school

i have neglected this blog for way too long but i've been busy with school orientations.

my perception of what seoul national university is (and how the students there behave) was really not in sync with reality.

the truth is, despite their super intelligence, the people here are all fun-seeking and genuine people.

to make this post short. basically, i love my university and i cant wait for it to start.

on a more relatable note, im trying to persuade my dad to get me an oven. fingers crossed.

-tiff.c

duty-free haul!

here are three reasons why i love to travel.

1. duty-free shops

2. personal tv in the plane with most recent films

3. plane food (from thai airlines)

there. i said it. i love duty-free shops. and with around 100 dollars to spend inside the duty-free shops, i decided to splurge a little and give myself some retail therapy (after all, i am extremely sad that i'm parting with my mom and my brother for three months...) and my god did i buy the most extraordinary items...

a satisfying meal in korea

cold winter afternoon in seoul!

i'm in seoul!!! came here yesterday (thus went missing in action for this blog) but i've decided to be diligent with blogging even here. it's definitely cold in here but there's tons more of korean cosmetic products and korean food so im excited for my journey here :)

how to: apply nail polish that lasts

For Audrey, a Tiffany Blue polish from China Glaze

so here's an advice post i'd like to share that i recently found out through personal experience. the picture above is my perfectly intact nail polish that i painted four days ago. i thought it's amazing how it didn't chip after so long so here i am ready to share my manicure tips!

accessory haul

even though i am a makeup addict, i secretly have an intense, powerful affair with accessories (particularly rings or anything with gems). back in january when i was shopping downtown with my friends, i was fortunate enough to find a little shop that sold jewelries that had my taste. so this time i went back and got a couple more things.

shirley temple

i drank half of it by the time i took a picture... oops

i've had cravings for shirley temple recently and it just costs too much to go buy it at chili's (probably the only place that sells it around where i live) so i decided to make something like it myself!

trial one

lets make macarons!

so begins my official documentation of macaron making! i was definitely excited about making it (even though i've tried around six times by now)

revlon nail polish haul

i admit... i am a polish addict

i officially finished tutoring kids as of today so i decided to go on a little retail therapy at my local drugstore.

blueberry turnovers

blueberry turnovers!

i've always always always loved the blueberry turnovers in our school cafeteria. crusty exterior with soft and slightly sweet interior... i could eat it every day during break time (which i didn't...)

anyhow i stumbled upon laura vitale's recipe on blueberry turnover awhile ago and since i recently made nutella croissant with puff pastry, i thought i'd give blueberry turnovers a try (they seem completely irrelevant don't they... croissants and turnovers... but they're both made of puff pastry).

before i looked at the recipe, i always thought you could just fill blueberry preserves inside puff pastry to make these turnovers... but i was terribly mistaken (maybe they do that in some other recipes... but not in laura's...).

don't expire

the expiration date of the milk my brother and i bought today is the day i go to korea.

time goes by too fast.

therapeutic

i hereby declare (regardless of whether or not it is scientifically backed up) that baking is therapeutic.

what did i do when the kid i tutored was being a pain in the ass? bake wonderfully delicious cutout cookies.

they look real good don't they. i shouldn't be the one to brag but they tasted a-m-a-z-i-n-g.

so today i stepped outside of my comfort zone and decided to bake two (woho!) different types of desserts at the same time. nutella croissant and lemon meringue pie. here's why.

till i get a foot

the ruffled side of a macaron is often referred to as a 'foot'. it's hard to master and even some of the best cooks out there fail to make a perfect macaron simply because the foot's not there.

i have been telling myself since day one of my cooking/baking days that the appearance of the food i make doesn't matter as long as the food tastes good. but something about making these macarons has entirely changed the way i perceive what defines a "beautiful" dish.