video: izzy.on.my.desk.

a short video of izzy pushing the pen and pad off my desk. naughty kitty!

in other news...the lululemon social media peeps added izzy to their daily challenge album on flickr! check her out! http://bit.ly/asmuXm 

my papa.

i started this blog, cafe taber, two years ago today with a post about my father's birthday. (it's hard to believe i've been at this blog thing for this long already!) i know he's one of my biggest fans :-) and followers here. so it is with much joy and happiness that i celebrate him and pay tribute to him here again on his birthday.

happy birthday, papa! i love you!

my granny.

this is my granny. she will be 98 years old soon...april 1st!

i visited her today. we ate chocolates. drank coffee. did our nails. shared stories. laughed. and hugged and kissed. she is a woman of so much strength and will, both of which i admire so much.

i was wearing my sunglasses when i first walked in to her room today and she asked to put them on. and boy can she rock these sunglasses. i think i'll have to get her a pair for her birthday in april.

feet.

"breathe through your feet!"

this is what my yoga instructor (and dear friend!) said during the vinyasa class she was leading at her studio the other day. and it got me thinking differently about my own breath.

if you actually take the time to visualize inhaling new oxygen or renewed energy through the crown of your head all the way to the soles of your feet as you practice yoga or if you don't practice yoga you can visualize this while you are standing in the shower or even walking around, you just might discover (the way i did the other day) an opening of sorts in your body...and a whole new way to manage the flow of your own breath.

on this same note, i realized after taking this picture on my way to work this morning...

...that, for some odd reason, i take a lot of pictures of feet!

so i thought i would share a few favorites from my photo archives.


(it's important to note that not everyone or every culture has the same playful approach to feet as i do. in fact, in thailand, feet are considered not only the lowest part of the body physically, but also symbolically. they are dirty with the earth and dust. on the other hand, they perceive the head to be the most sacred and highest part of the body. and therefore do not touch the head of another. so with that said, i respect all of the different meanings and interpretations of feet.)

:: on a bench ::

 

 :: by candlelight ::

 

 :: in the caribbean ::

  

 :: on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower ::

  

:: in my apartment :: 

:: at a football game ::

:: at the beach ::

snow day.

what a beautiful snowfall we had last night! on my walk to work this morning, i was very distracted by the beauty of it all on the branches, on the ground, everywhere!

love.

...it's a crazy thing!

ode to the olympics.

tonight i'll be watching the opening ceremonies of the 2010 winter olympics that are taking place in vancouver, and i can't help but be reminded of my time there with my father...just about ten years ago. he flew out to seattle, washington to greet me (and the ship!) that i studied on during my junior year of college, which was through the semester at sea program.

it was his idea to spend a few days driving up the coast to vancouver, bc before heading back home. and what an amazing drive and experience it was! my time in vancouver was brief, but it was long enough to realize that it's a pretty fabulous city in canada to visit.

so let the games begin!

 photo credit :: emshim's flickr photostream

photo credit :: emshim's flickr photostream

photo credit :: emshim's flickr photostream

homemade valentine.

homemade valentines are by far the best type of valentine to receive. some of my best memories from when i was a child was crafting with my mom. she would always have us making things at the kitchen table, especially homemade greeting cards.

i came across this homemade valentine that i made for my great aunt when i was a little girl. it's nothing but a simple piece of construction paper, and pieces of fabric cut into heart shapes. i must have picked out the fabric but let my mom do the cutting. :-)

even though valentine's day is just a two days away, you still have time to make your loved one a homemade card. here are a few last-minute ideas for you:

block print valentines
hand-stitched valentines
necktie valentines
yes, it's true, a homemade valentine made from onions!
and my favorite...a pop-up valentine's day card

also, if you would prefer to not make a card, check out this adorable tutorial on a jar of hearts. such an easy and unique way to express your love!

 photo credit :: craftzine blog

the-e-list.

the the-e-list is a fabulous blog to follow if you live in/near/around the shoreline of connecticut. i had the pleasure of meeting erica, the blogger behind the-e-list, at a holiday boutique show in madison, ct. a couple of months ago.

her blog posts include interesting finds about fashion, food, cultural events, trends, fitness, and travel spots (to name a few) in the CT area. there's even an e-card that you can purchase to get discounts at some of the best merchants on the shoreline. so hop on over to her blog and check it out!

i heart.

in "early" celebration of valentine's day, i thought i would share a few things i heart lately...

sofia champagne.
tom & sally's chocolate covered almonds.
muk luks.
cherry blossoms.
operation beautiful. (more to come on this)

soupee.

i'm a soupee! i love soup. and so does soup girl, a new cart that i've discovered near where i work. she loves soup just as much (if not more than) i do!

my favorite soup is roasted butternut squash (pictured above).  but i also enjoy lentil, black bean, and tomato.

for my web programming class, we had to create a recipe page demonstrating all that we've learned so far. so, naturally, i created a soup page! it's very simple in terms of look and feel. but i kid you not this page took me several hours to hand code. i definitely appreciate the lovely wysiwyg editor i use for this blog so much more now.  

p.s. the form at the bottom of the recipe page doesn't work. that's something that i'll be learning more about in a future module of the course.

snow day!

the forecast says 12-14 inches. although the view from my office doesn't reflect that amount quite yet...

i won't be here all day. i'll be heading home before the bulk of the snow arrives so i don't get stuck. but i have to say i just love how the hustle and bustle in a city calms down during a snow storm, even if for a little while.

if you're looking for something to read on this snowy day, head on over to soule mama's blog to read her winter manifesto. it's very inspiring...

snow :: skiing :: sisters

three of my very favorite things! fresh snow, skiing up in vermont and being with my big sister. a weekend with her was exactly what i needed...