sweet memory

Can you guess which is me?

This is my favourite picture of me and my sis, Qunnie. I guess we must have been about 1-2 years old. Both of us have been living in different parts of the world since we were teenagers. I lived far far away in the Southern hemisphere for over 12 years whilst she was in America.

My sis recently got married to a lovely husband that spoils her rotten! I don't do too bad either considering the amount of pressies that I get from them throughout the year.

Growing up, a lot of friends from school didn't know we had a sister since we went to different schools and don't look much alike at all. Thanks to Skype, we now get to 'see' each other and chat on a regular basis. Her and the husband may finally visit us in Spring next year. It will be so much fun!

PS: Stay tuned for a more recent pic of us together.

last one standing

It was a bit of an unusual foggy day we had today. Since I attempted foggy landscape photography in the past without much luck, I quickly grabbed my gear and run out the door after breakfast this morning. 

I have had the Nikon 105mm marco lens for several weeks now and it had been dying to come out and play. So today was the best opportunity really when it was too foggy to get a decent landscape shot. I quickly turned my attention to the very last few of Autumn leaves that were still hanging off the branches. 

There are a few big square Ikea photo frames on our wall in the lounge and still have no pictures in them since we put them up 6 months ago! I had troubles finding a picture (out of my 10,000+ collection) that I could crop in a square format and like. I have a feeling this could be a strong contender. 

sleeping beauty

Every time I look at this little sleeping beauty, it makes me feel calm even though I am not a religious person. October was very hectic month and it doesn't look like it is going to slow down before Christmas. 

I guess everyone is on the same boat, trying to cramp in as much as possible before end of the year. However, you should always try to carve out sometime each day just for 'yourself'. It can be anything from 5 minutes to as long as your schedule will allow! 'My time' often involves listening to one of my favourite tunes or going for a walk in an open field and just breath in the fresh air.

We are often under pressure on a daily basis that we take our breathing for granted. Slowing your breathing is such a simple way to relax yourself. There is no trick to it, really! 

Get out there and enjoy the beautiful Autumn colours!

a good day

I am a strong believer in  starting the day with a good breakfast. Here is my favourite granola recipe that I would like to share with you.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA

• 125g Butter
• 150ml Honey
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 500g A variety of oats
• a handful Flaked almonds
• a handful Chopped nuts
• 5 tablespoon Desiccated coconut, slightly toasted
• 200g Dried fruits (my personal favourites are figs, apricots or banana chips for some crunch!)
• 2 handful Sunflower and pumpkin seeds

1. Preheat oven to 140°C on fan

2. Heat butter, honey, vanilla gently in a pan

3. Mix all other ingredients, except the dried fruits in large mixing bowl

4. Combine the melted butter well with the dry ingredients

5. Spread out into 2 large flat baking trays and bake for 25 minutes, mixing every 5 minutes to avoid clumps

6. Remove from oven and mix every 5 minutes until cool

7. Mix in dried fruits once cold

8. The granola will keep in an air tight container up to 2 weeks

9. Eat it with your favourite plain or Greek yoghurt with a drizzle of honey. ENJOY!!

This is so easy to make and definitely smell and taste nicer than the ones that come in a box. I hope you like it as much as I do.

i heart b+w

Summer came and went so quickly. I had a wonderful time and hope you did too! A quick update on what I have been up to since my last post:

         +  2-week road trip to Scotland in a caravan with James and P

         +  Attended my sister's second wedding dinner in our hometown, Kota Kinabalu. A gorgeous 

             city situated in the tropical island of Borneo.

         +  Did my first baby photoshoot recently

         +  Started volunteering at a non-profit school for photography

         +  Processed my first black and white print

         +  Signed up to a couple Xmas Fayres. Your chance to buy some of Fiona E. newest products  

             and many other lovely handmade products. Do come and say hello. =)

             SAVE THE DATES!!! 

             12 November | 0900 - 1200 | Berkhamsted Civic Centre

             08 December | 1900 - 2130 | Berkhamsted Town Hall

So here's a picture of my first black and white print from some negatives that I inherited from mum during my visit to Malaysia early this month. The negatives are at least 35 years old and in very good condition. The couple in the picture are my mum and dad, must have been taken at one of their dates.

That's all for now. I promise there will be more updates very soon. Keep checking back!!

a basketball story

My mum will be 60 next year but she definitely hasn't lost her basketball moves!! Mum, James and I enjoyed a few games of basketball during our stay in Michigan. Mum played for her school team many years ago; however she wasn't exactly thrilled when I joined a basketball team. She would rather have me excel academically but basketball was an essential part of my life and I was good at it. I used to come up with some lame excuses that I had to stay late after school so I could joined the team practice. I don't know when was the last time mum picked up a basketball but this recent encounter certainly reminded her some good old times.

banana + raspberry smoothie

I am a big fan of yummy cold treats during the Summer and smoothie is definitely on top of the list. Every time I do my food shopping, I always make sure there are plenty of fruits and vegetables in my basket. They come in handy on a day like today when I am fighting the heat. Here's one that I made today and the recipe to share:

    + 1 semi ripened banana

    + a small handful of raspberries

    + 2 tablespoon of natural yoghurt

    + ½ cup pineapple juice

E N J O Y !!!

P is 1

Our precious little girl turned 1 today! I still remember the very first time when we took Princess home and she has since brought us so much joy and love. She can be very cheeky at times and has a bit of a fetish for chewing tissue, otherwise she is a little angel and a patient model. 

Name:                      Princess

Pedigree Name:         Angelica Honey

Breed:                      Shih Tzu

D.O.B.:                     22.07.2009

Favourite Food:          Mama's home cooked Chicken Drumsticks, Carrot and Brown Rice

Favourite Toy:           A lion soft toy

Specialty:                 Fetching frisbees, shaking hands and giving cuddles

don't eat to live but live to eat!

I am a self-proclaimed foodaholic and my motto is don't eat to live but live to eat! My food dream is to try other cuisines whenever possible and it doesn't just stop right there. I also have a passion for cooking and baking; the pictures are often share on my Flickr.

For those who haven't stumbled upon Aran Goyoaga's blog, you should definitely check it out. She is such a talented photographer and food stylist; I have been a fan for quite sometime. You can find the above Chocolate Crinkles recipe here.

So if you love your food as much as I do, I would love to hear some of your food dreams! Happy Cooking! Happy Baking!!


PS: Sis, thanks for getting me those baker's twine. It's going to last me for a life time!!

gorgeous lil fin is 1

James' nephew, Finlay turned 1 on 10 July and he is cuter than ever! His proud parents had organised a picnic at the Chorleywood common to celebrate this special day with family and friends. I always jumped at any opportunities to go to events where there will be children around so I can take endless pictures of the cute tiny wee persons.

It was also the Chorleywood Village Fete so there were plenty of stalls, displays, funfairs and food. Isabelle  was very pleased with her new tattoo that she got from a stall and posing like a pro in front of the camera.

The picnic was set up under a tree but it was still a very hot day with no breeze. That's probably why Fin's big sister, Evie jumped at the chance to put on her new swimming cossie that we got her. It looked so cute on her! She was so occupied in playing hide and seek with our dog, Princess that I was able to snap a few pictures of her.

I always like to bake when there is a family birthday. This time I used the vanilla cupcake recipe from the Hummingbird bakery cookbook. Here's the recipe if you are interested in making some yourself.

     + 1 cup all-purpose flour                                                             

     + ¾ cup sugar                                                            

     + 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

     + a pinch of salt

     + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

     + ½ cup whole milk

     + 1 egg

     + ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

     

     + a 12-hole cupcake pan lined with paper cases

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a bowl and beat on slow speed until everything is combined. Slowly pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is incorporated. Whisk the egg, vanilla and remaining milk together in a separate bowl, then pour into the flour mixture. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the paper cases until two thirds full and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. I used a 24 mini cupcake pan and it was ready in under 20 minutes. 

qunnie + eric 27.05.10

So, this is it! The small collection of pictures that I took with my phone during the reception. They may not be the best quality but it is the fabulous memory that I will treasure forever.

the inn at serenbe

 

My sister, Qunnie and Eric got married on 27 May at this gorgeous venue, The Inn at Serenbe in Palmetto, Georgia. They exchanged vows under a beautiful old apple tree, which had been made romantic with some beautiful streamers. It just looked picture perfect! 

It took over a year to plan her wedding, no details were too small for her. Her hard work finally paid off, everyone had such a wonderful time on the day and left with nothing but fond memories. Their wedding was even featured on Wedding Unveiled Summer 2010 magazine and Style Me Pretty wedding blog, as you could imagine we were all over the moon. 

I was so delighted to be the Maid of Honour, however that meant MOH duties and couldn't be behind the camera as mush as I wanted to be. The day after the wedding, I managed to spend sometime walking around the ground and enjoyed taking pictures of the stunning environment.

my lovely mummy

Would you believe that it was nearly a decade since the last time all three of us (mum, sis and me) were together. I hope there will be more opportunities in the future. The two adorable dogs belong to my sister and her husband; their names are Yogi O (the white coton de tulear) and Yumi O (the apricot toy poodle). It took James no time to fall in love with them and we both wanted to bring them back to the UK with us! I think mum will really miss them when she flies home to Malaysia this weekend.

bank of america plaza

Architecture photography is not one of my strong points. However I knew I had to give it a go when I saw the Bank of America Plaza from the rooftop swimming at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. According to Wikipedia, it is 1,023 ft tall and ranks the 36th tallest building in the world. When it first opened, it was the 9th tallest building in the world and the 6th in the USA. It is certainly one of the most recognisable skyscrapers in Atlanta and truly remarkable.

farmers' market

My first Saturday morning on holiday was a trip to the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market. I can't remember the last time I'd been to a market like this. There was so much fresh produce, flowers and handmade crafts. I was amazed by the different varieties of tomatoes they had to offer. My sister's dogs love the home made dog treats from the Bare Bones Bakery. On the way home we bumped into Jeff and his son, who wasn't so keen for a photograph but I just loved his awesome ride! 

screen printing

The tutor, Jeff showing Qunnie some print making techniques | Her template screen for the wedding menu

Paint she used for the menu | Safety equipments at the studio | A brilliant lithography plate made by Jeff

A pot plant on the go in someone's backpack | A student, also the owner of the plant

I was fortunate enough to spend a few hours to observe a print making class at Kalamazoo Institute of Art where my sister is attending the course. She was able to utilise the skills in making her save the dates on vintage handkerchief, menus, hand held fans and canvas goody bags. She has also done some pottery classes at the same institute. I love her work and look forward to see more!

my trip to america

Some shots from up high and above!

Don't you think it looks like a heart? | Love the contrast of shape of the back wing and river thames 

Flying over a thin layer of volcanic ash clouds | A bird eye view of Iceland 

For those who follow my tweets, you have probably seen some of the pictures that I posted during my 4 week trip to America. I can't believe it went so quickly and I have been home for a week but my body clock is still in Michigan time!

I thought it's time for me to go through the 1000+ pictures that I took whilst away and share them with you. First couple weeks of the trip was very hectic in helping my sis to make a few  things for the wedding; visiting the venue, wedding coordinator, florist and caterer to finalise details; all of us waiting anxiously for mum to travel all the way from Malaysia on her own; road trip from Michigan down South to Atlanta in 12 hours...

The big day finally arrived and it was the best wedding ever! Since I had MOH duties on the day so I was only able to take pictures with my iphone during the reception and updated them on Twitter and Facebook to share with family and friends who couldn't make it to the wedding. There were some pretty fun pictures, make sure you check back in again soon for an update. 

Here is a sneak peek to some of the official wedding photographs by Josh Meredith from Bella Grace Studios. As some of you may already know that I am studying towards becoming a wedding photographer and what a great honour to see a true professional at work! Josh captured every detail beautifully. My sis, Qunnie looked stunning and so smitten with her husband, Eric. Love was in the air! 

Here's a problem, I can't stop humming the damn song!! Here are the lyrics so you can all sing along. xo

Love Is In The Air 
Love is in the air everywhere I look around
Love is in the air every sight and every sound 
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
I don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes. 
Love is in the air, in the whisper of the trees,
Love is in the air in the thunder of the sea,
And I don't know if I'm just dreaming,
I don't know if I feel safe,
But it's something that I must believe in 
And it's there when I call out your name. 
Love is in the air, love is in the air, oh, oh, oh, oh, uh, 
Uh, uh, uh. 
Love is in the air, in the rising of the sun,
Love is in the air, when the day is nearly done,
And I don't know if you are illusion, 
Don't know if I see truth,
But you are something that I must believe in,
And you are there when I reach out for you. 
Love is in the air everywhere I look around
Love is in the air every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
I don't know if I'm being wise 
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes. 
Love is in the air, love is in the air, oh, oh, oh, oh, uh, 
Uh, uh, uh.

Invitation

My heart just skipped a beat when I received the wedding invitation from my sister, Qunnie and her fiance, Eric. The invitation has beautiful, fun and lighthearted hand-painted illustrations by Anna Bond from Rifle Paper Co. It took me a while  to realise their dogs, Yogi and Yumi made it to front page as well! Unfortunately they will not be able to join us at the destination wedding venue at Serenbe Inn in Palmetto later this month. I am also totally smitten by the gorgeous vintage stamps on the envelope. Anna has also built a lovely wedding website for Qunnie + Eric which has information about the wedding location, links to their engagement pictures, etc. There is only 10 days to go till I see my big sister and brother in law, I can't wait!

La Plagne 30.03 ~ 03.04

I am very fortunate to have found someone who shares the same passion for snowboarding. James and I always try to have a bit of powder action once a year, a different resort each year. It was a bit of a late one for us this year, we were waiting for the best Spring conditions. La Plagne was our final choice this time and what a fantastic resort! We were so lucky that our little wishes before the trip came true, it snowed the whole day and night on the day we arrived and a few more times during the week. 

We stayed at Chalet Florence and were looked after really well with cooked breakfast every morning, freshly baked cake and bread ready for us after a hard day on the slope and later a 3 course dinner. The chalet was only occupied by us and another family of four whom we got on very well. We spent the first few days exploring the resort with the Shepherds and some serious Jenga tower building competitions. The perk of being the first ones to book, we got to choose this room with a Jacuzzi bath which was used daily and definitely helped soothe our muscles and joint pain. My sister still questions every time we go away as to why we put our bodies through so much grief. I guess that's the price we are willing to pay when you are passionate about something.

Our lift pass entitled us to explore the near by resort, Les Arcs. We went on the spectacular Vanoise Express, which is a double decker cable car between the Les Arcs and La Plagne. It always looks so much closer on the piste map! We didn't allow ourselves enough time to explore the whole resort and nearly missed the last chair lift to get back. However, we had some of the best off piste powder experience there. I was giggling the whole time when going between trees like a kid on a playground!

For those who follow my tweets, you would have seen a picture of my lunch at this fabulous restaurant on the slope. We had lunch at L'Arpette for most days as their lunch portion was big and super delicious. The plat de jour was my favourite, there were juicy lamb chops, flavoursome French sausage with dauphinoise potatoes plus many other yummy dishes.

Our last day on the slope was a relaxing one with gorgeous sunshine. I spent a bit of time taking pictures on top of the mountain at the glacier and James doing jumps at the snow park. We both had a fabulous time on this trip and I came back with big Panda eyes souvenir. =)

st patrick's day

Happy St Patrick's Day to all the Irish as well as those who are Irish at Heart!! This is a day that has come to be associated with everything Irish, from anything green to shamrock and luck. It is also a time for bit of Irish music, food and fun! So I have dedicated a green theme collage to celebrate this special day.


1. I love a cuppa after some cakes.
2. James in his green t-shirt 
3. Daffodils from my garden 4. An elephant tea light bought from a Thai restaurant
4. An elephant tea light that I bought from a Thai restaurant
5. My favourite Japanese bath salt
6. Some cotton threads on a vintage hankerchief
7. A few of stationeries that you can find on my desk. I have had the pencil case for 2 decades! 
8. My favourite pair of shoes.
9. Books that I have on my shelf

Little P

I was tidying up my photograph folders and came across this particular one that both James and I love very much. Our little Shih Tzu, Princess had been with us just over a month and only weighed  around 1kg when this picture was taken.

We had gone for a nature walk for the afternoon but we ended carrying her most of the journey. She was so little that we were worried she might get injured somehow. Very protective parents! As you can see P was rather happy sitting on James' shoulder.

The little t-shirt was her first outfit with "I love parties" written on it. It doesn't fit her anymore and is more like a midriff for her now. ((*.*)) P has brought a lot of joy to our home and we treasure the time we spend together. She is such a sweetheart, loves giving and receiving cuddles!

Spring is just around the corner!

The day everyone has been waiting for is nearly here! It was just gorgeous with sunshine throughout the day and my Daffodils should blossom in a week or two just in time for the first day of Spring. I was so excited that I had only a t-shirt, short sleeve big knit jumper and jeans on when going into town this afternoon. It was slightly chilly around the arms but I didn't care and had enough of wrapping up like a mummy. 

I wanted to enjoy the most of the sunshine and decided to venture out to the near by farmland. I drove pass the area numerous times and always wanted to take some pictures of it. Today couldn't have been a better day to explore this beautiful place. 

Spring is such a nice time of the year to kick start the New Year resolutions that have been forgotten, clear out the old clothes that you are still hogging on years after years, enjoy some healthy habits like walking or just simply smile more often!

Day out to the zoo

Hope you all had a marvellous weekend. James and I had a lovely day at the London Zoo with the nieces. We were rather nervous that we might loose the kids at some point during the day but there was no need to worry as they were good as gold and great fun to be with all day.


After hours spent there, we ventured out to Camden Town. It was a bit of a novelty for the girls to experience the hustle and bustle around the markets and stalls. 


It was challenging in keeping the kids amused and awake during the car journey home after a long and tiring day. There was loud drum and bass, counting the animals we saw at the zoo and choosing names for their newly adopted plush monkeys. We had to pull every trick from the magic hat. 

save the date

My one and only sister, Qunnie is marrying her sweetheart, Eric on 27 May, 2010. Their save the date card just arrived today and it is just so SWEET! The handkerchief is a vintage find and she screen printed the details herself. I love the little pearl pin, paper insert on the envelope and special save the date stamps.