New Coffee Table Book

Was Marilyn Monroe ever out of date? I don't think so. Her legacy became more hype than ever when 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of her passing. Last year was also when Smash, a new musical-drama series following the creation of a Broadway musical called Bombshell (a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe) from the initial idea onward, premiered on NBC.


NBC

Smash is like a grown-up version of Glee but with a much more sophisticated script and tons of Broadway-worthy numbers. A couple of episodes into the Season One, I was completely hooked by all the songs and the storyline, so much so that I decided to redeem some Amazon points for a new coffee table book - Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis.

The book is packed with mesmerizing photos of Marilyn together with euphemistic writing about her life, easy to read and eye-pleasing.

So I think now I am finally completely happy with the coffee table book stack in my living room.

Do you watch Smash?

Beat the Winter Blues

Winter has come back with a revenge. A couple of months of long nights and short days with little sunshine and freezing temperature is still ahead of us. I actually don't mind winter and find cold air refreshing and help my chronic sinusitis (no allergen in the air). Here are a few easy things that I usually do to beat the winter blues - they work like a charm for me.

Have Something to Look Forward To

I was so excited (and inspired) when I saw Ikea's 2013 Outdoor Collection. Just by looking at it, I can almost smell the salty ocean air and feel the blazing sun on my skin. I am definitely buying a dozen of this SPRINGKORN flamingo cushion covers for my backyard and cottage, and maybe one of each of the SPRINGKORN beach towels and RAMSÖ parasols...can't wait for them to hit the store shelf in late March.

 

Citrus Citrus Citrus

 

The zesty satsuma shower gel from the Body Shop is just what I need in my morning shower to wake up.

 



Take A Long Soak

Nothing beats an uninterrupted bubble bath and a mystery thriller on a Sunday afternoon. We all deserve a time-out once in a while.

 

 

Have Some Good Laughs with Your Loved Ones

 

I love comedies and need them for my ongoing mental health. I enjoy watching a show like Modern Family with my husband and sometimes with friends and laugh our lungs out. If you don't believe me, read this Phil's-osophy from Modern Family: "The most amazing things that can happen to a human being will happen to you if you just lower your expectations." Or how about "If life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like, 'What?!?!'".

 

 

Warm Up with a Cup of Ginger Tea

 

My Mom got me into ginger tea, and these days during winter I just can't live without it. Not only does it instantaneously warm you up, it also picks up your mood and calms your stomach. I usually use ginger tea bags from Gold Kili (the best brand I've tried so far),  add two cubes of rock sugar or one tea spoon of honey and I'd be all set.

 

Via

 

Last but not the least, Load Up On Vitamins



10 oranges = 750ml freshly-squeezed OJ = daily Vitamin C dosage. I can't drink 10-orange worth of OJ because the sugar will kill me. Rather, I keep up with VC & D supplements and leafy greens.

 

Do yo do anything different to combat the winter blues?

 

 



A Few of My Favourite Things

These are a few of my favourite things that I've been wanting to buy or do for a while. I guess I am off to a pretty good start in the new year.

Vintage Brass Plant Mister

My grandma had one of these when I was little and I've always wanted a brass plant mister for my Zamioculcas (Zizi) plant. However, real vintage ones are very hard to come by and most of them are not in very good shape. The other day while I was browsing on the Chapters Indigo web site, I saw this brass herb mister and bought it without thinking twice. It's compact and light for my hand and adds a bit of nostalgia to my kitchen.

Homemade Recipe Journal

I guess I have a new year resolution after all, and that is to better plan our dinners. I have limited cooking skills but I am good at following recipes. I receive so many cookbooks as gifts over the years, and would like to be able to document them all in one place and perfect these recipes over time. I picked up this turquoise leather journal from Indigo a while ago and finally started to put it to use. Behold...my homemade recipe journal!

One of the advantages of maintaining a recipe journal like this is that I could tweak some ingredients/steps to our liking and document them as such. I even added a picture I took from the outcome as inspiration for future cooking.

Oversized Conch Shell

You already know I collect rocks and corals. I've always wanted a piece of the Giant Clam (tridacna gigas) shell, similar to the one at the Ballard Designs. I saw a huge piece once at a Value Village but I don't know what possessed me that day to take a pass. I was seriously kicking myself ever since. This past weekend I found this oversized conch shell at a thrifty store. I think it will do just fine for the time being especially with the ridiculously low price tag! This beauty came home with me and made her way straight to my master bathroom.

Giant Sea Fan

I've always wanted one, framed or not. I've finally decided to accessorize our basement wall unit with a nautical theme containing tons of corals, shells and sea fan. Contrary to the conch shell above, this giant sea fan (over half a meter wide) cost me an arm and a leg but I am sure it's totally collector-worthy. It will become a focal point of the wall unit or even the basement living area. Stay tuned for the reveal.



So do you keep a list of your all-time favourite things that you would like to have or do? Are you like me such that you collect them or get them done over a long and painstaking period of time? Do share!