Obsession: HomeSpot NFC Bluetooth Adapter

When tablets first started hitting the market, I bought a docking system so I could play music or watch videos as I got ready for work in the morning or as I do chores around the house. Unfortunately, the docking stations tend to be pretty specific to one device or brand. So when I purchased a new tablet, I had to use an unsightly auxiliary cable in order to play my music and videos. I was feeling such heartache about buying a new docking system, knowing that this was only a vicious cycle as technology evolved. One day, as I was wondering an electronic store, I was approached by a salesman and I expressed this annoyance. The salesman then did something I did not expect him to do, he told me about an adapter that would alloy me to access the docking system via bluetooth even it the system did not have bluetooth capability. They did not even sell this adapter in their store so I was so thankful for a saleman who actually cared about his customers!

The first thing I did when I got home was research this new piece of information. I ended up buying the HomeSpot NFC-Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver for Sound System. I have been obsessed with it since the day I received it! It is compatible with most bluetooth capable devices and has about a 66 feet transmission zone. It is small, sleek, easy to use, and can store up to eight paired devices. It plugs into the receiver of any A/V receiver, stereo system, or speaker through a standard RCA or 3.5 mm jack (a UL-plug adapter is included). Best of all, it is very reasonably priced.

I loved it so much I purchased an additional adapter for my other docking station!

~Hong

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

Hope everyone got a chance to enjoy all the little wonderful things that make our Earth so awesome! Remember, it is up to us to keep this Earth beautiful! Although I had to worked (darn that American Dream), I took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the Earth.

Of course, our kitties took the whole day to enjoy this gorgeous sun!

Ava, snuggling with my current crochet project!

Then no one enjoys the sun like Simon: 

The sun never goes to waste in our house as long as Simon is here!

Hope you guys enjoyed Earth Day!

~Hong

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới - Happy New Year! When I was little, I remember being so excited for Tet or New Year's Day. We would spend weeks preparing for this day, prepping food, cleaning the house, and visiting our elders. It is a tradition that we keep even up to this day. So today I spent with my parents, enjoying good food and my family. Here are a few pictures:

Good luck tree with gifts of wine, tea, cookies, fruits, and rice cakes

Closer look of the gifts

Beautiful blossoming flowers

The flowers bloomed right in time for Tet!

Cherry blossom....Yes, this one is fake

This year, 2013, is the year of the snake. Those born in the year of the snake are said to be keen, cunning, intelligent as well as wise. They are known to be great mediators and good with business. So good luck to everyone in the year of the snake. Hope your family is blessed with good health, wealth along with everything you could hope for and so much more!

~Hong

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope your Christmas is filled with love, joy, and peace and the New Year brings you all you could hope for and so much more! We will be spending the holidays with my side of the family this year. We are not too keen on traveling during the holidays. It seems the joy of the holidays gets stolen with the hustle and bustle of constantly being on the go and on a time constraint. So our Christmas' are very relaxed with just my immediate family. We'll eat tons of yummy food, talk, bond, and open presents! What are you up to this Christmas?

Our Christmas tree with a
gold and red theme

She sure does love chilling in the tree and she has no fear,
she will climb straight up to the top!

Have a wonderful holiday!

~Hong

Christmas Present!

Yes, I know. It is not actually Christmas yet. This year Chris and I decided to have an early gift exchange so that I could learn and have this gorgeous Pentax camera to take pictures with on Christmas day. 

During my high school days, I loved photography. I could even develop and mount my own pictures. My wonderful husband wanted to get me an awesome camera so I could relive those days and as he said, photography is one hobby I truly love. And he is right. I always have a camera in my hand, everywhere I go!

I am by no means a photography guru, but for those who are and would like a few basic details on this camera:

• Pentax K-5 II DSLR
• 16.3 Mega pixel
• 80-51200 ISO with wonderful noise performance
• 3-Inch LCD with 921,000 dots of resolution and a viewfinder
• Shake reduction stabilization system
• Dust resistant, weather sealed, and cold-proof 
• Built-in flash
• Continuous, interval or multi-exposure shooting
• Timer
• Shooting with a remote control
• Full HD, 1080 movie recording
• Lens: Pentax 21977 DA 18-135mm; f/3.5-5.6 ED AL (IF) DC WR

I could go on and on about the multitude of functions available on this camera, but really it is extremely easy to use with just the basic knowledge of photography. However, if you take the time to read the manual, you can create gorgeous pictures. My two favorite features are it's ability to take superior photographs in low light and the option to select between eleven different points of focus when in autofocus. When push comes to shove though, you can simply use the automatic mode to use it as a point and shoot camera. For an in-depth review of this camera, head on over to the photographyblog. 

I did decide to get a filter lens to block UV light and prevent a blue cast from natural light without altering the subject's true color. Also, it helps to protect the actual lens from scratches and dust. Needless to say, I LOVE this camera. Expect some gorgeous pictures to come!

~Hong

Rescued

Growing up, my family never owned a pet. So when I "grew up" and got married, the first thing I wanted was to add a pet to our family. My one and only requirement was I wanted to adopt a pet from a rescue or humane society. I simply could not justify paying hundreds of dollars to buy an animal from a breeder when there were so many animals abused, abandoned, and left in a predicament that they had absolutely no control over. I viewed owning a pet as seriously as having a child and I could not comprehend how people could choose to hurt and neglect their pets. So I was determined to give one a true forever home.

If you have read an earlier post, you know that we previously adopted a Siamese cat named Simon and a German Shephard/Rottweiler mix dog, Bandit. We lost Bandit in July after a grueling battle with leukemia and Simon just seemed a little lonely and sad. We were not quite ready for another dog, so we decided to search for a little girl kitty and here is our new addition:

We named her Ava! She is a two months old Calico, domestic lynx mix, her coloring is absolutely gorgeous and she has these mesmerizing green/yellow eyes. She is just the sweetest thing and a vicious cuddle bug! Of course she is from a humane society and the staff was overjoyed to adopt her out! They were concerned that she may not find a home because of her short tail, which is literally about two inches long. They are still unsure whether this is due to a congenital birth defect or her lynx blood, but we loved her nub of a tail.

We were told it may take weeks to months for two cats to tolerate one another and it is recommended to take the process extremely slow. To help ease Simon into having a new little sister, we kept Ava in a large kennel in our guest bathroom for the first few days when we were not home to physically hold her as we walked around the house. We also exchanged blankets so they would get use to each other's scent. Starting on the third day, we had supervised play time and after a few hisses from Simon, they were good to go. Simon warmed up a lot faster than we expected and Ava just loves her big brother!

So rescue a little one for a lifetime of love and fun!

~Hong

Bringing Bandit Home

When we lost Bandit, we decided to have him privately cremated so that we could bring him back home. We haven't quite decided whether we will spread his ashes are keep him. So for now, he is resting on the shelf in our living room. It's crazy to imagine our beautiful 105 pounds baby is now in a tiny box that weighs maybe 8 pounds. I honestly didn't really know what to expect, but it was done quite beautifully as you can see below. Also, a portion of the cremation cost was donated towards scholarships for students of the University of Washington's  Veterinarian School. I haven't quite found the courage to actually take a good look at it or to read the notes included inside, but I'm sure one day I will.

Our veterinarian office also gave us a free clay paw print of Bandit with his name stamped across the top. They left it soft so that we can place a frame hook on it, paint it the color of our choice, and make small manipulations. The paw print was what really brought tears to my eyes and pictures of him laying on the blankets as we walked away after we laid him to rest started flashing through my mind.

I keep thinking as each day goes by, it will hurt less, it will get better. Honestly, it has not. My heart still hurts, my eyes still tear up whenever I think or talk about him, and I miss him dearly. There are moments when I forget that he is no longer here and I become overwhelmed with emotions when reality hits. Although the time we had with him was absolutely wonderful, I don't know if I could go through this again. I know death is a part of life, but this has been heartbreaking. Especially, when faced with the decision on whether a love one is to live or die....it was the toughest decision I have ever made in my life. I kept questioning myself and doubting whether I was truly making the right decision, a decision that once made, was permanent.

I guess it just takes time. He was sweet, loving, and downright hilarious. I just have to keep reminding myself that he had a wonderful life and remember that contagious smile that never left his face even during his last breath of life. I love and miss you my baby Bandit!

~Hong

All About Me!

It seems only fitting that my first real post be a little bit about my family and I. Chris and I first met when the Army stationed him in my neck of the woods. Two months later, we were engaged and now fast approaching our four-year wedding anniversary! We live in one rambunctious house with our cat, Simon; fish, Marley; and snail, Ryder. Not too long ago, our family also included a dog, Bandit.

We rescued Bandit from a humane society when he was three years old. We were his fourth home and we were determined to make it his forever home. The shelter believed he was a mix between a German Shepard, Rotweiller, and Great Dane....he was a huge dog with an abundant amount of energy! Unfortunately, in April 2012, he was diagnosed with leukemia that ended up being quite aggressive. Despite a wonderful oncologist and vet staff, chemotherapy, steroids, and genetically focused medications, Bandit lost his battle with cancer in July 2012.

I know many people say, "it's JUST a dog!" But he was so much more than a dog. He was my protector, guardian, comfort, entertainment, friend, and family. Bandit had his little quirks and was socially awkward, but he was never without a smile on his face and never lacked unconditional love. The house seems lonely without his presence. Although my heart is currently filled with sadness and I miss him so much, I do not regret a day with Bandit. Through the good and the bad, we laughed, cried and loved in a manner that I will never forget! Rest in peace Bandit!

~Hong

Hello World!

To be honest with you, I am not quite sure what this blog will be about so I am sure it will be a trial and error process till I can find my true focus. For now, I hope to capture little moments of my life, share the things I love as well as projects I am creating. I hope you will join me!


~Hong