Kite mail messenger

Wouldn't it be splendiferous if kite mail messengers delivered to us our packages and post? Owl post (a la Harry Potter) would be grand, too, but until the Mister and I wind up at Hogwarts, kite mail messengers shall do.

I was inspired by this that I crafted a few years prior to affix a kite mail messenger onto a parcel I am sending to a dear friend in a land far, far away.  The kite mail messenger adds a whimsical flair to a lovely package. Plus, it is a simple, time-efficient DIY to attempt. Give it a try!




Kite Mail Messenger 


Materials: 
Fabric (for kite)
Fabric scraps
Thick paper
String
Skewer
Package
Materials to dress up a package (e.g. kraft paper, doilies, vintage ephemera, etc.)

Directions:
1.  Wrap and dress up your package. I used kraft paper, a vintage air mail envelope, vintage coupons, a stitched vintage novel heart, happy tape, and baker's twine on the parcel pictured above.
2. Cleanly break skewer into two pieces: one piece that is 1/3 of the skewer (about 4 3/4") so that the other piece will be 2/3 of the skewer (about 7 1/2"). Form a cross with the skewer pieces. This will serve as the kite frame.
3. Cut a 3" by 5" diamond out of fabric. It is efficient to make sure the diamond is not larger in perimeter than the kite frame so that it doesn't get crumpled up in the post. Cut a same-sized 3" by 5" diamond out of thick paper. Straight stitch fabric to paper (The paper gives the kite a sturdy shape).
4. With an embroidery needle, stitch skewer pieces to the fabric at the center and at each point.
5. Stitch a 20" piece of string to the back of the kite to create a line. Wrap and tie the other end around your package.
6. Tie fabric scraps to the line to create bows. Allow your kite mail messenger to take flight to deliver your post to your loved ones!

Strawberry pickin' smitten

We dilly-dallied o'er to the local farm this weekend past for some spontaneous strawberry picking. It's peak season for these bodacious berries, which meant there were plenty of nomads wandering the patches beneath the cloud-ridden skies. It was quite charming to see families with munchkins running amok who yelp at every discovery of a plump strawberry itching to be plucked off its vine. It's not as endearing to witness grown-ups do the same, but the Mister and I happily hollered over the organic berries anyhow. It isn't everyday that we have the liberty to gather fresh fruit that goes straight from the farm to our possession. Okay, and I confess, we've been consuming an excessive amount of ice cream and pastries of late, and are in dire need of some antioxidants.


This was seconds before my hat smacked the Mister in his face.
On a quest to procure the perfect strawberries for homemade strawberry pie. That's what the Mister hopes we are using them for, at least.
Have you ever gandered at white-hued strawberries before? I hadn't.


I went a smidgen berry crazy, as you can tell by the prolific basket on the left. Vintage baskets enable such behavior.


It was a delightful reverie all in all, for we amassed a bountiful batch of strawberries for only about three buckaroos, and a profusion of pictures, too! The Mister appreciates simple, three dollar dates, and I fancy immortalized memories, so we give it all thumbs up. If you're in the area, you must stop by and give the strawberry patch a try.

Friday Fancies: my love

It has been rather warm in these parts. Despite our beaming countenances, the Mister was not too keen on taking this picture. Especially since this snapshot was take 12 and all he wanted to do was get out of his jacket and tie, put on a t-shirt and basketball shorts, and enjoy some air-conditioning. And yet, he patiently posed for many a photograph anyhow. What a keeper, wouldn't you agree?

We are nearing the third month of marriage, and God has taught us oodles in loving Him by loving one another as Christ loved us. We are constantly perceiving each other at our best and our worst, and yet we have a beautiful covenant to grow us in sacrificial love, just as God knows us at our best and our worst, and loves us deeply despite our shortcomings because of Christ's work on the cross. God is so kind to teach us to love one another in this way, and we have much more to learn in this lifetime. We watched this video a few weeks prior that just encouraged my heart as it reminded me how radical covenanted, sacrificial love is in marriage as God intended it to be as a reflection of His love for His church. It made us a tad teary, too.

Jeepers, Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which implicates four whole days to rest and reset, because we caught a bit of a bug around here. Have a wondrous weekend, convivial chums.

Cultivating our marriage

Weekly date nights of late have entailed a stopover at a time-honored ice cream parlor to indulge our shared passion for ice creamy sweet treats
and moseying downtown before the sun sets
to patronize a magical musical revue of Follies. I don't know what tickled my fancy more: watching a dazzling tale reminiscent of blissful vaudeville days, or glancing over to discern the Mister's bewildered face during the show's entirety, which usually happens when he is subjected to storylines that haphazardly break out into song and dance numbers. As our dear friend said, "When you're married, your preferences adapt to [your spouse's] preferences." It is true. Our preferences are marrying and adapting all over the place, in the sweetest way possible.

Mmm mmm macadamia nut birthday pancakes

Due to inspiration from our jolly jaunt here, I whipped up a stack of macadamia nut pancakes generously drizzled with irresistible coconut syrup for a dear friend's birthday.
A vintage novel heart topper adds to the sweet commemoration. I ended up slathering layers of Nutella and sugared strawberries between the pancakes to complement the birthday pancake festivity and failed to snap a snapshot of the final concoction because it was too busy journeying into our stomachs. Birthday pancakes earn a thumbs up, indeed. They'd earn yours too, I bet. Especially the coconut syrup. I promise.

Mmm Mmm Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Coconut Syrup
Ingredients for pancakes:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Ingredients for coconut syrup:
1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, whisk together coconut milk and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour in corn syrup and sugar. Stir continually until mixture boils. Once coconut syrup mixture comes to a consistent boil, remove from heat. Cool completely before serving.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking power, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract.
4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix well until you get a lumpy batter. Fold in macadamia nuts.
5. Heat a griddle to 375 degrees. Pour a 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the griddle. When bubbles appear on the top of your pancakes,  flip them over and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with coconut syrup (and sugared strawberries and Nutella - see notes below).

Notes:
Add sugared strawberries and Nutella between and atop pancakes for a berry chocolatey twist. To make sugared strawberries, slice strawberries into a Tupperware container. Add enough sugar to cover the strawberries. Close the container and shake well so that the sugar distributes evenly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours so that the strawberries sugar in their own syrup. Then add onto pancakes and enjoy the splendid strawberry sweetness!

Tarrying for time-honored treasures

Splendid weekends are meant to be tarried away beneath the sun, preferably at a flea market. Apparently, I was not alone in that sentiment.
My fondness for all things vintage commenced with a smattering of my most favored childhood books. I am utterly fascinated with the culture, history, and tales attached to pieces from times past. Every time I frequent a trove of time-honored treasures, I cannot help but to think that they are just too lovely not to be photographed.







These days, I must go with an unrelenting mission - with specific curios in mind - because, well, we are running out of nooks and crannies to occupy in our homey home. The Mister fears the day when our little home will be so congested with time-honored treasures that it feels like a claustrophobic antique shop, and I like to tease him and ask, "But what would we do if we ever get a bigger place with more space to fill with even more vintage goods???" He and some friends have also mentioned that I should hold a vintage sale to bid farewell to the frenzy of trinkets accumulated for the wedding, which I am mulling over.

They mean the world to us

We are beyond blessed to be surrounded by wholeheartedly amazing and selfless family, church family, and friends who were all too willing to help us execute the vision for our wedding (photographs coming soon!) and bring the plethora of heart-swelling details to life for the Joyous Day back in March. Therefore, it was imperative to bestow upon them a smidgen of hospitality to exhibit our gratitude.
The homecrafted luncheon menu accentuated international tasties since, ya know, they mean the world to us.






We love having cherished chums over. I love whipping up homemade foodie goodies. Consequently, we love when our cozy, homey abode buzzes with chitter chatter, rounds of laughter, and happily gratified stomachs. In short, we're partial to practicing hospitality, so help us out and do stop by soon!

Friday Fancies: my students' feedback

"I dedicate my CST results to Ms. Wong because she dedicated her time to being a good teacher and pushed me to do my best (: even though we did a lot of essays."

(picture taken at the Mason Street Schoolhouse during our trip here)

 
Today is one of those days where I am persuaded that there can be no more rewarding job than teaching. What a privilege to be able to impact our children - our nation's future leaders. To witness them develop and flourish as critical thinkers, speakers, and writers who connect academic content to culture. I wish I felt like this everyday, but everyday in the classroom is different, which this profound article sums up rather perfectly. Nevertheless, this roller coaster of a school year has been dotted with manifold ups thus far.

Today, my tenth-grade students are completing their CST testing. As a public schoolteacher in California, we work relentlessly to get our students to perform well on the CSTs all year. Now, I am nowhere near convinced that a multiple-choice, standardized test accurately measures a student's academic ability, particularly in English Language Arts. Unfortunately, we are mandated to, to a certain degree, "teach to the test" because, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, funding stems from our standardized test scores. And our schools desperately thirst for more funding, especially in urban La La Land (Fortunately, I work at a charter school where teachers get to design their own curriculum, so you can bet that my students also cultivate college-ready skills in my class. In other words, think until your brain hurts and write until you get callouses!). Nevertheless, this is a momentous moment every year, and I asked each of my students, "If you could dedicate your English CST results to one person, who would it be? Why?" And you can bet your bottom dollar that my flabbergasted heart got warm fuzzies when I perused some of their dedications to me - a testimony to His kindness, undoubtedly. 

I wonder if this is an inkling of how God feels when we acknowledge Him. We daily reject and rebel against Him, and yet He still advocates for us because of His unfathomable, great love for us through Christ. He never stops orchestrating every situation for our ultimate good and joy in Him. And He is glorified when we sporadically, by His grace, acknowledge His goodness. So thank you, Lord, for these little lessons that reflect Your insurmountable kindness.

Happy Friday, friendly folks! Many thanks for reading in the first week of this spankin'-new blog. Have a most lovely weekend.

Afternoon teatime assimilation

In regards to food, the Mister gravitates toward sizzling steaks, potatoes, and hefty burgers. He lights up at the sight of a good ol' diner. In fact, his favorite restaurant is Norms (really!). I, on the other hand, am partial towards fresh, seasonal fare like creative salads, pastas, and sushi. I am a sucker for quirky, hole-in-the-wall cafés.

I also really fancy afternoon tea. Which meant that the Mister kindly parktook of it with me for his very first time. "You know I love you when I'm the only man here," he said upon our arrival to the lady-patronized beachfront veranda.



It is true, lovely ladies and genial gents. We daintily clinked teacups, and he attempted a British accent whilst dropping lumps of sugar aplenty in his tea with his pinky raised and all.

Your resident grump-a-dumps

I really wanted to scour the closest thing Oahu has to a flea market, so off to the Stadium Swap Meet we went.

God taught me much about rejoicing in every circumstance, because we hopped through obstacles aplenty to get there. So I morphed into a grump-a-dump (which is what the Mister and I call each other when we do not trust that the Lord has everything in control for our good, despite our circumstances). "God's in control," the Mister reminded me. God magnified to me my pride and selfishness in a seemingly petty situation, for everything worked out swimmingly, as it always does, homemade honey roasted macadamia nuts and mango lilikoi jam and all.


The following afternoon, the Mister really wanted to snorkel with Nemo, Crush, and Squirt in Hanauma Bay. Except we had to dive through hurdles to reach our destination.


So the Mister became a grump-a-dump.


"God's in control," I reminded him. And just like always, everything worked out rather peachy after all, and the Mister got to swim with amiable sea creatures whilst I dwelt in natural wondrousness.




God has an amusing way of showing us the absurdity of our sin when we are being grump-a-dumps, and consequently, how so very good he is.