

As we mentioned in our last post, we took some time away from the blog. I honestly wasn’t sure how long we’d end up taking time off, but it felt like the right thing for us to do at that time. There was (and still is, unfortunately) a lot going on in the world, and with some personal things we’d been dealing with, it felt like the best decision to take time off and focus on things. You might be wondering if we did anything fun like traveling to any new spots during that time, however, and the answer is…no.
The reasons for it are something that we’ll explain perhaps at another time, but due to some things going on and all of the new variants going around, we did not make any plans to travel this summer. It just didn’t feel like a risk we thought was worth taking with everything that we’re hoping to accomplish and get done. That being said though, my sis (sister-in-law) and brother got us a little care package with things to do and she gave me her kindle that she no longer uses (thank youuuuuu!), so we weren’t bored, thankfully! We worked on some things around the house, drove around here and there, but other than that we stayed home, with the exception of us going out to work.
So what did we do?
We read (mostly me on the Kindle), binge-watched a few shows and documentaries, got some things done around the house (like FINALLY get a doorbell so those political canvassers can stop banging on our door), cooked, ate takeout, grabbed coffee to-go as a treat, made some updates to our blog (such as the about page, the about the blog page, our resources page, our coffee and photography page, etc), worked, went on drives, and played some games. It’s not the summer we typically have, but we keep telling ourselves that it’ll be worth it one day.
We’re posting our Fresh Pressed Edit a little earlier this month, but it’ll eventually go back to being posted closer to the end of the month. We’re also considering posting on a bi-weekly schedule instead of posting every week, which would equate to about 2 posts per month + a Fresh Pressed Edit post so potentially three. We’ll see though.
Here’s sort of a recap from our time away from the blog!
READING
I finally finished Last Girl Ghosted! Please clap for me. The ending was a bit discouraging. Now I’m reading quite a few books on my Kindle. PS – follow me on Goodreads, to hold me accountable, if you’re on there! I’m reading “We’re not Like Them” and my husband hasn’t read much recently.
LISTENING
We caught up on some Rotten Mango episodes and for whatever reason have just discovered that Five’s first album was actually pretty good. “Slam Dunk the Funk” was a bop.
WATCHING
We watched this film called, “Umma” and apparently I thought the horror tag was just suspense. It was scary, but I am easily scared.
LINKS
This post that’s sharing info on how to do anything.
While yeobo is not really an outdoorsy person, so we don’t do outdoor picnics, I’ve been thinking about doing an indoor picnic for the both of us. These recipes would be easy to re-create.
This post was such a soothing read.
Loved this post and the idea of it. Reminded me a lot of something my mom often tells me to do to look back on when I’m having a difficult day. Also the photos and the outfit are gorgeous!
This video was sent to my husband and I from my ummanim (my mother-in-law) and it was really interesting. I definitely recommend that you check it out to learn a little more on some of the experiences of some Asian-Americans living in America.
This post sharing what New Yorkers actually at in New York.
Carly’s reflection on motherhood had me in the feels.
This video was pretty entertaining as people who have been to New York quite a few times. What’s your least favorite pizza spot?
I was waiting for Victoria’s bedroom update. Victoria and her husband always do such a beautiful job.
recent Snapshots






- Double Rainbow: Sometime in May and July, there were double rainbows in our area, which are extremely rare. To have two of them almost back-to-back like that was quite a sight to see that neither of us got to see in person, haha. The second photograph is one that my ummanim (mother-in-law) took and sent through the family group chat. Maybe it’s a sign?
- Three Graces: We’ve had Three Graces before, but I’ve never had their strawberry latte, so we tried that one weekend when looking to grab coffee-to-go and it was good!
- In the Room Where it Happened: See the guy on the left with the beret? That’s Lin-Manuel Miranda. Yes, y’all know how much I’m obsessed with Hamilton and how much I admire his work, so I was so excited when we found out that he was in Philly. As a birthday gift (before they removed the mask mandate in theaters and before we started trying to limit our contact with folks), my husband brought tickets for us to see Freestyle Love Supreme (FLS), which was one of the shows that he created. We got to see it the night that he was there and it was so cool!
- Winterthur: One of the other last “outside” things we did (the other thing was of course FLS) was go to the Winterthur Museum to explore the gardens. This photograph was taken a few hours before I accidentally dropped my camera at my in-laws house. My abbonim (father-in-law) lovingly purchased a new lens for me, which I appreciated so so much.
- Strawberry Latte from Elixr: Now this drink right HERE will change your life. If you’re in Philly, you have to try their Strawberry Oat Milk Latte. It’s safe on the tummy for my fellow whole-milk avoiders and is very delicious. Probably one of my favorite lattes in Philly.
- Faux Nose Piercing: I didn’t actually get my nose-pierced, although a nose-piercing is something I’ve wanted since I was eighteen, but never got around to doing it. Then I said I’d get one for my 21st, then my 25th and so and so forth. I just wanted to see what it’d look like if I did get one, so I brought a fake, sterling silver one from Amazon. I’ve always wanted a stud, but I was bored in the house and said, I’d look into seeing what a hoop looked like. It’s not terrible, but I’m not sure if a hoop fits me. Maybe I should look for faux studs online next.
in case you missed it
Brew Review: Tatte’s in Boston, MA