I've taken the plunge!

To try handmade soaps. If I have to choose one handmade goodie on Etsy which I find so fascinating, it would be soap. Since I joined Etsy, I've admired from my computer screen the huge array of beautiful soaps. These talented soapers not only make gorgeous looking soap, but their pictures and descriptions almost make you want to eat them! You might be thinking .. eat them? No way... But with names like Coconut Mochi and Raspberry Walnut Panna Cotta (photo on the right), how can you resist?





Anyway, I just took my first handmade soap bath with my Tropical Style Hawaiian Black Sea Salt (photo on the left) from an Etsy seller, Savor. It was fun, I smell great and I'm loving it!

Off to the Windy City

LOVE, originally uploaded by desireux.

I'll be playing tour guide in Chicago. Will be back hopefully with more photos and inspiration.

Meanwhile, have a good weekend with your loved ones, or spending time doing something you love!

I didn't reach the top ...

I didn't reach the top ... , originally uploaded by desireux.

Tonight I went for a preview of the newly renovated ARC- Activities and Recreation center at my university. I've been waiting for nearly two years for this, but it's all worth it. Now I can swim outdoors (well, at least for one month plus) and go rock climbing. Aside from all the fancy strength and conditioning equipment, the climbing wall is a great new addition. It spans 4 stories- 34 feet, and they have proper shoes, harnesses, and helmets. When I tried it, they were staff belayers, but I don't know how it will be when it actually opens. I hope they continue to have them so that I don't have to go with a partner to climb. Anyway, it was not an easy climb and I didn't manage to reach the top. I reached a point where my feet and hands could not both reach the climbing holds and my arms didn't have enough strength to hoist myself up. But, I will go back and reach the top one day!

Little encounters during the day [or night]

Zebra car?, originally uploaded by desireux.

My cell phone died last week, and I love my new one! It has a camera and bluetooth, which means that I can upload my photos very easily. My usual camera is a clunky-Olympus and it really isn't practical to carry with me everyday. For a short while I had a Canon Sd1000 which I loved. It was small and sleek but most importantly fit in my handbag. I carried it around taking photos of little bits and pieces of my life. Oh how I missed it when I gave it back to my brother.

So now I'm really enjoying my phone's camera, even though its only 1.3 mp. I used to think that having a good, fancy camera was extremely important, but not anymore. Yes, it is for taking photos of my pop-up cards or more "serious" photography, but to have a camera which you can just whip out and not miss out on those precious little moments [like a three-wheeled zebra car] is just as important.

Glued to the TV

Statue of a lady, originally uploaded by desireux.

I was watching the Olympics for the past 3 hours. Women's gymnastics and men's swimming was going on. I always get this fuzzy feeling when I see the look of determination when the athletes perform, their big smile when they've finished a routine ... the hugs, the encouragement. It's so touching to see that look in their eyes when they are on the podium and the national anthem is played. And Michael Phelps was just amazing to watch :)

Not moon craters

Craters, originally uploaded by desireux.

I was at Pebble Beach a few weeks ago. The rocks there were beautiful, they had craters of all shapes and sizes carved into them. These craters were filled with naturally polished pebbles of all shades of grey and brown, hence the name Pebble Beach. When I first got there, it was so cold and windy that I didn't really take the time to look around me. Then, as I started taking photos, I began to notice how amazing the patterns were. Each one was different and made me go 'wow' over and over again. Little things like this remind me how important it is to slow down and really pay attention to what goes on around me.

This Pebble Beach is not the one at Carmel. It's a San Mateo County Beach located near Pescadero. To see more photos of the lovely rocks and pebbles, clicking on the photo will take you to my Flickr set.