quarante deux: bonne anniversaire

Chère bff,

29 years ago, a little girl was born.
She grew up to be become a loving sister, a talented photographer, gardener extrodinaire and a create DIY enthusiast.
Most importantly she became a shoulder to cry on, an ear to rant to, a confidante, and a voice of reason and encouragement to another little girl who was born 63 days later.
Born half way across the world from each other, these two little girls somehow found their way to each other and bonded over their love for tea.

Happy happy birthday ma belle.

❤ pour toujours,
j

p.s I set my alarm to remind myself to say happy birthday when you were actually born. What ended up happening was me staring at my clock for 10 minutes waiting for the alarm to go off...

quarante et un: against all odds

Chère bff,

A little blade of grass pushed through our newly paved driveway the other day.
How such a tiny fragile thing was able to break through the pavement was beyond me!
Like this blade of grass, humans are resilient beings.
Even when we hit a concrete wall, we somehow find a way to overcome it.
It won't be easy, but we need to have faith that happy days are to come.

Bonne anniversaire, ma belle.

❤ pour toujours,
j

quarante: radish tulips

Chère bff,

Sometimes we get bad news.
And yes, it's awful and horrible and every terrible feeling there is in the dictionary.
But then in the midst of all that misery, we see how loved we are.
Like receiving tulips that look like radishes (because someone remembered you giggled at them once) as a cheer up surprise.
Being offered words of comfort and encouragement.
Or having someone get more upset than you at the cause of all this heartache.

Life may throw lemons at us every so often, but the people around us are like the sugar that makes it into yummy lemonade.

You are one of my biggest sugar cubes and I hope I can be the same for you :)

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente neuf: photography as inspiration

Chère bff,

Just a reminder of how strong women are. We don't go down without a fight and fighters we are!

http://www.jaimemoorephotography.com/2013/05/09/not-just-a-girl/

(I especially like Helen Keller's quote)

♥ pour toujours,
j

trente huit: oh puddles

Chère bff,

The clouds have been looming around and making everything gray lately.
If we look on the bright side, at least it gives us puddles to splash in!
But sometimes it's really difficult to find the fun in this dreary weather.
Let's focus on splashing in puddles rather than looking at the cloudy skies, shall we?

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente sept: awkward family photo part II

Chère bff,

Do you remember my Chinese New Year family photo?
We were all wearing pinks and reds...
(even yoshi)
Yesterday, for Mother's Day, the women in my family unintentionally all wore black and gray.
Well, I lied.
The majority of the women wore black and gray. My grandma actually scurried upstairs to her room to put something gray on for the photo!

One day I will frame all these photos and arrange them in rainbow order :)

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente six: violet

Chère bff,

I went to the grocery store and came across this itty bitty item that reminded me of you.

It is purple.
It can be squishy, watery or grainy.
It is a bit gross when you really think about it.

If you guess it right, you can have it bahaha

❤ pour toujours,
j

p.s the photo is fuzzy on purpose :P

trente cinq: gimp and chains

Chère bff,

There is something missing in our friendship that all friends should have.
It's mostly a child hood thing, but I think we should carry on the tradition of friendship bracelets.
I'm going to make DIY helloberry bracelets for the trio!

This is my inspiration: http://www.helloberryinc.com/

Hopefully, I'll have these done before the end of summer.
But you know me and my attention span...

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente quatre: turned tables

Chère bff,

One of the things I love to do at IKEA is watching people stand and stare into their trunks, trying to visualize how all the products are going to fit.
Today, Nathan and I did just that.
All those years of playing Tetris was not for moot.
(I was giggling the whole time we were struggling)

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente trois: silhouettes

Chère bff,

There's something about silhouette and shadow portraits that I love.
I think it's because people don't often focus on the outline of a person.
We're always looking at the details like the eyes, the smile, teeth, skin, clothes even.
There's also a bit of mystery in a silhouette which my over active imagination appreciates.

Enough about silhouettes, how was your day?

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente deux: in the family

Chère bff,

Today I realized that being needy runs in the family.
Pictured here is yoshi snuggling up to me while watching tv.
He likes to be close to people and constantly bugs me for belly rubs.
I wonder if people's traits rub off on their dogs...

Something to think about before bedtime!

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente et un: sunny colours

Chère bff,

Nathan showed up after work with a small bouquet of these yellow beauties.
Soon he won't need to buy flowers anymore and just pick them from your garden!

Would you consider opening up a flower stand on your front yard?

They sell cardboard stands at IKEA for $15. It's meant for lemonade, but I think we can use it for flowers instead!

Okay, I better sleep. My mind is going into the crazy zone...

❤ pour toujours,
j

trente: supermarket adventure

Chère bff,

Look what Nathan and I found during our latest trip to T&T!
I don't know of this is poor translation or Nathan and I being ignorant.
But we had a good giggle in the tea aisle.

I actually contemplated buying it...

(hope you had a good laugh!)

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt neuf: sakura

Chère bff,

Here is a photo of the lovely blooming cherry blossom tree to tie you over until you plant your own.
I think plum tree blossoms are actually more pink.
Perhaps an ombré forest in your backyard is in order - that way we can see all the different pinks!

Next year, we trek down to high park together to take photos.
I need your help fighting the crowds...I had to take a picture with the small neglected trees...

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt huit: up up up

Chère bff,

Sometimes when I find myself in an exceedingly difficult and frustrating situation with another person, I try my best to try to think of a list of positives.
You never know what you might find when you look up.
Much like this wooden antler-esque chandelier at Soma!

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt sept: snipped

Chère bff,

I gave in and cut the tag off the h&m bag today.
I think that the wait to use it made me appreciate the bag more.
At least we now know it wasn't an impulse buy!
That is definitely a bad habit that I need to get rid of. No time like the present for self improvement!

I think if I wait another week before I cut the tags off the other goodies, it will make May Madness a bit easier for me.

Let's hope this month will be as easy as March :)

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt six: skin food

Chère bff,

Here's a random tidbit of info...
Not only are oranges tasty, the vitamin c will help repair skin cells and also brighten your complexion!
It also helps with breakouts.
I wonder if rubbing an orange on my face will work
(I was tempted to this morning when I was cutting it up)
Perhaps I will save that experiment for some other time.

For now, I sleep!

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt cinq: changing old habits

Chère bff,

I still haven't cut the tags off the bags I bought the other day.
Sometimes I do things just to get them over with quickly.
Like running up the stairs.
Writing exams.
Sometimes even eating!

With purchases, I tend to cut the tags right when I get home so that I don't have the chance to even think of returning the item.
I realize that this is a bad habit that I need to get rid of - especially since I tend to do a lot of impulse shopping and end up never wearing/using a lot of the things I buy.

I suppose old habits can be changed!
I hope you're proud of me :)

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt quatre: curieuse

Chère bff,

Remember back in high school (and even university), chain e-mails would be sent around and sometimes it involved sending out questions for your friends to answer.
I used to love receiving those and sending them out.
So I've come up with a few questions that I would like to know.

1. If you could go back in time, what year would you pick to relive? Why?

2. If you had to choose between using either ketchup or mustard for the next fifty years, which would you choose?

3. Would you rather learn a new language or learn a new craft?

4. If junk food was good for you, what would you pig out on?

5. Would you rather spend money on a lens that you've been eying for a year, or would you rather spend that money on vacationing?

6. What was your favourite picture book growing up?

7. What is the most nostalgic movie for you?

8. Would you rather tell a white lie or hurt someone's feelings?

9. Green kiwi or golden kiwi?

10. What is your japh tolerance level in hours?

C'est tout! ... for now.

You can post or e-mail me your answers when you have time :)

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt trois: white moustashes

Chère bff,

Yoshi is turning into a grandpa.
Can you see his white fur?
I think it gives him character.
Crazy how we sometimes don't notice how people, pets, and things are changing until you take a step back to look.

We should do a photo a day challenge where we take a photo of ourselves every single day. Then we can compile them and make it into an evolution video!

I hope I age gracefully...

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt deux: jardin

Chère bff,

I came across this little comic on Instagram that might help motivate you to create your garden.
Although... you are already quite motivated already.
Perhaps, it can serve as motivation on those days you really just don't feel like playing in the dirt.

Cute comic and wise words indeed.

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt et un: mochi lesson

Chère bff,

I was presented with this dirt like lump as my dessert tonight.
Now, normally I love mochi, but this one just didn't look too appetizing.
When I bit into it, however, it was filled with black sesame paste!
Mmm...
I must learn to be less judgmental.

Must. Must. Must.

♥ pour toujours,
j

vingt: thought bubble

Chère bff,

Every time I drink a cup of tea, it reminds me of you.
(especially if it's a blooming tea)
Just thought I'd let you know :)

♥ pour toujours
j

dix neuf: sunnies and blazers

Chère bff,

As promised, here is my outfit that I wore to the interview today.
Decided to go a bit more casual as opposed to wearing my power suit.
And for once, my hair cooperated!
Except I didn't think to take a picture...

Total outfit cost (including shoes): $85

I am quite proud of my frugal ways :)

♥ pour toujours,
j

p.s thank you for being my greatest support system when I am nervous and unsure of myself. Like you always say, youda best :)

dix huit: socks socks socks

Chère bff,

Yes, those are my socks keeping the car warm.
And yes, Nathan drove with them.
I like how they are inside out!
Hope this made you laugh despite the gloomy weather today.

♥ pour toujours,
j

dix sept: déjà vu

Chère bff,

I made Dutch eggs tonight and it reminded me of your meatloaf from dîner en blanc.
We better start thinking of a menu for this year's dinner!
And figure out our outfits!
And table decor!

I better get started on making those convertible wrap dresses...

Remind me again... How does one thread the bobbin? I think I need a Jamie sewing crash course...

♥ pour toujours,
j

seize: out with the old

Chère bff,

Chemo. Is. Done.

!!!

I'm sure the last several months have been a challenge that many of us won't even begin to understand.
With that being said, there's no time like the present to start anew on your journey to a healthier life.
Like my shoe closet overhaul, I believe it's time to look forward and declutter our lives to make room for bigger and better things to come.

Can't wait to sing and dance with you!
(and Monroe)

♥ pour toujours,
j

quinze: droplets

Chère bff,

What a nice sunny day to end off the weekend!
I know a lot of people hate the rain, but I absolutely adore it (when it's not windy and cold).
You can splash in puddles, you can relax indoors with a hot cup of tea while listening to the rain, and you can get pretty raindrop and puddle reflection photos - much like your Eiffel tower photo.
It's also a good time to just sit and think and let all your troubles and frustrations wash away.

There's always a silver lining :)

(I've also always found the rain to be romantic. Perhaps I will drag Nathan out to do a rainy photoshoot one of these days.)

♥ pour toujours,
j

quatorze: words at three a.m.

Chère bff,

I think my brain enters a weird space when it's either really late at night or very early in the morning.
I kind of enjoy the quiet and stillness.
Gives me space to just let my thoughts wander around and do as it pleases.
On the brain tonight is an internal struggle of balance.
I have a hard time balancing things.
Work, family, friends, japh time.
There are only so many hours in a day that it's difficult to divide that time in a way that I would like.

I think it's high time that someone invents a time machine.

Or maybe I just need to manage my time a bit better.

I think I like the time machine idea.

So due to the lack of balance in my life, tonight's post is all words.

words words words

Do words stop making sense to you sometimes when you repeat it too many times in a row?

My brain is wandering again - I better get some sleep!

♥ pour toujours,
j

treize: a gentle reminder

Chère bff,

I found some (creepy) motivation online to remind us both to drink more water!
Having a glass of water before eating breakfast in the morning jump starts your body so that it can absorb nutrients more effectively.
Not to mention all the good it does by flushing out all our body's toxins!
Hope this creepy little water droplet will motivate us to get our glasses in!

♥ pour toujours,
j

douze: presque là

Chère bff,

Last cycle of chemo!

When I run, I know the last leg of the race is always the toughest.
I also know that it's during this time that you push yourself the hardest and it's also here where you realize what you are truly capable of.
Just remember I'm always running by your side - even though we both know how much I hate running.

Sending some virtual balloons your way to cheer you on.

❤ pour toujours,
your cheerleader
j

p.s I need to work on that sketch of yours!

onze: pretty yellow

Chère bff,

Today I discovered a soft mushy fruit that we can potentially add to your list of eats!
It is the lovely yellow pitahaya a.k.a the yellow dragon fruit.
(It kind of reminds me of a spiny shell from Mario Bros)
I am not normally a huge fan of dragon fruit, but I am absolutely in love with this beauty.
At roughly $3 per fruit, it's not something I would eat every day, but it's definitely a refreshing treat for the taste buds once every so often.

The photographer in you will probably notice the seed hanging out on the edge of the fruit in the picture at the bottom. I was a little too impatient and neglected to clean up my model before I did the shoot and gobbled everything up.

Patience is a virtue I sometimes lack when it comes to food...

oops.

♥ pour toujours,
j

dix: fickle me

Chère bff,

I was browsing my phone album today and came across a picture from November last year.
I miss my ombré hair and want to redo it.
But knowing me, I'd tire of it within a month and will want to redye my hair dark again.
And I don't think I want to spend another 6 hours in the bathroom inhaling bleach.
I just need to be less fickle with my hair.

What are my chances?

Sigh...

♥ pour toujours,
j

neuf: through your lens

Chère bff,

I must say, all the excitement (and sugar) from yesterday distracted me from my blog.
You were probably also too distracted looking for pretty shots to notice me taking a picture of you taking a picture.
Photographic inception!

I think the great thing about photography is that you can be in the same place at the same time as someone, but the photos will never be exactly the same.
It's a lot like that saying about being in someone's shoes.
Even though you're in them, they won't feel quite the same.

So thank you for always trying to put yourself in my shoes when I'm having silly meltdowns.
It takes a lot to understand my mind and I think you are one of the few people in this world who does (without passing judgement).

Merci, ma belle.

❤ pour toujours,
j

p.s I have this thing for overexposed photos... I don't know why!

huit: my booster

Chère bff,

On a bad day, when I am grumpy, irrational and emotional, you are always there to calm me down.
To remind me of the silver linings.
To tell me things will work out just fine.
And, even though we both know I'm in the wrong and overreacting, you are always 100% on my side.

You are truly my booster.

♥ pour toujours,
j

six et sept: kisses, pearls and lace

Chère bff,

I know you always say I have a big heart, but what I don't think you realize is that you are exactly the same.
Who else would buy me pretty phone cases and a replica of my favourite (what I thought was lost) necklace?
Yup.
C'est moi, qui est vraiment la plus chanceuse.

♥ pour toujours,
j

cinq: fuzz

Chère bff,

Spent the better part of my day staring at a computer screen.
After doing this every day for the past little while, I noticed my vision getting a little fuzzy.
I think you're supposed to look away from your computer every 15 minutes to give your eyes a break...but who really does that?

I think we all need to focus on giving ourselves a break now and again.
Even if it's just an hour a week dedicated to shutting your brain off.

At least these fuzzy eyes may give me a reason to shop for glasses? Or sunnies?

Hmmm...

♥ pour toujours,
j

quatre: une boîte du thé?

Chère bff,

When sweet is sweet again, we will toast with this sugary drink.
Not quite like the Hong Kong style milk tea that you love, but it will be good for picnics on checkered blankets.

♥ pour toujours,
j

trois: my side dishes

Chère bff,

One of the things I look forward to most when eating at a Korean restaurant is their side dishes.
I tend to fill up on the sides before starting my main and usually end up stuffing myself to the brim because of them.
I think this is partly due to me being distracted so easily.

Speaking of distractions, I need to start working on my wrap dress!

I need a snack.

♥ pour toujours,
j

deux: un petit chat pour mon petit chou?

Chère bff,

Look what Nathan got for his phone...
Be honest.
What do you think?

[insert crying laughing face here]

This was actually his cousin's phone accessory, but we stole it for a bit for a photo shoot during dim sum today.

I think we are long overdue for a Pmall date!

♥ pour toujours,
j

un: from my bed

Chère bff,

I seemed to have lost count of the days.
So I am staring a new set en français!

Lils and I missed you tonight.
I'm actually in bed already cause both my mind and body are exhausted.
What a week!

Although, lately it seems like every week is an exhausting one.
I hope I don't burn out but I feel it coming!

When I do, please don't be surprised if I demand a tea date to calm my system back down.

Bonne nuit ma belle!

♥ pour toujours,
j

day omgimsosorryiamsuchaslacker: pups all around

Dear bff,

To celebrate the new addition to your beautiful family, I thought I would take a picture of yoshi doing his usual afternoon sun bathing. However, he's been hiding under the table recently instead of sprawling by the window. Maybe he realizes his tanning days are over and needs to try to combat those wrinkles/folds.

I like how you can't see his eyes...he actually started to nod off into an afternoon nap as I was taking this photo. What an old man...

♥ always,
j

day one hundred and eleven: pooped

Dear bff,

Not sure why, but I've been so exhausted lately. My typical day looks like one of the following two options:

Option A
wake up
go to work
come home
veg in front of the tele
sleep

Option B
wake up
go to work
go to the gym
come home
veg in front of the tele
sleep

repeat.
repeat.
repeat.

yawn.

I think it's time for bed!

♥ always,
j

day one hundred and six: morning routine

Dear bff,

I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my life during my commute to work.
Sometimes I don't know how anyone puts up with me...
{photo is not exaggerated}
{yes Nathan is singing to some bsb}
Next time you're feeling blue, just think of what Nathan has to deal with every morning :)

♥ always,
j

day 104: retro obsession

Dear bff,

No excuses for my lack of postings.

But to make up for it, I am going to take you with me down memory lane circa the 90s.

Recently I discovered an app on Nathan's phone.

{I know, how is it possible that this app is not iPhone compatible?}

It was.

a.

TOMAGOTCHI APP!

So I spent the majority of my week playing with it during my ride to work.

Actually, I kind of just hatched the egg and made Nathan take care of it.

He killed it.

Twice.

His name was George.

I loved him.

Sigh.

I've included some pictures of George growing up.

They really do grow up so fast...

♥ always,
momma j

day one hundred: milestone

Dear bff,

It's day one hundred!
You've come so far and although there is still a bit left in this journey, I think you should be proud of everything you had to go {and are still going} through.
The body is a resilient thing!
To celebrate, I stole this picture off the web {it makes me really happy for some reason}.
It describes what we both should be doing right now...sleeping on a marshmallow.
If there's one thing for sure in this life, it's that marshmallows just make everything better.

Wishing you fluffy and sweet dreams.

♥ always,
j