phone wallpapers

5 July 2013

I know I shared some desktop wallpapers for June for Friday Favorites only just a couple of weeks ago. But I stumbled upon these free graphic phone wallpapers on Pinterest during the week and they were too awesome not to share!

Click on the image or go here for the link to download these.

All of these are so lovely and well-designed that I’m pretty much spoiled for choice as to which one I should have on my phone. Right now, I have the sunshine-y yellow lemons of no. 16 as my wallpaper – bright, happy and cheery, just perfect for summer. But I think I might just change it up every couple of days so I get to enjoy all my favorites (:

Free AND pretty phone wallpapers – what’s not to love?

Happy Friday! And happy belated Fourth of July to my American readers! (:

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Life is often full and busy. But I like to take time to enjoy some of my favorite things. So Friday Favorite is a weekly series where I share my favorite(s) for the week. Check out my other Friday Favorites here.

21 recipes // chocolate cheesecake cupcakes

4 July 2013

Determined to find the perfect Father’s Day cupcake recipe, I set out to find the recipe that would help me successfully bake something to my satisfaction for Father’s Day.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes by Very Best Baking with chocolate ganache

So I found this recipe and really liked the idea of these cupcakes – chocolate, with a surprise of cream cheese in the middle. But somehow, my baking skills failed to execute this one and the cream cheese filling didn’t manage to fill the middle of this cupcake. So I ended with chocolate cheesecake cupcakes all mixed together. It actually still tasted really good, just not quite how the recipe intended for it to be.

But if I didn’t tell anyone what it was supposed to be like, it was actually a pretty yummy cupcake. Make that a pretty and yummy cupcake, topped with this chocolate ganache frosting which I chose to whip. I love the richness of the chocolate and cream together. The original recipe actually came with just melted chocolate. But because it was for Father’s Day, I wanted to try something a little fancier that could be piped.

In my Father’s Day quest for the perfect cupcake recipe, this one didn’t quite make the cut because the whipped ganache had to be refrigerated (which I wouldn’t have during/after transportation), and I would end up with melted ganache with this humid Singapore weather that we have. But straight from the refrigerator, these are actually quite good.

16 down, 5 to go.

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The 21 recipes are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 recipes here.

Wednesday words // no. 007

3 July 2013

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Truth. But so much easier said than done.

This past week, I was reminded of a lot of things – lessons I need to learn, things I need to embrace, other things I need to change. And the journey of change never ends on this side of heaven.

So while I keep busy refining and improving my own life, I’ll remind myself to be open and gracious to life and people in general. And remember that God isn’t done with me, or anyone else, yet.

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Each Wednesday, I share a quote + some thoughts that have been especially relevant in my life during the week. Read more Wednesday Words here.

Adelia Makes no. 006 // sticky date pudding

2 July 2013

Sticky Date Pudding v.1 by Bitten and Smitten

Sticky Date Pudding v.2 by My Diverse Kitchen

Inspired by the sticky date pudding we had at The Marmalade Pantry, Adelia decided she could tackle this one. I actually liked the steamed version (v.2) better than the baked version (v.1). We’ve had this several times for family and guests already and it’s always a hit! While we’re still working on presentation, I think we’re getting there just fine (:

Sticky date pudding + vanilla ice cream + toffee sauce always make the perfect combination.

Now, we just need to figure out how to make that caramel brittle.

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Adelia Makes is a blog series featuring my very own little sister and all the fun things she makes. Read more about Adelia Makes here.

Hello, July

1 July 2013

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Every month, I marvel at how quickly time flies by. But I love anticipating whatever is ahead in the coming month.

So hello, July.

Hello to the second half of twenty thirteen. Hello, two months left of twenty-one. Hello, summer school + hard work. Hello, reinventing routine + going running. Hello, busyness and choosing right priorities. Hello, sunshine + rain (but please, no more haze).

Pretty unbelievable that it’s actually July.
But let’s do this anyway.

Friday favorite no. 006 // urbanic paper blog

28 June 2013

My favorite this week is the Urbanic Paper blog. Complete with a brand new look, this super cute blog is full of inspiration and plenty of pretty paper things – which I absolutely adore. They also have lots of inspiring designs in their pop-up shop.

As a girl who loves paper and snail mail, this blog fits the bill to a tee – perfect for being inspired over this weekend.

Happy Friday!

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Right now // Thursday

27 June 2013

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Plodding along with my first week of summer school.

Persevering and pressing on with the assignments that stump me.

Keeping my head up despite everything that may get me down.

Trying to focus, get motivated and back into the routine for school.

Hoping that all the planning from the past week pays off.

Choosing to just breathe, and not stress out.

Needing to sort and print photos.

Making more to-do lists.

Thinking about how quickly the week is flying by.

Attempting to be productive and making the most of each day.

Working hard.

Avoiding procrastination.

Planning to go back to running soon.

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“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.” – John Burroughs

Here’s to Thursday and almost being the weekend! xx.

Wednesday words // no. 006

26 June 2013

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Routine.

Dictionary.com defines it as:

a customary or regular course of procedure
commonplace tasks, chores or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity
regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

In some ways, it’s a pretty big word. And it isn’t as commonplace or boring or every day as we may first think.

Because routine is the stuff that life is made out of. It may not always be as interesting, exciting, or instagram-worthy as we think it should be. But there is such a beauty in routine that memory keepers and scrapbookers are choosing to put all the everyday stories in their scrapbooks.

Routine signifies something bigger – it signifies being able to wake up to a new day of life, of fresh starts. Having a routine is having another new day to be thankful for. Routine is what makes each day what it is.

At this point, I’m working on reinventing my routine and trying to make it as productive as I can. I’m not quite there yet. But with God’s grace and strength, I’ll get there soon enough.

Wake up and smell the routine.

Maybe, routine isn’t such a bad thing after all.
Turns out, it may actually be something pretty good.

And to be honest, I actually like having a routine and quite miss having mine when I get out of it for awhile.

Happy Wednesday! I hope you are enjoying your routine today.

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Each Wednesday, I share a quote + some thoughts that have been especially relevant in my life during the week. Read more Wednesday Words here.

Adelia Makes no. 005 // snickers rice krispies treats

25 June 2013

Snickers Rice Krispies Treats by Brown Eyed Baker

When my mom casually mentioned that she’d love to try these, Adelia made a mental note and set out to make these for Mom on Mother’s Day. And she was so pleasantly surprised by this dessert and indulged in it over the next week.

I loved the Snickers bars in these. So yummy.

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Adelia Makes is a blog series featuring my very own little sister and all the fun things she makes. Read more about Adelia Makes here.

21 recipes // prosciutto, asparagus, and parmesan spaghetti

24 June 2013

Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Parmesan Spaghetti by ValSoCal

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I made this prosciutto, asparagus, and parmesan spaghetti for dinner during one of those weeks where it was just dinner for my sister and I. My local grocery store didn’t have some of the main ingredients (namely prosciutto and asparagus), so I used bacon instead and didn’t use a substitute for asparagus. But the parmesan made it really yummy and I liked the dish altogether. I also liked how the red pepper flakes gave a subtle oomph without being too over-the-top.

We liked it so much that I made it again a second time for the family, this time, following pretty closely to the recipe’s ingredients. And it was a huge hit. I love the way the textures really come together from all the different ingredients.

We were hungry so I didn’t get any pictures. But I’ll leave you photos from the original post. Try out this recipe and let me know what you think!

15 down, 6 to go.

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The 21 recipes are part of my 21 list, a list of 21 things I’m working to accomplish during my twenty-first year. Check out my other 21 recipes here.