Spring Happenings In The Garden

 My favorite time to walk around the garden is in the late evening when the sun stubbornly holds onto the sky and evening breeze whispers soft lullabies to lure the night stars.  By then I probably have spent hours weeding and fussing around the garden.  I love to stand next to my lavender plants after I have finished watering the garden and inhale that deep intoxicating earthy sense.  

 most of my spring blooming plants are just slowly starting to wake up from the long winter.

I added three more lupine plants this year.  The combination of lupines and peonies are just breathtakingly beautiful.

Like a child, I love walking around the garden while counting the peony buds.    

 

Irises spread like wildfire throughout the gardens.  

These beauties are from my rose garden.  I love this coral color so much that I am going to add more to this spot.  They bring so much color and beauty to this garden before roses make their entrance.

This front yard garden has been such a labor of love.  Finally this year I feel like I got it under control.  Naturally I want to do the same to my backyard.  I have to keep reminding myself to take one small step at a time.  After all gardens don't happen in one season.  Didn't somebody wise once said "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow?"  May you find peace and happiness while getting your hands dirty and watching beautiful things grow.

Love,
Victoria


Linking up with:
http://www.elizabethandcovintage.com/

Everyday Ballgown skirts

The other day in my blog post about my dream dress, I wrote about my love for ballgown skirts.  I think most people probably thought I was exaggerating when I said I would and do wear it to playgrounds and grocery stores or just walking around the house.  I have been obsessively curating pictures of ballgown skirts on pinterest for awhile now.  Here are a few of my inspirations from pinterest.

How beautiful and flawless are these looks?  I know the idea of wearing a ballgown skirt as an everyday outfit is a bit intimidating but like most things in life, it is all about balance.  I love how these ladies paired their skirts with simple T-shirts.  Crop top looks amazing with ballgown skirts too.  It balances out the heaviness from the skirt.  Have I convinced you try this look yet?  Now you are thinking to yourself where the hell am I going to find myself a ballgown skirt that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  Make one yourself!  I mean it!  I am a very very novice seamstress<if I can even call myself that.>  After realizing that these skirts cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars, I went out and bought myself a pattern.  I used Simplicity 1099 Project Runway Maxi Skirt pattern.  I paid a little over $30 for fabric.  I used heavier almost canvas like fabric.  In one night, I made myself a ballgown skirt.

Here is my very first ballgown skirt.  Instead of using zipper, I used elastic band to make my life easier.  I wear these turban headbands almost everyday.  I will make a tutorial for them soon.

Last night I was going through my stash of fabrics and found this gorgeous floral print my mom brought from Singapore.

Since the fabric is very light weight, I layered it with thick canvas underneath to create more volume.

You can bet I will be rocking these everyday the whole summer.  Sometimes in life, all you need to rock any outfit is a little confidence to know that darling, you really are that fabulous.

PS. I think it might be time I find myself a photographer friend to do more fashion posts?



Love,
Victoria

Burmese Semolina Cake

My mama is here.  She has taken over my kitchen and I happily obliged.  As a true cook, she has completely transformed my kitchen and I just breeze in and out it like a happy cool summer breeze.  So yesterday, I asked her to teach me how to make one of my favorite Burmese dessert called Sanwei Makin or Burmese Semolina Cake.  This special treat has a subtle coconut flavor with raisins and cashews.  Since my parents have been here, I have fallen back in love with tea time.  This Semolina Cake is the perfect tea time treat.

  
I, for the most part, like to think of myself as a good baker.  I have to admit that as delicious as this treat is, it is also a lot of work.  My mother who I like to describe as an angry happy cook said "Why am I making this now when I didn't even make it back home where I have my cooks?

The main ingredient for the cake is this Sooji grain.  You have to either go to an Indian grocery store or order it from amazon.

Once the sweet smell of coconut and Burmese tea filled the air, we were all ready to devour our sweet treat for tea time.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Sooji grain
2 cups of caster sugar
1 can of coconut milk
1/2 can of evaporated milk
1 teaspoon of salt
2 egg yolks beaten
2.5 cups of water
1 cup of canola oil
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
raisins and cashews <optional>

Pour the grain in a frying pan and roast over low heat until it turns golden brown.  Make sure it doesn't burn.  When it is golden brown, pour it into a large sauce pan.  Mix in the remaining ingredients except for the poppy seeds over the moderate heat.  Keep stirring until the mixture bubbles than lower the heat.  The mixture will thicken and keep on stirring until the mixture starts to clump together and comes away from the side of the pan.  It is serious arm and shoulder work out.  Consider this your upper body day at the gym.  Pour the mixture into a greased cake pan .  Make sure you don't spread it too thin.  Sprinkle the poppy seeds then bake in the oven at 325 degree for about 45 minutes until the top is golden and some cracks appear on the surface.  Serve at room temperature.

All dress up and no where to go

Such is the story of my life.  If I have my way, I would wear a ballgown skirt and a red lipstick to a playground.  I was told those things are look down upon at the playground so I just stick to my red lipstick.  Once in awhile though you walk into a store and BAM!  You find yourself face to face with the most beautiful dress.  The sky opens up and somewhere from behind the coat rack, white doves fly out singing love songs.  You ran over...pushing whoever is in the way like it is the last slice of chocolate cake left in the world.  If you are a fan of Sex and The City then you might remember a scene where Carrie sees a gorgeous pair of shoes through the window and she lovingly whispers, "Hello, Lover."  Yea, that was this dress for me. Unlike fictional Carrie, I choked on my coffee when I saw the price tag.  You know the rest of the story.  All of the justifications that go through your brain.  I will wear it everyday to every occasion...but but it is just soooooo pretty.  I will DIE if I don't have it.  The girls could wear it as a vintage dress to their junior proms.  I wonder how much my ovaries would go for??  Anyway, it came home with me and all was well with the world once again.  So the point of this post is you know when you find something and then you have to change everything else just for this one particular thing?  Well, as with this dress, I wanted to find a pretty clothing rack to display it in my room.  I didn't want to go out and buy a new rack so I decided to spray paint a clothing rack I already have.

Here is your before.  Cheap plastic rack.  I decided to spray it gold because well, gold is always a good idea.

After is just a chic and simple clothing rack that really let the dresses shine.

Here is my girl.  It is a Tracy Reese Cherry Blossom gown from Anthropologie.  The cut of this dress is just so flattering.

The dress has layers and layers of tulle to make you feel like a princess.

If you ask me you can never have enough tulle.

or any kind of flowers.

How gorgeous is this blush gown my cousin sent me from Burma?  Unfortunately the only way I can fit into it is if I remove a rib or two and I like my ribs...and cakes too much.

I don't shop a lot....that is partially true.  I do adore collecting gowns and tea length dresses that you can twirl the night away in.  These are my beauties for this year.  I don't know about you but when spring and summer comes around, I live in dresses.  I own two pairs of pants.  Dresses and flower crowns are my summer staples.

Here is Aurora in honor of Frida Kahlo Exhibit at The New York Botanical Garden.

Who said uni brows aren't beautiful?