Volume Two

It's no secret that She & Him are one of my very favorite artists to listen to. Their first album, Volume One, is constantly on repeat and it never gets old.  Volume Two comes out comes out March 23, just a week and a day from now! Posted above is the video for their first single, 'In The Sun'.  And if you liked that, you can listen to their whole album thanks to npr right here.

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!

Clogs

 For months now, clogs have slowly been working to the front of my mind. I couldn't decide whether I thought they were too ugly, too clog-y (if that makes sense), or the perfect counterpart to sweet dresses with peter pan collars and floral prints. But what really sealed the deal were the recently released photos of Alexa Chung's collection for Madewell. And now I definitely need a pair.

 

(top to bottom: Alexa Chung for Madewell, Ugglebo from Studio Choo, and Swedish Hasbeens)

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.

Creating Happiness

I've been compiling a list of things that make me happy because lately I haven't been feeling too great.  After reading this post, I've decided to follow suit and change my attitude by, duh, doing things that actually make me happy!  It sounds so simple but after coming up with the list I realized I haven't done many of these things in a long time.  (Except for baking.  I've been baking practically every day since I bought the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  But that's for another post.)
+ baking
+ going to museums
+ picnics
+ a walk in the park
+ dressing up
+ making things
+ discovering little independent shops
+ taking pictures

So now that I have this little list, I'm going to keep on adding to it and hopefully accomplish them on a more regular basis.  Maybe the bigger ones twice a month and the smaller ones twice a week?  Not quite sure yet but anything is more than what I'm doing now.

Gratitude - Feb 12

 

+ learning how to make bread! I bought the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and it's just about amazing.  My first attempt came out so well I almost wanted to shed a tear simply because I thought it was something I'd fail miserably at. So far I've only made a boule and baguette, but next on my list are bagels and pretzels!

+ Celebrating Valentine's Day.  I surprised my boyfriend with dinner, something I've never done for him!  He is a professionally trained chef so you can imagine how nerve wracking it was.  Everything turned out (for the most part) pretty alright. 

+ Rain!  I love the rain.  I don't belong in LA.  

+ having a clean room.  sadly, this is something i struggle with.  But it's the best feeling to open the door and see nothing on the floor!

Gratitude - Jan 29

+ She & Him's new single.  I'm going to see them at the end of March!
+ Baking these delicious chocolate chip cookies.  Everyone at worked loved them and were gone almost instantly.
+ Baking scones in celebration of Australia Day (not American style scones!).  Now if only I could get my hands on some fresh double cream.
+ Thoughts on happiness by Simple Lovely.  It has been a hard few days with no particular reason why.  This was just what I needed to read.
+ Excited about next week.  I finally have some time off from work to collect myself and my thoughts.  And I'm getting a hair cut! 

Gratitude - Jan 22

+ rain! lots and lots of rain.  I love the rain. 
+ keeping in touch with old friends
+ being told I am "very thorough" with my work! :)
+ baking delicious (if i do say so myself) strawberry cupcakes
+ bringing said cupcakes to work for my coworkers to enjoy
+ practicing calligraphy
+ delicious Peruvian food made exactly the way I like it--lomo saltado, extra crispy fries on top of grass fed beef.  with a little green sauce/aji on the side of course!
+ going through old Martha Stewart Living magazines
+ thinking of new ideas for my favorite holiday, valentines day.  Bevermind all the commercial stuff, at one point it wasn't considered a hallmark holiday!
+ finally getting a planner for 2010, the moleskine color a month!

Gratitude - Jan 15

 + babycakes NYC opening in LA
+ Make Up For Ever HD Foundation... amazing!
+ SONOSings

+ getting my copy of Burda WOF at work! And no 2 month delay!
+ being employee of the week for my attempts at "going green" at work
+ realizing that little things can make a big impact on my attitude, like new foundation (I don't really wear makeup anymore) and a new sweater (haven't gone clothes shopping for myself in a long time).  I will take a little more time out of my day to get ready because those extra 5-10 minutes make a huge difference in how I carry myself for the rest of the day. 

+ the painting above.  because it was a bit of a pain but a lot of fun at the same time.

New Boots

Did I ever tell you that I got the boots?  At first I was unsure of what the quality would be like, but I can safely say that they feel really sturdy and supple at the same time.  I walked into my nearest Madewell and saw them in the window.  When I asked a sales associate upstairs she said those were the last pair, and thought they were a size 10!  But she said to ask someone downstairs to double check, and as luck would have it they were my size!  The last pair in my size.  I think it was meant to be.  The look so cute with my new woolly marled socks that I've been dreaming about pairing them with.  Maybe I'll do an outfit post tomorrow. (photos by me)