Recent Loves from the short yet sweet February

February was short yet sweet, but still with a lot of things loved. 

For this month, I'm grateful for the warmth of family and friends, for keeping in touch with kindred souls in this vast internet space, for making lots of art, and getting to consume sweets hehe :")

Recent Loves in February

Seeing Sher 

Sharing a meal and continuing our conversations in an ice cream parlor is our long observed practice. I think it's something we carried through from college, wherein we'd have our nights of going out and eating ice cream. Even now as young professionals, it remains to be our small yet certain happiness. 

Most especially in this pandemic time, when meetings have to be carefully planned, these moments are undeniable gems. 

Spending time with high school friends

Photo credits to @nikelotitlla

One afternoon, my good friend biked to my house and gave a few presents she meant to give last Christmas. I still had 30 min left of work left (yes, I keep track), and decided to take a break and get back to it later. We biked around my neighborhood and spent time in the park. We talked about a myriad of things, going back and forth from our youth till now as twenty somethings. Over time, I realized there are some things we can talk and relate about with certain people in our lives; it's good to have a variety of perspectives, and not just my own. 

I then continued with my work, this time in my other good friend's house, who is also my neighbor. I continued working for another hour while we chatted.. and it's really been a long while since I last had this kind of experience. Almost one year into the wfh setup, I have not seen any of my work colleagues. Yet it was such a great comfort to be working alongside my high school friends for a change. ♡

Celebrated my grandma's 91st birthday

I took the day off to visit my grandma on a Monday. She turned 91! ♡ It was simply a day filled with family; watching television, eating, laughing, and simply enjoying each others' presence.. all while being conscious and socially distancing ourselves. 

My grandma hopes to see us more often, because from weekly visits in the previous years before covid, it is now just been once a month. Last year, I think only saw her a total of three times. I hope to visit her more often this year, definitely. 

Pistachio Chocolate Cake

On the same week, my big sister turned a year older as well. To celebrate, I bought a pistachio chocolate cake, which my parents and I ate on my sister's behalf, because she is living abroad. I'm not particularly a fan of pistachio, but this was a cake I often ordered for my work colleagues, so I thought of buying this same one for my sister's birthday as well. I guess pistachio flavor is okay, just not the real ones..

A Whisker Away

I'm recommending this anime film to my fellow cat lovers out there. I think this is my second favorite cat film, right next to Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns. This one is all sorts of quirky, and although I felt second-hand embarrassment from our heroine majority of the time, I really liked the idea of having that option to be a cat forever. Because, who doesn't want to be a cat, to lay down all day and jump from high places without getting injured? 

My main take away from this film is this: see challenges as opportunities. To be honest with yourself and others, to have courage in facing challenges head on and not running away from them. I think we've heard such phrases so many times before, but it's different when it comes to life application. It's so easy to shrink and not do the difficult thing, but it's how we continue to learn and grow, whenever we decide to do that difficult thing. 

Small but certain happiness over drawing Monet's water lilies in oil pastel

 

I've been sharing lots of artworks once again through my art instagram ! This time, making my own versions of famous paintings, such as Monet's water lilies. My intention is to practice and learn more on my own about what I can do with oil pastel, and I found that making works inspired by Monet helped me do exactly that. 

I've had many monotonous days from last year, but working with oil pastel helped bring a sense of spontaneity in my days. It's really just as simple as this: art cheers me up, and it is my hope that in sharing these with you, they would somehow cheer you up as well. : - )

Observing my sunflowers grow slowly

 

I planted sunflower seeds in our garden, and they've been growing. This is my first time growing sunflowers, so I'm really careful; I chose the most ideal spot in the garden, and they are the first thing that comes to mind when I wake up. I have to water them! I think to myself. 

It's a joy to document their growth, from when they first sprouted from the ground, to the tiny leaves that unfolded.. their slow growth is something I've been looking forward to observing everyday. I'm excited for when they will finally bloom; I've timed it just right for when summer time comes and for sure there'll be lots of sun.

Pressing flowers for my bullet journal pages

I've pressed flowers from my garden and from fallen flowers from my neighbors' gardens, so I could use them for my bullet journal. I tuck them inside a book, then check back a week later. In a way, I'm giving myself something to look forward to, because I have to wait for them to dry. I'm also doing my best not to take a peek, and just let nature take its course..

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What are the things you've been loving lately? I would love to know : - ) ♡

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