thank you

I reached home just in time to catch some sun

And have a cup of tea

Earl grey

In a Narumi teacup, thanks Quizas! You know you have a really good friend when they buy you your housewarming gift a year in advance. You know I love fine bone china teacups.. You’re the best! If you’ve been reading this blog, the secret in the box that Quizas gave me is finally revealed! 2 months later.. A little late but I felt today was the right day to have tea in my new cups. The set also came with a beautiful cake plate and flat serving spoon.

And isn’t old wood so much better than new wood?

the slow conversion of the man room..

..and the resistance that ensued.. (see the stack of man clothes on my scanteak bookshelf) Its made of old recycled teak from old furniture. Some pieces still have nails embedded in them, of course smoothened and sanded down when this piece was made. I’ll wait for some daylight and take a photo for you one day, the wood is full of character.

 

I thought rather than a shock and conquer approach to converting the man room to a girly study room, I would slowly add in pieces of furniture and the hundreds of books I own in stages.  So I started with this bookshelf which I’ve put lying on its side on the bay window. Its a great space saver as it makes use of the bay window which was a space that was not used. The shelf has see thru holes too so when the blinds come up, light still comes in thru the spaces of the book shelf. Soon to come would be my “study desk” also from Scanteak who has promised to deliver soon.

 

Time really flies.. Its Friday and she’s 21 weeks. This week I managed to sleep without needing to get up to pee during the night as the uterus grows into the abdomen and lifts the pressure off the bladder in the pelvis. The indigestion got slightly worse as the stomach is pressed a little bit more. The kicks are getting stronger and is felt when I’m absolutely still. Otherwise walking and activity during the day lulls her to sleep. Its nice to feel kicks when you’re most relaxed, eating, lying down, watching tv, blogging, doing nothing. Its a welcome distraction during a boring lecture too, it makes me feel like nesting, cooking, housework, cleaning, laundry, staying home..

 

What I plan to do this weekend: some baking.. perhaps a pizza.. Test run thermal pot part 2, part one was successful but I rather learn it better before sharing it with you. The Japanese are so smart don’t you think? Its such an AMAZING device. I feel like making a quiche with a beautiful stoneware quiche dish I received (thanks Razlyn!). Plan to take a walk in a park and perhaps some pscafe, I miss the trees.

 

Eat words #2: I decided to opt out of ICU(the intensive care unit). I stayed a day behind an N95 mask, touched some ventilators, looked into the eyes of a patient, looked down at my tummy and thought what was I thinking.. There’s always a better time.

Anything but depressing..

Remember a post ago I spoke about depression glass? I would like to share the two little pieces I recently acquired with you.

I’m glad I managed to catch a little bit of sunshine when I got home. Its raining so heavily now. With a little mix and match of some of my favourite things, a little alcapone J.co donut tastes just that much better.

You may notice the little teacup in the background, I recently got it on sale at Takashimaya from Royal Doulton. Fine china is definitely a good investment, my mom has had hers since I was 4 and they’re so classic and do not look dated at all. The napkin is from Tangs which is having a really good sale right now. I bought a king size bedsheet and quilt set for a third of the price. At 511 threadcount, its silky silky soft good cotton and I know it’ll be better in time. At $200 down from over $600, its a good investment that’ll last for years and years.

If you feel like injecting a more masculine feel, use dark colours and a little blue on your table. The good old Ikea napkin. Napkins can be used everyday, they’re inexpensive and H always likes it when I give him one to mop up drips or spills during the meal.

Check out the detailing on the stem and plate. Imagine these were made in mass and really cheap, put in free in oatmeal boxes during the 1930s. I paid $15 for each cake plate which is quite reasonable according to my ebay research.

Polka dots and flowers, my favaourite combination. This is also Royal Doulton, and part of their 100 anniversary series. Just by having these around, it gives you more reason to take it out for nice morning or afternoon tea. You don’t have to go that English cafe at Takashimaya, just make your own scones! And call someone over to share it. I don’t believe in keeping the pieces I have for display, I bought it to be shared and used. I would love to have you over one day!

Perhaps next time, there’ll be real homemade goodness on the cake plate.

I was looking for a pyrex bowl for tiramisu and bakes like lasagne or sheperds pie. I thought these were a steal for $10 each. For pyrex its cheap, and again pyrex lasts and lasts and lasts. There’s a small logo at the bottom of the plate, this really was the real deal.

I thought the antique silver plate cover was a bonus. It looks pretty good scrubbed up don’t you think? After a good foray at the antique shop, my fingers always turn black and my nose and face itching like crazy. But for these finds, don’t you think it was worth it?

Hope this inspired you to have your own little tea party, alone or with someone you love!

Oh Martha, depression glass, BBM, some other old things

I’m sorry, I have to use the B word. I’ve been Busy. As anticipated, I’ve been working hard since my leave ended (where did all those days go??) I have not reached home earlier than 10 pm since Tues. I’m not sure how it happened but it did. I’m glad its Friday, but then again I’m on call again tomorrow. Another day and night in the hospital. Thinking about it today, had me trying to resist the strong urge to hop onto a train during lunch and go to a bookshop. I miss bookshops. I am also trying hard to forget that I am changing departments on Monday, my workload will triple then and I have 5 calls in November including 3(?!) weekends AND I have an exam to study for on the 3rd and 4th of December. But what am I complaining about? With markets crashing worldwide, I still have job which I can honestly say now is one that I love. It wasn’t always this way, I went thru a period where I just needed to be away from the sick. I then realized that it wasn’t the work I didn’t like, it was working hard. Working too hard that is. When I was chatting with one of my classmates on Facebook (ok, I have sold out and am on facebook) she said that she was really sick of ward work, I told her she wasn’t because I knew she’s a wonderful clinician (ie doctor seeing patients), she was just sick of Hard Work. That’s a huge difference. Anyway, I guess I’m just feeling a little sad my friend Razlyn is going out of the hospital to do something medically administrative. I still think she’s good with patients so perhaps she’ll come back like I did. Sometimes its upsetting when really good people leave and start working in the lab or something because the Hard Work just gets too hard.

Since I’ve not been home what more in the kitchen and I have no daylight to photograph some of the things I’ve recently purchased, Martha decided to help me out a little. I bought some glass recently, 2 small cake stands made of depression glass and 2 large pyrex baking dishes that came with silver plated covers. The pyrex I got really cheap as the small chinese man who owned the antique shop said that it wasn’t that old “only about 10 years old”. So that’s what you’ll be eating off when you come to my new place my friends, 10 year old pyrex plates and depression glass from the 1930s.

Besides old antique and second hand shops, I’ve been buying small items that go on sale. I just love a good bargain and I can’t wait for the post Christmas sales. I recently bought a teapot to go with my erm, mismatched Royal Doulton random teacups from different collections with no unifying theme. Ok, there I’ve said it! Recently my mom (don’t you just love moms, they’re the only people in the world who tell you the truth) tsk tsked me, saying my clothes were tatty. She said don’t save so much, just buy yourself some clothes for god’s sake! Erm, mama, if you’re reading this, I’m actually saving money to buy china tea cups.

The blue glasses are water goblets made from depression glass.

 

Now what the heck is depression glass, you ask? Since I knew you’ll be depressed not knowing, pun not intended, here’s from wikipedia

Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States around the time of the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company, and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to purchase. Movie theaters and businesses would hand out a piece simply for coming in the door.

Most of this glassware was made in the central and mid-west United States, where access to raw materials and power made manufacturing inexpensive in the first half of the twentieth century. More than twenty manufacturers made more than 100 patterns, and entire dinner sets were made in some patterns. Common colors are clear, or crystal; pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red, black, and white (milk glass).

Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Due to its popularity as a collectible, Depression glass is becoming more scarce on the open market. Scarce pieces may sell for several hundred dollars. Some manufacturers continued to make popular patterns after World War II, or introduced similar patterns, which are also collectible. Popular and expensive patterns and pieces have been reproduced, and reproductions are still being made.

I’ve just received a fantastic package from the US thru blogging by mail,more soon..

Breakfast, Lunch and an Old Sweet Tin

An old sweet tin that I picked up in the most fascinating antique store behind the hospital. There were so many fabulous things, including a gorgeous large white heavy porcelain wash jug made in England (I think it was those kind of jugs that came with a wash basin that you use to wash before going to bed) that I would imagine would look great filled with fresh flowers as a center piece for a dining table. But it was over a hundred dollars which I thought would be too impulsive a buy and not to mention carry back to the ward. It would definitely not fit in my locker.

I thought the purple of the tin went well with the purple of these yam chips. They are crisp and salted with a tinge of sweetness from the yam.

I’m not sure what exactly I’ll do with the tin. I was considering lining and cushioning the base and make it a container for my brooches. Or perhaps a pretty tin to have cookies in for an afternoon tea.

Can anyone guess where these pictures were taken? Hint: I had breakfast here this morning