Happy 1 Year!

Today as mentioned, is Meryl and Vince's one year anniversary!

Jas and I headed over to their place for a home cook asian dinner and we hadn't seen Meryl since before they left for their trip which was in November! Meryl cooked a lovely asian dinner filled with rice (cooked in chicken stock), asian veggies, beef curry, steamed chicken served with ginger and hot sauce and soup. To compliment the meal, Shel brought over 2 bottles of wine, one red and one white, both from small Okanagan wineries. I usually don't drink white wine but I really enjoyed this one, it was filled with fruits and very sweet. Very yummy. After dinner, Meryl served a lovely asian dessert filled with logan and lycees complimented with a fruit syrup. I didn't have any cos the fruit came from cans and I don't eat anything from a tin can. No one had cupcakes (which is ok cos I get to take the leftovers home) but I had a Diva cupcake - mmmm....yummy! After dinner, we chit chatted for a few hours and it was a lovely evening with great friends, it's too bad Shel's wife couldn't make it! There's always next time!

Cupcakes and Shopping

This afternoon, I drove over to Cupcakes on Broadway to pick up half a dozen cupcakes for tonite's dessert and a 4" chocolate cake for Meryl and Vince. Today (well 29th) is their 1 year anniversary and I'm sure they both do not even realize it! Jas had mentioned it the other day and I couldn't believe it so I had to look it up on my blog. Yep the 29th (which happens every 4 years) is there anniversary! After picking up the cupcakes and cake, I went across the street to browse thru a couple of clothing stores cos one of them, Lakshmi Boutique, had these amazing dresses in the display window. I ended up picking up 2 tops (1 at half off the sale price being $10!) from the sale rack. I really love their items, very sexy, feminie and unique. I picked out a gold top with black trim for Freeman's reception this weekend as in his evite, it called for no jeans and to dress up (cocktail party at his loft). I was planning on wearing a black dress but I think I'll go with the gold top and a pair of black pants. So pretty, can't wait to wear it!

Dinner and a First Meeting

Tonite, I had dinner with KD and I persuaded Jas to come along as a buffer cos I had just recently had dinner with KD and didn't think I could take in the conversation all by myself. I decided on Congee Noodle House on Broadway cos it was closed for so many months and it has finally reopened. Wow, it had a mini makeover, never seen the restaurant so clean and now offering fresh and live seafood. Menu stayed the same and the food was pretty much the same, it also seems that most of the staff were the same. We chatted, well KD mostly chatted and we just enjoyed the meal. Of course, it was my treat (as I owed her a dinner) and would only allow Jas to pay $5 cos I dragged her along.

After dinner, I drove over to Kay's BFF's house to pick her up cos it was getting late and on the way there, I decided it would be a good idea to meet her friend's mom as she is always feeding and taking care of Kay when she is over there. Kay spends a lot of time over there and I really like Tash cos she's been brought up similar to Kay and she's a really good girl. I figure her mom must be as cool as me :) We (Tash's mom and I) ended up talking for an hour and a half! She is def really cool and very fun, we have a lot in common and she's def one cool mama! Just like me! :)

HB and Back 2 Work

Wow, this week has gone by fast! I can't believe I am back to work tomorrow! It has been a great visit and it is always nice to see HonHon even if it's only every 4 months! For the week, we did family things together what normal families usually do during a week but for us, it's a luxury cos HonHon is not here in the city on a full time basis. The week goes by so quickly when he's in town but the weeks leading up to his visit go so slowly. His next visit will be June or July and I'm sure once it gets closer, it will be by in no time!

Tonite, we celebrated my brother's 30th birthday, well his birthday was last week and he had celebrated his birthday for few days with his friends. Mom, Grams, and I took him out for dinner at Vivacity in Richmond cos they serve the best Peking duck and that is where he wanted to have dinner. Before taking him out for dinner, we had picked up a fresh cream fruit cake at Pine Cake House on Hastings. It was nice to see my brother since we don't see him that often and I hoped he enjoyed his dinner and his birthday cake.

The Flavor Bible

The Flavor Bible

What an interesting book about food! This is def a keeper and a must have in every kitchen for every chef in the home.

Has arrived!

My Louis Vuitton Montaigne bag has arrived and it is so beautiful!! I love it!! I am so happy to get this gift and it's all thanks to my HonHon, he is the bestest! So excited to use my new handbag!

White Oleander

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

What an interesting novel, I have seen the movie years earlier but a co-worker mentioned this novel and suggested I read it as she found the writing mesmerizing. I completely agree, Janet Fitch is a beautiful writer, all her words flow and almost seems like she's writing poetry. Truly an amazing writer and I'm def a fan. The novel is def more interesting than the movie, although I love Michelle Pfeiffer and her role in the film. A def must read.

Hopcott Farms

Today, HonHon and I drove out to Pitt Meadows to visit the Hopcott Farms to pick up a roasting chicken cos I agreed that we would roast a chicken this time he's in town. Last nite, we made BBQ pork "chai siu" and it was a lot of work but worth it cos it is always so much yummier than take out or restaurant BBQ pork! I hadn't made in such a long time so the first batch was a bit off (first time broiling in this oven and we doubled the recipe this time cos HonHon wanted to) but we got it the second time. I wasn't too thrilled about driving out to Pitt Meadows since I'm a Vancity girl but he drove there and back plus google map's directions were not too bad or far from his condo. We left for PM in mid-day, the traffic wasn't too bad and it really wasn't that far, only about 25 minutes in the good traffic. Once we arrived, I was super excited to see what the selection of local meat was and it was great to see such a large selection of meats. We ended up with $68 worth of meat which included a roast chicken, a couple of bone in chicken breasts, some NY grilling steaks, peperoni sticks for Kay and of course, a few bone (smoked) treats for Ginger! We went home after the trip to butcher's (farm) to drop off the meat in the fridge before heading downtown to Holt Renfrew. At HR, we went over to the men's section to see how much it would cost for a made to measure suit, a designer starts at $2400 and a non-designer $1000! That was a bit more than what HonHon wanted to spend so we walked around to see what was left in the winter sales but nada. We went upstairs to check out Harry Rosen but again, not much left as all the spring items are out and if there were any good deals on winter items, it was either not his size or still too much or not what he was looking for. After our shopping, we decided to head home and spend the rest of evening with Kay. We roasted our chicken and gosh, was it ever delish! Super yummy! Both Kay and HonHon are spoiled when he's in town cos Kay and I don't normally eat like this and Kay was super happy about all this food and WHITE RICE - WOW!! hehehe, enjoy the photos, it really is as yummy as it looks!

Welcome Jacob!

Congrats to Tim and Kelly!

Baby Jacob arrived on Feb. 10th at 11:14 PM :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Ok, I do find this "holiday" a bit overrated and it's more commercial than any other holiday cos companies like Hallmark et la, convinces us that the more love = more money spent on us is HOW MUCH they truly care and love us. Really it is just another day but I do have to use, I do try to get another present out of this day from HonHon! But really, every day should be celebrated, non?

Today, we all woke up quite late in the day as we do when HonHon is back in town so we didn't get to do too much before our dinner plans. We spent the afternoon at home with Kay before we (HonHon and I) went downtown, dinner reservations at Aria at the Westin at 7pm. But before heading to dinner, we had plans to stop by Holt Renfrew (at PC - check out the Men's custom made suits) and Louis Vuitton for my v'day and b'day presents! It's hard to go shopping downtown on the weekends cos I work downtown and so on my weekends I don't want to be downtown! As I predicted, the Louis Vuitton store was extremely busy and so busy that the entrance from Georgia Street was closed, leaving only the hotel entrance to the boutique. There was a security guard allowing people in and out of the store and huge line ups at the cash desk. Luckily, we managed to sneak by and get into the store right away, I realized I wasn't going to get much help but luckily Hideko, my usual SA, saw us and greeted us but she was already busy with a handful of customers. She sent over another SA named David and he was actually quite helpful even though, the two items I was hoping to get were sold out in my colours. I didn't think there would be much left as Valentine's day is one of the busiest shopping days of the year esp in the LV boutique. David showed us a red Montaigne bag in the Epi line (the only one left in Vancouver) and even though I was very tempted to pick it up in the red, I asked if there were any black ones left, he said he had checked and only 2 left in Canada, both in Toronto, ON. We could order it and it would be here sometime next week but he told us to think about it. The red is nice but I really wanted the black one, I couldn't believe I had these items in my hands a few weeks before. But of course, if limited colours come in and you don't buy them right away, you lose out. The demand for other Louis Vuitton items meant there was no rush in producing the Montaigne bag so whatever they get is what they have until who knows when! We decided to walk around the boutique a bit more, left LV to "think" about buying the Montaigne in Toronto, headed over to the Gucci boutique to see what was available there, found nothing and headed back to LV. This time there were no problems getting back in as the boutique was closing in 30 minutes. We found David and gave him the go ahead on ordering the Montaigne from Toronto. As we waited for David to confirm the order, we walked over to the Epi line since HonHon said we could not leave LV empty handed and insisted I pick out a wallet. Cos I had wanted a pink or blue French Wallet in the Vernis line but none were available, I decided to look for a wallet in the Epi line cos another SA at the counter showed us a few pieces. It was a tough choice between a black Koala wallet or the Tresor wallet in black but I decided since I had already owned a Koala, I found the Tresor a bit more practical. David returned to confirm the order and it would arrive on Thursday of this upcoming week. I was ecstatic!! We high fived as he realized how happy I was to hear that I would be getting the bag and that I was picking up a matching wallet! (told him how my LV handbag and accessories were stolen last December) I can't wait to get the handbag, my HonHon is the BESTEST! He truly made my Valentine's day spectacular and we hadn't even started dinner yet. (Did I mention Louis Vuitton has raised the prices?!? I think it's a conspiracy, last month prices were down but it seems the mark ups always happen around this time of the year!!)

After Louis Vuitton, we stopped by Cupcakes on Thurlow Street to pick up our V'day dessert, yummy Valentine's cupcakes! Since it was too late to stop by Holt Renfrew, we decided to headed over to T&T to pick up some items for Kay before going for dinner at Aria. Once at Aria, I ordered from the Valentine's menu but HonHon decided to try the roast duck breast from polderside farms on an asiago & thyme risotto & candied apple jus and the appetizer was the tuna tower deconstructed: the “original” broken down to enjoy; ahi tuna, side stripe shrimp and avocado with a sesame vinaigrette. It was very delish and we both enjoyed our meals! Thank you HonHon for a wonderful and lovely Valentine's Day :) MUCH LOVE 2 U xoxo

The Cannery

(image from trent_maynard on flickr)

Tonight, HonHon and I had dinner at The Cannery which is our first time ever at this restaurant. We had no idea how to get there but googled it for directions. What a drive we had, once we reached McGill, we needed to drive thru the Port Authority and check in/out at the security points, we almost thought we were at the wrong place. Driving down the quiet and small street for another minute or two, we nearly missed it cos I was driving a bit too fast, we found a full parking lot but lucky for us, we pulled in when someone was pulling out and we got a good spot right by the front door. Wow, the restaurant had amazing views and we could understand why it was a full house. This is one of the best restaurants to enjoy a seafood dinner and we couldn't wait to be seated. We started off with a Seafood Platter for two (which had a fresh selection of seafood), HonHon decided on a Swordfish entree while I opted to go with the Parsley Garlic Linguini (tossed with fresh chantrelle mushrooms, mussels, clams, smoked black cod and bay scallops, finished with Grana Padano Parmesan cheese) - boy it was super delish!! But I wish I chose the salmon chef special as I found the linguini a bit heavy (very creamy) but it was very yummy! It was a lovely night and we def enjoyed it, will have to come back!

Welcome Home!!

HonHon's plane arrived a bit later than expected and since I was earlier than expected, I ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for him!! Once I looked up from my ipod (watching a movie), I almost didn't recognize him cos he gained a little bit of weight. He says only about 5 pounds but I think he gained just a bit more than that! Which means there is just a bit more of him to love :) Of course, he never comes back empty handed and we got lots of great gifts! Kay got this awesome stuffie from Dubai, it's a huge camel with hair, so cute and I of course got my Hello Kitty items, not that I asked for a lot of HK stuff this time cos I had gotten so many in the past! But he did bring this one item back that is so cute and I didn't even ask for it :)

We decided to head back to my place since Kay would be excited to see her dad and when we got home, I noticed the vinyl in our bathroom / hallway was ripped out! I hope they were replacing it soon cos it's a bit of an inconvenience! The insurance people had come through the house earlier this week to look over the water damage from the leak and gosh, I didn't realize how badly the water damage was! The second floor, guest bedroom's ceiling had been opened up (due to the water sitting in the ceiling) so it could be aired dry, the second floor hallway was completely wet (large and LOUD fan dryers were sitting there blowing air towards the carpet), my gram's bedroom, bathroom and the common hallway was also soaked so there were 2 huge blowers up there. The house sounded like a factory cos there were so many blowers!! One leak could cause this much damage is insane. Once HonHon arrived, Kay and him were goofing around and I was getting super tired due to my sleepless night and very early morning wake up. After a few hours, it was time for HonHon to head back to Burnaby to his parent's condo cos I wasn't taking Thursday off, my vacation starts on Friday. It will be nice to have a week or so off to be a family :)

Going to San Fran, actually Oakland, CA!

How exciting! Jas and I just booked our flights to SFO to visit our dear friend, Freeman who moved to Oakland with his new wife! They eloped in Argentina and decided to throw a reception for their friends in their new loft. Jas and I found cheap tickets to SFO ($95 one way!!) and decided we needed to be there to congratulate them in person. We are so excited, we haven't seen him since the last time he was in Vancouver, a few years ago!!!

Bringing Home The Birkin

Bringing Home The Birkin by Michael Tonello

Wow, what an interesting book!! The story of how one man (gay of course!) was in hot pursuit of the world's most coveted handbags! How HE manage to unlock the secret of getting one of these handbags without having to put yourself on a two year waiting list! Very fun and light! Loved it!

Hello Kitty + MAC Cosmetics

What an amazing collaboration! The products are so cute and so very grown up! Of course, I was super excited when I received an email and a FB update about the new collection being launched today (apparently MAC Canada was suppose to be launched on Thursday)! At lunch, I quickly headed straight over to the MAC boutique on Robson street and picked up the following items:

Makeup Bag
A medium rectangular soft black vinyl makeup bag. Features pink and white Hello Kitty graphics on both sides and a circular silver metal Hello Kitty charm on the zip. $42 CDN

Plush Doll
Soft black pleather 8" Hello Kitty doll in a 60’s style black & white dress with pink trim and iconic pink bow. $50 CDN

Nail Lacquer in Something About Pink
Limited edition shades of Nail Lacquer in a bottle featuring Hello Kitty and M∙A∙C and Hello Kitty logos.$13 CDN Lipstick in Fresh Brew (wanted to buy a pink but knew I would never wear it!) Limited edition Hello Kitty Lipstick featuring shiny black casing with Hello Kitty figure on a pop art pattern background. Cap features the logos of both M∙A∙C and Hello Kitty in this collection’s signature pink. $16.50 CDN

Lipglass in Sweet Strawberry Limited edition Hello Kitty Lipglass featuring a shiny black cap with Hello Kitty figure on a pop art pattern background. The vial features the logos of both M∙A∙C and Hello Kitty in this collection’s signature pink. $16.50

Going back for the Brush Collection just cos it's so freakin cute!! I wanted to buy the mirror but I know I can get a much cuter one in Asia so I opted to not buy that one. Love the items, wish there was a bit more make up that I could pick up but I don't like MAC eyeshadows and the lip moisturizer is SPF 15 (which I am allergic to) and I don't use face powder :(

Where The Truth Lies

Where The Truth Lies

Synopsis: In the 50's, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin Firth) are the most beloved entertainers in America. A classic duo — Lanny is the manic comedian, while Vince is his cool and... In the 50's, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin Firth) are the most beloved entertainers in America. A classic duo — Lanny is the manic comedian, while Vince is his cool and collected straight man—the boys know how to make audiences roar with laughter at their jokes, or shed tears at one of their famous telethons. They are at the top of their game, wealthy, powerful, and enormously popular, when something terrible happens to threaten their success. Inexplicably, a dead beauty turns up in their hotel suite. Their reputations are sullied but, thanks to rock-solid alibis, neither is charged with the crime. Their partnership, on the other hand, is destroyed. Lanny and Vince manage to salvage separate careers, but years pass, with neither speaking to the other, or to anyone else, about the girl's death. The reason for the break-up of Morris and Collins becomes one of show business' greatest mysteries. Fifteen years later, in the 1970's, up and coming writer Karen O'Connor (Alison Lohman), decides to turn this cold case into a hot story. This includes the discovery of a kinky menage-a-trois that may have led to a murder, Karen unravels a serpentine, shocking tale of talent and treachery, love and lust, buried secrets and betrayed trust. WHERE THE TRUTH LIES is written and directed by Atom Egoyan, produced by Robert Lantos, and stars Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, Alison Lohman and Rachel Blanchard.

Happy 1st Birthday!

Happy 1st Birthday Tristan!

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year! Time flies by so quickly and the babies are growing up way too fast! It was so nice to spend the afternoon with the babies and friends, they are such good people. The food (as always) so yummy and this year, they decided to pick up a birthday cake from Cupcakes - mmmm... cupcakes, I am so addicted to their cupcakes and cakes! It was lovely to see Grace, Isabella, Colin - can't believe the changes in his features,, he's looking very Chinese and very surprised to see Sheldon - Grace's husband! Overall, it was a great afternoon but my headache started to go from bad to worse and the pounding just go worse esp after the slice of cake the jello cheesecake! Time to take a nap. Photos to be posted, I didn't bring my camera.

Bright Shiny Morning.

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

Book Description

One of the most celebrated and controversial authors in America delivers his first novel—a sweeping chronicle of contemporary Los Angeles that is bold, exhilarating, and utterly original.

Dozens of characters pass across the reader's sight lines—some never to be seen again—but James Frey lingers on a handful of LA's lost souls and captures the dramatic narrative of their lives: a bright, ambitious young Mexican-American woman who allows her future to be undone by a moment of searing humiliation; a supremely narcissistic action-movie star whose passion for the unattainable object of his affection nearly destroys him; a couple, both nineteen years old, who flee their suffocating hometown and struggle to survive on the fringes of the great city; and an aging Venice Beach alcoholic whose life is turned upside down when a meth-addled teenage girl shows up half-dead outside the restroom he calls home.

Throughout this strikingly powerful novel there is the relentless drumbeat of the millions of other stories that, taken as a whole, describe a city, a culture, and an age. A dazzling tour de force, Bright Shiny Morning illuminates the joys, horrors, and unexpected fortunes of life and death in Los Angeles.

Very interesting novel, I enjoy his writing style and even though some may find it a bit choppy or all over the place but def an interesting read. I love the bits and pieces of history and info about Los Angeles itself. I now know that I could never ever live in LA!

Water Leak

What a morning! I was awoken at 2am by the sounds of rain drops in my suite! I feel terrible for my mom cos she had to stay up and clean the bathroom for my grams. The pipes broke under my gram's ensuite and the bathroom was flooded so much in fact that it started to overflow in the pipes causing the pipe in my suite to overflow. Thank goodness it wasn't a leak in my suite, that's what I was worried about. Since the pipe broke off, we had to shut down the entire water system and that means we had no running water this morning. Kay and I had to use the Brita water to brush our teeth and wash our face. I think she wanted to take a shower and wasn't too happy to hear that we had no running water. Thank goodness I'm going swimming after work, I can take a nice warm shower after my swim!

BJ Cocktail Dress

Today on my lunch break, I went over to Betsey Johnson boutique to exchange my black handbag cos the handle of the bag was starting to crack and the seams were coming apart. At the boutique, there was only one bag left on display and the bag looked a bit rugged and the handle was already looking like it had a tear. The SA said I could do a straight exchange on anything in the store but I wouldn't get any money back if I picked something less than what I paid for the handbag. I ended up trying on a few different cocktail dresses and ended up a very pretty purple cocktail dress for an extra $1.67. I decided I could use the dress for Jess's wedding in August cos a few days ago, she had mentioned that I should (or in her words "needed") pick up a new dress for her wedding. She was pretty adamant and convincing even though I didn't understand why I needed a new dress. I have a few pretty dresses that I could wear but I gave in and said I would look for something. I told Rhoda this and she found out why Jess wanted me to pick up a new dress, she is trying to include me in her wedding party! She really doesn't need to but feel very honoured that she is thinking of me and wants me to be apart of her wedding :)

Tinseltown, Downtown and Mosaic

Wow, what a day we had! First of all, we woke up to a bit of snow on the ground which I couldn't believe cos it was sunny and bright yesterday!! Luckily, we were staying indoors for most of the afternoon as we headed over to Tinseltown to check out the CNY festivities. It wasn't as busy as we thought it would be even tho it was still quite busy but today was Superbowl Sunday, I assume that many people were attending their own SS parties. We met up with Jes and Jas at Tinseltown and we walked around a bit but there wasn't much there, there were vendors all over the mall like the Chinese night market but not as many vendors nor the variety of vendors. After walking through and not finding much, we decided to head into downtown for some serious shopping. I did not expect to pick up as many items as I did! Wow! I got a lot of great "end of the season" deals, Kay got a pair of flats at UB for $5, I picked up a couple of winter jackets by ONLY for less than $100 each at Spank Clothing on Granville, a pair of Miss Sixty pants for $91 (reg $229) and a monk & lou skirt (in house label with classic and sophisticated pieces in neutral palettes) for $27 (reg $69) at Plenty! I know it seemed a little extreme that I picked up so many items but they all fit me perfectly and at such great prices, I could not resist or pass them up. At least I didn't buy any more shoes! After our shopping spree at PC, we decided to head over to Robson street and was shocked to feel how freezing cold it was outside. It seemed that downtown had their own Lunar Festival at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Taiwanese Lantern Festival was being held there with their own mini night market and even tho it was still raining (freezing rain), there was quite a crowd and how could you pass up those lanterns? So pretty and bright. We took a few photos and looked at all the displays and didn't end up buying anything even tho the nite market food stalls were tempting. Jess and Kay decide to head back to B's condo while Rhoda, Jas and I headed towards Robson street. After walking down a couple of blocks and getting distracted at Plenty (picked up my monk & lou skirt), it was time to head over to Mosaic at the Hyatt Vancouver for dine out. The restaurant is quite nice with renovations done recently, the customer service was awesome, and the food was pretty good (except the steak was a bit dry). The staff was very tentative and came by to make sure we were doing alright and if we needed anything. By the end of our meal, the restaurant manager came by and ask how our experience was, I had to voice my concern over the steak as we had ordered it rare and when it came to us, it was rare but not juicy so that means the steak might have been previously frozen or it's not good quality beef. After we got our bill, she gave us a whole chocolate cake to take with us, oh no! A whole chocolate cake?? It is very rich and sweet but oh so yummy! Excellent customer service and I think I might consider dining there again but I probably will not order a steak again. It was a great dinner and it was so awesome to spend it with Rhoda and Jas. (more photos on flickr)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

What an incredible novel! I stayed up until 4am to finish it cos once I was close to the end, I could not put the book down. It's def a fave of mine and I can't wait to read his next novel released last month, The Girl Who Played with Fire.