Leaving

I'm taking a..

'unknownamountoftime' holiday

so I wont be posting for, well,
an unknown amount of time..
but If I had to guess,
lets call it two weeks.

Dont miss me too much!



Before I offically stop posting
here is a lovely read for you all to enjoy
while I'm holidayingawaysomewhere

101 Great Ways to Pack Meaning into a Lifetime

On relating to others

1 let love rule
2 share your talents and gifts
3 be generous with genuine smiles
4 express kindness every chance you get
5 treasure your loved ones
6 befriend someone you’re not fond of
7 understand someone who’s misunderstood
8 find common ground with someone you perceive to be different from you
9 find the good in others
10 bond often with laughter
11 remember the power of sharing great wine and food with others
12 forgive the seemingly unforgivable
13 help those in need
14 ask for help when you need it
15 defend those who can’t defend themselves
16 interpret coldness in others as sadness
17 and attempt to bring those people a little warmth
18 pay attention to the quiet/boisterous ones
19 and distill the simple truth in their message
20 engage someone who seems disinterested
21 and encourage her/him to discover her/his fire in the belly
22 curb the attitude
23 pump up the patience
24 practice humility
25 reciprocate negativity with positivity
26 realize that you’re part of a continuum
27 remember that your actions (or inaction) impact others

On philosophy and learning

28 seek truth (ask a lot of questions)
29 make mistakes
30 take a stand on the issues
31 dare to be right
32 dare to be wrong
33 dare to be an activist for a cause you’re passionate about
34 be a leader (see Justin Dixon’s ideas on What Makes a Great Leader)
35 lead by example
36 find someone you’re philosophically diametrically opposed with
37 and meet them halfway
38 read a lot; write a lot
39 teach others what you’ve learned (and be open to learning while you teach)
40 open yourself to wisdom from unlikely places
41 write or talk to people you admire
42 emulate someone you admire
43 and when you find yourself in a situation where you’re unsure, ask “what would _______ do?”
44 broaden your horizon and put things in perspective
45 find the lesson in an undesirable experience or situation
46 deflect negativity with indifference (if not with positivity)
47 remind yourself often that you don’t have to believe what others believe; even those you admire

On being true to oneself
(or keeping that connection to your core)

48 count your blessings
49 know your power and don’t underestimate it
50 write a mission statement
51 and live it (and revise it accordingly as you evolve)
52 don’t neglect good health (see Anastasiya’s list of 101 Healthy Habits that Anyone Can Follow)
53 listen to the song in your heart (and don’t be afraid to sing it and dance to it)
54 recognize the noise and tune it out
55 say what you mean and mean what you say (see Karlil’s thoughts on improving body anguage)
56 open your mind (see Steven Aitchison’s list of 100 Ways to Develop Your Mind)
57 open your heart and let the light in
58 eliminate hypocrisy by looking at yourself before judging others
59 give yourself a break (go on retreats, getaways, vacations, or at least take a lunch break)
60 know that life isn’t always about productivity
61 so let go of guilt and do nothing once in a while
62 feel every emotion fully (as opposed to repressing it) then let it pass
63 understand that impulses can be controlled so control those
you have that may be negative (we all have them)
64 seek and maintain balance without compromising passion
65 make a decision (don’t let others decide for you)
66 nurture your spirituality

On relating to material or non-essential things

67 give a portion of your money away to a cause you believe in (for ideas, visit Global Giving)
68 savor the good feeling that comes from this generous act
69 give a treasured object away
70 and embrace the power of letting go
71 throw out the literal and proverbial garbage
72 make space for meaningful things
73 remember others who don’t have the basics
74 and think twice before buying things just because you can (read Leo Babauta’s ideas on the true cost of stuff)
75 appreciate the luxuries you have
76 pass on possessions you’ve outgrown that are useful to others
77 know that your identity is separate from your material possessions

On adventures

78 go on adventures
79 be bold with your adventures
80 dream big
81 and take baby steps to realize them
82 visit another country as often as you can (read this piece by Chris Guillebeau for cautionary tips)
83 and feast your senses in its culture
84 dine on various cuisines
85 step out of your comfort zone (take risks, let yourself be challenged)

On art

86 pay attention to aesthetics
87 and let beauty bathe your senses
88 Experience all forms of art
89 and allow yourself to be transported by its power
90 once in a while, view things through an artist’s lens
91 and let your imagination roam free
92 express your inner artist (by drawing, painting, sculpting…)
93 and revel in your power to create

On paid and unpaid work

94 love what you do
95 do what you love
96 do something you’d do anyway without getting paid
97 give what you do your best effort (read Jeffrey Tang’s 10 Excuses I’ve Used Up This Month)
98 value your time and energy

On relating to the planet and the universe

99 notice and appreciate the infinite beauty of nature (read Fr. Michael’s piece Have You Noticed?)
100 think about the future generations and what the world
will be like for them because of how you treat the planet now
101 remember the universal laws when you’ve done everything you can

Ro&Chan - Backstage

Like Crabs

I love computer viruses

especially when they suddenly appear
out of no where, complete with random
pop-ups of hardcore porn making
your computer cry in shame

I've missed my blog

LET THE UPDATES BEGIN!

Louie

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE

Backing

A whole lot of pictures I've been
meaning to post to for ages.

Enjoy!

DitaForBazaar

MoareModels

EmmaClare

OhMyGod

Lemon Drop Rainbow Cupcakes



3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 3 medium lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup crushed lemon drops

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line standard cupcake tins with liners.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high, cream the butter and sugar
(using the paddle attachment) until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one.
Scrape down the sides of bowl if needed. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Combine the buttermilk and lemon juice in small bowl or measuring cup.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating
with two additions of the buttermilk/lemon juice mixture.
Beat until just barely combined after each addition



Gently fold in the crushed lemon drops.
To avoid the batter getting too stiff, try not to overmix when adding the lemon drops.
It will be mixed even more when you add the colors



Divide the batter into 1 cup increments and put into 5 separate small bowls (if doing 5 colors).
Gradually add food coloring to each bowl, until you get to your desired colors.
Stir gently to make sure there aren’t any remaining streaks of color.

To measure the coloring I dipped a toothpick about 3/4″ into each jar of color
(with the exception of the green, see below),
swirled it through the batter and mixed throughly.

Here are the colors and amount of coloring
I used from the bottom of the cupcake to the top:

• Orange – Wilton Creamy Peach – 1 toothpick plus a tiny bit more.
• Yellow – Wilton Buttercup Yellow – 1 toothpick
• Green – AmeriColor Avacado – 5 drops
• Blue – Wilton Cornflower Blue – 2-3 toothpicks
• Violet – Wilton Violet – 1 toothpick



Put 1 teaspoon (slightly heaped) batter of your first color in each of the cupcake cups.
I gently smoothed out only the first color, just to get an even bottom.
Repeat with the other colors



Bake at 325°F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate!



Marshmallow Frosting

8 large egg whites
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar.
Set over a saucepan of simmering water.
Whisk the mixture constantly until the egg whites are warm to the touch
and the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer the bowl to electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment.
Starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high,
beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy peaks form (5 to 7 minutes).
Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

Use immediately, as the marshmallow frosting will continue to stiffen.

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

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