Monochrome.

Got a surprise for my birthday when I got a keyboard as a present! Loving it soooo much I've been playing it non stop since I got it. Lots to brush up on considering I haven't been playing for the past what? 2 years or so but there are some songs which I still remember how to play from memory. HAHA.

So its my 22nd birthday today! Lol. Happy Birthday me. HAHA. It's such a great thing waking up and checking Facebook (I am not a FB addict) and seeing my wall flooded with love messages and well wishes from everyone I know. Well, I know FB reminds people that it's my birthday but still, I appreciate the few seconds it takes for someone to write just a simple happy bday on my wall.

Birthdays are always days I look back and reminisce about how much I've grown over the past years and thank God for letting me be where I am today. Growing up isn't half as bad as some people say it would be. I like the idea of being responsible, learning to be independent, even the whole being away from home thing. But that being said, of course I love being home with people taking care of me and such as well (:

There's so much to be thankful for today. My life, studies, my friends, my family, people who care about me... He is truly amazing. In every single way possible. I don't think I'll ever stop being grateful and thankful for His amazing providence and blessings in my life. So much more than I could ever ask for, so much more than I deserve, but yet, here I am celebrating my 22nd year of life. It's going to be a great one! (:

xoxo, elvyna.

Bright side of things.

Crazy British weather. Just when I thought it was the end of sunny days and blue skies with fluffy clouds as winter is approaching, it's such a lovely day today! Church was awesome, as always, and I learnt something today.

I learnt how to be a friend to someone in need, someone I'm not so close to yet but am trying to be. Because sometimes all someone needs is a shoulder to cry on or someone to lean on. I can learn to be that for them.

And lyrics of a song that brought tears to my eyes during worship session today:

I'm giving you my heart, and all that is within.

I'm lay it all down for the sake of You my King

I'm giving You my dreams, laying down my rights

I'm giving up my pride

For the promise of new life.

Sometimes, all we need to do is SURRENDER everything to Him. It will work out.

I spy with my little eyes..

Started with my one week Ophthalmology postings this week and honestly, I don't like it. The eye is just something I'll never specialise in EVER and there's just so much to know and learn in one week before my exam on Friday. sigh. What a busy busy week :(

xoxo, elvyna.

Brownie cookie with peanut butter frosting (:

Downloaded the most AMAZING app on my iPad the other day. It's called Donna Hay magazine. It is such an amazing app and all the pictures + recipes in there are just begging for me to try it. It was tough picking which one to try first but I chose the brownie cookie with peanut butter frosting as it seemed like a dessert which wouldn't be too heavy after a meal. Also, there was a house party at my place where my housemate cooked the yummiest bak kut teh ever so I decided to make some of these to let my friends try it out.

And boy oh boy, I got some pretty good feedback! Will definitely be trying out other recipes from this app again (:

Step by step instructions on the app. Super convenient. Look at my hummingbird bakery recipe book sitting by itself so lonely at the side after I abandoned it for the iPad :P

LOVE melting DARK chocolate (:

Not really a cookie, but not really a brownie either. The best of both worlds, i suppose.
Whipped up some peanut butter frosting.
Sandwiched and ready for om-nom-nom-ing! (: (:

xxxxxxxxxx

2 pots of super duper yummy bak kut teh made by the housemate. I had 3 bowls of soup *burp-rubs tummy* :D

Taboo after dinner! We were so noisy and bad at it it was hilarious!

Group shot at the sofa which everyone seems to like :/
Chunky making an appearance at the party.

xoxo, elvyna.

Sweet serendipity.

It has been the busiest week for me since I started 4th year (which is actually just two weeks ago). I'm physically drained out now that it's Friday and I haven't looked forward to a weekend so badly since...whenever. Started my BMedSc project and have been in the labs doing research and being introduced to protocols and procedures from 9-5pm every single day. It's fun if I'm actually doing something, eg. pipetting, centrifuging tubes, etc. etc, but if I'm just standing around watching, I tend to get bored fast. Like REALLY fast.

Anyways, I start Ophthalmology postings next week so that'll be fun, being out of the labs after being stuck there for a week (How am I gonna survive 20 weeks in the lab?) Being super drained and tired from the week didn't stop me from doing what I love! Baking!! (: YAYY. And I got a little help from my Bruneian neighbour as well, she's hilarious to bake with.

Ahhhhh.....What a great week. Thank You God (:

xoxo, elvyna.

Snack time.

A couple of days ago I got my monthly ASOS magazine and it included a voucher for a free box of snacks from graze.com. So being the chinese I am (hey, who doesn't like free stuffs, right?) I checked it out and rated the foods I liked and didn't on the website. It's such a cool concept i'm still impressed till now.

So I got my first box in the mail today. It is THE prettiest customised anything snack box I've ever seen! It even comes with a card that states the nutritional values of the stuffs in the box. Impressed yet? Anyways, even the packaging is bubbling over with cuteness so much so that I don't even feel like eating it anymore! (kinda defeats the purpose of getting it I know -_-)

It's a weekly thing so now there's something for me to look forward to every Saturday morning! And the insides (of the snackbox) changes every week too based on what I rate on the website. How cool is that? (:

It's amazing how this snackbox is making my day! (: *munches away*

xoxo, elvyna.