DIY 賀壽 DIY Birthday Treats
多年前我做了一個決定，不再給老公購買生日禮物，改為在他生日時為他做一件事。今年他的生日，我為他安裝了一塊窗紗。
Years ago, I decided to stop buying birthday gifts for my husband and instead opted to do something for him on his birthday. This year, I made him a piece of window sheer.
老公的書房一直配備黑色捲簾，白天陽光猛烈時，打開窗簾太曬，落下窗簾卻又太暗，於是他請我在捲簾後加一層窗紗。我拆下捲簾，將位置挪出一些，然後在後面安裝一條窗簾路軌，再裁剪出合適大小的窗紗，用衣車縫合布邊，最後掛在路軌上。這並不是一項複雜的工程，但我能夠充分發揮我的木工與縫紉技能。
His study has been equipped with a black roller blind. However, when the blazing sun would pour in during the day, opening the blind resulted in an overwhelming flood of light while shutting it would make the room too dark. So, when he mentioned his desire for an extra layer of sheer behind the blind, I was up for the challenge. I took down the roller blind, shuffled its position, installed a curtain track behind it, and tailored a piece of sheer curtain to fit just right. Finally, I hung the sheer curtain on the track and reinstalled the roller blind. It wasn’t a complicated project, but it did give me a chance to fully utilise my woodworking and sewing skills.
至於生日晚餐，我試驗了幾個新食譜，包括青口湯、煎牛扒，後者配以一個用開心果與火箭菜拌成的牛油，味道棒極了！
As for the birthday dinner, I dabbled in a few new recipes. I made Mussel Soup and Pan-seared Steak served with a yummy butter blended with pistachios and arugula – absolutely delightful!
此外，每年均親手為老公做生日蛋糕的我，今年決定改變戲路，做了一個「蘋果玫瑰」甜品。我倆在農曆年期間實在吃得有點滯，如果弄生日蛋糕，恐怕有點難消化。這個甜品非常成功，既美味又漂亮！
Finally, instead of baking a birthday cake as I do every year, I decided to shake things up and made Baked Apple Rose for dessert. Given our recent overindulgence during the Lunar New Year, a cake seemed too heavy. The Apple Rose proved to be a hit – both in taste and presentation!
能把我的DIY愛好用來慶祝老公生日，實在是一大樂事！
Being able to weave my DIY passion into celebrating my husband’s birthday fills me with immense joy!
