Blue Sky Fever
So it’s another day and I haven’t gotten over my mini obsession of clear blue skies yet. Lol! The pine tree is a bonus. Look at all those pine cones! Bountiful, isn’t it?
I personally took this photo on our road trip to Rizal. Went there on a whim with my friends since we wanted to catch some “fresh air”. It was such a great pleasure to get out the the busy, cramped, city life. There’s really this certain “longing” for nature when you live in a crowded, commercialized area. Have you ever felt that too before?
#sky #pinetree #pinecones #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
A Quest Begins Here
I personally took these photos at a park in Harbin, China way back in February 2019 when we travelled there as tourists. The first photo is a panoramic shot because the structure was so long and I couldn’t fit it in one frame no matter how far away I stood. Lol!
Lately, I’ve noticed that I’m being drawn to cloudless blue skies. Whenever I browse my photo gallery, I always stop and stare at them. They really calm me. It has only been a few days into the week and I already feel exhausted. I’m glad I have photos to look back to.
Somehow, this structure in the park looks like it came right out of a fantasy game (not that I play fantasy games, though! Haha!). It can be the center of the city where the adventurer begins his journey and acquires his/her first quest. What do you think? :)
#park #Harbin #China #sky #adventure #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
A Glimpse of Liberty
It has been such a busy Monday that I’ve been desperately seeking for something peaceful to calm my nerves. I browsed my gallery and saw these old photos I personally took at the beach. They were taken off season so there weren’t a lot of people and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.
Sometimes, when you live in a cramped city, it’s nice to look at a view like this. You could gaze into the horizon very clearly and it just feels so liberating. I know that most beach shots are usually with sunsets but right now, I feel like seeing the beach with the bright sun up and a clear blue sky is what I really need. :)
How’s everyone’s Monday? I hope you had a much better one than mine!
#beach #sea #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Unexpected grooming day
Since I wasn’t able to go home this weekend, my brother just keeps on updating me with our furbabies so I wouldn’t get lonely. He’s usually quiet but I guess this is how he shows affection. I sincerely appreciate it.
Apparently, one of the furbabies that are supposed to be scheduled for grooming today wouldn’t be able to make it to his appointment so they gave us a call if we could send in one of our furbabies. I guess Macky had the worst tangles among the three so we sent him. This is how he looked like after grooming. He was adorable with long fur but I still think he’s cute even with a shorter one. What do you think? Regardless, what matters is he seems so much more comfortable now. :)
#Shihtzu #furbaby #pets #originalphoto #originalcontent
Dawdle Crochet Top
I’ve started making this crochet top months ago but I never got around finishing it because I didn’t know how I wanted it to look like. Lol! Dawdling at its finest! I’ve based off the pattern from a photo in Pinterest and tried to modify it to my liking.
This is the first ever crochet top that I’ve made and it’s far from perfect but I’ve tried my best to make it symmetric even though my stitch count was off. Haha! I’d surely redo it if it was for someone else but since I’ve made this for myself, I don’t mind the mistakes. It’s part of the memories and part of the journey in making my first crochet top. I’ll embrace them and learn from them.
Yarn used: 6-ply natural cotton
Hook used: 2.5mm
#crochet #handmade #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Love in a Basket
Today I just learned that I might not be able to come home during the weekends to see my family and our furbabies. I think my brother felt bad for me, so he sent me this photo. Please excuse the blurriness, he doesn’t really care much about quality. Lol! He’s not as OC as me.
He told me they were sweeping the room and these three bundles of joy were playing around so they put them in a basket temporarily. Aren’t they absolutely adorable? I genuinely laughed out loud when I saw this photo. Hahaha! I could watch this and smile all day. :)
What are all your furbabies up to?
#Shihtzu #dogs #pets #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Surprise Lunch Date
Two days ago, I was just telling my friend how I miss eating with people instead of with my laptop. Lol! So she came up with an idea and told me she was free to have lunch with me today. But she didn’t want to eat out so she’ll just bring some food over.
I assumed she meant take out food so I didn’t prepare anything at all but what she actually brought were raw salmon fillets. Surprise! Lol! So I had to consult YouTube for quick and easy salmon recipes but there were so many of them so I just decided to wing it.
I just coated the fillets with whatever seasonings I had (salt, pepper, paprika, oregano) in my pantry and topped them with cheese. Put them in the oven with some carrots and potatoes to roast and tadaaa! Cheesy baked salmon it is.
You know what they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. 😉 Any great salmon recipes you’d like to recommend for next time?
#food #lunch #date #foodphotography #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Choir of Angels
Have you ever just looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds are opening up to reveal rays of the sun?
I took these photos while on a drive a couple of days ago. Of course, I wasn’t the driver so I wasn’t taking photos while driving. That would be dangerous. Lol!
I was on shotgun and I felt immediately in awe when I saw the sky. I could swear I heard a choir of angels singing with this view. There’s an opening and the sun is right in the middle. The rays are also fairly visible between the cloud crevices. It’s truly a magnificent sight for me. I deeply appreciate simple things like these, especially because I don’t see them very often in the city.
What about you guys? What makes your day?
#sky #clouds #sun #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
A Moment of Peace
This Tuesday, I just want to take it slow. I have the morning off so I’m browsing my old photos and came across this one. It was taken within the Gamcheon Culture Village way back in 2019. Imagine taking a walk on this path surrounded by bushes, pine trees and cherry blossom trees. It would be such a bliss, wouldn’t it? I’d get lost with my thoughts here.
Being an adult is difficult, especially when you’ve just transitioned from living with your parents to living on your own. Adjusting is hard, but I guess there is no other way but forward. Life must go on. It’s alright to take a pause and breathe, but after getting some rest, we need to get back on track. That being said, since Tuesdays are usually light days, I pray for a moment of peace before I continue the hustle tomorrow.
How’s everyone else’s Tuesday?
#GamcheonCultureVillage #Korea #cherryblossoms #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Jukseong Catholic Church
I took this photo when we visited this cute church in Busan, South Korea. Aside from its attractive architecture, it became famous because a Korean drama was filmed here. I wonder.. Can big Kdrama fans guess the title of that drama? It’s a pretty old one. Answer at the end of the post! Lol!
To be honest, I am quite disappointed with this shot because I feel like it doesn’t show the full magnificence of the infrastructure. It was pretty hard to take a photo with no photobombers as the place was packed with fellow tourists when we came. Ahh, I wish I could have had more time and had been more patient to capture more shots.
Ready for the answer now? The Kdrama filmed here is Dream (SBS, 2009). I personally haven’t seen it. Lol! Do you like watching Kdramas? What is your favorite?
#church #Korea #Kdrama #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Treetops from Below
For as long as I can remember, whenever I’m walking by a very tall tree, I always look up to see the treetop. I love watching the color of the leaves and the branches against the blue background of the sky. It’s one of the reasons why I took this photo.
Sometimes, this makes me think deep thoughts while other times, it doesn’t make me think at all. It just relaxes me. I know I’ve said this a dozen times but if I were to choose a vacation between the forest and the beach, I’d prefer the forest. There’s really something about trees that fascinate me. (But don’t get me wrong though, I don’t hate the beach. In fact I love it, too. I just don’t like getting into the water. I just sit in the sand. Lol!)
What about you? Are you more of a forest/camping person or a beach/swimming person?
#trees #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
The Winding Road
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Where exactly am I going in life?” If you haven’t, and you have a clear picture of where you want to be, then good for you. Unfortunately for some of us, we’ve asked ourselves this question a couple of times.
The journey of life is different for everyone. We each have our own unique personalities that let us make different choices. It’s alright to get confused sometimes. That does not make you a failure. It’s alright to take a pause and figure out what you want to do. Life is not a race. What’s important is that you’re moving forward, even with baby steps. Don’t compare yourself to other people. Just compare yourself to yesterday’s you.
You might have taken a winding road, but continue to move slowly forward and don’t forget to enjoy the view along the way. Those are cherry blossom trees on the side of the road. :)
#Korea #cherryblossom #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Sunshine in the Rain
This is a view from the roof deck of our old apartment. It looks like the skies haven’t cleared and it’s still raining from the distance.
It seems like this scene is perfectly in sync with my feelings and emotions at the moment. The clouds are dark, and there is rain, but beyond that, you can see the rays of the sun. It’s Thursday and I feel tired and drained from all the work but after this will be Friday and I’ll get to go home and spend time with my family and my furbabies.
Somehow, watching the rain from a distance sort of feels soothingly therapeutic. Do you like watching the rain?
#weather #rain #city #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Into the Woods
I personally took this photo while we were hiking down Marlboro Hills to head to Blue Soil Hills in Sagada, Mountain Province. This particular spot in the trail is not a tourist attraction, nor is it a “photo spot”, but I was personally mesmerized by walking on a path surrounded by tall pine trees so I grabbed the opportunity to take a shot.
As a child, I’ve always loved fairy tales and I’ve always been fascinated by main characters getting lost in the woods and discovering some enchanted entities in the forest. To be honest, until now, I’m still captivated by these fantasies. It’s quite embarrassing for me to admit it in public considering that I’m a full grown adult but hey, it’s the truth. It will set me free. LOL! And besides, nothing wrong with being a child at heart, right?
Do you guys like fantasies too? Or are you more on the realist side?
#nature #forest #trees #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Skewers of Innards
One of my friends in post graduate school has never tasted street food innards in skewers before. Since I liked them, I wanted him to give them a try as well.
We went to one of the stalls outside our university after class and I made him try grilled pig and chicken intestines (generally “isaw”), and grilled coagulated chicken blood (“betamax”). I expected him to like them as much as I did but boy, was I wrong. Lol! He didn’t like any of them and said he would just stick with the pork barbecue and the avocado shake.
I guess eating innards takes some getting used to. Do you like eating them? If you haven’t tried, would you take a chance?
#streetfood #isaw #betamax #avocado #university #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
My Grandmother’s Roses
My grandmother loves plants in general but her absolute favorites are flowering plants. One day, my mom and her sister decided to take her to a garden center just to cheer her up. She saw these striped roses (called Painted Bourbon Roses, if I am not mistaken), and she immediately fell in love. In our community, this variety of roses is very uncommon. It was probably her first time seeing one. They had 5 pots of these for sale and she said she wanted to buy them all. Her reasoning: “I want to be the only one in our town who owns them.” 😂
And so my grandmother came home with 5 pots of 3 different color combinations of these roses. Unfortunately the other four are not flowering at this time so I only managed to take a photo of one.
My grandmother is so competitive. She had been alive (a child) when the Japanese invaded the country during World War II and we can see how her time has influenced her personality. Back then, they had to take refuge in the mountains because their town had been a battlefield. It was more of a “survival of the fittest” for her rather than the actual childhood that we know nowadays. I still have lots of stories from her to share but those will have to be for another post.
Do you also love hearing stories from your grandmother? Their time is just so different from ours!
#rose #nature #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
How to get treats from your hooman 101
I am spending this quiet Sunday making another crochet project when suddenly, I felt something furry scratch at my feet. I looked down and saw this not-so-little one who apparently entered the room so quietly, I didn’t even notice. It’s either that or I was just too immersed in my project.
First photo, that’s her signature puppy eyes asking for treats. I wanted to give in this soon but I did not yield because we’re trying to put her on a diet. She was still overweight when we last took her to the vet. 😅 Second photo, she came closer and gave another shot at puppy eyes. This time, it looks like she already gave her “isang daang porsyento” of cuteness and “paawa” effect and I finally gave in. Third photo, she’s already munching on the treat and look at that glint in her eyes! Last photo is the triumphant look. That is definitely a visible smirk right there!
How do I put this chubby one on diet when she has so much power over my heart? Lol!
Sunset in the City
This is a simple photo of the sunset I captured yesterday afternoon as I was getting ready to go home. I rarely get to take photos of the sunset as they’re visible on the other side of the apartment, not the view from outside my window.
I remember having mixed feelings when I took this one. It’s sort of like a sad, mellow feeling because it’s starting to get dark, but at the same time, there’s also some calm and gentleness to it. Do you feel this way too while watching the sun set?
P.S. You might need to click the photo to fully view the change of colors in the sky.
#sunset #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Beer Talk
Today I’d like to share this photo I took when we visited a brewery/museum in Harbin, China. I wasn’t aware of this before, but Harbin is quite famous for making good beer.
Personally, I don’t like the taste of beer (too bitter for me) and I don’t know much about it but visiting this brewery educated me a bit on the process of how it’s made. I also didn’t know that there’s a recommended type of beer to pair with different kinds of dishes. I was watching Yuru Camp last night and their teacher (who’s quite the alcoholic) reminded me of this old photo. Lol!
I only drink alcohol during socialization and when I do, I prefer the taste of alcopops such as Smirnoff and Tanduay Ice. I also like red wine, but only the sweet ones, like the Novellino. What about you? What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?
Gentle reminder: Please always drink responsibly and never drink and drive. :)
#beer #China #Harbin #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
A Moment of Gratitude
For today, I wanted to share all my favorite personal shots of the cherry blossom trees in Busan, South Korea when we went in March 2019. I know I’ve shared some other photos from this trip before, but I’ve been saving these because they’re my absolute favorites!
I have no idea what the future holds, especially with the pandemic going on, but nevertheless, I decide to look at things in a positive light. After all, life is beautiful, and beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, right?
This post is actually dedicated to @kneelyrac. I was hoping you’d like them because you’re a fan of anime, just like me! Hihihi. It was my first time receiving a direct tip from a user yesterday, and from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank you so much! ☺️ Grabbing this opportunity to thank all of my subscribers who are becoming my good friends here as well. I love you guys! ♥️
#cherryblossoms #sakura #spring #SouthKorea #Busan #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Midweek Project
I got today off so I decided to continue my unfinished amigurumi project. This is my second Disney Princess so far. The first one I completed was my favorite princess, Belle. This one is Rapunzel from Tangled, my second favorite. I’m planning to complete all the Disney Princesses but I wonder if I can do it? Hahaha!
Took me such a long time to finish this one, especially because there are days I couldn’t even crochet since there’s just so much I needed to do. Nevertheless, I still consider myself quite lucky I can spend some time to do something that I love. It gets really therapeutic. 😌
So if you have some hobbies, I strongly advise that you indulge in them once in a while even with your busy schedules. It’s a form of self love and healing for the soul and we all deserve that. ♥️ Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friend!
Pattern: Greenfrog
Hook: 3mm
Yarn: acrylic for body and hair, cotton for dress
#amigurumi #crochet #doll #Disney #Rapunzel #Tangled #originalphoto #originalcontent #katscraft
Dark Sunrise
Woke up early to do a bit of stretching today and this is the sunrise scene I saw outside my apartment window. It looks like dark clouds are brewing.
I’m supposed to do some errands outside today so I sincerely hoped to get better weather. Siri’s morning report told me it wasn’t gonna rain. I wanted to believe her. Luckily, just a few moments ago, the clouds cleared up without any rain and the sun is shining bright… like a diamond. Yes, I just had to say it. HAHAHA!
Sometimes, things might look bad at the beginning but all we need to do is keep our faith that everything will turn out alright. A dark sunrise is still a sunrise, isn’t it? Let’s be thankful for every day we’re alive. :)
#sunrise #nofilter #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Baby’s Bath Day
I had some free time to give Ellie a bath myself this weekend! Usually, other members of the family do it because I’m at the apartment. It’s a nice furmom-furbaby bonding. Lol!
We use madre de cacao shampoo on her along with regular dog conditioner. This photo was taken before I blow dried her fur. She’s such a good girl during bath time! I think it helps that we use lukewarm-warm water instead of cold. There are still shivers after the bath but it’s definitely better than when we used room temp water from the tap.
How are everyone’s pets during bath time?
#furbaby #shihtzu #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Unexpected Dinner Date
Yesterday, I had no other plans but to stay home and hibernate but unexpectedly, a good friend of mine was in town and we haven’t seen each other for about a year. She texted me and asked if I was home and when I said yes, she already made the reservations for dinner. I would have just invited her to eat at home because I didn’t want to eat out due to the pandemic, but she was quite insistent. Turns out, she was craving for Japanese food and admittedly, so was I. Lol! Dining in was reservations only to make sure there is no crowd and social distancing is properly observed.
We went to try the local Japanese place just a wee bit outside of town. It was run by Japanese owners. She had the shrimp ramen (yes, that’s smoke from the ramen) while I had the unagidon and we ordered a platter of maki sushi to share. The food was definitely as good as they look! Believe it or not, we finished everything (not effortlessly, though). Just the two of us. Please don’t judge us! LOL! ✌🏻😅
Are you a fan of Japanese food? What’s your favorite?
#food #foodphotography #Japanese #ramen #sushi #unagi #dinner #originalphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
A cottony Saturday morning
Last night, I was gonna to go home to my parents’ house but due to unforeseen circumstances, I wasn’t able to get a ride. So instead, I had a lot of things planned to relax and have some “me” time but I wasn’t able to do any of them because I immediately fell asleep after getting into bed. Talk about getting totally drained! Lol!
This week has really been exhausting for me, but look at what greeted me this morning as I set out for home. ☺️ The sky is looking wonderful with its cottony clouds and the bright sunrise. I can feel all my tiredness and anxieties getting slowly washed away.
I hope it has that same effect on you, my friend! What are your plans for today?
#sunrise #morning #cottonyclouds #sky #myownphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Gradient Skies
Took this photo earlier in the afternoon as I got home from work. Out of nowhere, it made me feel quite sentimental. It’s almost the end of the week again and most of my energy stores are depleted. Despite that, I’m glad there’s another weekend to look forward to.
Isn’t it great that something that simple can keep us going throughout a week? Just the simple thought of a “weekend”, being able to go home and see my parents, spending time with my loved ones- those are the bits and pieces of memories that become the source of my strength week after week.
This gentle sunset reminds me of those precious moments. I love how well-blended the colors of the sky are this afternoon. The gradient is just perfect. Don’t you think so?
#sunset #nofilter #myownphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
A River of Ice
I took this photo during our visit to the Songhuajiang Highway Bridge in Harbin, China way back in February 2019. Winter was almost done, but the river was still frozen.
As tourists, we couldn’t miss walking on the bridge, where there were parts of the flooring that was made of thick glass so you can see through below. But I was more mesmerized with the view from afar, capturing the bridge with the frozen river.
Some people went walking on the ice, but our guide advised us not to do it because it may be frozen on the outside, but not inside. If the ice cracks and breaks because of your weight, and you fall, the strong water current underneath will drag you away and you’ll be trapped beneath the ice. True, the experience of walking on ice would be great but the consequences should you be unlucky would be terribly dire. We chose to be safe than sorry.
Would you have walked on the ice despite the risk?
#ice #bridge #river #winter #myownphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography #Photography
Weeknight Dinner
Decided to make something quick and simple tonight! It’s fish fillet in garlic butter sauce with rice and spinach on the side. I tried my very best to make this a one-pan dish (because who likes washing dishes, right? Lol!) but I really had to make the sauce in another pan.
For the spinach, they’re just sautéed with garlic in olive oil with a little salt and pepper. For the fish fillet, I first seasoned them with salt then lightly coated them in plain flour then pan-fried until golden brown. The sauce is just butter, garlic, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, and a dash of lemon juice at the end.
Resulting dish was quite filling! Would you give this dish a try?
#food #dinner #fish #myownphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
Morning Ride
Took this photo on the drive back to the apartment and since I was on shotgun and my brother wasn’t that much of a talker, I had quite some time to brood things over. With this view, I felt like talking to my soul. Lol!
I think that one of the greatest forms of happiness is contentment. You might hear other people say, “Oh, you shouldn’t be content with what you have, you should always strive to be more, gain more.” I guess there is a fine line between being lazy and being greedy. But being content with what you have does not equate to being lazy. It just means that you are at peace with yourself, and you can be happy wherever you may stand in life. Being inspired by others is a much better drive to move forward than being jealous or greedy, right?
How’s everyone’s Monday? :)
#drive #nature #trees #nofilter #myownphoto #originalcontent #katsphotography
DIY Sip & Gogh Experience
Since it’s a Sunday and the family is all together, we thought, what would be a fun family activity?
Sip & Gogh is like an art center where clients get to paint with guidance and assistance from their personnel while getting served wine and cheese (or some other kid-friendly meal, your choice!). We tried this experience once before but that was like 4 years ago. It was a bit pricey, but it was a nice one-time experience.
Now, we thought of trying it again but instead of going all the way to the art center and spending quite an amount, we did it at home on a budget! We also had snacks and drinks on the side while painting to recreate the experience. The only thing missing was the guidance from the art personnel. You’re on your own here, but it was truly a fun experience for the whole family!
Photo shows my painting and my brother’s. We’re no artists but we tried our best! Lol! Wasn’t able to take a photo of the snacks, they didn’t make it ‘til we finished our paintings. 😂
#painting #familyactivity #originalcontent #myownphoto #katsphotography
@KatalinaCraft
