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(top image from the Pier cookbook)

the old lady that I am had to give up at work today after feeling so drowsy I could not even move. I could, however, think. about what makes me super happy right now.

in random order.

basil seeds. I’ve seen them everywhere over the span of a couple of days. in popsicles. on salmon carpaccio. and in my new favourite cookbook (picture above is the amazing honeydew melon soup with coconut sorbet and tapioca. love at the first sight).

books. while I’m at it, I must mention my recent favourite reads. I think I stated it pretty clearly above, but one of them is Pier by Greg Doyle. the second is Made in England by Aiden Byrne.

polaroid. and especially the fact that my polaroid spectra has the loveliest bokeh ever.

matcha bubble tea. before I even tasted one, I knew I was going to love it. and I do. so much that I just got one kg of big rainbow tapioca pearls in china town.

sweet purple yam. I still don’t know what I’m going to make out of it. but I’m pretty excited.

it seems my thoughts have geared towards food lately. I’ve been feeling overly inspired by exotic ingredients. I’m so grateful to be living my dream. being a pastry chef is beyond what I could have imagined. some call it bliss. I simply see it as evident.

what makes you happy right now? or perhaps, what are your latest culinary discoveries?

ps. in case you’re wondering, the food diary is on a break, but everything is going just fine. I think I’ll just post an update weekly so not to bore you with unexciting details about my food consumption.

tags: books, bubble tea, china town, fruit, illustration, list, london, pier, polaroid, vegetable.

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despite feeling like an old lady due to the flu, today has been the best day ever; and also the coldest.

one. I bought everything to recreate my favourite bagel in london. the beef will start its brining tomorrow. and next week, it will be time for some bagel-making action.

two. I took the loveliest polaroid of my rainy window. blurry and all. I’m in love.

three. I finally made that one dessert I had in mind. photographed it. and talked (too much) about it.

since today is my very own sunday I treated myself with some delicious ricotta and spinach ravioli. hmmmm. good night. x

tags: bread, film, food diary, foodbeam, list, london, pentax me super, polaroid, rain, window.

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my room is quite a mess. but instead of the planned tidy-up, I ended up staying in bed all day.

listening to beautiful music, looking at some lovely book, writing in my journal, talking to a favourite friend, eating pan-fried gnocchi, and rather evidently, looking at my feet.

the cameras on my bed will have to wait a little before they find a neat place!

tags: books, canon 400D, home, minolta instant pro, moleskine, polaroid, vintage cameras.

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three new things that make me happy.

one. the fantastic polaroid spectra, or more accurately, a minolta instant pro. this is my (only and) very first shot. I’m in love, already.

two. some illustrations I made for foodbeam. drawing feels like kissing, for hours.

three. the bridge that I cross every night. the view from my bike is just breath-taking. I love riding back and forth to work. such a lovely moment.

any happy list to share?

tags: bike, film, fruit, happiness, illustration, list, london, minolta instant pro, night, pentax me super, polaroid.

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I’m in love with my flickr favourites. and waking up to them is like opening a box of marrons glacés.

thank you my friends for noticing how beautiful our world is.

tags: film, flickr, photography, polaroid.

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it’s been a while since the last hello monday. and to be honest the couple past mondays have been less than great, as in break-up less than great.

but today already feels perfect. I took our bunny peanut into the garden. he just loves being in the grass and eating too many flowers.

later, I will go for lunch on the beach with a new friend, get some new pied-de-poule pants for work, and help my sister on her poetry report.

have a lovely monday, wherever in the world you’re stuck!

tags: animals, canon 400D, fake film, flowers, hello monday, home, peanut, polaroid, toycamera analogcolor.

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here is our new friend who followed us through hyde park. he was so adorable. and really liked pecan nuts; which are also a favourite of mine.

so are: having friends visiting, going to a nice restaurant, being in love with foodbeam, making cheesecake, and getting wet with spring rain showers.

have a lovely week!

tags: animals, canon 400D, fake film, hello monday, hyde park, london, polaroid, toycamera analogcolor.

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I know it’s actually not monday, but I have one reason good enough not to have posted yesterday.

namely, macarons.

after weeks of experimenting, I’ve finally come up with the perfect recipe that gives me lovely macarons every single time.
I’m thrilled because those little guys are so going to be part of the book I’m – deceptively slowly – trying to write.

it feels so good to start the week with such a great achievement.

so, how was your monday?

tags: canon 400D, fake film, hello monday, macaron, polaroid, toycamera analogcolor, writing the book.

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lately, some facts have pushed me to reconsider my love for film.

facts like:
one, a conversation with Guillaume.
two, the delivery of TZ polaroid film.
three, the abusive use of my pentax me super.
four, my upcoming-birthday wishlist: a mamiya rz 67.

ever since my playground friend Anne lent me her polaroid camera one day when we were running around stables – back in the mid-nineties – I knew I was holding something special.

something that could capture moments of life. something that could make me see the beauty of the world we live in. something that could stop the time.

at the time, the standard in photography was film. film that produced flawless results. today, it’s the same with digital cameras. when you shoot you know what you’re going to get.

but to me photography is different. my daily life is as imperfect as imperfect can be. and whenever I collect a moment through my camera, I want it to be a reflect of who I am.

over the years, this collection has grown into a book that could define me. moments to be remembered, happy or sad. with an occasional light leak or unexpected blur.
it’s those same imperfections that connect everything. they act as a reminder of how fragile the time that goes by is.

and this is why I fall for old cameras, knowing they will render my life as it is. imperfect ordinary made less ordinary – not to say – magical.

tags: film, pentax me super, photography, polaroid, words.

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the planned unwinding took place sooner than expected as I woke up early this morning only to find myself too sick to go to work.

in between naps, I found the time to take a couple of polaroid pictures, experimenting with this film.
having removed the ND2 filter of the electric eye ages ago, I had to make up for it by using sunglasses. and it’s quite tricky. I need a new filter.

the sound of the shutter had an instant effect on me. it makes me happy. I love film. and polaroid cameras.

tags: home, inspiration wall, polaroid.