Some Quick Words... #4 - Believe Quote

"I BELIEVE in you"

you should believe in yourself too

Sometimes you just need to believe it for a start... or someone who believes in you...

xo
Em.

Banana Oatmeal ❤

There was some very sweet lovely looking banana on the dining table, which I have sworn to make pancakes with for days. As apparently pancakes with banana and coffee sauce sounds very appealing to the very hungry 7 a.m. me.

But then ... I found out there were no eggs in the fridge to make the pancakes with! Yet, ... there WERE some oats though, the quick-cooking and very versatile ingredients, luckily.

So there it was, and there went my hunger! :D

 

I lightly cooked the bananas in caramelised sugar syrup just until they are tender enough but not too mushy.

I also added some mashed bananas in the oatmeal, and the chocolate is thicken with a little flour and water (since I have no milk in the fridge, as almost always :)). No sugar was added into the oatmeal or the chocolate. So the chocolate was bittersweet and the oatmeal tasted and smelled just as sweet as the bananas.

I topped it with some digestive biscuits (I'd put gingersnaps too if I had some) and there it was! Gone in less than 5 minutes! :D

I wonder though, do you like oatmeals? Because I know some people who would rather starve than eating them. ;o

Happy Sunday! Now I can go back to bed peacefully. :)

❤

Em. 

LifeinaBreakDown 1 Year Celebration Announcement

I Love My Post Big 1 Year Celebration!

Organized by: Futures and Life in a Break Down

Grand Prize: PayPal Cash (Value TBC but all sign up fees will go into the pot!)

Event dates: 31st August -28th September

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Referral prize: $25 Paypal Cash

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This is a post for LifeinaBreakDown 1 year celebration (Congratulations! :)). Find her original post here.

xo
Em.

Some Quick Words... #5 - Life Quote

Wheeeee! :D

Both in good and bad times that is!


xoo,
Em.

White Paper Gift Wrapper

If you ever in need of a gift wrapper that is totally made out of the plain white A4 papers from your home scanner (okay, maybe you won't) but well, this is one... ;)

Divide 1 of the 2 sheets equally into 4 pieces.

Fold all four of them.

Shape (yes, I use my cuticle trimmer :)) and carefully lightly burn the ends of the paper (I used gas stove, a little candle will work).

Stack and tie all four of the folded papers in the middle, then twist each layer to form the paper decoration.
Twist both the sewing threads to make out the string, wrap the gift (mine's the blue top :)) using the other sheet of paper, and tie the string around it!

Create and stick the little sewing thread pom-pom in the middle of the paper flower, and there it's done!

I'm not too proud of it, but I think it's not too bad for a last minute gift wrapper? :))

❤

Lots of love, 
 Em.

Some Quick Words... #3 - Courage Quote

Yes YOU can do it. :))

♥
Em.

Happiness Cards

The idea was to make cards that would remind me of the things that makes me happy.

You know how sometimes you feel like you can use a little bit of uplift?

Well, in most of those times, it can be very hard for me to think of anything that can make me happy.

So here's a little reminder, and stimulator. As you know, a little goes a long way, one depiction will lead to another, and in a shorter time, I shall feel ... sunnier! :)


I cut out little hearts on it so there are hearts on the inside shadows too (thinking cheeky metaphor).

Colour the hearts inside and see where the shadows fit on!

In my cards: Big colourful balloons flying across a beautiful city!

Laughing babies! Makes me smile even now! :D

Then I add some feel good quotes ... :)

I'll hang these behind the foot of my bed with brown paper string (and perhaps fairy lights?) for a reminder now and then. Might change them every so often too! Photographs in them will work juust as fine.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded a little! :)


Lots of love,
Em.

Some Quick Words... #2 - Girl Quote

Stay strong, girls. Take good care of yourselves.


Hugs and kisses,
Em.

Crafty Sunday! ☼ How to Take a BETTER Photograph - Part 1

For beginner.
Or, how to take a photo that doesn't look too rubbish. :D

So I have been spending my Sunday today trying to learn how to take a better picture. Not only of myself, ... but generally.
Why?
I think photography is a practical skill.

Ever have that awkward family picture... *dramatic sappy music*
*okay, stop*
well, I mean, generally just a picture of yourself, taken by another family member, holding nonsensical things (like a twig), grimacing instead of grinning, in a girl scout uniform (well, probably this one is just me), leaning on the bark of an unseen tree like your life depends on it (master of awkward poses)?
I'll show you this awesome picture if I find it, ... it's awesome because it's too weird, that I remember I took it ... and my mum who took the picture was saying things like "yes! good pose!".

Anyway, orrr ... a picture that shows your mum has wore too much makeup on under the harsh unforgiving flash light that your dad thinks should be on ALL the time?

Story of my life.

So, to save graces of future weird pictures, gods allow, I thought I would learn a little more about photography.

Obviously by no means, I am no expert. Leave alone qualified, and far far FARRR away from being a good photographer :).

But, let's share what I've learned.

So, Em (talking to self), should you forget what to do when taking a photograph, here's a recap, and (not talking to self) here's how my nails are particularly looking today!

I needed a subject for the pictures :D.

Enjoy!


1. Avoid Backlight
So after you find the source of light (said to be preferably easier to use 1 main source of light to handle the shadows), ...

Don't take the picture with the back to it. What's the point of a light when you're blocking it. Unless the shadows are what you're looking for ... :)
p.s.: I kind of like the picture though.


2. Avoid Direct Light
So take the picture facing the light source.

But, apparently, not directly facing it. Since it might be too harsh and wash out the colour out of the picture.


3. Remove Clutters from Background
So the best is apparently diffused light, such as in front of the window but when the sun is not directly opposing it or not too bright. Definitely not around midday. Said the best hours would be soft lights in between 1 hour before and after sunset and sunrise.

Now the harsh washout colours are gone, but this picture might be missing focus. I mean ... I'm not that much of an OCD, and I do like the colours in the background! :D But, yes ... they are distracting. Even if there is only one other object in the background, I think it would distract me perfectly (I tend to wander off).
So, for a starting option, remove clutters from background, unless they are an intended part of the complete picture.


4. Go Hide!
Spot the photographer in the picture!

Apparently it is normal to bend and twist to hide yourself when taking a picture. Playing hide and seek with the source of light. Or .. should there be any reflective objects ...


5. Now Better Adjusted!
Now those are done, I think the picture looks slightly better. These are the best possible pictures that I got given the instances.

This...
and... there's another one!

Even though a good camera might help, but what are fancy tools when I don't know the basics of framing a picture.
So these are taken with my Blackberry camera phone! :) Mind you, it doesn't even have a macro option.
So there you go! Next up I think would be day time vs. night time pictures, how to fill the frame, learning to pose (as my nails started to look like a newborn puppy's paws after a while), and ... what else I shall come up with ...  Mmm ...


Lots of love,
Em.

Carrots, Onions, and Egg!

What is that?? You ask.

Well, this... happens to be my breakfast! :D

The idea was to make something of like a frittata, but with only 1 egg, as I was going to eat this on my own in one meal.


So I peeled 2 medium-sized carrots, and kept peeling until they are all "peeled"! Look!
Made me happy!

That electric green bit was obviously my peeler :).

Then I "almost caramelised" sliced 1 whole onion (you can fully caramelised them if you'd like to, I ... was too starving *nervous grin*).

Took them off the pan, and mix them with 1 egg and a quarter cup of water (you can use milk, or cream, I didn't have both), sprinkle with salt (you can also add powdered chicken broth if you'd like to), and grated nutmeg, about a teaspoon, while I sauteed the carrots with a quarter of one big garlic clove just to taste.

Then I pour over the egg mixture and waited for it to be cooked!
Added another dash of nutmeg (oh yes, I like it! :D), and now I'm perfectly contented and just adequately filled!

Good morning!
♥Em.

Basic Face Cleansing ♥ All Things Pretty Saturday!

Face cleansing is obviously the first step in skincare routine. Yes, skincare routine. I've just been recently reminded that that skincare is an everyday routine (-- and yes it goes wayyy beyond just face cleansing).

Anyway, the following notes are also as a reminder to myself, as I constantly have the urge to over-wash. Let's take care of our skin :).

Cheers!

• Wash hands first before washing face. Hands contain germs and bacteria as well. Unwashed hands will only transfer them to the face.
• Splash the face with lukewarm water. Water that is too hot or too cold, or the use of cool water after warm water or vice versa, might be too harsh and might cause unnecessary irritations.
• Try to touch or rub the skin as little as possible while splashing the face to also avoid the spread of the dirt or germs or bacteria on the face.
• Foam a small amount of facial wash (dry skin can survive even using just a really tiny amount).
• Spread the foam thoroughly all over the face with small circular motions, gently massaging the face.
• Once done, swiftly wash off the foam by splashing the face with the lukewarm water again. Try to touch or rub the skin as little as possible while splashing again too.
• Try not to over-wash (such as leaving the foam too long on the skin). Over-wash can strip off natural oil on the skin and may lead to skin irritations.
• Pat off the skin with a clean supple towel or cloth, while avoiding tugging or taunting the skin while doing so in preventing as much as we can against premature wrinkles ;).

Toast & Tomatoes! ♥

So... there was this one lonely leftover tomato in my fridge... and there was this one lonely leftover bread on the table...

So here's what I made!

1. Dice the tomato,

2. then season with fresh or dried oregano and rosemary. seeds, juice and all, no fuss,

3. "dress" with olive oil (about 1/6 cup for 1 medium tomato)

4. add a pinch of salt to liking,

then roughly mix, mix, mix, just enough to blend.

 

Then I toast the bread just until it is crusty enough, then pour (and drizzle) the juicy fresh tomatoes on top of it, and eat them while the bread is still warm and crunchy, and the tomatoes I usually have them rather cold from the fridge! :))

They get soggy pretty quickly once the juice and oil drench the toast when let sit out cold.

Rubbing some garlic for the toast would taste nice too if you like garlic like me!

I make this quite often, this is one of my favourites, actually. I like how fresh the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes is combined with the warm sweet bread, and the aromatic whim of the herbs ... this is one of my favourite fast go-to and pick-me-up snacks whenever available for a light bite. Well, mostly around midnight ... or those days when the sun is too hot ...

Now let's not get fancy and call this "tomato salad on toast" or "tomato bruschetta". Well, perhaps mainly 'cause it's not and its flat out simple.

Here's some more scrumptious pictures!

Fresh bread is the best! When they are still fluffy then crunched up ...? Mine was rather stale, but still taste good.

Bon appetit!

Mine is rather cold now 'cause apparently I took about 10 hours taking pictures!

Too busy devouring,

Em.