::happy 2008::

"The LORD watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand, the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm, He will watch over your life, the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Joyeux Noël

happy moments, praise God. difficult moments, seek God. quiet moments, worship God. painful moments, trust God. every moment, thank God. Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas at Galeries Lafayette!

some more shopping anyone?

40 blvd Haussmann 75009 Paris (Dec'07)

Coffee: Scrumptious Drinks

caramelly: a subtle sweetness, particularly in blends given a deep, dark roast nutty: an enjoyable flavour reminiscent of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or other nuts smoky: the darker the roast, the more smoky the aroma and flavour spicy: the aroma or flavour of spice, from sweet to savoury

perfect ending cupcakes!

These irresistible mini cupcakes are simple to make and are sure to please everyone's sweet tooth. Magnificent minies to complete your holiday menus. Yum!

El amor en los tiempos del cólera

A very well written book about an extremely passionate love story. It's a story about love in all of it's guises—small and large, passionate and serene. Considering Gabriel Garcia Márquez won the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature -- it's highly recommended!

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda

life seems preetier when you have one of these..*hehe*

touch of pink on a gray sunday

another favorite flickr series.

c'est élégant!

Donna Karan's Spring 2008

Classic, girly chic met the redefined power suit in Donna Karan's collection for spring. Predominantly nude, khaki, and white collection was peppered in dresses and wide billowy skirts. Just beautiful!

feiertag...hier komme ich!

1. therapeutic relaxing massage

2. shopping shopping shopping

3. kinokuniya...here i come

4. Häagen-Dazs

5. JiFFest

..we live by faith

He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.

City of Lights, Camera, Action

"Ciné Paris"("Paris Cinema"). A full-color guidebook in French, it offers walking tours of the sites of Paris film history through each of the city's 20 neighborhoods, complete with maps and movie dialog -- for all Paris strollers.

{..on my wishlist..}

"I don't wish to be everything to everyone,

but I would like to be something to someone"

it's december!

holiday season is coming...*yaiy*

s.i.g.n

It doesn't matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.
[Good Will Hunting]

sleepy me

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book (Irish Proverb)

..and I thank You for Your blessings

[A Birthday Poem by Ted Kooser]

"Just past dawn, the sun standswith its heavy red headin a black stanchion of trees,waiting for someone to comewith his bucketfor the foamy white light,and then a long day in the pasture.I too spend my days grazing,feasting on every green moment till darkness calls,and with the others I walk away into the night,swinging the little tin bellof my name."

~serendipity~

Bad moods melt quickly here

take a holiday, darling..

“If London is a watercolor, New York is an oil painting.”

Can't remember the last time I went for my holiday... Feel like a long long time ago (sigh). I deserve one good holiday, don't you think?

s.o.l.i.t.u.d.e

O Solitude! if I must with thee dwell,

Let it not be among the jumbled heap

Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,

Nature's observatory whence the dell,

Its flowery slopes, its river's crystal swell,

May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep

'Mongst boughs pavilion'd, where the deer's swift leap

Startles the wild bee from the foxglove bell.

But though I'll gladly trace these scenes with thee,

Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,

Whose words are images of thoughts refin'd,

Is my soul's pleasure; and it sure must be

Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,

When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.
[john keats]

" hang in there "

The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter.

Fashion Week Favorites: Monique Lhuillier Spring 2008

This was classic Lhuillier, and it underscored why she's an eveningwear presence to be reckoned with. She gave us uncomplicated elegance.. Am truly in awe of her works!

Fashion Week Favorites: Badgley Mischka Spring 2008

The Badgley Mischka signature style is simple, streamlined, and thoroughly elegant, constructed of the finest fabrics and superior craftsmanship. Always, there is an element of silhouette or luxurious detail. One zip and you’re glamorous..

it's brewing...

The recipe for a great cup of coffee. Proportion, Grind, Water and Freshness. Understand and follow the guidelines for each of them, and you're on your way to brewing a great cup of coffee every time.

"she is my ballet"

{love this art print by hammerpress}

why are so many ballet terms in french?
because the French were among the first to write them down. many are actually everyday words that just sound fancy to us. e.g.'Plier' is actually French for 'bend.

is the word 'ballet' french as well?

it is, but it actually comes from the Italian word 'ballare' from which we also get the word 'ballroom'.

Howdy, doodie!

have a perfectly good Saturday!

All Things Are Possible

In Your Hands
I'm so secure, You're here with me
You stay the same
Your love remains here in my heart
So close I believe, You're holding me now
In Your Hands I belong, You'll never let me go
You gave your life, In Your endless love
You set me free, And showed the way
Now I am found
All along, You were beside me
Even when I could'nt tell
Through the years
You showed me more of You
-hillsong-

coffee break!

Cappuccino: A shot of espresso blended with equal portions steamed milk and foam topping

Café Americano: A few shots of espresso poured with hot water to fill a typical drip-style coffee cup or sometimes espresso brewed drip-style

Café Au Lait: Drip-style coffee blended with equal portions of steamed milk

Café Latte: A shot of espresso served in a tall glass poured with 3 to 4 times that amount steamed milk and a dab of foam

Café Macchiato: A shot of espresso marked with a dab of foam

Café Mocha: A shot of espresso served in a tall glass poured with 3 to 4 times that amount steamed chocolate milk (made from powder or syrup) and a dab of foam or whipped cream and a shake of shaved or powdered chocolate

the girl who stole the Eiffel Tower

saw this beautiful retro effect picture of the Tour Eiffel from one of my favorite flickr photos.. classic work!

~ ti amo il mio caro ~

just a few new words mi bebecito tought me earlier today... capite? ;p

easier said than done [sigh]

which one works best for cramming an exam?
a) staying late up at night to study, then falling asleep; or

b) sleeping early, but getting up early to study

scientific research proves that the information processed before falling asleep will be subconsciously processed even while you sleep.

Naah.... cramming doesn't work. guess I should study before hand *help pls!*

Fashion Week Favorites: Zac Posen Spring 2008

[style.com]

some of my favorite looks from the born-and-brad new yorker Zac Posen. extra long, strapless, bubble-hemmed.. as poufy as storm-whipped clouds!

{follow your bliss}

"to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, day and night, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting" [e.e. cummings]

Why to Love Paris in October

The old proverb that all good Americans go to Paris to die is really just a rather morbid way of acknowledging that it is the ultimate--though with any luck not that ultimate--city. In Paris more than in any other city in the world, with the possible exception of New York, myth and reality interweave to create a heady sensation of excitement and déjà vu, where the familiar Paris of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre is temporarily forgotten by the visitor's sudden and often surprising discovery of another, private Paris. Whether it is found in a seemingly forgotten cul-de-sac in an off-the-beaten-track corner of the 14th arrondissement, or in an ancient shop on the slope of Montmartre selling antique clocks, this is the real Paris of which memories are made. (http://www.forbes.com/)

it's..... you!

"Imagine a future moment in your life where all your dreams come true... You know, it's the greatest moment in your life and you get to experience it with one person. Who's standing next to you?"

I'd fly!

If I had but two little wings,
And were a little feathery bird,
To you I'd fly, my dear!
But thoughts like these are idle things,
And I stay here!
(Something Childish, But Very Natural by Coleridge)

[my hiding place]

You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You
I will trust in You
Let the weak say I am strong
In the strength of the Lord
© 1981 CCCM

with tired eyes, tired minds, tired souls, we slept..

too ill to sleep, too tired to stay awake... aw, shoot!

..sometimes

Sometimes it seems like you are the only one in the world who's struggling, who's frustrated, unsatisfied, barely getting by. But that feeling's a lie. And if you just hold on, just find the courage to face it all for another day, someone or something will find you and make it all okay. Because we all need a little help sometimes..someone to helps us hear the music in their world, to remind us that it won't always be this way. That someone is out there. And that someone will find you.. (the same deep water as you - 2003)

untitled..

I am nothing special..just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul.. and to me, this has always been enough.
(the notebook - 2004)

-mémoires-

I like to think of this space as my personal treasure chest of sorts. It’s a place to keep all my odds and ends: poems reflecting glimpse of my feeling at a moment of time, bits of music describing lyrics of my day , and lots of pictures. As the old cliche says "A picture is worth a thousand words." Much better than sealing things away in a vault, I’d say, or in a musty shoebox.