whiskey and women

Saturday Love

2011-12-29T06:52:00.000-08:00

Can't get enough of this.

Cowichan Sweater

2011-12-08T11:25:00.001-08:00

So, I did it. I made that quintessential kitschy sweater that seems to solidify knitterly dorkdom, but whatever. I love this thing.

It took me almost a year to make, even though it really only took a couple days. It's just that there were those months in between those days during which no effort was being put into this sweater. I even got to the point where I was considering just using the yarn for some other knitting project--I lost my way. But only for a little bit. Somehow I got back on the right path towards this cowichan sweater.

And I have this thing where I like to reflect on what I was doing/what I was thinking when I made one project or another. So for this, here are the sweater shoutouts, without which none of this would be possible.
1. Thanksgiving vacation from work, including the bus ride down to my parents' house.
2. Radiolab
3. Howl's Moving Castle
4. Marwencol
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Original Soundtrack

best week ever. seriously.

2011-08-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

i can't remember the last time i've taken a vacation, but good lawd have i been missing out. getting in real family time, meeting the sweetest baby girl in the history of all baby girls, eating filipino food till i die, running pointless errands (which i love doing). i've got workaholic roots, but if i could vacation every month i'd be the happiest little clam. so in absolutely the wrong order, a series of photos from the best week ever.

1. this week was mostly the best ever because my sister gave birth to literally the most adorable baby i've ever set eyes on. i am not being biased, it is a fact that this baby is the cutest in the world. my sister is amazing. this baby is amazing. both are understatements.

2. my dog has gotten fatter. it's true. but i still love her and her snoring. this is her hiding from my sisters dog, who has way more energy than my little fatty.

3. TUMMY TIME IS THE BEST TIME. i can't even look at this picture, its just too fucking cute.

4. in all the hustle and bustle of the week, i managed to rip myself away for a day trip to richmond, because good god i've missed it more than i ever thought i would. my heart literally aches for this place, so when i was driving around the streets i know like the back of my hand, i was happy, heartbroken, and excited all at the same time. oh richmond. there really aren't any words.

5. ube shakes! all for me! syke. because they're terrible for you. but the one i did have was as amazing as anticipated, and next time i will get the tapioca pearls. because wtf was i thinking saying no to the tapioca pearls.

6. i walked into my closet today and noticed that 90% of my shoes are black. which is fantastic, considering this month i've accumulated three more pairs of black shoes. flats, small heels, and bigger heels. what? I NEEDED THEM.

7. okay, are you kidding me? look at this face. actually, look at those cheeks. actually, don't, because you're face might melt off from all the cuteness hitting you at once.

8. filipino food can be so so wrong, but really, who cares. because cooked blood is delicious, and filipino food tastes like home, and even if uncle whoever is causing deafness in my right ear from his karaoke ballads, i'd rather be sitting in that hot little restaurant eating this food than eat anywhere else.

vacations are rad.

sisters!

2011-07-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

i had a fantastic getaway to d.c. this weekend, where i took this pic with my sis. after a long, sweaty, hustly bustly day, there was nothing better than sitting in this perfect restaurant, drinking a perfect smoothie, and eating perfect sandwiches. i miss it already.

Strawberry Loves Lemon

2011-06-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

The popsicle madness in my life is apparently just beginning! And I guess it's the right time, as there's inspiration everywhere. Avocado popsicles sound so refreshing, and I can't wait for peach season to start so I can make these (I could just go to the store, but peaches straight from a farm taste infinitely better). In the meantime, I happened to have a whole bag of lemons and a pint of strawberries. Out of that came:
strawberry lemonade popsicles consumed for breakfast (note the epic morning light!)
and a sweet little glass of strawberry lemonade.

FRESH

2011-06-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am in full-on summer mode. Got myself:

a shorts tan from all the outside strolling
a month pass to the swimming pool (after that I'll be in Arlington, so I'll have to hunt down a pool there)
SPF everything!
popsicle molds and some recipes at the ready (yup, that's a creamsicle pop made with some O.J., Greek yogurt, and honey)
new sandals to go trekking through yo' lawn!

New and Old

2011-06-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

Soon I'll be heading out of this town I've called home for the last ten years and rooting myself in a busy little city two hours further north. I'm nervous and excited and am already plotting how to make my experience there the kind I want it to be. My first step towards building a home is finding a home. High rises make me anxious, so those are out. Actual houses are maybe a bit too much responsibility right now (not to mention a little out of the budget), so those are out as well. So in comes this:
Thank God for garden apartments. I'm hoping it all works out and that I haven't just cursed myself, but if it does work out and the curse didn't stick, then more pictures will be coming in the future.

Now for the old. Or the newer-ish stuff from an old favorite (or old favorites--Michael Jackson and Little Wings).

yea!

2011-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

how is this website even fair. if you put any kind of clothing on a tiny, adorable, asian girl, of COURSE i'm going to buy it, with the rationale of "if i buy this, i will look like this." MAKE IT STOP!

http://www.yesstyle.com/en/home.html

i'm just trying to be cool, cool, cool

2011-05-06T19:55:00.001-07:00

when i first heard this song, i was all like "uh uh, oh hellz no, this is all kinds of mess that i can't understand."

fast forward to a recent am shift where my coworker has his ipod in, this song kicks in, i perk up for a second and realize i actually really, really like it. i don't know what happened, but i guess hearing it in the morning, with no one around me to judge, just bouncin along to an irresistibly cute hook, made me realize, hey, it's not so bad. this song has so many haters ( i was one ), but seriously, how can you even deny this catchy shit. you know you're going to rewind this after it plays out. just let it happen. haters gonna hate.

lately

2011-04-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

table jukebox in a small, filthy little diner. we expected amazing things, but were met with complete awfulness in a sea of grumpy old people. initially i stuck some coins in and played 'my guy' by mary wells, and then in spite of the stinky old diner and the stinky old people, i played 'teenage dream,' and 'back that ass up.' both of which provided a satisfying awkward feeling across the whole restaurant. it's the little things.

opening ceremony can do no wrong. also, i never thought i could be into a guy with neck tattoos, but this awkwardly skinny babe proves me wrong. also, this song is my new spring/summer jam.

Une Pomme Est Une Pomme from Opening Ceremony on Vimeo.

oh, and, step clap go! is totally cute. opening ceremony, plz adopt me. i want to be a part of all you do.

Step, Clap, Go! from Opening Ceremony on Vimeo.

PAAARRRTYYYY

2011-04-22T15:10:00.001-07:00

okay, so i love the song, but this video is FUCKING AMAZING. caps lock required. i need to find the 22 minute version, because i love just the 5 minutes already.

Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise - Free Music Videos - Top Songs

ze lotto

2011-04-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

today was one of those days where all things just turned out absolutely perfect. i had a half day at work, the morning which was spent sitting in a meeting gussied up in new jersey, the weather was amazing which i actually got to enjoy whilst walking around downtown, where i happened upon a tasty bakery, a total magazine heaven/ hole in the wall, found my beloved kombucha which i've missed so much, as well as a pretty good asian grocery store! i also had time to fancy up my apartment AND have a delicious home cooked dinner! all in all, an amazingly perfect day. now im sitting here with a goopy mint mask on my face, reading through my magazine treasures and feeling pretty dang good. i feel bad for not having taken more pictures lately through all my adventures, but i think ill start up again, esp since my iphone makes it all so much easier. but for now, just some new music i'm listening to

ALSO. i won on one of those scratch of lottery things! two dollars! :) i find that it doesn't really matter how much you won, it's just that you won at all.

that's whyy

2011-03-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

life has been nuts lately. but i baked a batch of blueberry muffins perfectly this morning, started up some laundry thats smelling up the place something nice, and i'm finally starting to find a little bit of consistency.

this song always made me think of a very specific part of my life. it was a fun part of my life, but i always find that for me, reminiscing (regardless of good or bad) is always a bit heartbreaking. but this pumped up remix makes me listen to it in a different light.

2011-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

These songs make me forget it's still only March.

An Afternoon on Skyline Drive

2011-03-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

acorn + grass = nature's rugs

ahoy!

tiny succulents growing out of rocks

Just in time to wish cold weather a good-bye

2011-03-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

The pattern comes from this neat, little Bernat Irish Aran sweater pattern book from, I think, the 60s. I've been working on this sweater for not too long, but the period that elapsed between the weeks I worked on it were actually VERY long. So, about 2 years later, I have this sweater. Luckily, I finished it right before St. Patty's Day, so I was able to wear it then.

It's All Uphill From Here

2011-02-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

The weather has slowly been climbing to the 60s during the day, shoe are being worn without socks, a three-day weekend is fast approaching, and this concept/online playlist is fascinating me (right now I'm listening to the Sunday Morning mix). Also, I've had a lot of people in my life recently either have a baby or find out they're expecting, and with this population boom comes more knitting opportunities. Below are baby blankets that can be made from PurlSoho kits, which may be a bit much for my wallet, but are inspiring anyway.

private eyes are watching you

2011-02-05T18:13:00.001-08:00

in the midst of all the busy-ness at work, i've made it a point to continue working through my wardrobe in phases. i've done some serious damage as far as cleanout goes, and i think i'm finally in my last phase! i think i've sold all that is considerably cute, and now i have to gut out the old, weird things that no one should ever wear again, and donate it to one lucky (or unlucky) thrift store. i'm trying to get my closet down to things that i definitely wear. none of this "oh but i might wear it one day" stuff. just the nitty gritty. AND when i've finished my closet cleanse i've found THE perfect store to go to to bring my closet back into the right direction. only fantastic quality things, that i will somehow budget in. somehow. in the meantime, i window shopped with my friends at forever 21 for kicks ( i bought nothing! hooray!) and they played this song, which is now stuck in my head.

i usually don't like bird and the bee, but when they cover hall and oates i do :)

i got a fever

2011-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

and the only cure is pandan

Snow Days

2011-01-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

After a night of furious flurrying, the morning sky couldn't have been any more beautiful. At the same time, though, I'm torn between seasons. I keep thinking how wonderful it would be to be able to wear a dress and not freeze to death. But not long after I have that thought, I begin to plan a new knitting project. Right now I'm obsessed with this yarn and color, this lipstick, this book I got from the thrift store, these plants, and Italian food (due to watching this movie).

oh na na

2011-01-24T19:00:00.001-08:00

i've been feeling much more inspired lately than i have in several years. its odd to think it took this long to re-boot. maybe i'm seeing more things that speak to me lately, instead of boring me out of my misery. i've started keeping a journal. i think that it's doing amazing things in terms of sorting out all my thoughts. more importantly, i love this picture i took of my little fatty.

so regal. so alien-like.

Warm Hands Club

2011-01-08T12:03:00.001-08:00

After so many stockinette-heavy sweaters, I decided to go the opposite route for a while: mittens and gloves with varying degrees of cabling. This also gave me a chance to use up some of my scraps and get a feel for what makes a good mitten or glove.

Warm hands for the new year! But, of course, once one fascination has abated, another one rears is head. Now that hands have been taken care of, it'd be nice to have ensure ears are not forgotten. Inspired by the following Steve Alan beanies, it seems like chunkier knits are in my near future. I'm not complaining.

post-holidaze

2010-12-30T12:35:00.001-08:00

post-christmas, pre-new years is hardly enough time to relax, but since christmas was such a fantastic success this year, i'll just keep drinking peppermint tea and taking inventory on my presents this year. i got a bunch more stuff than is pictured, which i intended to document, but after the two i got distracted by sweets and coffee and forgot what i was doing.

penguin pj's to keep me warm when my snuggie just isn't cutting it. *not pictured: matching footies.

lush bath bombs! a whole tin gingerbread house worth! i can't wait to try them and get all wrinkled up and smelling good.

i'm off to cook up some new years desserts and drink down some wine while i do it. mazel tov!

Black Bottom Muffins

2010-12-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

But really, once you add all that wonderful cream cheese and a bunch of chocolate chips, they kinda become cupcakes. Muffincakes? What's in a name, anyway? It's all in the flavor.

Sorry for all pics but I do believe I'm in love with these things.

Lower Those Ears

2010-12-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

I've never been good at getting dolled up (the most I wear makeup-wise is usually concealer and some lipstick), but I always imagined that if I were a guy, I'd be well-groomed and somewhat high maintenance. Pomade, cologne, silk ties, etc. I love--and cringe--when, during an old movie, some dapper gentleman gets a straight razor shave. The shaving cream is always whipped up in a little bowl with a brush, of course. And while most guys don't care much about the whole wingtip-shoe-and-pocket-handkerchief image I'm talking about, at least they do have to get a decent haircut every now and then, right? After seeing this amazing post, I've been begging for a certain someone in NY to check out an old school barber shop just for the experience. I want to live vicariously through them. Think about it:

Want a cocktail with that shave? Try the The Blind Barber.

Maybe just something straight-up classy (hell, Steinbeck AND JFK made the trip to this barber shop)? May I recommend Paul Molé, Manhattan's oldest barber shop?

Memory Lane

2010-11-29T13:18:00.001-08:00

When I was in second grade, we would line dance our hearts out to this song during P.E. And I loved it.

And I thought Leroy Brown was scary and kinda awesome.

weekend off

2010-11-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

i don't care for summer at all, but this song and video make me wish it was.

but while we're stuck in winter, i suppose i'll keep warm in this

NaKniSweMo

2010-11-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

November was National Knit a Sweater Month (known to the knitting world as NaKniSweMo) and I decided to tackle the Acer Sweater. It knit up fairly quickly, which was good cause I still have Christmas gifts to turn my attention to.

There's nothing like a good, red wool cardigan.

Holiday Cookies, part 1 (hopefully more parts to come)

2010-11-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, after weeks of dreaming about crunchy peppermint and chocolate, I got off my butt and made some peppermint bark chocolate cookies.

Good recipe, though I used Starlight round peppermints instead of candy canes and I probably scared my downstairs neighbor smashing those things with a rolling pin. And one extra note, the butter should be room temperature. Yum!

teehee

2010-11-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

From Yokoo's shop. Mel, it's screaming your name.

happy halloween to me!

2010-11-03T15:41:00.000-07:00

oh lookie what we got here

i haven't been this happy about a purchase since. well. EVER. so so happy.

werq!

2010-10-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

this is fantastic! i get so sick of hearing bands with weak mumbly vocals and just a mess of instruments. this has such a clear, strong, commanding feel to it. whenever something comes out, i'll take one of each plz!

O Canada

2010-10-13T14:34:00.001-07:00

I love my job.

There was a contest in which each team was given a small amount of money to spruce up the workplace and we decided to turn one of the conference rooms into a cozy little Canadian ski lodge. It comes complete with bear rug, elk head, AXES, and a nice little fire place to warm up beside when the weather outside is frightful. And we won most creative!

la la la la

2010-10-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

fantastic! how adorable and amazing is this whole thing? i want to be here in this moment.

snap happy

2010-10-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

ever since my trusty old polaroid camera became pretty much obsolete, general documentation of fun in the sun has come to a total halt. and after waiting for far too long to find a replacement, i've finally gone in and purchased myself one of these little white instax cameras, just in time for a mini-trip to harrisonburg to visit my sister and get in some quality time with the parents!

im liking this

2010-09-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

though in the end when they run into the crowd, the audience looks confused. didnt know the lyrics?

Cover Them 'Bows!

2010-09-28T17:48:00.001-07:00

In an effort to save my bf's sweater, I decided to cover a growing hole in the elbow with a leather patch. The local fabric store didn't carry ready-made patches but did have leather scraps, so I bought some scraps and made my own! Leather's a pain, but an awl, a good old blanket stitch, and some entertainment (in the form of Sufjan's new album and Through A Glass Darkly) made it all okay.

Okay, now off I go to trivia!

This is the way we dance

2010-09-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

wyclef for prez. not.

2010-09-18T21:43:00.001-07:00

i have a brand spanking new empty ipod touch that i'm in the process of filling up, and after downloading the necessities (mike rizzy podcast, this american life, the moth), i started buckling down and parousing itunes for songs that i needed to round out my playlists. during my searches, i somehow managed to stumble across wyclef's greatest hits album, which kinda surprised me that he actually had a greatest hits album out. i remember liking wyclef at a time, but i had forgotten about him till now, and after retracing my steps via youtube, i unearthed some gems that i think i'll add to my ipod. wyclef, you aren't my favorite fugee, but i still like you.

Food for Thought

2010-09-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

I've always been more of a baker than a cook as baking just comes easier to me. Recipes seem easier to follow and I can pick up on baking techniques pretty quickly (specifically when working with pastries). But this doesn't mean I don't love cooked food; it just means I don't have that eye (or brain?) for it. There's a whole other set of techniques and flavors that I appreciate as a consumer (haha) but have a hard time replicating. I mean, I can churn out some good meals, but I'm no chef. I am and always will be an everyday kind of cook.

That said, cooking--because it comes off as a mysterious, elusive skill--fascinates me. So I've been reading about it, meaning cooking as an art form; a political platform; and a link to other cultures, other people, and the past.

Below are some of the magazines I've recently come across that feed my interest.

Gastronomica

Meatpaper

Some magazines have food issues that are also worth checking out, such as the March 2010 issue of Oxford American, and I'm pretty interested in this one as well.

getting over that hump

2010-09-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

i want/ i need?

2010-09-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

i've been on a mission for the past few weeks to get crazy healthy skin, since for all my years previously i have greatly abused it (not washing my makeup off! no spf! picking at my face!). this mission has led me through several cleansers, face creams, primers and samples of possible candidates, but all roads lead to here. the clarisonic mia. it's the key. i need it.

oh the claims are so so promising. gotta start saving my nickels and dimes!

high brow

2010-09-02T20:14:00.001-07:00

i've never quite realized it before, but i've amassed quite the load of makeup and beauty products. so in an effort to keep myself sifting through my inventory so i don't forget any old treasures, i'm gonna start reviewing some of my goods (oh, and to also increase consumer knowledge!). to kick off this round of reviewing, i'll start with Wet n' Wild's Arch Envy:

So I was compelled to buy this because my friend had recently bought the Anastasia Brow Fix pencil (which is amazing) and I wanted it so badly but couldn't really bring myself to spend $21 on brow gel. For some background, my eyebrows have a mind of their own. No they aren't crazy and un-tamed, but they like to spike up, spike down, spike sideways if they can throughout the day, so brow wax is like heaven to me. I used to use brow gel but I've had issues with it flaking, and that is never cute. SO, prowling through the aisles of Ulta for an alternative, I came upon this Wet n' Wild cheapo version and snagged it right up. Here's the brow wax side (obviously already used up a bit):

For the brow taming side, in comparison to the Anastasia pencil, it's definitely not as good. In terms of doing it's job for the price, it's pretty spot on. It applies easily and invisibly, and my brows for the most part stay in place (an occasional stray after several hours of work). I do have to say that after about 3 days of usage, this stuff wore down super fast, it made me wonder where all the product was going! The thing about the Anastasia pencil is that it has a more waxy consistency that practically glues your brows into place, but for Wet n' Wild's $2 price tag, I'll take my losses.

(brow liner swatches, L is slightly smudged, R is harder application)

Now for the brow liner part. This definitely does not get as much usage, pretty much for the sheer fact that it is completely the wrong color for me. My hair is black, and this brown color doesn't fade well into my stark black hair. In terms of consistency, it's really hard and not very easy to work with, so I'd much rather use eyeshadow for any brow filling I need.

Overall

For someone looking for a much much cheaper alternative to the Anastasia Brow Fix, I think this is a decent dupe. The brow color not matching was a bummer, but if you can find a color that matches your brows, even better! But considering I only really wanted the brow wax part of the pencil, I think $2 is still a nice deal. I am searching for a new replacement for my Wet n' Wild since I don't think it's gonna last me but another month, so I'll report back with some brow fixing finds.

Farewell Fête

2010-08-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

To bid a fond farewell to our dear Hari, who is moving to New York in a couple weeks, a couple of friends and I threw a formal-ish dinner party, complete with:

good old sloe-gin fizzes, Tom Collins, and a variety of wines,

red-wine-and-lingonberry-marinated game hens (not to mention pork jowl beans, sesame seed-encrusted seared ahi tuna, obatzda, homemade rye bread, etc.),

magic tricks,

red velvet cake with a mascarpone/cream cheese/fresh whipped cream frosting (served with caramel gelato from the Split Banana),

beautiful weather, a little Sam Cooke playing in the background, and wonderful, wonderful company.

snack machine

2010-08-26T18:49:00.001-07:00

my new favorite sweet treats:

i've already shown this on the blog you say?

booyah! nutella and delicious milky goodness come together in one tasty little hippo. don't get it twisted.

heed the directions, and plz microwave for 5 seconds, so you can have it at optimal deliciousness, i.e. :

melty, melty baby smores.

I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

dancing shoes

2010-08-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

what i like to do in my spare time, or anytime really

Crystal Renn from Dossier on Vimeo.

*crystal renn for the block

toaster pastry

2010-08-25T12:59:00.001-07:00

my recent breakfast of choice.

in other news, i did a closet cleanse and sold many many things, thus de-cluttering my closet and making me a richer woman! in much, much more exciting news, i'll be attending rock the bells this sunday, where i'll be seeing legends such as:

but yea, no big deal. SIKE. HUGE DEAL.

r&r

2010-08-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

a very excellent day off, if i do say so myself.

good morning desk! a cup of green tea to start the day and flipping through my blogroll.

oh hey there lady poodle. (i finally got a new desk lamp after many months of sitting way too close to my computer screen, so excited).

time to run some errands! what to wear what to wear.

that'll do. first things first though, lunch!

now what else

how about avocado, mahi mahi, cilantro hummus and sunchips? yes please and thanks. now those errands.

time to reorganize! i also picked up some hangers since i'm overhauling my closet, but that's not so exciting.

all my babies in one place! makes my heart so happy.

lippies.

gearing up for the cold weather with some yes to carrots for the bag.

such a cute little tub!

needed a new top coat to keep my nails laquered up for longer. i do not consider this part of breaking my ban.

okay now this is breaking my ban. BUT i did go into several clothing stores and did not purchase a thing, so for day 2 of the ban, i still consider the progress successful. slow and steady wins the race.

time for dinner and some apartment cleanup. microwaveable pad thai (which btw is really good) with the snazzy new chopsticks my beau gave me.

and done.

oo oo oo

2010-08-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

so so so so good

via the sunday best

a moment of clarity

2010-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

so as i began budgeting my expenses in the last few minutes before my bedtime i started wishing there was just a smidgen more in my account. and after trying to rearrange some numbers to make that happen, i have decided that it is absolutely necessary to commit to a spending ban for the next three weeks! yes, a month would probably be a better span of time, but i'll consider the month mark if i'm still sane after three weeks. now this isn't a totally strict ban, but basically i'm cut off from my 2 major indulgences: 1. clothing 2. makeup. i don't ever go nuts on groceries (i LIVE off of salmon burgers and avocado), and well, after clothing and makeup my money doesn't really travel anywhere else except my savings account and the occasional chocolate splurge. so here i am. what i'm really trying to do is just get this stupid computer since my dell is on the verge of pooping out, but i think this will be a good way for me to save up for fall goodies also (forget all this end-of-summer transitional doodoo). but anways, i have plenty of nice things that i already own that don't get enough play, so i think it's time to dust them off, and give my wallet some time to think about what it's done.

forecast

2010-08-22T18:14:00.001-07:00

i feel like i have so many things i want to post about (in particular some fantastic new makeup things i've stumbled upon, a couple fall purchases, and a new fave choco snack) and never the time of day to do it! but i have a mid-week weekend coming up, so i'll post and post some more until my life feels dull again. but until then, i've been doing a deep cleanse of my inspiration photos file on my computer, and am starting to refill it with some pictures i'll carry into the fall with me. i also need to switch up my photo collage collecting dust above my desk, but that's another day and a whole lot of magazines to rip through. so as discussed, some palate cleansing inspiration fo dat azz.

my fall looks like it's gonna be a whole lotta cozy

day of rest

2010-08-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

sometimes i enjoy doing lots and lots of nothingness for a whole day and it feels really good. and by nothing, i don't mean just sitting in a chair staring at the wall, i just mean nothing productive, but somehow still satisfying. for example, making several online carts of fall clothing, of which i will probably only purchase 2 things, or staring all day long at the new mac venomous villains swatches and making lists of things i will pre-order. also, eating chinese buffet and napping afterwards for a couple hours, after which i put on a skin firming face mask and watched youtube vids. i did manage to read a little, which is what led to the nap in the first place, but i consider this job research and thus some minor productivity.

this is one of the youtube videos i came across today, which peaked my interest because i had no idea this was an m.i.a. song even though i've heard it a hundred thousand times before at work. i always just thought it was some electro pop band, and it's kinda catchy, i don't hate it, i don't love it. it's alright, considering the rest of her album gives me panic attacks. anyways, it was linked in an article raving about her lip color, and i agree, it's a very beautiful red, i think because it's kind of metallic-y and whatever gloss is over it totally complements it. so now i'm on the hunt for this red, because at this point i need every shade of red ever created. must. have. all.

things i like

2010-08-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

im too lazy to bring the camera out, so i took a couple of gritty mac photos instead. these are some things i especially like this week, all of which are total essentials to get me through this week.

this is one of the sweet ass presents brought home from europe thanks to my big sis and her hubby. after spotting my blog post where i mourn my lack of nutella and go, they so graciously brought one back for me so i no longer have to live in agony. the day i open this will be a very special day. crunchy wafer stick things, a pocket of nutella, and a little sip of orange tea (which i heard isnt so tasty, but ill give it a shot). nom nom nom.

foreign fashion mags hooray! more loot from my sister/bro in law's european adventure. foreign mags without that pesky hiked up american price tag. i may not be able to read the magazines, but the pictures are 110% better than most of the u.s. magazines. my sis also got me some really pretty earrings that are dark purple with gold flecks, but when i tried to take a picture of them they weren't showing up how i wanted, but i wore them today and was loving their glam status.

i'm typically not a huge drugstore lipstick fan, but i was testing some out at target and i picked up 2 that seemed pretty promising. they're both reds, which is kind of ridiculous considering i already have 4,5, maybe 6 reds already, but they're completely different shades! i can't remember the other one i bought since it's over in my bag and i'm totally lazy right now, but this one is very cherry by maybelline and it surprised me but in a good way. it took a couple of swipes to get it totally opaque, but i've worn it all day and it's lasted really well and it's way more moisturizing than my nars lipstick, but not too slippery like my ysl tends to be. overall it gets a thumbs up. as for the shade, it's a nice bright red with just a tinge of a deep pinkish cherry, very pretty!

an attempt to show the color better. i was trying to hold my hair back cause it was doing a crazy spiky thing. red lip tip! pink blush does not look nice with red lips. ICK.

t-shirt loot! i've got myself a brand spanking new dj mike rizzy t-shirt which i'm totally excited about. GET IN THE KNOW, http://deejaymikerizzy.podbean.com/. sweet jams, simply good music.

give richmond the byrd! get it? support the byrd theatre, buy these sassy new shirts we just ordered up, come watch a movie, eat some popcorn, hear the organ, give us money!

as for the weekend, i'll be eating till i'm comatose at a chinese buffet for the bf's birthday, watching sex and the city 2 at the byrd, and doing some reasonable paycheck damage. also, i'll be adding my big sis to the blog so she can update her learning-to-sew adventures! sweet!

Open Your Eyes

2010-08-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

A few black and white images I love.

Joseph Szabo's Priscilla

Diane Arbus' Boy with Toy Hand Grenade

Still from Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep

oh, to be a cold cow on a farm

2010-08-03T17:08:00.001-07:00

the always-inspiring Ms. Hardy in that lovely leather

Fall is still just a bit off but I know what I'm going to be throwing myself into: leather. I can't pull off leather pants, but I'll do what I can with jackets and bags. And lots of bright red lipstick.

L.L. Bean Farnsworth Flats

Dooney & Burke Amazon Zip Zip Satchel

J. Crew Racing Jacket

favorites

2010-07-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

let's talk july specifics:

my favorite july snack, root beer floats (non-dairy of course).

my new favorite summertime staples, my travel size evian spray (who knew a spritz of water could make so much difference?), and my new pink nars lipstick which i love love love.

favorite blush for the summer, especially with that gold shimmer side, irresistible!

favorite july summer reads. getting in the know for autumn/winter, getting my daily dosage of menswear, and scoping out my industry. my only july complaint was that it was simply way too hot! my little ac can't even begin to compete.

Relaxation

2010-07-25T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a couple weekends ago when I headed down to the James River in Williamsburg, VA to chill with some friends. The journey down started with homemade donuts and whoopie pies from the farmer's market, so I knew it was going to be a fine time. And the soundtrack to the weekend was CCR and nothing but.
Did some fishing (with lots of help from my friend's dad who did all the bait work and casting...I just stood around holding the fishing rod and looking sleepy).
My homeys Riggs and Har fishing for minnows.
Life on the James River.

mid-summer lull

2010-07-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

i am well aware that we are in the midst of a ridiculously hot, humid summer, but i'm already getting anxious about upcoming fall purchases. i'll keep the list to a mere 2 considering i still have a ways to go till the acutal season, but these 2 things i consider necessary for a successful future in fall. maybe it's not actually just 2 things, but let's categorize.

1. everything from the Alexa Chung x Madewell collabo. i know that this may well take up a rather large chunk of my budget, but i'll go ahead and allow it. i even want that probably overpriced white tee with a bat on it. and while we're on the subject, i'd like whatever makeup the models are wearing too, thx.

2. mac's villainous villains collection. i feel like i'm already having panic attacks at the thought of this selling out. and i've already nerded out about my excitement for this launch with the mac counter lady (i know i know, get a grip). but i am literally setting aside a large sum of money for this, because i will be there day 1 of launch, and i will be buying this collection up like a crazy woman. since my birthday is in september and this is a september launch, i'll just count it as a personal birthday present and stop making excuses for myself. plus this shit is way cute, and if you deny it then you're either lying or prefer the princesses, which is lame. go back to disneyworld creampuff!

pictures from here. also where you can find the product list, so you'll have your shopping cart ready day of launch, but i'll still be in front of you at the counter, BOOYAH.

summer lovin

2010-07-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

i went to the beach a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to posting up the fun in the sun. everything about the beach makes me completely nostalgic, including the drive there and the way the air smelled, it was fantastic. not to mention hanging out with the best babes this side of the atlantic.

a little tadpole in the distance.

goody goody

2010-07-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

this girl sophie madeleine is way cute. she has a nice voice and plays the uke and i like her vibe. that's all for today.

buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh buh

2010-07-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

i really have nothing to discuss except for the fact that i'm ridiculously excited that big boi finally released his album today, after all that waiting and moving dates and mess. take that andre 3000! but i still love you. even if you broke erykuh badu's heart. jerk. ilu.

Dear Heart,

2010-07-02T06:02:00.000-07:00

Kinda in love with this group.

It's been a busy little week and I'm in a new apartment now! It's essentially the top floor of a converted house and is full of cobwebs and strange creaking noises coming from the wooden floors, but I'm in love with it regardless. My goal is to really make it feel like a home...so no more living like a vagabond, which to me really just means finally getting a damn couch. I'll post photos once it's in a state I'm remotely happy with.

Also, I've been filling the time I have between getting ready for bed and actually visiting slumberland with some reading. I've been indulging in probably way too many graphic novels, stories about liberated witches, and tales of time travel.
Love and Rockets
King Cat

Hotel & Farm

miseducation

2010-06-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

so i feel like all i've been writing about lately is music, but that's okay. i haven't had a whole lot of time lately to take any pictures or really make much, but life will get normal again soon. and then i'll have so much to post you'll be like, i miss the music stuff. RYTE. so anyways, i speedily read through a fantastic article on npr that included a recent interview with lauryn hill and rumblings of her possible return, and that made me 10 different types of happy, nostalgic, and eager to youtube everything i could find on her. a personal favorite:

the end is my favorite part of the song. although the whole song is totally amazing. why can't more people make music like this now. i'm stuck listening to katy perry ft. snoop dogg (WHY SNOOP DOGG??) on 4 different radio stations, who play it all at the same time. plz lauryn, end the k. perry, for me.

reeeeeeemix

2010-06-26T17:45:00.001-07:00

i'm not sure how this fantastic music project by levi's flew under my radar, but luckily i am now exposed to it and considering myself a better person with these songs in my life. the general idea of the project is to get a bunch of different artists from across the musical spectrum and have them "revive" the classic songs that influenced them. i admit, a couple i could do without, i.e. colbie caillat's flat version of blondie's maria, but here are some of my personal favorites, which i have already downloaded and am blasting into my earbuds. be prepared for video overload.

so so good.

ohh lawd, john legend. id like to shake his parents hands and say thank you.

majorly cute. minus the boots.

raspy central. i still like it.

bang bang bang

2010-06-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

oh hi q-tip, looking way super fantastic and impeccably groomed. but srsly who's the hood rat on the right. barf. teasing gone awry.

la di da

2010-06-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

phew it's been a busy, busy week. but finally, i feel a bit of relaxation sitting here at my little desk listening to this bit of music.

i've only ever heard the fast album version, but i like it just as much. although i have the trailer for sofia coppola's new movie to thank for turning me onto this sleepy time alternative.

that is all. good night!

go go go

2010-06-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

so i feel as if i've been really busy, but in actuality i just forced myself to do a major overhaul of the apartment which pretty much consumed all the free time i had after work. woops. but in the hustle of bustle of cleaning up and my promotion (yay!), i did manage to pick up a few new things to replace all the bags of trash i had sitting at my door.

1 of 2 friendship bracelets sent to me from my sister (i have to fix the clasp on the other one, but it's a maroon color with gold beads). even though i haven't had these very long, i feel really naked if i don't have them on me. thanks sis!

these things aren't necessarily new, but i thought i'd throw it in here. what i wore today. keeping it cozy.

thankfully for my bank account i didn't buy all of this this week, but it's all of my new-to-the-makeup-bag things that i'm particularly pleased with. the eyeshadow up top is coming out way darker than it really is, but if you're interested, it's called punchy from mac's to the beach collection. some pastel nail polishes, a smoky gray eyeshadow quad, a peachy blush, and a sheer peach lipstick to round it all out. i might do swatches and reviews and things.

i'm considering these magazines part of work expenses since three of them are men's fashion magazines, and my job requires i be up to date with men's clothing. which, while i'm on the subject, my barnes and nobles needs to up the ante on the men's magazines, the selection is total shit. but i forgive you a little for always having russh.

next week will be a bit busy as well, but i'm on the prowl for a new camera, which means more pictures (since i won't have to steal my bf's anymore)! hooray!

Solid Gone

2010-06-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Make sure you turn it up, but I had to add this. Go 'head on, Carter Family.

Built By Melinda

2010-06-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to take a shot at this Built by You pattern (well, a fusion of the 2 styles) after seeing this beautiful blouse by Nadinoo, though my attempt at fabric covered buttons was a humiliating failure. In the end, I tore the fabric off and left the buttons to shine in all their shameless, silver glory. Hussies.

On the upside, this project reconciled me with the button hole function on my sewing machine. I'm sorry I ever said one bitchy word against you, my dear, dear friend!

Running On Fumes

2010-06-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

My success in staying awake today relies heavily on my ability to pound coffee and listen to sassafrassy music at high volume.

If It's Good Enough For Momma

2010-06-01T21:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the bad pics but I really should be in bed right now anyway. I wanted to show what I've been coveting (or the idea of it anyway): Mom jeans. And yes, these are mamaduke's Liz Claiborne's.

It all started when Mel and I were in New York and while waiting in line to get into this sushi restaurant, this girl walks by with the most incredible jeans. High waisted with a tapered leg and emphasis on the hip and thigh. Probably unflattering, but either way, it was love at first sight. "Where can I get jeans like that?" I kept hounding Melanie, "please, give me some insight!" To which she replied, "I dunno, but they look like mom jeans." So, when I went home this weekend, I raided Mom's closet and came out with these. Forget boyfriend jeans; bring on the pancake butt!

And I realized that I'm wearing my dad's nice old leather belt in the pic, too. Weird.

tea for tue

2010-06-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Some tuesday things, for a monday-like tuesday.

I bought a little box of chocolate macarons from Whole Foods on real Monday as a little memorial day present to myself. They aren't as good as the ones I got for my birthday, but still darn tasty. Next time I think I'll try the mini whoopie pies, they're the new cupcakes y'know.

I'm in the last swipe of my MAC stick foundation and thought I'd give something else a try. I looked up a million and one reviews of Revlon's ColorStay (since I like to be an informed consumer!) and everyone gave it pretty rave reviews. So after a mini trek to Walgreens and secret swatch tests behind the lotion aisle, I managed to get the right shade in this new foundation that I must say, is much better than my MAC one. Victory for my face!

My bf bribed me to pick him up from work with a Kinder Happy Hippo, which is smart, because my sweet tooth is quite easily convinced. I practically ate the darn thing as soon as he popped into the car, but I resisted the urge so I could document the cuteness and deliciousness.

Hippo? or caterpillar with a butt?

or a crunchy wafer cookie with meringue chips on the outside with a hazelnut/milk cream filling! tastebud explosion!

necessary for life

2010-06-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

this is not my picture, although i wish it was, because then i'd be aware that this completely mind-blowing duo existed. how do i not know what this is? how have i never seen this in my asian grocery store? what the hell!

Friendship Bracelets

2010-05-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently, friendship bracelets have been coming back into fashion. I'm down with its comeback, but I can't imagine paying more than 2 dollars for what most of us created as kids. Of course, the nicer versions have convenient gold clasps and are probably made out of something better than embroidery floss, but there's something to be said for friendship bracelets being made by a friend for a friend!

gone to sleep

2010-05-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

a little while back i remember walking by my bf's desk and hearing a particularly girly song coming through his speakers which usually blare, well, nothing so girly. naturally i loved it but somehow between now and then managed to forget about it. but now, after youtubing and googling everything under the sun , i've been brought back to it, and it's such an amazing song. moby and kelli scarr made it in about 6 hours for npr's "project song," and it's really really impressive. it makes me feel all dreamy and tired, and wishful for fall. *sidenote: her earrings are also amazing.

Camera Face

2010-05-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

The simplicity of the pattern seemed to complement the busy-ness of the fabric, so I had to give it a whirl. Probably the funnest sewing project ever. I actually woke up early today and was about to go back to bed for a little more shut-eye but the desire to sew the armhole binding was strong enough to rouse me to awakedom.

with belt

without belt

Brain Food

2010-05-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing starts the day off right like fried chicken and butter-laden, maple-drenched waffles.

pinching pennies part deux

2010-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today I decided I'd take it easy, clean up a little, and stay indoors in hopes that I might not spend any money. BUT as usual, I got cabin fever and decided to give thrifting another try today. So I ventured out a bit further than my typical thrift store haunts and came out amazingly victorious! I have faith in thrift stores again, faith which had been lowered by the fact that many of the local thrift shops have raised their prices and become totally overcrowded and picked over. But this gem of a store provided me with 6 new wonderful additions to my wardrobe, and it only cost me $3.15. Yea, you read that right, three dollars and fifteen whole cents. Here are my finds (minus one silky black top that was too hard to photograph, especially on this terribly fuzzy camera).

This last dress I'm particularly excited about. It's splendor is not done justice in the picture, and it also doesn't show that the dress goes alllll the way down to my feet. But I plan on lopping off all that excess and hemming myself up a nice little summertime frock. I didn't find any green glass this time around, but I still feel quite successful if i do say so myself.

under the moonlight

2010-05-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

oh sure karen elson, not only are you unbelievably beautiful, but you can sing too, and not just that, you make fantastic music. leave nothing for the rest of us, why don't you?!

nickel and dime store

2010-05-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was totally pumped to spend the morning thrifting like crazy. And while the finds were not as plentiful as I had hoped, I did make out with a couple of pretty little things.

1. New vases for my weird water plants
2. Two of these glass dishes for my rings and such

I've really been liking green glass and the way it looks when the sun hits it. I'm going to try and hoard as much green glass from thrift stores as I can, in forms of vases, bowls, plates, etc. I also found some good fabric for new curtains that I plan on sewing up, but I don't want to post a picture of it until the curtains are good and ready. I'm trying to do a slow and steady revamp of my apartment, so I'll update as I make my way across.

In other pictoral news, some new and old lip things I've been frequenting lately. Lots of orange and pink and coral for the summertime haze.

Sweetness and Light

2010-05-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those kids that are always cold. If I could, the seasons would only consist of spring, summer, fall, and maybe 2 weeks of winter. When the weather dipped slightly again this week, I began wrapping my neck in light scarves and craving hot cocoa (with a dash of Frangelico ... mmmmm). Ridiculous? Yes. My friends very sweetly attempted to remind me that it's still in the 60s. So what.

Anyway, I think this pricey but oh-so charming sweatery jacket from Creatures of Comfort would be perfect for chilly late spring nights.
Alas, I'm only a week and a half into a self-enforced month-long shopping ban on clothes and accessories. Luckily, I was able to snatch the pretty piece from stone&honey below before the ban went into effect.

Its name is Augustus.

some things i like above all else

2010-05-18T20:38:00.000-07:00

1. almond milk (to reduce my soy consumption and increase breakfast tastiness, also makes a delicious iced chai)
2. this little number

Tenniscoats - Baibaba Bimba | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

3. vietnamese food (especially at vietnam garden, where they serve coconut sorbet in a coconut shell)
4. some older datarock, specifically ganguro girl and i will always remember you (listen to it! you'll like it!)
5. this girl

6. reeses peanut butter cups
7. the new i-D

8. eavesdropping on my downstairs neighbors
9. rings! loads and loads and loads of rings!

The Days of Strawberry Desserts

2010-05-18T19:20:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie! I'm not really a pie baker, so please excuse the crust. It wasn't bad, especially when paired with vanilla ice cream from Kline's. I had decided to make this open-faced and it wasn't until afterwards that I read it wasn't that easy as just leaving off the top crust. First of all, tapioca as a thickener works best in a closed pie, and since I hadn't changed that, I should have at least covered the pie with some foil while it was baking. Oh well. This probably just means I have to make more pies in order to improve. :)

Strawberry Granita for a Tuesday night. The recipe was wonderful, though the freezing took much longer than the hour and a half the recipe estimate. My craving for this dessert came from a discussion this work about the difference between a Slurpee, an Icee, a Squishee, and a slushie. Hint: Slurpees, Icees, and Squishees are all slushies, but not all slushies are Slurpees, Icees, or Squishees (if Squishees actually existed). After all the talk about slush drinks, I started craving one and decided to go the possibly more satisfying route of making granita. Now I need to just start branching out to different fruits.

sweet and salty

2010-05-11T18:33:00.001-07:00

So most everyone knows about the movie Amelie. And if you know about Amelie you know the music, and how haunting and enchanting and undeniably beautiful it is.

And you think this soundtrack wouldn't coincide with the insane amounts of hip hop i've downloaded today, but surprise, there's Wale. I can't embed the video, but he sampled a Yann Tiersen song off the Amelie soundtrack and I smiled so big when it started and I think he does it justice. I seriously love this.

listen!

snip snip

2010-05-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

After lovingly growing my hair out for many, many years, I am officially over it. It gets everywhere and I never remember to brush it like normal people should, and my shampoo costs are through the roof.

*my hair in its totally unruly and long state.

After back and forthing about cutting my hair, I made an 11:45 appt. and wa lah

Fresh and clean! Watch out world!

nom noms

2010-05-10T20:18:00.001-07:00

Some recent food hits in le cafe petite (aka, my tiny kitchen).

Nutella and sunflower butter spread with a heavy hand over rice cakes and topped with my rapidly ripening bananas. I've also tried a combo of tofutti cream cheese and strawberries atop rice cakes, with equally delicious results.

I've recently concoted a gardenburger that I am exceptionally happy with, on which I put every vegetable available in my fridge, including (but not exlusive to): cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red peppers, cucumbers, vegenaise, mustard, avocado, and a whole mess of black pepper. Also a bit of snap peas with dairy free ranch to round it all out.

I did not create this cookie (although I wish I did), but I have been totally hooked on these vegan tofu cookies, which I thought would be disgusting, but they're so tasty! They are a little paler than your typical cookie, but the taste does not disappoint.

*sidenote: I am not vegan, although my food choices seem to show otherwise, but I am lactose intolerant, and am dealing with a daily struggle of not cosuming dairy. Lactaid is not an option people, I simply must omit the dairy.

NYC Snippets

2010-05-10T14:09:00.001-07:00

long overdue, but here it goes:

Click here to view these pictures larger

dogs befriended, good food consumed, old friends reunited, streets wandered, high lines conquered (!)

Hey

2010-05-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hot Pants!

2010-05-08T18:51:00.000-07:00

How do I relax on a Friday night? By staying in and listening to On Point while sewing a flamboyant pair of high-waisted shorts.
And for a Saturday night--after a day of farmers' market-ing, wine tasting, and stuffing my face full of sweets--I think Lowboy and a cup of tea would be just right. Good night!

bb homemaker

2010-05-06T19:57:00.001-07:00

I love this. I love the clothing, and the makeup, and the song, and the sass. I feel sassy just listening to it.

"Why Don't You Love Me" - Beyoncé from Beyoncé on Vimeo.

lolita

2010-05-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Since my boyfriend has so graciously allowed me to tinker around on his laptop, I had a chance to discover photobooth, a hundred years after everyone else. And even though the quality kinda sucks, and you can't really tell that my shirt is light pink and white, I figured I'd play with it anyways. So that's me, sans head, with a little bit of rouge, about to leave for work. Bye!

Let them eat (cup)cakes!

2010-05-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, a couple of friends and I decided to hold a little backyard cookout, complete with slow-cooked spiced pork for tacos, grilled corn with a mayo and cream sauce (a sort of street food in Mexico), and Modelos. My contribution was a batch of Tres Leches cupcakes, which I based off of this recipe. I had never made Tres Leches anything, so I was kind of surprised to find out that the three milks are condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream. I had to be careful not to douse the cupcake in too much of the milk mix as I didn't want these to fall apart once outside of the foil wrapper. And don't throw the tops of the cupcakes away! Just cut off the top in a cone shape, so that when you take that section off, there will be almost like a well in which you can then spoon the milk mixture. Then replace the top of the cupcake, which will soak up the milk mix and will keep the pretty little rounded shape. Instead of the recommended meringue frosting, I opted for a more traditional whipped cream topping. Also, I couldn't bring myself to use maraschino cherries and the local grocery store was out of fresh ones, so I crowned the cupcakes with a nice little raspberry instead.

blog alert

2010-05-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

Everyday I look at tons of blogs. Literally, TONS. And some look the same or feel the same and blah blah blah blog robotz, but I've found a new favorite which focuses on the pure awesomeness of breakfast. It's called My Breakfast Blog, and it has amazing pictures and recipes of all things delicious, breakfast, and lovely. I've been scrolling through old posts for quite a while now, and I am seriously craving breakfast, wishing I could still eat Greek Yogurt, wanting to buy Sunflower Butter, and thinking I need to get some cuter dishes. I love you breakfast blog.

u haul

2010-05-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I've been watching too many youtube makeup tutorials, but after what seemed like a century long spending ban, I decided to do a mini vamp on my beauty products. It's not all that exciting, but considering I haven't spent in a while, Aveeno cleansing pads make my heart practically skip a beat.

1. Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleansing Pads: I've been using Morning Burst as my sole cleanser lately, and I don't really like it, but I hate to waste so I've just been trying to pump through it quickly. And finally, I'm almost out! so I went back to my old favorite, the Aveeno cleansing pads. I feel like they really get in my skin since it lathers pretty well, and takes all the makeup and nasty mess out. Plus, it doesn't dry me out, which is a definite plus because flaky skin is the worst.

2. E.L.F. Complexion Brush: This brush is kinda shaped oddly for its purpose, more flat than round, but it was cheap, and I was dying to buy something from E.L.F. since Target had taken it away for a while and just recently put it back. I needed a new brush anyways since the one I had was ancient, so this'll do, and it's pretty soft.

3. Biore Pore Strips: I stopped using these for a while, and I'm not sure why, because they're totally amazing. And I like to look at the strips afterwards. Gross!

4. E.L.F. Blush and Bronzer Compact: I heard that the powders in this compact are comparable to the Nars Orgasm blush and the Nars bronzer, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I like the colors a lot, and although I think the bronzer is a bit dark, the application goes on nicely and the pink looks pretty close to the Nars shade. If you'd rather spend $3 on a gold flecked pink blush instead of $25, I'd definitely try this out.

5. MAC Lipstick in Ravishing: This is one of those, saw-it-in-a-youtube-tutorial purchases, which I'm a sucker for. But the girl had a similar skin tone as me, and it looked fantastic. So post-purchase and a day of wear, and I love it too! It goes on sheer initially, but it builds easily, and has a soft coral, slight pinkish color. Probably not so good for fairer skin, but very good for tan or olive tones. It's the first swatch on my hand below.

6. Clinique Black Honey Lipstick: So I had heard tons of people raving about this lipstick, and when you look at it in the tube it just looks black and scary. But once you put it on, just as Clinique claims, it goes on in this beautiful sheer raisin color that apparently looks differently on every person, and good on every person! So I gave it a try, and just like the rest of the world, I had to have it. It's supposedly Clinique's best selling lip color, and I can see why. On the swatch on my hand it really just looks brown, but I think everyone should just try it out in the store to see the actual shade. It's sheer, but still noticeable, and really moisturizing.

I did forget to put a picture of this L'oreal lip gloss I recently got that's a really pretty cherry color, but that's because it was already in my makeup bag since I love it already. If I can figure out how to get this camera working how I'd like it to, then I'll show how it looks. I made out pretty good with some new spring makeup now that I think of it! Hooray!

Fresh Prints

2010-05-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, after rediscovering old fabrics I had collected after several trips to the Philippines, I decided to hunker down and churn out a dress. I used an old pattern from the seventies but modified it to make it a little bit more modern (thinner straps, shorter skirt without a ruffled hem, and simple band trim on the bodice rather than a cuff). Also, ignore my curled silver toes; getting my picture taken always make me nervous and that's just one form of fidgeting for me.
Now that I have the first garment of the summer out of the way, I hope to take the pattern below...
...and the (badly ironed) fabrics below and make something fun. I foresee a summer sewing mixtape being created in my very near future. Anyway, most of these fabrics only came in small quantities of 1 or 1 and a half yards, so I'll have to use them sparingly.

summer in the city

2010-05-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

After several days of actual Spring weather and light breezes, today's sun was beating down with serious vengeance. The fans have begun rustling up the curtains in my apartment, and every window is propped wide open. And while hot weather makes me notoriously grumpy, the bf and I decided to rejoice in the hot sun instead of try to beat it. So we bared our pale bodies, threw on our swimsuits, and sunbathed on our humble little balcony. The perfect afternoon, I think.

Bathing suit #1 for this summer. The top is a bit more magenta in real life, which I think suits the purple fantastically.

i left my wallet in ny

2010-04-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been home from NY, and while I won't delve into every detail of the trip (Billy's Bakery, High line, and many many drinks), I will do a bit of show and tell with some of the nice things I picked up:

The modest batch in its entirety.

my new favorite silk blouse.

A comfy pair of olive boyfriend shorts and a classic oversized black tee a la Uniqlo.

A baby blue striped tee and a little swimmer's skirt.

All I need is a pair of sunglasses and some sandals and I've got summer all sewn up!

About a Boy

2010-04-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby geezus, when did Nicholas Hoult get so damn fine? Okay, sure I was totally into him during Skins, but post-Single Man movie and I say goddamn! Would it be weird if I photoshopped my head into these pictures?

green thumb

2010-04-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

Ever since spring has started, the bf and I have been able to better tend to our house greeneries. Granted we're confined to pots and glass bottles as our garden landscape, I'm still quite happy with our growing apartment plant life. I do have aloe, mint and parsley going, but I'm waiting for them to really get going so I can properly document.

This is Zach's mini-garden. He's selfishly taken the best window sill in the house, but I'm proud of his basil so he can keep it. I otherwise am still on the search for a 2nd best sill.

This is our snake Jacob. The protector of the aparment, naturally.

get a grip

2010-04-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

With all the free time I've been afforded due to my own calling on for a personal vacation, I've been given tons of time to do the things that truly make me happy, and with all the little things aside, I've been attempting to make an effort to write again. I used to write a lot before than I do now, but now feels different. Now I feel as if there's pressure (even though there isn't) for me to write something that I really truly care about. And while writer's block is making itself known, the main problem is finding something to write about that I honestly do care about. Do I really care about the umpteenth collaboration that whozits doing with whatzits? Not really. Do I think people haven't read (or already written about) the new bag that the house of whoever is releasing? They probably have. So in an attempt to rid myself of this writer's block and a bit of the negative vibes I'm putting out, I'm going to try and just write about whatever fancies me, so that maybe, I can get to something really, really good.

Heavy shit aside, on one of my more boring days yesterday, I went on an amazingly long walk and found myself searching for curtain fabric at the thrift store, which was a total failure (since when do thrift stores realize their gems and price it as such! wtf!). But I did manage to snag this adorable knitting magazine that had such a clean, pure style to it, I had to bring it home with me. I by no means knit at all (that's my sister), but with all that perfectly blown out hair, the sophisticated little grins that say, "oh, i wake up this way," and those plump fake eyelashes, I figured what the heck. I have a hard time finding good inspiration in magazines these days, perhaps I blame myself for overexposure, but these pictures inspire me. I may not always want to look so prim and proper, but these pictures make me want to stop with the T-shirts and plant some pearls on my neck. I suppose it's a nice breath of fresh air from all the editorials that always try to give off that "easy" air, that very throw-on-and-go type of grunge. I forgot for a second that everything wasn't all ripped and loose, and that there's still room for sophistication.