Wasong (Fimbriate Orostachys)

I discovered Wasong (Fimbriate Orostachys) at the farmer's market today. The sign had the name written in Korean, so I asked my (Korean) mother if she knew what to do with it. Surprisingly, she hadn't heard of this edible plant. And, there isn't a whole lot of information about it online. All I know is that it's a succulent that grows in Asia and it's medicinal. It supposedly has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it boosts the immune system, prevents aging of the skin, controls hemorrhages, and is used to treat tumors. The Koreans, of course, prepare it as a kimchi or drink it as a tea.

The taste is bitter and sour. It also leaves a lingering sensation in your mouth—similar to the feeling you have on your tongue and teeth after eating raw spinach. (Some people describe that as chalky.) I prefer the pointy "leaves" at the bottom, which are tart, bitter and sour. They're also juicier. I tend to like bitter vegetables and even more so if they're good for you. But, I can see a lot of people being turned off by this exotic edible. 

If anyone has first-hand experience with Wasong, please let me know! 

Boat Costume for Our Dog

K insisted on a Halloween costume for our little corgi, so I rigged this boat out of cardboard the night before Halloween. Materials are: cardboard, ribbons, gesso and acrylic paint. K made the hat out of cardstock, coffee filter, blue tape and staples. We designed the costume so that he could be mobile. But the poor guy was so miserable, he sat and sulked while we handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters. Still, we loved every minute of it. How can you not?!

Halloween Snacks

Savory Halloween snacks that are relatively healthy:

Franken-guacamole with black olives for stitches, eyes, and mouth (above).
Broomsticks constructed of pretzels, mozzarella string cheese, and chives (below pic by K).

Thank you to those who came up with these ideas. It's hard to tell where they originated. Though, props to Pinterest and Google Images for making it so easy to find inspiration.

A Thousand Paper Cranes

A thousand paper cranes represent honor, fidelity and harmony in Japanese tradition. They're also symbolic for weddings since cranes mate for life. That's why we had them as the central focal point for our wedding. My sister, Beautia, took it upon herself to fold them all! She is probably the only patient person I know to do that without complaint. Stringing and hanging the cranes was a group effort on-site. We were all amazed by how it came together, especially with the string lights. They just made it magical, which you can see in the photo below. 

(Above photo taken by Elizabeth Unterman; below photo taken by K.)

Wedding Shawl and Floral Crown

This past July, K and I finally tied the knot! It was an intimate affair in the Catskills. The best part of the wedding was doing almost everything ourselves. Yes, it was ambitious and manic at times, but totally worth it. For someone who loves to plan, be in control, and have flexibility, I couldn't have imagined it any other way. Of course we had help from family and friends, which made it even more special. 

My sister, Beautia (of B Girl B Knits), knitted this beautiful shawl for me. My plan was to wear a capelet over a simple white dress so that both pieces can be worn again in the future. I didn't know exactly how it would turn out as I didn't get a chance to try it on until a few days before the wedding. Fear took over so I wound up getting a "bridal gown" for the ceremony and reserved this for the reception. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about because the shawl exceeded my expectations. It was super light and provided just enough warmth in the evening. In addition, my sister did my hair without any practice!

The floral crown was made by moi. I saw a ton of beautiful floral crowns online via Pinterest. However, I was most drawn to the ones that were sparse and one-sided. I played around with a few styles and decided that this simple one suited me best. 

(Photographs taken by the lovely Elizabeth Unterman, with slight modifications for the blog.)

Spring Birthday Pop-Up Card

Birthday card for our little friend, Haru, whose name means "Spring" in Japanese. This was made on the fly . . . without any template. It took awhile, but had fun making it.