Circular Territory

Brooklyn

2011-11-21T22:15:00.008-05:00

Gabe was so fortunate to be flown to Brooklyn for a wedding job, so I tagged along for the trip. The weather goddess has been really good to us lately. It was sunny for all five days we were there. Brooklyn is where we stayed, it's much quieter and peaceful than Manhattan. Not to mention the waterfront, I'd like to have lunch on those steps everyday. Cozy diners and cute apartment buildings also made us think if we ever move the New York, we'd probably choose Brooklyn.

Jean Talon

2011-11-02T21:52:00.003-04:00

Fall is not my favourite season of the year, simply because it's a sign to tell me the cold Canadian winter is just around the corner. Although fall leaves triggers this kind of sadness that Summer is no longer here, I do always like seeing the colourful fall fruits and vegetables around this time of the year. I've heard so many good things about Jean Talon Market, Gabe said it's his favourite one. I'm sure this market is lively in the other seasons, but the fact that we visited in October made it a much better experience. This market felt like the liveliest spot in the city, everybody was there buying fresh produce, having lunch or just taking a stroll like we were. I bought some pate and blue cheese to bring home, Quebec blue cheese is amazing.

Montreal

2011-10-24T21:57:00.005-04:00

Two of my friends and I drove to Montreal for Thanksgiving long weekend a couple weeks back, the weather there was mighty fine, 24 degrees for an October weekend, I could hardly believe it. We took it easy and went to a few favourite places, Shwartz, Jean Talon market and Mont-Royal Park, to name a few. I also bumped into a university friend on the street! I love seeing familiar faces in foreign places, don't you? I once bumped into a high school friend in Florence, Italy, it just happened both of us were there for the weekend. Anyway, I digressed, I will post about Jean Talon market next!

lately

2011-09-26T22:13:00.005-04:00

I haven't been in the mood for blogging or taking photographs lately. Do you ever feel that way? I can't really explain what it was, but I seem to be distracted by many other things, graduate school a, knitting and television programs to be specific. I think I'm ready to get back to taking photos though, fall colours are especially nice to capture.

meet Russell

2011-08-23T22:19:00.005-04:00

A little (just 9 weeks!) friend just moved into my apartment, he's so cuddly, it's hard to leave him for work every morning! His name is Russell. He likes to play with his food and watch me clean up his litter. He's sleeping by my computer while I'm typing this up, but he's going to wake up in a few minutes and start attacking my feet in my sleep, such a funny guy.

farm

2011-08-11T21:06:00.006-04:00

Although the weekend was chilly and rainy, we had a great time at Geoff's farm back in June. The air has cooled down quite a bit here already. Are we having a short summer this year?

from the trip

2011-08-03T21:43:00.006-04:00

Just a few 1/2 frame photos from LA and Vancouver, I will let the photos speak for me.
The next a few posts will be more or less like this, I hope you won't mind.
I've been busy with a few things, be back soon!

Here's my trip

2011-07-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Hello! I've been back from my vacation since last week, and Toronto has gotten so hot while I was gone. It's almost as hot as LA here. I have my fans on and windows open 24/7, but I still had a hard time falling a sleep for the past couple of nights because of the heat!

I had a wonderful time in LA. This was the third time I went to LA, the first time was to visit Disney world when I was a kid, the second was when I lived and worked there as a summer intern, and this time I just got to spend time and catch up with dear friends. These photos are taken at Venice beach, one of my favourite places to hang out in LA.

I didn't take many photos in Vancouver this time at all, since I was too busy packing up my parent's house and trying to spend as much time as I could with families. My parents and brother were planning to move back to China, so visiting them was the main purpose of the trip. They left for Bejiing the day after I came back to Toronto and have since then settled down. Although it doesn't make too much difference having family across Canada or across the Pacific Ocean, but I do miss them a lot more these days. It's going to take Eric (my little bro) a little time to adjust to things in China again, but I think he will do just fine, he's such a sociable dude anyway.

I hope you are having a great week, I'm going to have a popsicle now!

from the month of may

2011-06-30T14:09:00.006-04:00

It's going to be quite around here for the next two weeks as I head to the west. I will leave you with photos taken when the air was still cool, and the sprouts were new.

I can't believe it's going to be July already.

Happy birthday to Canada tomorrow. The festivities will go on when I arrive in LA. Have a celebratory long weekend friends!

Summer

2011-06-21T20:51:00.006-04:00

There are so many things happening in the city everyday in the summer, and we've been too busy enjoying all of it. The last three photos are of the R.H. Harris water treatment plant, a beautiful art deco building by the lake. It's amazing how much people valued infrastructure back in the days, isn't it? Who would care to design a plant nowadays?

On a bright note, I'm heading to LA and Vancouver in a week! I will be spending a lot of time with family and friends. Although I've lived in both cities, I'd love to hear your suggestions on where I can go. Do you know of any gems in these cities?

Natural Dyeing

2011-06-16T23:14:00.002-04:00

My natural dyeing class at the Workroom just ended on Monday and I came home with beautiful hand dyed fabrics. Dyeing used to seem so intimidating to me because of all the chemicals and procedures involved, but Julie just made it so easy. I don't understand most of the chemical reactions that happen in natural dyeing but I think I'm good at following recipes. It's kind of like cooking, you just need to know what ingredients to use. We also got to experiment with shibori, which I find so fascinating, since every piece comes out to be a total surprise.

When I have my apartment set up, I hope to sew these into summer shirts and dresses. I have so many ideas already.

Happy Friday+ weekend to you!

new things

2011-06-08T22:19:00.005-04:00

I'm still here, just been busy with work, moving and unpacking. I'm loving my new apartment, it's the brightest apartment I've ever lived in. Morning sun is always good for me.

One of my favourite things of summer is grocery shopping at the farmer's market. I haven't been to many this year, but I managed to pick up some fresh mint and strawberries at the farmer's market in front of city hall. I'm kind of addicted to mint lately. I've been putting it into my salads and teas. Think it's time to grow some of my own.

out of focus

2011-05-26T19:15:00.014-04:00

Did I say I wasn't going to get another camera? Well, technically Gabe bought this new toy, a Yashica half frame! It's in such good condition and we just couldn't pass it on. We also got a couple rolls of expired film at the Phtographic Fair, and started snapping away without thinking too much. Of course, when I got the roll back, everything is out of focus. Turns out, it's only good for taking photos of things further away. Something about these photos appeal to me though. I appreciate the softness and almost impressionist-like quality.

These were taken last week. Dinner at a all time favourite wrap and soup place before we headed over to see Lion King. I was so very impressed with the show. The costumes are so intricately designed and the performance was outstanding, I left the theatre with a big smile on my face.

I'm also thinking much about plants and flowers lately. Just a few new plants and flowers around the house.

Cheers to a great weekend ahead!

Cat Talk

2011-05-18T23:54:00.010-04:00

While Celine and Jin went on their adventures, Gabe and I hung out with Mojo and Mea.
They're a good looking pair, aren't they? They were the superstar-furry-seed-guardians!

I love them so much, now I'm considering of having my own cats, just thinking..for now!

p.s. Anabela posted about this adorable catzine

May

2011-05-13T22:19:00.008-04:00

I've been very much enjoying May, it is my month after all!
Toronto is finally catching up with spring, and I'm so happy to see so many people on the streets. I've been having lunch out on the patio almost every day this week, it makes the average work day so much more eventful. I'd live on that patio every summer if I can.

We're going to the Photographica-Fair on Sunday, I don't have any money to buy another camera, since I've been spending a lot on furniture lately, but I'm hoping to find some rare film.

Have a sun-filled weekend!

p.s. I just joined Twitter!

seedling

2011-04-28T22:16:00.007-04:00

Believe it or not, all your wonderful wishes on the last post have come true! I signed a new apartment lease this week. It's not one in a charming masonry house that's got large bay windows and high ceilings, but a small one bedroom unit in a 60s apartment building. I love it a lot, because of its openness and east facing windows. I will also have my own balcony. Finally, a place to grow things.

That brings us to the next good news, the weather has been getting a bit warmer these days, although the rain and wind are still lingering. While the sun was out, Gabe and I pulled out some seeds for sowing. We also had a little helper. You see? He was pretty good at guarding the seeds! We planted a variety of seeds, mostly of tomatoes, sweet peppers and mixed lettuce. Do you have any tips on balcony gardening? I like the look of this and this.

this kind of light

2011-04-18T22:09:00.007-04:00

My bedroom is usually dark, but on a sunny day, when the sun sets it has has this sort of a magic moment where a slit of sunshine sips through the door ajar.

We're nowhere close to the spring weather, as the freezing rain and grey sky continues here. There's hardly any signs of green, and I'm still bundled up in my winter jacket. I'd much rather have an April similar to our last spring. I've been spoiled.

Apartment hunting has filled most of my brains these days, finding something charming and affordable is not easy, but I guess everything great takes time to be discovered. I'm dreaming about the perfect home.

Places

2011-04-04T20:05:00.008-04:00

Thank you for your warm comments about my last post. I've always wanted to take more photos of people; I think now is the time, if only I can get over my shyness.

***

These are of places I've been to or passed by. The last three were taken in the Don Valley Brickworks, a historical brick making site now transformed into a community environmental centre. We went on a Saturday to visit the farmer's market. There weren't too many vendors to fill the building yet, but the selection was good. We bought great cheese and freshly baked bread. There are so many things happening here daily such as skating and yoga as well as learning how to fix your bike. We saw kids making bread on a stick in the courtyard!

Gabe and I are heading there this weekend again for Toronto Bake for Japan. Come by and support the cause if you're in the city.

summing up winter

2011-03-30T22:02:00.007-04:00

Just a few more winter scenes to show you before spring comes in full swing.

A couple of things here,
-We side goodbye to the beloved Hoof Cafe
-A new favourite coffee shop
-A new sustainable fish store in Leslieville
-The spring kind of light has peeked into my room

This is a good roll, I'll have more to show you, soon.

Charlie+Maven

2011-03-20T22:53:00.005-04:00

So you've met Charlie, but have you met Maven? She's my housemate Mike and Lindsay's second dog. Isn't she so sweet looking?

They sure know how to pose for the camera.

Have a good week friends!

Black and White

2011-03-10T21:48:00.003-05:00

This is my first roll of black and white. These photos were taken last summer before I went on my trip to China. I misplaced the roll when I was in the midst of moving and packing.

Just when I thought I'd never find this roll of film again, I found it a couple weeks ago. I was excited to see what comes out of it.

These photos are quite different than what I imagined they would be when I was composing them in the viewfinder. Shooting in b&w seems like a completely different world to me. Maybe I should be more aware of the subtle shadows and tones next time I'm composing a photo. Any tips?

Happy almost Friday!

Film, Recently

2011-03-02T21:49:00.004-05:00

The good thing about this freezing season is that we get to stay close to home, cook many home-made meals, and have long conversations with friends and family at the dinner table. I think we did well this winter.

As much as I love that part of this season, I'm ready for spring now. It's a great feeling to see the days getting longer and longer everyday, isn't it?

Also, if you like, see our rating on our favourite brunch spots in Toronto.

On shirt making

2011-02-22T22:15:00.003-05:00

I hope you had a good weekend, we had a three day break, it was nice.

A few months ago, I took a dress shirt making class at the Workroom with Celine.

We made shirts from scratch, by that I mean drafting the pattern too. I learned a lot of things about pattern making, and my understanding of sewing is on a different level now. I'm so glad I did it.

The pink shirt I made in Class, and the plaid one, I altered the pattern of pattern K in Stylish dress book 1. I've never altered or "designed" patterns before, so this is the first. I'm so very happy with how it turned out.

Other summer shirts are in the planning already.

Film swap, anyone?

2011-02-09T23:55:00.007-05:00

Beijing, 2010/09

Luminato Festival, Toronto, 2009/06

Bayfield, Ontario, 2009/09

I'm feeling rather nostalgic these days. A few things have been on my mind lately..

- Writing more letters/postcards to friends and families that are far away, since I just bought these amazing stamps from Jamie at the Love and Rummage Trunk Show.

- Thinking about reading this book

and

-Looking into my box of film photos, I'm feeling more nostalgic towards the old fashioned way of image making. I need to use film more often, and then put them all in an album that I could flip through.

***

When I develop my rolls of film, I always ask for a set of printed copy, just because I like holding onto a print better than looking at it on the screen.

Do you shoot film? Would you be interested in a film photo swap? I'd like to mail you some of my photos, and in return you can share me yours. I would love to see your side of the world arrive in my mailbox.

How does that sound?

If you're intrigued by the idea, feel free to leave me your email, and we'll disscus more.

things for the new year

2011-02-03T22:23:00.002-05:00

It's the year of the rabbit everybody, and I'm a rabbit!
Happy lunar new year!

***

Some wrist warmers I've been working on for a long time. You probably noticed that the two don't look identical, and that's because I've ripped the left hand one a couple of times as a result of not writing down the pattern of the first one so this second one turned out way bigger for my hand. The yarn became all wrinkly after I ripped it apart, and hence the not so pretty stitches and sloppy look.

I am pretty happy with how the right hand turned out though. As soon as I fix the left hand one, they will be a perfect pair for the early spring weather.

In the Rooms..

2011-02-01T20:54:00.021-05:00

We had one of those rare sunny days last Sunday.

Celine and Jin joined us for brunch, then we headed to 'Come Up to My Room' for some inspirational installations. I'm always amazed by the kind of things our local artists come up with.

We bumped into many uwsa grads and students. GroundWork, which is formed by uwsa students participated in the show this year. Their wall installation turned out beautifully. I'm loving the shadow effects.

***
I think a snow storm is coming our way..
Thanks for your comments on the last post! Some of you asked about the mittens. If you happen to visit Canada, you can find them in The Bay, or here.

white and fluffy

2011-01-12T21:09:00.006-05:00

We took a walk in a suburb neighbourhood after a night of substantial snow fall.

I would make snow angels, but the snow was already melting.

Remember when you were a kid, you'd roll in the snow carelessly? The cold, the wetness, all of that didn't matter. What happened to that part of me?

I think I want to be a kid again, just for the winter fun.

knits

2011-01-07T00:13:00.005-05:00

It's the season for knitting, isnt' it?

I sat down and learned how to knit from my mom last September, when I visited China. My mom is knitting superstar. Most of my sweaters were knitted by her till about 8th grade (That's when I got into my rebellious teenage phase and didn't like anything my parents gave me!).

I hope I could knit as well as she does one day. To this day, I've only knitted scarves, but they're a great way to learn the basics, and so addicting to knit!

So far on my completed list:
A neck scarf for me,
and a linen stitch scarf for Gabe.

Hopefully I can knit a pair of mittens before the cold season ends.

to a new year

2011-01-01T15:36:00.002-05:00

A new look for the new year. I hope you like it.

This blog has been with me for almost two years and I've met so many wonderful people through the blogging community. I thank everyone of you who have visited and commented, your kind words and encouragements are really what's keeping this blog going.

This year, I promise to take more photos and share with you more often.

Happy 2011 dear friends!

Friends+I

2010-12-08T20:52:00.002-05:00

My girlfriends and I always play it well in front of the camera.

Photos taken with Diana Mini with its giant flash.

I'm especially loving the double exposure, might be something to try out more often.

a fine man

2010-11-26T15:02:00.004-05:00

I appologize for these ghostly photos. If they're a little brighter, they would complement the story I have to tell very well, but for now, you'd just have to look really hard to find bits of clues, and believe the story I tell you.

Just a couple of days before Remembrance day, I started talking to a veteran giving out poppies in the subway station during lunch time. He started telling me how he used to travel alot, and that he was sent to Hong Kong for a couple of days after Hiroshima was bombed. He told me what it was like to ride one of those double decker buses there.

I asked if I could took a photo of him, and he gladly agreed to it. After realizing I'm a photo enthusiast, he said to me "I have something that you might want to see", so he pulled out this black and white photograph of a young solider. "That's me when I was eighteen; my wife just found it while she was cleaning the attic today", he said. How wonderful is that. I always loved to old photographs. (You can see faint image of the photograph if you look hard enough in the second photo.)

There's so much story to this old man, I could listen to him talking all day long. I wish the photos turned out better, then you can see what I saw too.

the weathers of November

2010-11-26T09:43:00.003-05:00

November might just be the month of the year where you get all sorts of weathers you can think of. We've had some rain, fog, and plenty of sunshine. And today, we've got some serious wind and flurries.

I think the Canadian winter is here, so bundle up, friends!

Mini+Squares

2010-11-18T23:49:00.003-05:00

I have a new favourite toy, the Diana Mini.

Gabe and I picked it up from the new Lomo store on Queen West. (Yes, Lomography finally made it to Canada. Horray!)

It might be a tiny camera, but it sure takes sweet photos.

Stay tuned for more square photos.

Plus, Happy Friday : )

meet Charlie Brown

2010-11-17T00:15:00.005-05:00

I moved into a new house a while ago. I now have two great housemates, Mike and his puppy Charlie.

Charlie greets me every morning when I open my bedroom door; it makes an easy start for my day.

: )

Letterpressing with Tanya

2010-11-09T22:55:00.004-05:00

The first giveaway I ever won was from Tanya, so I was extra excited to be at her letterpress workshop this past Saturday. Tanya has an amazing collection of letter types, which are all nicely organized in these wooden trays. I couldn't stop taking pictures of them.

We tried two different machines, the C&P and the Showcard, and both of them are so smooth to use. I never thought letterpressing could be so easy to pick up. Thanks so much Tanya for inviting me into your home for such an amazing workshop.

See Tanya's post here*

*I printed my website URL incorrectly. Instead of [.com], the website ends with [.ca] (I'll have to go back and print new ones!)

Mini Golf Day

2010-10-27T21:39:00.007-04:00

We went for some mini golf fun in the suburb.

It was a tie game. Gabe might say it's because of his foot injury, but I think I'm just getting a lot better at this. Maybe I would have beat him if we went for a second game. Just saying.

Passed by a pumpkin farm and a petting zoo on the way home, we thought it was a pretty perfect day.

beijing

2010-10-18T19:49:00.002-04:00

A few Lomo photos I took in Beijing. I love film.

Grandma's Town

2010-10-07T16:41:00.003-04:00

My Grandmother lives in a Tiny town close to the ocean. It's so tiny, we can stroll around the entire town in less than an hour.

I'm not so familiar with this place, I don't even understand the Dialect people speak here completely. I hated to come here when I was a kid, because it gets so hot in the summer, and so cold in the winter, plus, there's no playgrounds here, and no toys I could play with. I couldn't stand a bit of it.

Last time I was here, I was 16. Seven years past by and the town still looks the same as I remembered. Except, this time I started to like being here, because of the boat houses, the old stone road, and my lovely grandmother. She was clapping her hands and kissing me when she first saw me.

My dad took me on a stroll to see his elementary school and the house he lived in when he was 6 years old. I thought it was really special to walk with him on the same road he walked on when he was a child.

Glimpses of China

2010-10-05T11:38:00.004-04:00

Due to the extensive blockage of China's internet, I wasn't able to share with you everything while I was there. So here's a quick overview of what happened in the past 6 weeks of my Trip to China.

I have to say, seeing my childhood friends and having my mom's home-cooked food is the best part of the trip.

Beijing still felt like it's home to me, although the city is more crowded than ever, and the traffic has been extremely terrible.

I still dream of living permanently there.

on a train to shanghai

2010-08-26T03:11:00.006-04:00

After a 13 hour flight, I finally got to Beijing last week.

Three days after I arrived, I hopped on a train to Shanghai with my mom and brother. The train ride is almost as long as my flight back, but we got to lay down and sleep overnight.

I love riding the train; it's such a pleasant experience to watch the things pass by me.

By the time I woke up the next morning, I knew we were pretty close to Shanghai already, because of the endless rice fields, streams, and waterways passed by. You don't see them very often in the north.

I wasn't sure which towns exactly we traveled by, but these places look so peaceful under the fog and morning sun.

"high tide"

2010-07-30T11:31:00.003-04:00

We put up this installation, inspired by West 8, at the school courtyard about 3 weeks ago for our landscape class. We flooded the pit in the courtyard creating a man-made pool and over your head there's a series of "clouds" hung. Guess what the "clouds are made of ?

The installation was a big hit! It quickly turned into a pool party!

See how the day went by here, and a sweet video made by Fernie.

a landscape tour

2010-07-12T16:50:00.003-04:00

Our landscape class went on a field trip last week, to Toronto, to look at some new landscape architecture projects in the city. We got sent to the city by a yellow school bus, which I have not been on for years!

The weather was blazing out that day, and we were walking along the waterfront without any shades, I can't tell you how much I loved the A/C after we got back that day.

If you live in Toronto, you should have already known about the various projects down at the waterfront. The wave decks are my favourite. We also went to see Canada's sugar beach, and the green roof of city hall, both are newly finished projects. I'd say the green roof is a must see, if you haven't already. There's a lot of pretty plants worth seeing up there.

dots

2010-06-28T22:20:00.006-04:00

During a thunder storm last night, the rain was hitting my window repetitively. I quite like the sound of it. I peaked through my curtain and took these photos of light dots.

If you like the sound of rain, you would like this.

ruffles and rain drops

2010-06-26T18:52:00.004-04:00

I hope the rain can calm down Toronto a little bit.

Celine's Photo-booth

2010-06-15T12:05:00.002-04:00

We went to another amazing Workroom Trunk show. This time, our friend Celine was doing a Photo-booth! Celine, Jin and Roz put together this photo-booth in the backyard of the workroom for a fun day of photo taking. A lot of people came by. See the whole set here!

an evening walk

2010-06-07T23:19:00.003-04:00

I don't normally process my photos. Almost every photo you've seen on the blog are straight out of my camera, but just last week, I've installed Lightroom, and thought I'd give it a try.

Here are a few photos from a recent walk around Gabe's neighbourhood that are shot in raw format, and processed with slight exposure adjustment, graduated filter etc.

There's quite a bit to learn still, but I like the outcomes so far.

Hope you had a good weekend.

white space

2010-06-02T15:48:00.003-04:00

I like the different tones a white surface can have.

23

2010-05-26T13:31:00.003-04:00

Hello, I've been kind of a lazy bum these days. I find it hard to pick up my camera while I have the school burden on my shoulders.

But for the Victoria Day long weekend, I finally had a chance to take photos again, mainly because it was a special occasion, I turned 23 last Sunday!

Gabe took me to Langdon Hall for brunch on my Birthday. I had no idea such a lovely place exists in Cambridge. Once you step onto Langdon Hall's property, you won't feel like you're in Cambridge at all. The people there are so nice, they let us use their bikes and ride on their trails. We took the tandem bike, and it was so much fun to ride!

I hope you had a great long weekend too!

Beaches

2010-05-09T23:09:00.004-04:00

How have you been?
I'm feeling lazy these days. I think I need to transform myself into concentrating working mode soon.

Gabe and I were at the beaches on Toronto's east end two weeks ago. The beach always make me want to plan a vacation to a place where I can play in the water and sip coconut juice.

Although, we're not planning to have a beach vacation this year, we're going to see the Expo in Shanghai, and visit my hometown Beijing in September. Do you have any plans for your summer already?

p.s. Happy Mother's Day to all moms. 妈妈，母亲节快乐。

reflections

2010-05-03T17:18:00.003-04:00

Seeing Toronto in the reflections of a few contemporary buildings in Toronto. The first is AGO, and the second is the controversial ROM.

I just moved back to Cambridge, Ontario that is, for a new school term. I've already unpacked most things and had my first class today. Seems to be a good start.

April Blooms

2010-04-30T00:15:00.004-04:00

Thank you everyone who has responded to the last post and signed the petition! The petition has reached 1 million already, I think we'll put an end to the horror real soon.

Some nice flowers for you. (They're taken on film. Yay! a new roll! I'll have more to share later.)

April has been great, but I can't wait to enjoy May. I think the weather will get really warm, and I'll be able to spend a lot of time outside.

Have I told you I'm going back to school for another 4 month? Except this time I won't be in Rome..,yeah..but I do have to pack up and move on Saturday. It'll be a busy busy weekend, but for now Happy Friday to all of you!

hello,please.

2010-04-27T10:43:00.007-04:00

I don't post these kind of things that often, but I feel the need this time.

We watched The Cove last night, a millions of different feelings rushed into me while I was watching it. I've realized that I need to do my part to help these lovely creatures that I love so much of.

Please, if you haven't seen the movie, watch it. The film crew has made a tremendous effort to bring the truth out to us.

We got to stop the horror still happening in Taiji.

You can visit the website, and sign the petition to help.
Spread the word too, our blogging community can do so much.

a recipe box

2010-04-21T14:51:00.005-04:00

Ever since Gabe and I started blogging at The 4417 Mile Diet, I began to take a lot of cooking inspirations from websites and food blogs. Usually, these recipes have to be hand-copied onto a sticky note, but after awhile I wouldn't know where i left it. How I wish I had a recipe box where I could keep all our favourite recipes.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I found this vintage wooden box at St. Lawrence Market. It's perfect for storing index cards. I used these Muji alphabet stamps (found in Milan!) to make tabs for the different dishes, notice we've placed ice-cream as the first one. Hehe

harbourfront

2010-04-16T11:15:00.008-04:00

I haven't been in the blogging mood at all this week, but it's Friday (yay!), I have to post something.

I took these photos the past weekend at the harbourfront. I rarely go to that part of town only because it's covered with high-rise condos and not much interesting things could be found there.

Although, with the waterfront revitalization project underway, we might see the neighborhood differently. Those wavy board walks are my favourites.

What's your waterfront like?

Happy weekend!

April Showers

2010-04-09T14:04:00.005-04:00

We got some thunder showers yesterday. I like the rain around this time of the year, it makes everything smells so fresh.

The temperature is back down to 5 degrees today. We even had a tiny bit of snow, although, I hear the weekend is going to be mild and sunny. I hope yours will be too. I can't wait to see the magnolias bloom.

Happy weekend everyone!

some weekend tunes for you, she also sang the song in the mini movie of dace's new collection.

on the weekend and my forgetfulness

2010-04-05T22:07:00.011-04:00

Thank you for all your comments from the last post, I'm so encouraged to take more film photos now! I love hearing from all of you.

The long weekend was very sunny but I only got some gray shots, because I forgot to put my charged battery back in my camera before I went out on Friday. I was really mad at myself.

Sunday, Gabe and I went up to Markham, so I thought oh what's so interesting in Markahm? No need to bring camera..but we ended up going to Timber Creek for mini golf! Again, I was mad at myself for leaving my camera at home.

The only day I brought the Camera out was on Saturday, when the sky had a bit of a overcast, hence the gray photos (the first photos is taken by Gabe). We did have some fun taking photos of ourselves by setting the camera on a bench in a school yard, from the photos, it's easy to tell Gabe and I cannot sync our moves at all, mainly because I wouldn't stop laughing.

I think I just learned to make sure to bring my camera (and battery) with me ALL the time.

p.s. A goat cheese tart recipe I tried over the weekend. Delicious, but took us half a day to find all the ingredients

p.p.s an epic 100 metre long photo

some film and thoughts

2010-03-29T13:42:00.007-04:00

I picked up a roll of film last week. Here are a few from the roll.

my neighborhood, more than a month ago, when there's still snow and air still cold.

On the way to St. Lawrence's Sunday antique market.

Brunch at Harlem Underground.

I really admire those of you who take film photos on a daily basis. I find it really impossible for me to finish a roll of film in a few days, get it processed quickly, and uploaded on the blog by the end of the week.

Part of it might be because I think everything I frame with a film camera must be super picture worthy, otherwise I wouldn't bother to waste my films. I'm too comfortable with using my digital camera, if I put it away for a while, then I might take more film photos.

I just wish there's a film lab, with a reasonable price, close to me.

Do you have any suggestions on how to take more film photos?

On Clouds and Things

2010-03-22T22:05:00.002-04:00

In these gray days, I keep on seeing clouds.

Saturday, Gabe and I took a stroll in Kensington Market, and came across this lovely storefront.

Can you see the clouds in the window?

Hotshot is having an exhibition on clouds, and rain drops, so lovely and whimsical, I was in love instantly.

Some clouds you could have, for your kitchen. here and here.

.

2010-03-21T23:02:00.003-04:00

Thank you for all your comments about the dress. You made me feel so much better, and I'm glad you all liked it.

We had the perfect weather for me to wear that dress last week, but this weekend, the sky has turned gray, and the temperature dropped.

Good that we picked up these ranunculus and they've been keeping us cheered up about spring under these gray days.

Hope you had a cheerful weekend too.

Here it is

2010-03-18T22:02:00.004-04:00

Remember this post?

I've finally finished the dress after all these weeks. I'm very happy about how it turned out although there's a few flaws.

The pattern is here.

It's almost Friday

2010-03-11T21:06:00.002-05:00

Hello!

Just want to share a bit of sunshine with you.
It's been so lovely here these days. Our baby plants are very happy i think.

And it's making me happy too, the work days just passes by so much faster when there's sunlight shining onto my desk.

I want to jump into my spring jacket already, but I can't. I need to bundle up until my runny nose goes away..

Oh well, spring is just around the corner.

Gabe started a new blog with his friend John, and he posted this. I think it's genius.

Happy almost Friday!

new friends

2010-03-07T23:06:00.005-05:00

We walked through a part of the neighborhood that we haven't been to before, and found these cute animals. They're friendly.

The huge elephant in someone's front yard made me giggle. I have to say it's the best pet to have on your front lawn.

I'm enjoying the sunshine these days, i hope you are too!

snowy

2010-03-01T20:58:00.003-05:00

It's been pretty snowy here for the past week.

How is the weather on your end?

It's the perfect weather for staying home and watching the Olympics, and that's all we've been doing for the past two weeks. I love watching short track speed skating, but the hockey game last night was just so incredible.

I screamed! I don't normally react to sports all that much at all.

Hooray! Canada!

Friends and Brunch

2010-02-23T15:02:00.003-05:00

Weekend is always the high-light of my week, because of the extended sleeping hours and most importantly bacon and eggs.

If you follow The 4417 Mile Diet, you should already know how much Gabe and I love brunch, but instead cooking our own we went to the Hoof Café with a couple of good friends. This tiny restaurant serves high quality meaty brunch, which we sure would like.

We were told the wait would be 45 mins, so we went over to Ezra's pond for coffee and chit chatted, the coffee is strong and delicious, much reminded of the many many cappuccinos I've had in Rome.

The wait ended up being an hour and half..but the meal was well worth it.

Gabe said it is now he's favourite brunch place. What's yours?

I'm in love with the bar cabinets there, I'd like those to be in my kitchen.

.

2010-02-16T21:56:00.005-05:00

It's Chinese New Year this weekend.
We've been eating a lot of good food. These home made sesame balls is one of them.

I've never had home made sesame balls before and had no clue how they were made, so I watched closely when Gabe's grandmother was making them. It's not hard to make them into balls, but it gets tricky once you put them in the deep fryer, because you need to constantly press on them to make them inflate bigger.

We gave it a little run, and it turned out okay, grandma's were way better in the end.

I hope you had a great weekend too. Happy year of the Tiger.

: )

These Cooks

2010-02-09T22:01:00.006-05:00

We had dumplings and noodles at Chinatown, The handmade noodles were made by this guy.

I wish know how to pull some handmade Chinese noodles.

This grandpa was sitting behind the counter when we were passing by his shop.

He caught our eyes. We went in, and he offered us free cookies. He's such a friendly grandpa.

He said he has the oldest storefront window in Toronto, I believe him.

sunday lights

2010-02-07T21:15:00.004-05:00

I woke up under these light shining through my east facing window.
I quickly rolled out of bed and took these photos.
Having this much of sunlight during the winter times is such a gift. We took advantage of it and explored in the city.

How was your weekend? I hope it was filled with sunlight for you too.

a new project

2010-01-31T10:29:00.004-05:00

It' been so cold these days.
I've been home, doing a bit of sewing.

It's so much more complicated when it comes to sewing a dress. I'm slowly learning my way through.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

a week ago

2010-01-26T10:55:00.004-05:00

We put new things on the window sill, the little pots are still missing something in them.

I moved to a new spot in the office. I have a window now. It's nice when the sun peaks in through the blinds.

We cooked a Chinese meal, baked a cake and made mango pineapple ice cream,

enjoyed them with friends.

That was my week.

And this was my weekend.

back in the annex

2010-01-17T20:24:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I blogged last time, hasn't it?

Gabe and I just moved back to the Annex, so we've been trying to get everything unpacked and organized. The apartment now looks just like how it was last year.

I've finished the blanket I started almost a year ago. It turned out a little wrinkly probably because of my uneven crochet stitches, but I'm happy about it. I could now get cozy when I watch TV.

Seattle

2010-01-04T19:05:00.003-05:00

While visiting my family in Vancouver, we went to Seattle for a mini family trip.
It didn't rain, but was quite windy.
Pike Place Market is a lovely place, I'd go there again to see the fish show that I didn't get to see.

I'm flying back to Toronto tomorrow!

say hello to 2010

2010-01-01T00:12:00.001-05:00

I might not have a big crowd reading this little blog, but I thank all of you who have read it and/or are still following it. Thank you for encouraging me to continue doing what I love to do.

2010 will be a better year.

Happy new year lovelies.

Oh Paris!

2009-12-30T22:59:00.003-05:00

Oh I was so happy when I got to Paris.
It's exactly what I expected to be, a dainty and glorious metropolitan.

I wish I could have stayed there for longer. Maybe next time..

Geneva

2009-12-28T14:16:00.005-05:00

12.13-12.14 Geneva

Taking a train to Geneva is a smart choice. there's beautiful country scenery on the way and not to mention the extraordinary views of the Alps.

We love Geneva for it's free public transportation and delicious cheese fondue.

Milano

2009-12-27T17:07:00.003-05:00

12.12 Milan

This is the first destination on our 10 day trip I mentioned in the last post.

Compare to Rome, Milan is a much more modern city. You can't find the narrow and windy roads here, instead you're often walking on a sidewalk of a 4 lane boulevard.

This piazza in front of the the Duomo is always filled with people during Christmas time. Don't you just love the giant Christmas tree?

where have i been?

2009-12-25T18:21:00.002-05:00

Hi there,

I'm back in Canada! After having to stay in Rome for an extra night because of my over booked flight and a couple of missed and delayed connecting flights, I'm finally home, so happy to be back.

I didn't tell you where I went in the last two weeks did I? Everything happened too quickly after I finished Studio so I didn't get to tell you where I was going before I left.

Well here's a sneak peak. My friend Helena came to visit me in Rome and we decided to travel to a few European cities before we head back to Canada. I will tell you more about that in the next a few days, but for now..

Happy holidays!

studio is over!

2009-12-08T19:07:00.003-05:00

It's the deadline day. Most people pulled an all-nighter. I had 4 hours of sleep the night before. I was working on a model to wrap up the project.

I'm happy it's all over now. Everybody is. Time to catch some sleep.

p.s. I'm going on a trip in a few days, and after that..I'm going back home!

a church

2009-11-26T18:23:00.005-05:00

I hope I'm not boring you with all these pictures taken on my architecture tours.

This church is really unique, so I thought I'd share it with you. It's a baroque church done by Borromini in the 1500s. It's got a elliptical plan and down in the cripta, there's these interesting openings and niches that reveal to you the underground space.

***
I won't be posting too often next week. I might not get to post any. It all depends on my progress on the studio project.

I hope you're a little more relaxed than I am : )

home in Rome

2009-11-21T15:38:00.003-05:00

We live in a lovely apartment in Rome. It's got orange curtains and green chairs.

Our landlord is a painter. He decorated the place with a few of his paintings too.

I'm going to miss this place when I leave.

p.s. ever tried putting clementine/orange peels and honey in your hot water? It's been keeping me warm these days.

St. Peters

2009-11-18T15:19:00.004-05:00

We were at St. Peters Catheral today, to visit the place, and also to catch up a few sketches.

Again, I was attract to the light.

what i've been doing these days

2009-11-17T04:58:00.005-05:00

Hi there.
I'm afraid that I won't be able to show you any travel photos for a couple of weeks.

We did go on a tour to see the suburbs of Rome tho. It's for part of my Modern Italian Architecture course. The first image is taken in a memorial. that beam of light brought so much emotions in my heart. Isn't it amazing what a light could do to a space?

Other than that. I've been working in studio a lot these days, drawing and modeling things.
2.5 weeks left till the deadline.

lovely things in florence

2009-11-12T13:25:00.005-05:00

I forgot to tell you about the lovely shops and cafes i went to in Florence.

I don't know why waffles are so popular in Florence. Isn't it a dutch thing? But it's really delicious! Waffle+Nutella is a very filling dessert!

I found Liberty Fabric in a really cute shop! There were 2 ladies making hand sewing things when I walked in. Such lovely people.

We discovered a cafe (Cafe Deluxee) that serves burgers and brunch! I had a burger for lunch not exactly done in the American way but good enough to satisfy my craving. The place is really hip, it reminded me much of the cafes in downtown Toronto.

I'm missing Toronto a lot these days..

Firenze, in 2 days

2009-11-08T16:38:00.006-05:00

Just as you think I'm done with the north trip posts here, I have more photos to show you from my travels!

Our weekend wasn't booked, so we hopped on a train and came to Florence. It wasn't as touristy as I thought it would be, a lot quieter than Venice. It's a beautiful city you should definitely come see it, and visit David too; the statue amazed me.

Things are going to be a little more quite here. I have to stay in Rome for the next 5 weeks to finish my studio project. Maybe I'll post more about local market and shops in the meanwhile.

:)

North Trip! {Part 5}

2009-11-03T15:17:00.005-05:00

This was the last destination of our north trip. We saved the best for the last.
It was all sunny when we were there. We're so lucky. The water was sparkling under the sunshine.

This image with the city being the single line on the horizon amazed me.

Can you guess where this is?

North Trip! {Part 4}

2009-11-02T15:37:00.008-05:00

I hope you're liking these photos from the trip. I'm almost at the end.

I know you must be excited to see those venetian windows, but we're not in Venice yet, close enough tho!

Those windows are from Verona, a city with a interesting flare of medieval and Renaissance architecture. I love the clock on the tower. And did you know Juliet's house is in Verona? Those love notes posted all over the wall are for the hope to have her bless.

From Verona we headed to Vicienza, where I had the most food on this trip! We lived up on the hill while we were there, and hence the beautiful sunset photo :)

North Trip! {Part 3}

2009-10-31T15:37:00.004-04:00

When we got to Mantova, the rain got heavy.

The rain and fog covered the whole city made it look dreamier than normally. I liked that.
Mantova is a city I could probably live in. It doesn't have the intense fortress or steep ramps. Oh and did I mention it's surrounded by lakes?

We tried watching run rise there, but the sun never came out of the clouds. The rain never stopped when we were there.

Sweet little town.

North Trip! {Part 2}

2009-10-29T17:56:00.003-04:00

Hello again.

I'm trying to keep blogging every night about the trip during my busy week, so I'll reduce my blabbering :)

Our next destination after Siena was Urbino, a walled city sitting on top of a hill.

This city is extremely sensitive to the typography of the landscape.

It was a sunny day when we were there, the pictures should speak it all.

North Trip! {Part 1}

2009-10-28T17:32:00.005-04:00

I'm back from the north trip. I have so many pictures to show you.

Some of you have asked me what classes I take that bring me onto these trips. I study architecture, so our studio in Rome has organized these integrated trips for us to explore the different aspects of architecture that Italy has to offer. The south trip was structured for us to experience Roman antiquity and this north trip is focused on exploring the urban armatures of the ideal cities.

Anyway, enough geeky architecture talk. We had a really busy schedule for the trip. We hit up 3 cities almost everyday.

The first place we went to was a tiny town called Pianze sitting on a hill in the beautiful landscape of Tuscany. This town has only one linear street. The Tuscan landscape is exactly what you see in paintings, but I was still surprised when I saw it. It was so surreal to be in such perfectly molded hills and valleys.

As soon as i walked into Siena, I fell in love with the city. It was freezing when we were there, but the sunshine in Piazza del Campo made everything okay. When we left Siena, we stopped by another hill town called Gubbio, the last images is some of my classmates sketching on top of the hanging garden. I thought the silhouette was beautiful.

These are only the first two days, make sure you come back and check the rest too!!
Oh and be sure to keep up with the 4417 mile diet for the yummy food from the trip!

shopping day

2009-10-17T18:33:00.005-04:00

We're finally free this Saturday, so shopping was a clear choice.

There's this street, Via Governo Vecchio, in Rome that has many vintage stores and independent designer stores. That's where we went today.

Vintage/2nd hand things are definitely valued more here. They're not so thrifty here. I'm very impressed with the things i saw in the independent stores, a lot of them are handmade, but again they're quite on the expensive side..

I didn't really buy anything, but window shopping is always exciting : )

I'm leaving for the north trip tomorrow! I'll have a lot to show you when I come back. See you in 9 days!

rain and clouds

2009-10-11T03:36:00.002-04:00

The rain came on us unexpectedly.

7:15am I ran out of the door to catch the bus. As soon as I came out, it started raining heavily. No umbrella, no rain jacket. I guess I had to tough it out with a hoodie. So I ran in the rain. Good that the bus was only 10mins away from home. I was only partially wet.

This day we went on another day trip, to Caprarola and Bagnia. Both are beautiful hill towns. I'm kind of glad it was rainny and foggy, it made my pictures looked more dramatic.

Happy weekend!

a surreal place

2009-10-04T12:20:00.004-04:00

We'll never be bored on weekends, because most of the times they're filled with field trips and lectures.

This Saturday we went to Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Honestly, I'm a little tired of all the ruins we've been visiting. In the end, they all look pretty similar to me, but this place is a little more special than others.

On the North East corner of the site, there's a look out platform, where you could have a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape. On one end you have the distant view of Tivoli and Rome, but if you shift your eyes to the other side, you would only see farm land that appears to be in a world we don't belong to.

Hope you had a good weekend!

south trip

2009-09-29T15:46:00.003-04:00

I've been away for a few days, and went on a field trip to southern Italy with my class. The weather turned out beautiful for the trip. We went to so many cities and towns in the past five days: Cuma, Baia, Pompeii, Peastum, Capri and Sperlonga. Every place had a very unique character. I loved them all, but I think I love Sperlonga the most, because of it's gorgeous beach and white buildings stacked on the hillside.

The pictures shall tell the story.

Be sure to also check out the other post of the trip on The 4417 Mile Diet!

Keys

2009-09-20T16:32:00.005-04:00

We went to the Porta Portese Market Today.

We heard it's the biggest flea market in Rome.

It disappointed me a lot when I first got there, because all i saw were dollar-store-looking things. But as we were leaving, i noticed a booth selling antiques, and it had these awesome looking keys. I knew I wanted to have them on the spot. I couldn't take all of them home, so I picked these 6. I love how rustic looking they are.

4417 Mile Diet

2009-09-19T10:57:00.006-04:00

Hello.
I'd like to tell you that Gabe and I just started a new blog together. It's all about food. I think you'll like it.

Head over to The 4417 Mile Diet if you'd like to see more!

this and that

2009-09-17T16:10:00.004-04:00

Rome is great, but I hope I don't need to attend school while I'm here. I hate sitting in a classroom for too long.

We've been visiting a lot of museums. The two images you see above are taken in Palazzo Massimo. I like the interior space a lot, especially the grand stairs.

I have a lot of work to do this weekend. It's a different world when I'm at school. Weekends are really work days!

Hope you'll have a better weekend!

Santa Maria Degli Angeli

2009-09-13T12:46:00.005-04:00

We were in Santa Maria Degli Angeli, a basilica built on top of ruins of a Roman bath. The natural lighting is amazing in this space.

Roma: This is why I love it here [Part 1]

2009-09-10T14:29:00.006-04:00

Greetings from Rome！

3 things.

1)We've discovered our apartment roof top. It has an amazing view of the city.
2)I love walking on these stone paved narrow streets every day.
3)I'm having at least a cone of gelato a day. Living my dream : )

Roma

2009-09-07T15:03:00.005-04:00

Let's see..I've been in Rome for 3 days now, and i feel great!
I'm already used to having gelato everyday and sitting in the piazza listening to busker musician play under a light breeze.

Gelato photos to come soon!!

house

2009-09-06T03:03:00.004-04:00

Hello Hello.
This is the last post of our trip to Bayfield Ontario.

We have met some lovely people during the trip.
We sat down with a family at the Locavore Brunch, and during the conversation we found out that Lisa and Nick are architects! They're building a house for their mother.

They kindly invited us to see the house. It was beautiful there. I love seeing people out there still doing these kind of sincere work.

Did i tell you I'm in Rome already? will talk more and post pictures tomorrow :)

on bikes

2009-09-04T00:32:00.006-04:00

Hello again!

Continue on from yesterday's post.
Gabe and I rented a bike to tour around the town of Goderich, just a bit north of Bayfield, Ontario. It was chilly, but the weather turned out nice. We followed a train trail path (were train tracks used to run), and picked up these flowers by the trail.

Aren't they pretty?