When do you start watching what you eat?

Grandma would smack my grandpa's hand as he reached out for the last prawn in the dish. She was just being a good wife watching after grandpa's cholesterol. She would immediately pick that prawn up with her chopsticks and drop it in my bowl. She would say with much love,"You're a growing girl so eat up!"Grandpa would look at my bowl and be envious.

A year ago, we were celebrating my friend's birthday by eating some "KFC" wicked wings (it's called wicked for a reason) and the infamous green tea smoothie from Samurai (a lil' Japanese shop on Glenferrie St) J was turning 26 and then the question came up," When do we start watching what we eat?" We laughed it off and said,"Maybe next year!"

Today we had a health check at work and thank God I was declared healthy with some good stats. Besides being nagged to eat the government recommendation of 2 cups of fruit and (yes! "AND" and not "OR") 5 cups of vegetables (which I think is a mission impossible), I was quite proud of myself. But it somehow got me thinking that I cannot afford to take my health for granted anymore.

So, I am determined to eat more vegetables and exercise more in year 2013. I plan to live long to see my grandchildren and fatten them up (following in my grandma's footsteps **grin**). I plan to be effective and bring my best to God's ministry. 

I am determined.

My day in Sydney..

Happy Australia Day everyone!

Last Saturday, me and a few of my friends decided to head down to Sydney for a short getaway. It was amazing. It was a impromptu trip to reward ourselves. I am glad we did it when we could. Food, shopping and spending time with friends was all that was part of the itinerary for the day. It was a great way to celebrate life.

Waking up at 4am to catch our flight out
to Sydney was tough but
still didn't dent our spirits for the adventure ahead.

First stop: Black Star Pastry in Newton
**Strawberry and Watermelon Cake is a MUST!
Light and refreshing.
You will be pleasantly surprised with this combination.
The colours are enough to tempt you
to pick this from the many goodies in the window. 

~

Next Stop: Paddington for its quaint shops and the famous market.

** I Love Birds
Stumbled upon this beautifully decorated
shop in one of the lanes.
A beautiful display of vintage and new homewares.

~

Beautiful cushions found in Paddington market.
Chevron and Neons are enough to make my heart skip a beat :)

~

** Lunch at Ippudo Sydney
Best Ramen I have ever had. The tasty broth is bound to
start a party in your mouth.My friend, PJ highly encouraged
us to try this  place because she visited the original
shop in Japan last year.
I am so happy we listened to her advice.

**Dinner at Chat Thai
Heard so much about this place from friends.
It definitely beats all the Thai restaurants
in Melbourne. Hope they make it to Melbourne soon. 

Yummy food overload. My highlight is the Prawn Tom Yum.
 It has the sourness of the usual Tom Yum
 I am familiar with but the texture is so different. A definite must to try.

~

**Desert at Laduree
Each individual macaroons is flewn in from Paris.
Can you imagine that?
I just had to try one.
A lil' pricey but my curiosity took the better of me.

 ~

 I did feel like a queen that day. I was happy we made the trip. Hope you had a beautiful long weekend yourself. Would love to hear what you did on your long weekend :)

Recently, I bought a few Christmas pressies from one of my favourite shops, Soft Gold Studio on etsy.com.
I loved it so much and decided to reward myself with one of the "gifts". Absolutely loved unwrapping pressies!
Happy Friday to myself! :)

Forgive me..just being Asian!

Someone commented that I take a lot of photos of my food. So, I started scrolling through my camera roll on my trusty iPhone. Lo and behold, I DO take a lot of photos. I blame my heritage. Asians love their food. We show our love for one another by having meals together. 

Reunion dinners are my favourite. Grandma cooks the best meals, easily a ten course meal on these special days. Plans get rescheduled and the day gets freed up. The family travels home, near or far. Grandma slaves away in the kitchen for hours on end  just to put a tasty meal on the table that the family can enjoy. All she ask is that we sit down together, differences aside and enjoy each other's company. 

So, yes we are passionate about our food and I will not apologise about it :)

Happy thursday all! 

Write me..

Is writing letters a lost art form?

Today I received a birthday card from my beautiful friend J who left for home in Singapore last year. It was a beautiful card and it made me happy.

I remember when I used to write to my pen pal across the world as a little girl. I would eagerly await for Mr. Postman to deliver the letters, hoping that I would find a new letter as a reply to my last. Back in the day, that was all we depended on to tell someone that was far away that they were loved, not forgotten, but constantly thought of. My parents did the same. While my dad was miles away from home in his younger days, living abroad studying in New Zealand, writing letters was all he had to express his love for my mom while they were dating (International calls were just too pricey). How romantic it must have been.

Writing an email or a SMS just isn't the same. There is just more effort and thought put into writing a letter. The time spent into penning down words on pretty stationery, licking the envelope to seal it, then licking the stamp to post it is an experience that I would never want to forget. So, this year I am determined to write more letters and cards to let that someone know that they are treasured. Hopefully you will receive my snail mail soon, friends!

So, make someone feel special today. Pick up that pen and start writing that letter. I know I would love to receive one.

Off Days..

Yesterday I witnessed the world number one player, Novak Djokovic play a long, exhausting and interesting game with Swiss No 2 Wawrinka. After Novak lost the first set at 6-1, I was partially shocked and figured it could be one of his off days. 

Don't we all have those days once in a while? Falling short of expectations, messing up and when nothing goes your way, giving up seems like the easy option. But, thank God for His grace. Grace is unmerited favour. When I feel like a failure, there is a God that offers forgiveness and welcomes me back when I mess up and get entangled in sin. He is not an angry God, as some may assume. Far from it, He loves you so that He did not withhold His only son Jesus from us. Jesus died on that cross to pay the price of sin once and for all. His grace is available for all who would receive it. Will you?

Just like how Novak knew he was world number 1, we also must realise that we ARE God's children whom He loves. Nothing could make God turn away from you. He loves you so much and that will never change. So, when you feel like you're having an off day. Pick yourself up and know who you are in Christ. God is able to make all things new and gives you a fresh start. 

It took more than five hours for Novak to claim the win. He fought on, ignoring the nagging negative thoughts that might have sneaked in. Let that be an example to us all. We are always going to be victorious when God is on our side. Don't  focus on our failures, instead focus on this great gift from God called grace.

maybe I'll get the one in the middle for my new homie :) I know you would appreciate it, S!
Can't wait for you to move in!
http://society6.com/

Goodbyes are hard to do..

I have been honoured to call these awesome people my friends. Though you may have left my urban life for home or to move on to a new season in your life, I pray that the days ahead be your best. God is the God of the new and He always calls us forward into greater things.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" ~ 1 Corinthians 2:9

 I am so proud of who all of you have become! I will miss you all heaps but also happy and excited of what is to come!

Love ya heaps,
SLG

{ What's for Breakfast? } Chez Dre

One of the current popular brunch spot in Melbourne.
So, waiting for a table is part of the experience.
Good things come to those who wait.

                    

~ Slow-baked Eggs on Mushrooms with
 red grapes, hazelnuts and cous cous ~

 The different textures; a mixture of  the smooth
oozing centre of the poached egg yoke against the
crunchy nutty elements make an interesting combo.

     

     ~Pain Au Chocolat ~

          Crusty and flaky as a good croissant should be.
Lil' chocolate nuggets hidden

within leaves a smile at every bit. Simplicity at its best.

   

                                      

Evident from these smiles, Chez Dre will be on our short list of Melbourne
brunch places for a while. We left with happy tummys!

Happy weekend all!

xoxo
SLG

Off to the games..

Days off work are ones to treasure. These are days where one would sleep in but not today. Today was a day I wanted to cherish and spend wisely. Australia Open was where I had to be. Though not a sporty person myself, I just had to experience once again the joys of competitive sport and tennis was one of the few I love seeing. 

Just a lil' excited! 

Melbourne park was packed with enthusiasts, fans and sportsmen themselves. I enjoyed every bit of it. From hearing self declared commentators behind me, to people watching, tickled by watching an elder lady clapped enthusiastically and wildly to laughing with a foursome that invented sing-a-long cheers for their favourite Bryan brothers. It was a fun day.

There was one particular game that lost my attention though. It was one that had two players that were playing it safe. None made the advance to take it to the next level. They didn't push each other or stir each other up to prove themselves worthy of the prize. It got me thinking how boring life would be if we lived within our comfort zones, never pushing the limits. Then we would never know what we were capable of. Do we fight through pain and discomfort or do we avoid it altogether to stay at the status quo? Isn' t is true that the victory is sweeter when there is a good fight? I believe so. 

Maybe it comes with age. I am not old myself but older I have become when January comes every year. I think my most trying year was where I grew most. Year 2011 was that year. I found love. Then lost love. Heart breaks are never pleasant. I could blame God and be stuck at the whys. Or I could trust my God and know His heart is good and keep moving forward. It was not easy. But God showed me a whole side of myself I was unaware of, and a side of Him that I would discover only in these tough times. I just had to keep fighting and know that the end is a victory I would enjoy. I am on the other side of the fight and looking back, I thank God for those times. It has brought me to a new level of faith and trust in my God. He is limitless so why stay where you are? Let's go to the next level this year.

Definitely looking forward to new journeys this year. Can't wait to see what 2013 holds. 

Eat this book

Have you been ticking off your new year's resolutions?

Recently I was sitting in my church service at Planetshakers and Ps Russell asked the crowd if any have finished reading the bible in one year. I saw only a handful of hands boldly raised. Sadly, I was not one of them. So, with much determination and a stirring of faith within me, I decided on a bible plan. Today is Day 10 and I am proud to say that I have been consistently keeping with the plan and absolutely loving it. Every day is an exciting day with stories to read with new revelations to fill my red journal.

It is true. The Word of God is alive. It is useful, powerful, encouraging and inspiring. Are you needing a Word right now? Whether it is a wise word you need, a YES or a NO to your questions, I am confident the Bible is everything you need. Forget Oprah, fortune tellers, even closest friends or family, only God who sees all knows you the best. He is the One that you should run to. He is faithful to answer. He is the only God that is invasive enough to love you through the journey, rather than getting to the end point immediately as some gods would promise. So, why don't you try it today? Eat the book. He is not one to disappoint.

Wise Words to live by..

Training in progress

Running around Box Hill during my lunch break clad with bags of groceries, ticking off my shopping list in my head while waiting in line to order my takeaway lunch is hard work. I was surrounded by grandparents, housewives and dedicated mothers shopping for the family meals to come during the week. I cannot imagine if I were a working mother. These are moments that I admire the parents around the world. I honour all of you!

Whether we love it not, chores pile up. Regretting not paying attention to them in my free time during the weekend, I had to motivate myself to be diligent after work today. What a timely note from a blog I read earlier today.

"If you can't get out of it, get into it, "says the author. A great point she makes is to have a positive attitude since someone's gotta get the job done anyway. So I did. I sang loudly around the house,  imagining my new and improved clean home and day dreamed while working those chores away.

What makes me happy too is that I have a housemate moving in soon. I am grateful and excited to have a great friend to share my house and make it more like a home. It has been a prayer for quite some time now and I feel blessed. It is always nice to have someone around the house to share your stories of the day, share a meal or even share the housework :) Don't worry future homie! I will make sure to take note of point 7 from the earlier blog **grin** I'm training myself to be a great housemate!

Well, whatever your week may look like, whether full of chores, meals to cook or heading back into a busy week at work, don't forget to think positive! Remember to breathe and don't stress. We have a God that cares. He is one that cares for the littlest and biggest matters in my life. So, remember to share them with Him! Oh how He loves us!

Happy weekend all!

Enjoy some photos that made me happy today :)

beautiful colours to brighten your kitchen from Mozi.

triangles LOVE!

Even on weekends, never forget to spend some time with God. 

Birthday gifts to me from Kikki K and Witchery :) I feel so special even though I'm one of millions members around the world. Thank you!

Hope you have a happy one!
xoxo, S.L.G

Party times!

Accountant by day. Decorator by night? That's the dream. 2012 parties in a snapshot. More to come.

One celebration to remember. Carnival themed party to welcome the big 21!

Talented Pei Jet working her magic with the food set up.

Me with the beautiful birthday girl.

 ~

"Safe Travels, my friends"

~

Outdoor birthday celebrations for my map loving and world traveller friend!

~

Fortunate enough to work together with beautiful Rachel from http://www.peepdesigns.com/ at decorating a wedding this year

~

Last party celebrating Christmas with my close friends in my new & improved backyard

Looking forward to being part of many more parties in year 2013. Watch this space. 

Gone with the old.

New year brings new beginnings. Out comes the new journals being filled with much hope, expectations and penning down the dreams of what is ahead. 

I've always wanted to start a blog. Creative. Fresh. Fun. Inspiring. Yes! Guilty as charged, I once had a blog in my younger days but it was neglected though it was named "alive" ironically. Newness is in the air. So, forgive me and allow me to start afresh this new year with this blank canvas, ready for new adventures and stories. 

I love the new because it holds such hope. Don't be fooled, I am not talking about living in denial. It is not hard to look around and see a world of hurt, sorrow, uncertainty and darkness. But, I still choose to hope.

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His Promise"  Hebrews 10:23

In a world full of darkness, it needs some light and we are that light. How? You may ask. By bringing joy, sharing a smile, being kind, encouraging whenever you can. This is another resolution I have for this year. What are some of yours? Whatever it may be, I pray this next year be the best you ever had. The past has gone and the new is ahead. Start hoping, embrace the new and enjoy the journey ahead!