Things That Matter

Aren't these so lovely? The gold heart was a gift from my mother... I never take it off. The tiny bow (A Box For My Treasure) is from Paul, and the ivory rose earrings (Liz Hutnick) are just a little something I wanted for myself! I have always loved Etsy, you can find such darling pieces.

A few days ago, my boyfriend decided to fire up the grill and make me Greek souvlaki! It was divine! We had it with tzatziki, rice pilaf, roasted peppers, corn, and onions halved and placed face down on the grill. One of my FAVOURITE ways to have onions because they end up so perfectly sweet.

Summer is going swimmingly so far. I've been enjoying my summer class so much. Have you any idea how captivating the art and architecture of India is? There's so much to absorb and I highly doubt I'm even making a decent dent in it in this 3 week summer class, but I am so glad I decided to take it! And honestly? It's not bad having to go to class every day of the week when you're actually interested in the subject matter. Oh, school. I'm not sure how much I am looking forward to the long and gruelling hours in the fashion department this fall, but I know one thing: summer is lovely so far and I am not going to waste it.

I am going back home to Southeast Asia in about two weeks. Very excited, and counting the days. :)

"Beach"

Here's the thing. It's a bit hard to see Lake Michigan's shoreline as a real beach. The term 'beach' seems to be geologically accurate when referring to a lake, but when I think 'beach', I'm thinking of seashells, seaweed and the tart smell of salt in the air. I suppose this "beach elitism" comes from years of growing up with gorgeous Southeast Asian island holidays with the family. That's okay, I can settle for Lake Michigan. If you don't go in the water, you can almost pretend!

My friend Brie and I decided to head north towards Loyola, where we found Hartigan Beach. It was nice. We sipped on ginger tea (recipe below) and let the hours dwindle away talking and talking as we watched people flitting about in their swimsuits. I would never swim in Lake Michigan, mostly because my boyfriend tells me horror stories about how contaminated the water really is. No, thank you! I'm quite content on a blanket with sunglasses and a sundress. All in all, it was a lovely day.

Ginger Tea (Teh Jahe)

6 cups of water
Fist-sized amount of sliced and peeled fresh ginger
Palm sugar (Brown sugar will do, but palm sugar is preferred-- check your local Mexican or Asian grocery store.)

1. Bring water to a rolling boil, drop the slices of fresh ginger in. It seems like a lot of ginger, but it produces a perfect ginger tea when you're done... promise!
2. Boil for at least 20 minutes. Taste and ensure the ginger flavour is tangible.
3. Add desired amount of palm sugar.

This is one of my favourite drinks, and is delicious served hot or cold. Teh jahe always brings me back to rainy nights in Manado, Indonesia where they serve this warm after dinner. It's great for digestion and won't keep you up at night!

P.S. Please let me know if you have a blog you think I would be interested in. I need some links to add!