Sorting Recyclables

Ever wonder how your recyclables get sorted? My city uses a single stream recycling system, and I never believed that every piece would go to the right place. I foolishly imagined a bunch of people sorting trash all day!



(source: green LA girl)

a little inspiration

Sunny Bates on Linchpins, Passion and Fear from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

The Story of Stuff Book

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but right now I work at a bookstore part time.  One of the obvious upsides is always being updated on the latest books.  Right as I was about to pick up Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, I found the book version of The Story of Stuff on the very same table.  I didn't even know a book was in the works!  Since I was so enamored with the online video, I immediately went for this one instead.  Unfortunately, to be honest, I've been having a hard time getting through it!  I love reading non-fiction but sometimes it's either a little dry or the truth is just a little depressing to swallow.  I've barely made a dent but I'm determined to finish it! 

Lately I've come to realize how passionate I am about the environment and learning how to live more sustainably--more so than I ever thought I would!  I proudly called myself a tree hugger as a child but never thought I'd hope to somehow make it a career.  All those recycle-reduce-reuse commercials really did something to me after all.  My biggest wish is for people to understand that you don't have to live like a "hippie" to lessen your impact on the environment.  There are many small changes we can make to our current lifestyle that will not only lighten the load on the planet, but also have the potential to enrich our lives even more so.  This is the only place we can live, so why not take care of it, and ourselves, at the same time?

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!

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!