Cheerful month

Hello December,

and everyone. I find a way to go back here to this blog. It is so embarrassing that my time management is so bad that I couldn't get any proper free time during the semester to post something on our blog. But now here it is... the holiday! 

I might be one of those students who get early holiday. It has been a week since I can actually go to bed without getting my alarm at 6am hahahaha. How wonderful is it! This holiday is even more special and makes me feel like the happiest girl in the world for a reason which I will not reveal until my next post. (promisingly will be here very soon after this post haha) 

For now, I just want to share some quick handmade Christmas I made... last year lol. I just dug up my messy laptop and found some pictures of them. Now that Christmas is just around the corner. It's time to feel the vibe... 

Hope everyone has a nice plan for the cheerful month ahead. And let's wait for some update from my dear lazy bestie too... Where are you NP?

Thank you anh Tiến for the nice photographs.

Soramame

Fall semester just started about a month ago and heck, I am so so busy with school and work! But still I wouldn't stay indoor all the time due to this nice warm weather of October. You know you're in San Francisco when the summer comes and goes randomly like breezes.. And also this new dress from Soramame is too lovely to wear everywhere! (My dad came all the way from Vietnam to visit me and brought me the dress!)

Soramame is a new clothing store in Hanoi, Vietnam - a collaboration work between my cousin and his friend. All the dresses there are literally to die for, all with clean cut yet elegant designs on superb materials. Can't wait to go back to Vietnam and try all of them on!

One more thing I have to brag about this dress is that it is so versatile! I can wear it casually for going out, or even vigorously roaming my bike around the city (as if I'm wearing pants).. and also for work when I need to dress in formal attire. Isn't it just too perfect and absolutely comfortable for any occasions? 

More dresses like these, please visit: 

Soramame - 37 Lo Su, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 

Cheers to a new week ahead! :)

N.P

Just shoot

Short unrelated story: This tree behind me got chopped off a day after this picture was taken. What the hell is wrong with you humanity? 

Most of the photo taken by my love A. 

What's your ideal of a travel? 

For me, it involves a lot of picture taking and writing. Wild places and old villages are always in my top list of traveling but most of the time it really irritates me that I have to carry a heavy camera and need to guard up and watch out for those robbers in some unsafe places. Sometimes, insecurity overtakes my relaxation for a trip. So I was very happy back then, when my boyfriend bought me 2 single-use cameras he saw around the airport. One is for normal shoot, one is for under water. They turned out to be very convenient and handy. You can put it inside your travel tote with several other things without worrying that it can be damaged. And because it's a film camera, you just shoot. There is no waste time for review or choosing filters on instagram (sorry to those instagram fans, but I don't find it's suitable for travel he he). Instead, I spend more time enjoy the place, enjoy precious moments with him... Oh sometimes, randomness may bring your surprise!?
One more thing, I like the sensation of holding a photo in hand rather than see it on computer screen. That's what makes me love this camera even more. 

Those pictures here are not from any of our travels. We just took it while we were in our hometown for summer holiday.  I had a good time pretending we are tourists and going back to our favorites spots. I had a swim in the ocean again after 2 years! (how shameful is that when I am a child born and raised in a seaside city...) The pictures were taken randomly, still they turn out not bad, right? 

Have a tranquil weekend and don't forget to take pictures ;) 

Memories are not to be slipped away... 

NT

WAIT! We will have something exciting for you in the next weeks. Stay tuned ;) 

On the table last week

If anyone asks me about how I relieve stress, cooking would always pop up first thing in my head. Nothing puts me at ease better than being in the kitchen. Everything turns into a melody, a dance, a little upbeat waltz around my kitchen. From the feet twirling around the floor to get me preparing and cooking, to the inviting countertops with my fresh ingredients, to the afire stove tops that promise good food for the table. 

Since I met M., I've started cooking a lot more. It's just natural you know, when you're with somebody you love you both tend to enjoy eating (and sometimes pigging out kind of excessively too, haha). M is definitely a foodie, and I am of course an avid home cook. We just enjoy everything about food, from the grocery shopping, to the cooking and the final dining part. We love hosting guests for dinner too, very casual and homey style, if you're up for it come to us! 

That is why I want to dedicate a significant part of this blog to update you guys with my food journal and my own recipes. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we do. 

So take a glance of our food highlights last week: 

Simple pan-fried lamp chops (recipe already updated here)

Pickled mustard greens soup with beef - Canh dưa thịt bò

Broiled BBQ pork ribs 

Spaghetti Bolognese

Fish sauce wings 

Beef noodle - Phở bò 

Besides, I try to eat lots of veggies and fruits, they are so abundant and fresh during the summer! My favorite summer salad at the moment is a combination of iceberg, spinach, arugula, cucumber, tomato, carrot. Add as much as balsamic vinaigrette you want and a few drops of lemon juice. Give them all a nice toss. Then it's ready to accompany your delicious food on the table. I'll definitely update a picture of this salad next time! 

So which recipe of the above you guys want me to share next? ;)

Have a productive week fellas! 

Later, NP.