Throwback Wednesday - what I ate in Hanoi

 

Hello friends! Just found these food photos from 2 Wednesdays ago when I was in Hanoi. So many of my old fave haunts have closed permanently since my last trip back in 2019. 

So it was time to find new eating places. Tried this Vietnamese fusion place called Runam for lunch where I could sample local faves with a twist.

Like this Vietnamese egg coffee with pandan flavour.

And Vietnamese udon in thick crab soup with soft-shell crab and mushrooms. If you have ever tried Vietnamese pho, you would know that the Vietnamese make amazing broth. This was really good.

Of course the gal had to order dessert....coconut ice-cream and jackfruit, gooseberry jam and dried coconut. Very interesting textures in a not-too-sweet dessert. :)

What interesting foods have you tried lately?

Tuesday's Workspace - the first eye drawing in my new sketchbook

 

I finished up my previous sketchbook of eye drawings last week (woohoo!) and after a few days of no eye sketches, it felt really really weird. So I started another sketchbook of eye drawings! *LOL*

Meet the first eye drawing in the new sketchbook!:)

Make Stuff Monday - Let's start Christmas projects 2022!

 

Well friends, I finally took the box of Christmas stash out of storage....so let's start Christmas projects 2022! :)

First up, a decorated glassine bag with fussy-cut banner bits from wrapping paper!

Wait, wait...what's that? Is that Santa from Christmas projects 2020? Yes it is. Found a random Santa in my stash! His head was truncated but you know we do a good cover job here. *LOL*

I finished off with gold mist and it looks really festive! :)

P/s: Have you started on your Christmas projects yet?

The one about meeting the gal friend

 

Last month, I met up with nephew #1's gal friend. 

They are more than friends but not quite officially a couple because they want to wait till after the A-level exams are over (last day 1 Dec).

We went to a Starbucks near their school. It was nephew #1's first time eating at a Starbucks (It is very expensive here....what you see on the table plus 2 hot chocolate cost well over $50).

Can you tell that I actually printed 2 photos and lined them up to form a larger photo? This is what happens when you have a photo printer that only prints square photos. I do have a full-size colour printer but I'm out of ink cartridges...*LOL*

Since this happened in October, I took the opportunity to use some of my Halloween stash (we don't celebrate it here) in a subtle way...*winks*

Ps: Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends!

Workspace Wednesday - look what I bought!

 

Happy Workspace Wednesday friends! I was in Hanoi, Vietnam last week and bought this cute hand-painted plate! Not sure what I'll be using it for but it makes me happy just looking at it. :)

Hope your week is going well!

Another Tuesday, another decorated glassine bag project

 

Happy happy Tuesday friends! I've really been having fun with decorating glassine bags with the random bits from my stash. :)

I love creating "scenes" and adding something unexpected...like the frog here. *LOL*

This week's misting has gotten an upgrade...pearl gold and green mists for more shimmering goodness! *hehehe*

Mixed Media Monday - almost done with my sketchbook!

 

I am pretty excited about nearing the end of my sketchbook which I started in July! Just 2 more eye drawings to go! *happy dance* 

Of course you know I had to challenge myself to work on some new angles right? *winks*

Hope you are having a great start to your week. I'm just hoping to score some good shopping deals this week because the gal has not done her Christmas shopping. *dramatic music plays in the background*

Another week, another decorated gift bag project

 

Got this cute patterned paper gift bag from some happy mail a while ago and decided to spruce it up and make it my own, all whilst using my existing stash of course. *winks*

The cute giraffe just makes me smile. :)

As always, just a bunch of random stuff from my stash.:)

I think it would be great as a gift bag for a boy? What do you think?

Workspace Wednesday - an eye drawing from the mini sketchbook

 

Happy Wednesday friends! I'm travelling this week but stopped by to share an eye drawing from the mini sketchbook. :)

The one where the new signage gets used

 

Well friends, you know this gal HAD to use the new signage ASAP right? How apt that we just celebrated nephew #1's birthday! *winks*

 Let's ignore the fact that my sister and dad gave lacklustre smiles despite knowing that they will get to eat cake...and just focus on the new signage shall we? *LOL*

Check out this random photo of nephew #1 as a baby that I found in my stash...he was so chubby and heavy that it was very tiring to carry him! 

Anyway, I didn't want to frost a cake so I went with a Basque Burnt Cheesecake....relatively easy and fast, just needs lot of chill time.

We did celebrate with the birthday boy's fave food - roasted chicken. :)

Make Stuff Monday - this week's decorated glassine bag

 

In today's Make Stuff Monday I'm sharing this week's decorated glassine bag.:)

Yep...the gold mist in my stash is getting some serious love. *winks*

So it's officially November...and the gal hasn't done any Christmas stuff. At all. All year. *dramatic music plays in the background*

The girl in the collage is carrying some pressies, there is a deer and there is gold shimmer...I'm calling this a Christmas project! *LOL*

P/s: Hope you are more prepared for Christmas than I am. ;)

An upcycled gift bag for the 2022 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

 

Happy Saturday friends! Just wanted to play along with the 2022 Fall/Winer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop. :)

Got this patterned gift bag as part of a happy mail package so I decided to just create a collage on it with random finds from my stash. *winks*

Now I can fill it up with some sachets of coffee/tea and sent it off in a happy mail package. :)

Friday's desk - this week's mixed media eyes from the sketchbook

 

Happy Friday friends! Just sharing Friday's desk - this week's mixed media eyes from the sketchbook. :)

I set a time limit of 45 minutes for each eye and try to get as much details in  within the time frame.

Usually it gets done in the time allocated...unless I make a major boo-boo and need to salvage the piece.

Just 9 more eye drawings to completing this sketchbook! *excited*

Enjoy your weekend friends!