Pressed Flower Bookmarks

Making these handmade pressed flower bookmarks has been the most recent project of my mom's craft class at Arumdaun church. The best part about making these bookmarks is picking flowers from your own garden and writing quotes or bible verses that inspire you. Turning nature into art by taking notice of the colors, shapes, and details of all the plants has become something that everyone really enjoys. The first picture is a batch from one person alone. 

All it takes to make these bookmarks is pressing and drying them in phonebooks (or any heavy book), cutting any paper into the desired size, laminating everything together and finishing off with a ribbon bow on top. These bookmarks are great as gifts to give with books. Even if you read from from an iPad or Kindle like I do, there are places you can still use them for whether it be for your bible, journal, textbooks, etc. Making these bookmarks is also a great warm weather activity for anyone! 

A Roundup Of Events

My mom and I know that we've been a little MIA lately, so we thought a roundup of what we've been up to would be a nice way to catch up. We've been a little busy with making sure orders from the Etsy shop were going out promtly and we also went to a few occasions. Since the last time we posted, we went to the annual KAFSC (Korean American Family Service Center) Gala and spent Memorial Day at Princeton with family. 

Me and my sister Julie

My sister modeling for Shin Choi clothing auction

It was an eventful and fancy night. Aside from the fact that the weather was pouring rain, I enjoyed dining, bumping into familiar faces (it's a large Korean event with hundreds of Korean people- we were bound to run into some people) and learning more about this organization that helps Korean American families suffering from domestic violence. They provide a 24-hour hotline and provide various services for children, youth, and adults. You can learn more about the organization here.

My mom's good friend, Shin Choi, auctioned her designs for the night and chose my sister as one of her models. We know about this event through her because she also happens to be on the committee board for the event. You might remember from an older blog post we did on my mom creating jewelry for her line. 

The last "event" we'd like to share is Memorial Day weekend. My uncle lives in Princeton, New Jersey in a quaint little town where his house is quite literally in the middle of a forest. They have chickens roaming around and my uncle is currently building the extension of his home by himself. It's always peaceful and quiet so visiting Princeton is always a nice break from the busy bustle of NYC. We did what anyone would do for Memorial Day weekend- grilling, eating, and shopping, but now that the weather is sunnier, we decided to go kayaking at a lake nearby. 

It was perfect 75-80 degree weather, there were turtles in the water, and plants to look at. We couldn't have asked for a more relaxing weekend. 

-Grace & Pearl 

Our Breakfast Egg Pastry Recipe

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I'm an eggs, bacon and toast kind of girl and I look forward to eating the usual everyday. But even that can get boring sometimes, so my mom and I decided to try something new. One morning, I woke up to a warm and delicious aroma which only intensified as soon as I walked into the kitchen. She made these adorable yet mouthwatering little egg pastries and we've been making them ever since.

They might look elaborate, but they're basically eggs baked into a pastry with veggies inside. The pastry is light, crispy and flakey while the egg tastes like an omelet. It's satisfying and best of all, easy to make. The amount of ingredients depends on the size of your ramekins and how many you're making. Luckily, this recipe is easily adjustable to your liking. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Ingredients: 

You'll need puff pastry sheets and for our filling, we used red onions, broccoli, pepper, and olives. Add or take away ingredients to your liking. This recipe is also great for using leftover veggies! 

Chop them up into little pieces.

In a separate bowl, mix your eggs and veggies. You can add as much milk as you'd like. 

Place your puff pastry sheet inside your ramekins. Then pour in the egg/veggie mixture and let the corners of the puff pastry fold over. Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (This also depends on how deep your ramekin is, but 375 degrees for 10 minutes is pretty standard).

Lastly, enjoy! 

And of course, I had to add my instagram shot. 

Love, 

Pearl & Grace 

Sweet and Spicy Coconut Shrimp Cocktail

My mom has a good variety of delicious recipes, but I would say that this is her best one. It's easy for anyone to express how amazing his/her mom's signature recipe is, but I have to say, this one is actually quite the winner! It's completely original and tastes unique with its sweet and spicy flavors.

People have asked us to bring this dish to potlucks and they're always great for gatherings. They are popular as appetizers and people love the unexpected flavorful combination. This recipe is simple and only requires a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients:
- cornstarch
- egg whites
- garlic powder
- coconut flakes
- vegetable oil
- peeled shrimp

Sauce Ingredients:
- peach jam (1 cup)
- chili sauce (1/2 cup)
- Dijon mustard (1 tbsp)
- wasabi (1 tsp)


Instructions:

1. Using a meat tenderizer mallet, gently press on the shrimp on both sides. 

2. Marinate the shrimp with some salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

3. Have your cornstarch, egg whites, and coconut flakes separated. Then dip your shrimp in each of them in this order.

4. Stick a skewer through your shrimp and fry them. Using a stick makes it easier to fry, eat and dip. 

5. Fry them in vegetable oil. 

6. To make the sauce, have 1 cup of peach jam, 1/2 cup of chili sauce, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp of wasabi.

7. Mix all the sauces together. 

8. Dip your shrimp in the sauce. 

9. Enjoy! 

MayBliss Jewelry for Shin Choi

We've done a lot with floral arrangements, so I thought I would show you the other side of my mom's talents. Aside from making many homes more beautiful with florals, sachets, and home decor, she also makes her own jewelry. She loves to make everything by hand and doing so gives them the extra detail that makes her jewelry really stand out. Using Swarovski pearls and crystals and fine german silk cords, she has been making jewelry for over 10 years!

Other than the high-quality material that she uses, I think what makes her jewelry unique and ultra-feminine is the combination of fabric and beads. The fabrics between the beads give the jewelry piece more statement and "expression," as she likes to put it. Personally (and I'm not being biased!), I think her jewelry is one of a kind and elegant. It has a romantic appeal that can make any woman feel elegant and stylish.

As you can see above, her necklace was also used for the Shin Choi Spring 2011 collection! Shin Choi is a successful fashion designer whose work has appeared in magazines such as Elle, Vogue, Lucky, and InTouch. 

    

           

   

If you're interested in purchasing some jewelry, check out the accessories her new online shop here. Otherwise, we hope you enjoy.

Love,

Grace & Pearl 

Floral Arrangements

Has anyone else done some spring cleaning? My mom and I spent an entire day vacuuming, scrubbing and dusting. We were finally done after a few hours but it didn't stop there. We added some more floral arrangements in the bathroom, living room, and kitchen. It makes a huge difference coming to a cleaner home with new adornments! My mom handmade all of these floral arrangements and hanging sachets. The sachets smell like fresh lavender and are perfect to hang in the bathroom or doorknobs. Did you know that lavender is a herb that helps you sleep, relax, ease anxiety and many more health benefits? I had no clue...If you're interested in buying some, check out her Etsy shop. 

                     

Hope you enjoy!