Worth It Wednesday: Cooking From Scratch

Every week I look through countless recipes that are made from fresh, pulled straight from the earth ingredients. I picture myself preparing and cooking a healthy, "from scratch" meal and presenting it (beautifully, of course) to my patiently awaiting family. I sit and compile a weeks worth of recipes. But then I remember that my oldest daughter is currently only eating pasta or waffles, my husband gets home anytime between 7 and 11pm, and my newest pumpkin likes to be start screaming as soon as I take out my pots and pans. The idea of cooking an unknown meal every night seems tiresome and overwhelming to me. The recipe list I made seems just plain silly. There are ingredients I've never heard of, the prep time seems crazy, and its often pretty expensive. Because of this I have several meals that I make on repeat. I know how to make them, I know they're easy, and I know they'll turn out edible. Unfortunately, they aren't always the freshest meals and they're pretty boring. But how great would it be to serve a meal to those you love most where you know exactly what is in every ingredient and where it came from? You know you are serving a meal without any chemicals or unnatural ingredients. A gift you can give thats made from your own hands. I'd love that- not only add to my current rotation but cook the way God intended: from scratch. So hows a way to make it seem less impossible? Just choose one new food or meal to make from scratch each week. ONE food or meal. I can handle one, right? Yikes...lets hope. 


Lets start small, shall we? Here is one of my favorite foods of all time...


hummus3 Hummus

  Fingers crossed!






Jay Tablante's Cosplay Photo Exhibition

Jay_Tablante_Geekology_101_Poster

Event Name: Jay Tablante's Cosplay Photo Exhibition
Location: MMS at *SCAPE (2 Orchard Link, #04-01, GRID New Media Studios, Singapore 237978)
Time: 10 am –  9pm
Entrance: Free
Website:
http://www.jaytablantephotography.com/

“Geekology 101”, a 1-man photographic showcase by internationally
acclaimed, Philippines-based cosplay photographer Jay Tablante opened today.

Incorporating more than a dozen works featuring global cosplay celebrities Alodia & Ashley
Gosiengfiao, Jinri Park and Yayahan dressed as characters from Marvel and Japanese animanga
and pop culture.

The showcase also included a workshop and shooting seminar by Mr. Tablante, targeted at
cosplayers, cosplay enthusiasts and photographers.

In the two two-hour long sessions, he demonstrated studio photography techniques, styling tips,
and methods to infuse life and realism into cosplay characters.

Ms. Alodia Gosiengfiao also graced the event as a guest-of-honor and she was joined by
numerous cosplayers from the local scene who were present at the event.

Jointly organized by EightBit Media & pop culture blog The Neo Tokyo Project, and sponsored by
Canon, Grid MMS and Camwerkz, Geekology 101 is held at Grid MMS at *SCAPE (2 Orchard
Link, #04-01, GRID New Media Studios, Singapore 237978).

The exhibition opens from 10 am to 9 pm.”

Ever seen this picture?

Yes, Jay Tablante is the creator of this photograph.

image

Jay Tablante will be holding a seminar at 1 pm and having a studio demo at 5 pm. I’m sure he wll be sharing a lot of awesome photography tips and insights. Admission to the seminars are free but I’m not sure if reservations is needed. I have the impression it’s walk in admission.

Sorry if my information are not clear enough, if you guys have any queries, pop over to www.neotokyoproject.com and get them answered ^-^!

Jay Tablante's Cosplay Photo Exhibition

Jay_Tablante_Geekology_101_Poster

Event Name: Jay Tablante's Cosplay Photo Exhibition
Location: MMS at *SCAPE (2 Orchard Link, #04-01, GRID New Media Studios, Singapore 237978)
Time: 10 am –  9pm
Entrance: Free
Website:
http://www.jaytablantephotography.com/

“Geekology 101”, a 1-man photographic showcase by internationally
acclaimed, Philippines-based cosplay photographer Jay Tablante opened today.

Incorporating more than a dozen works featuring global cosplay celebrities Alodia & Ashley
Gosiengfiao, Jinri Park and Yayahan dressed as characters from Marvel and Japanese animanga
and pop culture.

The showcase also included a workshop and shooting seminar by Mr. Tablante, targeted at
cosplayers, cosplay enthusiasts and photographers.

In the two two-hour long sessions, he demonstrated studio photography techniques, styling tips,
and methods to infuse life and realism into cosplay characters.

Ms. Alodia Gosiengfiao also graced the event as a guest-of-honor and she was joined by
numerous cosplayers from the local scene who were present at the event.

Jointly organized by EightBit Media & pop culture blog The Neo Tokyo Project, and sponsored by
Canon, Grid MMS and Camwerkz, Geekology 101 is held at Grid MMS at *SCAPE (2 Orchard
Link, #04-01, GRID New Media Studios, Singapore 237978).

The exhibition opens from 10 am to 9 pm.”

Ever seen this picture?

Yes, Jay Tablante is the creator of this photograph.

image

Jay Tablante will be holding a seminar at 1 pm and having a studio demo at 5 pm. I’m sure he wll be sharing a lot of awesome photography tips and insights. Admission to the seminars are free but I’m not sure if reservations is needed. I have the impression it’s walk in admission.

Sorry if my information are not clear enough, if you guys have any queries, pop over to www.neotokyoproject.com and get them answered ^-^!

Cosplay: The Series (S2, Episode 14 review)

Episode 14 reveals the motive of the secret organisation and brings the Q-Cosushinkai club into a bigger trouble.

After disappearing for a long time, Vincent returns to the club heavily injured. Sukma and the new sexy school nurse enters the clubroom and breaks the truth, the club is in big trouble.

The new sexy school nurse Rahayu, introduces herself as Cloud and sister of ex Headmaster Kartini. Explaining why the secret organisation is after them and why Ex Headmaster Kartini tried to disband the club to save them.

Science fiction and supernatural abilities makes they way into the plot this time and blows the entire series into a totally different genre. I won't spoil so watch and find out about the ultimate secret yourself!

The final scene features Cloud with a secret organisation member wearing elaborate costumes that seems to pay reference to Lineage. Anyone has any idea where the costumes are from?

The final scene makes you skip a heartbeat as the role of a supposed 'friendly Ally ' becomes questionable and pave way for more twists in the future.

The CGI effect of this episode is cool as usual though I personally find the clubroom scene somewhat deadpan even though the acting were commendable. I suspect it has something to do with the light and colour coordination. Maybe season 3 can feature more colourful uniform and locations =x?

I also can't say I love the 'zoomed in' effect in the clubroom. It made for rather blurry video. Would much preferred it if it had been a closeup of the faces instead.

All in all, episode 14 is an interesting episode that pushes the series to into a darker and more exciting conspiracy. What's next, is to see if this new crux makes or breaks the story. What do you think?

Remember to subscribe to their channel and like their Facebook Page!

image792

Cosplay: The Series (S2, Episode 14 review)

Episode 14 reveals the motive of the secret organisation and brings the Q-Cosushinkai club into a bigger trouble.

After disappearing for a long time, Vincent returns to the club heavily injured. Sukma and the new sexy school nurse enters the clubroom and breaks the truth, the club is in big trouble.

The new sexy school nurse Rahayu, introduces herself as Cloud and sister of ex Headmaster Kartini. Explaining why the secret organisation is after them and why Ex Headmaster Kartini tried to disband the club to save them.

Science fiction and supernatural abilities makes they way into the plot this time and blows the entire series into a totally different genre. I won't spoil so watch and find out about the ultimate secret yourself!

The final scene features Cloud with a secret organisation member wearing elaborate costumes that seems to pay reference to Lineage. Anyone has any idea where the costumes are from?

The final scene makes you skip a heartbeat as the role of a supposed 'friendly Ally ' becomes questionable and pave way for more twists in the future.

The CGI effect of this episode is cool as usual though I personally find the clubroom scene somewhat deadpan even though the acting were commendable. I suspect it has something to do with the light and colour coordination. Maybe season 3 can feature more colourful uniform and locations =x?

I also can't say I love the 'zoomed in' effect in the clubroom. It made for rather blurry video. Would much preferred it if it had been a closeup of the faces instead.

All in all, episode 14 is an interesting episode that pushes the series to into a darker and more exciting conspiracy. What's next, is to see if this new crux makes or breaks the story. What do you think?

Remember to subscribe to their channel and like their Facebook Page!

image792

Soul Eater: Soul Evans

soul eater cosplay - soul evans by gokulover3

A demon scythe, Soul Evans is Maka Albarn’s laid back, nonchalant partner who tries to maintain a “cool” attitude. He has a tendency of bickering with Maka over unimportant things, but is fiercely loyal; even willing to die for his friends’ safety. He owns a motorcycle, which he and Maka use as transportation.

The expression on Goku Lover’s face is absolutely priceless! I really love the addition of the umbrella too, even though it wasn’t really meant for this cosplay originally. Please view more of her cosplays in her Deviant Art account!

Cosplay memoirs: Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Akon from Bleach

After browsing through old folders I had to make a post about our third cosplay together. We did quite many things with these costumes that we had never done: Yoki worked with insulation foam and I had a lesson from make-up and prosthetics, if Akon’s horns can be called that way. We attended to two different conventions with the costumes. Mayuri and Akon was our second day duo. The first day we wore Sasori and Deidara. The order was everything, because otherwise Sasori would have had weird dark smudges on his face.

What we learned from Mauyri and Akon was that always try out full face make-up beforehand. The morning was one of the most hectic ones we have ever had. Curses, oh the curses. Of course it took few years to rub in, because about year later the morning we got ready with Jasdero and Debitto could not be called calm in any way. In my opinion we survived quite well with Luminara and Barriss this year. Ho-ho, that's four years later...

The photos are taken from Ropecon, 2007.

Craft Corner: Christmas Ornaments

So I've started this post about 1000 times but then the baby woke up or the phone rang or the dryer buzzed or I remembered I hadn't eaten an actual meal since the day before...you get the point. But I think we're finally getting into the swing of things around here and I may actually be able to devote a little time each day (or at least every few days!) to something I love doing...blogging. Hopefully some of you stuck around through this embarrassingly   long  little hiatus. 


I can't believe its nearly December. This summer when I was a million months pregnant and roasting in the heat I thought December would never get here. I imagined sitting by our fireplace with my two sweet pumpkins counting down the days until Christmas. Well now its here and even though we haven't started a fire yet ( California weather is warmer than we ever imagined!) my precious little ones make the holiday season so much more special. Sadly, all of our Christmas decorations are currently in storage at my in laws in TN so we're left to do a lot of decorating on a little budget. Our first order of business is Christmas ornaments since we'll be decorating our tree in the next few days. Here are some adorable DIY (& with kids!) ornaments from around the web...



Cable-Knit Ornament
Script Star Christmas Ornament

So sweet! 

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon: Croma

final fantasy fables: chocobo's dungeon cosplay - croma by martin

A mysterious Black Magician, Croma is said to originally be the Oracle of Darkness until the Destroyer began his rampage. Because of his weakened state, Croma encouraged her sister, Shirma, to aid the other Oracles in summoning the Guardian Beast in order to seal the town’s memories, and thus include the Destroyer.

…well, that’s the only thing I can gather about Croma from the FF Wiki. It’s probably the wrong Croma, but this is definitely another amazing cosplay by Martin! According to him, this cosplay debuted on the 16th of October at the EB Games Expo 2011, Gold Coast Australia:

The staff lights up in the dark, made from a glowing diamond and neon-shoelaces. The costume also glows in the dark.

Now his fans can ask for a photo of this at night or in a dark room, yes? Thanks again to Martin for sharing this with us!

Win a Naruto Costumes ! (by Miccostumes)

I can't even remember how many people have left me a messages asking me where I bought my costume or where to buy costumes. On my bored days, I reply. But mostly, I ignore =X



But I have good news, Miccostumes.com is giving away Naruto Costumes! Submit cosplay photographs of yourself and then get your friends to vote for you!
"Sponsor contest in Dec. will be launched at this Thursday (December 1). Whatever vocation you are engaged in and wherever you live, just join in this contest, once you are fond of cosplay. Two winners will be born at last, who can choose any one from those ten Naruto costumes."

Website: http://www.miccostumes.com/blog/sponsor-contest-in-dec-to-win-your-desirable-naruto-costume/

Win a Naruto Costumes ! (by Miccostumes)

I can't even remember how many people have left me a messages asking me where I bought my costume or where to buy costumes. On my bored days, I reply. But mostly, I ignore =X



But I have good news, Miccostumes.com is giving away Naruto Costumes! Submit cosplay photographs of yourself and then get your friends to vote for you!
"Sponsor contest in Dec. will be launched at this Thursday (December 1). Whatever vocation you are engaged in and wherever you live, just join in this contest, once you are fond of cosplay. Two winners will be born at last, who can choose any one from those ten Naruto costumes."

Website: http://www.miccostumes.com/blog/sponsor-contest-in-dec-to-win-your-desirable-naruto-costume/

Sore Hari di Ulee Lheule

Assalammualaikum
Wuidiiih udah musim hujan lagi nih teman-teman, gimana dengan kota kalian? Apa udah mulai sering basah-basahan lagi? Yang paling males kalo udah musim hujan gini ya apalagi selain populasi nyamuk yang makin banyak dan ember cucian yang selalu penuh karena tak memungkinkan untuk nyuci :(


Akhirnya ketemu Mimi juga 

Tapi dua minggu yang lalu, di sore hari yang cerah matahari bersahabat banget malah. Saking bersahabatnya, malah jadi silau, hihihi... Yup dua minggu yang lalu, seperti postingan aku sebelumnya kalo abangku itu nikah. Nah kebetulan dapet jodohnya itu orang Banda aceh. Karena memang kesananya itu untuk tujuan acara keluarga, agenda jalan-jalan memang nggak ada di jadwal. Huhu sedihnyaaaa, padahal pengen maen ke pantai Aceh yang ciamik itu :(


Ini di atas bendungannya nih
(ka-ki: Wawak, aku, Mia, Mimi, Bik Tini)

Karena kami juga cuma 3 hari doank disana plus cuaca juga sering hujan jadi susah buat nyuri-nyuri keluar rumah. Tapi untungnya di tanggal 10 November kemarin sempat maen ke Ulee Lheue sebentar. Ulee Lheule ini udah termasuk daerah wisata juga sih sekarang di Banda Aceh. Disini ini nih letak Pelabuhan kapal feri buat nyebrang ke Sabang *huuuaaa kapan ya bisa nyampe sana?

 Cherry Belle wanna be

Sepanjang jalan mendekati daerah pelabuhan kita langsung disambut sama para pedagang kaki lima. Yang dijual juga beragam. Kami cuma sempat beli bakso ikan gorengnya doank. Di sepanjang bibir pantainya udah dibuat semacam bendungan kecil dari tumpukan bebatuan gitu pasca tsunami, jadi beberapa orang memanfaatkannya jadi semacam tempat bermain bebekan itu loh. Apa ya namanya? Pokoknya yang kalo kita naikin pake acara ngayuh dulu itu loh. Nah, buat kalian yang punya adik or anak kecil cocok tuh diajak maen kemari. Banda Aceh udah mulai banyak perubahan sih ketimbang 3 tahun yang lalu waktu aku maen kesana. Daerah ini juga waktu itu masih berserakan sekali, tapi kalo sekarang mah udah rapi jali.

 Ponakanku Putra lagi bengong nih,
meratapi nasib kali yah, hihihi...

Sebenarnya perjalanan kali ini juga nggak bisa dibilang jalan-jalan banget sih, abisnya kami cuma numpang foto-foto doank disana. Keluar rumah aja udah jam 5, gimana mau maen lama-lama. Kalo ada ortu kan udah pasti magrib itu udah harus dirumah. Tapi walaupun singkat banget jalan-jalannya, lumayanlah daripada ngakunya ke Banda Aceh yang dipamer cuma foto rumah bibiku aja, hehe...


Usil ambil foto orang pacaran, 
hasilnya malah nyemplung ke kubangan air *tepuk jidat

Oia akhirnya setelah 2 bulan berpisah dengan Mimi kembaranku, akhirnya kami ketemu juga disini, huhu.... *terharu
Hmm... bulan depan kami mau kesana lagi nih, moga aja bisa jalan-jalan ke tempat yang lainnya lagi (>o<)/

Cosplay: The Series (S2, Episode 13 review)

Sorry for the late review, been just so busy!

In Episode 13, the plot finally begun to inch towards climax and the secret organisation slowly starts to have faces to them.

The episode begin with Sukma telling the Missing-In-Action Vincent not to go off disappearing himself even though Nina has disappeared and also updating him about the happenings in school. Apparently, Vincent and Sukma both knows the Zombie manifestation well though sadly, it was not explicitly explained. Sukma ends the conversation by warning Vincent that after the mysterious disappearance of Nina, another new girl, which we all presume is Panda,  has gone missing too after protesting against the orders of the new Head Master. Apparently, our favourite lolita Agnesya is up next.

And sure enough, the scene cuts to the cute Agnesya taking a cake out of the fridge and bringing it to her mother. Who turns around only to transform into, Grell.

What ensued next is a battle scene for the Kuroshitsuji fans to fan girl/boy about. Shall not spoil them for you so go watch it yourself!

With Nina, Panda and Agnesya kidnapped, what would happen to Q-Cosushinkai Cosplay Club and it’s members? What would the new Head Master do to the school? Let’s await more answers in episode 14!

Because The Cosplay Chronicles is a strategic media partner with COSPLAY: The Series, we managed to squeeze some exclusive behind the scenes photographs to share with you guys!

002

Filming the kidnap scene with Agnesya looking stunned. And, IS THAT A TURTLE UNDER THE TABLE?!

001

If you ever wondered about how the Kuroshitsuji rooftop fighting scene was shot, here’s a bit of an insight. Into the scorching scene that day. And yes, it was filmed in broad daylight, kudos to the Video Editor/Producer (Bonni Rambatan)  for the awesome CGI Work yet again!

Remember to subscribe to their channel and like their Facebook Page!

image792

Cosplay: The Series (S2, Episode 13 review)

Sorry for the late review, been just so busy!

In Episode 13, the plot finally begun to inch towards climax and the secret organisation slowly starts to have faces to them.

The episode begin with Sukma telling the Missing-In-Action Vincent not to go off disappearing himself even though Nina has disappeared and also updating him about the happenings in school. Apparently, Vincent and Sukma both knows the Zombie manifestation well though sadly, it was not explicitly explained. Sukma ends the conversation by warning Vincent that after the mysterious disappearance of Nina, another new girl, which we all presume is Panda,  has gone missing too after protesting against the orders of the new Head Master. Apparently, our favourite lolita Agnesya is up next.

And sure enough, the scene cuts to the cute Agnesya taking a cake out of the fridge and bringing it to her mother. Who turns around only to transform into, Grell.

What ensued next is a battle scene for the Kuroshitsuji fans to fan girl/boy about. Shall not spoil them for you so go watch it yourself!

With Nina, Panda and Agnesya kidnapped, what would happen to Q-Cosushinkai Cosplay Club and it’s members? What would the new Head Master do to the school? Let’s await more answers in episode 14!

Because The Cosplay Chronicles is a strategic media partner with COSPLAY: The Series, we managed to squeeze some exclusive behind the scenes photographs to share with you guys!

002

Filming the kidnap scene with Agnesya looking stunned. And, IS THAT A TURTLE UNDER THE TABLE?!

001

If you ever wondered about how the Kuroshitsuji rooftop fighting scene was shot, here’s a bit of an insight. Into the scorching scene that day. And yes, it was filmed in broad daylight, kudos to the Video Editor/Producer (Bonni Rambatan)  for the awesome CGI Work yet again!

Remember to subscribe to their channel and like their Facebook Page!

image792

Anime Festival Asia (Day 3, Photo pimps)

Much apologies for the massive delay, but here are photographs from AFA Day 3 as taken by yours truly. Enjoy!

Blog Archive