Gratitude - June 10

 photo: unknown source via Walking Around Where the Sidewalk Begins

+ donut making until midnight.  who wants to be a taste tester?
+ going complaint free for 3 days and counting!
+ watching Kung Fu Panda 2 (loved it), The Hangover 2, and Easy A on netflix
+ guacamole taco, one of my best ideas yet (although I'm sure I'm not the first!)
+ your sweet comments on my last post, thank you!

As of right now, I can't think of any plans I have for the weekend, but I'd love to pack a straw bag like the one above.  The weather has been a little unusual in LA but hopefully the sun will come out again. Other than that, I'm hoping to fry up more donuts and make other goodies. What do you have planned?  Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Gratitude - May 20

Some things that made me smile this week...
+ getting an old disposable camera developed.  the photo above is from three years ago!
+ completing a little project that I can't wait to share with you guys (in June!)
+ coming up with donut catering ideas... yum. 
+ Vosges bacon milk chocolate bar 
+ learning how to use my camera in RAW
+ jogging for 30 minutes straight! first time in my life, really.
+ receiving a pair of beautiful shoes!! (pictures this weekend?)
+ making gougeres!

Tomorrow I get to dress up as a book character for work, which I'm a little excited about.  It's so fun watching their faces light up and getting tons of little hugs. What do you have planned this weekend?  Hope you have a lovely one. 

Gratitude - Jan 17

Last week I…
+ baked a brioche pastry with mixed berries and custard
+ baked a brioche loaf
+ baked a boule
+ made this lasagna with pasta from scratch
+ made fresh fettucine with a tomato sauce from scratch as well
+ tried on various panama hats (without much success)
+ wore short sleeves due to the 80 degree weather
+ bought a pair of running shoes
+ ran half a mile (the most I've run since high school)
+ caved in and bought some eyeshadow primer (part of my "take better care of my appearance" resolution)
+ wore makeup over the weekend. All because I finally bought that eyeshadow primer! 

This week I will...
+ do a thorough cleaning and purging of things I don't need
+ bake more bread... so good for breakfast.
+ work on Valentine card designs
+ run a mile...!

Gratitude - Jan 10

 

+ Dinner at Melisse with my family
+ The next night's dinner at Park's BBQ (with the sighting of a reality star)

+ wearing my oxfords out for the first time
+ receiving a pair of lovely brown boots from my aunt. she couldn't fit anything else in her suitcase and gifted them to me :)
+ watching pushing daisies on netflix (unfortunately just finished the series)

Gratitude - Oct 29

+ Traditional Chinese dinner for my brother's birthday.  My mom cooked everything!  She's thinking about starting a food blog, too.

+ Finishing my first silver project in jewelry class!  It doesn't look too great but I feel a bit accomplished.  

+ Blogging 5 days this week!

+ Snagging a chambray button down shirt from the J. Crew outlet for a steal.

+ Bringing my little thyme plant back to life (it wasn't doing so well outside).

+ Doing lots and lots of head hurting research for my stationery line.  I swear I'm almost there...!

This weekend I'm going to attempt to take some photos for a secret project, finish buying supplies for my stationery, and, most exciting of all, eat at Animal this Sunday.  I'm not a big fan of Halloween so instead Gary and I are going out to dinner to celebrate him becoming a certified personal trainer.  What about you?  Anyone dressing up for Halloween?

Gratitude - Oct 9

+ listening to Lissie, whom I discovered from a mix CD Mallory sent me.  Thanks, Mallory!
+ watching Julie and Julia, which I totally loved and want to watch again (but skip through the Julie parts).
+ making tuscan white bean soup and apple pie.
+ starting my life list.
+ working on new patterns to turn into… don't know yet!

Things have been pretty hectic over here, hence the lack of blogging.  Also, I often wonder what direction I'd like this blog to go in which results in no posts.  But as I learned from Julia Child, I need to be fearless!  I often over think just about everything and approach everything with hesitancy. But, no more!

This weekend is supposed to be warm and sunny, so hopefully I'll be able to take some photos.  I haven't touched my camera in weeks and miss it!  What are your plans for the weekend?

Gratitude - Sept 17

(garden roses)

Such a exciting and busy week! So much going on that I've been taking mandatory naps. (Except that I just had an Inception-like dream today)  Here are some highlights from the week:

+ Creative, inc. book party at Urbanic! So great to go down to Abbot Kinney. The food trucks were out, perused pretty papers, and we got to meet Joy and Meg! And of course, they were as sweet as could be.
+ Big Wave by Jenny and Johnny.  I've had this song on repeat for days now.  Her voice is just perfect.
+ Getting a new iMac. Love. 
+ Exciting news that I'm not sure I could/should share just yet... :)
+ Leaving for Vegas tomorrow!

Gratitude - Sept 10

San Francisco, May 2008

This week, in a nutshell, was just amazing. And I still have the weekend to enjoy! It's times like these I feel very fortunate for everything in life. I'll stop with the cheesiness and just list some tidbits from the week.

+ Jewelry making class.  Even though it's 3 hours long right after a full shift at work, it's so incredibly fun and relaxing.  Our first project isn't the most exciting for me, but it's very refreshing to make something with my hands.
+ I woke up to the nicest e-mail I've received in a very long time!  Her words were so heart warming and encouraging that I literally hopped right out of bed due to excitement. (If you're reading this, you know who you are!)
+ Being chosen as employee of the month.  Okay, so I don't really talk about my day job here too much, but I was recently promoted and I'm really enjoying it.  I get to order in cool products and have a moderate amount of freedom in merchandising items.  Just this week, our store manager (I work at a book store) announced that I was chosen as the employee of the month.  Part of me knows it's just a cheesy corporate thing they do to boost morale, but the other part of me is happy that my work is appreciated. Plus I get a prize!  

+ Gloomy weather.  LA cooled down a bit this week to the mid 60s, low 70s.  The sun was hiding and I enjoyed every moment of it.  But now the sun is back and the temps are rising back to the 90s tomorrow. I love grey, overcast weather; it makes me appreciate the sunny days even more. 

This weekend I have lots of work on my plate, including getting screens burned for some screen printing, ordering stationery supplies, and trying out some new jewelry designs I've been working on. I'm hoping to squeeze in some leisure too, like a picnic or a visit to the natural history museum.  What are your plans for the weekend? 

Gratitude - aug 30

Finding time to blog has been a little tough lately. Between working full time, starting my stationery line, and starting school (today!), things are feeling a little hectic. Thankfully the summer heat has died down and I can be a little more productive than just wanting to melt into a puddle.
This past week has been wonderful.  It's easy for me to start feeling down but last week I've been shown how fortunate I am to have such great friends and an amazing boyfriend (I'm trying my hardest not to sound too sappy but I can't help it.) Here are the highlights of one of the best weeks I've had in a long time!
- celebrating my birthday with a delicious seafood dinner and the San Diego Zoo!
- a surprise birthday dinner with my dearest friends (that my boyfriend secretly planned!) at my favorite restaurant
- eat pray love
- stationery progress (more on that later)
- all the lovely gifts I received including a Baggu backpack, DNTX bag, perfume...
- farmer's market goodies shown above. the two little tomatoes are from my plant!

How was your weekend? Do anything fun?

Gratitude - Aug 16

Whoops, sort of disappeared for a week.  I was feeling pretty lethargic and didn't get much done. But now it's a new week and I hope to be more productive.  I did have a chance to make pickles and kale chips... but that's about it. I took some photos but they didnt come out so I'm hoping to try again tomorrow. In the mean time, here are some old photos I found on my computer.  Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

tulips

some knick knacks, perfume, my favorite candle (volcano no. 6), and a for me, for you necklace

caprese salad (my brother went overload on the balsamic vinegar), cheese and crackers, and salami

 a rainbow on my ceiling

Some gems from the past week:

+ new Intelligentisa cafe in my neighborhood

+ making pickles for the first time

+ visiting Art Center... so much talent!

+ getting more paper samples for my stationery

+ summer has finally come to LA!

+ also, thank you for all your kind comments on my outfit post (and all comments I receive, really). I'm hoping to make it a weekly thing to get myself out of this clothing rut!

August Weekend

Hello, hope you all had a nice weekend.  This post is coming up a little late because I went on a little trip to Las Vegas with two of my best girl friends.  One is moving to Chicago for grad school in less than a month so we had to plan a little something.  It was so fun and relaxing.  One of my favorite things to do there is eat at the amazing buffets.  I am not a fan of buffets except for in Vegas, and the Bellagio did not disappoint. 

I didn't snap very many photos because I didn't want to bring my camera.  Instead here are a couple shots from my phone.  One thing I wish I did take a picture of was the beautiful desert on the drive over.  Miles and miles of nothing but rocks, cacti, and mountains.  So calming.

Gratitude - Aug 2

+ leisurely walks at sunset
+ exposition park, rose garden, california science center
+ paper samples, color schemes, pricing quotes
+ inception. wow! not usually my kind of movie (I'm easily frightened!) but I enjoyed it very much
+ "office" nail polish from american apparel
+ so grateful for my comfortable (but sorta ugly) work shoes. no more aching feet!

Gratitude - July 26

+ my first ripe tomato!  Small but packed with flavor.
+ Renegade LA this past weekend (pictures to come)
+ amazingly delicious lunch at Gjelina... so good.
+ belgian waffle with powdered sugar and nutella. perhaps too much of a good thing
+ registering for a jewelry making class this fall!
+ playing with fiber reactive dyes... lots of ideas in the works
+ birthday party with lots of great homemade food like Thai curry, Peruvian aji de gallina (that my boyfriend made!) and Korean japchae, to name a few

(I ate a lot of great food this past week....)

Gratitude - July 12

+ hanging art work (above)
+ working mornings!
+ this song... on repeat all weekend long
+ starting on my quilt
+ whole living magazine
+ reform school and intelligentsia coffee
+ 8 tomatoes on my plant!

Gratitude - June 20

+ a very happy birthday to my boyfriend
+ successfully making donuts for the first time
+ making fresh pasta! 
+ new job opportunities
+ growing friendships
+ spending quality time with my mom
+ mini golfing and arcade playing
+ getting lucky and finding 2 tokens, a nickel, and a ticket at the arcade!
+ delicious food and fun times watching game 7 at tony's darts away
+ receiving beautiful peonies
...I am so, so lucky :)

Gratitude - May 8

+ I'm going to Australia!  Tickets were on sale so I thought, why not?  I have lots of relatives living in Sydney; I used to live there too.  I'm so excited for meat pie, tim tams, real scones (and not the dry crumbly bricks we have here), king island cream, cordial... and seeing my family of course!
+ Did some research on growing plants in an apartment.  When I come back I'm determined to grow cherry tomatoes, lots of herbs, arugula, and micro greens!
+ The weather has been so nice and warm this week.  Now if only I could have fit in that picnic...
+ My stationery line will be up when I come back from Australia, but I'm determined to show a sneek peek before I leave!
+  I got a curling iron a few weeks ago and it's totally changed how I feel about my hair.  Amazing how something so small can make me incredibly happy!
+ Saw a shooting star while driving home today.  I feel so lucky.

Gratitude - April 2

Where does the time go?  I spent this whole week exhausted, either sleeping or barely functioning at work.  I'm starting to feel better though so hopefully I'll be back to my usual self soon.  Apologies for missing last weeks gratitude post, I went out of town for the weekend. That's probably a big factor as to why I'm so tired...

 + She & Him concert!!!  Yes, that is a photo I took of Zooey myself.  Unfortunately this was the only picture that came out! The concert was simply amazing.  I knew I'd love seeing Zooey in person, but M. Ward leaves me at a loss for words.  Watching him perform left me in awe.  I still can't think of any words to describe the feeling other than amazing!
+ Las Vegas for the weekend!  A small group of friends and I went out to celebrate our friend's college graduation.  The whole trip was fun and exhausting.  The first few times I went it felt like a different world, but sadly the novelty is slowly wearing off.
+ Finishing my dress from Built by Wendy Dresses.  I made this dress specifically for the She & Him concert.  It was a lot of work considering I haven't sewed any garments in about two years! I was planning on taking photos right before I left but running on my typical schedule I did not have time.
+ Street Feast at Americana.  Another fun yet tiring day.  Finally got to try Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches though!  Funnily enough, my boyfriend went to high school with the owner's sister.  We tried a few other trucks but my main goal was Coolhaus! I got the red velvet with brioche.  Really delicious.
+ Hiking at Griffith Park.  My friend and I had never gone before, so it was a bit of an experiment.  We didn't know where to park or which trail to take but everything turned out fine.  The weather was lovely and the hike wasn't too strenuous.

Gratitude - March 19

+ very, very thankful to be healthy and have a roof over my head.  there was a small earthquake at the start of the week that really jolted me.
+ also very thankful for my wonderful boyfriend who always makes sure i feel safe and protected.  (i was a wreck after the tiny 4.4 earthquake we had!)
+ my pretty pretty fabric from downtown LA.  got some nice linen and heather ross fabric for a dress I'm making!
+ fried plantain.  Need I say more?
+ the warm weather that has arrived! almost time to dip into the pool!

Gratitude - March 12

Where did the time go?  Two Fridays passed by with no gratitude post.  For some reason I always fall off the blogging wagon.

+ successfully baking challah and cinnamon rolls
+ my mom coming back home from australia safe and happy
+ tim tams, cordial, twirl, flake, monte carlos... yum!
+ giving my mom's room a mini facelift: two euro shams (that I sewed myself!), new silvery-sage quilted coverlet, and a series of old photos of the family
+ the look on my mom's face when she opened her door
+ when one of the cafe leads told me he would be more than happy to help collect/recycle gift cards :)
+ the story of stuff book!
+ she & him's new music video for "in the sun"
+ starting up a new gym routine
+ rain and sunshine and wind.  variety in LA weather!
+ surviving the 10 days I was on my own, and not living off of instant noodles and stir fry's at that!

gratitude - feb 19

 

+ successfully baking sunny-side up apricot pastries (up above) from ABi5 three times!

+ co-workers that make working until 3 am fun!
+ my mom telling me "I like bread like this" (twice!) when she tried my freshly baked bread.  This is a big compliment coming from her.
+ Chinese New Year dinner with the family and all the traditional food we only eat about once a year.