tQf4uiCGqCHw7wOWHISlHnorMXnceCUt2b0TbIOLFRacZbbcjvk-e91bmOwNnb72sBL5TxGtlojxxYcO/s2448/IMG_8753.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIkPwGz-mG07NddcmKMqzzKpAzwhBLxdBdYRUlFSF6Gxv65FOiFCdHT_KeWyW2ilgssrlkHAcWwdGLwrkFoY4GSIhOJVdPqXo6niqgBrt9tQf4uiCGqCHw7wOWHISlHnorMXnceCUt2b0TbIOLFRacZbbcjvk-e91bmOwNnb72sBL5TxGtlojxxYcO/w640-h480/IMG_8753.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I also looked at my skin care products and realized that it's badly in need of a refresh since I've ran out on several items and a few products no longer worked well for me. I stopped by Sephora and picked up a new shampoo and conditioner along with a few skincare items, I'm really excited and looking forward to trying them out. <div><br /></div><div>While I was walking around I found a super cute white woven leather purse at Club Monaco, it was the only one in the shop and it was so perfect for summer so I had to bring it home with me. I hardly buy any clothes these day since nothing fit right so I was so excited to find something that I actually liked!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjvW73zxGVFXnXvKGowKsj8T3FzJRdL3Zuqcgc_W4kjeSoNEH6a1CkSNvFbE6nS--qUANXui4J80rUv0ABv9BSUOwRF4FmAmw-P1xCtisGOotJn6BJPDxnXdZ5hvUkmQv7siuxurpMxauzgGpK7rBmmTUyeJebH0TbtEgTJjqzin4j3lLxg9AGpgI/s2048/IMG_8762.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1602" data-original-width="2048" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzjvW73zxGVFXnXvKGowKsj8T3FzJRdL3Zuqcgc_W4kjeSoNEH6a1CkSNvFbE6nS--qUANXui4J80rUv0ABv9BSUOwRF4FmAmw-P1xCtisGOotJn6BJPDxnXdZ5hvUkmQv7siuxurpMxauzgGpK7rBmmTUyeJebH0TbtEgTJjqzin4j3lLxg9AGpgI/w640-h500/IMG_8762.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Overall it was just a blissful rest day and definitely helped me to stay energized and focused for the coming week!</div><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-35224687091865058122022-07-24T14:32:00.000-07:002022-07-24T14:32:30.742-07:0090 Day Glow Up (Part I)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0IpKgsDqst714CltXzJldFUJhs9OSn7Br4Ed5XtofB6s_u5DxmdbvdPWj6ufstAw4EKiXiXsM0HvtI78MVHg35UV2lb4Jj4b6B409aG7d2FpG-b5Cf15AZQUWlb7s3Xlf61Yq0SpUSrSVEL48rL-Zs2ccyL0kuOsblm4PALOQmjrSGtWcD2umPr/s1401/61xMY-QXHsL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="1401" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfp0IpKgsDqst714CltXzJldFUJhs9OSn7Br4Ed5XtofB6s_u5DxmdbvdPWj6ufstAw4EKiXiXsM0HvtI78MVHg35UV2lb4Jj4b6B409aG7d2FpG-b5Cf15AZQUWlb7s3Xlf61Yq0SpUSrSVEL48rL-Zs2ccyL0kuOsblm4PALOQmjrSGtWcD2umPr/w640-h536/61xMY-QXHsL._AC_SL1500_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Around my birthday I made the plan of doing a 90 day glow up, I figured it's something fun to do and will help me overcome the fitness struggles I've been having over the past year and continue on my healing journey. How's it going? Well it's definitely an interesting experience! As with everything, the beginning is always the hardest! I kept a wall calendar next to my bed, it has an amazing effect of helping me staying focused. Every night before bedtime I wrote down my fitness or self care activities I had done for the day, and take a few minutes to plan out for the next day depending on what workout class is available. It's amazing how little gets done without me realizing it, but writing down my activities both encourages me to do more and gives me a quick snapshot of what's actually been done. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBtUlwIjshPBmNQPw0nyFNJH81wZsbwVxNBFTshpZyGsoR7d0aZj4OmMpHpL2szSfzgQ8mltSzCo7VD9fAUkTyjAJrF4_MNKAtv6TLy6r-xk-lp3rLjSIkXkAVHepZwloBNHTLgXNb9_MUKdPio4pOy8jIZdllspM7Tz4UoWh83iOJigXFz5Mtnjd/s2447/IMG_8458.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2447" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBtUlwIjshPBmNQPw0nyFNJH81wZsbwVxNBFTshpZyGsoR7d0aZj4OmMpHpL2szSfzgQ8mltSzCo7VD9fAUkTyjAJrF4_MNKAtv6TLy6r-xk-lp3rLjSIkXkAVHepZwloBNHTLgXNb9_MUKdPio4pOy8jIZdllspM7Tz4UoWh83iOJigXFz5Mtnjd/w640-h480/IMG_8458.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I've been consistently exercising for a couple of weeks now at the gym, I've been going about 3 days a week and had to constantly over come the fear of being in public and crowds. It seems that I just can't handle more exercise at the moment as I need quite a bit of downtime to recover, but I considered it progress! Working out is a bit like playing the piano, when you exercise, even though it doesn't seem like a lot has changed, I can definitely feel the subtle improvements and I'm really happy about it. I read somewhere that exercising doesn't really help you lose weight, but non the less, the increase in physical stamina and mental clarity is so important for me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT5ZaD9aos0TQK7rsegP4i5PVDuj2X63W0iq7XVVrbyY35_9JDfuEoMXVVORMAe7X9JaFU741CQdsDlB43ifVK1tJjJJO9rPgH5IQ05byBJWhAZBoPbWuKqdFOTkbUc2bBkXtKyUdNgVdLGnYoFe1dqz-51mtstxUPNCFnX6QnqqXFfY5WTBDTvN9/s2448/IMG_8519.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizT5ZaD9aos0TQK7rsegP4i5PVDuj2X63W0iq7XVVrbyY35_9JDfuEoMXVVORMAe7X9JaFU741CQdsDlB43ifVK1tJjJJO9rPgH5IQ05byBJWhAZBoPbWuKqdFOTkbUc2bBkXtKyUdNgVdLGnYoFe1dqz-51mtstxUPNCFnX6QnqqXFfY5WTBDTvN9/w640-h480/IMG_8519.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Self care wise, I booked the first facial in over two years, although it's not on top of my list as regular exercise is, I'm definitely looking forward to more pampering time from now on. <div><br /></div><div>All in all there's no drastic change but I'm doing my best to make healthy lifestyle a habit, I've learned that no matter what, it's important to be thankful for my health everyday! I'm looking forward to more progress in another couple of weeks! <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-56094054097397621582022-07-10T19:58:00.000-07:002022-07-10T19:58:06.353-07:00Turning a new page, and some new plans!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmE4AYxHNFDhNsre4jq8ZCsRXTXkBP0M3AjyRxgilcMUBx9QW86fzAfINkcHf6Y1dre3JbhyYrEGEDvWJn9h_-zPJK7xI6zVM0uMSTvFomtSgNVseJVIovBqIk2HFkrthRZE1s7ICyxlbgRmcJLcYBoa4bu9e6sJJSNBoBg31o024dD850Q5ah6nQ/s2048/IMG_7555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmE4AYxHNFDhNsre4jq8ZCsRXTXkBP0M3AjyRxgilcMUBx9QW86fzAfINkcHf6Y1dre3JbhyYrEGEDvWJn9h_-zPJK7xI6zVM0uMSTvFomtSgNVseJVIovBqIk2HFkrthRZE1s7ICyxlbgRmcJLcYBoa4bu9e6sJJSNBoBg31o024dD850Q5ah6nQ/w480-h640/IMG_7555.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><p>I've got a 40th birthday coming up and it's such a major milestone in a person's life and I spent quite a lot of time thinking about it. The health set back last year was possibly one of the most humbling experience I've ever had, and it really made me appreciate having my normal life back. Basic things like being able to drink coffee, taking a walk or standing up for more than an hour a day, things that I used to take for granted and made possible by having reasonably good health, for about six months I didn't have that. Being able to live normally is encouraging and exciting enough for me at the moment and I have a lot of appreciation for the small things in life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Moving forward for the rest of year, I've got quite a few plans and can't wait to get things started. I spent the first half of this year doing my best to get my business back on track, which is no small feat in of itself! While I did well work wise, I haven't quite achieved my health goal. Working too much was the reason I got sick in the first place, so it was hard to believe that I got sucked into over working and over stressing again, but I'm doing my best to find some work/life balance!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFAW9v5U1YoM1adkUFj3-EArZ0F7FRs4XbyNXTpwFbD8nUa0-v0dzuBoJwvEdxGdKQm-AUX8y7c_Ty1ZHdzoMLZZh_OGnk2W1ToVl5QiA5f-ES5Ot4LL2tMWMMXBd8US2fK501EY3ZnC5vZN9HJkwAPHKVFZTOOOGJxHRuCNniZuEMLW2_gP_WOOk/s2448/IMG_8145.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFAW9v5U1YoM1adkUFj3-EArZ0F7FRs4XbyNXTpwFbD8nUa0-v0dzuBoJwvEdxGdKQm-AUX8y7c_Ty1ZHdzoMLZZh_OGnk2W1ToVl5QiA5f-ES5Ot4LL2tMWMMXBd8US2fK501EY3ZnC5vZN9HJkwAPHKVFZTOOOGJxHRuCNniZuEMLW2_gP_WOOk/w480-h640/IMG_8145.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the super fun goal I gave myself is to do a 90 day glow up challenge. I've been struggling with weight gain for the past year and its soul crushing to suddenly gain so much weight in a short time span and not being able to wear any article of clothing in my wardrobe. Dressing up is a big part of what brings me joy everyday, imagine giving it up because I've literally got nothing to wear unless I want to buy a whole new wardrobe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The idea of feeling like myself again and being able to dress up everyday is super exciting to me! I've been keeping a fitness journal and making some activity plans and can't wait to see some results. I will have to do a whole separate post for that. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmLjyHDR0j1R1GpAEMZbAm9ISOgz1dJ8hSAWyBhv0ZlXWXaQH_UqsW7D17xEqizHN_3H0dRSbZTOOJj36FJtUWzb10Dmb3wFfmS1JqtxRkkCOAcfx7dWPfTyteDopNjHe4wIYlRjJ69idYKoKBlfX0koPoYqS1AgI0HxrOT8f-VOVsCVUnPtPWZcI/s2448/IMG_8205.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmLjyHDR0j1R1GpAEMZbAm9ISOgz1dJ8hSAWyBhv0ZlXWXaQH_UqsW7D17xEqizHN_3H0dRSbZTOOJj36FJtUWzb10Dmb3wFfmS1JqtxRkkCOAcfx7dWPfTyteDopNjHe4wIYlRjJ69idYKoKBlfX0koPoYqS1AgI0HxrOT8f-VOVsCVUnPtPWZcI/w640-h480/IMG_8205.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Another goal of mine is to read more! There are quite a few books lying around the house that I've been wanting to read. Things like polishing up my grammar, as a foreigner I always feel that I could improve my English. Or topics on investing, which I pretty much knows nothing of. My whole life I constantly get into new hobbies or new interests, some don't last around for too long, but others have turned into a whole new career path and taking me on a completely new direction in life. I find that having a bit of curiosity never hurts in life, and I'm a strong believer that anyone can learn a new skill at any time! </div><div><br /></div><div>When I don't find people in my immediate circle to be hugely inspiring, reading is a great way to get inside the minds of people that's done a lot with their lives. I also find it very healthy to never stop being curious and never stop learning. Particularly I'm realizing from my own self that getting older doesn't automatically make me smarter, which makes me even more interested in improving myself. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXENsAz3im_KFKreJulzB2IYIY8KrmWx4fRBmgaJAoMoAdNDFkHT5mFf67ua332iSWNY7tvg7dhi_eZEz3pb22CyMNLc-IoiWuFhDMskDHyAHAJNSlQBJ2R_sSpImOe560yD1xT6yhamkzi2YuRtXreyTXrSLKnefJaztMGQLokvBKVsZAhNrd9Z8/s2448/IMG_7488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXENsAz3im_KFKreJulzB2IYIY8KrmWx4fRBmgaJAoMoAdNDFkHT5mFf67ua332iSWNY7tvg7dhi_eZEz3pb22CyMNLc-IoiWuFhDMskDHyAHAJNSlQBJ2R_sSpImOe560yD1xT6yhamkzi2YuRtXreyTXrSLKnefJaztMGQLokvBKVsZAhNrd9Z8/w640-h480/IMG_7488.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Lastly, I want to take better care of my pets, my home, and myself. In the past, every day I wake up in the morning other people immediately become my top priority. I always put clients' and work demands ahead of myself, from now on I'm going to put myself first and make sure I get what I need first everyday before delaying my health and life goals for the sake of work. I'm truly looking forward to continued healing, better health and an amazing rest of the year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-40820842492738941062022-04-13T12:11:00.001-07:002022-04-13T12:11:36.716-07:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitl3fOXkFaYHJ5MT9eKZI8FJ_t4Fh4EnfO6wHRDgSk-TSOIat4gozixSFWx1Zf3ZPajeCxMzlfdBa_4jtFDgGauZPmqwZ7RchtGxCorDp4TUBSHmJwBrmPJ8Y40yXU-uJjIFnJaRv1qgpza4ixtyBW3uGFPcmpf2sFCxvONS0bzFtlJqt9mO1G7KP3/s2448/IMG_5827.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitl3fOXkFaYHJ5MT9eKZI8FJ_t4Fh4EnfO6wHRDgSk-TSOIat4gozixSFWx1Zf3ZPajeCxMzlfdBa_4jtFDgGauZPmqwZ7RchtGxCorDp4TUBSHmJwBrmPJ8Y40yXU-uJjIFnJaRv1qgpza4ixtyBW3uGFPcmpf2sFCxvONS0bzFtlJqt9mO1G7KP3/w640-h480/IMG_5827.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I've been working on a living room/dining room refresh but it's been painfully slow. I wanted to paint the living room pink but it's a bit nerve recking trying such an unusual color, I really had to take the time making sure this would be the right decision. At this point, there's very little white wall left as every space is covered in samples! </span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVOT9vaLZXRtINbhlEuuNVBXc0jmjjjNqwZgSSH09V-AHIy8DnxKlgnuH3Emrv5I0b_9mJeApa8jpjs5JhS7ni8TVm7MQxd_4cPA5IWlXJbgws3ggbtnGkJLXjg5am2YuFTl-l7VOOANECe_8lqI07bFA09F7YCLSnmf4XkCjcjfl6upFcBhgY7vG/s2448/IMG_5804.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVOT9vaLZXRtINbhlEuuNVBXc0jmjjjNqwZgSSH09V-AHIy8DnxKlgnuH3Emrv5I0b_9mJeApa8jpjs5JhS7ni8TVm7MQxd_4cPA5IWlXJbgws3ggbtnGkJLXjg5am2YuFTl-l7VOOANECe_8lqI07bFA09F7YCLSnmf4XkCjcjfl6upFcBhgY7vG/w640-h480/IMG_5804.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bella is really over it, she's mostly interested in trying different chairs in the room and figuring out which one is the most comfortable one!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs-vEwIXTaM6yswtcfA9AP0IZ79RuTt0L7t9Cj4tCsbDXaopen7fAO2gaVCGpsTziwkQoIB_tYrwKmGprKv6dL8-tBfOyaOAI6NIbhuGrb7USI0V2tyxj3_6XzYhtbJURr1Lr_ZDqNLZZt3r6vJi1C0Yb2vSGVcmFNRFYLynUNe9J0My3B6qohaxA/s1800/IMG_5721.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHs-vEwIXTaM6yswtcfA9AP0IZ79RuTt0L7t9Cj4tCsbDXaopen7fAO2gaVCGpsTziwkQoIB_tYrwKmGprKv6dL8-tBfOyaOAI6NIbhuGrb7USI0V2tyxj3_6XzYhtbJURr1Lr_ZDqNLZZt3r6vJi1C0Yb2vSGVcmFNRFYLynUNe9J0My3B6qohaxA/w428-h640/IMG_5721.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So far I've picked out the pink paint that I wanted to use, and ordered a new light fixture for the dining room. I wanted to mix a little bit of modern elements into the the living room/dining room space and take away some of the ornate and heavy elements. I also have some cheap sheer curtains that I bought from HomeGoods that needed to be made into custom curtains that fit my window exactly, it's a project all on its own!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9Uam1stgo4vKOowsdeD1M0m0xcFTtMUXFpkFn5JVI4QAlu8_K7ilKbLvjnBfpBjjbZwBprNxFKamms2Ol7uE-3jUPpnK3c0lrdyPC0jeifzrt1Fm2S5ICiYmX66dw9zfv9lhik38nCStHWm5NqyZezRQf5IGsjLtQQKUbHm3fqL5Wt0-2Cu1Y1U-/s2448/IMG_5811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9Uam1stgo4vKOowsdeD1M0m0xcFTtMUXFpkFn5JVI4QAlu8_K7ilKbLvjnBfpBjjbZwBprNxFKamms2Ol7uE-3jUPpnK3c0lrdyPC0jeifzrt1Fm2S5ICiYmX66dw9zfv9lhik38nCStHWm5NqyZezRQf5IGsjLtQQKUbHm3fqL5Wt0-2Cu1Y1U-/w640-h480/IMG_5811.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div> The plan for the living room is <div><br /></div><div>1. Paint new wall color.</div><div>2. Fitting new curtains.</div><div>3. Adding a record player and speaker, plus new pillows for the sofa!</div><div>4. Adding a table lamp for the piano</div><div>5. Find a stand for my guitar.</div><div>6. Weed out some items that I haven't used for a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>My living room is really also serving as a music room since it's where I practice the piano. I'm looking forward to finally get it finished and perhaps even inviting some friends for a visit!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeXo5NKQqly8VMfss0Ci9NbzDWuXEEfAapiSknnUR313gDlg7F4WpmqdLjpZc6Ls0-gtN47eAXtA9TNk9xAlIhLWm6TZikc9nU8ODz0oRf9jnMt_XrFexmoxzJ-svPFgjdCc8_XeGWlk5aW6M4fZrMmvTmR-6S6bB3_tf9qUN2h4cE-b-W_uhNVcD/s2576/IMG_5828.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeXo5NKQqly8VMfss0Ci9NbzDWuXEEfAapiSknnUR313gDlg7F4WpmqdLjpZc6Ls0-gtN47eAXtA9TNk9xAlIhLWm6TZikc9nU8ODz0oRf9jnMt_XrFexmoxzJ-svPFgjdCc8_XeGWlk5aW6M4fZrMmvTmR-6S6bB3_tf9qUN2h4cE-b-W_uhNVcD/w640-h480/IMG_5828.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's amazing how my energy level returned over the course of a few months, while I focus on healing and recovery, I find that my enthusiasm for a lot of things simply returned, it's such a huge thing to able to enjoy the small things everyday and I'm really excited and looking forward to finishing up this project. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-7492843798926053152022-03-21T22:58:00.005-07:002022-03-29T07:15:43.957-07:00Orchid show and a few purchases<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMSP5gENVTR8_b0MMvPgxiMBsw9Rmu2WyS87y-pe25HaON7CBcQS9eAyiSud07KocFzOgz0nI43gI7JdIZdQWFrncEZut31B9HdTDOmcIEfA9Rv5mC4Ibxv3v1OdUqY-j4vzBbh0rLoPDTZqXbPN-TzYulPQxrNk-DRiw6AKoo8isGgUX-3AD3QTFe=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMSP5gENVTR8_b0MMvPgxiMBsw9Rmu2WyS87y-pe25HaON7CBcQS9eAyiSud07KocFzOgz0nI43gI7JdIZdQWFrncEZut31B9HdTDOmcIEfA9Rv5mC4Ibxv3v1OdUqY-j4vzBbh0rLoPDTZqXbPN-TzYulPQxrNk-DRiw6AKoo8isGgUX-3AD3QTFe=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>I wanted to work on Sunday but instead got tempted to visit an orchid show in San Diego. It was a last minute day trip which always turn out to be the best kind. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh__cfOn2HUZ7VzMKLsGrsnnfI9_5-Op6OxMKWKSjMYcZ8yXg9n7CYGOhYpHC6H2qKsULlyL-v7NdOwhjbX33x1vcdVxoPKWu2TKeN0ufDW7a8jJXvuarKPc8wQNW5VHQn5yQk-oxgqwNj5tTTy5FHR-wFOhKkc2obinjB1bmEDhSlUZzMrx7OOWPLd=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh__cfOn2HUZ7VzMKLsGrsnnfI9_5-Op6OxMKWKSjMYcZ8yXg9n7CYGOhYpHC6H2qKsULlyL-v7NdOwhjbX33x1vcdVxoPKWu2TKeN0ufDW7a8jJXvuarKPc8wQNW5VHQn5yQk-oxgqwNj5tTTy5FHR-wFOhKkc2obinjB1bmEDhSlUZzMrx7OOWPLd=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>There were so many stunning orchids at the exhibit, they just all look like they've been given the perfect amount of sunlight and never missed a single watering. It was such an amazing display of knowledge, patience, discipline and loving care. Looking at the thriving orchids gave me so much inspiration. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGqU-8cWOdf_Cegs_mbuxfbzl7HKqL2WgVvdojKyBUpAgaWpJLOpdQI6od5ONwNngdT5XcPyo22KO483Mf0A5y7Wen-I1z0nv3MXZIT358yUvCa-IBO8XXfdFrrU_V94aVwJEHBA77U5JiF55JuyqzYntU2qyhvZvruX1yAcMbBSCW3v-g3YAjVWcH=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGqU-8cWOdf_Cegs_mbuxfbzl7HKqL2WgVvdojKyBUpAgaWpJLOpdQI6od5ONwNngdT5XcPyo22KO483Mf0A5y7Wen-I1z0nv3MXZIT358yUvCa-IBO8XXfdFrrU_V94aVwJEHBA77U5JiF55JuyqzYntU2qyhvZvruX1yAcMbBSCW3v-g3YAjVWcH=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>There were many beautiful orchids but for some reason I'm particularly taken with this large cluster of blooms. It's so stunning in person, but unfortunately they didn't have a seedling available for sale at the show. Non the less it was a pleasure seeing it in person!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDy3Yfv0UtYLd4I2Exp2pVI3p0QkHdhOTKijB2g_H0iDPlo66h5gsILiAjjhdeNSevJamFUcSp6Ts2RvRCko5MkIKdpDQGPs4UbbvwpA5fYTBu6Rzsff-K1zmUWvew7pKGL2LuPBkMwFUrSctmRcSiiEHJ3htdr230QnyNiyG4GvTFK7EUwIUoUy77=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDy3Yfv0UtYLd4I2Exp2pVI3p0QkHdhOTKijB2g_H0iDPlo66h5gsILiAjjhdeNSevJamFUcSp6Ts2RvRCko5MkIKdpDQGPs4UbbvwpA5fYTBu6Rzsff-K1zmUWvew7pKGL2LuPBkMwFUrSctmRcSiiEHJ3htdr230QnyNiyG4GvTFK7EUwIUoUy77=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><p>I didn't leave the show empty handed. I purchased a phal Schilleriana, a unique purple cattleya orchid with spots and a green and pink orchid that reminds me of Kirmit the frog! They are all very young seedling orchids but I'm looking forward to some pretty bloom soon.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXmAMJbfyPHNPl2IUNsLveOQuajQ029HswB57BNahJNJRrAGKuJud7eJTiheLLlKKXArT32sIjO0Tw6TGXHVwGxn7PecivZqneQBO0L-9iUOhz2_9fvcx5bHmnWrRxRt4UeHkdB2VAoihR7yI0TqK7aB_A0-puiOssV7fBV0UUzx5aieToVc2YOg4D=s4030" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="4030" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXmAMJbfyPHNPl2IUNsLveOQuajQ029HswB57BNahJNJRrAGKuJud7eJTiheLLlKKXArT32sIjO0Tw6TGXHVwGxn7PecivZqneQBO0L-9iUOhz2_9fvcx5bHmnWrRxRt4UeHkdB2VAoihR7yI0TqK7aB_A0-puiOssV7fBV0UUzx5aieToVc2YOg4D=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p>I grabbed some delicious lobster roll at a restaurant nearby before heading back home. It was such a delicious meal and a fun day trip!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjINFOskjEgT-xec6Sx5uYaGvZhAfJRxKWDoUO1yxihgTlJb6y71t27kszOrvdsdIHkmEjulZZbktOPt-JwChtuvbpdeAd0_X5rPr8gLXlB9FlHSXV1vcnvfiIMYUw7CnUfCqJYrFK_q5VgxJR1vh_p8eQLGWNJH9pNjxfFKmgPkG_YIzPgAi5U9ZTZ=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjINFOskjEgT-xec6Sx5uYaGvZhAfJRxKWDoUO1yxihgTlJb6y71t27kszOrvdsdIHkmEjulZZbktOPt-JwChtuvbpdeAd0_X5rPr8gLXlB9FlHSXV1vcnvfiIMYUw7CnUfCqJYrFK_q5VgxJR1vh_p8eQLGWNJH9pNjxfFKmgPkG_YIzPgAi5U9ZTZ=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br />After I came home my interest in orchids is renewed again. I gave all my orchids a thorough watering and checked out the tags and took inventory of what I have. I have quite a few of amazing orchids in my collection but they are very small so it will take some time for them to bloom, it gives me something to look forward to and it's such a healthy and rewarding hobby!<p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-17230714193316079042022-03-18T09:57:00.002-07:002022-03-18T09:57:17.112-07:00Kelly's Recovery<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKV0mMJ9jwZn8Fq4vvTR6I-nFIEj9QanEr7g-CyVUq5FCQ5xnu7oYqReDrEbDVUVx50rgCXjvvaAJeddMDR17c5u0LiygqpVlHwikSR8J8SSpTYQ4TWMP1j1n5SL6zzpAZZ61TPa_t0eALFAloOGAiKL4zuH1GTJ8W87IqBwBWoESg_-3D6YmHcNMT=s2448" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKV0mMJ9jwZn8Fq4vvTR6I-nFIEj9QanEr7g-CyVUq5FCQ5xnu7oYqReDrEbDVUVx50rgCXjvvaAJeddMDR17c5u0LiygqpVlHwikSR8J8SSpTYQ4TWMP1j1n5SL6zzpAZZ61TPa_t0eALFAloOGAiKL4zuH1GTJ8W87IqBwBWoESg_-3D6YmHcNMT=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>It's hard to believe yesterday was the first day post surgery for Kelly. She didn't eat very well and was crying a bit, I tried many different ways but I found using a dropper to give her water and puree some cooked chicken breast was a really good way to feed her food and get her hydrated. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvP8LMPFsiIK8i8H2bVFxbaHoNJVVqdB4xxpeFvZQ_ObJL94Jc2SEFWZkkCyXXkIzn3fDg8sNdwqzGbRXWou7nYf5r7KG3axUOieeEWfHRKnX8c-NZHhW87f6hC3K5nsS4ExS96qWDKE2z6xKJ_T_OCPY1AC-HuttUPu1GOCivwPfCVxPI2i17FAPo=s1255" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1255" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvP8LMPFsiIK8i8H2bVFxbaHoNJVVqdB4xxpeFvZQ_ObJL94Jc2SEFWZkkCyXXkIzn3fDg8sNdwqzGbRXWou7nYf5r7KG3axUOieeEWfHRKnX8c-NZHhW87f6hC3K5nsS4ExS96qWDKE2z6xKJ_T_OCPY1AC-HuttUPu1GOCivwPfCVxPI2i17FAPo=w640-h530" width="640" /></a></div><br />By the evening she's perked up quite a bit, the pain medication helped a lot and the wound seem to be healing. I broke the no junk food rule and gave her a few small bites of all beef hot dog and she gladly gobbled them up, it was a bit salty so I only wanted to entice her to start eating, she finished the rest of the chicken puree which I added a little bit of butter to make it extra tasty and she finished all of it while the other dogs also got some tasting as well, they were starring hungrily at Kelly's special food and was very jealous!<p></p><p>In the evening I went to my acupuncturist again just to relax and destress, it was a good couple hours spent and I'm just felt so refreshed this morning after my treatment and a very restful sleep. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiksAP32aidvPwOjNJwiMh1x4TaUHGQgOaKVKENcE04vC2fYLYtyVHfNW_ML5YSpnEDFa97z4W8G2jCJT7xbocxWZ2NYgXyPxkL8E7dYVwiUNRiFgs4FLpU8qQRruyJyWmkx7YkQTIQlw-0y_wc-hnd7vrtAGCdwOEi8BhSGZ6emPxs_Q78mfi5eJ-3=s2447" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2447" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiksAP32aidvPwOjNJwiMh1x4TaUHGQgOaKVKENcE04vC2fYLYtyVHfNW_ML5YSpnEDFa97z4W8G2jCJT7xbocxWZ2NYgXyPxkL8E7dYVwiUNRiFgs4FLpU8qQRruyJyWmkx7YkQTIQlw-0y_wc-hnd7vrtAGCdwOEi8BhSGZ6emPxs_Q78mfi5eJ-3=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>This morning I got up early and cooked a whole chicken soup for Kelly and the pups to share, and also caught up some chores and started working while the chicken soup was simmering. The chicken drumstick with some chicken broth is always Kelly's number one favorite and she ate two of these small servings which made me very happy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQItr-bnU6Gs1K6_4tGD4cJ65giXKnH2SWEZFvcvpyizQ6_yWEO47e222zD78u13A62I2xO7E_yWxuroY59jEVX3tIvnGC0hQ2uJP-JZCKqZn4rjxc-UavShJNuijIyd8v8jw1D975EvqIWTxsg4EBdSwCPAhrwiEXkv7hEoqXwexZatHNWK2xhGv7=s2448" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQItr-bnU6Gs1K6_4tGD4cJ65giXKnH2SWEZFvcvpyizQ6_yWEO47e222zD78u13A62I2xO7E_yWxuroY59jEVX3tIvnGC0hQ2uJP-JZCKqZn4rjxc-UavShJNuijIyd8v8jw1D975EvqIWTxsg4EBdSwCPAhrwiEXkv7hEoqXwexZatHNWK2xhGv7=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>Overall this has been a eventful and productive week, it was hard but overall well worth the effort!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-20934196703785435002022-03-16T15:25:00.000-07:002022-03-16T15:25:53.737-07:00Another big surgery<p><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhizp7XEa-zZOAGz0m9DUFlbZphTjXMW-CfCUtxjDstVqsn_TzSP0T0IdxYB50kM1ipfV8-t4WLSWktFK8Bpid9iJbKMd-ktbWQHyIUfsS5zsxrHywMIvL9nm_E24MSe_JI4wH6xSTuf44_W5Xs_S01X84EnwWEwruLjVx5GpQmGWdkbbxraQiCoQKd=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhizp7XEa-zZOAGz0m9DUFlbZphTjXMW-CfCUtxjDstVqsn_TzSP0T0IdxYB50kM1ipfV8-t4WLSWktFK8Bpid9iJbKMd-ktbWQHyIUfsS5zsxrHywMIvL9nm_E24MSe_JI4wH6xSTuf44_W5Xs_S01X84EnwWEwruLjVx5GpQmGWdkbbxraQiCoQKd=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had been planning to have a mastcell tumor removed on Kelly for about two months. It was a little bump that showed up several years ago and increased to about 3/4 of an inch over the last several years. Two different vets had done a fine needle aspirate and told me that it should come out. Still it was not easy as she's getting older and has a low level heart murmur. It took some time to run all the necessary tests and get the surgery scheduled, but also I was a nervous wreck anticipating the surgery. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs1AGBlSKLVaHnacEtfve9bLg-vaddbCq2mVTwM3pzR-rYYNsmnde32pz5ms4OMDu3PdewyxVafDf2UxDr96tT7pBP47b0YSYIb_pG_q9OCk7zBO-P8JdDcfdoFffWxwHNR_yBPBeTFlCW7MQosTsQ7c9YudsCWGWBt15Ns1F20OZUWccXvGYGefao=s2576" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjs1AGBlSKLVaHnacEtfve9bLg-vaddbCq2mVTwM3pzR-rYYNsmnde32pz5ms4OMDu3PdewyxVafDf2UxDr96tT7pBP47b0YSYIb_pG_q9OCk7zBO-P8JdDcfdoFffWxwHNR_yBPBeTFlCW7MQosTsQ7c9YudsCWGWBt15Ns1F20OZUWccXvGYGefao=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p>Yesterday I had to drop her off at the vet early in the morning around 7:30am. The vet tech that took Kelly in was very knowledgable and made me feel fairly good, I had seen the vet that was performing the surgery three times prior and communicated everything in advance. Having done all my homework I felt somewhat prepared although it was still very scary for me. Luckily Kelly was scheduled to be the first one for the surgery and she got hers done in the morning. It was a relief to simply get it over with. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCx6J0gwR3Ckha24haB5-LKOcQ1dPbjh6M9f1Ew4CPtb8JT5tQv5T73hFPEv_W7KkPZ1JS-yaryvEfvIezIIaBhiLEpdIejKU6yIDZeEeGUJn3PT7bHk9kUc4FpDu1GwG8IaM8xkIu8xKf3k5JPM_yFVCMZgkd-0Lns4Mq2vSVRSa5ctdsSwI08Tc9=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCx6J0gwR3Ckha24haB5-LKOcQ1dPbjh6M9f1Ew4CPtb8JT5tQv5T73hFPEv_W7KkPZ1JS-yaryvEfvIezIIaBhiLEpdIejKU6yIDZeEeGUJn3PT7bHk9kUc4FpDu1GwG8IaM8xkIu8xKf3k5JPM_yFVCMZgkd-0Lns4Mq2vSVRSa5ctdsSwI08Tc9=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>I got her back fairly quick around 2pm along with her medication. I can't describe how happy I was to pick her up and know that the surgery was all over. It was just one of those days where everyone was calling me non stop at work and a client called super late in the evening with some petty problems that kept me on the phone for an hour while I accidentally burned Kelly's chicken. I wasn't super happy about it but I remade her some chicken legs and she ate and drank quite a bit of water and went potty. Besides an insane week I got up around 4am again to make her some food so she could take some pain medication as she wasn't very comfortable and I took her out to potty again. By this morning she seemed to have perked up quite a bit. My cleaning lady came by to help me with house work that has been piling up around the house and I'm just so thankful for that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglMUCTnDtNJdUNymXGu9JAWGxSD_LCSRs_V1J0oArELyYX-G8Jk4PhohGkQj2H_PKa4Hu0pvJRwMFlyZXFnEmT_4EfNayYlGcOaCyz6SOe7MgtQmhQeBX295efW6dM5m5SuG1SOJIk8C4iquV9lwEqZt5uw8rYFMTk4AQlohFxsM7QjJawv2I_nNiV=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglMUCTnDtNJdUNymXGu9JAWGxSD_LCSRs_V1J0oArELyYX-G8Jk4PhohGkQj2H_PKa4Hu0pvJRwMFlyZXFnEmT_4EfNayYlGcOaCyz6SOe7MgtQmhQeBX295efW6dM5m5SuG1SOJIk8C4iquV9lwEqZt5uw8rYFMTk4AQlohFxsM7QjJawv2I_nNiV=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p>She perked up quite a bit today and I took her to the office with me so I could keep an eye on her and give her medications. Luckily I have a small private office so I could close the door and she just hang out with me while I worked. We also took a nap on my sofa because I was completely exhausted from the hectic past week. All in all we did it and although it was hard, I was really happy that we got it done!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-12599050156574240652022-03-13T17:14:00.001-07:002022-03-13T17:14:49.684-07:00More home improvement plans..<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwqxliOSHhYzriLyWMOr62MWutUQxxIByDH5JLVVH195ADHmS7aCH8jYDv-OEGXjZni2vXKEkTo83huc19dUwjYfb3zbp5nl9aTBdggpP7lVfAm2IGG1hQDqS1WpltsEw24tZ1b_a4ytVukZTLkSmdR6LimRqJOF6ey-t3s0EwOVvUEHBioxLJXS11=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwqxliOSHhYzriLyWMOr62MWutUQxxIByDH5JLVVH195ADHmS7aCH8jYDv-OEGXjZni2vXKEkTo83huc19dUwjYfb3zbp5nl9aTBdggpP7lVfAm2IGG1hQDqS1WpltsEw24tZ1b_a4ytVukZTLkSmdR6LimRqJOF6ey-t3s0EwOVvUEHBioxLJXS11=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After a disastrous start on my first home improvement project several months back, I had not had the energy to start another project as I just felt so defeated dealing with the awful contractors. Coupled with work being super busy, I sort of dropped whatever plans I had in mind for the house. Several small projects got started but then stalled, including getting the living room painted and downstair bedroom re-decorated. I've been living with paint patches on the wall for months but it was hard to get interested on the house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend I had another handyman changed out the kitchen faucet and the toilet in the second floor bathroom, he went to the store to pick up the materials and everything went so smoothly. A couple hours later him and his helper got the job done, it was so easy I almost cried. He helped me with the measurements on my second floor bathroom so that I know exactly how much material to buy. Since it's the first free day I had in a while I decided to check out some bathroom tiles at the store and brought home some samples. It got me thinking that perhaps I want to pick up where I left off and make some effort to at least make my house look nice by the summer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found some light fixtures from Pottery Barn that I liked and I think it should fit well in my tiny attic bathroom. I've been following home decor trends and it seems that a lot of the trends today don't fit with my personal style. My goal is to not follow trends but make my home a place unique to me!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-23463400058793752162022-02-27T22:31:00.000-08:002022-02-27T22:31:00.877-08:00Building good habits and getting well<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRYxSn1_9HSH4LwAvUsZU31lEPS5ynBjqPsLs3zLP65LvUpHeb1GReMhlz1PbmfYzh9tP08FxE8UMoTY8vCdXdsJPvtXk4QMJ7dYQBNGWLe7sMCO0qc2did95Fnd66vgFzTbgxfAS1IKEnVyOTcnvxlDzIatYySrdn5VkePy6fAbawawgPRH_h5453=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRYxSn1_9HSH4LwAvUsZU31lEPS5ynBjqPsLs3zLP65LvUpHeb1GReMhlz1PbmfYzh9tP08FxE8UMoTY8vCdXdsJPvtXk4QMJ7dYQBNGWLe7sMCO0qc2did95Fnd66vgFzTbgxfAS1IKEnVyOTcnvxlDzIatYySrdn5VkePy6fAbawawgPRH_h5453=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></p>Last week I went to see my acupuncturist to relieve some awful back pain, she did massage, acupuncture along with cupping all during one long session, while talked to me about a couple of simple things I could do to improve my diet and health. It was such a healing experience, I came away from the session feeling so much better! An unexpected effect of my session was that I started sleeping well throughout the night without waking up at odd hours unable to get back to sleep. It really helped me to feel refreshed and energized the next morning and I couldn't thank her enough. She recommended that I get on a regular weekly schedule to see her so she could help me address a few issues and also help me with weight loss, I'm super excited to see what results I will get in the next few weeks!<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCUB8llEEg-tlWvdaxEhZWfNpHoYePnRqrptusuHImzCWZxwqI8zuHpCsfyTY6CnT4xCWptwa0SSFO6OAkCr0tDXavT7vBPoazMv74YAIV5WpPw_GMreXQ9pVbKlWTh90T2aUQQ4gBWkLYW_0tHzQ_0WSYimcWehwVK89vmTnBUpC6hg-MS6ZHnWo7=s2448" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjCUB8llEEg-tlWvdaxEhZWfNpHoYePnRqrptusuHImzCWZxwqI8zuHpCsfyTY6CnT4xCWptwa0SSFO6OAkCr0tDXavT7vBPoazMv74YAIV5WpPw_GMreXQ9pVbKlWTh90T2aUQQ4gBWkLYW_0tHzQ_0WSYimcWehwVK89vmTnBUpC6hg-MS6ZHnWo7=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>One of the really good tip I got was not to eat heavy dinner at night, especially after 6pm. Adjusting dinner habits certainly takes some getting used to, but just talking to someone about it helped me putting it in action. I try my best to have a small salad or some bone broth when I'm hungry in the evening and try to reserve the bigger meals for dinner and breakfast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgChLm9t94DYvKZ8-GKioBwJ53ghS7aRJvEzte2rAxZ-xdgNI6mqBA8oGQxu9aWGfTAHY6YJoUquS1DQhWffK6zm8X9ArV63fvHPgH1C-PYgbe_Da_hSFpHwhU2eS5zc5La4FwPqiH2jq5uSiJuo-G1oCkGV8nPOguimS3Gv_UORFwFMVcs4ZCCNIWe=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgChLm9t94DYvKZ8-GKioBwJ53ghS7aRJvEzte2rAxZ-xdgNI6mqBA8oGQxu9aWGfTAHY6YJoUquS1DQhWffK6zm8X9ArV63fvHPgH1C-PYgbe_Da_hSFpHwhU2eS5zc5La4FwPqiH2jq5uSiJuo-G1oCkGV8nPOguimS3Gv_UORFwFMVcs4ZCCNIWe=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the same time, I'm switching out most of the cold drinks to warm herbal tea. One of my favorite tea for the evening is this Korean brand barley tea. I picked up a box at my local supermarket, but it's also easily found on amazon. It's conveniently packaged into single serving packet so I just throw one packet into the electric kettle and let it boil and then steep for a few more minutes before drinking it. It's a very calming and relaxing drink especially on cold nights. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJxD02AUV2l6PLqr8SSznlqQbjYbLRgLSosvr9lkHJxWW15kfA4g-zMDf9gIZNbOcDlCcc3WsGO-HmzP2YMDQLyQiFzttu3dqJT0lmHaHTP-CqeKHyd5Qxe_GZa2bvgGuplkI9KfRoSBwdq1Hy2imOkd96T60c0lJtyWhg9rQ4G0uiSmkhJc1y8X86=s2447" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="2447" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJxD02AUV2l6PLqr8SSznlqQbjYbLRgLSosvr9lkHJxWW15kfA4g-zMDf9gIZNbOcDlCcc3WsGO-HmzP2YMDQLyQiFzttu3dqJT0lmHaHTP-CqeKHyd5Qxe_GZa2bvgGuplkI9KfRoSBwdq1Hy2imOkd96T60c0lJtyWhg9rQ4G0uiSmkhJc1y8X86=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I recently splurged on a few accessories pieces, since I'm trying to get back in shape, I didn't really want to buy clothes that I don't want to wear for the long term. I have been dressing up daily for work, slowly my enthusiasm for style returned. Reflecting back on only one month ago, it's a marked difference on my energy level as I can work full days and still feeling energetic enough when I get home in the evening to take care of my puppies. Having energy is everything, it allows me to actually live a productive and happy life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not quite where I want to be yet physically, but I'm very thankful for the progress I've made so far. Sometimes it's all about baby steps and being patient, and I'm ok with that. </div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-35761055499162420182022-02-20T21:50:00.001-08:002022-02-20T21:50:57.350-08:00Self Care and Finding Balances..<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6btcxYmI1dA4MNKjXxU0gOstjsp5cIAjoeCIlJb-8F5G12DQmyWoOUbgwfC-x359JN9ZCLZ7vQLDpU-WDjGRF55WDQ1_yDSGH6Y4Ao79Mqoy09eUNIx-mSd5O3tdG3-00c40Dg-LByq3Y6yyLpSpOoPp_yGP6D-aK761SQYTen095U0nrMTEme7b5=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6btcxYmI1dA4MNKjXxU0gOstjsp5cIAjoeCIlJb-8F5G12DQmyWoOUbgwfC-x359JN9ZCLZ7vQLDpU-WDjGRF55WDQ1_yDSGH6Y4Ao79Mqoy09eUNIx-mSd5O3tdG3-00c40Dg-LByq3Y6yyLpSpOoPp_yGP6D-aK761SQYTen095U0nrMTEme7b5=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Somehow on the weekend I just want to be a couch potato and do nothing because I'm mentally exhausted from busy working week. It's nice to be a homebody and hangout with my pups and order some delivery food and do nothing at all and enjoy some much needed rest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been quite a few weeks of me back at work and I've made really good progress but it's the same old issue of finding work life balance which somehow is so hard for me. Either I have the time or energy to work or take care of myself but I don't seem to do both well enough at the same time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every weekend I write up an assessment on what I did well and what I didn't do well and try to find some balance on area that's lacking and adjust my plan accordingly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Things I've done really well the past couple weeks are things like skin care, work, and taking care of Kelly and getting her to all the vet appointments, and things that got set to the back burner are exercise and house keeping, which I intend to improve in the coming week!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u>My Evening Skin Care Routine</u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3BAtEHNPvICGUJn5ws86_izfHFhAAwEUP4xAq5MQo3GSVhEiLnXkg4EgrLZZDddTWaOaXBkyVxUN6SWfG7EKN3IRWKO8C9Z9wdJkK6wKoxFGMQex5XXp5CQ2vhqf9JmWO7SqzY-NUPfwWU8pr3Pf6mmBXQwSu6gENE6Bp645HZMU2e4kbCchO6H7l=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3BAtEHNPvICGUJn5ws86_izfHFhAAwEUP4xAq5MQo3GSVhEiLnXkg4EgrLZZDddTWaOaXBkyVxUN6SWfG7EKN3IRWKO8C9Z9wdJkK6wKoxFGMQex5XXp5CQ2vhqf9JmWO7SqzY-NUPfwWU8pr3Pf6mmBXQwSu6gENE6Bp645HZMU2e4kbCchO6H7l=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br />I've been sticking to a super simple skin care routine for the past few weeks and it's done wonders for my skin. First of all, because it's so easy and quick, I didn't have to put in a whole lot of effort and that made it very easy to follow through. Every night after washing my face, I use the Dennis Gross led mask for a few minutes. It's suppose to help with reducing wrinkles and acne and I find it quite relaxing. After three minutes on the mask, I apply castor oil on my face as well as massage the eye area. I've heard that castor oil does wonders for eye brow and eye lashes. Mainly I find that when I use castor oil with my retinol cream, I don't get any flaky dry skin the next day. It seems to moisturize my skin very well and if I have extra time, I mix one part castor oil with two part jojoba oil and massage my hair, scalp as well, and it always help me get a better night sleep. After I apply the castor oil to my face, I follow with a tiny bit of retinol and call it a night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy3O-qHQohWfRyJu7HkM10JnOHMvfcHe7JM5eqYj3Wf6ZBFdm0xxiulDM7KNni3_AAbVFWdkladICRxSINCjTareya9ZV6sZUt13Feodf39wsdeDdYERehtGh5RnKwSjhr1k55CVVrgX1_tRnDF5wa874GMk9qC-f4cNFukWr05eC08zQlnXhqBg4C=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1753" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhy3O-qHQohWfRyJu7HkM10JnOHMvfcHe7JM5eqYj3Wf6ZBFdm0xxiulDM7KNni3_AAbVFWdkladICRxSINCjTareya9ZV6sZUt13Feodf39wsdeDdYERehtGh5RnKwSjhr1k55CVVrgX1_tRnDF5wa874GMk9qC-f4cNFukWr05eC08zQlnXhqBg4C=w390-h400" width="390" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My morning routine is a bit more involved. I like to drink a glass of warm water first thing when I wake up and then jump in the shower. Once my face is clean I like to use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel. They come in individual packaging and don't feel too abrasive on the skin. I then follow with a sheet mask for 15 minutes. I have a stash of cheap Korean face mask that I picked up from HomeGoods and they are so amazing. My favorite brand is called Esfolio, they can be purchased online but I find random boxes of masks when I go to HomeGoods and they mostly cost less than $8 for a whole box of sheet masks. My skin feels so amazing after 15 minutes and I can get other things done like making a cup of coffee or fix some breakfast for the pups while I wait for the mask to be done. And then a bit of Vitamin C serum, moisture and sun screen, and I'm all ready for the day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzQeLgON3zWRTqXila9zABUMCTPDAWzApfMiccSntPXGvtLx3Mop_YmG5uDi53kZul7X1RRTTXwtiOCmxKRVnGimioYcce1czDLjl3CejzXLtsQwjvM8TNxmiDxwU13XquWbApIGkV2AIG4u4mOhC9P17M88oNG4z5EsY8Gl3cbmTYU42wSGhK5tLB=s600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzQeLgON3zWRTqXila9zABUMCTPDAWzApfMiccSntPXGvtLx3Mop_YmG5uDi53kZul7X1RRTTXwtiOCmxKRVnGimioYcce1czDLjl3CejzXLtsQwjvM8TNxmiDxwU13XquWbApIGkV2AIG4u4mOhC9P17M88oNG4z5EsY8Gl3cbmTYU42wSGhK5tLB=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I even keep a box of these masks in my office, when the days get particularly dry I would close the door and put on a mask and relax a bit while I work! It's hilarious and I haven't scared my coworkers yet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tHS5V4c5UCOc5D7budseVGUNVYVTvbb5ZreIUO9f2-7b4vVkpavoDpuaOL5s5XW7s5uIQqJ-VvGBG2WSGMx8AW11lx4S2PeAoZOo1KZrcl7ySFNdqKi6hqnl_e4IDjz783mQLbSyLTZOrkuCHMzCzaNxmKElWLGxRI_ZRWq-Rri5MaqkQx4wdsZY=s1476" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="883" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tHS5V4c5UCOc5D7budseVGUNVYVTvbb5ZreIUO9f2-7b4vVkpavoDpuaOL5s5XW7s5uIQqJ-VvGBG2WSGMx8AW11lx4S2PeAoZOo1KZrcl7ySFNdqKi6hqnl_e4IDjz783mQLbSyLTZOrkuCHMzCzaNxmKElWLGxRI_ZRWq-Rri5MaqkQx4wdsZY=w239-h400" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Another simple and affordable way I do to improve my skin health is keeping proper moisture in the room. I keep a humidifier in the bedroom as well as my office. It's a very small thing but such a huge life saver. As it turned out, improving one's health takes time and effort but I'm pretty proud of myself for slowly making improvements and taking good care of ME.<div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-12706292751128513052022-01-14T11:27:00.001-08:002022-01-14T11:27:33.335-08:00New Outfit Ideas <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6PV2CRpbmObza-LeiHGe72voPDrQia2vBj2bZszN5RERATSYuhakndtTAkgDubLBDxcslHILvZf0f19KqFsy33r_h_jjsilevJfVdbDmGNlemF4KLKO_0Qou9EIVCTEupPkAM1gfXgSAOyzILCRj3BJjQLh1XeBks0O47-EbaArRvSW1rlBXzb3Oo=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6PV2CRpbmObza-LeiHGe72voPDrQia2vBj2bZszN5RERATSYuhakndtTAkgDubLBDxcslHILvZf0f19KqFsy33r_h_jjsilevJfVdbDmGNlemF4KLKO_0Qou9EIVCTEupPkAM1gfXgSAOyzILCRj3BJjQLh1XeBks0O47-EbaArRvSW1rlBXzb3Oo=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Lately I spent quite a bit of time thinking about how I want to live the new year, and one small priority is actually getting back to self care and dressing up a bit. With me finally coming back to work, I suddenly became motivated to dress appropriately. I know that business apparel is very much out during the pandemic, but it still serve a purpose to look polished. Dressing up also makes the day more special and enjoyable, and I simply can't live in sweatpants anymore. After so long of not dressing up, I couldn't even remember where my "nice" clothes were stored and I had to think a bit to figure out what would be a stylish outfit... something that I used to do naturally everyday before the whole pandemic started, but after months and months of living in yoga pants and sweatshirts, the task is no longer so easy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzfnJnNw4heoqnFmlxKq2ohGFLH98QvJ1HFdHy00KZ5v17h0LB0GFHHY9nSXfY2IoKr-48HCg_oyo7G0E-ukhB4ULmGsrAZ9ycKn2Cx9YmF7cGNJAW-Bty0Z0jIu_A9NBBwkSpqmNvLYF9WUN7GyuJFngUDdoXbquCa_YNVcgCy69g4iYTWbDX-SKa=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzfnJnNw4heoqnFmlxKq2ohGFLH98QvJ1HFdHy00KZ5v17h0LB0GFHHY9nSXfY2IoKr-48HCg_oyo7G0E-ukhB4ULmGsrAZ9ycKn2Cx9YmF7cGNJAW-Bty0Z0jIu_A9NBBwkSpqmNvLYF9WUN7GyuJFngUDdoXbquCa_YNVcgCy69g4iYTWbDX-SKa=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look 1</span></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I went on my phone and played around putting a few outfits together, it was actually quite fun. I have some old items but a lot of my essential wardrobe pieces beg for an update and refresh. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With the lack of social function and events, out went the fancy formal dresses and stiletto heels, in with comfort wear. I don't think business apparel has completely died but it's definitely been tuned down significantly. I hardly purchased any piece of clothing over the past year, a rather shocking thing for someone like me, so I've pretty much lost touch with what's happening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What I do really love at the moment are loose fitting jeans, booties with an elongated or pointy toe, puffy sleeves dress or top ( talk about 80s come back!) and large leather tote like the pipe tote by Proenza Schouler. I'm always looking for work totes that lets me haul around all my work stuff!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi28w2bHdIh7f2uUmZlCXukZwzEOhh1EgsDkb8zLMvBC-voILuffAc1HEYjE3GMtqOS-k-MHw8rP5zFFKdMfBdUwIlnMGou0PePhOZDQUE--zDrFZk_fPUCb465BiLjJGtjBKmJPFh_D9D1-BTzFOPgDIFqJ9lNQcDq_50TbWwGmJMDAIx6RQ3l-Xg-=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi28w2bHdIh7f2uUmZlCXukZwzEOhh1EgsDkb8zLMvBC-voILuffAc1HEYjE3GMtqOS-k-MHw8rP5zFFKdMfBdUwIlnMGou0PePhOZDQUE--zDrFZk_fPUCb465BiLjJGtjBKmJPFh_D9D1-BTzFOPgDIFqJ9lNQcDq_50TbWwGmJMDAIx6RQ3l-Xg-=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Look 2</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Living in Southern California, t's super practical to throw on a summer dress and comfortable heels, plus a light trench coat that provide some extra warmth for mornings and evenings. I like this trench coat from Lattelier, it has a belt and seems very light weight! I'm also looking forward to Staud's new bucket bag, it's an updated bag from their old ones from a few seasons ago, which I still love so much. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx5xLFH74z3guoLCoHgOHX5embtnIBhFxNodDt2rYTCBoxYza8EEsTrJ6vs6TYCi--MgDzQwMyXF3EGnApgc7qsJaRJnHLP3o0JrxHmvn5R0R4pKcDXwl0ZjbdkuBnI76qP1u2nJVYHN1j2clRHyE0oFrij6muuEu8X3IDeULtz4HXOXxVqAIyNJPu=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx5xLFH74z3guoLCoHgOHX5embtnIBhFxNodDt2rYTCBoxYza8EEsTrJ6vs6TYCi--MgDzQwMyXF3EGnApgc7qsJaRJnHLP3o0JrxHmvn5R0R4pKcDXwl0ZjbdkuBnI76qP1u2nJVYHN1j2clRHyE0oFrij6muuEu8X3IDeULtz4HXOXxVqAIyNJPu=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Look 3</u></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh7nbLgX-tLIkSW2cr_VcvsRJV3qLaztYUFF9c9Jy748fXPSTphi-eimgdsCottQnr16KkfTyjq9V8elHXeHzxBaFIY47OI0SFm5PaNc29A6iLUK0HSM0bonEfpxkQJJ0_X3v5DNl7-cI_LADQErZk9smDVpOHoQq2mwgBEpQGetygLqRs9Azo9S2p=s1800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh7nbLgX-tLIkSW2cr_VcvsRJV3qLaztYUFF9c9Jy748fXPSTphi-eimgdsCottQnr16KkfTyjq9V8elHXeHzxBaFIY47OI0SFm5PaNc29A6iLUK0HSM0bonEfpxkQJJ0_X3v5DNl7-cI_LADQErZk9smDVpOHoQq2mwgBEpQGetygLqRs9Azo9S2p=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Look 4</u></span><div><br /></div><div>These two outfits are pretty similar, I love the puffy sleeves shirt from Scotch and Soda. They used to make super fun leather jackets and carries both men and women clothing. Unfortunately I haven't seen any fun jackets for a while. That's all the outfits I put together for now, it's a fun way to get myself back into the game and I'm looking forward to have a bit more stylish year than the last! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-50920941898565814272021-12-31T22:11:00.000-08:002021-12-31T22:11:19.880-08:00New Year and a Fresh Start<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41wR4fzhvF9Seesgi8WusPZgIlat5mEPjnJrTFWJvFgWWPsii35cAeDnhfU-mPzPolUJslIJ7A-J4SlX6mQ5f9Ccy-NOkdKB-P1P6-AV9jOOhIJjBjozYl6Tun8sTUnXDIQlxGVyviEnTOl1j9PG_-QX5NzLY0-gwXJ4R9MixjkSSCLN8ifsm0hJd=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41wR4fzhvF9Seesgi8WusPZgIlat5mEPjnJrTFWJvFgWWPsii35cAeDnhfU-mPzPolUJslIJ7A-J4SlX6mQ5f9Ccy-NOkdKB-P1P6-AV9jOOhIJjBjozYl6Tun8sTUnXDIQlxGVyviEnTOl1j9PG_-QX5NzLY0-gwXJ4R9MixjkSSCLN8ifsm0hJd=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I finally made my way back to the gym after a hiatus due to my vaccine status. It seems that what was already sparse attendance at the gym is further watered down now. </p><p>Being able to start off with some light workout and sit in sauna for a good 15- 20 minutes helped me tremendously for stress relief, it took some effort to get over the fear of being in the public again but I figured that exercising is an essential activity and should be treated with precaution as any other essential activity that one must do. </p><p>I also started a new fitness journal in time for the new year. I use it to write down my workout, nutrition and supplement for the day. Besides that I put down my fitness goals for each week and each month, as well as health food recipes that I collect along the way and some meal planning. </p><p>Since I recovered from being awfully sick, I seem to turn a page and have been looking forward to getting healthy and making some positive changes in my life. Much needs to be worked on as the past year I spent almost half the time either being sick or recovering from some ailment, I really want this coming year to be healthier and happier. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn4ApO_7VJQY6_1cFI4CBzT2-YsrfeRLDIFz2FxbCJFwsqad9LTtInvAc84ZgnUj_hcl9IoPZCEkjbfIQ31ZWCtbvgmUhXT_8sYZoD3mkIx4zFe06jpk_u8K_s6gBNVn9u0oIX1JIjpTGhRIlvlqDxi9cF3w-7DGugrY0QCwgxq0u-uYg3-ogYxtui=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn4ApO_7VJQY6_1cFI4CBzT2-YsrfeRLDIFz2FxbCJFwsqad9LTtInvAc84ZgnUj_hcl9IoPZCEkjbfIQ31ZWCtbvgmUhXT_8sYZoD3mkIx4zFe06jpk_u8K_s6gBNVn9u0oIX1JIjpTGhRIlvlqDxi9cF3w-7DGugrY0QCwgxq0u-uYg3-ogYxtui=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I would like the new year to be a good year for the pups as well. I've got some positive changes planned for them. Particularly, I would like to crank up their dental hygiene routine. I want to get everyone a dental cleaning for the new year and then maintain it with daily brushing. Oh dear, I would have to figure out how much time it takes to brush teeth for four dogs everyday!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEHoV215KbAcpdxKA1R1C40KBycg2gAo880nX4Kc8Jm5iXwA1yylkQ4wVLOV-M76kkiqcagCOZFdvM6H43rJlUMR6N2EB-tcPrqnWUr7WU64RBqouzqgPZgv5Pr-Fvkqd-YuBEjvk0jeaVYAZLki-w3JSI2xmm1P12HknOdxvtc7HhI7rDxDtnGfGX=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEHoV215KbAcpdxKA1R1C40KBycg2gAo880nX4Kc8Jm5iXwA1yylkQ4wVLOV-M76kkiqcagCOZFdvM6H43rJlUMR6N2EB-tcPrqnWUr7WU64RBqouzqgPZgv5Pr-Fvkqd-YuBEjvk0jeaVYAZLki-w3JSI2xmm1P12HknOdxvtc7HhI7rDxDtnGfGX=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, the last few months I've really lagged on walking my pups, honestly, that was the same for my workout as well. On a lot of days, I simply didn't feel well and I barely had enough energy to get through the day, much less taking the dogs on a walk. I'd like to get a regular routine set up so that we can all get our walks in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEKrMH_AsoP5bML9f5rjv11-AL9asHk2KRC93TFHX0eafhBTZi1AgI1-OZoZSWJu2Na6bxUX4udE6ndSBccusMSZh7pVJzde4Th2twUL_ryWTkrNyAF7URepRAJ3FUc2b1Ox10je3XgTth5nlM_B6_vkF2PMTgiidvqgKRSsS9b7CnAmTkvxn1xmsJ=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEKrMH_AsoP5bML9f5rjv11-AL9asHk2KRC93TFHX0eafhBTZi1AgI1-OZoZSWJu2Na6bxUX4udE6ndSBccusMSZh7pVJzde4Th2twUL_ryWTkrNyAF7URepRAJ3FUc2b1Ox10je3XgTth5nlM_B6_vkF2PMTgiidvqgKRSsS9b7CnAmTkvxn1xmsJ=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as nutrition goes, the pups already eat quite well as I cooke a fresh meal for them everyday with one type of protein plus vegetable. If I'm making one change, that would be adding a spoonful of whole fat yogurt, as well as making bone broth for them a few times a month. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Fj6LGVJqil__BWqx9G53T-ognrrXnZwRpNnYB7rZjePU7GUocKGpSxcZRgrdWmzog8XFf2DG-mtR_-o6qmnmlPaXG1d1yX8f6gakI0g83jQMznBq25lQTH_csV3j0uySYcweBWE2QdnrG1oJvouw10wDwfAMYnis7Vyf4vrTjwdvcsW82sJbg5NM=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9Fj6LGVJqil__BWqx9G53T-ognrrXnZwRpNnYB7rZjePU7GUocKGpSxcZRgrdWmzog8XFf2DG-mtR_-o6qmnmlPaXG1d1yX8f6gakI0g83jQMznBq25lQTH_csV3j0uySYcweBWE2QdnrG1oJvouw10wDwfAMYnis7Vyf4vrTjwdvcsW82sJbg5NM=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm counting my blessings to have all my four pups with me on this new year, it's the most amazing feeling when my fur babies are doing well. 2021 was good and bad and I'm ready to leave it behind. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-84876146433382273892021-12-26T17:55:00.002-08:002021-12-26T17:55:16.117-08:00Possibly the gloomiest Christmas <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhetTIsoDnVC1Y8EhCk4F7GrXlKiFQ5YXVvkkKeJVFpapIu7b5yAjoN-pEBd3xIOOZ9Wmslk-PPcfd0T6glI5-tckWjkXdNljq4jUVwB6akPzPgx6s-GvP_NYfkkDfiznl7Fj6EjEezv7vbgvaprfGYmSnB8UshlZa8DX9GFvGpVv5ZBJnpeHgIPOgb=s2576" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhetTIsoDnVC1Y8EhCk4F7GrXlKiFQ5YXVvkkKeJVFpapIu7b5yAjoN-pEBd3xIOOZ9Wmslk-PPcfd0T6glI5-tckWjkXdNljq4jUVwB6akPzPgx6s-GvP_NYfkkDfiznl7Fj6EjEezv7vbgvaprfGYmSnB8UshlZa8DX9GFvGpVv5ZBJnpeHgIPOgb=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Well, I wouldn't call it the worst Christmas ever, but for one reason or another, the holidays always throw some curve balls at me. This year I had to skip out the celebrations that I had planned to attend at a friend's house because I had a bad reaction to the antibiotics prescribed for my dental work, on Christmas Eve I was covered in hives from head to toe, so out goes all the festivities. I went to my local Urgent Care to get a prescription and got a solid reality check on where we are on the pandemic... the place was packed with people looking for Covid testing and testing kits were out of stock both at the Urgent Care facility as well as the pharmacy that I went to pick up my medication. It more or less felt like a punch in the gut after two years of quarantine and not living a normal life, only to find out that we are in no better shape than when we started. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9MidYybd_5BQj5I7NsJM6wNAl-0akAGhA3EoBlIeCrBb1CgWpfHJ73WWX5JJkDB6YcdctAgoF7gXrnekcLZ6QXtzvYrQJUrbJGlT3MmH4TOLz8lY7HAqTBFWFlwtPFarV7s-AeucxRzNFnAzVAjIoeZG4ia8gw9hWO2teK92wQ1YYKgjBaDbNf3M7=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="1834" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9MidYybd_5BQj5I7NsJM6wNAl-0akAGhA3EoBlIeCrBb1CgWpfHJ73WWX5JJkDB6YcdctAgoF7gXrnekcLZ6QXtzvYrQJUrbJGlT3MmH4TOLz8lY7HAqTBFWFlwtPFarV7s-AeucxRzNFnAzVAjIoeZG4ia8gw9hWO2teK92wQ1YYKgjBaDbNf3M7=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p>Heavy on medication I did nothing besides a lot of sleep but when I woke up in the evening there was a pile of gifts at the door coming from the neighbors. To say I have the best neighbors is an understatement. It did wonders to brighten my mood and made me feel like I still participated in the holiday somehow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqUtfGZ_tSW7b_S4fwk47uptvKoS6imE0blpYELOAv_KaidQz4lgniaYuIw0hg5rQqTprFCzz-zypJt2g_E-j7EmyvXeHx81_CAi83KvPKuEbwvNPl-2de4vpVzRZHNbsdCmWB3tGV6rmxOts4RtA1zjGM7D9o0ywMhZNVxqLYuSZiJE9owwWlajsP=s2448" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2448" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqUtfGZ_tSW7b_S4fwk47uptvKoS6imE0blpYELOAv_KaidQz4lgniaYuIw0hg5rQqTprFCzz-zypJt2g_E-j7EmyvXeHx81_CAi83KvPKuEbwvNPl-2de4vpVzRZHNbsdCmWB3tGV6rmxOts4RtA1zjGM7D9o0ywMhZNVxqLYuSZiJE9owwWlajsP=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I finally came back to my senses on Sunday, while still needing quite a lot of downtime, I felt very lucky that I had the luxury of being able to rest in peace and quiet, which is such a luxury for a grown up. I've been suffering from a huge work burnout towards the end of the year and it was very hard to recover from. It seems that everything sort of caved in once I stopped working because I held out for as long as I could and once I stopped work, I simply had no more energy left for anything else. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, rest up I shall so that come the new year I will have renewed energy to face life's challenges. It seems that I could use a better attitude towards the new year and a new focus on different aspects of life. </div> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-73551628722760951962021-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:002021-12-16T09:42:18.173-08:00New flowers and life's messes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSNlwgdMSNrabZVQmu8q3n5SvTVDO6rBySUQhe96iLbCV5IzBwOKkTVZTtsWIm4Pzdg6orBW_1x25gEjCgSadFrBNvYzEFYmbI-vdzMNF0PU4M64yNFe8tosmwSSTERSdvHDwGHynrnH_bNqh3tWGdiABjPTSyv0nv9rbOrTZ73Oc6R8QFG7M2Efbi=s1800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSNlwgdMSNrabZVQmu8q3n5SvTVDO6rBySUQhe96iLbCV5IzBwOKkTVZTtsWIm4Pzdg6orBW_1x25gEjCgSadFrBNvYzEFYmbI-vdzMNF0PU4M64yNFe8tosmwSSTERSdvHDwGHynrnH_bNqh3tWGdiABjPTSyv0nv9rbOrTZ73Oc6R8QFG7M2Efbi=w428-h640" width="428" /></a></div><p>With my recent orchid fever, I ventured out of my comfort zone and made an online orchid purchase. Today a couple of baby orchids arrived in a cardboard box delicately packaged and they are in perfect condition. I've never ordered orchids online before so this was quite a novel experience. After trying to resuscitate a few orchids in bad shape myself, I've really come to appreciate the amount of work it takes for orchids to even grow to a baby size. The vanda orchid will have delicate blooms like cherry blossoms, and the cattleya orchid will have tall branches and flower shape similar to the one I'm trying to revive. Flowers and plants are such a delightful thing amid a couple of really crappy years, I really appreciate the joy and inspiration that they provide me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzObeFGsTEWOWDkqwuu_OIU3UEtYhabDhWB-1NFNjaOGnMPh11pDupH2NasnZ8ZwrHrEAy_G9YUMMwJkykjOsztIyXcwEPJTxJVpguTGrGIQO3uPXcdweNXxzeEj54TT4bKUMlNSGtXJCMSPtwzhme0Jj3lnZa_P9LvO-mP2A1KPM5UlZahwnPsHQ8=s2576" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzObeFGsTEWOWDkqwuu_OIU3UEtYhabDhWB-1NFNjaOGnMPh11pDupH2NasnZ8ZwrHrEAy_G9YUMMwJkykjOsztIyXcwEPJTxJVpguTGrGIQO3uPXcdweNXxzeEj54TT4bKUMlNSGtXJCMSPtwzhme0Jj3lnZa_P9LvO-mP2A1KPM5UlZahwnPsHQ8=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p>Bella is not all too amused about my orchid hobby, she feels that I should spend more time giving her kisses and treats and less time messing with plants. </p><p>In life's update, this week I scheduled my vaccine shot because I finally felt like I was well enough to deal with whatever side effect that might come my way. I ended up not only feeling the side effects of the vaccine but also slammed with a massive tooth ache from a cavity that gave me a terrible migraine. It took me a couple of days to figure out that I could request an emergency dental visit with the receptionist at my dental office so I waited a couple of days in excruciating pain for pretty much nothing. And while I was at it, I had to deal with some emergency plumbing issues at the house, courtesy of the shitty contractor that messed up the plumbing while he was at it. I panicked and almost called an overnight emergency plumbing service but decided to wait til the morning because my regular plumber could make it first thing in the am. So, all in all, a week packed with vaccine shot, dentist visit, eye exam, plumbing repair plus whatever else I got going on was a bit more than what I bargained for in a week. My only saving grace was the fact that I ponied up the funds to upgrade the HVAC for the house a couple years back so that in the dead cold of winter I had functioning heating system, and therefore I did not freeze to death like the previous years. </p><p>Days like these make me feel extraordinarily thankful that I have not been tasked with real responsibilities of humanity like many other women do, such as world peace, fighting the pandemic, social injustice, or raising another generation of humans, or any real responsibilities of some kind. I just have to be responsible for my small lot and I'm barely keeping it all together!</p><br /><p><br /></p> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-51239818087219911162021-12-12T12:19:00.002-08:002021-12-12T12:19:20.579-08:00In the company of flowers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FNhdgYA3AqZtS8vb-MudjcsRcoyBK2nb8Z4l8S_g3Ovz7CuhhJzJox0_3yhOseVwx1Vy_YGpWfBMTDwyo9RcIeUuwlbRVMPGoszamBu3o2A3tMoQi-tAPirywOb_Svli8LnpbdOSJmI/s2048/IMG_2017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FNhdgYA3AqZtS8vb-MudjcsRcoyBK2nb8Z4l8S_g3Ovz7CuhhJzJox0_3yhOseVwx1Vy_YGpWfBMTDwyo9RcIeUuwlbRVMPGoszamBu3o2A3tMoQi-tAPirywOb_Svli8LnpbdOSJmI/w640-h480/IMG_2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The last couple of weeks I spent quite a bit of time playing with orchids while the house is turned upside down from all the work in two different areas. I sort of took some time off work for a bit of staycation, it's lame to not do much with my time off but sometimes doing nothing is the best rest I can ask for. </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud2cD-qGf_770BKK_PWMXvqbP3BkYzEcPa2oI7Cm_65UoA4M3XNlGXunluh5s2liUbwtf7HNLuUpoRYcig55aDHEbJqkZcSxypoLh5z4AQhio2HajoPJ2omXMx9QE6ftd-PtBEtpUTRE/s4032/IMG_1873.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud2cD-qGf_770BKK_PWMXvqbP3BkYzEcPa2oI7Cm_65UoA4M3XNlGXunluh5s2liUbwtf7HNLuUpoRYcig55aDHEbJqkZcSxypoLh5z4AQhio2HajoPJ2omXMx9QE6ftd-PtBEtpUTRE/w640-h480/IMG_1873.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I busied myself cleaning and repotting orchids into bark medium after taking them home from the store and it's such a relaxing and zen thing to do. And then after thoroughly watering the medium, I sprayed the orchid with a bit of liquid fertilizer. I suppose in a couple of months I will be able to know how I'm doing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBllFyJ3d1-7eyKlDKFDpInRyoOCBmcKl5mvAdCG1kwJENFrO34ZHBdkVJDRtd7l_J8lTDKrkVSqqlBoXWKr4oNBzOX-UKQzt5yos-l6sWM1RkJc7M_YYgE7bak5ETFrloX2OJhh34p_w/s1800/IMG_2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBllFyJ3d1-7eyKlDKFDpInRyoOCBmcKl5mvAdCG1kwJENFrO34ZHBdkVJDRtd7l_J8lTDKrkVSqqlBoXWKr4oNBzOX-UKQzt5yos-l6sWM1RkJc7M_YYgE7bak5ETFrloX2OJhh34p_w/w640-h480/IMG_2022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the first thing I did before getting any new orchids was actually reviving and rescuing a few of my old orchids that's been wasting away in the backyard. I had to save a dying cattleya that's infested with scales, it took days to slowly clean it up with insecticidal soap, hydrating the plant in a water bucket over a couple of days, and then dividing the plant to several smaller plants and put them in tiny four inch pots. It's a lot of guess work about what needed to be done but I suppose it's a trial and error process. After some tlc I'm seeing new roots emerging and it's very exciting. I know it doesn't look like much right now but it's actually quite a rare plant and I'm looking forward to nurture these orchids back to health! I currently have three different orchids that I'm reviving, and with the divisions they turned into about half a dozen plants. Hopefully I will get some healthy new growth soon! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhULyVSjyx-YvQNbSJa0uZjLMf_JTMzsNwvUE1ul_8BU7PFt6R-V2QMnysbQpnM9FU1NAXj7Sl7ul5OvejJIppJmLfhgMSWQ-j8a7qSclmcU2-TJNoXNKkaA-LdS8cjxkklqUvU_L7cY/s2048/IMG_1991.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhULyVSjyx-YvQNbSJa0uZjLMf_JTMzsNwvUE1ul_8BU7PFt6R-V2QMnysbQpnM9FU1NAXj7Sl7ul5OvejJIppJmLfhgMSWQ-j8a7qSclmcU2-TJNoXNKkaA-LdS8cjxkklqUvU_L7cY/w640-h480/IMG_1991.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall I had a nice break and now I have some beautiful blooms to enjoy for at least the next couple of months. It occurred to me that much of the life of a grown up is about taking on life's responsibilities and it's so good to do something that's really purely a fun hobby that also adds a lot of beauty to my life. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-49553728756768928432021-12-09T15:18:00.002-08:002021-12-09T15:18:13.610-08:00Making Things Better- episode of battling with the dogs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceh9VeIciab_tK_z-16tZimxgqUP6pL-Aiw8AQoWytAoutSClNJFrFt4akj250oxwyO2MACPl2mXQk799LZPRE4gxP7Bd-alx1ZXfL_DtBfFYSt5b7QEDnjKBixMkRshtFj_p73Fr-Fo/s1242/IMG_1429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1242" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgceh9VeIciab_tK_z-16tZimxgqUP6pL-Aiw8AQoWytAoutSClNJFrFt4akj250oxwyO2MACPl2mXQk799LZPRE4gxP7Bd-alx1ZXfL_DtBfFYSt5b7QEDnjKBixMkRshtFj_p73Fr-Fo/w640-h362/IMG_1429.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">For the past several years I have not used my master bedroom or bathroom, the reason is because the bed is awfully uncomfortable, and the floor suffered a lot of pet damage from mostly Bella when I first got her. Instead I rather sleep in a much smaller bedroom on the second floor and slowly this room just sort of turned into a junk room that no one wanted to have anything to do with. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Lately I've really wanted to slowly repair the damage and make it a welcoming space again. A month ago I finally found a floor refinishing person that charge a reasonable price and also seemed very professional so I booked myself an appointment. The wait list for him is a whole month but I figured that it was worth the wait. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyuoX-4QqsoQTtnDzdcCSbSt7Z1bNLTu2s7am-mc3il6WyTndumjvtVWnj1dQ_MOqjpIwKqCBRzMaHJLqF34bou1qHVVCafAMbpn7F_iP4mDuK8ObOJQd8UuVQ2Oav79_EDKVjGBoM3g/s1800/IMG_1954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyuoX-4QqsoQTtnDzdcCSbSt7Z1bNLTu2s7am-mc3il6WyTndumjvtVWnj1dQ_MOqjpIwKqCBRzMaHJLqF34bou1qHVVCafAMbpn7F_iP4mDuK8ObOJQd8UuVQ2Oav79_EDKVjGBoM3g/w428-h640/IMG_1954.JPG" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;">As with all home improvements, everything takes longer than expected. It was initially a one day $1000 floor refinishing job, that turned into three days and costing three times as much. Once the damaged floor pieces were ripped out, I discovered more damage on the subfloor, which also needed to be cut out and replaced as well. Unfortunately the flooring contractor is fully booked and I had to wait another half months for him to squeeze in two more days of time to finish the job. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was extremely labor intensive work and the two people team did a great job waving in the new wood and polishing off the top layer. I opted for a much lighter color which turned out pretty well! Also moving all my wardrobe out of the closet was such a huge task and I wonder how I have accumulated so much clothes! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYKzN7aix-AIqX7XdJujBYV-lKc2qako0dv90YUdig7mb8DmVrWEBsXw_YbLy7E2HCx5ur489jsE-SCXzSgZ6sUMKgEoaAeaRZyE5oU9rfMHlOKpBM2Y00b2ioeiNW-KrBzI-aHwBo3Q/s2048/IMG_1917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYKzN7aix-AIqX7XdJujBYV-lKc2qako0dv90YUdig7mb8DmVrWEBsXw_YbLy7E2HCx5ur489jsE-SCXzSgZ6sUMKgEoaAeaRZyE5oU9rfMHlOKpBM2Y00b2ioeiNW-KrBzI-aHwBo3Q/w640-h480/IMG_1917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>The "After" turned out very well and I really like the lighter color! It's not a "perfect" job but for the purpose of this room this will do and it makes me feel 100 times better than seeing the damaged old floor. I'd really like to re-finish the rest of the wood floor in the house eventually. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5EAOBNWXyLwBYfjGdcKkhFbPolVzsB_Mc-dbi42YrG8xdpjahVZuaYwc9PuJlrB-oaFj14URjVo8B8p9H5q2NopCs3ReYSqrRTmwHtT3ZnwbIMaW8xHfkSjOnXaljwhljoF9KmCSN44/s2048/IMG_1918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5EAOBNWXyLwBYfjGdcKkhFbPolVzsB_Mc-dbi42YrG8xdpjahVZuaYwc9PuJlrB-oaFj14URjVo8B8p9H5q2NopCs3ReYSqrRTmwHtT3ZnwbIMaW8xHfkSjOnXaljwhljoF9KmCSN44/w640-h480/IMG_1918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I've made a list of things that need to be done in order to finish "detailing" this room. I can really get lost in details but it's something I enjoy so much and it's ok to take time to do each room slowly but get it done right!</p><p>Here's my one bedroom to do list, </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Replace existing baseboards.</li><li>Paint the interior wall and ceiling</li><li>Reinstall closet doors and replace closet door hardwares</li><li>Replace ceiling light fixture</li><li>Change out curtain rod </li><li>Outfit new window treatment</li><li>Custom make window seat cushions.</li><li>New bedroom furnitures</li><li>Repair window damaged by Uggie</li></ol><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08EFNRTi_FVcHZ5zffuigcIyHsP95iOHIphWeFbRR5SqYGH7lYBrJwKZK9HmYAuEdnX3zLnvlwyxUYVK_AWspfng6MlGdth42sZ-NsIVzkTa6q3C7HmdA3HE-vaxctdWi5Mn52SqJioM/s1800/IMG_1937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1011" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08EFNRTi_FVcHZ5zffuigcIyHsP95iOHIphWeFbRR5SqYGH7lYBrJwKZK9HmYAuEdnX3zLnvlwyxUYVK_AWspfng6MlGdth42sZ-NsIVzkTa6q3C7HmdA3HE-vaxctdWi5Mn52SqJioM/w360-h640/IMG_1937.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><p>I've been playing with ideas on how to furnish the bedroom and it's so fun to put a mood board together. I really just want this space to be comfortable and calm so I can use it again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoRESUYmP5AIOKpkJblyRpbNBab5jbnVMUwtXRoXzIWhS-lgZn2xScuXIBSvsaLiIsajI0_4LRh3x0UaXOJxAU6_kxx6-TfSNfPOT_eSvYtbGF-T4_jmI86eiuecSiXBL88za-E05Veg/s2008/IMG_1919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="1932" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoRESUYmP5AIOKpkJblyRpbNBab5jbnVMUwtXRoXzIWhS-lgZn2xScuXIBSvsaLiIsajI0_4LRh3x0UaXOJxAU6_kxx6-TfSNfPOT_eSvYtbGF-T4_jmI86eiuecSiXBL88za-E05Veg/w616-h640/IMG_1919.jpg" width="616" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am really hoping that Uggie has grown out of the window eating phase, as he hasn't been chewing on that window for a while...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19QAFjpCmYh2-hczMTglb3ig89-6ruQQWAkBhD44BJa7_7HE4TJ04xQXdqXUMc66wYyAsSEl7u6ZDi-geM61uNcm6blYE_KRZIrfOrEdOc5R8lvngxVgMr131Z6hs8TC8RLdFwAiDRQ8/s3023/IMG_1935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2460" data-original-width="3023" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19QAFjpCmYh2-hczMTglb3ig89-6ruQQWAkBhD44BJa7_7HE4TJ04xQXdqXUMc66wYyAsSEl7u6ZDi-geM61uNcm6blYE_KRZIrfOrEdOc5R8lvngxVgMr131Z6hs8TC8RLdFwAiDRQ8/w640-h520/IMG_1935.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oEz6zIPvOBL1ZGTOPTJNGk98IeumW9A32B_6ht4dXhaBTmgCzLUehal9NootHQTPfP1ajpV4ofJZ69B5hFELVxwZnIWuV3IvekYrYKkkFipgNAAOv1QQEqY_vFyfNxBV3Fy05dweJ-U/s2048/IMG_1936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oEz6zIPvOBL1ZGTOPTJNGk98IeumW9A32B_6ht4dXhaBTmgCzLUehal9NootHQTPfP1ajpV4ofJZ69B5hFELVxwZnIWuV3IvekYrYKkkFipgNAAOv1QQEqY_vFyfNxBV3Fy05dweJ-U/w640-h480/IMG_1936.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As for Bella, do you think she's sorry? I'm not so sure. Just this morning she got mad at me for making her go potty outside when the ground is a bit wet from a little bit of drizzling rain. She was not amused! It's not easy to see in the photo but she is actually quite a large dog and she can easily do some damage to the house compared to Kelly, but I love her so much and I already forgive her for being naughty!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1693821757796815139.post-50398366417752511442021-12-04T08:52:00.000-08:002021-12-04T08:52:28.775-08:00Revisiting an old hobby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbRLrFweX9pAPi5gRD5eYjcAP2x-uXPH6_p1m_WakWdZcgiOvhqiMZSbZ8z8zZgLevuEMUabUqEASR7YFu0Knqm0T1dq6EFNesNvjGpqQDjI2sSVSlN7WtVUbuidTvBabAOi4wvbcdUo/s1110/IMG_1680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1110" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbRLrFweX9pAPi5gRD5eYjcAP2x-uXPH6_p1m_WakWdZcgiOvhqiMZSbZ8z8zZgLevuEMUabUqEASR7YFu0Knqm0T1dq6EFNesNvjGpqQDjI2sSVSlN7WtVUbuidTvBabAOi4wvbcdUo/w640-h406/IMG_1680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>At every year end, I like to reflect and plan for the new year. Each year there's a lot of shift in the air and so much seems to change even though time goes by very quickly. Lately I've been thinking about ways to inspire and motivate myself, particularly as the pandemic still drags on and my life very much is completely disconnected with much of outside world, I really want something I can put my energy into and a hobby that I could expand my imagination on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEofMbLQjtG2HvG7V9xoLmKuZucLHbXuXS98oH8o_hvMGHkC8BBm9wSmmx4eIlbrSQrz6mrejdojRp7Tq0fs3M9JEPxgR5JtCf_FJ2GX-dr0j2pQeasetqrqqfLb_e-SkBcAevjLy1iY/s1440/IMG_1682.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEofMbLQjtG2HvG7V9xoLmKuZucLHbXuXS98oH8o_hvMGHkC8BBm9wSmmx4eIlbrSQrz6mrejdojRp7Tq0fs3M9JEPxgR5JtCf_FJ2GX-dr0j2pQeasetqrqqfLb_e-SkBcAevjLy1iY/w480-h640/IMG_1682.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>One of the hobbies I really want to revisit is orchid growing. I went a few years back on my phone and found a few pictures of orchids that I had, unfortunately most of these are lost and my only option is to start over. I'm not exactly sure what made me completely stop the last time but I think it was a combination of being super busy and stressed all the time, and also a bad case of pest infestation that completely turned me off on this hobby. In 2018 I lost my favorite fairy garden and it was too big of a loss to recover from and I never picked up the steam to grow anything again. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zi3MrnZTkKr4bm6V414SwD80hIaypR5NgVx3Tfk2dMcCi_AcWEZDEWEHysNWZX7Pw5QCF3GwSn5A2Ti_LnMRRGDx7mmGfnVmdsRb4GmCbWyhEY68B2OF5JTKgpBn23i6FjZ0991dMK0/s4032/IMG_1693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Zi3MrnZTkKr4bm6V414SwD80hIaypR5NgVx3Tfk2dMcCi_AcWEZDEWEHysNWZX7Pw5QCF3GwSn5A2Ti_LnMRRGDx7mmGfnVmdsRb4GmCbWyhEY68B2OF5JTKgpBn23i6FjZ0991dMK0/w640-h480/IMG_1693.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Restarting an orchid collection this time around I'm planning to keeping things on the small side. Big box stores like Lowe's and Trader Joe's are surprisingly good places for orchids as I find the quality of plants much better than mismanaged orchid nurseries that have pest and virus infestations. <div><br /></div><div>I'm starting with learning more about disease and pest control and being vigorous about screening the orchids that come through the door. So far I've picked up a few phalaenopsis orchids to try my hands in. I also found a couple of Christmas cactus from Grocery Outlet that's been doing very well. It' amazing what a few flowers and plants could do for a space, they truly bring so much joy to a home!</div><div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLec4JMUSnp2Xp0QlJHeEzJuxoTlsY2wLArGjF7yDIxC_tua-DHAKCKNF-7tbkwgzFO52g2L_TZ836_3Ph54DcpzZXWz7et_pN5SiNMvpUr8DOWq6dHHCFyUxrAI4ncseKP6tk1hkmt0/s4032/IMG_1695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLec4JMUSnp2Xp0QlJHeEzJuxoTlsY2wLArGjF7yDIxC_tua-DHAKCKNF-7tbkwgzFO52g2L_TZ836_3Ph54DcpzZXWz7et_pN5SiNMvpUr8DOWq6dHHCFyUxrAI4ncseKP6tk1hkmt0/w640-h480/IMG_1695.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I recently was gifted a leaf off a large plant from my neighbor, it looks like some sort of cactus although I've yet to find out what it's called. It's living alongside my new vanda orchid above the kitchen sink. Vanda requires daily watering, about twice a day, so it sits near by the sink for easy access. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn8URo6NQPQZMjZN75xSK2PxdRt51bfhffYnBSiBbYL4E2EShE-rLjpq5hgscQiuF8J2xbVk4dlClizNmA0ibhktcYsfzHqSrWbH7kmBXbM2xwuMcJPJbyLVDbmmbg8Ngunw79cn75JQ/s960/28468036_10155697727539051_6578190530525974560_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMn8URo6NQPQZMjZN75xSK2PxdRt51bfhffYnBSiBbYL4E2EShE-rLjpq5hgscQiuF8J2xbVk4dlClizNmA0ibhktcYsfzHqSrWbH7kmBXbM2xwuMcJPJbyLVDbmmbg8Ngunw79cn75JQ/w640-h640/28468036_10155697727539051_6578190530525974560_n.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>I used to have this set up in my sitting room with beautiful display of orchids, and I'm looking forward to restore it in the near future. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0