Flower Power

While I can’t say I gravitate to fragrances that smell like potpourri in a bottle, I do have a soft spot for floral scents with an edge to it.  Whether it’s, sweet, spicy, or crisp, I’ll happily give it a whirl.

I currently have Eau Fresh, and have loved using Daisy, Stella, and Flower Bomb. They’re feminine without being’stuffy’ like some floral fragrances can be. The first three, I feel can be used during the day or night, while Flower Bomb was something I usually used at night.

I’m looking forward to adding one or two of the ones in the picture once I use up Eau Fresh.

What kind of fragrances are you drawn to? Do you have one that you’re looking forward to trying?

As always, thanks for reading!

Ginger Tea

Whenever I'm sick, or when my allergies decide to be a bit..biatch, I like to make some ginger tea (salabat in Tagalog) to help sooth my throat.

I've tried the ones I've seen in stores, but there's something about the taste that I'm not a big fan of. The taste of one made from scratch is worth a bit of time, and effort in my book.

This tea also helps sooth your stomach if it's acting up on you.


Ingredients:

- 4" piece of ginger, peeled and thinly slice
- 4 to 5 cups of water
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup of honey, add more if you'd like

Method:

Put ingredients in a pot, and boil for about five minutes. Afterwards, adjust the heat to medium low, and simmer for thirty minutes.

Homemade Beef Pho

There's something so comforting about a piping hot bowl of beef pho (aka pho bo).  Whether it's the flavorful slices of meat, or the light, but hearty broth, there's just something about it that satisfy all my cravings all at once. That, and whenever I'm feeling a little down, this will always brighten up my day.

However, for some odd reason, I've never had the urge to make it. This fortunately changed a few days ago, and my patience, and hard work was rewarded with something that taste better than some of the ones I've had in the past.

I have a feeling this will be something I'll make a least once a month.

This is the recipe I used as a guide line. I changed a few things to suit my taste.

What I did differently:

- didn't add the cinnamon
- didn't add the soup bones
- added 5 more star anise
- used 6 more cloves
- added about 3 tablespoons of sugar
- used 4 lbs of beef chuck which I cut into four pieces, and parboiled for five minutes
- simmered the meat in the broth till it was tender, and took it out and let the broth continue simmering for about one hour
- added about 2-3 cups of water since the broth was a bit too salty for my taste

Tip:

If you don't like, or are allergic to fish sauce, try using soy sauce instead. (Like the recipe for the picture below).

Since I  forgot to take a picture of the soup, here's a picture that's a bit similar to what it looked like. (What can I say? It's hard to remember to take a picture of something yummy before I dig in..lol!)

Pho Bo

My Eclectic Taste in Fashion

While I love to shop just like any other girl, I sometimes find it a pain to do so when I don’t have a particular style in mind; especially when I’m at a store like forever21.

It can be a little frustrating trying to put together outfits, or to think of how I can incorporate something like a top, or dress with the other things in my closet.  I’m never really sure if I’m going for something girly, laid back, and so on. Fortunately (or unfortunately..oy..), this moment doesn’t last very long, so I’m able to add whatever I may find to at least three outfits.

Here’s a few things that have caught my eye lately….and wish I had in my wardrobe. 

Even though I’ve relearned to love lace, tulle, prints, and bold colors, I find myself gravitating to these kinds of styles as well. 

How would you describe your style?

As always, thanks for reading.   

Flowers & Memories

I wasn't drawn to Prada's Candy perfume, so I was surprised to find that I liked Prada Candy Florale. It manages to be feminine, and grown up, but not in a stuffy kind of way (if that makes sense).

There's also something about this scent that reminds me a bit of my late grandmother's favorite perfume by Ralph Lauren called Lauren. I would always find it comforting whenever I smelled it on her. When I was a teenager I would sometimes spray a bit of it on a handkerchief, and put it underneath my pillow so that I can sleep more easily at night. 

I might just add this to my little perfume collection one day...if it isn't reformulated (for the worse) like Lauren is.

Is there a fragrance that your want to add to your collection? 

As always, thanks for reading!