book review: the help ...

i just finished reading the book, the help, by kathryn stockett.

it is tells the story of three women in jackson mississippi in the 1960's during the civil rights movement. two of the women are black maids for white families, and the other woman is a white recent college graduate who wants to tell the story of black woman working for white families in jackson, which at the time is very controversial and dangerous.

i really loved this book. i couldn't put it down. i think the author did an amazing job at developing each of the characters. and, at times, i swear i could feel the heat of a mississippi summer along with them. this book really makes you think about how your actions affect others. anyhow, i'd highly recommend it!

fashion friday ...

here's a few spring fashions i've seen around the web lately that i love ...

{built by wendy, spring fashion via simplesong}

{kate spade spring, via the city sage}

{jackson, johnson + roe spring, via unruly things}

{the sheep meadow dress, from shabby apple}

really spring, you can't get here fast enough ...

le ballon rouge ...

my almost three year old has become obsessed with the short film made in 1956, the red balloon, by albert lamorisse.

i'm sure you remember watching as a kid. it's about a young boy living in paris, he finds a red balloon on his way to school one morning. the balloon, with a life all its own, then follows the boy through the streets of paris and the two form a quick bond.

we got the book from the library, and immediately ezra was enthralled with the story. he was very concerned about the boy and his balloon. he would yell out, "oh no! he can't reach his balloon!" and such.

so, after i saw it in our instant netflix, i thought i'd show it to him. and, ever since he begs to watch it everyday. although, everytime when he knows the boys are about to come pop the balloon, he runs and hides and asks if it's over. then, comes back for the happy ending and immediately asks to watch it again.

it's interesting how some children handle dissappointment. there was a disscussion over on ohdeedoh, about this movie.

he did talk about it a lot afterwards and told me it was sad that they popped his red balloon. but, he still loves it and still continues to want to watch it. [during the first scene, he yells, "look! there's paris! his papy is proud!] plus, i do think kids need to learn about dissappointment sometime. of course i wouldn't force him to watch it if he didn't want to. he even pretends he's pascal with a red ballon and his little lunch box "briefcase." it's quite entertaining.

all in all, i think it's a magical little movie, and it does have a happy ending. plus, did you know it won an oscar back in the day?

so, what are your thoughts?

couscous ....

i love couscous!

i've been eating it since i was a kid, and i just love the texture and taste. it is also a great alternative to pasta, rice, or potatoes.

i decided to take advantage of the cheap asparagus right now and make couscous with asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic shrimp. so good!

to learn more about couscous and for the delicious recipe, visit my latest post over the the zupas blog.

click here.

{photo by me}

back from cali ...

i'm back from california.

we had a great time at my cousins wedding and reception on the newport harbor!

of course we ate way too much vietnamese food, as evidence from all the empty plates.

i could seriously eat bánh bèo all day. the picture below is the best one i could find on the internet .. of course i inhaled mine before i got a chance to take a picture]. it's just about my favorite dish in the world. it is little steamed rice cakes with shrimp, scallions, and fried pork skins on top. with a whole lot of fish sauce. my mouth is watering just thinking of it. i will seriously give a prize to anyone who can tell me where to get this in salt lake city. i still haven't heard of a place that sells it here.

anyhow, i hope to be back to blogging some lovely things soon.

my little norah was sick while on our trip to california, and upon returning i brought her to the doctor only to find out that she has an ear infection and RSV. yuck. my doctor didn't even want to test for it since he really didn't think she had it since she wasn't too bad, but i asked him to anyway and sure enough she tested positive. luckily she's been doing really well. let's just hope it doesn't get any worse. and, of course my little ezra has just started to get a runny nose and cough tonight. wish me luck that they will be on the mend soon.

see ya soon..

book review: the keeper of the bees ...

i just got finished reading the keeper of the bees, by gene stratton-porter.

library summary:
set in post world war I times, the book follows Jamie Louis Macfarlane -- a wounded serviceman who finds his way on a grand adventure that makes him a better man and brings hope and love back into his life.

i thought it was a good read. there were some points where i got a little bored, i think since it's over 500 pages, but i still enjoyed reading it. it had some strong christian themes throughout the book, and i liked all of the relationships that were formed during the story.

soup + chatter ...

hello!

sorry i took a little break there.

we enjoyed celebrating three holidays over the weekend [valentine's day, vietnamese new year, and presidents day]

and, most of all, i enjoyed finally getting our carpet in our newly finished basement! what a relief! we still have some work to do, but it's been so nice to be able to actually go down there and let the kiddos play and not get all dirty.
so, with that of course comes all the moving of boxes and things... so, that has taken up all my time.
but, i can't wait to share with you pictures of my new office/studio/craft room, or whatever they are calling it these days. my husband stained my concrete floors, and i'm in love with the color. oh, and did i tell you i ordered wallpaper too? i'm so excited to put it all together. i hope to share pictures soon. it will definitely be a work in progress as i have to keep myself from wanting to buy everything at once, but little by little i hope to make it a great place for inspiration! and, seriously... you'd laugh at all the random craft supplies i have. my closet is already full and i haven't even put all my stuff in there. maybe one day i'll show you a picture, but it may be embarrassing.

anyhow, sorry to ramble so much. it's been a dream of mine to have my very own room, so, i'm a bit excited.

so, back to what i was originally going to post about.

soup.

this tortellini with vegetable soup has been a favorite at our house for years. if you haven't noticed, i like soup.

check out my recipe on my latest post over on the zupas blog.

click here.

oh, and have a great weekend! i'm taking off early and heading to so. cal this weekend for my cousins wedding! [hi thi-anh!] should be fun! we'll be partying it up on a yacht in newport beach! wish me luck as i'm taking my 7 month old norah with me. luckily, i'll have lots of help since my parents and sisters are coming! should be fun! mainly, it will be great to see family and eat vietnamese food!

p.s. any good tips on shopping? i think i'll try to go by fashion island, and south coast plaza...

{photo by me}

happy valentine's day ...

wishing you much love this valentine's day!

hope you are spending time with those you care about!

{photo by alana k davis, via unruly things}

a tart for your sweetheart ...

i made this fruit tart for a superbowl party.

it was amazing! and, it would be the perfect addition to your valentine's day dinner this sunday!

i used two of my secret ingredients to make this.

check out latest post on the zupas blog to find out my secret, and for a link to the recipe.

click here.

{photo by me}

my new favorite treat ...

have you tried the new dreyers tart honey frozen yogurt?

yum!

it's my new favorite treat, paired with raspberries. or, any berries!

{image: 1 2}

before + after : target kids kitchen ...

i came across these great kids kitchen redo's over on ohdeedoh.

these readers took your average kitchen set from target, and made it their own. they re-painted, swapped out fabric, added mosaic tiles [seriously?], and handles to make it a custom kitchen set. darling!! ...makes me sad that i passed up one of these kitchens at target when it was on clearance for $40.

{images: blue kitchen, green kitchen}

wonton soup ...

chinese new year is coming up. did you know it's on valentine's day this year?

wonton soup brings back a lot of memories. it's a family favorite. i would always [and, still do] beg my mom to make it for me for part of my special birthday dinner. and, it is always on the menu when we celebrate chinese new year.

for the recipe, check it out on my latest post over on the zupas blog. click here.

{photo by me}

forever 21 kids ...

did you know that forever 21 has a new kids line called htg 81 kids for ages 6-14?

it just came out in january, and is available at select forever 21 locations or online.

locally, it is at the south towne mall in sandy, utah.

can't wait to check it out!

now, if only they had sizes for the little ones too...

happy mail ...

happy mail to me is having a good catalog or magazine show up in my mailbox.
i love to browse catalogs and magazines, so i was thrilled to see both my j. crew and urban outfitters catalog show up on the same day!

i'm loving all of the feminine looks!

here's a few favorites from the february j. crew catalog.

free valentine's day card printable ...

valentine's day is just around the corner.

so, if you have no clue what to get your sweetheart and loved ones, here's a free downloadable card from 74 lime lane that will make that part of the gift easier.
i love the "kiss me and carry on" one!

click here to download.

{via cafe mom, photo via 74 lime lane}

book review : the road ...

over the weekend, i read the road, by cormac mccarthy.

here's a brief library description:

it is a novel set in an indefinite, futuristic, post-apocalyptic world, a father and his young son make their way through the ruins of a devastated American landscape, struggling to survive and preserve the last remnants of their own humanity.

****

i liked this book. although disturbing at some parts. i like the story of the journey of the boy and father. it made me think of my relationships and how you'd do just about anything to protect the ones you love and keep them from harm.