Thanks to some of my crafty co-workers, I recently got to try my hand at leather-sewing.  I opted to custom design a travel journal cover that would fit my Midori sketchbook, plus two pens or a marker (what can I say, I'm greedy).  It was easier than I imagined, and I am now hooked.  I've already started my next (and much more ambitious) project; stay tuned!

the best part of being home for the holidays: playing the piano for hours on end, taking alarm-free naps at 2pm, 4pm and 8pm (darn jet lag), and spending time in the kitchen with my mother, whose knowledge of tried-and-true classic chinese pastry recipes is impossible to exhaust.

It's been ages since i last updated my etsy shop!  These two cards have actually been hanging around for quite awhile now -- I've just been rather distracted since I stepped into Asia.  See the cards in detail here.

living with French, Indian and Taiwanese flatmates makes for tons of fun.  as none of them but me have ever carved pumpkins before, we set out on this ultimate halloween experience mission.  i was the teacher by default, being the only north american of the bunch.  although we had no special carving tools, we were armed with fruit and butter knives, and our various backgrounds as architects and landscape architects.  fun was had by one and all.

naturally, i had to make a pumpkin mate for pocket ninja.

and of course, i cleaned and toasted the pumpkin seeds the next day.  i tossed them just with olive oil and sea salt -- simple and yummy.  it takes about 30 minutes to eat a handful, so it should last us well into next year.

seems that we skipped summer this year and went straight to fall, really the eternal season in the bay area.  can't believe it's almost november already.  happy halloween one and all.